《Fire and Ice (Completed)》 Chapter 1 - Burning Bright Natalia¡¯s P. O. V The constant, monotonous ringing of the old analogue alarm clock permeated my light sleep. I groaned as I slapped at it to turn it off. Groggily, I got off my thin mattress and walked the short distance to my bathroom, if you could call it that anyway. All the tiles were loose and stained. The metal tub and shower were completely brown with rust. The mirror was cracked and hung loose. The sink had mould growing in the drain and was grey. I would clean the rancid bathroom if I could but my pack denied my request for the cleaning supplies I so desperately needed. They also refused to give me a new towel; bar of soap, sponge, toothbrush and tube of toothpaste when I¡¯d requested so I had to borrow from their huge stock. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t use that method to solve the problem of my bathroom since they check my living area every month. I brushed my teeth and took an ice cold shower, all the while careful not to touch anything longer than absolutely necessary. After I was done, I rushed back into my attic room, wrapped in my towel. I dried my waist length brown hair and got my clothes- a grey, baggy, long sleeved shirt and loose trousers that hid my body well- out of my crimson duffel bag that was constantly packed. I turned to stare at my reflection in the cracked full length mirror. For as long as I could remember, no one other than my mother had ever seen the true colour of my eyes. When I was almost four, she bought me green coloured contacts and taught me how to put them on then told me never to remove them. I changed them periodically but nobody had ever seen me without them. It was the same thing with my hair. She dyed my hair brown and bought loads of brown dye then told me never to let it fade. Snapping out of my funk, I hung my towel on the door of my ever empty wardrobe, tied my hair in a high ponytail, put my sneakers on and jogged down the stairs with trepidation. I walked to the kitchen, doing my best to avoid the unlikely people that might be up at 4:30am. The kitchen, unlike my bathroom, was pristine. It had all the most up to date kitchen appliances necessary and the storage room had dozens of every ingredient needed. I cracked my knuckles and got to work. By 7:46, I¡¯d made bacon, omelettes, ham sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, custard, oatmeal, orange juice, fruit salad, protein shakes, you name it, I probably made it and enough to feed an army of 284. By 7:54, I¡¯d set the table. By 7:58, I¡¯d finished my breakfast of fruits and water that I was forbidden to have and by 8:00, I was standing in the shadows of the corner farthest from the double doors to the enormous dining room. At 8:01, my rowdy pack burst through the doors. I watched in bemusement as my pack fought over mundane things and the Slut Squad picked at their veggie salads. All heads, except mine, bowed as the Alpha walked into the room. Daddy dearest, Clark Lightwood, was 5¡¯ 11¡¯¡¯ and had puke green eyes (they were truly puke green- no exaggerations) and thinning brown hair that was already mostly grey even though he was only 37. Behind him was his successor. Harry Theodore Lightwood was all muscle and no brains. He was 17 years old, 6¡¯ tall, shared his mother¡¯s blonde hair and our father¡¯s puke green eyes and had a rarely used brain that could produce a C minus at best- I was talking very good situations. A trait he and his twin sister got from their mother. Mrs Tiffany Helena Lightwood was the mother of the leader of the Slut Squad, Brittany Penelope Lightwood. Both Brittany and her mother were blonde, shared the same icy blue eyes, skinny as sticks and dumber than them. The Lightwood family took their seats. Clark at the head, Tiffany to his left, Harry to his right and Brittany on Harry¡¯s left. I despised them with every fibre of my being. All activity resumed once the Lightwood family started eating and by 8:32, the food was all gone, with the exception of five plates of barely touched salads, and the noisy barbarians filed out, probably to do some last minute studying and homework. Using the werewolf speed they didn¡¯t know I had, I cleared the table, washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen counter. By 8:47, I was getting my bag from the empty cupboard I always hid it after doing my homework the previous day and was stepping out through the back door in the kitchen. I ran the distance to school and was there in three minutes. I was early. My school, Lightwood High, was mixed with 68% of its population werewolves and 32% humans. I walked to my homeroom class. I was 15 and a senior with a bunch of stupid 17 and 18-year-olds but they didn¡¯t know that. They all thought I was 17 even though I was shorter than most of them. If they knew, the bullying would get worse. I¡¯d always had a photographic memory. My lowest so far was an A. I would be in university if my pack would let me. The idea of running away teased my mind. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. While I was lost in my thoughts, I bumped into someone and fell on my butt. I looked up and saw the faces of my worst enemies-Brittany and Harry. Unlike the members of my pack, I felt no urge to submit to them. No involuntary bowing of my head, no avoidance of eye contact, no loyalty¡­ Only hate. I got up, picked my bag up and moved to walk past them. Brittany pulled on my ponytail and forced me to turn around. ¡°How dare you?!¡± she screeched. ¡°You¡¯re an omega and you have the guts to make eye contact with me and my brother? We¡¯re the Alphas!¡± Harry chimed in, ¡°Get on your knees and beg for forgiveness¡± My green coloured eyes met his, ¡°No¡± A crowd had gathered around us and gasped at my actions. As an omega, you didn¡¯t made eye contact, you bowed your head, you did whatever was asked and you never spoke back. But I was the Alpha¡¯s daughter- illegitimate or not. ¡°WHAT DID YOU SAY?!¡± came Brittany¡¯s shrill reply. My face remained impassive as I spoke, ¡°Wow Brittany, I didn¡¯t know you were going deaf already. I said no.¡± She was struck speechless. I used their preoccupation with disbelief to push past them and walk to my class just before the bell rang. I had no illusions¡­ they would want to make my day miserable. *after school* It was Tuesday and I felt good as I took my time walking back to the house. I¡¯d gotten all my homework right and was done with my promotional exams- the results were already ready. The questions had been easy to answer. When I walked into the kitchen, there was a note on the fridge. Omega, We¡¯ve gone out to celebrate the Lightwood twins, Callum and Andrea¡¯s birthday eve. Prepare the house for their party. It¡¯d better be great or you¡¯ll be sorry. I crumpled the paper and tossed it in the bin then got to work. I retrieved the party supplies from the basement and cleaned the guest rooms, lounge, common room, dining room, game room and family room. I mixed the cakes then hung the decorations as it was baking. I prepared the food and set them on the food and refreshment tables. After I was done, I went to my attic room and finished my homework. Afterward, I thought of my mother- of the six years I¡¯d known her. We shared most of our features- slim waist, pert nose, full lips, big almond shaped eyes, thick midnight black hair but hers was naturally blonde around the tips (she was voluptuous and I had yet to find out if I shared that trait with her since I wasn¡¯t done growing) - and there was only one major difference. Her eyes were a calm ocean green while mine swirled with the colour of the embers of a flame. The sound of the front door opening and closing interrupted my train of thought. I went downstairs and was met with the noise of my pack. Before I could turn to go back upstairs, Kylie, the Slut Squad¡¯s second in command, girlfriend of Harry and my former best friend, spotted me. ¡°Omega, you¡¯re here, how convenient. I was just telling my boyfriend how you would love to serve us at his birthday party, seeing as you put so much effort into the decorations.¡± She batted her fake eyelashes. Green eyed Kylie Jane Adams was a short 5¡¯2¡¯¡¯ at 17. She was originally a brunette but had dyed her hair blonde in order to fit in with the other members of the Slut Squad. She was also the very distant cousin (they had no blood relations and were practically unrelated) of the soon to be Beta, Callum Jacob Howling. Callum was 17, brown eyed, brunet, 6¡¯ tall, muscular and acted as stupid as the rest of them even though I knew he wasn¡¯t. Harry intervened on Kylie¡¯s behalf. ¡°You will serve at our party.¡± He¡¯d used his Alpha voice but it had no effect. I stared at him impassively. He stalked closer, ¡°Are you deaf? I said you will serve at our party.¡± I took a step back and nodded my head. He wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°What was that mutt? Cat caught your tongue?¡± Harry¡¯s punch to my gut was so sudden that it knocked the air out of me. I lunged for him but was held back by Callum and Gerald John Canis- the Delta of the pack. Brittany pulled her hand back and slapped me. I strained against the thugs holding me. Kylie let go of Harry¡¯s arm and joined in. The cowards all took turns holding me back so that everyone could have a go at me. The blows blurred together in a stream of beatings and it was all I could do to stay conscious and not cry out. I refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing me crying, weak or unconscious. When they lost interest in me, the cowards restraining me let me go and I collapsed to the floor. The walked out laughing, at my expense, and left me there at the base of the stairs in a fetal position. After what felt like an eternity, I picked myself up and limped up the stairs to my attic room to tend to my wounds. After a quick survey, I concluded that I had a black eye, a broken arm, two broken ribs, a seriously bruised stomach, four thin, long gashes down the right side of my face and a sprained ankle. The pain fuelled my hatred for the Lightwood pack. Especially the Lightwood family. Even though Clark Lightwood was my biological father, I never considered him as my dad. To me, he was just a sperm donor- nothing more. As I patched myself up, I thought about an encounter, not unlike this one, that I¡¯d had with the sperm donor on my 13th birthday. He¡¯d beaten me to near death and would have raped me if not for my Physics teacher, Ms Gina Charles. The memories brought a feeling of loathing so violent that I had to stop and control my breathing. This is what they did to me last year and the year before that and the one before that. This is what they¡¯d done to me on every one of the high ranking wolves¡¯ birthdays after my mother disappeared. The hatred for all the residents of this house in high school and above burned brighter than ever. I was close to the edge; all it would take was a little nudge. Chapter 2 - Over the Edge Callum¡¯s P. O. V After our birthdays¡¯ eve celebration, we drove back to the pack house. When we entered, we saw the omega at the base of the stairs. I¡¯d always found her attractive but I daren¡¯t show it- especially around my friends. Once she saw us, she immediately turned to go back upstairs but Kylie stopped her. ¡°Omega, you¡¯re here, how convenient. I was just telling my boyfriend how you would love to serve us at his birthday party, seeing as you put so much effort into the decorations.¡± She batted her useless fake eyelashes. Harry intervened for Kylie. ¡°You will serve at our party.¡± He¡¯d used his Alpha voice- I¡¯d felt it- but it didn¡¯t seem like it had any effect. She stared at him impassively. I watched the exchange. He stalked closer to her, ¡°Are you deaf? I said you will serve at our party.¡± She backed up and nodded her head. ¡°What was that mutt? Cat caught your tongue?¡± Harry punched her in the gut. She lunged for him but Gerald- the soon-to-be Delta, and I held her back. I couldn¡¯t help but notice how nice it felt to touch her, even if it wasn¡¯t skin to skin. Brittany pulled her hand back and slapped the omega. She strained against us and I had to admit that she was strong- I was having a hard time holding her back- and I saw Gerald¡¯s struggle- but I would never admit it. Kylie let go of Harry¡¯s arm and joined in. We all took turns holding her back so that everyone could have a go at her. When it was my turn, I hesitated but quickly recovered and hoped that no one had noticed. The punch I gave her wasn¡¯t my hardest. Throughout the beating, she never once shed a tear, cried out or lost consciousness but only gritted her teeth or grunted when a hit went her way. When we lost interest in her, we let her go and she collapsed to the floor. We walked out laughing and left her there at the base of the stairs in a fetal position. We all lounged around in the living room. I made out with my girlfriend, Brittany, until Harry interrupted by calling me to the hallway where we¡¯d beat the omega only she was gone. Harry was as surprised as I was. We didn¡¯t expect her to pick herself up so soon. We went down the hall and to Harry¡¯s soon to be office. Once inside, he locked the door and turned to me. He looked serious. ¡°Cal, I¡¯m gonna be Alpha soon. I need to trust you if you¡¯re gonna be my Beta.¡± ¡°Hey, what are you talking about, man? I¡¯ll always be here for you- I always have.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb. I noticed how you acted around the omega. She has no respect and we beat her to remind her of her place. Never act like that again or I¡¯ll replace you. There are many members eager to do it.¡± I knew he was ticked at the fact that she hadn¡¯t submitted when he used his Alpha voice. I nodded. ¡°You can trust me Alpha Lightwood¡±. He nodded and unlocked the door then walked out, not before giving me a sceptical glance. ********** An hour later, the party was in full swing and we were having the time of our lives. I was getting cosy with Brittany¡¯s lips until it was time to cut our cakes. I stood behind my cake with my best friend, close friend and girlfriend. I looked down at our cakes. The omega had made them. She¡¯d decorated and prepared the food and cleaned up while we were having a good time at out pre-party party. She did it for us year after year since I turned 13. But nobody thanked her. Nobody did it for her. Heck, nobody even knew the date of her birthday. Nobody knew her real age; we just assumed she was 17 like most of us were. Nobody knew her name. I shook my head. I had to stop thinking that way if I wanted to keep my position as Beta secured. The countdown began. ¡°Ten, nine, eight¡­¡± I looked up from the cake and smiled. ¡°¡­seven, six, five¡­¡± I looked around, wondering where she was. ¡°¡­four¡­¡± Where was she? ¡®She¡¯s supposed to serve.¡¯ I lied to myself. ¡°¡­three¡­¡± ¡®Just making sure she¡¯s not ditching.¡¯ Was my excuse for looking for her. ¡°¡­two¡­¡± I spotted her but she wasn¡¯t looking at us like everyone else. ¡°¡­ONE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITTANY, HARRY, CALLUM AND ANDREA!¡± She didn¡¯t clap or shout well wishes. And for some reason, that saddened me even though she was in her right mind not to. In an attempt to rid my thoughts of her, I danced for a while until I got thirsty. As I was going to get a drink, Kylie stopped me. ¡°Callum, I have a present for you.¡± Before I could reply, she dragged me to a guest room and I let her. She closed the door behind us and pushed me up against the wall then began to kiss me. Her kisses were desperate and demanding. Just as I was beginning to get into the kiss and forget the omega, someone barged in and tore Kylie of me. ¡°Don¡¯t ever touch my mate again!¡± I didn¡¯t recognise the voice until I saw it was the omega. Before anything else could be said or assumed, I shoved her to the ground and held the Kylie close. She got up and growled. Just then, her scent hit me- roses and honey. No! She couldn¡¯t be my mate. There must have been some mistake! My wolf, Cade, pitched in. ¡®Come on Callum, she¡¯s our mate! I know that she¡¯ll be willing to forg-¡¯ I cut him off. ¡®No! Don¡¯t you know what¡¯s at stake?! We have to get rid of her and prove our worth.¡¯ I turned to the omega. ¡°You? My mate? You have got to be kidding me. You are not my mate, you worthless mutt.¡± I sneered. Kylie¡¯s laugh was annoyingly high, ¡°She¡¯s just a power hungry bitch and since she can¡¯t go for Harry for obvious reasons, she¡¯s diving for the next best thing. Just looking at her disgusts me.¡± Before I could chicken out, I backhanded the omega. The force sent her to the floor. My wolf howled and tried to take over but I mentally pushed him into the shadow of my mind where he couldn¡¯t get out. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. With regret, I kicked her ribs that were probably already broken and Kylie joined in. After a few minutes, we stopped. ¡°Don¡¯t ever tell anyone about any of this- not that they¡¯d believe you but if you do, I¡¯ll make you sorry.¡± I threatened her then went back to making out with Kylie even though it was the last thing I wanted to do at the moment. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the omega muster the energy to leave the room even in her obvious agony. I admired her strength and perseverance. She hadn¡¯t closed the door and had passed out in front of it. Seeing her weak and hurt made my heart ache and my wolf whimper and knowing that I¡¯d been the cause made me want to torture myself. I mentally shook myself. I shouldn¡¯t have felt that way. She was a lowly omega and I was soon to be Beta of the third most powerful pack in the state. I closed the door. After about 45 minutes of making out and feeling ourselves up, I wanted to use the bathroom, ¡°Kylie, babe, I¡¯m going to the bathroom. I¡¯ll be back soon for more fun.¡± We were both down to our underwear now. I opened the door and saw that the omega had just mustered the strength to stand. Without thinking, I pinned her to the wall. I wanted her so bad as I stared at the marking spot on her neck. Without meaning to, my canines lengthened and I did it. I marked her. Her eyes widened and for the first time, I heard her cry out in pain. The sound shocked me and I removed my teeth a little too roughly. I let her fall to the ground in a heap of sobs when I really wanted to hold her and never let go. It broke my heart to see her crying- because of me. I had to do it immediately. I put on the most disgusted face I could muster. ¡°I, Callum Jacob Howling, Beta of the Lightwood pack, reject you¡­ what is your name?¡± I was ashamed- I didn¡¯t even know my own mate¡¯s name She didn¡¯t answer. I asked her again and when she didn¡¯t answer, I pulled her up by her hair and punched her nose. I cringed when I heard a loud crunch and she cried out. I repeated the question. ¡°Natalia Avarielle Ember Lightwood.¡± She replied with venom. Her name was beautiful and sounded musical when she said it. Ignoring the ache in my heart, I restarted,¡± I, Callum Jacob Howling, Beta of the Lightwood pack, reject you, Natalia Avarielle Ember Lightwood, Omega of the Lightwood pack, as my mate.¡± She screamed and it killed me to know I was the reason she was feeling so much pain. ¡°I, Natalia Avarielle Ember Lightwood, Omega of the Lightwood pack, accept your, Callum Jacob Howling, Beta of the Lightwood pack, rejection.¡± Her tone was laced with venom and dipped in poison for good measure. It was a knife to the gut just knowing that that tone was for me. I hadn¡¯t expected her to have the strength left to speak. The acceptance pain pierced through my heart like an arrow and I clutched my chest until it disappeared as quickly as it started. I felt a great sense of loss. I plastered on a smirk and walked back into the room to Kylie. I was causing her so much pain and I had no doubt that she hated me. ¡®I don¡¯t feel anything for her. It¡¯s for the best, for the Beta position, for the good of the pack. I¡¯m just following orders.¡¯ Maybe if I thought it enough, I¡¯d believe it. Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I finished bandaging all the obvious injuries and put my clothes back on then went back downstairs- to my tormentors. When I got there, the party was already in full swing. ¡®I guess nobody missed me.¡¯ , I thought sarcastically. I checked my watch, another borrowed item-11:58pm I rushed to get all four cakes out for the birthday bitches. Since it was dark, I used my werewolf speed to get the cakes out and was done just before midnight. I carried the cakes to the empty table and set knives behind them then retreated into the darker shadows. Seconds before midnight, the birthday people stood behind their cakes, knives poised, smiles wide. The countdown began. ¡°Ten, nine, eight¡­¡± Why didn¡¯t Clark do this for me? ¡°¡­seven, six, five¡­¡± Was it because he didn¡¯t know I had a wolf? ¡°¡­four¡­¡± Why did my mother disappear? ¡°¡­three¡­¡± Did she not love me? ¡°¡­two¡­¡± Did she really disappear or had I been lied to? ¡°¡­ONE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITTANY, HARRY, CALLUM AND ANDREA!¡± I wanted answers. I wandered through the party, unconsciously taking note of my surroundings. I¡¯d learnt to be conscious of the presence of others, especially since most of the people here had only ever taunted, teased, ordered and beaten me. After some minutes, the most amazing scent hit me like a tonne of bricks. It smelled like pine and the forest air with an undertone of manliness- my favourite smell on a man. I would find my mate tonight. I followed the delectable smell to a corner in guest room. What I saw enraged me more than ever before. Standing there was my mate- Callum- making out and getting touchy-feely with Kylie, Trembling with fury, I ripped the slut off my mate. Not only was she all over my mate, she was also cheating on her own boyfriend. I was disgusted. Mates find each other when at least one of them was eighteen and I¡¯d just found mine. I was not going to let anyone touch him if I could help it. ¡°Don¡¯t ever touch my mate again!¡± I growled at Kylie with narrowed eyes. I despised her more than ever before. She had been my best friend and now she was making out with my mate! I wanted to rip her to shreds and feed her to my angry wolf. Before anything else could be said, he shoved me to the ground and held the bitch close. I got up and growled. ¡°You? My mate? You have got to be kidding me. You are not my mate, you worthless mutt.¡± He sneered. Kylie laughed a high pitched laugh that grated on my nerves. ¡°She¡¯s just a power hungry bitch and since she can¡¯t go for Harry for obvious reasons, she¡¯s diving for the next best thing. Just looking at her disgusts me.¡± Quick as a flash, Callum backhanded me. The unexpected force sent me to the floor. For the first time in years, I heard my wolf, Candy, speak to me. ¡®Our mate doesn¡¯t want us?¡¯ she whimpered. ¡®He doesn¡¯t want us because of that thing?¡¯ She growled. Callum kicked my already broken ribs and Kylie joined in. After what seemed like an eternity, they stopped. ¡°Don¡¯t ever tell anyone about any of this- not that they¡¯d believe you but if you do, I¡¯ll make you sorry.¡± Threatened Callum then he went back to making out while I writhed on the floor. After a few seconds, I found the strength to crawl out of the room and passed out from the pain in front of the door. ********** I woke up and realised that I was still in front of the guest room. Everywhere hurt. I checked my watch. 1:16am I¡¯d been out for about 45 minutes. I got up with no small difficulty. It hurt to breathe. Before I could take a step, the guest room door opened to reveal Callum in only his boxers. Candy whined. He pinned me to the wall. His brown eyes were full of heat and his canines elongated as he stared at my neck- at the spot for marking. The moment I realised what he was about to do, he did it. He marked me. My eyes widened as pain exploded in the area and I cried out from it. The action held no love, no care and that fact made it even more painful than it was supposed to. After a few seconds that felt like infinity to me, he roughly removed his teeth from my flesh and let me fall to the ground sobbing. He stared down at my shaking, wounded form with disgust. ¡°I, Callum Jacob Howling, Beta of the Lightwood pack, reject you¡­ what is your name?¡± I didn¡¯t answer. He asked me again and when I didn¡¯t answer, he pulled me up by my hair and punched my nose. I heard a loud crunch and cried out. He asked again. ¡°Natalia Avarielle Ember Lightwood.¡± I spat. I hated having to use the sperm donor¡¯s last name. He restarted,¡± I, Callum Jacob Howling, Beta of the Lightwood pack, reject you, Natalia Avarielle Ember Lightwood, Omega of the Lightwood pack, as my mate.¡± White hot pain flashed through me immediately he finished his statement and my wolf howled with the unbearable pain. I screamed. Everything hurt excruciatingly. An intense hatred for him burned bright. I had been willing to forgive him for all his past misdemeanours. I had been willing to put it all behind us for the sake of love. He was supposed to be my mate! My anger bubbled and boiled. It gave me the little energy I needed to speak. ¡°I, Natalia Avarielle Ember Lightwood, Omega of the Lightwood pack, accept your, Callum Jacob Howling, Beta of the Lightwood pack, rejection.¡± Pain and surprise briefly flashed on his face before the acceptance pain passed. I watched helplessly as he smirked and walked back into the room. Since he marked me before rejecting me, the rejection hurt more than it normally would. The mark on my neck throbbed with unbearable pain in time with my heartbeat. Through the haze, my conscious mind knew that I had to get out of the house. Suddenly, the pain eased enough for me to be able to move. ¡®Do what you must and get us out of here. I will take as much of your suffering as I can but I won¡¯t be able to bear it for too long. Hurry.¡¯ moaned Candy. ¡®Thank You, Candy.¡¯ I replied. I got up, still in pain, and limped as fast as I could to my room. Since all my clothes were already in the duffel bag, I put my towel, soap, sponge, toothbrush and tube of toothpaste in the bag. I got sheets of paper and wrote. After writing, I placed the notes on the mattress and I picked my duffel up then checked the time- 2:57am. I raised the loose floorboard and put my wallet full of saved money and trust fund cards from my mother into my bag and left my room, for the last time, then crept to the kitchen. I shoved fruits, vegetables and bottles of water into my bag and crept out through the back door. That was the final shove- I was over the edge. Chapter 3 - Mate Swap Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I ran as fast as I could- which wasn¡¯t very fast, for obvious reasons- to the territory border. Just as I was about to cross it, a tidal wave of pain hit me and I fell to the ground, screaming in agony. ¡®Candy, what¡¯s happening?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Ember. I couldn¡¯t take both yours and my pain¡¯ Candy whined. ¡®It¡¯s okay. You have your own to deal with¡¯ I struggled to my feet but the pain intensified. Candy howled. ¡®Candy, what¡¯s going on?¡¯ ¡®He marked her.¡¯ She whimpered He did what!? The pain went up a few notches and then some. I covered my ears, wanting the blood curdling shriek to stop then realised that it was coming from me. ¡®It¡¯ll¡­ be¡­ al¡­ right.¡¯ Candy tried to comfort me in between her heart wrenching howls of pain. ¡®Why is it so bad?¡¯ She hesitated before replying, ¡®He- he¡¯s mating with her.¡¯ It hurt so, so much. I felt like my heart was ripped out and ground into powder then mixed with fire then buried then blown up. Evert vein, artery and capillary felt like they were full of lava instead of blood. My lungs struggled to take air in. But what hurt most of all was the mark on my neck. It throbbed and pulsed with never ending pain. He would pay for the pain he¡¯d put me through. I screamed till I passed out. Callum¡¯s P. O. V Kylie said that she had to leave so that she wouldn¡¯t get caught with me. It dawned on me that I¡¯d not only cheated on my mate, I¡¯d also cheated on Brittany- my girlfriend and the Alpha¡¯s sister. I waited for a few minutes after Kylie left before going to find my girlfriend. I found her in the corner of the living room talking to the 2nd battle general in command- Kevin Harold Duke. I pulled him away from her. ¡°Leave us.¡± I used my Beta voice and he turned to leave. Before he did, I saw the pain in his eyes. It reminded me of Natalia and that renewed my regret. I turned to Brittany. ¡°Do you want him as your mate?¡± ¡°I want power and since I can¡¯t mate with my brother, you¡¯re my mate.¡± She replied. Kylie had been wrong. Natalia wasn¡¯t the power hungry bitch, Brittany was. I should¡¯ve known, but I was no better. I had no doubt that she was willing to leave her mate for power and we both wanted the same thing. ¡®No. I want to be Beta because it¡¯s what¡¯s best for the pack and my family.¡¯ My wolf sneered at me, ¡®You and I both know that you¡¯re just as power hungry as she is.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t argue. I scooped her up and carried her to my bedroom. I laid her on the bed and marked her before my conscience or my wolf got the better of me. With machine like movements and state of mind, I removed our clothes and completed the mating process. Since she wasn¡¯t my mate, we would have to repeat the process every three months. A large part of me was disgusted with that fact. She pulled me into a kiss and I let her, trying to expel all thoughts of the omega from my mind. Brittany¡¯s P. O. V Immediately after we cut our cakes, I decided to have some fun. I couldn¡¯t find Callum anywhere so I just moved to the music and let loose for some time until a wonderful smell was carried to me- rain and dusk. My wolf, Tina, was ecstatic, ¡®Brittany, let¡¯s go find our mate.¡¯ I didn¡¯t share her enthusiasm and hoped that our mate was Callum so that I could carry my plan out without complications. I followed the scent to my mate and was disappointed when I saw him. Kevin Harold Duke- the 2nd battle general in command. My heart hardened at what I had to do. I looked deep into his grey eyes. They held hope, kindness and¡­ love- something I had no use for. My wolf begged me not to do what she knew I had to, ¡®Please, Brittany. Don¡¯t do this to him- to us. Let him love us, let us love him, please.¡¯ I shook my head, hating my wolf¡¯s weakness. ¡®Sorry, Tina. I have to and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it.¡¯ I stared at him, hoping to convey my determination through my eyes. ¡°I, Brittany Penelope Lightwood, sister of the Alpha of the Lightwood, reject you, Kevin Harold Duke, 2nd battle general in command of the Lightwood pack, as my mate and emergency Alpha.¡± He groaned and doubled over, gripping his chest in pain. I wasn¡¯t looking for happiness or love, I wanted more power and Callum was my ticket to it. ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally, Kevin. You just aren¡¯t what I¡¯m looking for.¡± Callum chose that moment to intervene. ¡°Leave us.¡± He used his Beta voice and Kevin turned to leave. He turned to me. ¡°Do you want him as your mate?¡± ¡°I want power and since I can¡¯t mate with my brother, you¡¯re my mate.¡± I replied with honesty. I saw regret flesh in his eyes but couldn¡¯t care less. As long as he did what I needed him to do, his feelings were irrelevant. He scooped me up and took me to his bedroom. He laid me on his bed and hastily marked me. It felt wrong. His movements were robotic as he removed our clothes and completed the mating process. It confused me. I¡¯d slept with every man from sixteen and above except those loyal to their mates, the high ranking males and- of course- my brother. One thing that was always consistent was the fact that they all fell over themselves with excitement when in bed with yours truly. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. I reached up and pulled him into a kiss. Harry¡¯s P. O. V Once we cut our cakes, I walked to the food table and tried the food. No doubt, the omega had made it. I didn¡¯t really hate her, but I didn¡¯t like her either. She frustrated me. My Alpha voice didn¡¯t work on her, she was faster than the fastest of our warriors- I¡¯d seen her when she thought no one was looking- and I had no doubt that she was extremely strong. No one really knew her mother so I chalked it up to her being my father¡¯s rape product- the reason she was the omega. No one was happy with the fact that her mother had thought- if I¡¯m being honest, correctly- the Alpha raped her so we treated her horribly. I shook my head and walked onto the dance floor and enjoyed about an hour of grinds and friskiness before a wonderful scent filled the air- lilies and fresh air. I followed it, hoping to find my mate. There stood my mate, by the drinks table- Kirstin Lina Crest. I remembered her hanging out with my sister. She had long blonde hair that was no doubt dyed. None of my sister¡¯s friend were originally blonde so they¡¯d dyed their hair. I had no idea what her real hair colour was but I didn¡¯t care. She was beautiful in my eyes, no matter her hair colour. She turned and her eyes met mine. Suddenly, it felt like it was just us in the room. Her beautiful brown eyes shone with joy and love. In that moment, she was the only thing that mattered. Just as I was about to touch her, Kylie¡¯s voice broke through the trance. ¡°Harry! There you are. I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you, babe. Let¡¯s go have your birthday present.¡± The reality of my situation slapped me hard. I couldn¡¯t mate with Kirstin. My father had specifically told me to mate with Kylie since her family had power and connections. I could almost hear dear dad¡¯s voice now; ¡°You must mate with Kylie. If we are to become the most powerful pack in the state- and then the country- we¡¯ll need her family¡¯s connections, power and inside knowledge.¡± In that moment, I despised the fact that I was Alpha-to-be but it quickly passed. It was my destiny. I had to do what benefitted the pack. Plus, it brought me power. I kissed Kylie, ¡°Hold on, babe. I¡¯ve got something to take care of.¡± I turned back to Kirstin. The anger and hurt in her eyes made me want to hold her and make everything alright. I shook my head. My wolf, Tay, nagged at me. ¡®I hate you right now, you know that? You know that dad will let us be with Kirstin if you insist. Kylie¡¯s family is already very loyal to us.¡¯ ¡®We need them to be completely and certainly bound to us to ensure maximum loyalty.¡¯ I repeated the words of reason that dad had repeated to me over and over. ¡°I, Harry Theodore Lightwood, Alpha of the Lightwood pack, reject you, Kirstin Lina Crest, member of the Lightwood pack, as my mate and Luna of this pack.¡± I turned away with Kylie as she fell to the floor, screaming in pain. I doubted that anybody would hear her since the music was so loud and everyone was too busy dancing, talking and getting frisky to notice. I did hear her whisper to me through the mind link- even her mental voice sounded in pain; ¡®You will regret this¡­ both of you.¡¯ I thought little of it as I led Kylie to my bedroom and completed the mating process, all the while feeling more guilty than I thought possible. My wolf snarled at me when it was over, ¡®I hate you.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t my favourite person either. But it had to be done. Kylie¡¯s P. O. V As soon as the birthday people cut their cakes, a wonderful smell wafted up to my nose- grass and lime. My wolf howled with joy, ¡®Let¡¯s go, Kylie. Our mate is here!¡¯ I hoped he was Harry. I followed the smell to the drinks table. My heart soared and dropped at the same time when I saw my mate- Andrea Daniel Bennett, the battle general. ¡®I know what you¡¯re thinking, Kylie. Don¡¯t reject him- the power isn¡¯t worth the sacrifice.¡¯ I mentally shook my head, ¡®No, Heather. I have to do this to keep the family connections strong.¡¯ She whimpered. I sauntered up to him, wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely and he kissed back, wrapping his arms around me. Then I pulled away and whispered into his ear; ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I hope you can forgive me. I, Kylie Jane Adams, member of the Lightwood pack, reject you, Andrea Daniel Bennett, battle general of the Lightwood pack, as my mate.¡± I turned before I could see him double over in pain and change my mind. I spotted Callum heading towards the other drinks table and, desperate for a distraction, went up to him. ¡°Callum, I have a present for you.¡± I dragged him away to a guest room without giving him a chance to protest. I pushed him against the wall and kissed him. I poured all my turmoil into the kiss. Just as I felt him respond, I was ripped off him. ¡°Don¡¯t ever touch my mate again!¡± Before me was the omega. Her eyes were daggers of hate and in that moment, I was the most terrified of her than I¡¯d ever been. I had no doubt that she would try to kill me if I so much as sneezed at her. Callum shoved her to the floor and held me close to him but it wasn¡¯t his arms that I wanted. I wanted my mate¡¯s but I guessed it was too late for that. She got up and growled. He sneered at her. ¡°You? My mate? You have got to be kidding me. You are not my mate, you worthless mutt.¡± I hoped that nobody noticed the nervous pitch of my laugh, ¡°She¡¯s just a power hungry bitch and since she can¡¯t go for Harry for obvious reasons, she¡¯s diving for the next best thing. Just looking at her disgusts me.¡± Callum backhanded her, sending her to the floor. He kicked her ribs and I hesitantly joined in. After a few minutes, we stopped. ¡°Don¡¯t ever tell anyone about any of this- not that they¡¯d believe you- if you do, I¡¯ll make you sorry.¡± He threatened her then came back to make out with me. I noticed the omega crawl out of the room and pass out. Suddenly, I felt a whole lot safer. Callum closed the door behind her. After about 45 minutes of making out, he pulled away, ¡°Kylie, babe, I¡¯m going to the bathroom. I¡¯ll be back soon for more fun.¡± We were both in our underwear now. I flopped onto the bed as he walked out and thought about my saddened wolf and aching heart. I realised that I was also cheating on Harry but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care- he wasn¡¯t my mate. I played with the band of my panties until he came back into the room and sat at the foot of the bed. I crawled over to him and resumed our intimacy. After some minutes, I got up to get dressed. I spoke as I tried my best to smoothen my clothes, ¡°I have to go before Harry gets suspicious. Bye, Callum.¡± I kissed his cheek and walked out of the room. I noticed that the omega was gone. She must have been stronger than I thought to have been able to move with the rejection pain- yes, I¡¯d have to be stupid, deaf and blind not to believe that Callum was her mate- and that made me more scared of her. I shook my head and walked back to the party. I spotted Harry by the drinks table with Kirstin. She was probably his mate. I didn¡¯t go through the loss of my mate just for Harry to get his. I walked up to them. ¡°Harry! There you are. I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you, babe. Let¡¯s go have your birthday present.¡± He froze then shook his head and kissed me. ¡°Hold on, babe. I¡¯ve got something to take care of.¡± He turned back to Kirstin. I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for them. Kirstin would feel immense pain and Harry wouldn¡¯t get to be with his mate. I shook my head. If I could give my mate up, so could he. ¡°I, Harry Theodore Lightwood, Alpha of the Lightwood pack, reject you, Kirstin Lina Crest, member of the Lightwood pack, as my mate and Luna.¡± Harry immediately turned away. She screamed in pain and through her agony, she shot daggers at me with her eyes. I felt the same way I¡¯d felt with the omega, only less prominent. With Kirstin, it was a brand new hatred that could be diffused with the right amount of convincing, with the omega; it had seemed like- no it was- an old hatred that consisted of all the things I¡¯d done to her in the past. Throw in the fact that she¡¯d been my best friend and I¡¯d betrayed her, well, I didn¡¯t believe for one second that I¡¯d come out of another encounter with her, at least not unscathed. I turned and followed Harry. On the way, I heard Kirstin¡¯s voice through the mind link; ¡®You will pay for this, Kylie. I will find a way to destroy you- that¡¯s a promise, bitch.¡¯ I shuddered. I followed Harry to his bedroom and completed the mating process, all the while hearing Kirstin and her wolf¡¯s pain filled screams and howls through the mind link. When it was done, I walked to the bathroom and sat in the tub without removing my clothes. I turned the shower on the highest. I¡¯d managed to enrage one of my friends by mating with her mate, I¡¯d alienated my own mate by rejecting him and I¡¯d signed my death warrant by getting cosy with my old best friend¡¯s mate. ¡®What have I done?¡¯ Chapter 4 - Gone Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I woke up and immediately checked my surroundings. I was still just a step away from crossing the territory border and it was still before dawn. The pain had lessened to a terrible stinging ache. I checked my watch ¨C three minutes to half past four. I got up, stretched my sore muscles, picked my duffel up and limped as fast as I could across the border and from the Lightwood pack territory. I stopped making my way through Lightwood Forest when the pack house was just a spec in the horizon even with my werewolf sight. I climbed a sturdy-looking tree and nestled myself in the branches. Candy woke up from her pain induced slumber in my mind, ¡®We need a plan, Nat.¡¯ ¡®I have one.¡¯ ¡®Well then, tell me.¡¯, She prodded ¡®We need to get into the territory around seven thirty am. That¡¯s when they usually get up after a drunken night. Once they realise that their maid hasn¡¯t picked up after them, they¡¯ll either be furious or panicked. Either way, it¡¯ll be a distraction. During that time, we¡¯ll go to the school and photocopy all of my results then take the originals.¡¯ I explained. If I was going to get a new life, I needed to finish my schooling. I¡¯d asked the school to keep my results and reports because I was sure that the Lightwood pack members would destroy them if they found them in the house. I wasn¡¯t going to run away from a house of horrors only to get a dead end job. I wanted to make something out of myself and the first step towards that was a college degree and I couldn¡¯t get that without my results and reports. The first light of the day was brightening the forest. I checked my watch - six thirty-seven am. I was almost completely healed. My ribs were only sore and I knew that I could run at my full speed without any problems. With that, it would take me approximately fifteen minutes with my full speed and without stopping. I used my duffel as a pillow and drifted off to sleep. ********** ¡®Nat, wake up!!!¡¯ The sound of Candy¡¯s voice resonated through my mind and woke me up. My ribs weren¡¯t sore anymore. I checked the watch to find that it was thirteen minutes past seven. I grabbed my duffel and leapt down the tree, landing lightly. I turned towards the pack house and started running at full speed. ********** I got to the border and checked my watch - seven twenty-four. Good enough. I put my leather gloves on and ran to the school then crept around it until I was at the window of the records and storage room. Luckily, the window was left open so I climbed through it. All the files were ordered on shelves. I scanned the ¡®N¡¯ section. Clark had refused to let me use his last name ¨C not that I¡¯d wanted to, it was the school that¡¯d asked - and nobody had known my mother¡¯s so I technically had no family origins. I found my file and took it to the photocopying machine. I made sure the papers had no dents or overlaps. When I was done, I put the copies back in the file holder and placed it back in its place then found a spare file holder and put the originals in it and placed it in my bag. I went over to the awards section. All except mine were copies. With the life I led, the time needed to participate in extracurriculars was a privilege, so the few I was able to take part in, I made them count. Anything that required regular practice to attend was out of my reach, so that meant I had awards from spelling bees, math marathons, science fairs and mixed topic quizzes. I¡¯d participated in swimming competitions, karate competitions and taekwondo fights but my attendance in those had been non-existent, and I¡¯d only replicated thing¡¯s I¡¯d seen to win. I never took the awards back to the pack house because they¡¯d destroy them so I told the school to keep them too. The pack didn¡¯t even know I took part in any of those competitions. I put them all in my bag and spotted some textbooks but left them alone since I already had mine. I climbed back out the window and made sure it was the way I saw it before I ran. Before I crossed the border, I turned back to face the pack house. ¡®I¡¯ll be back Lightwood pack¡­ and you¡¯ll be sorry - that¡¯s a promise¡¯ Callum¡¯s P. O. V I groaned as I woke up. My head was killing me - I¡¯d drunk too much liquor. I tried to get up and realised that Brittany was sprawled on my chest. My wolf snorted in disgust. I carefully rolled her without waking her up and checked my clock. It was seven thirty-eight am. I got up on unstable feet and wobbled over to the bathroom. When I was done with my business, I walked into my room and got dressed in jeans and a lime green t-shirt. I contemplated waking her up but decided against it - she would only whine and complain. I walked into the corridor and wondered if Natalia was okay after the rejection. The place was a complete mess. There were paper cups and plates littered all over the place. Spills and food stains decorated the walls and floor. It didn¡¯t stop there. Everywhere was a complete mess and every few metres; there was a sleeping pack member that I had to step over. I hadn¡¯t realised how tedious cleaning up after our parties was. We had a party for practically every occasion and every morning after the party, the whole house was spotless and nobody was asleep outside their rooms - she probably led their half sleeping forms to their respective rooms. Again, I realised that she did so much and received only beatings and nastiness in return. ¡®I can¡¯t think like that.¡¯ I reminded myself. I walked to Harry¡¯s room and knocked. I heard loud crashes and grunts before he opened the door in his boxers. ¡°What do you want, Cal?¡± he grumbled. ¡°Happy birthday to you too, Harry. I wanted to remind you that some of us have exams today.¡± He groaned, ¡°What¡¯s the time?¡± I checked my watch, ¡°Seven forty-four.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be out in ten minutes.¡± He closed the door. I found a clean part of the wall to lean on and waited. After some time, he came out showered and dressed. He took one look at the corridor and growled. ¡°Where is the omega? Why didn¡¯t she clean up?!¡± He roared. I raised my hands in the universal ¡®I surrender¡¯ sign, ¡°Hey, man, I have no idea. I woke up to this mess.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. He growled and stomped up to the attic room, waking the sleeping, hungover people on the way with me trailing behind him. He flung the splintered door open and marched into the room. It was empty. ¡°WHERE IS SHE?!?!?¡± Obviously, there was no answer. I circled the small room and spotted folded papers on the thin mattress. They all had the name of who they were addressed to in her delicate cursive scrawl. That¡¯s when it hit me. She was gone. Natalia was gone. ¡°Uh¡­ Harry, I think she¡¯s gone. She left these.¡± I held the letters addressed to him, Kylie, Brittany and the pack out to him and hid the one to me in my back pocket. He snatched the papers, ¡°Call a pack meeting.¡± He turned and left. ********** Thirty minutes later, our sleepy and hungover teens of the pack were assembled in the trashed living room. Harry wasted no time. ¡°You may be wondering why the place is still a mess. The omega is gone. She left a note addressed to the pack and I will read it now. Lightwood pack, You¡¯ve tormented, teased and tortured me. I¡¯ve cleaned up after you since I was eleven years old and what did I get? I got beatings, bruises and pain. Pack members are supposed to stick together through thick and thin but I know that if I go into battle with you at my side, you¡¯d be more likely to stab me in the back than the enemy. You¡¯re a despicable group of people and most of you would do anything for a higher rank - even betray each other. Don¡¯t worry, this isn¡¯t the last you¡¯ve heard from me. When you least expect it, I will come back, you will need me and I will destroy you from where you will be defenceless. With hatred and spite, The former omega.¡± The room was silent. There were looks of shock and shame but the most common were anger and disgust. We had never expected this to happen. We had always thought that she¡¯d remain with us forever. We disregarded her and forgot that, like us, she also had feelings, thoughts and limits but, unlike us, she never showed them. My heart broke - she was gone. She¡¯d left me. Cade scoffed at me then snarled, ¡®She didn¡¯t leave us - you chased her away. What did you expect, idiot, after you marked her, then rejected her, then marked and mated with another girl? Did you not think that she¡¯d feel everything? You put her through so much pain and you thought she¡¯d be okay with seeing your face again? I don¡¯t even want to be anywhere near you and I¡¯m your wolf. Unless it¡¯s a life or death situation, don¡¯t bother me until I¡¯m done mourning the loss of my mate.¡¯ And with that, he retreated so far into the shadow of my mind that I could barely feel him. ¡®Great¡¯ I¡¯d just lost my mate and my wolf was pissed at me. Everyone was ordered to go back to their rooms and begin cleaning from there. I walked back to my room and looked around. It wasn¡¯t that bad - the only thing messed up was the bed. Shuddering at what I did last night, I changed the sheets and tidied the mundane stuff. When I was done, I sat at my desk and pulled the note out of my back pocket. Again, I noticed how beautiful her delicate cursive scrawl was. Callum, I¡¯m hurting so much right now - because of you. You¡¯re supposed to be my mate. You¡¯re supposed to care for me and love me but I guess I¡¯m not what you want. I was willing to forgive you for all the horrible things you did to me. I was willing to put them behind us and love you with all my heart because I believed in you - in us. It appears that my love and forgiveness is unwanted. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back and when I am, you¡¯ll realise that you made a mistake but it will be too late because I¡¯ll have moved on. I despise you from the very depths of my heart. You will pay for the pain that you put me through - that¡¯s a promise. With fiery hate, Your rejected mate. Tears landed on the paper, smudging some letters. I wiped my eyes. I¡¯d brought this upon myself. I¡¯d pushed her away and caused her pain. And now, her heart that was supposed to love me hated me instead. The paper slipped out of my hand as I sank to my knees. Sobs wracked my whole body as I drowned myself in my sorrow and regret. ¡®What have I done?¡¯ Harry¡¯s P. O. V After the meeting, I handed Kylie and my sister their letters then marched off to my room. How dare she run away? I slammed my door and flopped onto my bed then opened the letter. Harry, What did I ever do to you? Why did you hate me? If you can¡¯t handle the fact that your father raped my mother, don¡¯t take it out on me because it¡¯s not my fault. If you¡¯re frustrated because your Alpha voice doesn¡¯t work on me, deal with it. I can¡¯t help it if I¡¯m not submissive. Whatever the reason for your despicable actions towards me is, I don¡¯t really care. You are weak and selfish and you will pay for the pain you¡¯ve caused me. I will make something out of myself. You will need me and I will prove your weakness then I will destroy you. I¡¯d say ¡®watch out¡¯ but it¡¯d be pointless ''cause you¡¯ll never see me coming. With hate, The former omega. I crumpled the paper and tossed it in the bin. I would catch her and she¡¯d be sorry for disrespecting the pack. For disrespecting me. I called for Andrea through the mind link. ¡®Andrea.¡¯ ¡®¡®Yes, Alpha.¡¯ ¡®Take two of the trackers and go find that bitch. She needs to learn some respect.¡¯ I smirked as I thought of what I¡¯d do to her. He paused before replying, ¡®As you wish, Alpha.¡¯ Brittany¡¯s P. O. V How dare she?! If I ever got my hands on her, she¡¯d be sorry. As I was walking to my room, Harry handed me a folded paper with my name on it and walked off without a word. I entered my room, slamming the door behind me. Now I¡¯d have to clean! If we found her, I¡¯d make sure she knew her place. I laid on my bed and opened the paper. Brittany, You think you¡¯re so much better than everyone but you¡¯re not. You¡¯re just a whiny bitch. Simple as that. There¡¯s not much I have to say to you, really. You put me through hell and when I get back, I¡¯ll do the same and then some. You will beg for mercy when I get a hold on you. Good luck - you¡¯re gonna need it. With hate and vengeance, The former omega. How dare she?! If she got back, I would put her through more than just hell and she could count on that. Kylie¡¯s P. O. V When the meeting was over, I was beyond scared. I had no doubt that she would come back for revenge. On my way back to my room, Harry gave me a folded paper with my name on it then walked away in silence. I rushed to my room and locked the door for privacy. I recognised her beautiful cursive script that I¡¯d always been jealous of. My blood ran cold. I slowly unfolded the paper ¨C prolonging the inevitable. Kylie, I loved you like a sister. I¡¯d have done anything for you and you betrayed me. You joined them in beating me. I¡¯m fine with the fact that you¡¯ve found friends in the slut squad but you got serious with my mate and I¡¯m not fine with that. And you will be sorry when I¡¯m done with you. I will make something out of myself then I will DESTROY you so badly that you will want to stop breathing. I will tear the pillars of your life down and expose every single secret you have - especially the deepest, darkest ones. There will be no salvaging of anything. You will become an outcast even with your family and those closest to you. I despise you with every fibre of my being and you will feel the heat of my hate. Watch out cause you¡¯ll never see me coming. With wrath and fury, Your soon-to-be destroyer. The icy talons of terror gripped my heart as the blood drained from my face and I knew that when she came back, she was going to do exactly what she said. She always did what she said she¡¯d do. I¡¯d never been so scared in my life. Kirstin¡¯s P. O. V I walked to my room, locking the door behind me, and sat on my bed. The omega was gone and from the sound of the letter, she hated the pack. And so did I. It was not lost on me that what she said was true. You couldn¡¯t trust anyone in this pack. It was no secret that Kylie had been her best friend and had betrayed her. In all honesty, I always wanted to find out what the omega was like - she seemed nice when she wasn¡¯t within fifteen feet of us. As I was cleaning my room, I remembered seeing Harry give Kylie a letter as I was passing. The handwriting was cursive and I didn¡¯t recognise it. That could only have meant that it was from the omega. I smirked as a plan formed in my mind. ¡®Watch out, Kylie.¡¯ Chapter 5 - Survival Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I ran and ran until I came to a river. I threw my bag to the other side and removed my clothes then walked into the water, making sure to wash my scent. When I reached the other side, I moved to put the clothes back on but Candy stopped me. ¡®Nat, they¡¯ll be looking for you, right?¡¯ ¡®Yeah. Most likely.¡¯ ¡®So, why don¡¯t you leave something to make them think that something happened to you?¡¯, She suggested. ¡®Good idea. Let¡¯s go back to the other side.¡¯ I crossed the river again and tore my clothes up. Conveniently, a rabbit chose that moment to show itself. I caught it and killed it then poured its blood all over my torn up clothed and used my werewolf strength to throw the body back in the direction of the pack house. I used sticks to make claw marks and bear tracks in the ground then used a knife to make claw marks in the trees. I jumped around, making it look like there was a struggle. I crossed the river again and put a new set of clothes on. I admired my handiwork then picked my bag up and continued running. Callum¡¯s P. O. V I wiped my eyes and walked around the pack house aimlessly. In my funk, I bumped into Andrea. ¡°Hey, man. Where are you going?¡± He hesitated before replying, ¡°The Alpha sent me to find the omega.¡± I looked behind him and saw Michael Dean and Jonathan Crude - two of the eighteen trackers we had. I looked back at Andrea, ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡± We walked to the attic room and sniffed her mattress and memorised her scent- not that I had to, I¡¯d always know my mate¡¯s scent. We went outside through the kitchen door and followed the scent to the school. It stopped at the window of the records and storage room but she wasn¡¯t there and there was nowhere to hide inside the room. We followed the scent to the border and paused as Andrea sent a message to Harry. I listened in, ¡®She crossed the border. Should we still follow her?¡¯ ¡®Bring that bitch back.¡¯ Was Harry¡¯s reply before we were cut off. Cade and I growled. We shifted and followed the scent. ¡®I¡¯m only doing this because we might find our mate.¡¯ Cade told me before he sank back into silence. Throughout the journey, the scent was unusually thin for a roughly six-hour-old trail ¨C assuming she¡¯d left around the time I rejected her. At night, we came to a tree where the scent wasn¡¯t as thin. ¡®She must¡¯ve spent some time here.¡¯ The others nodded their wolf heads. ¡®Hey, look at this.¡¯ Michael was standing over the dead body of a rabbit. It looked like a wolf had mauled it. It also smelled very faintly of Natalia. My wolf whined. ¡®I think that¡¯s all. Let¡¯s continue following the scent.¡¯ I¡¯d been eager to find her. I wished I hadn¡¯t. We ran non-stop for a long time and I wondered how she¡¯d been able to get so far in less than a day. At noon the next day we came to a river. The scent stopped on our side of it. I saw bloody torn up clothes and recognised them as what she was wearing when I rejected her. ¡®I found something.¡¯ I told the others. There were bear tracks and claw marks on the ground and trees. The grass was bloody and looked like it had been trampled on during a fight. There was blood and the fading scent of Natalia all over the place. No¡­ ¡®It looks like a bear ate her.¡¯ Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Jonathan. ¡®Really? She ran away then died?¡¯ ¡®What did you expect? She was just a weakling omega after all.¡¯ Michael stated. ¡®Well, that¡¯s that. Let¡¯s go back and tell the Alpha that she¡¯s dead.¡¯ Andrea turned back. It was all I could do not to rip them limb from limb. She was one of the strongest people I knew. ¡®No! She can¡¯t be dead! She just can¡¯t!¡¯ Cade howled in my head. They started running back to the house. I shifted back and wobbled over to her torn, bloodied clothes before collapsing. I held a strip of her shirt up to my face and cried into it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so, so sorry, Natalia. I shouldn¡¯t have rejected you. I¡¯m so sorry. Don¡¯t be dead! Don¡¯t leave me! Please, don¡¯t leave me!¡± I cried. ¡®This is all your fault.¡¯ Cade was furious. I was sure he¡¯d be strangling me if he weren¡¯t part of me. ¡®I know.¡¯ I despised myself. ********** ¡®Cal!? Where are you!?¡¯ Andrea¡¯s anxious voice resonated quietly through the mind link. Almost inaudible. I was curled up into a ball, still clutching that bloody strip of her shirt. My clothes were covered in her drying blood. I stood up. The sun hung low in the sky. I must¡¯ve cried myself to sleep. I tried to shift but Cade refused to help. ¡®Get back yourself.¡¯ I pocketed the cloth and ran. Three and a half more days had passed when I got back to the house. Once I stepped in, Harry was on my case. ¡°Where have you been and why are you covered in blood?¡± I searched for an explanation, ¡°Uh¡­ I shifted to¡­ to¡­ properly inspect the area where she, uh, died and tripped on a¡­ root and¡­ um¡­ hit my head on a rock which knocked me unconscious.¡± He gave me a sceptical look before shrugging. I rushed to my room and hid the cloth in my drawer. I undressed and got into the shower, using the noise of the running water to hide the sound of my sobs. Kylie¡¯s P. O. V Harry called a pack meeting at noon two days later. ¡°I have an announcement. The omega is dead. She was eaten by a bear.¡± The fear evaporated from my heart at the sound of the news. She wasn¡¯t going to be back to kill me. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. How wrong I¡¯d been. The room erupted with numerous opinions and snarky comments like; ¡°What a weakling.¡±, ¡°Ironic isn¡¯t it? She promised to destroy us and got killed herself.¡±, but the rarest was the nicest, ¡°What a shame, she seemed nice.¡± Brittany called me, Hannah Lanie Creed and Nina Crude over and led us to get something to eat - probably cabbage. I noticed that Kirstin wasn¡¯t present and shrugged. She probably didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near me. The feeling was mutual. Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I ran until night fell and climbed up a tree. I nestled myself into the branches. ¡®So, what¡¯s the plan?¡¯ Candy was curious. ¡®First, I complete college and then, we¡¯ll take it from there¡¯ ¡®Okay. Goodnight, Nat¡¯ ¡®Night.¡¯ I used my bag as a pillow then drifted off to sleep. ********** Out of habit, I woke up before the sun. Candy yawned in my mind, ¡®Where to?¡¯ ¡®We need to get to New York. I want to apply for a college in Manhattan.¡¯ ¡®Ooh - fancy.¡¯ I chuckled. I was already halfway there - if my calculations were accurate. The territory was near the forest of Orlando, Florida and I¡¯d run through the forests that stretched from there to somewhere around Charlotte. I¡¯d be there in approximately three days. ¡®What about your name?¡¯ ¡®I can just shorten Avarielle to make it Arielle. If my ¡®death¡¯ isn¡¯t convincing enough, they¡¯ll be less likely to make the connection.¡¯ I shrugged and started running ********** The rest of the journey was uneventful. I arrived in Manhattan in two and a half days. The first thing I did was to get an apartment in the city with the cash I had on me. It was small with a bathroom, living room, kitchen and one bedroom. I cleaned up and sparsely furnished the place, feeling slightly more stable and accomplished when I was done. It had only taken about an hour. I quickly showered with cold water and did my business then put on my nightgown. It was only 5 pm but I was tired. I was out once my head hit the pillow. ********** I woke before the sun again out of habit. I put some workout clothes on and jogged for two hours around the area near my house. I greeted the neighbours that were out and exchanges names. When I was done, I went back home and took my first hot shower in my life. The water relaxed my tense muscles and calmed my nerves. I finished my business and dressed up in my only pair of shorts and a short sleeved top then stretched out on my couch. ¡®Nat?¡¯ ¡®Hmm?¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s your story - obviously, you can¡¯t tell them who you are, what you are, where you lived or why you¡¯re here other than for college.¡¯ I thought about it. ¡®My parents are dead. I never knew my father and my mother was murdered a few days ago. I¡¯m trying to make something out of myself like she would have wanted.¡¯ ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ I could practically feel the wheels turning in Candy¡¯s consciousness. ¡®What about your age?¡¯ I pondered it. ¡®If I say my true age and the wrong people find out, I¡¯ll be shipped off to foster care but I know that universities will need my birth certificate or at least my age.¡¯ ¡®We weren¡¯t born in a hospital right?¡¯ Candy asked. ¡®No, why?¡¯ ¡®If we weren¡¯t born in a hospital and mum didn¡¯t ask for a birth certificate then there¡¯s no proof that we¡¯re any younger than eighteen. You can just say that mum died when our cabin house caught fire and almost everything was destroyed - including every certificate. You stick with the fact that you got your results from the school and let¡¯s hope that nobody looks too deep into our past.¡¯ ¡®What about my last name? Nobody knows it - I don¡¯t know it I and I¡¯ll need it. I don¡¯t want to adopt a new one.¡¯ ¡®You could say that¡­¡¯ She started before coming up blank. ¡®Mother never knew her last name and she hated the sperm donor so she refused to use his. She didn¡¯t want to adopt another name so we have no last name.¡¯ I suggested. She agreed. There was a knock at my door. I walked over and opened it to see a five foot eleven guy that looked around eighteen years old with warm brown eyes, salt and pepper hair and a carefree smile. He had a strong scent that spoke of a king but resilient soul. He was silent for a long time so I cleared my throat. ¡±Yes?¡± ¡°Hello. My name¡¯s Trevor, I¡¯m Ms Geranomy, your neighbour''s, grandson. These are for you.¡± I remembered meeting her during my jog that morning. I¡¯d told her that I was new in town and we had chatted for a few minutes about showing me around. He extended a vase of lovely tiger lilies that I hadn¡¯t even noticed. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me since Kylie abandoned me. I smiled a little as I accepted the housewarming gift. ¡°Won¡¯t you come in?¡± I stepped out of the doorway and he followed me inside. I placed the vase on the windowsill in the living room and joined him on the only couch. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯ve nothing to offer you. I moved in yesterday and haven¡¯t had time to get anything to eat or drink.¡± He smiled, ¡°That¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t need anything anyway.¡± He had a thick New Yorker accent. ¡°My grandmother told me about you. She said that a nice young girl had just moved into the neighbourhood and asked me if I didn¡¯t mind showing you around.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, you don¡¯t have to.¡± I didn¡¯t want to be a burden. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I want to. I¡¯ll get to test out my mad tour guide skills and swoop a pretty girl off her feet.¡± I laughed as he joked and he playfully wriggled his eyebrows at me. I¡¯d just met him but I already felt like we were old friends. Even Candy took an instant liking to him. I genuinely smiled as I replied. ¡°I¡¯d love for you to swoop me off my feet. Let me change into some jeans and we¡¯ll get going. Make yourself at home¡± I walked into my room to change. Trevor¡¯s P. O. V I woke up at nine to my grandmother¡¯s lovely singing and wonderful smelling cooking. I went to the bathroom and quickly did my business then dressed up and practically floated to the kitchen, following the aroma of her cooking. I saw my beloved grandmother singing and dancing to some eighties tune while serving the dog and our food. My brother was absent ¨C as usual. ¡°Morning Gram.¡± I said as I sat down in front of my plate of delicious food. ¡°Good morning, dearie. Sleep well?¡± I nodded with bacon sticking out of my mouth. We ate in silence for a while before she cleared her throat. ¡°I met a lovely girl early this morning while I was collecting the paper. Her name¡¯s Arielle ¨C she¡¯s a bit on the skinny side. Very respectful, though she had this pained look in her eyes. She¡¯s new in town. Do you mind showing her around?¡± I thought about it. It wasn¡¯t like I had anything else to do today. ¡°How old is she?¡± Gram shrugged. ¡°She didn¡¯t say so I didn¡¯t ask. She looked like she was somewhere around sixteen though but I¡¯m not sure.¡± Around sixteen? Hmm¡­ ¡°Okay. Where does she live?¡± ¡°Directly opposite us. Take a vase of tiger lilies to her; I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll love them¡± We finished eating and cleared up. I grabbed the tiger lilies, said goodbye to Gram and was knocking on her door by ten. A dark beauty opened the door for me. She was about 5¡¯3¡± and had golden skin with dark brown, waist length hair. She had full lips and beautiful emerald eyes that indeed looked haunted and pained ¨C just like Gram said. She was dressed in jean shorts and a short sleeved top. Aside from being skinny, she was the most beautiful being I¡¯d ever seen. I must have been gawking because she cleared her throat, raised a delicate eyebrow and asked, ¡°Yes?¡± I mentally shook myself. Get it together man. ¡°Hello. My name¡¯s Trevor, I¡¯m Ms Geranomy, your neighbour¡¯s, grandson. These are for you.¡± I presented the flowers to her and she smiled as she took them. I practically swooned - her smile was beautiful and it lit up her eyes. ¡°Won¡¯t you come in?¡± she stepped back and I followed her into her house. I sat down on only the couch and watched as she placed the vase on the windowsill then came to sit down next to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯ve nothing to offer you. I moved in yesterday and haven¡¯t had time to get anything to eat or drink.¡± She said apologetically. I smiled at her thoughtfulness, ¡°That¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t need anything anyway. My grandmother told me about you. She said that a nice young girl had just moved into the neighbourhood and asked me if I didn¡¯t mind showing you around.¡± I mentally blessed my grandmother for telling me about this beauty. ¡°It¡¯s alright, you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I want to. I¡¯ll get to test out my mad tour guide skills and swoop a pretty girl off her feet.¡± I playfully wriggled my eyebrows at her and she laughed. It was the most beautiful sound in the world and I swore I heard bells. If I had died that moment, I would have died happy. She graced me with another dazzling smile, ¡°I¡¯d love for you to swoop me off my feet. Let me change into some jeans and we¡¯ll get going. Make yourself at home¡± She walked inside. Chapter 6 - Meet NYC Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°Oh my gosh! Are you serious? So you¡¯re telling me that you hated your prom date so much that you actually humiliated her in front of the whole school? Why did you agree to be her date then?¡± He shrugged, ¡°She was the ¡®hottest¡¯ in the school and when I heard that she wanted me to be her boyfriend and date, I thought it was great at the time. Then I got to know her and hated what I saw so I decided to teach her a lesson.¡± He used air quotes at hottest I chuckled, ¡°I get that, but openly pushing her off the stage while she was accepting the crown and into the chocolate fountain?¡± Candy chuckled in my head as she pictured us doing that to the slut squad. ¡°Drastic times call for drastic measures.¡± He stated then raised his cup of coffee, ¡°To correcting the bitches in life.¡± I laughed as I raised my almost empty cup of chocolate ice cream and sprinkles to his. I had some serious correcting to do too. We were in my very first Starbucks shop. I had changed into jeans at home - oh how I loved that word - and he¡¯d led me to his car. I¡¯d driven in my first car and gone to my first mall. It¡¯d been liberating and exhilarating. We were at a Starbucks shop in the mall and I¡¯d tasted my first coffee - it was black - which I¡¯d hated. Trevor had noticed and generously offered to get me something else. I ended up tasting my very first chocolate ice cream. When I¡¯d hesitantly tasted it then sighed with appreciation, Trevor had teased me and said I looked like I¡¯d never tasted ice cream before. I¡¯d laughed nervously. ¡°So, Ari, what was your old high school like?¡± He asked. I shrugged, ¡°Not very nice. I was bullied and picked on and my mum died a few days ago so I decided to move for a fresh start.¡± I hated lying to him especially since he¡¯d been so nice to me. His smile faded and he looked solemn, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Which high school are you planning on attending here?¡± ¡°None. I¡¯m going to university. I haven¡¯t applied for any yet, though.¡± ¡°You look young.¡± ¡°I¡¯m eighteen.¡± His eyes widened, ¡°I¡¯m sorry - you look so much younger than eighteen ¨C like sixteen.¡± He reached for his cup. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± I chuckled nervously, ¡°Nothing.¡± He stopped mid-reach and his eyes darted to me. ¡°My decision to move was very spontaneous. When my mum died, I wanted to get away from the memories. College will help take my mind off her and I know she¡¯d want me to make something out of myself.¡± It wasn¡¯t entirely untrue. I remembered her telling me that I should dream big and leave my mark on the world. He cleared his throat, ¡°I know a lot of colleges and have lots of connections. Which subjects did you take?¡± ¡°All of them. I couldn¡¯t attend all the classes but I read all the notes and wrote all the exams. I¡¯m not sure but I think I could major in architecture or journalism.¡± I shrugged and he looked impressed. After we finished eating, he took me on a tour of the city and to a few colleges. He goofed around and made me laugh the whole time. At 6:24, he pulled up at my house and walked me to the door. ¡°Thank you; I had so much fun today. This is the most I¡¯ve laughed in ages.¡± Actually since I was six but I wasn¡¯t about to tell him that. It¡¯d kill the mood. He beamed, ¡°It was my pleasure. We should do this again sometime. Give me your cell so I can call you.¡± I looked at my shoes, ¡°I don¡¯t have one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you left it in your house, I¡¯ll wait for you to get it.¡± I shook my head, ¡°N-no. I-I don¡¯t have a phone.¡± He was silent for a few seconds, ¡°House phone?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t have a phone - house or cell. I¡¯ve never had one.¡± ¡°Where are you from? The Stone Age? How can you be eighteen and never had a phone in your life?¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I shrugged and looked back at my feet, weaving another fib, ¡°My mother and I lived in a cabin on the edge of the woods and she was very overprotective when it came to me so she never let me have a phone plus I didn¡¯t have any friends so I didn¡¯t need one anyway. It was one of the reasons she died - because she didn¡¯t have a phone to call anyone for help when the cabin caught fire.¡± I hated lying to him - especially about my mother. His teasing smile faded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You have a friend now though.¡± I smiled at the word. I rolled the word around in my head, ¡®Friend¡¯. Hmm I shrugged, ¡°Besides, I wouldn¡¯t know the first thing to do with a phone.¡± He chuckled, ¡°We are so going out tomorrow. Is it okay if I invite a few friends?¡± I smiled. ¡°Sure. What time?¡± ¡°How about two in afternoon?¡± I nodded, ¡°Sounds great. See you tomorrow.¡± I waved as he left then unlocked my door before going inside. I showered, brushed my teeth and got into my night gown. I sat on my bed but couldn¡¯t sleep. ¡®Candy?¡¯ ¡®Hmm?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re supposed to go shopping with Trevor tomorrow but we¡¯ve got no money.¡¯ I explained. ¡®I know that girl. We¡¯re the same person, remember?¡¯ She teased. ¡®What about the trust fund card she gave us? Since it¡¯s at 2 in the afternoon, let¡¯s go to the bank and access the account beforehand.¡¯ She suggested. ¡®Thanks, Candy. I forgot about the card.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re welcome. Goodnight Nat.¡¯ ¡®Night.¡¯ ********** I was up before dawn and jogged around the neighbourhood again, stopping for a chat with Ms Geranomy to thank her for the flowers and for lending me her grandson. When I got home, I showered and dressed in my jeans from yesterday and a black tee. By ten, I¡¯d grabbed my wallet and was out the door. I opened my wallet and read the writing on the now wrinkled paper my mother had left me. Super Banking, No 147 Grovel Avenue. See Mrs Burton. I hailed a cab and gave the driver the address. I watched the scenes glide by through the window. Couples holding hands, people walking dogs, groups of girls taking pictures of themselves, they all looked so normal and put together. I knew that everyone had their demons and skeletons in their closets but on the surface, most looked at the very least calm. When we arrived, I thanked the driver and paid him ¨C and added a tip ¨C then got out. I gaped in awe at the building. It was made entirely of polished marble and looked like a Greek temple with its 50 foot pillars. The name of the organisation taking up residence in this beautiful structure and its slogan was brandished across the area above the huge French double doors ¨CSuper Banking International Services ¨C ¡®A Supernatural Experience¡¯. As I got closer, my skin tingled and warmed up, like my instincts already knew the place. ¡®Candy, do you feel that?¡¯ ¡®Feel what?¡¯ ¡®The tingling and warmth.¡¯ She was silent for some time, ¡®Nope. Maybe it¡¯s just you.¡¯ ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ I walked through the doors, feeling the warmth enclose me like a hug. It was as if the building itself was comforting me. I truly felt calm and even smiled a little. The walls were a sea blue and floor and ceiling were made of reinforced glass that allowed you could see the fish swimming in the water through it. The reception was beautifully decorated with fish tanks of different sizes and ocean blue and green chairs that blended perfectly with the room. The light reflected off the water, giving the room an underwater look. It was simply surreal. I walked to the fish tank counter with an employee behind it. She had the same type of hair colouring as my mother - the colour of sand that you¡¯d see at the floor of the sea on a calm day around the roots and black from around the top of her ears to the end. It was in a fishtail braid over her shoulder. Her clothes and eyes were the same ocean blue-green that coloured the room. She reminded me of a mermaid ¨C and of my mother. She smiled which revealed her perfect rows of white teeth. ¡°Good morning, my name¡¯s Melody. Welcome to Super Banking International Services. What can I do for you?¡± Her voice had a musical hint to it. ¡°I¡¯d like to see Mrs Burton please.¡± She nodded and typed on her computer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; she doesn¡¯t have any registered appointments right now. Maybe it¡¯s a mix-up. What¡¯s your full name, dear?¡± ¡®Should I tell her my name, Candy?¡¯ I could practically see her shrugging, ¡®I don¡¯t know. I think so ¨C what¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡¯ ¡®It could get back to the one person in that pack that knows my name and they¡¯d find us.¡¯ I reminder her. ¡®But it might not and if mum told you to see Mrs Burton, she probably told her your name in advance so that she¡¯ll know it¡¯s you. Besides, if it does get back to the Lightwood pack, we could always move again and lay lower.¡¯ Candy pointed out. ¡®Valid point¡¯ ¡°Is everything okay, dear? You look lost in thought. Do you want to sit?¡± Melody looked truly worried. I smiled at her concern, ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡± ¡°Okay then, dear. What¡¯s your full name?¡± I hesitated, ¡°Natalia Avarielle Ember.¡± Her eyes widened, ¡°What¡¯s your mother¡¯s first name?¡± ¡°Uh, Aquina¡­?¡± ¡®Why would she need mum¡¯s name?¡¯ Candy asked. She couldn¡¯t possibly know where I was from. ¡°You¡¯ve finally come!¡± Chapter 7 - Siren? No, Syren. Actually, Werewolf Natalia¡¯s P. O. V Melody picked the office phone up and frantically dialled a number. ¡°Aquina¡¯s daughter! She¡¯s here!¡± The person on the other side didn¡¯t speak as loudly but I could still hear them, ¡°Really? Are you sure?¡± Melody nodded in earnest, ¡°She has the name we were told and knows her first name. Her face is so similar to Aquina¡¯s and I¡¯m sure her hair is dyed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to stand in for you. Escort her here.¡± No sooner than the voice had said this that a woman came into the reception through the hallway ¨C actually, she looked around my age. She had black hair and freckles dotted the bridge of her nose. She had earth brown eyes and was dressed in brown. ¡®What¡¯s with the colours in this place?¡¯ Candy asked. ¡®I¡¯ve no clue¡¯ ¡°Thanks for filling in for me, Gaiana. I won¡¯t be long¡± Gaiana smiled, ¡°No problem.¡± Melody motioned for me to follow her and we walked into the hallway Gaiana had come from. I felt like I was underground. The floor and ceiling here were also reinforced glass and you could see rocks and soil and animals like moles through it. The walls were the same earthy brown as Gaiana¡¯s eyes. There were doors with ¨C presumably - names of bankers on them. We walked for a long time till we reached the dead end of the hallway. Just as I was about to point it out, Melody knocked on the wall five times and traced a star on it. A ding sounded and elevator doors opened. We stepped in and the doors shut. There were no buttons to press but the elevator moved up. I turned to Melody, ¡°What¡¯s going on? I may have never been to a bank before but even I know that this isn¡¯t a normal reaction. And what¡¯s with the decoration and the hair colours? Who are you taking me to?¡± Melody laughed, ¡°No, this isn¡¯t a normal reaction. Let¡¯s just say that we¡¯ve been expecting you. Everything will be explained when you meet Mrs Burton.¡± I calmed a bit, ¡°Is she the CEO?¡± Melody shook her head, ¡°She¡¯s just temporarily in charge.¡± Before I could ask where the real owner was, the elevator doors opened and we stepped into another hallway like the last one only without doors. We walked till we got to a set of French double doors. Melody did the same thing she did for the elevator and the doors opened. The office we stepped into was beautiful. The floor and the bottom half of the walls were black like the hair but the top half of the walls was reinforced glass. The glass was separated into foot wide sections. Each section had something different in it like fire, water and fish, light, soil and rocks, flowers, hypnosis circles, musical instruments and numerous other things. I felt safe and calm ¨C more so than in the other parts of the building. There was a black office table on the far wall opposite the door with a lady behind it. She was beautiful with her piercing green eyes and hair like Gaiana¡¯s. She wore a floral green shirt under her black suit and a black knee length pencil skirt. She looked no older than twenty. She smiled when we came in. ¡°Thank you, Melody. You may leave.¡± Melody smiled and left. The woman turned to me, ¡°Hello, Natalia. My name is Florine Burton. We¡¯ve been expecting you for quite some time. Please, sit with me.¡± She walked to a black couch and sat down. I followed in suit. ¡°Tell me, Natalia, how did you feel when you first saw this building?¡± How did she know? ¡°I felt warmth and tingles on my skin. When I stepped inside, I felt like the building was hugging and comforting me. In this room, I feel calmer and safer.¡± She beamed, ¡°What¡¯s your real hair colour?¡± ¡®Should I tell her?¡¯ I asked Candy. ¡®Mum must¡¯ve trusted her plus I think there¡¯s more to this. Besides, the Lightwood pack doesn¡¯t know our real hair or eye colour¡¯ ¡°Black.¡± She looked pleased with my answer. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Fifteen¡± She nodded and mumbled, ¡°So you¡¯re not of age yet.¡± I was confused. ¡°Of age for what?¡± ¡°Your uncovering.¡± Uncovering? ¡°You see, Natalia, what you are, is a Syren. It¡¯s what I am, what Melody and Gaiana are and what your mother was.¡± She explained ¡°I¡¯m a Siren?¡± I thought they were really attractive and irresistible to men. ¡°No, my dear. Sirens are our whorish cousin race and frankly, it¡¯s offensive to most of us if you mix us up with them. We are Syrens ¨C with a ¡®y¡¯. Yes, we are desirable to men but not as much as they are. They can grow a mono fin and can breathe under water, we can only swim extremely well and hold our breaths for about two hours ¨C three if we really try. We sing very well but when they sing, they hypnotise all males within a ten foot radius, give or take depending on their level of strength. To balance things out, we get at least one power or special ability ¨C the most is three so far ¨C and a life partner.¡± A life partner? I¡¯ll get another mate? A smile broke out across my face but it quickly faded. I was already a werewolf and there had never been hybrids in supernatural history. ¡°But I¡¯m a werewolf.¡± I informed her, ¡°I haven¡¯t shifted yet but she¡¯s in my consciousness.¡± Her smile faded and her eyes widened in horror. ¡°Your mother¡¯s life partner wasn¡¯t a werewolf-.¡± She started. I didn¡¯t need to hear what I already knew ¨C that my mother had been raped and that I was a rape product. I checked my watch to find that it was midday. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mrs Burton. I¡¯d love to find out more about all this but I have a prior engagement that I must attend. My mother gave me a trust fund card and asked me to see you about it.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Of course.¡± She typed something into her computer and printed some papers. ¡°It will take some time to get all the money because she invested most of it in many enterprises that are successful only because of her money but this is the most I can get at the moment. What I¡¯m giving you is roughly twenty percent of the total amount. If you¡¯d just sign here, I can activate the card.¡± I looked at the papers and my eyes bulged. Candy wolf whistled and laughed, ¡®We¡¯re loaded! That¡¯s a lot of zeros, and to think this isn¡¯t even half of the money.¡¯ I signed and handed her the papers. She took the card and scanned it then handed it back to me along with my PIN. ¡°Thank you, Mrs Burton.¡± I got up and was about to open the door when she called out, ¡°Natalia, do come back sometime. Your mother gave me some things to give to you. How about this time next week?¡± I nodded, ¡°Of course.¡± I opened the door then paused and turned back to her. ¡°Mrs Burton, were you younger than my mother?¡± She shook her head, ¡°No dear, I¡¯m four years older.¡± ¡°But that means she had me when she was about one ¨C which is impossible.¡± She smiled, ¡°No dear, she had you when she was twenty.¡± But that didn¡¯t make sense unless Mrs Burton had an extremely good plastic surgeon ¨C only vampires didn¡¯t age. ¡°But you look twenty.¡± Her smile morphed into a smirk, ¡°That is one of the only things Sirens and Syrens have in common. We only physically age a year for every decade lived once we reach eighteen. I look twenty but I¡¯m actually thirty-nine.¡± I matched her smirk with one of my own, ¡°I¡¯ll be here in three days.¡± This just kept getting better ¨C or worse considering I was already a werewolf and wouldn¡¯t get these perks. Oh well. ¡®Hey!¡¯ Candy scolded. ¡®Sorry, Candy. You know I love you.¡¯ I mimicked Melody¡¯s actions when I got to the elevator-wall and left, waving to Gaiana and Melody as I passed them. Once I was out of the building, the calm receded back into tingling and eventually disappeared once I got into a cab. When I got home, I thanked and paid the driver then got out. I checked my watch ¨C half past one. I unlocked my door and went inside. Flopping onto the couch, I kicked my shoes off and called to Candy, ¡®Hey Candy, we should go grocery shopping. We haven¡¯t eaten since we went out with Trevor yesterday and all we had was ice cream.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, we should but after our outing with Trevor. Maybe tomorrow.¡¯, she replied. ¡®Sure. Do you think it¡¯s possible that we could be a Syren too?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think so, Nat. there have never been hybrids before. I don¡¯t want to get your hopes up.¡¯ My eyes felt heavy. ¡®Okay, Candy. At least I have you, which I¡¯m glad for.¡¯ I yawned. ¡®And I you, Nat.¡¯ I could hear the small smile in her voice. ¡®Candy, why haven¡¯t we shifted yet? Everyone else shifted at thirteen. When will I see you?¡¯ My eyes fluttered closed. She sighed, ¡®Soon, Nat. Soon.¡¯ That was the last thing I heard before I drifted off to sleep. ********** I was startled awake by banging on my door and fell off the couch with a thud. ¡°Coming.¡± I mumbled, dusting myself off. I opened the door to find a smiling Trevor. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have been subtler?¡± I grumbled as I put my shoes on. He simply laughed, ¡°Now where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± I followed him to his car ¨C I¡¯d learnt it was called a convertible. The hood was off, revealing two girls and a guy. The girls looked almost exactly the same. They were both blonde but one had curly hair and forest green eyes while the other had straight hair and baby blue eyes. The boy had chestnut coloured hair and eyes. They were talking and bickering animatedly. They fell silent once we were near and stared at me. A blush rose to my cheeks when I heard one of the girls and the boy mumble something along the lines of ¡°pretty¡± and ¡°hot¡± while the other girl just stared wide eyed ¨C envious. It was Trevor who broke the silence, ¡°Guys, this is Arielle ¨C the girl I told you about.¡± He pointed to the guy, ¡°This dufus is Greg,¡± he motioned to the green eyed girl then the blue eyed one, ¡°and these are Hailey and Keily.¡± Greg hopped out and circled me like a vulture, wolf whistling ¨C not unlike Candy had earlier. He turned to Trevor. ¡°Wow, Trev, you sure know how to pick ¡®em. I¡¯m glad I decided to join you today.¡± I could tell that Greg, with his darker hair and eyes and scent of mischief and valour, was likely more outgoing than his younger brother. As mischief and laughter shone in his eyes, I knew I was right. Trevor went beet red and Greg turned back to me then bowed dramatically. ¡°Why, where are my manners? Allow me to formally introduce myself since my little brother didn¡¯t do it justice. I am nineteen years old and my name is Gregory Geranomy but you may call me Greg.¡± He said in a fake British accent He took my hand and kissed it, making me laugh. ¡°Might I say, Madame, you are a beauty ¨C simply divine.¡± He continued before standing back up to his full six feet. I curtsied with my imaginary skirt, ¡°Why, thank you kind sir. I¡¯m eighteen years of age and my name is Arielle but you may call me Ari.¡± I matched his accent with one of my own then turned on Trevor and playfully hit his arm. ¡°You, young man, never said anything about a brother! How could you deprive me of the knowledge of a wonderful human being like him?¡± I scolded as Greg laughed. ¡°I sincerely apologise, fair maiden, it shall never happen again.¡± He claimed, matching our accents. Greg snickered, ¡°Of course it won¡¯t ¨C we¡¯ve got no other siblings.¡± We laughed till a throat cleared. Our heads swivelled round to look at the girls. I¡¯d completely forgotten about them. I smiled and held my hand out, ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m Arielle but just call me Ari.¡± I felt a current of energy as Hailey shook my outstretched hand and smiled back, ¡°I¡¯m Hailey but just call me Hail. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡®She isn¡¯t human. I don¡¯t think her sister is either.¡¯ I told Candy. ¡°You too.¡± ¡°Keily.¡± Came her curt reply. I noticed her heavily caked on makeup, very short shorts and unnecessarily high heels. She didn¡¯t bother smiling or releasing her folded arms to shake my hand. She just glared. Something about the twins nagged at me, but I couldn¡¯t place my finger on it. ¡®I don¡¯t think that one likes you very much.¡¯ Candy observed. ¡®Neither do I. She reminds me of Kylie. Their names even have all the same letters.¡¯ I turned to Hail, ¡°So tell me, where we are going?¡± That set her off. Her green eyes sparkled as she spoke. ¡°Oh my gosh! Trev told us about your lack of communication with the outside world. So sad. I could never live without my phone ¨C it¡¯s my baby. So first, we get you a new phone ¨C or your first phone. Next, you¡¯ll need a new wardrobe. No matter where you go for college, you¡¯re gonna need an image. Something that says ¡®you¡¯. You can decide what to do afterwards.¡± I heard Greg whisper to Trevor: ¡°If the day isn¡¯t over.¡± We piled into the car with the younger Geranomy driving and the older one riding shotgun. I was between the blonde twins. Hail turned to me, ¡°So tell me about yourself, Ari.¡± I shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s not really much to tell. I wasn¡¯t the most popular girl in high school. I only had acquaintances and most of my schoolmates were horrible people.¡± There was no way I was going to admit to being bullied in front of Miss Glare-A-Lot. I¡¯d known enough people like her to know that she¡¯d exploit any and every weakness she found to her advantage. She smiled, ¡°No worries, hopefully, you¡¯ll choose to go to our university. Apart from old man Gregor over there, we¡¯ll all be starting for the first time so there haven¡¯t been any real establishments yet.¡± That sounded nice. I could start over where I already had people. Where not many people knew each other and I would have a shot at being accepted. Where I wouldn¡¯t let people walk over me. Where I could put my past behind me and nobody would know about it. Where I would take the next step to my future as I found my answers. ¡®How about it, Candy? Have we found our college?¡¯ She chuckled, ¡®What do you think?¡¯ she asked rhetorically. I grinned, ¡°I¡¯ve got a feeling you¡¯ll be seeing a lot more of me in the next few years.¡± Hail grinned happily. Chapter 8 - Completely and Utterly Badass Natalia¡¯s P. O. V Fifteen stores and about a hundred outfits later, Hail finally decided she was tired enough for a break. The boys and I practically crawled to a nearby food joint. Who knew shopping could be so tiring? Hail headed to the counter as we collapsed into the chairs around a free table, sighing with relief. She¡¯d been a tornado of movement, moving from one outfit to another then swiftly abandoning the shop for another when she¡¯d seen enough. I¡¯d tried on each and every piece of clothing that she deemed even slightly fitting for my personality only to watch in dismay as she shook her head disapprovingly and move on to the next candidate. In the space of three hours, I¡¯d tried roughly a hundred clothes; I lost count at forty-two. In that time, I¡¯d found out that I apparently wasn¡¯t perky, quirky, emo, gothic, innocent, serious, fun, rebellious, uptight, princess-y, bitchy, coy, or slutty. As a result of the constant rejection of clothes, I¡¯d bought nothing. Keily, on the other hand, had bought five pairs of six inch heels, a very short dress that barely reached her thighs, twelve skirts and shorts of the same short length, seventeen tops (all either with a very low neckline or a very short length), five handbags and probably a lot more things. Needless to say, she would have fit right in with the slut squad. Candy chuckled tiredly, bored and exhausted. ¡®I hope we find something soon.¡¯ She made a sound of agreement. After devouring our food, Hail suggested we try one more store before heading out and we reluctantly agreed. As we were walking, a black leather jacket on a mannequin caught my eye. It had flames trailing along the bottom of the sleeves, frozen in a complex dance of destructive, fiery power. It was completely and utterly badass. It was completely and utterly me. I loved it. I walked into the shop with my slightly confused companions trailing behind me. ¡°Found something?¡± Hail asked. I ignored her as I spoke to the clerk who got the jacket for me. I paid for it and walked out of the shop, feeling accomplished. I turned to Hail, holding the bag with the jacket up, ¡°Definitely.¡± After that, I was on a roll. I bought black jeans, blue jeans, red jeans, ripped jeans, jeans with thin chains around the belt loops, faded jeans, flare jeans; I bought dozens. I bought three camo pants, seven sweatpants, two khaki pants, five jeggings, six leggings, a black and red checkered skirt and a few black and blue jean shorts and skirts. I got five black, grey, red and dark blue hoodies and a variety of coloured shirts except yellow; I hated that colour with a passion. I got some ankle and knee length boots, combat boots, chunky boots, a few pairs of converse shoes, five sandals, three pairs of slippers and two pairs of trainers. No heels. I didn¡¯t do heels. The only thing that I now owned and hadn¡¯t wanted to buy was the black and red polka dotted bikini that Hail had insisted on, saying: ¡°It¡¯s summer gurl. That means the beach. You are getting that bikini.¡± Then she proceeded to walk off, leaving no room for argument. Most of the shops were closed when I finally became conscious of the time. The Geranomy brothers were leaning against each other, asleep. Miraculously, the shopping bags still hung from their arms. Hail followed my line of sight and chuckled, ¡°They¡¯ve been doing this since we were seven especially when we go shopping. They have it down to an art now.¡± I smiled and peered at Keily. She was texting furiously with someone, smiling every now and then at her screen. Hail and I woke the boys up then walked back to the car. Hail and Keily got in and waited as the boys and I put our bags in the trunk. I made sure to separate Keily¡¯s and my bags ¨C there was no way I was gonna take any of the strips of cloth she called clothing by accident. We got into the car, Greg in the driver¡¯s seat this time, and drove off ¨C headed to my house first. On the way, Keily raised her head up from her phone, smiling slightly, ¡°Greg, drop me off at Dan¡¯s house. Now.¡± She demanded then went back to typing. Hail, who had been half asleep, raised her head off the window to peer curiously at her twin, ¡°Dan¡¯s house? But it¡¯s so late. What could he possibly want at this hour?¡± I checked my watch; it was way past midnight, almost one ¨C definitely late. Keily flipped her hair, smacking me in the face with it, ¡°Yeah, Dan¡¯s house. He said he has something special for me and besides, we¡¯ve been out later before ¨C not that it¡¯s any of your business, Hailey.¡± She replied challengingly. ¡°I¡¯m only worried about you. Dan isn¡¯t the best character. I just don¡¯t want you getting hurt.¡± ¡°What you think of Dan isn¡¯t important. I can take care of myself.¡± She flipped her hair, smacking me in the face, again. ¡®Three strikes and she¡¯s out.¡¯ Candy growled. I couldn¡¯t have agreed more. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you. The best way to take care of yourself is to not get into bad situations in the first place. Besides, you¡¯re not the best fighter.¡± Hail murmured quietly, sounding hurt and defeated. ¡°Yeah, well, Dan isn¡¯t a bad situation ¨C he¡¯s a hunk that adores me. You¡¯re just jealous ¡®cause you can¡¯t get a man.¡± She flipped her hair again. Strike three. I caught her wrist before she could lower it and turned to her, eyes narrowed, ¡°One: don¡¯t ever flip your damn hair in my face again. Two: what your sister thinks of your dating choices should matter if she¡¯s got a good reason not to like your ¡®hunk that adores you¡¯. Three: She isn¡¯t jealous of you, she¡¯s worried for you and if you¡¯re too blind to see that then you seriously need to set your priorities straight. And four: you¡¯re identical twins ¨C if you can, by some miracle, get a man, she can too, she just doesn¡¯t feel the need to dress like a hoe to do so.¡± I ground out. Everyone went silent with surprise while I sat back and closed my eyes. I peeked out of one eye, ¡°Greg, can you please lower the hood?¡± I heard the sound of the hood going down, ¡°Thanks.¡± I closed the eye and enjoyed the night air of New York. The radio played through the blissful silence until it was interrupted, yet again, by the sound of Keily¡¯s voice, ¡°This isn¡¯t the way to Dan¡¯s. Greg, I told you to drop me off at Dan¡¯s immediately.¡± She hissed. I could hear the mischievous grin in his voice, ¡°No can do, Kei-Kei. I need to get Ari back to her place first then drop Trev off at Gram¡¯s and finally get Hail back to your house before I can drop you off at mysterious man Dan¡¯s place.¡± I peeked at Keily who looked like she was about to explode. ¡°I need to get to Dan¡¯s place, now. You can drop them off after you take me there.¡± Greg shook his head, ¡°Nope. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem anyway ¨C you did say that you¡¯ve been out later, correct?¡± She opened her mouth, ¡°Yeah, bu-¡± He cut her off, ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re all beat.¡± She opened her mouth again, ¡°But I nee-¡± He cut her off again, ¡°So tell me, Keily, why must we lose sleep just because you want to go get down and dirty with mysterious man Dan?¡± She kept her mouth shut and huffed then went back to texting with a scowl that made her look even more like Kylie. I exhaled and my eyelids dropped. The world around me muffled and blurred and I fell asleep. ********** ¡°Hey. Ari. We¡¯re at your place.¡± I woke up to Hail shaking me. I jolted awake and habitually took note of my surroundings. I was still in the car and Hail¡¯s door was open. Through it, I could see my house. I got out and walked to the trunk, picking most of my bags and went to unlock my door. I placed the bags on the couch and turned to see Hail doing the same. Turned to face me and smiled gratefully, ¡°Thanks for, you know, helping me put Keily in her place back there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem. Why do you let her walk all over you? You¡¯re twins.¡± I asked. She shrugged, ¡°She¡¯s older by a minute and twelve seconds.¡± I shook my head, ¡°So she has a minute and twelve seconds¡¯ worth of experience more ¨C that¡¯s nothing. If anything, you¡¯re more mature, anyone could see that. You don¡¯t need to be older than her for you to have more common sense. Besides, I get the feeling that she wouldn¡¯t listen to you even if you were older.¡± Her head hung with shame and I understood. She felt the same way I¡¯d felt when I was with the Lightwood pack ¨C helpless to do anything but accept reality and silently wish for a change. She didn¡¯t know that she had the ability to make that change. I held her shoulders and her eyes rose to meet mine, ¡°You need to make her understand that you only warn her because you have her back. You never know if your warnings might one day save her life but they can¡¯t do that if you don¡¯t get them through to her. If you don¡¯t try harder, you¡¯ll never forgive yourself if something happens to her.¡± Tears glistened in her eyes and she nodded, averting her gaze. Not before I saw regret and sorrow in her eyes. I walked her to the door in silence. Trevor waved and walked into his house once he spotted us. I watched Keily carefully as she glared at her sister who got into the car. Greg started the car and drove off. I watched until I could no longer see them and went back into my house. After getting ready to sleep, I sat cross legged on my bed with my back against the headrest. I felt Candy stir in my consciousness. ''We need a bigger house.'' she stated with a yawn. I chuckled, ''Maybe tomorrow. We''re supposed to go see Mrs Burton in three days. Actually two days since it''s past midnight. Let''s go house hunting today so that we can move in tomorrow and get settled by the day after - after our appointment.'' ''Okay then.'' she agreed. I laid down and drifted off to sleep. Keily''s P. O. V I glared at Hailey as she walked down our driveway after waving goodbye. I couldn''t believe this! That bitch Ari was the reason I was late for my meeting with Dan. She just couldn''t stay out of my business and everyone had jumped to her side. Even Greg. I hated her. She had it all; the looks, the money, the charisma that make everyone want to talk to her and stand by her. After fifteen years of knowing Greg and Trev, I could barely get either of them to glance my way but she''d only just met them and they were already joking like they''d been friends forever. Even Hailey liked her more than me. I stormed out of the car once we stopped at Dan''s. "Will you be okay? I can come pick you up if you want." Greg offered before I could get inside. "Don''t bother." I spat then opened the ever unlocked door of my boyfriend''s house. The lights were off, as usual. I walked to the living room, avoiding the bottles sprawled out on the floor. The place had an ever present stench of booze and weed, with Dan draped on his favourite couch and a bottle of liquor in his hand. He took a lazy swig, "You''re late." he observed his watch with a scowl. I shrugged and sauntered to him, "Sorry, babe. We took this new girl shopping and the bitch made Greg drop her off first." He sat up and I placed myself on his lap, straddling him. I ran my hands through his shaggy red hair as he fed me liquor from the bottle in his hand. When I finished the bottle''s little contents, I rested against his chest. He didn''t bother to hold me. "What was it you wanted to meet me for?" I asked after minutes of silence. "I need a favour. I''m looking for a green eyed girl with brown hair and tan skin. She should be roughly five foot three or four and pretty skinny. She should have arrived at New York not over five days ago." He fished something out of his back pocket. In the darkness, I could see it was a picture of someone. The person in the picture looked broken and defeated. That person was the same person that had joked and laughed with my friends and ruined my day. That person was Ari. Chapter 9 - Tears of the Current and Past Three days earlier¡­ Kirstin¡¯s P. O. V I couldn¡¯t believe it. The omega was dead? I had been walking into the living room when I overheard Brittany scorn the omega for her death and how weak she was to have been killed by a bear. ¡°She¡¯s a werewolf for goodness sake ¨C or at least half. And to think she claimed her biological father is my dad. What a disgrace. Any werewolf worth their salt wouldn¡¯t lose to a bear.¡± She¡¯d said then cackled. ¡®No,¡¯ I thought, ¡®she can¡¯t be dead. My shot at revenge can¡¯t be dead.¡¯ ¡®Why don¡¯t we check for ourselves?¡¯ Gracine, my wolf, asked. I agreed but first, I had to do something in case the news wasn¡¯t true. I pivoted around and crept to Kylie¡¯s room careful not to catch anyone¡¯s attention. As luck would have it, the corridor her room was on was vacant. I opened and closed the door as quietly as possible, wary of werewolf ears. I didn¡¯t have to look long for what I needed. I picked the letter up and quickly read it. Even though it wasn¡¯t addressed to me, the contents made me shudder. Intense. Despite that, it made me grin. Good, someone else was out for her blood too. If she wasn¡¯t dead, that is. I placed the letter back the way I found it and left the scene, praying that I¡¯d been over enough for Kylie not to notice the strength of my scent. I bolted outside, avoiding everyone I could and making myself as inconspicuous as possible to those I couldn¡¯t. I rushed to the edge of the forest and closed my eyes. Breathing deeply, I connected with the forest before me. It was extremely rare for a werewolf to be gifted. A gift to a werewolf was a special ability or power that was outside the usual perks that came with being a one. While not unheard of, only one in every few hundred werewolves was likely to be gifted. I was one of those few. My gift was that, if I connected enough with a place, person or thing, I would be shown their view of the past. I¡¯d planned on telling my mate first but¡­ you know how that went. I deepened my connection with the forest. Show me the last female werewolf who did not shift. A heart wrenching scene played in my mind. I saw the omega limp towards the border and collapse. I watched with dismay as she tried to get up, only to fall back down, screaming. I covered my ears along with her in an attempt to block out the blood curdling sound she emanated then sighed with relief when she stopped, probably due to loss of consciousness. From the intensity of her screams, I could tell the pain she was in surpassed even my rejection pain, including when Harry marked and mated the bitch Kylie ¨C and I was talking about a girl who never made a sound, shed a tear or lost consciousness during the brutal beatings she¡¯d received daily when she was still in the pack. For her to have screamed so loud, in such pain, with so much despair and agony¡­ I never wanted to feel anything like that. I fast forwarded to when she got up and limped across the border and into the forest. Even with a limp, her speed could have matched that of an uninjured werewolf of considerable status. I continued to fast forward, skimming her journey to where she slept, her conversation with her wolf, her trip back to the border and the gap between when she strayed too far for the forest to see and when she re-entered the forest. I stopped when she arrived at a river. I listened to her mental conversation and watched as she created her ¡®death scene¡¯ then continued her run. I noticed her rapid recovery and break-neck speed. If it weren¡¯t a mental replay, my eyes wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep up with her speed of light movements. It wasn¡¯t normal werewolf speed. I doubted that even the royal family of werewolves would have been able to keep up with her. In addition to that, she had enough strength to throw that rabbit carcass several miles. Apologizing was suddenly my top priority once I found her. Her bad side was the last place I wanted to be. Likewise for the rest of the pack if they found out. I thanked the forest and disconnected, finding myself back at its edge. As I walked back to my room, I went over what I¡¯d learned; the omega was alive, she was majorly powerful, she¡¯d only staged her death ¨C probably so that her return would be more of a shock to the pack, she was currently in New York building a life for herself ¨C good for her ¨C and if she did come back, the pack was screwed. I smirked to myself. Maybe I could be of help. First order of business: find her. And I knew just the person to help me with that. First, I had to find a secure place for the conversation I needed to have. I found my way to the attic, dodging people and becoming one with my surroundings to appear inconspicuous. I snuck into the omega¡¯s old room and shut the splintered door behind me. This would have to do. Very few of the pack members lingered around the top of the house and those that did left after a short while, having completed their required tasks from the higher ups of the pack. I pulled my cell out and dialled my old friend¡¯s number. His voice held only bored intrigue as he answered, ¡°Kiry? What¡¯s up? You haven¡¯t called for almost a year.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Danny. Things have been pretty hectic. Listen, I need you to help me with something.¡± I needed to keep the conversation short and avoid the possibility of anyone hearing. ¡°What do you need?¡± he asked. His tone had lost the little intrigue and held only boredom but that was natural with him. Even before he moved away to NYC ¨C when he attended Lightwood Middle School ¨C he¡¯d always had an indifferent attitude and sounded perpetually nonchalant and, more often than not, bored. ¡°I need to find someone. I don¡¯t know her name but she has tan skin, green eyes, brown hair, should be about five foot three or four and she was pretty skinny the last time I saw her. She shouldn¡¯t have been in the city for more than two days.¡± That was pretty much all I knew about the omega apart from the fact that she was super smart and really powerful but I didn¡¯t think those descriptions would be of any help. ¡°And you believe this mystery girl is in New York?¡± He sounded slightly peeved. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Those descriptions are pretty vague. NYC¡¯s a big place, Kiry. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to find her.¡± He deadpanned. I knew he could do it. He had to. He¡¯d been the best at hide and seek and always managed to find anything that went missing. His memory of faces and descriptions was always on point too. If he couldn¡¯t find her then I might as well have given up. ¡°Do you have a picture of her? It¡¯ll be better if I have a visual.¡± I perked up. I did have one picture of her. Brittany had told me to take it after one of her beatings a few months ago. I¡¯d never gotten ¡®round to deleting it. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got one. I¡¯ll send it now but I¡¯ve gotta go, okay? Thanks so much for helping me out, Danny.¡± ¡°Yeah. Whatever. No problem. See ya.¡± He hung up. I sent him the picture immediately; trying not to dwell on how broken the omega looked in it. I had a lot of apologizing to do. ¡®I need to meet her in person.¡¯ I told Gracine. ¡®I¡¯m aware of that but you need an excuse to go to the city.¡¯ She stated. The pack had multiple allies. That was one of the reasons it was powerful. Another reason was that during our visits to our allies, we secretly siphoned money and information from them and planted seeds of doubt and distrust. Multiple packs had disbanded or fallen down the ranks due to this. Not many members of the pack knew about the methods we used to climb up the ranks. I wasn¡¯t even supposed to know and I wouldn¡¯t if I hadn¡¯t caught the Gamma in action during one of said trips two years ago. He¡¯d made me swear to total secrecy and silence then explained the process and its purpose to me. I distinctly recalled a certain ally we had in the outskirts of New York. Jackal Pack if I remembered correctly. Weird name, I know. All I needed was permission and I could be in the city in three days. I smiled and pocketed my phone then snuck downstairs. I marched to Harry¡¯s office and knocked. The disgusting slurping and sucking sounds paused long enough for Harry to utter a distracted ¡°Come in¡± in a husky voice that ignited heat deep inside me and made my wolf whine. I opened the door to find a very shirtless Harry on his seat with a skimpily dressed Kylie on his lap, straddling him. I¡¯d always had a crush on Harry and was always a little hurt when I saw him and Kylie in action but I¡¯d never been affected this badly. I¡¯d never felt my heart break the way it did when I saw them and I¡¯d never hated Kylie more. I smirked inwardly at the fear and surprise in her eyes. I cleared my throat awkwardly to give myself a few seconds to dispel my lust and calm my horny wolf more than anything. Damn, being mateless is hard. ¡°Alpha Lightwood, with your permission, I would like to go visit one of our allies in New York, the Jackal Pack, to check on their progress.¡± Even though I didn¡¯t want to, I avoided eye contact and bowed my head. Jeez. How did the omega resist the urge to grovel at the higher ups¡¯ feet? It was all I could to not to shift, roll on my back and expose my belly for my Alpha and Luna to see. I despised it. He blinked twice. His tone was laced with surprise and caution, ¡°Permission granted. I¡¯ll send a notice ahead to the Alpha. You can leave by tonight.¡± ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡± I turned and left before I could witness more of what I was supposed to be doing with Harry. I guessed he thought that I was leaving for a break. Might as well be. I went to my room and packed the necessities. I didn¡¯t plan on staying at the Jackal Pack longer than a week. I¡¯d spend one or two more weeks in the city, hopefully with the omega, planning our revenge. I seriously needed to learn her name but I didn¡¯t know anyone who knew it. I guessed that was now priority number two. I was done packing by around eight in the evening. Normally, I¡¯d have been called by six for the pack dinner but the new omega was significantly slower at cooking so unless she started preparing the meals by noon, dinners were moved to eight. Not that I was complaining. I hadn¡¯t attended a pack anything since that day and opted for sneaking into the kitchen for a sandwich or granola bar during meals. I heard the noise of my rowdy pack and the clanking of silverware on ceramic plates. I hauled my luggage out the front door and sat on it, head in hands, waiting for my ride. Feeling a presence I looked up. ¡°Hey, Kirstin.¡± He greeted. Hearing my name from his lips sent shocks of giddy bliss down my spine that I tried my hardest to ignore. ¡°Alpha.¡± I nodded in acknowledgement, avoiding his gaze. Gracine was itching to jump him then and there and looking at his eyes would not help the control I had over her. Besides, I physically couldn¡¯t look him in the eye without his permission even if I wanted to, unless we were having a ¡®mate moment¡¯. He cleared his throat and at next to me, enveloping my senses with his scent and loosening my control. To be so close to him but unable to touch him ¨C to kiss him ¨C the way I longed to was pure agony. ¡°Why the sudden decision to go to New York?¡± I stared ahead, unwilling to look at him and dig a deeper grave for myself in the process, ¡°It¡¯s summer. I¡¯ve never been there so why not go there now?¡± I replied then looked at my hands in my lap and added in a sad whisper, ¡°It¡¯ll be a good reprieve too.¡± I felt his fingers on my chin, lifting my face to his view. ¡°Look at me, Kirstin.¡± He pleaded in a tortured voice. The sound of his voice, the look in his eyes, they made me want to abandon all my plans of revenge and bury myself in his embrace. To make everything okay. His eyes told me everything I wanted his mouth to declare; that he loved me, that he wanted me safe and by his side, that he wanted me to be his Luna instead. His mouth decided to contradicted his eyes, ¡°Please understand, Kirstin. You can¡¯t be my mate and Luna.¡± Tears sprung to my eyes. The words became a knife that plunged into my heart. ¡°Harry-bear! There you are! You left early and didn¡¯t come back so I got worried.¡± Kylie came bounding through the front door. Harry quickly got up and put his arm around her, dropping a kiss on her lips that I so wished were mine instead, as if to emphasise his statement, finalise it and seal it with that kiss. The knife twisted mercilessly as I watched them like a masochist. The cab chose that moment to pull up and rescue me. I declined Harry¡¯s offer and let the driver help me put my luggage in the trunk instead. ¡°Have a nice trip.¡± Harry said as I got into the cab. I nodded and shut the door. Kylie stood on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply as I watched through the window while the car pulled away. Harry¡¯s emotionless eyes were trained on mine as he held her hips and kissed her back with the fervour and enthusiasm his eyes didn¡¯t show. Damn him. Damn Kylie. Damn the pack. I was going to help the omega make them pay even if it killed me. I turned away from the window and practically ordered the driver to go faster. Damn me for still loving him and not accepting the rejection when I had the chance. For still clinging to the hope that maybe, just maybe, he¡¯d come to his senses and change his mind and accept me as his mate and Luna. For reacting to his voice, his smell, his words, his actions, his touch. For wanting him even though I was obviously unwanted. For being a masochist and sticking around every time he decided to rub the fact that he didn¡¯t love me in my face by insisting on displaying his disgustingly obvious affection for Kylie. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, the dam burst. The tears seemed endless as they raced down my cheeks. As much as I tried, I couldn¡¯t hold back the sobs as they were wrenched from my throat. The driver glanced back at me, worry etched on his face. I tried, I really did, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from breaking down there in the cab. I hated him enough to destroy him and loved so much it hurt at the same time. He¡¯d made his choice. He¡¯d moved on from the fact that we were mates and was blissfully happy with Kylie. I needed to move on as well ¨C to forget him and find someone else that could make my heart race and my breath catch the way he could and would love me the way he couldn¡¯t. ¡®It¡¯ll be okay, Kiry.¡¯ Gracine said. Even with her own aching heart, she tried to comfort me. And to think I never appreciated her when I spent more time with Brittany and the girls. I stifled my sobs and wiped my eyes, ¡®I know. Now, let¡¯s go find the omega.¡¯ I really needed to learn her name. Chapter 10 - An Unexpected Encounter Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I yawned as I walked out of my house. My stupid internal clock had gotten me up before the sun again so I¡¯d only caught three hours of sleep at most. I hailed a cab and told the driver to take me to a good real estate agency. I watched the city through the window. It never seemed to rest. Even now, there was quite a bit of traffic and the sun hadn¡¯t even grazed the horizon yet. The cab dropped me off at a place called Palace Homes. I walked into the lobby and to the front desk. ¡°Good morning. Welcome to Palace Homes, what can I do for you?¡± The brunette behind the desk eyed me up and down, sizing me up and probably making judgements that were most likely wrong. ¡°Can you get one of your agents to show me some houses?¡± ¡°Sure. Just write down your requirements and we¡¯ll narrow it down.¡± She handed me a paper and pen then went back to texting. ¡®Can we please get a walk in closet?¡¯ Candy pleaded before I even put the pen to the paper. I chuckled in my head, ¡®Of course.¡¯ After a few minutes of contemplation, I¡¯d written: at least three bedrooms, four bathrooms, at least one walk in closet, a balcony, a big kitchen, a Jacuzzi, a study, a chandelier in the dining room, a fireplace in the living room and an outdoor pool. The balcony, walk in closet, Jacuzzi, chandelier and pool had been Candy¡¯s idea. I just hoped she wasn¡¯t planning on trying to get me to throw any parties. I looked over the list, ¡®This¡¯ll be expensive, Candy.¡¯ ¡®Aww. Come on, Nat. You saw the numbers, this¡¯ll barely put a dent in your account.¡¯ She did have a point. ¡®Fine, but you only get three picks on the furniture and you can only choose the paint for one room.¡¯ ¡®Deal¡¯ I handed the paper and pen to the lady and wrote my number down. ¡°You should get a call before noon about your appointment. Have a nice day.¡± She didn¡¯t even bother to look up from her phone. I thanked her and walked out. I took my phone out and called Hailey. It was surprisingly easy to figure out. Her voice was laced with worry and tension, ¡°Hey, Ari. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Hail, is everything okay?¡± ¡°Fine! Everything¡¯s fine!¡± She uttered a nervous laugh. I could imagine her eyes darting from side to side while sweat droplets dotted her forehead. Why didn¡¯t she want to tell me the problem? I guessed she needed her secrets. We¡¯d only just met. ¡°O-kay then. I was just calling to ask you the name of the college you¡¯re going to attend.¡± ¡°Oh. It¡¯s called Killdrain Puncturial University. Is that all you need?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s all. Are you alright?¡± She was breathing so heavily that I was pretty sure that I would hear it without my advanced hearing. I also caught a few sobs. ¡°NO! I mean yes. Yes, everything is fine. There is no need to worry. Everything is fine.¡± She sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than me. ¡°Alright, if you insist. You know you can tell me anything, right?¡± she made a distracted sound of agreement, ¡°Call me if you need anything, kay?¡± ¡°Okay. Bye, Ari.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± ¡®I wonder what the problem is.¡¯ Candy mused. I shrugged and pocketed my phone. ¡®Whatever it is, it doesn¡¯t matter. If she trusts me enough to tell me, then we can worry but until then, it¡¯s none of our business.¡¯ ¡®Yeah. You¡¯re right.¡¯ I decided to see what Central Park looked like before going home to get my results. I remembered coming across it in a library book. I hailed a cab and told the driver my destination. After a full minute without movement on the driver¡¯s part, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I slowly reached out to tap his shoulder with caution, ¡°Sir? Is everything al-¡± He abruptly whipped around to face me. His glowing black eyes held mine and I found that I couldn¡¯t move. I wasn¡¯t even able to blink. The hairs on my neck strained against my skin. ¡®Candy! Candy! What¡¯s happening?! Candy!¡¯ She didn¡¯t respond. Why didn¡¯t she respond? I tried to take in his appearance but I couldn¡¯t look away from his eyes. All I caught sight of was the orangish-red hair that fell in his eyes. I couldn¡¯t look away. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The intensity of the glow of his eyes rose as he uttered one word; ¡°Sleep¡± ¡®CANDY! HEL-!¡¯ Darkness overtook my vision and I did just that ¨C I slept. ********** I woke up lying in a bed in an unfamiliar room. Judging by the room¡¯s lack of personality, I assumed I was in a hotel. ¡®Candy? You there?¡¯ ¡®Yeah¡¯ She sounded sleepy. My eyes landed on a pair of grey eyes slightly obstructed by familiar ginger hair. I shot out of the bed and took a defensive stance. ¡°Impressive. Most people wouldn¡¯t be actively aware when they¡¯re under control. I saw your panic and struggle back in the cab. You also woke up a lot earlier than most people would and you seem to have remembered everything immediately.¡± His drawl was lazy as he sat casually on the table across the room. ¡°Who are you and what do you want?¡± I demanded. He couldn¡¯t have been from the Lightwood pack. I remembered all their faces and his wasn¡¯t one of them plus, he didn¡¯t smell like a werewolf. What if they¡¯d enlisted his help in order to find me? That was highly unlikely. Only one person in the pack knew my name and I¡¯d gone by Ari since I arrived in the city. They also should have been fooled by my ¡®death scene¡¯ and it wasn¡¯t like them to persistently search for someone like me. None of the pack allies knew who I was either and there was no one who could have told them my location. It didn¡¯t make sense but if it was the pack, I wasn¡¯t going without a fight. The bathroom door opened and out stepped one of the last people I expected to see: Kirstin ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake! This is awkward. I was planning on practicing what to say before you woke up.¡± I didn¡¯t feel any hostility from her as she moved closer but I still kept my stance and followed her every move. She sat on the bed and waved the guy away with slight playfulness, ¡°Thanks for all your help Danny. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse us, we¡¯ve got very important things to discuss.¡± Danny shrugged and got off the table then walked out of the room in a way that made me think he was ready to fall over asleep. Kirstin clapped her hands together once the door closed behind him, ¡°Alright! I know we got off on the wrong foot and I don¡¯t expect us to become pals right away but I think I can be of help to you.¡± I blinked, ¡°Help?¡± Kirstin wanted to help me? ¡°Yes, help. You weren¡¯t the only one who was rejected on the night of that birthday party.¡± ¡°Rejected?¡± How did she know I¡¯d found my mate that night in the first place? ¡°Yes, rejected. Harry was supposed to be my mate but he rejected me for Kylie. You have a similar situation with Callum and Brittany.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. Of course, I always knew that Callum would end up with Brittany and Harry with Kylie regardless of who their mates were. My presence always went unnoticed so I¡¯d heard a lot of private conversations while cleaning. ¡°We have quite a few common enemies. I don¡¯t like the pack either and your letter to them was true.¡± She grinned and I returned it with one of my own. I relaxed and sat next to her, ¡°What are you suggesting?¡± I asked even though I already knew the answer. ¡°You don¡¯t like the pack, I don¡¯t like the pack. You want revenge, I want revenge. You¡¯ll be on the outside while I¡¯ll stay on the inside and gather information that can be used to destroy our common enemy.¡± I smirked, ¡°That sounds very appealing.¡± She smirked back. ¡°Can we start over? I¡¯m really sorry for being so horrible to you for all those years, you seem like a good person.¡± She seemed sincere and I didn¡¯t think any of the pack members were smart enough to come up with a plan like this. If they wanted me back, they¡¯d most likely use force. ¡®What do you think, Candy?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t sense any signs of her lying but even so, we should still be careful.¡¯ ¡°Okay, we can start over.¡± I said. Her face broke out into a smile, ¡°Great! First thing¡¯s first ¨C I don¡¯t know your name.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, only Callum does and that¡¯s because he needed it to reject me and I had to say it to accept the rejection. It¡¯s Avarielle but just call me Ari.¡± I saw no use in lying about it since in the unlikely event that the pack was behind this, Callum already knew. Kirstin¡¯s P. O. V ¡°That¡¯s fine, only Callum does and that¡¯s because he needed it to reject me and I had to say it to accept the rejection. It¡¯s Avarielle but just call me Ari.¡± Wow. Who would¡¯ve guessed that she¡¯d have had such a pretty name? And it looked like Ari had accepted her rejection and moved on with her life while I was still making goo-goo eyes at the person who would never glance at me the way I stared at him. She was obviously a lot more than just physically strong. My train of thought came to a halt at the sound of her voice, ¡°So, Kirstin, what¡¯s the plan?¡± I blinked in surprise, ¡°You know my name?¡± She raised a single brow as if to say ¡®Really?¡¯ ¡°Oh, right, you had the whole silent but always there thing.¡± She almost seemed like a completely different person from the way she was before. Since she no longer used her now luscious, chestnut hair as a curtain, I could see how beautiful she was. Her smile was radiant and it lit up her once dull eyes so they shined like emeralds. I couldn¡¯t fathom how I¡¯d never noticed her beauty before. Callum must have been either temporarily blind, blindfolded or in a very dark place when he decided to reject her. She cleared her throat, ¡°The plan?¡± ¡°Oh, right. This is what I¡¯ve come up with: I¡¯ll stay with the pack and gather information for a few years then six months before we¡¯re ready to expose them, I¡¯ll leave. I was thinking of just going to the royal family to report them.¡± Her calculating gaze never left mine even after I was done explaining my half cooked plan. A smirk that made her look like she pitied my idea appeared on her face, ¡°While your plan is nice, I have a more elaborate one.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The look in her eyes made me grateful that it wasn¡¯t me she was plotting against. ¡°Don¡¯t we have specific targets? Yes, I promised to destroy the pack but that¡¯s pretty general. I promised Kylie, Brittany, Callum and Harry that I¡¯d destroy them but to do that, I¡¯ll need valuable information on each of them. That¡¯s where you come in. I¡¯ll need you to get closer to them and snoop around. Find delicate secrets. Things that they make a lot of effort to hide. You¡¯re already friends with each of them so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. While you do that, I¡¯ll take care of things on my end by gaining friends in high places and rallying their enemies. We can stick with the aspect of your plan that involves you leaving some time before we strike.¡± Her plan a lot more detailed than mine and she¡¯d only just come up with it. Other than Kylie, I didn¡¯t think it would be much of a problem to find dirt on them. I perked up as a thought came to mind, ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a pack?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a pack?¡± We said at the same time then grinned at each other. I liked her more and more by the second. Chapter 11 - New Place. Old Place Natalia¡¯s P. O. V My phone vibrated in my pocket, signalling a call. I held my hand up as I answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Good morning. This is Kelly from Palace Homes. I¡¯m calling to inform you that your appointment is due for noon today.¡± It was voice of the brunette from the reception. That was fast. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be there.¡± I replied and hung up then checked my watch ¨C eight forty-three. I had time. I turned back to Kirstin. ¡°Sorry for the interruption. You were saying?¡± ¡°What are you gonna do during the years I¡¯ll be collecting information?¡± She asked. ¡±Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯ll be in college.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything and stared at me with surprise like it was the last thing she expected me to say. ¡°What?¡± She shook her head, ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that, werewolves never go to school after they graduate high school.¡± It made sense. Werewolves usually made money from careers that didn¡¯t require a third level of education and it was common to find Alphas taxing their members for supply funds and, a surprising number of times, their pockets. I shrugged, ¡°I did tell Harry and Kylie that I¡¯d make something out of myself.¡± She smirked, ¡°I know. Your letter to Kylie was practically bleeding your hatred.¡± I raised a brow, ¡°You read that?¡± ¡°Of course I did. I needed to be sure that if you were alive, you¡¯d be on board with revenge against her.¡± Now that she mentioned it, how did she know? ¡°How did you know I was alive?¡± I asked. She stiffened at the question and I could see the internal battle she was having. Maybe she was consulting her wolf the way I did most of the time. ¡°I¡¯magiftedwerewolf.¡± She blurted suddenly, too fast for me to make out the words. ¡°Come again?¡± She took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯m a gifted werewolf. If I connect enough with anything, I can see its past. I connected with the forest where you were said to have died and asked it to show me the last female werewolf who didn¡¯t shift. That¡¯s how I found out you were alive. No one knows about it cause I was going to tell my mate first but¡­¡± she trailed off. I knew what she meant without her having to say it. ¡°That¡¯s a useful skill, especially for our purpose. It¡¯s a good thing nobody else knows about it. You can use it on the targets and the former and current higher ups¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡± She murmured to herself. ¡°Tell me any useful information you have on the targets at the moment since you¡¯re in their circle of friendship.¡± She thought for a moment, ¡°Harry cheats on Kylie with human girls at school and a few of the loners in the pack at least three times a week and I¡¯m not counting the rounds for each time. He even has a jar labelled ¡®booty calls¡¯ full of phone numbers that he keeps in Andrea¡¯s room for when Kylie¡¯s out and he¡¯s ¡®bored¡¯¡± I shook my head, ¡°Given his nature, that doesn¡¯t surprise me. Anything else on him?¡± She thought for a moment, ¡°He did mention something about drug dealing during a party. He was completely wasted so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very accurate. Other than that, I don¡¯t know any information on him that can be useful to us.¡± That piqued my interest, ¡°If it is true, that can prove very useful since drug dealing is also illegal in werewolf society. Look into it. What about the others?¡± ¡°Brittany has a not-so-secret secret troop of guys that she meets with at least once on a normal day. She can be gone for hours on end. Kylie has had an affair with five teachers for better grades and the times she was supposed to be at swimming club after school, she was actually with those teachers. Three of which are mated werewolves. Kylie¡¯s family wants her to mate with Harry to keep the connections and lineage strong. Same thing with Harry¡¯s dad. Callum is sort of a mystery. The only times he¡¯s been with other girls was before he was dating Brittany and I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s his family pushing him to mate with Brittany. Everyone but him knows that Brittany is cheating on him. He should have accepted you; at least you¡¯d be faithful.¡± I ignored the compliment. While she was right, she didn¡¯t know me and had no grounds to assume anything about me. ¡®I wonder if his family is forcing him to mate with Brittany ¨C not that it changes anything. If that¡¯s the case then he¡¯s a coward for not thinking for himself.¡¯ Candy said. I agreed, ¡®True. I don¡¯t want a coward for a mate. He must be either blind or really stupid and inattentive if he¡¯s oblivious to what Brittany¡¯s doing.¡¯ ¡°While what you have is great, we need something deeper to make a real impact and go down in werewolf history. Can you do that?¡± She nodded and perked up suddenly, ¡°I have something on the pack¡¯s methods for climbing to the top.¡± I knew from overhearing conversations that the pack¡¯s methods for success weren¡¯t exactly legitimate. I¡¯d half-heartedly fished around but it seemed like only the previous generation higher ups knew about it but they stayed in a different pack house so I¡¯d given up. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°The higher ups go to visit some of their allies and secretly siphon money and plant seeds of distrust and hate between the members. Every pack that has been targeted have disbanded or fallen way down the ranks.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°This is great! Write down the list of packs that have been targeted.¡± She grabbed a paper and pencil from the vanity table and scribbled them down and handed it to me. I scanned the writing, there were at least three dozen pack names. ¡°Is this all of them?¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll need you to get evidence of the process for each of these packs and the future ones as well. Don¡¯t let anyone find you or your connection to me out. As far as you are concerned when you¡¯re with the pack, I¡¯m dead. You¡¯re gonna need to hide your findings somewhere nobody will look.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hide them in your old room ¨C nobody goes there.¡± ¡°Okay. There¡¯s a loose floorboard that you can raise and put them in. It¡¯s two feet directly in front of the door. Document everything and put the backups there. We¡¯ll meet at this hotel every six months. Keep the information on a flash drive as well and bring it when we meet, is that all right for you?¡± She nodded again. I smiled and got up then walked to the door. I paused before opening it and spoke without looking back at her, ¡°I hope you¡¯re not trying to trick me in any way.¡± I could hear the nervousness in her voice, ¡°N-no, I would never. They hurt me too.¡± I turned my head to the side, peering at her in my peripheral, ¡°Good. Otherwise, they won¡¯t be the only people I¡¯ll destroy.¡± I exited the room and shut the door behind me before she could reply. ********** After getting the address from a puzzled looking receptionist, I strolled out and checked my watch ¨C three minutes past nine. Judging from the amount of traffic at this time, it¡¯d probably take me all of three hours to get to Palace Homes. I hailed a cab and told the driver to take me there. About an hour later, Candy spoke up, ¡®Nat?¡¯ ¡®Yes Candy?¡¯ I replied while gazing out the window. ¡®What are we gonna do about a mate?¡¯ She asked. This wasn¡¯t like her. She normally didn¡¯t care much about Callum, ¡®Where is this coming from, Candy?¡¯ ¡®When Kirstin mentioned Callum, it just reminded me that we¡¯ve found our mate but we¡¯re not mated. And remember, a werewolf that¡¯s found its mate but has been rejected can¡¯t survive for more than five years without finding a compatible partner ¨C werewolf or not.¡¯ I remembered reading about it, ¡®We have five whole years to worry about it plus we haven¡¯t shifted so I¡¯m not sure it even applies to us. I don¡¯t want to think about that now.¡¯ ¡®But, we need a mate.¡¯ She insisted. ¡®Drop it, Candy.¡¯ ¡®Our survival depends on it.¡¯ ¡®Drop it, Candy.¡¯ I repeated. ¡®But-¡¯ ¡®I SAID DROP IT, CANDICE! I DO NOT NEED ANYONE TO SURVIVE, ESPECIALLY NOT SOME HORNY BASTARD THAT WON¡¯T EVEN LOVE ME AND WILL END UP EITHER LEAVING ME OR LETTING ME DOWN!¡¯ I yelled in my head, almost shouting it out loud. I didn¡¯t need to depend on anyone for my wellbeing. I had Candy and could always make friends. That was more than enough for me. I spent the rest of the ride in silence. I arrived at Palace Homes at with three minutes to spare and walked in. The brunette turned to a middle aged lady when she spotted me, ¡°Right on time. She¡¯s here.¡± The lady extended her hand and I shook it, ¡°My name¡¯s Margret Fiorn. I¡¯m going to show you a couple of houses that match your requirements. If you¡¯ll follow me to the car.¡± She led me out to a red car in the front lot. I got into the passenger seat as she sat in the driver¡¯s seat and pulled out. ¡°If I may,¡± the lady began after some minutes, ¡°aren¡¯t you rather¡­ young to be buying a house?¡± She glanced at me briefly and focused back on the road. I smiled, ¡°I get that a lot. I¡¯m actually eighteen.¡± I lied smoothly. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. You look barely sixteen.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, ma¡¯am.¡± She took me to three houses. Each one was extravagant and beautiful. Each one was in a secure area. Each one was distinct. None of them stood out to me. On our drive to the fourth and final house for the day, I remembered the college I was supposed to go to. ¡°Do you know the address of Killdrain Puncturial University?¡± She glanced at me for a second, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure everyone knows. It¡¯s ranked among the top five most prestigious colleges in the world along with Harvard and Oxford. To get in, you have to either be a genius or ridiculously rich. Or in the rare case, both. It¡¯s been around for close to four centuries now and it has five different campuses in this state but the main one is here in New York.¡± It definitely sounded like a really good college. ¡°This next house isn¡¯t too far from it, actually.¡± She added while pulling up into the driveway. I stepped out of the car and gasped. The front of the house was based on a Greek temple style with white pillars holding up a triangular bit that jutted out from the roof. The big French double doors revealed a wide landing that led to elegant spiral stairs. To my left was a wide living room with a huge fireplace and arch windows letting light in. The living room was connected to a mildly extravagant dining room with a chandelier in the middle of its ceiling. The window in the dining looked out onto a sizeable pool and garden with a variety of colour coordinated flowers from the warmest colours to the coolest, looking like a rainbow with a lot more stripes. On the right side seemed to be a drawing room of sorts, that led out to a small ballroom with a grand piano sitting in the corner near a locked door. Mrs Margret led me up the stairs, showing me all nine rooms, each with their own bathroom plus an extra one behind the stairs. The master bedroom was massive and had both a big walk in closet, with a mirror at the end of rows upon rows of shelves and racks, and balcony that looked out onto the garden, which I could tell delighted Candy, regardless of her silence. The master bedroom¡¯s bathroom was pristine and huge with a shower, bathtub, toilet, sink, Jacuzzi and mini changing room plus a door that led directly to the walk in closet. She took me down to the kitchen, passing the study that housed enough books to be considered a library. She showed me the layout of the kitchen and the walk in freezer and storage room. After exiting through the backdoor and walking down a very natural looking stone pathway to the front of the house where the car was parked, she turned to me, ¡°So, what do you think? I know you wanted three bedrooms and four bathrooms, but this meets everything else. There is also a basement with a cellar and some extra space.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± I gushed, ¡°it meets all the requirement and exceeds them. I¡¯ll take it.¡± She smiled, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful to hear. Let¡¯s go back to the office for you to sign some paperwork.¡± We drove back to Palace Homes and she led me to her office. As I looked over the payment schedule, I noticed it wasn¡¯t for rent, ¡°This payment is for complete and total ownership. Doesn¡¯t your policy say it¡¯s supposed to be for rent? And I couldn¡¯t help but notice that the house is already furnished.¡± Not that I minded, the furniture was beautiful to me. I just needed to replace the blues with red. She nodded, ¡°Yes, it does. Our houses usually have to be rented for a year before you can choose to pay for full ownership or continue renting. That house isn¡¯t actually ours though. It was built and owned by someone else but almost nineteen years ago, the owner left us in charge of the house on the condition that only a respectful person could buy it after eighteen years had passed and that if her child wishes to buy it, we must release it for free, regardless of if it is owned at the time.¡± ¡°What was her name? What did she look like?¡± She thought for a moment, ¡°Aquina Syrenlina. She was a beautiful lady with green eyes that reminded me of the sea and black hair with blonde around the roots. Now that I think about it, you look almost exactly like her. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say she was your¡­¡± She trailed off, staring intently at me. ¡°Mom.¡± I whispered. Chapter 12 - Heart Warming Gift Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°Syrenlina.¡± I whispered. My last name. ¡°You¡¯re her daughter.¡± Mrs Margret said it like a statement, ¡°I knew there was something familiar about you. You have the same face and you carry yourself the same way. You probably got your father¡¯s eyes.¡± ¡®No, I didn¡¯t get either of their eyes¡¯, I thought. Hatred filled me at the thought of the sperm donor and I forced a smile, ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°Aquina said that I have to ask you three questions to be sure of your relation to her.¡± She unlocked a drawer and pulled a paper out. I nodded, ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Did you know her last name before the past three years?¡± ¡°No.¡± She checked the paper, ¡°What are the names of your step family members?¡± ¡°Clark Lightwood, Tiffany Helena Lightwood, Harry Theodore Lightwood and Brittany Penelope Lightwood.¡± ¡°What was your mother¡¯s favourite song? Explain your answer.¡± I remembered my five tear old self asking my mum this same question after hearing a song on the radio for the first time. Her answer had puzzled me at the time but I understood now, ¡°She didn¡¯t have one. She always said that every melody, lyric and song was a different expression or story. She said that to ask her favourite song was like asking a book lover their favourite novel ¨C each one was too unique and has a different impact to be compared to another in terms of the best.¡± It was true. My mum had only been a music lover but I adored music, art and reading and from personal experience, I could say it applied to all of them. Mrs Margret put the paper down and smiled at me, ¡°Well, I guess that proves you¡¯re her daughter.¡± She searched the drawer and produced a set of keys and a different sheet of paper, ¡°Here¡¯s the key. Just sign here and the house is yours.¡± I read the paper and signed. She handed me the key, ¡°Are there any things you¡¯d like to move to the house?¡± ¡°Just clothes. Can you help me with them?¡± ¡°Of course. Your mother paid for our moving branch to cater for your move.¡± ¡°Thank you. May I have some paper and a pen?¡± She handed them to me and I wrote my address down, ¡°This is where I live. Will it be alright if they come at seven in the evening?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± She replied. ¡°Thank you.¡± I walked out, smiling at the brunette as I passed. On the cab ride to my landlord¡¯s place, Candy spoke up, ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Nat.¡¯ I sighed, ¡®It¡¯s alright. I know you¡¯re worried about us but we¡¯re gonna be fine. We don¡¯t need anyone ¨C we have each other. That¡¯s more than enough.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, each other.¡¯ She echoed. After a brief silence, I whispered to her, ¡®Mom lived here.¡¯ ¡®She did¡¯, Candy agreed. ¡®Did you like the house?¡¯ ¡®Of course! It has everything both of us want and it¡¯s already beautifully furnished. It¡¯s like mom knew.¡¯ ¡®She always managed to know exactly what I like.¡¯ ¡®What was she like?¡¯ Candy asked. I relished the memory of my mother¡¯s love, ¡®She was the gentlest creature I¡¯ve ever known. She always did everything in her power to make sure I was happy, even if it was at the expense of her comfort. She was stunning on both the inside and out. I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better mother.¡¯ ¡®She sounds wonderful.¡¯ Candy commented. ¡®She was, in every way possible. I miss her.¡¯ We pulled up at the landlord¡¯s place. I asked the driver to wait and knocked on the door. After a lot of scrambling and muttering, Mr Parkerson opened the door. ¡°Oh! What can I do for you, Arielle?¡± he asked. I smiled, ¡°I came to notify you of the termination of my rent.¡± ¡°When are you moving out?¡± ¡°Tonight.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He looked shocked, ¡°That¡¯s a very short notification.¡± I shrugged, ¡°It was a spontaneous decision.¡± ¡°I see. You paid for the month so I¡¯ll have to refund the money for the time you won¡¯t spend in the house. You¡¯ve only been there for four days. Let me get my calculator so that I ca-¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. You can keep the money. I should be able to get the keys to you tomorrow.¡± His eyes widened, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want a refund? I can work something out for you.¡± I shook my head and smiled, ¡°Keep the money. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± I turned and walked back to the cab. I got home an hour before the movers were due to arrive. I hadn¡¯t unpacked any of the clothes I¡¯d bought so I packed my things from the pack back into my duffel and put everything in the living room. Once I set the last box of shoes down, I locked my house up and walked across the street to Trevor¡¯s place. I knocked and waited. An old lady opened the door. ¡°Hello, Arielle. This is a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?¡± I smiled, ¡°Good evening, Mrs Geranomy. Is Trevor home?¡± She shook her head, ¡°No, dear. He should be back soon though. Would you like to come in and wait for him? I just finished baking some cookies and I¡¯d love it if you tried some.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She stepped aside and led me into the house after closing the door. The place was decorated with warm colours and had a homey feel. She took me to the kitchen and sat at the island, motioning for me to take one of the other two seats. I sat opposite her. She took a cookie from the bowl between us, ¡°Go on, dear. Try one.¡± I picked one up from the bowl and peered at it. I¡¯d never tasted cookies before, even though I made them dozens of times for the pack. I hadn¡¯t been allowed to eat or drink anything sweet. I wasn¡¯t even supposed to eat more than three times a week and I only took fruits because I knew they wouldn¡¯t notice. I bit into it and smiled. Now I knew why the pack kids loved them so much. They were delicious. ¡°Do you like it?¡± She asked with a grin. ¡°I do. It¡¯s the best I¡¯ve ever tasted.¡± The first I¡¯ve ever tasted. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. How do you like New York so far?¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a lively place. Trevor and Greg have been so helpful ¨C they even took me shopping along with two of their friends yesterday.¡± She grinned mischievously, ¡°I know. Trevor can¡¯t stop talking about you. He told me all about how you stood up to that mean girl he spends time with. He rather likes you. I think my other grandson might be equally fond of you too.¡± I felt my face heat up, ¡°R-really?¡± Her grin widened, ¡°Oh, yes. They were both so happy this morning and they actually acknowledged each other without any mutual friends around for the first time in two years. I even heard them having a conversation in the living room while I was in the kitchen. I recall hearing your name a few times.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad they¡¯re getting along.¡± ¡°So am I. You seem to have worked wonders for them. You don¡¯t know how happy I was to see them smile together within these walls.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that.¡± She nodded and suddenly turned serious, ¡°While I¡¯m delighted with what you¡¯ve done for them, I won¡¯t tolerate you playing around with my boys¡¯ hearts.¡± I shook my head vigorously, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it. They¡¯re both good friends of mine and I would never intentionally do anything to hurt them. I¡¯m not ready for a relationship right now anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame. I think you¡¯d be good with-¡± The front door opened with a bang. Trevor and Greg¡¯s voices wafted to the kitchen in unison, ¡°Gram! We¡¯re home!¡± They walked into the kitchen and stopped when they saw me. ¡°Hi, Ari. What brings you here?¡± Trevor cocked his head. ¡°Hi, Trev. Hi, Greg. I actually came here to tell you guys that I¡¯m moving.¡± ¡°Moving!? When!?¡± They yelled in harmony. As if on cue, I heard a horn and looked out the window to see the moving truck, ¡°Today.¡± The brothers and their grandmother looked in my line of sight. ¡°Oh, my. Trevor, Gregory, why don¡¯t you two go and help Arielle with her things?¡± ¡°Okay, Gram.¡± They synchronized and led me out of their house and to mine. I unlocked the door and beckoned the movers inside. In a flurry of movement, the brothers and the movers got my clothes and duffel into the truck. ¡°What should we do with the furniture, miss? We¡¯ve been told that the house you bought is already furnished.¡± One of the movers with a southern twang asked. ¡°You guys can take what you need and donate the rest to an orphanage.¡± I replied. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Another mover asked, analysing my sole sofa, ¡°They all look brand new. I¡¯m sure you could refund them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ll just take the vase of tigerlillies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mighty kind of you.¡± The first one commented. I smiled, ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°What about your clothes? If we put the furniture in the truck, it¡¯ll be a hassle getting them out.¡± said Greg. Trevor shrugged, ¡°We could always move them to the car.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Greg got the car out and the movers carried everything to the truck once we got my stuff out. When we were done, the first mover clapped his hands together, ¡°Well, that¡¯s everything, miss. None of your things are in the tuck so should we just go back?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks for your help.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem, miss.¡± He said and got into is truck with his colleagues then drove away. ¡°We¡¯ll take you to your new place.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± We got into the car and Greg drove while I rode in the passenger seat and directed him. ¡°Why the move?¡± Trevor asked when we were halfway there. ¡°Last night, I realised the house was a bit too small so I decided to move into something slightly bigger. I went house hunting today.¡± ¡°I guess it was pretty tiny.¡± Greg mused. I heard some ruffling from the back. Trevor handed me a frame with a picture of us at the mall the previous day. Our grins were wide as we huddled together while Keily took the photo. I smiled as I stared at it. ¡°We were gonna give it to you tomorrow but we think it¡¯ll be a nice housewarming gift.¡± Greg explained. I was speechless as I hugged the frame to my chest. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Trevor asked in a small voice. ¡°I love it. Thank you so much.¡± I couldn¡¯t speak any louder than a whisper, lest my voice fail me. Having people be this nice was new to me. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. It was all my idea.¡± They said at the same time. I laughed as they briefly glared at each other through the rear view mirror. They bickered over whose idea the heart-warming gift was while I laughed and directed Greg. ¡°I¡¯m telling you it was m-¡± Trevor stopped short as my new home came into view. They both whistled in sync and stared at the house. We got out once Greg parked the car. ¡°I thought you said it was slightly bigger.¡± Greg muttered as he opened the trunk. I laughed as we picked the bags up and carried them to the house. I unlocked the door and walked upstairs to my room as they slowly followed behind. We got all the bags into my closet after three rounds. ¡°Would you guys like a tour?¡± They nodded. I took them around the house then to the back yard. ¡°We are so coming to visit.¡± Greg said as he stared at the pool. Once the tour was over, I accompanied them back to their car. ¡°Would it be okay if you could come take me to Killdrain tomorrow?¡± I asked as they got into their car. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. We¡¯ll be here by noon.¡± Said Trevor. ¡°Thanks. And thanks again for the gift.¡± ¡°No biggie. See you tomorrow, Ari.¡± They said together. I waved as they drove off and walked inside once they were out of sight. I got ready for bed. Once I was done, I checked the time ¨C ten thirty-three. I climbed into bed and thought of my mother sleeping in this very room, on this very bed and smiled. ¡®We¡¯ve accomplished a lot today, Candy¡¯ ¡®We have. Greg and Trev are such great friends.¡¯ My smile widened, ¡®They are.¡¯ I stared at the picture on my bedside table through the dark. ¡®We forgot to eat again.¡¯ Candy reminded me. I sighed, ¡®We¡¯ll unpack first then we can eat before they come to pick us up.¡¯ ¡®Okay. Goodnight, Nat.¡¯ ¡®Night, Candy.¡¯ I drifted off to sleep with thoughts of my mother in my head. Chapter 13 - Burning Memories Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I woke up to a sunless sky with a fading moon. The ever present heartbeat of the city couldn¡¯t seem to reach my home. I sat up and stretched. ¡®Good morning, Nat.¡¯ ¡®Morning, Candy.¡¯ I grinned. ¡®That was the best night¡¯s sleep I¡¯ve ever had in my life.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s good to hear.¡¯ I got out of bed and stretched. Humming the melody of a song I¡¯d heard from a passing car yesterday, I walked to my duffel and changed out of my pyjamas and into my workout clothes. After my morning workout routine, I took a nearly scalding hot shower and got into some of my sweats in my duffel. I walked into my closet and got to work with sorting my clothes. For two hours, I got busy with arranging everything according to category then by colour. The time whizzed by as I worked and before I realised it, I was done. Everything looked great even though they didn¡¯t fill up to half of the closet space. I changed into a new pair of blue jeans and a white shirt. The sun had graced the sky with its presence when I walked out. I grabbed my duffel and everything that had been in it on my way to the living room. I spilled all its contents on the floor in front of the fireplace and took my hair dye, spare coloured contacts, gloves and boots that I¡¯d gotten from my mother, my important papers and wallet then put them on one of the blue couches. Using a match I¡¯d discovered in the kitchen, I got a fire started in the fireplace. Kneeling in front of it, I stared at the hypnotic dance of the flames that seemed to have me transfixed. I grabbed the first piece of clothing my hand landed on and tossed it into the fire¡¯s waiting jaws. I smiled as the material became one with its destroyer. This time, I actually looked at the next thing my hand grasped. It was a baggy yellow shirt, splattered with now dry blood and holes. I loathed it and the memories it brought. I cowered in terror as the man that was my biological father stalked towards me with intentions that no real dad should ever come close to having. ¡°P-please,¡± I whimpered as I shrank back, ¡°I d-didn¡¯t know! I-I swear I h-had no i-i-idea, A-Alpha.¡± ¡°Shut up, you stupid waste of space! Do not speak! You are a mistake! A mistake, you hear! You knew! You knew not to talk to anyone who wasn¡¯t in the pack about anything! And yet you did! When I¡¯m done with you, you will never disobey me, you useless excuse for a werewolf!¡± ¡°No¡­ no, please! I-I¡¯m s-sorry!¡± I pleaded as he raised me up by my hair. My rather small thirteen year old frame dangled from his grasp as I clutched his arm to take some of the strain off my screaming scalp. ¡°STOP SCRATCHING ME, YOU BITCH!¡± He raged as he shook me violently. He pulled his arm back and flung me across the space to the other side of the school corridor we were in. My head crashed against the wall, followed by the rest of my body, before I fell limply to the floor. My head throbbed as my vision threatened to darken. My whole body felt like it¡¯d been run over by a mac truck before the vehicle reversed then ran me over again, just for good measure. Surely, all my bones were broken. I couldn¡¯t move a muscle as I heard him leisurely walk towards me, as if taking a stroll. I forced myself to remain conscious out of fear of what he would to me while I wasn¡¯t mentally present. ¡°You¡¯ve been a bad girl.¡± He tsked in a contemptuous tone. ¡°Your mother was a bad girl, too.¡± My eyes narrowed as his mention of my mother. ¡°She was a filthy whore, just like you.¡± The fear and pain that had consumed me were shoved aside by a deep, furious rage at his words. I would not listen to him degrade and insult my mother in a fetal state. I slowly forced my body to stand despite the pulsing pain. I was almost upright when I felt meaty fists collide sharply with my back. I collapsed face first back to the floor. ¡°You¡¯re a very bad girl indeed. I¡¯m going to have to teach you a lesson, just like I taught your mother.¡± A rip sounded through the air, followed by a zip. I felt the air against the bare skin of my bottom half and realized what he intended to do. With every ounce of energy I had left, I did my best to get away to no avail. I screamed as he pulled me closed to him by my feet, desperately clawing at the floor to find purchase. Stolen story; please report. A door opened. ¡°Natalia?! Let go of her!¡± Came the voice of my beloved physics teacher, Ms Gina Charles. Clark let go of me and turned to her. I instantly knew what he was thinking. ¡°RUN!¡± I warned, but was too late. Time seemed to slow down. In three short seconds, he was in front of her. I saw her eyes widen as she realised what he meant to do. ¡°NO!¡± I cried as he snapped her neck in one swift motion. Her body dropped to the polished floor with a resounding thud. Clark simply kicked her and walked out of the school without another word. With him, he¡¯d seemed to take the colour from the world. I¡¯d cried next to her body for hours, my baggy yellow shirt soaking up my tears. If only I hadn¡¯t opened up to her about the pack. If only I hadn¡¯t confessed to her about how horribly they treated me. If only I hadn¡¯t screamed. Then maybe the only person who¡¯d ever cared about me other than my mother would be alive. I¡¯d sworn to make him rue the day he¡¯d been born as I¡¯d shed my last tear that day. It¡¯d been the first time I¡¯d cried since I was six, when my mother had disappeared. As I¡¯d used the soaked shirt to wipe my eyes, I¡¯d also vowed never to shed another emotion induced tear again. I continued to stare at the shirt that held the one of my most torturous memories as I remembered the third promise I¡¯d made to myself that day ¨C that I¡¯d get strong enough to protect those who I cared about from every one of my demons. I forced myself not to feed the shirt to the fire and instead decided to keep it as a reminder of the promises I¡¯d made. I kept it aside then continued to toss more reminders of that damned pack into the crackling flames. I hadn¡¯t owned many clothes there so the burning session didn¡¯t take as long as I¡¯d have liked it to. I knelt there for some time, watching the fire dance over the ashes of what used to be my old clothes before I stood up and dusted my jeans off. I checked my watch ¨C ten minutes past nine. I gathered the rest of my things back into my duffel ¨C no, I hadn¡¯t burnt it, my mother had given it to me after all ¨C and took them back to my room. ¡®Can we go get some food now?¡¯ Candy asked as I descended the stairs. ¡®Sure.¡¯ I grabbed my wallet and exited the house, locking it behind me and pocketing the keys. I sped out of my property, navigating my way to a grocery store I¡¯d seen on the way to one of the houses Mrs Margret had shown me by memory. I stopped in an alleyway next to the store and walked towards the entrance and through the automatic doors. Snagging a trolley, I made my way through the area of the store, grabbing promising looking ingredients for the tasty dishes I¡¯d prepare for myself instead of a pack of hungry, ungrateful werewolves. I selected a few treats to sate my long deprived sweet tooth and some fruits to balance it out. After checking my purchases out, I carried them all out. Desperately hoping that the grocery bags didn¡¯t tear, I ran home at a slightly slower pace to prevent them from being torn by the air resistance. I was trying to wrestle my keys out of my pocket without dropping any bags, lest I crack the eggs, when I heard the sound of a car pulling up behind me. I peered over my shoulder to see Trevor and Greg rushing out of their car to help me with my bags. ¡°You guys are early, it¡¯s not noon yet.¡± ¡°We came cause we wanted to make sure you¡¯d get ready early enough. We tried calling you but it went to voicemail. You did some serious shopping, didn¡¯t you?¡± Greg asked rhetorically as he and his brother took most of the bags from me. ¡°Thanks¡± I said as I fished my keys out of my pocket and unlocked the door. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get used to your house, Ari.¡± Trevor said as I led them to the kitchen. I simply shrugged and got to work with putting the food away with the boys¡¯ help. We talked and laughed as we worked till we were done. ¡°I can picture Keily doing that. I actually feel sorry for the poor guy, being forced to experience something so traumatizing.¡± I laughed as we made our way out of the kitchen. ¡°You should¡¯ve seen his face. He looked ready to cry, puke and pass out at the same time.¡± Greg added and I burst out laughing all over again from picturing the guy¡¯s terrified green face as he scrambled to get away from a drunk Keily. ¡°Where was Hailey?¡± I asked through my mirth. ¡°She was too busy trying to comfort the last guy Keily had danced with while drunk.¡± Trevor replied. ¡°Hey guys, we¡¯d better get going. It¡¯s three minutes to noon.¡± Greg reminded us as he checked a clock in the living room. Trevor stopped in front of the fading embers in the fireplace, ¡°Why did you light a fire?¡± ¡°Just wanted to test it.¡± I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. I went upstairs to get my bag of school reports before joining the boys outside. I made sure to lock up and take the key as we left the house. Trevor, driving this time, got to choose the radio station. A song that resembled screeching ravens blasted through the speakers. I reached forward and turned the volume down, enticing a groan from Trevor and a snicker from Greg. ¡°What¡¯s the school like?¡± I asked Greg. ¡°It¡¯s pretty cool and super ancient. It was built in the sixteen hundreds, around the time there was a major belief in vampires up in Britain. The building itself looks like a gothic castle with its dark lighting even in the summer and its huge arches and doors. It¡¯s even got towers like the one Rapunzel was locked up in.¡± ¡°It sounds interesting.¡± I mused. Two hours later, the college came into view. It was just like what Greg said, only five times more. The whole thing looked like a dark castle straight from the Medieval Ages. The structure was huge and looming. Towers poked out of it at seemingly random areas. There were very few windows visible. For some reason, dark clouds hung only over the premises of the college and I caught sight of what looked like bats circling the towers. Needless to say, the whole place sent a shiver of unease down my spine. As we drove past the gates and into the courtyard, the sun seemed to wink out of existence as we were shrouded in the thick atmosphere of the air just before it¡¯s about to rain. Bats screeched as we stepped out of the car. ¡°Welcome to Killdrain Puncturial College, or better known as, the Haunted Fortress.¡± Chapter 14 - To Enrol and Lose Control Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°The Haunted Fortress?¡± I asked as I scrunched my nose. The dreadful screeching of those bats was grating on my sensitive eardrums more than they should have. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a story behind the name but that¡¯s a one for the bonfire when school starts.¡± Trevor explained as he shut his door. I flinched as the sound reached my ears. I knew he hadn¡¯t slammed it but it sounded like he¡¯d all but pounded it with a sledgehammer. ¡°Come on, pick up the pace!¡± Greg yelled from up ahead. I screwed my eyes shut to keep the sound from rattling my brain but it only served to heighten my sense of hearing as my sight was cut off. I opened my eyes and started towards the looming castle, focusing only on getting inside where the screeching of the bats would be dulled. The distance seemed to stretch as I all but ran to the door. Beads of sweat dotted my temples and some casually strolled down my forehead. I grasped the handle and opened the door, stumbling inside and supporting myself with my knees. ¡°Whoa, what was that?¡± I suppressed the urge to jump as Greg¡¯s voice snuck up from behind me. ¡°What was what?¡± I half-heartedly feigned cluelessness. He looked incredulous, ¡°Your speed. You were almost a blur back in the courtyard.¡± ¡°I used to be on the track team.¡± I lied smoothly upon regaining my composure. ¡°Here, you forgot your bag.¡± Trevor said as he handed said item to me. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°What was the rush?¡± he inquired. I shrugged, ¡°Just excited. Plus, the bats creeped me out.¡± Half truth. Greg laughed, ¡°Well, I hope they don¡¯t creep you out too much, cause they pretty much live here every second of the year.¡± We walked across the expansive, expensive looking reception to the front desk where a young man sat. He wore a bored expression that told hours of nothing to do. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± he asked curtly without looking up. ¡°I¡¯m here for an admission application.¡± I replied. He pointed down the hall on the right and went back to visually scorning the world. Following his directionless directions, we went down the wide hallway and knocked on the door labelled admission. ¡°Come in.¡± A voice that should have been muffled by the door instructed. Turning the handle, we opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind us. A stern looking woman with the beauty and commanding aura of a queen stared at us. ¡°Gregory and Trevor Geranomy, unless you are here to drop out, please excuse us.¡± The brothers quickly shuffled out of the room at her command. She motioned to the chair in front of her desk, ¡°Have a seat.¡± I sat. ¡°I presume you are here for an admission, Miss¡­?¡± she trailed off in question. ¡°Arielle.¡± ¡°Miss Arielle, our requirements include previous transcripts, results of notable exams. We do not accept anything less than the best. In the event that you gain admission into our school, your starting date will be on the eleventh of January.¡± she stated. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to start in September¡± Her perfectly shaped right brow twitched in what I assumed was annoyance ¨C it was hard to tell with her stoic expression. ¡°You do realise that you are four months late for that to be possible?¡± she asked evenly. ¡°I realise that but I sincerely hope you will reconsider.¡± I said as I reached into my bag and pulled all my papers out, placing them on her desk. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Grimly, she flipped through each one, her eyes lightning fast on the words yet I knew she managed to catch every miniscule detail. Slowly, the stony expression in her eyes cracked to reveal awe and disbelief. When she was done, she closed the file softly and gently placed it on the desk, as if it were a piece of china. Shaking her head she sighed and muttered, ¡°It¡¯d be a shame to let such a promising student go.¡± Raising her gaze to mine, she conceded as she passed a form to me, ¡°Maybe we can reconsider.¡± ********** ¡°I got in!¡± I declared like a victorious warrior as I emerged from the room. ¡°I had no doubt.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± They chimed as they congratulated me. ¡°It¡¯s a bummer that you have to wait till January to start.¡± Greg commented. I withheld my smile, ¡°Yeah, bummer.¡± ¡°So, who¡¯s willing to give me a tour?¡± I asked. Trevor chuckled, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go celebrate. You¡¯ve got till next year for a tour.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I said then added, ¡°race you to the car.¡± to cover up the mad dash I¡¯d make towards the car to avoid the worst of the bats¡¯ screeches. Grasping the door handle, I braced myself and pulled it open then raced outside. The instant incessant noise almost made me lose my tightly controlled grip on my speed. Gritting my teeth, I forged on, trying my best to block the sound out and maintain a reasonably human leveled speed. Maybe I could go a little faster than¡­ uh, the was the fastest human on Earth again? ¡®Please do!¡¯ Candy whimpered, in just as much pain as I. I sped up. Finally reaching the car, I tried and failed to open the door. Locked! The screeching that had been manageable till now became unbearable. Covering my ears, I crouched down with my back against the car. I squeezed my eyes shut but, again, instantly regretted it and they flew open. Candy¡¯s whimpers turned to howls but I refused to utter a sound, lest Trevor and Greg hear me, and opted to grit my teeth instead. ¡®What¡¯s taking them so long!? The courtyard isn¡¯t that big!¡¯ A hand touched my shoulder and I followed it to the bearer¡¯s face. Trevor snatched his hand off my shoulder as he met my eyes. ¡°Whoa! Are you okay?¡± Greg unlocked the car and I didn¡¯t bother to answer as I hurried into the back seat, panting like I¡¯d run a million miles and more. The screeching returned briefly as Greg and Trevor opened their doors then left as they closed them. Trevor turned back to me, ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°What was what?¡± ¡°Seriously? You practically bolted back to the car, you were cowering next to it, and your eyes were glowing.¡± ¡°It was a race, I didn¡¯t want to lose, and I hate bats ¨C I told you that.¡± I deflected. ¡°You were a blur.¡± He countered, ¡°And what about your eyes?¡± ¡°It was probably the light.¡± There wasn¡¯t any light in this damn place. He gave me a sceptical look and shook his head, turning back to the front. I let out a silent breath of relief. Greg drove us back to my house without uttering a sound. The awkward silence was suffocating. I hated lying to them, especially since they were great friends, but I couldn¡¯t tell them the truth because then they might not accept me. Greg pulled up at my house and unlocked the doors. ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay?¡± he asked before I left the car. I smiled and nodded, ¡°Yeah. Nothing to worry about. I¡¯ll see you guys soon, bye.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± They chorused and drove off as I closed the door. I sighed, unlocking my door and entering my home, locking it behind me. ¡®What was that all about?¡¯ Candy asked. I tossed my keys onto its hook and started up the stairs, ¡®I have no idea. It¡¯s only happened once before. When I couldn¡¯t control my hearing.¡¯ ¡®Well, we¡¯re able to block sounds out again.¡¯ ¡®Yeah.¡¯ I replied, flopping onto my bed. ¡®I hate lying to them, Candy.¡¯ ¡®I know, I hate it too, but we can¡¯t let anyone know.¡¯ She reminded me. ¡®Yeah, yeah, I know. We have to keep the secret and not risk further exposure so that the pack doesn¡¯t find us.¡¯ Candy strayed silent. I laid there, staring at the ceiling as the house encompassed me, wrapping me in the scent of my mother. ¡®I wonder what she would have thought about all this.¡¯ Candy asked, reading my mind. ¡®She would have said, ¡®Do what you feel you have to do but remember to consider the feelings of others, nobody likes an inconsiderate person.¡¯ Then she would have kissed my head.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re not being very considerate to your friends.¡¯ She commented quietly. I didn¡¯t reply, contemplating the events of the day. I¡¯d been careless, thinking I could outrun the screech of the bats and still not let anyone find out about how different I was from them. But it was strange though. I¡¯d never lost control like that after mastering my hearing at nine. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d be able to attend Killdrain if this kept up. Choosing to think about it another time, I rolled onto my stomach, ¡®Candy, I¡¯m hungry.¡¯ ¡®So? What am I supposed to do about it? I can¡¯t take control of you and even if I could, I don¡¯t know how to cook. Go make your own food if you¡¯re really hungry, that¡¯s why you went grocery shopping today.¡¯ ¡®Fine. You¡¯re no help.¡¯ I huffed and got off my bed to make food for myself. Chapter 15 - What It Means To Be A Syrenlina Natalia¡¯s P. O. V Humming a tune, I bounded down the stairs, taking them seven at a time with bountiful leaps. Upon entering my kitchen, I rummaged around my cupboards for the ingredients used to make blueberry pancakes. Breakfast was always the worst meal of my day back at the Lightwood pack. Mostly because I had to wake up extremely early simply to make large amounts of food for ungrateful creatures coupled with the fact that I technically wasn¡¯t allowed to eat anything in the morning. Oh well. While eating, I felt Candy stir. ¡®Morning, Candy.¡¯ ¡®Good Morning, Nat. What are we doing today?¡¯ I swallowed the food in my mouth and replaced it with another forkful. ¡®Well, it¡¯s the third day since we saw Mrs Burton so were due for a visit. Maybe we¡¯ll learn more about mom and our history.¡¯ ¡®Sounds good.¡¯ Standing up, I cleaned up after myself, washing dishes and pans, and wiping table tops. When I was done, the sun was barely touching the sky and it was beginning to get brighter. ¡®Let¡¯s go work on the garden.¡¯ Candy quipped, being the nature lover she was. I went to my closet to get suitable footwear the ventured into said garden, grabbing tools from the shed on my way to the flowerbed. For the next few hours, I weeded and trimmed, tending to the flowers and watering them. I cleaned the birdbath and fountain, tidied the shed and raked fallen leaves from the trees. Sighing with contentment, I admired my work as I threw the last leaf away. ¡®It looks gorgeous!¡¯ Candy squealed with delight. I laughed, ¡®If we ever shift, you¡¯d better not mess this up.¡¯ I warned as I put the tools away and walked inside. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t dream of it. Now go get ready, its already past nine and it takes longer to get to Super Banking from here.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, yeah. I know. This was your idea anyway.¡¯ I grumbled. After a quick shower, I changed into a red shirt that boldly read ¡®Drop it like it¡¯s hot!¡¯ in black and jeans with oxblood ankle boots. Grabbing my bag, I left my house, locking it behind me. ¡®Do you think it¡¯d be faster to run? It¡¯s already pretty late.¡¯ Candy asked. Taking off my shoes, I agreed, ¡®I think so.¡¯ Since I didn¡¯t know the direct route to Super Banking, I ran to my old house then to my destination, arriving with half an hour to spare. Making sure no one had noticed my sudden appearance, I put my shoes back on and walked into the building, welcomed by the comforting feeling the place gave me. ¡°Morning, Melody.¡± I smiled. She bowed her head slightly in reply, ¡°Good morning, Your Highness. It¡¯s good to see you looking well.¡± I did a double take, ¡°What did you just say?¡± Her eyes widened in realisation and she covered her mouth, as if to take back her words. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Mrs Burton told us not to refer to your status until she¡¯d explained everything to you today. I forgot.¡± ¡°Is she available?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I marched down the hall, into the masked elevator and into Mrs Burton¡¯s office without bothering to knock. She looked up from her papers and smiled, ¡°Good morning, Natalia. How a- Is everything okay?¡± she asked, noticing my expression. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me what it means to be a Syrenlina?¡± She sighed, ¡°I wanted to give Your Highness some time to settle in before explaining everything to you.¡± ¡°How hard could it have been? ¡®Natalia, by the way, you¡¯re royalty.¡¯ It¡¯s not that hard and I¡¯m not that fragile.¡± I countered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not telling you. I was just doing what I thought was best.¡± She sighed, ¡°Would you like me to explain it all to you?¡± ¡°Yes¡± I took a seat on the chair across from her. ¡°The real story began a thousand years ago. Vampires were fiercely dominating the supernatural and natural worlds, preying on every specie. The humans couldn¡¯t explain the strange deaths and attacks, they never could.¡± ¡°But they weren¡¯t the ones suffering the most, we were. To vampires, the sweetest and most intoxicating thing is the blood of a Syren. Depending on the power and special ability of the Syren, our blood tastes different to them. Bottom line is, they were capturing Syrens and keeping us for their festivals and special events where they would bleed us out into jugs and serve our blood to the elite. The royal vampires would be gifted Syrens to feed straight from the vein and keep as slaves. No Syren was safe. There was nowhere to run or hide because the vampires could find us anywhere on Earth by the smell of our blood.¡± A look of reverence bled onto her face, ¡°A Syren, Rebekah Florencia Syrenlina changed that. Her power was the rarest and has never been seen again in history. She had the ability to create parallel worlds. She could only use this power once so she decided to create a world for Syrens that vampires would be unable to access. There was a catch though; the world had to be anchored to something alive or it wouldn¡¯t last for more than thirty moons, so she anchored it to her bloodline and named the world Syrenlina. As long as at least one descendant of Rebekah lives, Syrenlina will not fade away and Syrens will have a haven to run to. To keep her and all her descendants safe, Syrens made her bloodline one of royalty.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. For a full two minutes, silence reigned as she finished. I stared as Mrs Burton as I processed the bomb she¡¯d just dropped on me. ¡®Well, I wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡¯ Candy stated after a lengthy amount of silence. ¡°I really didn¡¯t see that coming.¡± She nodded and got up, ¡°If you¡¯re up for it, come with me, Your Highness.¡± I followed her out of her office and into the elevator. Instead of going down, she placed her palm on the mirror in the rear. It opened up to a dark stairwell dimly illuminated by lamps. ¡°This building was originally a safe house enchanted to not let vampires in. Over time, we disguised and renovated it but it still serves its primary purpose; it is one of the fourteen bases on earth that are used to travel to and from Syrenlina.¡± She explained as we travelled down the spiralling stairs for what seemed like ages. Finally, we reached a wide room. It was brightly lit and had portraits of different women on the walls. I recognised one as my mother while the others had striking similarities. These women were my ancestors. At the other end was a huge golden bowl with an intricate design filled with red dark liquid surrounded by golden flowers. It sat on a silver pedestal that seemed strategically embedded with onyxs and diamonds in its design. From afar, I noticed that the red liquid smelled like blood. Glancing at her ¡°What is this?¡± I asked cautiously. ¡°To travel to and from Syrenlina, two things are needed: the blood of every living member of the Syrenlina line and a flower that grows only on Syrenlinan soil. For almost sixteen years, nobody has been able to travel to and from Syrenlina. Initially, we thought your mother had died but when those in Syrenlina told us the world hadn¡¯t faded after thirty moons, we realised that your mother had a child. Syrens in both Syrenlina and Earth searched for you two but it was like you¡¯d disappeared.¡± I stared at the pedestal, studying its design, ¡°My mother disappeared when I was six. She just vanished on the night of my birthday and I have no idea where she is or if she¡¯s alive.¡± She looked thoughtfully at the bowl of blood, ¡°We could find out if Queen Aquina is alive depending on the state of Syrenlina.¡± I perked up and gave her my full attention, ¡°Really? How?¡± ¡°Well, as I said earlier, Syrenlina is connected to the Syrenlina bloodline. If more than one Syrenlina is alive, our world thrives, more so than if there were only one Syrenlina living.¡± ¡°Apart from me, who else is there?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no Syrenlina alive other than you and possibly Queen Aquina, Your Highness.¡± No family from my sperm donor, no family from my mother. ¡®You¡¯ve got me; I¡¯m family.¡¯ Candy soothed. ¡®Yeah.¡¯ If Syrens live long, what happened to the other Syrenlinas? Mrs Burton removed a gold knife from the pedestal that I hadn¡¯t noticed, ¡°This bowl and pedestal are enchanted. The contents of one become the contents of the other thirteen on Earth and the other seven in Syrenlina. You need to bleed into the bowl so that Syrens may be able to move freely between Syrenlina and Earth again, Your Highness.¡± Bowing, she handed me the knife. Taking a deep breath, I sliced my wrist and held it over the bowl. My blood dripped into the combined blood of my ancestors and mixed in effortlessly. Light trailed along the designs of the bowl and down to the pedestal, leaving the onyxs and diamonds glowing in its wake. The blood began to swirl, glowing from the inside out. The cut on my wrist healed as the light faded. Turning to Mrs Burton, I found her bowing deeply. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. Now Syrens and their life partners are able to travel between worlds.¡± I nodded, ¡°What¡¯s next? Are we going to Syrenlina?¡± She shook her head, ¡°We have a number of things to do here before you need to venture into Syrenlina, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± I asked as we went back to ground level. ¡°You need to be registered in the School for Syrens here in New York. Once you do that, you¡¯ll have to attend classes for a year before you go to Syrenlina to assume your place on the throne.¡± ¡°What are the classes like?¡± ¡°You have your standard sophomore classes in the first half of the day then you¡¯ll learn about things like the different supernatural species, the supernatural history and other things relating to the supernatural world. You¡¯ll also learn about the different powers and special abilities.¡± ¡®Well, I know what classes I¡¯m skipping. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going through normal sophomore year classes again.¡¯ Candy agreed, ¡®You¡¯ll have to take the morning classes at college then.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s not a problem.¡¯ ¡°Mrs Burton, could we keep my bloodline between only those who already know?¡± She nodded, ¡°Of course, Your Highness. Only Melody, Gaiana and I know of you. But, by the end of the week, every Syren will know that the youngest Syrenlina has returned.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, as long as they don¡¯t know it¡¯s me before I¡¯m ready. Mrs Burton, you said you had some things to give to me?¡± She looked sheepish and bowed her head, ¡°My apologies, Your Highness. It was a lie I told to get you to come back again.¡± ¡°That was unnecessary. You could have just asked me to come back. And you don¡¯t have to call me ¡®Your Highness¡¯, it¡¯s too uncomfortable and uptight, just Natalia will be fine.¡± ¡°Alright, Natalia. But it¡¯s the proper conduct when in Syren public to refer to your status.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± In the elevator, Mrs Burton asked if there was anything else she could to for me. I shook my head, ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Arriving at the reception while Mrs Burton went back to her office, I told Melody not to refer to me by my status and not to tell anyone about me. ¡°It¡¯s really important that nobody finds out about me.¡± I whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not ready for every Syren to know who I am, especially not at the School for Syrens.¡± She looked at the many waiting customers in the reception, ¡°Alright, Natalia.¡± ¡°Thank you. Please tell Gaiana as well.¡± ¡°Sure¡±. I waved as I walked out while Melody went back to her job. I decided to walk home to give myself time to grasp everything. ¡®At least no one can ever say our family isn¡¯t interesting.¡¯ Candy piped. I rolled my eyes, ¡®What family? Our mother disappeared when we were six and I don¡¯t even consider the sperm donor my father. Apart from Brittany, Harry and him, I technically have no relatives and those three are dead to me. The only family I have is you, Candy. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m cut out for this royalty business.¡¯ ¡®True, but I¡¯m talking about blood history. The sperm donor comes from a line of Alphas ¨C leaders. Mom comes from a line of royalty ¨C leaders. You were practically born to lead and that¡¯s why you will make a great queen to the Syrens and an excellent Alpha to the pack you¡¯re going to build.¡¯ ¡®Thanks Candy.¡¯ She laughed, ¡®Anytime. Now, what are we going to do about college? I don¡¯t think going to Killdrain would be wise if you keep reacting like that.¡¯ I shrugged, ¡®I guess we¡¯ll just have to look for alternatives if I can¡¯t get myself under control.¡¯ ¡®Why don¡¯t we go try it out?¡¯ ¡®Alright.¡¯ Chapter 16 - A Slice of Chaos Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I found an alley. Looking around, I took of my shoes and ran to Killdrain, stopping just before I entered the premises. I put my shoes on and, taking a deep breath, walked into the compound. I heard it instantly. The screeching quickly got to the point of borderline unbearable and I covered my ears in an attempt to block it out. It didn¡¯t work. Come on, Natalia. You¡¯ve been put through worse by those bastards and bitches at the Lightwood pack. This should be nothing. I thought to myself, hoping to find the resilience to stand the pain. ¡®Nat, h-help!¡¯ Candy whimpered. Quickly, I stepped back out of the college compound and the pain receded immediately, ¡®Candy, what¡¯s wrong?¡¯ ¡®It felt like I was forcefully being put to sleep.¡¯ ¡®Are you alright now?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, pretty much.¡¯ I stared at the looming castle of a college building, ¡®What exactly is going on here?¡¯ I asked rhetorically. ********** Arriving home, I locked the door behind me. Taking off my shoes, I bounded up the stairs, dropping my bag in my room and walked into the library. I flipped through book after book in the history section, looking for anything pertaining to strange things surrounding Killdrain. I even searched through the education section. The only time I saw Killdrain was in the list of universities. It was at the top of the list in brilliance. ¡®There¡¯s nothing here that can tell us about what happened at Killdrain.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t worry about it, Nat. Why don¡¯t you research about Syrenlina?¡¯ I sighed as I closed the book, ¡®Alright¡¯ I looked through the history section but found nothing. Broadening my scope, I looked through the whole library but found nothing on Syrens or Syrenlina. ¡®That¡¯s strange. Surely, mom would have something on Syrens.¡¯ ¡®Maybe she didn¡¯t want visitors to come up here and find anything on her kind.¡¯ I put the last book away, ¡®Now that you mention it, I didn¡¯t see anything about the Supernatural world apart from fiction novels.¡¯ I remembered when I was five, I asked her about her house after she¡¯d told me she didn¡¯t really live in the pack house. ¡°It¡¯s really big. The back garden is beautiful and there are chandeliers in almost every room. It has lots of rooms but my favourite is my bedroom.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± I¡¯d asked as I held the handmade doll she¡¯d sewn for me. She¡¯d smiled as she stared into space, remembering, ¡°It has a secret passage to an underground room. It was a place I could go to and feel like everything was alright. I was safe in my room.¡± I¡¯d brightened up upon hearing about the secret room, ¡°Can I go there?¡± She¡¯d laughed. It was a melodious sound, ¡°Someday, I promise you¡¯ll go there.¡± Opening my door, I looked at my room with new eyes, searching for any indications of a passage opening. I looked all over the room, tapping walls and raising pictures. I knocked on the floor at several places for hollow sounds. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Candy asked as I put my ear to the floor and hit it. ¡®I remembered mom telling me about a hidden entrance to a secret room.¡¯ ¡®Secret openings are usually in places no one would think of. Try the bathroom.¡¯ I got up and dusted off my jeans, ¡®Good idea.¡¯ There were no obvious places in the bathroom. After checking every crevice and cabinet, I was about to give up. ¡®Check behind the towel shelf.¡¯ Candy offered. Careful not to let any towels fall, I pushed the shelf aside and looked behind it. Nothing. ¡®Where else could it be¡¯ I shrugged, ¡®Let¡¯s try the closet.¡¯ And I did. I knocked on walls, stomped on the floor and checked every space but there was no secret entrance to the hidden passage. Giving up, I flopped on my bed. ¡®Maybe there¡¯s no passage.¡¯ Candy mused. I shook my head, ¡®Mom would never lie to me. The house is real so the passage must be too.¡¯ Suddenly, my phone rang. Picking up from the bedside table, I answered it, ¡°Hi Hailey. How ar-¡± ¡°Ari, you have to come help. It¡¯s Keily!¡± Hailey cried. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Grabbing my bag, I rushed downstairs and stepped into my shoes, ¡°Hail, take a breath. Where are you?¡± She paused and I heard her breathe, ¡°I¡¯m at Greg and Trevor¡¯s place.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ari.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Running at my full speed, I arrived in five minutes and knocked on the door. Greg opened it and ushered me inside. I rushed to a frantic Hailey in a bedroom ¨C either Trev or Greg¡¯s ¨C and hugged her. Holding her shoulders, I looked at her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tears flowed freely from her worried eyes. ¡°Keily¡¯s been acting strange ever since she went to Dan¡¯s place after we went shopping three days ago. She¡¯s been throwing worse tantrums than usual and goes as far as breaking everything in sight. Today, she just stiffened up in the middle of the conversation and started muttering, just like she did just before we went to take you to the mall three days ago. Today was different, though. After some time, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed then screamed something before she passed out.¡± I glanced at Keily¡¯s prone form on the bed, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you called an ambulance?¡± ¡°We tried but for some reason, none of the phones or cells can dial the number.¡± ¡°The car?¡± She shook her head, ¡°It won¡¯t start. Trev went out to hail a cab but he hasn¡¯t found any. Greg said to call you because you might know what to do. I ran my hand through my hair, I tried dialling 9-1-1 and sure enough, it didn¡¯t work. Every other number worked but the one we needed the most right now. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any relatives or family friends or even friends you can call?¡± ¡°I tried calling everyone I know but everything went to voicemail. Greg and Trev too. Plus, their Grams just left a few seconds before it started and she hasn¡¯t come back. The only number that worked was yours.¡± I looked around, ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°Almost two hours. She kept trembling and muttering for an hour then paused some minutes and screamed for a solid thirty seconds. She¡¯s been quiet since then.¡± Keily wore a pair of skinny jeans and a short blue tube top. She was pale all over but her face was white as a sheet and her breathing was shallow. Greg looked almost as frantic and worried as Hailey. ¡°What do we do?¡± He asked. ¡°Unbuckle her belt first, it¡¯s constrictive. Greg, put some pillows on the floor so that they¡¯re almost level with the bed then put her head on them and raise her body at an angle to get the blood flowing to her head.¡± They rushed to do as I instructed, accomplishing it in under five minutes. I touched her forehead. It was clammy and cold to the touch. ¡°Greg, where are the hot water bags?¡± ¡°In the cabinet closest to the back door in the kitchen. Grams boiled water for tea just before leaving. It should still be hot.¡± I stepped out of the room and ran to the kitchen. The bags were easy to find and I boiled the water again for a minute before pouring it into three bags and carrying them upstairs. I placed one on her head, one across her chest and upper abdomen and the last one at her feet. ¡°I need a blanket.¡± Greg handed me one from the closet. I wrapped it around Keily as best as I could. Her breathing was still shallow. ¡°Greg, I need you to give her mouth to mouth on my indication.¡± I applied pressure on her chest five times. ¡°Now¡± Greg held her nose and breathed into her mouth. We repeated this a few times till her breathing became deeper and evened out. The colour returned to her face after a minute so we laid her back on the bed. I felt her head after some time, ¡°She should be fine now. Her blood is circulating properly so she¡¯s not pale anymore and her skin isn¡¯t clammy. Her body temperature is normal so we might have to take the hot water bags away after some time so she doesn¡¯t get uncomfortable.¡± Hailey captured me in a vice hug, shedding tears of relief now, ¡°Thank you so much, Ari. For all we know, she could have died. You¡¯re a lifesaver. You¡¯d make a great doctor.¡± I smiled and returned the hug, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I only did what I could.¡± Greg sat at the foot of the bed, ¡°That was incredible. Where did you learn that?¡± I shrugged and sat next to him, ¡°Just a few things I picked up in my old school¡¯s regular First Aid lessons. I didn¡¯t like anyone enough to talk to them so I actually paid attention.¡± ¡°Well, thank God you did. Otherwise, we¡¯d be having an entirely different conversation right now.¡± I heard Trevor¡¯s running feet approaching the house for a few seconds before hearing the door open. He ran up the stairs and burst into the room, panting. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any cabs! Why are you just sitting there?¡± he breathed. The three of us laughed at his confused expression. ¡°It¡¯s alright now. Ari came in five minutes after you left and did some serious first aid. She said Keily¡¯s gonna be fine now.¡± Hailey explained with a wide grin as I got up and took the hot water bags away and put them on the bedside table. ¡°Five minutes? I didn¡¯t see any cabs at all so how did you get here?¡± Trevor asked. Greg stroked his chin, ¡°Now that you mention it, I didn¡¯t hear any engines when you arrived.¡± I grabbed one bag and walked to the bathroom, ¡°I ran. I was already close by when Hail called.¡± I fibbed as I emptied the bag into the sink. ¡°But I would have passed you.¡± Trevor countered. Returning, I took the second bag to empty it. ¡°You must have been in the opposite direction.¡± I finished emptying the second bag and went back for the third. ¡°Maybe¡­ What were you doing around here anyway?¡± I grabbed the last bag, ¡°I was taking a walk.¡± I poured the water out slowly and returned. ¡°Your house is too far for you to be taking walks around here.¡± Trevor scowled. I wished he¡¯d just drop it. ¡°I was in the city settling some of my mom¡¯s leftover stuff. I finished early then decided to come visit you guys.¡± Trevor crossed his arms, ¡°I thought you said you were taking a walk.¡± I matched his stance, ¡°I got the cab to drop me at a distance because I wanted to walk in my old neighbourhood before I arrived.¡± ¡°Cabs only access one side of the neighbourhood when coming in.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t come in with the cab. I got it to drop me off outside the neighbourhood.¡± At this point, we were glaring at each other. His eyes were brimming with suspicion while I stayed on the defensive. The tension was palable. Hailey intervened and stood between the two of us, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what Ari was doing or how she got here. All that matters is that she got here in time and knew what to do, right, Greg?¡± She looked to him for support. ¡°Yeah.¡± Keily stirred then woke up. Hail, Trevor and Greg rushed to her while I stayed where I was. Her eyes landed on Greg first as she propped herself up, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°You passed out and looked like you needed serious help. Luckily, Ari knew what to do,¡± Greg explained. Her eyes landed on me and a sour expression nestled onto her face, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just call an ambulance?¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t dial 9-1-1 and there were no cars to take you to the hospital. Ari probably saved your life.¡± The bitch just rolled her eyes. ¡°I would have been fine either way.¡± ¡°A thank you wouldn¡¯t kill you.¡± I seethed, glaring at both Trevor and Keily then left the room, not trusting myself to keep my anger from causing me to make a bad choice. ¡®I liked her better when she was passed out.¡¯ Candy muttered. ¡®Me too.¡¯ I heard them all argue but ignored their squabbling as I walked down the stairs and let myself out. If I¡¯d known socializing would be this maddening, I would¡¯ve kept to myself. So much for having friends. Chapter 17 - Suspicions Trevor¡¯s P. O. V I watched Ari¡¯s retreating figure as she stormed out of the room. Looking back at the others, I caught a smirk on Keily¡¯s face. ¡°That was rude. You¡¯ve been nothing but terrible to her since you two met and yet, she still came to help you. You couldn¡¯t even thank her.¡± I chastised and got off the bed. She flipped her hair and stared haughtily at me. ¡°Like it matters. She probably didn¡¯t know it was me that needed help and only did anything to save face with you guys.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. Hail told her that the one who needed help was you.¡± Greg folded his arms and glared at me, ¡°You¡¯re one to talk. You came back afterwards only to interrogate her.¡± ¡°I was just trying to understand the situation better.¡± I defended. Something¡¯s not right with her ¨C no matter how I feel. Hail shook her head, ¡°Yeah, right. There¡¯s trying to understand then there¡¯s fishing for information. You weren¡¯t nice either.¡± Keily rolled her eyes, ¡°Why are you taking this so seriously?¡± Greg turned to her in exasperation, ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know, Keily. Maybe, it¡¯s cause she saved your life and neither of you showed any appreciation.¡± Keily rolled her eyes again, ¡°Whatever.¡± Hailey glared at her twin, ¡°No. No ¡®whatever¡¯. We¡¯re going over to her place to apologise for how mean you two were.¡± Keily sneered, ¡°Or what? What are you? Our mom? Will you send us to our rooms?¡± Hailey¡¯s glare hardened and she stood up to her sister for the first time since I¡¯d met them, ¡°We are going even if I have to drag you by your hair. Gregory, Trevor, meet us downstairs when you¡¯re ready. Let¡¯s go, Keily.¡± She stated with finality and left the room. We glanced at each other with shock. Keily blinked multiple times before huffing and getting out of bed to follow her sister, slamming the door behind her. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t see that every day.¡± Greg mumbled and got to tidying his bed. I fidgeted as he worked, not knowing how to voice my concerns but not wanting to remain silent. Several times, I opened my mouth then closed it upon not finding my voice. I must¡¯ve looked like a blubbering fish out of water. ¡°I think there¡¯s something off about Ari¡± I finally blurted. He looked up from his task, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She told me that her mom died a few days before she moved here but I¡¯ve never seen her look sad. She doesn¡¯t seem to be mourning. Plus, if she lived in a cabin and never had a phone, how can she afford the new house she just got? It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± Greg shook his head as he continued straightening the place up. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but to me, she doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of person that likes to look vulnerable in front of others, especially with Keily around. You don¡¯t know what she does when she¡¯s not with us. For all we know, she could be bawling her eyes out every time she¡¯s alone. Besides, she said that she was in town settling something of her mom¡¯s. Maybe she inherited her mom¡¯s secret wealth. We don¡¯t know much about her but she¡¯s still our friend. At least give her the benefit of the doubt.¡± ¡°Exactly! We don¡¯t know anything about her. Remember when we took her to Killdrain?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°She said she was scared of bats but it didn¡¯t look like just fear, it looked like she was in pain just being outside the building. She ran so fast that she was almost a blur. Nobody is that fast.¡± His shoulders moved in a shrug, ¡°Maybe she has a phobia of bats instead of just fear and maybe she¡¯s destined to be the new fastest human alive.¡± ¡°Yeah, but what about her eyes?¡± He straightened up, done with his job, and turned to me. ¡°What about them?¡± Now, he looked uncertain, ¡°When she was cowering next to the car, I tapped her shoulder and she looked at me. Her eyes were glowing, only for a few seconds. It happened again today. When she was angry at Keily, her eyes glowed a few times, only briefly.¡± Her beautiful emerald eyes. He remained silent with a look of contemplation planted on his face. ¡°You saw it too, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I thought it was just the light.¡± He rubbed his face. ¡°That¡¯s what she told me when I asked her about it, that it was probably the light, but¡­¡± I trailed off. ¡°But what?¡± He grabbed our phones off the table and handed me mine. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure I believe that.¡± ¡°What are you saying, Trevor?¡± I glanced at the door and leaned close to him, lowering my voice. I couldn¡¯t believe I was going to say this about her ¨C the girl that had captured my heart in such short time. I didn¡¯t want to believe what I was going to say but everything pointed towards it. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I think Ari is a vampire.¡± Keily¡¯s P. O. V Frowning, I folded my arms as I waited for the guys to come downstairs. ¡°You¡¯d better at least act like you mean it when you apologise.¡± Hailey warned. I scoffed, ¡°And what if I don¡¯t? What¡¯re you gonna do about, huh?¡± She stepped closer, surprising me with her expression. It was the look you see on someone who¡¯s fed up with a constant annoyance and is going to take action. ¡°You will apologise like you mean it.¡± She stated in a commanding tone. She¡¯s never defied me like this! Never! I stood there with my jaw unhinged and nodded slowly, glaring at her as I did. ¡°Good.¡± After a few seconds of silence, my mind wandered back to the vision I¡¯d had before I¡¯d passed out. Ari, walking into an elegant building. After talking to the receptionist that bowed to her, she marched into an office, via a hidden elevator. They seemed to argue at first before the beautiful older lady recounted something. I didn¡¯t know. I couldn¡¯t hear. They went to a huge basement room, using the hidden elevator and flights of spiralling stairs. The room had pictures. Lots of them. All of women who looked strikingly similar to Ari. They all had hair with two colours ¨C black and another colour. Ari and the woman spoke about something before the woman took a knife out of the beautifully decorated silver pedestal at the far end of the room and handed it to Ari. Ari sliced her wrist and held it over the golden bowl of what I realised was blood. Her blood swirled with the others. The design on the bowl glowed and the light spread down the pedestal¡¯s design, leaving the black and clear diamonds shining. It lasted for about thirty seconds before the light faded. The older woman bowed and said something before everything went black. It had been especially vivid, containing every little detail. This wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d had a vision. I came from a long line of Seers ¨C people, mostly women, plagued with visions of events they weren¡¯t present for. My family consisted of mainly Supernatural seers, seeing only important events of specific Supernatural races. My family was connected to Seers, Werewolves, Fae, Vampires and Syrens. Sometimes, the power was shared between siblings, other times, it was cursed to only one child. The latter was the case for me. When I was seven, I¡¯d had my first vision. I¡¯d told my mom and she¡¯d told me that our family was special. That remained the explanation to the reason for every vision I¡¯d had since then. It wasn¡¯t till I was twelve, when I¡¯d had my first vision of death that my mum had finally decided to explain what was wrong with me. ¡°Mom! Mom!!!¡± I¡¯d shrieked, running to her leaving teardrops in my wake. She rushed to me at the sound of my cries, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, pumpkin?¡± I¡¯d sniffed, terrified of what I¡¯d seen, and buried myself in her embrace, ¡°A-a lady. She-she d-died!¡± She¡¯d sighed, stroking my hair, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, pumpkin. I wish you didn¡¯t have to see that.¡± ¡°What¡¯s w-wrong with m-m-me?!¡± I sobbed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with you, pumpkin. You¡¯re perfectly normal in this family.¡± I raised my head to look at her, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a seer, my child. Just like me and Aunty Grelda and Grandma Patty.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a seer?¡± ¡°Seers are special people who can see special events even though they¡¯re not there. It¡¯s an important gift that helps many people.¡± She then proceeded to explain the difference between Supernatural and Natural seers and how Supernatural seers are always connected to specific supernatural races so, most of the time, we got fewer visions than Natural seers. She¡¯d also told me about the Seer Cycle. There weren¡¯t as many Supernatural seer families as there were Supernatural races so in order to aid the other races, the seer families agreed to rotate their contribution between the races they were connected to for each generation. This was extremely useful during wars for the race that got the aid of a generation of a Supernatural seer family. If there was more than one seer in a generation, one would help the current race that was in turn while the other would help the next in line. Because of this, supernatural seers were held in high esteem and generally went without attacks on them, lest a line of Supernatural seers end before a race can get their turn of their aid. We were one of the few neutral races. Vampires didn¡¯t feed on us, sucuubi and incubi didn¡¯t drain us and no races waged war against us. It was an unspoken rule that we were quite literally untouchable. Apparently, I was the only seer in my family for my generation. The curse had skipped Hailey for some reason. Because of this, I resented her. I knew it wasn¡¯t her fault that I had to bear this burden and she didn¡¯t but I hated her anyway. She¡¯d get to live freely while I¡¯d have to live with the possibly dead royals of some bottom-of-the-food-chain race. Now, she was here, ordering me to some bitch¡¯s house to apologise without knowing what I was going through. Speaking of that bitch, I wondered what Ari had to do with any of the races my family was connected to. As far as I could tell, she was just some over pampered human bitch. Maybe the vampires compelled her into a blood ritual ¨C they were doing a lot of that these days in my visions. If so, that would teach her a good lesson. ¡°Finally! What took you guys so long? Let¡¯s get going.¡± Hailey¡¯s voice snapped me out of my fantasies of vampires draining Ari of her blood. She ushered us out of the house and into Greg¡¯s car while Trevor placed a paper on the kitchen table and locked the house up, leaving the key somewhere for when his Grams came back. Before he could assume his usual seat in the car whenever Greg drove ¨C shotgun ¨C I took his place, taking the opportunity to glance at him, albeit with a large dose of coyness. I¡¯d always found him attractive. Not just his looks ¨C although simply looking at him makes my heart flutter ¨C the very way he moves, with fluidity and strength, the way he speaks, his expressions. I couldn¡¯t help but notice everything about him. I had always had a crush on him, from the very moment I met him. I¡¯d even told him how I felt. Not my best moment. He didn¡¯t exactly feel the same way. Around that time, I had multiple admirers, one of which was Dan. He¡¯d been the only guy that wasn¡¯t Greg to actually hold my attention for longer than a day. With a wary glance at me, Trevor got into the back seat with Hailey. The ride was spent in silence. I mostly just stared out the window, stealing glances at Greg when I was sure he wasn¡¯t going to catch me. The atmosphere was tense and stayed so till a breath taking mansion came into view. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me that bitch lives here.¡¯ ¡°Wow. This is Ari¡¯s place?¡± Hailey breathed. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s already given us a tour and I¡¯ve decided I¡¯m gonna spend a lot more time here.¡± Greg replied, making me silently seethe. How was it that that overly pampered human bitch could impress him so easily? ¡®Well, at least having to live with some Syren royals can¡¯t be worse than tolerating Ari.¡¯ How wrong I was. Chapter 18 - I’m Sorry… Not Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I¡¯d run home and let myself in, taking my shoes off in the landing. My feet were aching. I wasn¡¯t used to wearing boots and heeled shoes or running barefoot. I¡¯d just gotten out of a soak in the Jacuzzi ¨C a luxury that required immense persuasion from Candy ¨C and was about to put my clothes back on when I heard a car approaching my driveway. I quickly threw the clothes I¡¯d been wearing on and tied my hair in a high bun to keep it from dripping. I heard the voices of Hailey, Keily and Greg as they walked to my front door then my doorbell went off. ¡°Coming!¡± I yelled and leisurely walked down the stairs and to the door, unlocking it and leaning on the frame. ¡°Can I help you?¡± More than I already have¡­ Hailey and Keily were still gaping at my house so Trevor spoke, ¡°We came to apologise. You really saved the day and we didn¡¯t even thank you.¡± I caught Keily rolling her eyes at the statement. Hailey, having snapped out of her awe, lightly elbowed Trevor, ¡°You and Keily didn¡¯t thank her. Don¡¯t lump us all in.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Greg chimed. Hailey pushed her twin forward and gave her a meaningful look. Keily rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m sorry for not being grateful. Thank you for helping me.¡± She said, without an ounce of sincerity. Trevor scratched the back of his head as he spoke, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrogating you instead of appreciating your help. I really shouldn¡¯t have done that. Are we cool?¡± I smiled, he seemed sincere, ¡°Yeah, We¡¯re cool.¡± For a long time, he simply stared at my eyes. The atmosphere quickly escalated to awkwardness so I cleared my throat and opened the door wider. ¡°Come in.¡± I beaconed them inside. Closing the door behind them, I had them take off their shoes in the landing ¨C no way was I gonna let them mess up my floor, we¡¯re not that close ¨C and led them to the living room. Hailey gaped at everything while her twin tried to make her awe subtle. ¡°Why don¡¯t I give you a tou-?¡± Trevor interrupted me, ¡°Why don¡¯t Greg and I give them the tour? I¡¯m starving. Would you mind if we could have something to eat?¡± I blinked, peering at him, ¡°Sure, you go on ahead. Just don¡¯t go into my room.¡± I started towards the kitchen while the boys led the twins upstairs. I didn¡¯t trust that Keily wouldn¡¯t cause trouble but I would hear it if she did. I decided to bake cookies and make sandwiches. In thirty seconds, I was done making the dough and poured it into the baking tray. I¡¯d put them in the oven and was cutting tomatoes for the sandwiches in record time when I heard feet approaching the kitchen so I slowed down. ¡°Whatcha making?¡± Greg asked I glanced at him over my shoulder then turned back to my cutting, ¡°Cookies and sandwiches.¡± ¡°Whoa. You¡¯re fast. The cookies are already in the oven.¡± ¡°I was already making them before you guys dropped by.¡± I wasn¡¯t proud of it but I was getting good at coming up with lies on the spot. ¡°Alright. Why don¡¯t I take over with the cutting?¡± I dropped the knife on the chopping board and stepped back, ¡°Sure¡± I busied myself with lettuce, ham and cheese for a while before I was interrupted by the strong, coppery smell of blood. I whipped around to face Greg who was silently holding his injured hand with his good one. There was a cut across his palm and it was bleeding steadily. I grabbed his wrist and led him to the empty sink, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you patched up.¡± I turned the tap on and let it wash away the blood as I fished around for a bandage. I found one in an old first aid kit and wrapped it around his hand, tucking it in neatly. ¡°No more cutting for you.¡± I admonished and got back to what I was doing. ¡°Thanks.¡± He murmured after some time. I smiled at him briefly before turning my attention back to what I was doing, ¡°No problem. You should be more careful.¡± He made a non-committal noise then helped me with the parts of sandwich making that didn¡¯t involve a knife. Before long, we were done and the cookies only had a few minutes to go in the oven. I cleaned up while Greg went to call the others. Soon after, I heard their collective footsteps move down the stairs and towards the living room where I placed the piled plateful of sandwiches on a coffee table and poured cranberry juice into five cups. ¡°Thanks, Ari.¡± Trevor mumbled with food in his mouth. I just smiled. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Oh my gosh! Ari, your house is amazing!¡± Hailey gushed. Greg swallowed before speaking, ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t know you were loaded.¡± ¡°Neither did I.¡± Trevor looked up, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Apparently, my mum¡¯s from some elite family and she left a note for me to find her family¡¯s legacy. This house is where she lived before moving to Florida before I was born.¡± Keily rolled her eyes, ¡°Why the hell would she move away from this?¡± She asked incredulously. I shrugged. ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to know.¡¯ The timer on the oven went off so I got up to check it. When I was satisfied that the cookies were done, I took them out and put them all in a plate then carried it over to the living room. Hailey was the first to try them, blowing on it before tentatively taking a bite. ¡°This is great,¡± She complemented, ¡°You never told us you could bake.¡± ¡°I can bake.¡± We laughed as she playfully shoved me. For a while, we just spoke about things like what college would be like and if the girls could sleep over sometime. ¡°Of course you can sleep over.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Keily suddenly let out an overly dramatic gasp, ¡°Oh my gosh! Greg, what happened to your hand?¡± He looked at said hand and chuckled, ¡°I cut myself when I was helping Ari with the tomatoes.¡± Keily suddenly exploded, ¡°Why the hell did you make him do something so dangerous?! Now he¡¯s hurt cause you were too lazy to cut he damn tomatoes yourself!¡± ¡®What is her problem?¡¯ Candy huffed. I was about to counter but Greg beat me to it, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Kei. I offered to help.¡± Keily gained a light shade of pink in her cheeks, ¡°Why would you do that?¡± She mumbled to herself. We resumed our conversation. Keily kept making snide comments while Greg and Trevor were glancing at each other every five minutes, silently communicating. After a while, I picked the dishes up, taking them to the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll go see if she needs help.¡± Keily suddenly announced then followed me. ¡®What is she up to?¡¯ Keily¡¯s P. O. V I glared at Ari¡¯s back as she took the used dishes to the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll go see if she needs help.¡± I announced as I got up after her, earning sceptical looks. I walked in as she was hand washing the dishes. ¡®Who does that these days?¡¯ I glanced at her dishwasher. ¡°What do you want?¡± She asked without turning to me. I decided to stick to my lie, ¡°To see if you need help.¡± She let out a dry laugh that was void of humour, ¡°The fact that you think I¡¯d believe that is almost funny.¡± She said as she put the first dish away when spared me a brief glance, ¡°What do you really want, Keily?¡± I smirked, ¡°So you¡¯re not as stupid as you act. All I want is to tell you to back off Greg.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± She rolled her eyes as she put one of the last dishes away. ¡°I take it back, you are stupid. I¡¯m talking about how you seduce him all the damn time like the slut you are. He¡¯d never go for a whore like you.¡± I sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t ¡®seduce¡¯ him and I¡¯m not a whore, slut or stupid. Besides, you already have a boyfriend so you don¡¯t have the right to be possessive with him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t deny what¡¯s obvious. You¡¯re a stupid, bitchy whore that¡¯s just desperate to get in bed with him. It¡¯s none of your business who I¡¯m with, just back off Greg.¡± She shook her head and picked the last plate up to put it away, ¡°Spare me the petty insults. If you came here to have a go at me, do us both a favour and find yourself someplace else.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like that!¡± I growled in indignation. Her already tight grip on the plate she was holding tightened, shattering the ceramic. She whipped around to face me, anger flaring in her eyes to the point that I could have sworn they flashed. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you get off coming into my home and insulting me then telling me not to defend myself! I don¡¯t know who the last person you probably bullied this way was, but I¡¯m not your next victim.¡± With each word, she took a step closer, dripping blood from her hand on the tiles, till we were face to face. My eyes widened as I backed up. Her eyes weren¡¯t just flashing anymore, they were full on glowing now. As she stood there, she seemed to be internally battling herself. Her expression told of the desire to hit me. Even her hands were trembling, unable to decide which of her thoughts to follow. ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, you¡¯ll get the hell out before I do something I might regret.¡± Towards the end of her sentence, I could¡¯ve sworn I heard two different voices from her. Not wanting to get bitch-slapped, I heeded to her warning. Leaving the kitchen, I found everyone staring at me with disappointment evident in their gazes. Greg was the worst. His eyes held a mixture of distain, disappointment and disgust. He¡¯d heard me. He¡¯d heard every word I uttered to Ari and now he probably hated me. Tears pooled in my eyes as I stared at him. I grabbed my bag and quickly let myself out. My vision remained blurry as I ran down Ari¡¯s stupid, ridiculously long driveway and out onto the street where I hailed a cab. ¡°Central Park.¡± I mumbled. With a silent nod, the driver started towards the destination. Buildings after buildings passed my view. Throughout the ride, I didn¡¯t let myself think nor did I let a tear escape. I just sat there, numb, and watched the world. Thirty minutes later, the cab stopped at my destination. Without a word, I paid the driver and got out. With my head down, I walked over to my secret spot ¨C a hidden space between some boulders surrounded by trees. Silently, I crawled between the boulders and into the shaded space, sitting with my back against the rock. I tried my best to stifle my sobs as I let the tears fall. I cried about everything that¡¯d happened lately ¨C the higher frequency of visions, the silent treatment I¡¯d been getting from Dan and especially the whole situation with Greg and Ari. ¡®Why do they like her so much? Why did I say that? Why doesn¡¯t Greg like me the way he likes her?¡¯ My mind churned with the ¡®why¡¯s?¡¯ as I cried. ¡®I hate her so much. Why do I hate her?¡¯ Despite my behaviour with Ari, I was normally less mean than that. Sure, I had my fair share of mild mean girl moments but I¡¯d never confronted anyone as harshly as I had in Ari¡¯s kitchen. Her mere presence infuriated me. She seemed so perfect while I was below average. I wasn¡¯t even normal. Maybe Greg could sense the abnormality in me. Maybe that¡¯s why he preferred her. The annoying little voice everyone has in their heads chose that moment to support me, ¡®She doesn¡¯t seem normal either. Her eyes.¡¯ ¡®It was just a trick of the light. She¡¯s only human.¡¯ Did I really believe that? Chapter 19 - Hunt Her? Gregory¡¯s P. O. V ¡®Not again.¡¯ I shook my head as Keily¡¯s voice drifted from Ari¡¯s kitchen to our ears. I wanted to get up, to defend Ari, but it sounded like she already had the situation handled. Besides, my presence would probably do less good than bad. We all winced at the sound of a plate shattering and Trevor and Hailey moved to get up. I held my hand up, making them pause. This was Ari and Keily¡¯s fight. Stopping them now would leave things even tenser than they were before. God knew I could barely handle things as they were. The last thing Ari said before Keily left the kitchen caught my attention. It wasn¡¯t her words but her voice. It came out in an almost genuine growl that sounded like two different voices towards the end. Hearing it sent shivers down my spine and it wasn¡¯t even directed at me. Trevor and I locked eyes ¨C he¡¯d heard it too. Keily exited the kitchen only to face all our eyes on her. Why did she have to start things up with Ari? After all, she had a boyfriend and I wasn¡¯t hers to be possessive over. And, judging by her expression, she hadn¡¯t even been ready for the fact that Ari wasn¡¯t a pushover. She¡¯d probably thought that she could play the mean girl card and Ari would lay down, accepting it, just like all the previous girls that had shown interest in me. When that hadn¡¯t worked, she¡¯d switched to indignation at Ari¡¯s comeback, trying to act innocent or at the very least, make Ari feel bad. I didn¡¯t ease up on my scowl as she stared at me, tears pooling in her eyes. She grabbed her bag and left the house in near tears. I shook my head; she needed a reality check every now and again. Things wouldn¡¯t always go her way. If she wasn¡¯t careful, someone with far less self-control than Ari would retaliate harshly. I looked at Hailey. She looked torn between going to check on her friend, the victim, and going to comfort her sister, the perpetrator. She finally settled on going to help Ari, probably figuring that her sister needed space to sulk. ¡°You heard that, right?¡± Trevor whispered once Hailey was out of sight. I nodded and tapped my ear then pointed to the kitchen. If she really was a vampire, she could hear us. No matter how much I wanted it to be untrue, everything pointed towards it. ¡°Oh, my gosh! Trevor! Greg! Get over here!¡± Hailey yelled. Trevor and I promptly made our way to the kitchen. ¡°Ari!¡± ¡°What happened?!¡± There stood Ari who looked like she was struggling to get a grip on her anger. Drops of blood trailed from the tiles in front of the sink to the floor beneath her left hand. Blood dripped from her hand, forming a pool beneath it. In the blood by the sink lay pieces of the shattered plate we¡¯d heard earlier. Some shards stuck to Ari¡¯s hand, poking into of her wound. Her eyes finally seemed to focus. She stared at her bloody hand then looked at the blood covered plate pieces. An ¡®oh, shit!¡¯ expression crossed her face so fast I almost didn¡¯t notice it. Almost. ¡°I just cleaned this kitchen.¡± She mumbled to herself, hiding her bloody hand from our view. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding. What happened?¡± Hailey asked, taking a step towards her. Ari took two steps back and let out a laugh. Because I was already suspicious, I could tell it was strained, ¡°I¡¯m so clumsy. After I dropped the plate, I went to pick it up but was distracted by Keily¡¯s¡­ words so I ended up cutting myself instead.¡± ¡®A plausible excuse.¡¯ I thought. If only I could believe it. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about Keily.¡± Hailey said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s acting like this.¡± The apology should have been from me. It was my fault. Ari simply smiled forgivingly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re not responsible for her.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get that cut patched up and cleaned.¡± Trevor spoke, taking a step towards her. She took another two steps back, ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just a scratch, really. It¡¯s not even that deep.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked, stepping forward so she was cornered, ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at it.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°At least, let us help you clean up.¡± Hailey pleaded, probably feeling guilty for her sister¡¯s actions. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Actually, I¡¯m kinda tired. I¡¯ve had a long day. We all have. I¡¯ll clean this up and go get some rest. You guys don¡¯t need to worry about me. You should go check on Keily, see if she¡¯s alright.¡± She looked pointedly at me. Guilt washed through me. Keily had only started this because I wasn¡¯t clear with her from the beginning. Sure, I¡¯d told her that I wasn¡¯t looking for a relationship at the time but to her, that probably meant she needed to wait for me to be ready. While occupied by my thoughts, Ari deftly slid past me and out of the kitchen before anyone could stop her. ¡°I guess she¡¯s right. Let¡¯s go find Keily before she gets herself into trouble.¡± Hailey sighed and left the kitchen with Trevor and me trailing behind her. In a three person single file, we let ourselves out in silence, having gotten the hidden message of dismissal in Ari¡¯s words. ¡°Where do you think she could¡¯ve gone?¡± Trevor asked a dazed looking Hailey as we sat in the car. It took Hailey a good ten seconds to process the question, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think we should look for her.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Hailey¡¯s annoyance at her twin was evident in her voice, ¡°Keily¡¯s a big girl and knows her way around the city. Besides, I think she needs some time to herself. It¡¯s been a long day for all of us. She¡¯ll come home when she¡¯s ready.¡± She had a point. In silent agreement, I started the car and drove Hailey home. The ride went in total silence from us, the only sounds present being those outside the car and the music blaring from the radio. A few times, I looked in the rear view mirror at Hailey to catch her opening her mouth, as if wanting to say something, only to close it again with a look of deep contemplation on her face. She¡¯d probably heard the change in Ari¡¯s voice too and was having a hard time believing what she¡¯d heard. She looked reluctant to ask the questions poised on the tip of her tongue, desperate to be released. That look stayed on her face as she waved goodbye while we drove away from her house. Trevor and I maintained the silence on our way home, both of us occupied by our own thoughts on the events of the day. Our house came into view, quaint as ever. I sighed as I parked the car then locked it. Trevor and I let ourselves in to find Grams humming away in the kitchen. With mumbled greetings, we made our way upstairs and to my room, locking the door behind us. I flopped onto the bed that, only a few hours ago, had held a passed out Keily. I smiled as I thought of the way Ari had immediately swung into action. She was so smart and confident. Not to mention, hot as well. Despite that, she was also down to earth and kind. There was no way someone like that could be a vampire¡­ could they? ¡°How did the plan go?¡± Trevor asked, knocking me out of my thoughts. I sighed again, ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself. I didn¡¯t make a sound when I cut my palm but she turned to me the moment I did even though there¡¯s no way she could¡¯ve known.¡± ¡°So, why aren¡¯t you sure?¡± I scratched an itch in my hair, ¡°Other than that, there was no reaction. Her eyes didn¡¯t get those black veins under them and they didn¡¯t glow. I watched her mouth but didn¡¯t see any fangs. She didn¡¯t look hungry or anything.¡± We sat in silent contemplation. The fact that she hadn¡¯t reacted could mean she was a very old vampire that had mastered control. ¡°What about you? Did you find anything?¡± I asked. He shook his head, ¡°Nothing. No unusual old books in her library. No feeders. Not even an empty blood bag. I phased into her room while the twins were occupied and all I found was a recently used Jacuzzi in her bathroom. Maybe we need to check the freezer room in the-¡± I perked up, ¡°How recently do you think it was used?¡± He blinked at me, ¡°It looked like she¡¯d just stepped out as we arrived. The place was still steamy and her hair was dripping wet when she opened the door, remember?¡± ¡°Yeah but she already had the cookies in the oven and was done cleaning the stuff she used to make the dough when I got into the kitchen.¡± ¡°So?¡± I sat up, ¡°So, she told me that she was already making the cookies before we arrived. She couldn¡¯t have had time to use the Jacuzzi and make cookies ¡®cause we left only a few minutes after her and she¡¯d have had to walk out of the neighbourhood to catch a cab which would¡¯ve taken a few minutes. Really, she shouldn¡¯t have had time to do anything between when she got home and when we arrived.¡± Realisation dawned on him, ¡°Unless she vamped home.¡± I nodded, ¡°That¡¯s probably how she got here to help Keily and how she made the cookies so fast.¡± She hadn¡¯t reacted to my blood and she was faster than a newbie vampire so that meant she probably had a few decades, ma]ybe centuries on her. But even older vampires reacted to the blood of those they found especially attractive or had feelings for. The fact that she hadn¡¯t meant that she neither found me attractive nor did she have feelings for me. For some reason, despite her possibly being a vampire, that saddened me Trevor, who had been pacing back and forth till now, paused, ¡°What about her voice?¡± That reminded me. Vampires couldn¡¯t do what she¡¯d done with her voice in her kitchen. They flashed their fangs and eyes and darkened the veins under them when they were angry or feeling intense emotion but it sounded like another person was rising up from inside her, drawn out by the intensity of what she was feeling at the moment. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s been body snatched.¡± Trevor suggested thoughtfully. The very thought made me want to kneel over. If she¡¯d been body snatched, then it was possible that she¡¯d been uprooted from her home against her will or, worse, the body snatcher could have done horrible things with control over her body. ¡°But if she¡¯s body snatched, then she¡¯s still a vampire just with someone else¡¯s essence in her so when it comes down to it, we still have to do what we have to do.¡± Trevor concluded. No! I wanted to yell. Body snatched or not, vampire or not, she was still Ari, ¡°Let¡¯s observe her for some time. We need more solid proof before we do anything about it.¡± Trevor nodded in agreement, his eyes seeming to reflect my thoughts: we weren¡¯t sure we were going to be able to complete our task as vampire hunters, not with Ari. Chapter 20 - Set in Motion Natalia¡¯s P. O. V Heart pounding, I let out a whoosh of breath as I heard three sets of feet exit my house, followed by the sound of the front door closing. I waited for the sound of their car¡¯s engine to fade before leaving the library and going downstairs to get the cleaning supplies. ¡®That was close.¡¯ Candy stated. I picked the mop, broom and bucket up, ¡®Too close. What was that, Candy? I could feel you under my skin.¡¯ ¡®I guess your anger brought us close to shifting.¡¯ I threw the cleaning supplies down, uncaring about the fact that they landed in my blood, ¡®Then what about those times I was being beaten into a pulp at the pack? Why didn¡¯t you come out then? Keily¡¯s snobbishness is nothing compared to what they put me through! What Clark put me through!¡¯ I paused, taking a deep breath to calm myself, then asked the question that had been nagging on my mind for almost three years, ¡®When Clark was about to rape me, where were you, Candy?¡¯ She was silent for a long time. When it was evident that she didn¡¯t have an answer for me, I busied myself with cleaning the bloody mess on the kitchen floor. After that, I put the throw pillows back to the way they were before the surprise visit that ended in mayhem. ¡®I slipped up again.¡¯ I thought to myself as I looked at my newly healed hand. It was a bad idea to get hurt around them but, despite being aware of this, I¡¯d let my anger get the best of me and had shattered a plate in front of Keily. I sighed as I put the last thing away and made my way to my room. I opened my door and paused, catching a familiar scent drifting from my bathroom. Sniffing, I realised that it belonged to Trevor. Eyes narrowed, I scanned the bathroom and my room for anything missing or out of place. There were no signs of foul play. I even checked my closet only to find nothing. ¡®Why would Trevor be in your room? Keily, I could understand, but not Trevor.¡¯ Candy asked. Despite being mad at her, I replied, ¡®I don¡¯t know. I told them not to go into my room and I know I didn¡¯t hear my door open.¡¯ I stared at the recently used Jacuzzi for a while before I realised another slip up I¡¯d made. ¡®Great.¡¯ ¡®What is it?¡¯ she asked, confused. ¡®The bathroom was still steamy when I said Trevor and Greg could show Hailey and Keily around. Trevor probably came in here before the place cooled down.¡¯ ¡®Why is that a problem?¡¯ she asked, still not understanding ¡®It¡¯s a problem because I told Greg that I was already baking cookies before they arrived. I¡¯m pretty sure they left some minutes after I did so if I¡¯d taken a cab, I wouldn¡¯t have had time to bake cookies and use the Jacuzzi. ¡¯ ¡®I see how that can be a problem but you can¡¯t do anything about it now. The more important question is why Trevor was here. What are they up to?¡¯ I nodded, ¡®Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange, how Trevor didn¡¯t use the door to get in? I didn¡¯t hear any doors leading outside open till they left so he couldn¡¯t have used a window.¡¯ ¡®This has been bothering me for a while. When Greg cut himself, he didn¡¯t make a sound. Normally, a person would have hissed or yelped or something to indicate they were in pain but he didn¡¯t. He just watched your face intently, like he was looking for a reaction as you helped him then he looked confused, like your reaction was unorthodox.¡¯ I walked back to my room and sat on my bed, ¡®You¡¯re right.¡¯ ¡®I think they¡¯re on to you. They were also trying too hard to see your cut. I think we should move before the pack gets word of this.¡¯ I shot up, annoyed at her suggestion, ¡®No. We can¡¯t move now, not when we¡¯re so close to finding mom. She¡¯d want us to stick through it, not to leave just because of the possibility of them finding me.¡¯ ¡®So, what should we do then?¡¯ I thought for a moment. The blood, the way Trevor hadn¡¯t used the door to get into my room. It was like he¡¯d teleported or passed through the wall. ¡®They don¡¯t think I¡¯m a werewolf,¡¯ I stated, ¡®they think I¡¯m a vampire.¡¯ The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. She was silent for some time, thinking my theory over, ¡®That makes sense, but that means they could be supernatural as well.¡¯ ¡®Possibly vampire hunters since Trevor probably phased through the wall.¡¯ Vampire hunters were created by witches that believed vampires were a parasitic curse to the world. It was close to five hundred years ago when vampires were carelessly feeding on everyone and anyone and more humans were keenly aware of their presence than not so a coven of witches decided to take action, creating vampire hunters. ¡®So, what do we do about it?¡¯ Candy asked. ¡®You said he looked like my reaction was unusual and because I¡¯m not a vampire, Trevor didn¡¯t find anything to prove that I am so they probably won¡¯t act without concrete proof. All I need to do is make sure I don¡¯t give them the evidence they¡¯re looking for.¡¯ ¡®That means no more running faster than an average human, you use a cab to get anywhere you know they¡¯re going to be and you do things normally when they¡¯re around.¡¯ I nodded, ¡®And no more visits to Killdrain when they¡¯re around, not till we figure out a way to go there without feeling pain.¡¯ ¡®And how exactly will we do that?¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s think of how to cross that bridge when we find the town it¡¯s in.¡¯ ¡®But for now,¡¯ I got up and found the bag I¡¯d taken with me to Palace Homes and took the paper with fallen pack names out, ¡®let¡¯s fine tune our strategy.¡¯ Kirstin¡¯s P. O. V Humming, I wrapped a towel around myself and stared at my reflection. The dye around the roots of my hair had begun to fade, revealing my actual hair colour. It was a very dark brown with strands of black scattered through it. My dad always told me it looked like dark chocolate and it was the reason he loved the stuff. I wanted to let it fade. I wanted the dye to fade away just as I wanted to fade away from Brittany¡¯s group. But I didn¡¯t. I re-dyed my hair as I took a shower then dressed in something Brittany-approved. As I stared at my now fully blonde reflection, I remembered when Brittany had decided that I should dress more proactively. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Fifteen year old me asked as I frowned at the clothes Brittany had picked out for me ¨C a short, sparkly blue crop top and a barely there, black jean skirt. She¡¯d nodded enthusiastically, ¡°Of course! Don¡¯t you want your mate to think you¡¯re hot?¡± I¡¯d nodded. ¡°So you need to start dressing hot now so you¡¯ll be used to it when you meet him.¡± I¡¯d wanted to say no, to tell her that my mate would love me just the way I was but I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t argue with her because I¡¯d looked up to her back then. ¡°Alright.¡± I¡¯d agreed. She¡¯d smiled like the Cheshire cat and walked away. ¡°I left some blonde dye in your bathroom. Use it.¡± She¡¯d commanded over her shoulder and closed my door behind her. The next day, I¡¯d arrived at school, blonde, barely covered by my clothes and uncomfortable. That was when I¡¯d become a member of what Ari referred to as the slut squad. She¡¯d been wrong. I wasn¡¯t used to it and despite the fact that I¡¯d dressed ¡®hot¡¯ every day since then, it hadn¡¯t made my mate find me more attractive. Kylie could testify to that¡­ that is unless she was occupied by said mate¡¯s tongue in her throat. My role in the revenge plan was going to be harder than I¡¯d thought. How I was going to survive watching Harry and Kylie be a couple and stand by as she took over as Luna, all the while refraining from ripping her to shreds, I didn¡¯t have a clue. But I had a job to do and I didn¡¯t want to disappoint Ari just because I wasn¡¯t strong enough to do what I¡¯d agreed to. She was going to complete her part and I didn¡¯t want to pull us behind. Plus, I had a feeling it would not go well for me. I shook my head to rid myself of thoughts of our plan, not wanting it to show on my face. I slid into my heels, grabbed my bag and left my room, making my way to the front door. I¡¯d cut my trip short, staying at the Jackal pack for only three days after I¡¯d seen Ari, eager to get started on our plan. I had a lot to do if I was going to get dirt on each of our targets. I smiled at one of the targets as I descended the stairs. ¡°What took you so long? Hurry up, I don¡¯t like to keep my boys waiting.¡± She whispered once I was close enough. ¡°Sorry, Brittany.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± She grabbed my wrist and dragged me to her car. We got in and I buckled my seat belt as she started the engine. In seconds, we were tearing out of the pack¡¯s parking lot and almost exceeding the speed limit. ¡°You know,¡± she started, eyes on the road, ¡°I was surprised when you asked to come with me to meet my guys. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be interested.¡± I plastered a smile on to hide my disgust, ¡°I wasn¡¯t at first but you¡¯re always in such a good mood and so relaxed when you get back from meeting your guys, so I was curious.¡± She laughed, ¡°You¡¯re right, it always puts me in a good mood. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll love it.¡± I highly doubted that but the evidence I was going to get would definitely put me in a great mood. Her, not so much. I daren¡¯t speak my thoughts as I grinned down at my bag that held my camcorder and phone. I was going to have to slip away from her and her guys to set it up then I¡¯d have to make sure I wasn¡¯t in the camera¡¯s view during the visit. I¡¯d also need pictures of each guy and their full names. There was also the matter of digging up information on the guys later. There was just so much to do. I wanted to fill the file on Brittany and possibly start on Callum¡¯s before my next meeting with Ari. Despite how daunting it seemed, the thought of everything I could uncover excited me. I took my phone out and opened the voice recorder app, keeping the screen from her view, ¡°So, tell me about them.¡± Before she began rambling, I pressed the record button then sat, silently, as she told me everything I needed to know. She¡¯d always loved to show off and adored the sound of her own voice. Now, that would be her very spectacular undoing. Chapter 21 - Who Says Magic Solutions Aren’t Real? Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°Thanks.¡± I waved at the men as they got into their van. One waved back as they drove off. Smiling, I returned to my room. Three days ago, I¡¯d attempted to find the members of one of the packs on the list. That had proved difficult since I had nothing to go on but the name of the pack so I¡¯d decided to set up an internet broadband to aid my search. It was my job to find members of the disbanded packs on the list and make allies of the low ranking ones. After that, I¡¯d create my own pack and we¡¯d lay low, silently gaining other allies and climbing up the ranks before confronting the Lightwood pack. Kirstin was the intel, I was the force. And I was going to make us one to be reckoned with. I just wished she¡¯d added the location of the packs to her intel. I hadn¡¯t thought about it at the time but I really needed a way to contact her. I couldn¡¯t waltz back into the Lightwood territory to talk to her and I didn¡¯t know how to contact her friend, Danny, to get him to contact her for me. I¡¯d just have to remember to set up a mode of communication with her next time we met. That was one of the few things I needed to talk to her about. I sat at my new laptop and googled Killdrain. I didn¡¯t really expect to find anything. I doubted people wrote articles on getting excruciating migraines when they step into the premises of the most prestigious college in the world. After an hour of searching, I concluded that I¡¯d been right not to get my hopes up so I switched to searching for the packs on the list but that was also a dead end. I got up and stretched out two hours of sitting at a desk and achieving nothing. ¡®I¡¯m hungry.¡¯ Candy yawned, having woken from her nap. ¡®Me too. I think I¡¯ll make granola bars.¡¯ I left the library and made my way to the kitchen. I took the ingredients I needed out and looked over them. ¡®Something¡¯s missing.¡¯ ¡®What is it?¡¯ asked Candy. I scanned my eyes over the ingredients again, ¡®I¡¯m missing honey, raisins and chocolate chips.¡¯ ¡®Can¡¯t you make it without them?¡¯ I ran to my room and shrugged on my flame jacket over my red spaghetti top, pocketing my wallet in the back of my black jean skirt, ¡®I could but I want to run.¡¯ ¡®Just be careful.¡¯ She warned. I slid into my shoes and left my house, locking it behind me, ¡®Yeah, yeah. I know.¡¯ I took off, speeding to my usual grocery store. Following my routine, I ran into the alley next to the building before walking into the store, picking a basket on my way in. Humming along to the song lowly playing in the background, I scanned the shelves for the things I needed. Fifteen minutes later, I had everything I came for, plus a few things I thought I might need later and made my way to the checkout till. I handed the bored looking twenty-something-year-old lady my purchases and she scanned them. ¡®What are we gonna do about Killdrain. The search is obviously going nowhere.¡¯ Candy asked as I handed her the last item. ¡°That¡¯ll be fifty dollars.¡± I handed her the bill, ¡®I don¡¯t know. It¡¯d be great if we could go there without almost blacking out.¡¯ As she took the money from me, her fingers brushed mine and I felt a current of energy flow from her. We simultaneously stiffened at the touch. I quickly let go. ¡°I think I can help.¡± She blurted ¡°Excuse me?¡± She shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts, and leaned in to whisper, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m Kaesha. I heard your conversation with your wolf about not being able to get into Killdrain. I¡¯m a witch so I can help you out.¡± I took in her appearance. She wore a dark blue, sleeveless, halter neck top and black ripped jeans. Her box braided hair was a light chocolate brown that matched her eyes and skin. She wore no makeup and around her neck was a pentagram choker. I decided to take my chances, ¡°Alright,¡± ¡°Great.¡± She smiled and handed me my receipt, ¡°Meet me at the front gate of Killdrain and bring something you don¡¯t mind wearing constantly. I¡¯ll need it for the spell.¡± I nodded and gathered my bags from the counter, ¡°What time?¡± ¡°Tomorrow, twenty minutes before dawn.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be there.¡± I assured with scepticism heavy in my voice then left the store. Looking back, I saw her attending to another customer, like we hadn¡¯t just had a conversation about witches, spells and wolves. On my way home, I contemplated her motives. Why would she suddenly decide to help a random stranger upon touching them, causing her to hear their internal discussion with their wolf counterpart about being unable to go into the premises of the best school in the world without experiencing intense pain for some currently inexplicable reason? The answer to that was beyond me but I was willing to cooperate with her if it might prove fruitful. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡®I don¡¯t know about this.¡¯ Candy stated uneasily as I put the things I wasn¡¯t going to use away. ¡®What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡¯ ¡®She could be sent by the pack.¡¯ I sighed, mixing everything in a bowl, ¡¯I¡¯m not going to live in fear of the pack finding me. Kirstin is the only one that knows I¡¯m even alive.¡¯ ¡®And what if she lets it slip that you¡¯re not dead? What if she told them the moment she found out you¡¯re still breathing? What if they never thought you were dead?¡¯ She insisted. ¡®They think I¡¯m dead. She hasn¡¯t told them and she won¡¯t. We have a plan and I can¡¯t go doubting her loyalty if we¡¯re going to start a pack with her someday. That kind of paranoia will make us no better than the Lightwood pack.¡¯ I explained as I pressed the mixture into the pan then put it in the oven. ¡®All I¡¯m saying is you need to be careful. I don¡¯t trust anyone.¡¯ I shook my head, ¡®What did I say about paranoia? Of course I have a healthy dose of scepticism but I can¡¯t go around thinking everyone is out to get me.¡¯ ¡®Alright, but promise me you¡¯ll leave the moment things get fishy.¡¯ ¡®I promise. Happy now?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m satisfied.¡¯ I rolled my eyes. I loved Candy like a sister, despite the fact that we fought from time to time over certain topics. Even though I¡¯d only really been able to talk to her once before I was rejected, I knew she only wanted the best for me, but sometimes, she could be extreme about it, seeming more like an overprotective mother than my wolf counterpart that was born the very moment I was. I set the timer on the oven and left the kitchen, returning to the library. I busied myself with filling out online application forms for good colleges here in New York and cities nearby, just in case Kaesha didn¡¯t come through with what she said she¡¯d do tomorrow. In each of them, I requested to start in September. I couldn¡¯t stand spending the rest of the year doing nothing to achieve my goals. I completed the last form just as I heard the timer go off. Clicking the submit button, I got up and made my way to the kitchen. I put mittens on and brought the pan out of the oven and set it on the cooling rack. Smiling at the aroma, I took the mittens off and cut the granola into twelve equal bars. After eating, I spent the rest of the day lounging round and half-heartedly searching for the hidden door around the house. Having nothing to do was annoying. Finally, once it was late enough for me to go to sleep, I took a shower and brushed my teeth then changed into some pyjamas before sliding into bed. ¡®Are you sure you want to meet with her tomorrow?¡¯ Candy asked, trying to dissuade me one last time. ¡®Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡¯ I replied with finality, rolling my eyes. She sighed, probably realising that I wouldn¡¯t change my mind on this with her probing alone. ¡®Just be careful, Nat.¡¯ ¡®Haven¡¯t we already had this conversation? I already promised to leave the moment I get suspicious if it comes to that, what more must I do before you¡¯re happy?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d be happy if you didn¡¯t go at all.¡¯ She muttered. I rolled my eyes again and snuggled into my comforter, ¡®I¡¯m choosing to ignore you now. Good night, Candy.¡¯ ¡®Night, Nat.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t tired in the least. I actually felt wide awake but I knew there was a chance that Kaesha may need to channel me for her spell so I¡¯d probably need every bit of rest I could get. Using a self-taught trick to shut out my consciousness, I put myself to sleep. The next morning, I got up early enough which wasn¡¯t a problem anyway since I was used to waking up before the sun. Under fifteen minutes, I¡¯d brushed my teeth, showered and gotten dressed, ready to set out. I shouldered on my flame jacket and stepped into my shoes then left the house. Through all this, I could feel Candy¡¯s consciousness and knew she was awake but she strangely stayed silent, even on the run to Killdrain. I didn¡¯t bother striking up a conversation with her, knowing it would most likely lead to her trying to dissuade me from going, so I maintained the silence. I stopped by the front gate and waited all of twelve minutes for Kaesha to show up. Smiling, she approached with a small satchel. ¡®No backing out now.¡¯ Candy remained silent. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re early. I hope you weren¡¯t waiting too long.¡± I shrugged and looked pointedly at her bag, ¡°Not really. So, what are you gonna do?¡± She led me round to the side of the college so we were next to the area of the fence covered with a tall hedge. Squatting low, she emptied her satchel onto the grass. Out fell a variety of herbs, precious gems, different coloured candles and a box of matches. ¡°I¡¯m going to transfer the properties of some of these herbs and gems into a personal item of yours, depending on the type of spell used on the school.¡± She replied and placed her palms on the hedge. Closing her eyes, she got started with what she needed to do. Her brows furrowed in concentration and after some time her forehead creased. ¡°That¡¯s odd.¡± She commented, dropping her hands back at her sides. ¡°What is it?¡± She rummaged around the things on the grass, looking for something, ¡°I can¡¯t get all the specifics of spell. I know it¡¯s an offensive barrier type with an identification spell woven into it but that¡¯s about all I can get.¡± She picked the diamond up and held it in one palm, placing her other hand back on the hedge and closing her eyes again. This time, she seemed to focus harder, even chanted a little in what I recognised as Latin before she huffed in frustration. ¡°Nothing?¡± She shook her head and dropped the stone, ¡°Nothing. That doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s nothing I can do for you though. Since it¡¯s an offensive barrier, I can still cast a spell that can help you. I was just hoping to narrow it down. I need your personal item.¡± I took my jacket off and handed it to her to which she raised an eyebrow at me. I shrugged. ¡°Alright then.¡± She got to work, placing herbs and gems around the jacket and lighting a candle. She concentrated on the items for some minutes before burning the herbs and touching them to the gems then waving them around the jacket so that the smoke circled it. She put the herbs down and blew the candle out, packing her things back into her bag then handed me my jacket, ¡°All done. Put it on and see if it works.¡± Nodding, I put my jacket back on and walked back to the front gate and into the courtyard. I waited for a while, smiling when I felt no searing migraines. ¡°Thank you so much. Is there any way I can repay you?¡± I asked as I returned to a smiling Kaesha. ¡°No problem. I offered cause I don¡¯t get many chances to use my magic so I always jump at opportunities to do things like this. You don¡¯t need to do anything.¡± ¡°Still, I would like to thank you with something. How about breakfast? My treat.¡± As if on cue, her stomach growled, ¡°Alright, if you insist.¡± ¡°Great. I think I saw a place on my way here.¡± I said, walking in the general direction of my house with her beside me. Chapter 22 - Puppy Love and a Dark Haired Stranger Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°So, Kaesha, you said something about not getting chances to use your magic often, why¡¯s that? I thought witches practiced regularly.¡± We were at a breakfast bar not far from Killdrain. We¡¯d both ordered and were waiting for our food to arrive. As I took a quick look around, I spotted someone in far corner, out of human hearing range. His back, broad and taut with athletic muscles through his tight shirt, was facing me so I couldn¡¯t see his face. He looked like he¡¯d be really tall if he stood and had a full head of jet black hair. He ate slowly and there was no one present apart from him. He smelled like citrus cologne, light smoke and mildly¡­ amorous¡­ The thought alarmed me. Not wanting to dwell on him or his scent, I turned my attention back to Kaesha. She nodded, ¡°They do, when they¡¯re in a coven. I don¡¯t belong to one.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± She laughed. Instead of holding her usual cheeriness that I¡¯d been presented with since I met her, it was a bitter sound, ¡°They wanted to kill me because apparently I¡¯m too powerful and the coven leader, Alana, saw me as a threat. She thought the power would get to me and I¡¯d overthrow her. My best friend warned me so I escaped before she could kill me and take the lingering magic from my remains to add to hers.¡± ¡°Well that sucks but if you still have your magic so why don¡¯t you practice regularly by yourself?¡± ¡°I have a human roommate at Killdrain that doesn¡¯t go out much. Imagine how she¡¯d freak if she catches me using my magic to summon a cup of coffee or library book?¡± We both laughed at the thought. ¡°You go to Killdrain?¡± She nodded, ¡°Yeah, been there for a year now. I noticed the spell when I first arrived. It didn¡¯t affect me the way it did you but I still cast a counter spell for myself anyway, just to be safe. I¡¯d been meaning to check it out for any connections to my old coven but always found an excuse to put it off. When you¡¯re hiding from something, you¡¯re always wary of everything, even if it has absolutely nothing to do with you.¡± Oh, didn¡¯t I know it. ¡°So, are you satisfied with what you found?¡± She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak but stopped as I heard the kitchen door open. My phone pinged and I checked the new message. It was a text from Hailey, asking if she could come over to my place alone at noon and stay over cause she was sick of Keily¡¯s attitude and needed a long break. I typed my reply and hit send just as I heard a crash and looked up. The brunet waiter was fumbling on the floor near our table, muttering cusses under his breath, trying to clean up the mess of broken plates, spilt coffee and fallen food. I put my phone away and grabbed the nearest napkin, trying to help and Kaesha, who I noticed had been staring intently at me till that point, did the same. We managed to clean the mess up quickly, despite his insistence that he do it alone, and sat back down. Tyson, according to his nametag, hurried to replace our order. He nearly collided with the door on his way back because he kept glancing back at us. Through the door, I heard the cook on duty, also a guy from the sound of his voice, ask the waiter if he was feeling well, probably due to his flushed face. ¡°Poor guy. He was totally checking you out. He¡¯s probably embarrassed out of his mind now.¡± Kaesha smiled mischievously. ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡± I said dryly. She shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. He couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off you and ended up tripping over his own feet. Even as he was leaving, didn¡¯t you see that he kept looking back at you?¡± ¡°He was probably checking to see if we were laughing.¡± She smirked, ¡°I bet a page of my Spellbook he¡¯ll ask for your number.¡± A witch¡¯s Spellbook was an immensely precious to them and no one was permitted to see it unless they were extremely close to them. Why was she so serious about this? ¡°Deal. If you win, I¡¯ll tell you something I probably shouldn¡¯t about myself.¡± ¡®Natalia.¡¯ Candy warned. She¡¯d never called me that. ¡®She¡¯s betting something precious to her, it¡¯d be rude not to do the same. She¡¯d think I¡¯m not taking her seriously. Besides, I feel like she¡¯s a trustworthy person and her situation is very similar to ours anyway.¡¯ She stayed silent. Soon after, the waiter came back with our replacement meal. I watched as he alternated his gaze between the ground in front of him and our table, or more specifically, me. Kaesha and I watched in silence as he set the food before us and poured Kaesha¡¯s coffee. He almost poured it on her lap because his attention was so divided, similarly with my orange juice too. ¡°H-here you go. S-sorry about the¡­ mess¡­ earlier.¡± He stammered with a vague Australian accent, facing me. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! I smiled, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Everyone makes mistakes, right?¡± He stood there, holding the tray and stared for a solid awkward thirty seconds before Kaesha cleared her throat. I heard his heart race a mile a minute and he turned even redder than he already was, resembling a ripe tomato, then retreated with his tray, tripping again. He got back up and glanced back at us then scurried through the door. I heard the cook drop something and hurry over to the waiter, plagued with worry over his health. They conversed back and forth, although the waiter stumbled over his words. I felt my cheeks warm up as the waiter managed to string together a sentence. ¡°There¡¯s this gorgeous dudette out there and I totally made a fool of myself!¡± I heard a crack and, looking back at the dark haired stranger, saw a crack in his mug of coffee. Hmmm¡­ ¡°Told you so.¡± Keasha smirked, noticing my light blush. ¡°He said there¡¯s a gorgeous girl, he could¡¯ve been talking about you. You¡¯re beautiful.¡± It was true, Kaesha was gorgeous in her own right but by now, I¡¯d realised that she wasn¡¯t the subject here so my argument was weak. ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m not the one he was looking at.¡± She stated then took a bite out of her honey covered waffle, ending that conversation. ¡°Anyway, as I was saying,¡± Kaesha started upon swallowing, ¡°I don¡¯t think the school¡¯s barrier is connected to my coven but you can never be too careful. Since I wasn¡¯t able to pinpoint the exact spell used, it¡¯s probably either layered with a protective spell of some sort or it¡¯s old enough for the origin to become blurred.¡± ¡°What kind of spells do you specialise in?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really specialise in any one category. Like I said, I was too powerful for my coven, one reason being that I know at least the intermediate level spells of every spell type. My magic is extremely flexible so unlike most witches who can only cast spells of one or two spell types, I can bend my magic to cast multiple different types of spells. I¡¯ve also never needed to use chants when casting spells. Anyway, enough about me, you¡¯re a werewolf. I¡¯ve never met any werewolves in person before. Do you have a pack?¡± She took another bite. ¡°No, I¡¯m a lone wolf.¡± I wouldn¡¯t describe myself as a rogue because I wasn¡¯t kicked out of the Lightwood pack and didn¡¯t go around causing trouble for other packs. She swallowed, smiling, ¡°I guess we¡¯re kinda in the same boat, or at least the same ocean.¡± ¡°No, I think we¡¯re in the same boat. My pack abused me so I left after my mate rejected me.¡± I said then covered my mouth once I realised what I¡¯d said. ¡®Natalia!¡¯ Candy yelled. ¡®I¡¯m sorry! I don¡¯t know why I told her that, I just feel so¡­ trusting with her.¡¯ ¡°Are you talking to your wolf again? Were you not supposed to tell me that?¡± At my surprised look, she went on to explain, ¡°I see auras around people. The colour around their abdomen determines their race. Yours is green, for werewolves. The colour flares up when they do things trademark to their specie, like talk to their wolves or shift in your case. I also hear thoughts when I touch people, like you saw back at the store.¡± ¡°I thought there were no hybrids in Supernatural history.¡± She laughed, ¡°I heard wolves didn¡¯t really concern themselves with other species besides humans and Vampires so I guess you wouldn¡¯t really bother to find out about Hybrids. If the two parent species are compatible, like witch and psychic in my case, then the dominant gene will prevail and some aspects of the latent gene will be present, like my aura vision and telepathy through touch. If the two parent genes are incompatible, like werewolf and pretty much any other specie except mind-based ones like Psychics and Seers, then it becomes a case of one or the other in their genes. With my aura vision, hybrids just appear as their dominant gene though.¡± My hopes of possibly being a Syren as well flew out the window at her explanation. Syrens were obviously not a mind-based specie. ¡°I guess we didn¡¯t really deal with other species, apart from warring with Vampires, taking our turn in the Seer cycle and the occasional human mate.¡± We ate in relative silence after that, both hungry but Kaesha even more so. The spell probably took a bit of energy. Not soon after, we¡¯d finished eating. The moment I dropped my fork back next to my plate, I heard the door to the kitchen open behind me and the now familiar footsteps of the waiter. He soon came into view, holding a tray with a receipt on it. I picked the receipt from the tray and took my wallet out, taking out the due fee plus a tip and placing it on the table as he put our used dishes and silverware on the tray. ¡°Thanks.¡± Kaesha and I said. ¡°Uh, ah, y-you¡¯re w-w-welcome¡­¡± he stammered. When he was done, which took longer than necessary due to his eyes constantly trailing to my face, he took the tray and the money back, nearly stumbling again. Kaesha and I got up and carried our bags, ready to leave. ¡°You lose.¡± I smirked at Kaesha as we reached the door. My smirk soon faded and hers resurfaced as I heard the kitchen door open behind us. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Ah, puppy love.¡± Kaesha whispered Turning back, we saw the waiter walking carefully towards us with a phone, presumably his, in his hand. He managed to reach us without tripping this time. He cleared his throat, took a deep breath and held out his phone to me, ¡°Can I have your number?¡± Another crack. The original crack in the dark haired stranger¡¯s mug was longer and had been joined by three more. I looked at his phone. The dialler was open, numbers, zero to nine, displayed for me to enter my cell number. I looked back at his face. He looked so hopeful and nervous. I could tell that it took a bit of work to come over. Even as he stood there, arm awkwardly outstretched, I picked up on his subtle trembling. I smiled apologetically, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t just give my number out. Maybe if we meet again outside this breakfast bar and things play out well.¡± His arm dropped slowly to his side. He laughed awkwardly, red faced, ¡°I guess it would be weird to give your number to a complete stranger. You don¡¯t even know my name.¡± I pointed at his chest, to his nametag. He followed my finger and looked at his nametag, turning redder, ¡°I guess you do¡­¡± I smiled understandingly, ¡°Thanks for understanding. A lot of other guys would have said I was just a bitch playing hard to get.¡± I gave him something, a compliment, to acknowledge his effort. He smiled, appreciatively I presumed, ¡°Th-thanks¡­ or¡­ you¡¯re¡­ welcome¡­?¡± I waved and walked out the door after Kaesha, looking back at the dark haired stranger in the far corner. He was gone. Chapter 23 - You Too? Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°I won the bet. You know what to do.¡± Kaesha reminded me. We¡¯d left the breakfast bar and were walking in the general direction of my house. It was still pretty far from where we were but we enjoyed each other¡¯s company enough to walk and talk for a while. ¡°I already told you. I left my old pack. If they found me, they¡¯d force me to go back but I don¡¯t think they¡¯re looking anymore.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I left a ¡®death scene¡¯,¡± Air quotes, ¡°for them to find as they were following my scent. Someone from the pack managed to find me thanks to their gift but she wants the same thing I do. She¡¯s staying with them to gather information on our targets and the pack. When she¡¯s done, she¡¯ll leave them and we¡¯ll create a pack of our own and use the information against them.¡± ¡°Whoa. That¡¯s some grudge if you¡¯re willing to do all this.¡± I looked at the sidewalk, ¡°They¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know where to start. I didn¡¯t even know if I wanted to start. She put a comforting hand on my shoulder, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything. If you want, I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Help me how?¡± I asked, looking back up at her. ¡°I¡¯ll be your pack witch.¡± ¡°Pack witch?¡± I¡¯d never heard of anything like it, bonding werewolves to a member of another Supernatural specie as a pack. It was unusual¡­ but it didn¡¯t seem impossible. I smiled, ¡°I like it.¡± ¡®You¡¯re letting her in too easily. What if she has an ulterior motive?¡¯ Candy warned. ¡®I know, I know. She just¡­ feels like an older sibling. Besides, what did I say about paranoia?¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t think your wolf likes me very much.¡± Kaesha stated ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Your werewolf colour flares up whenever you say things I think your wolf doesn¡¯t agree with, like when you told me about your old pack and just now when you agreed to let me be your pack witch.¡± ¡°She¡¯s just looking out for me. It¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t like you specifically, she just doesn¡¯t trust anyone.¡± She looked up at the light grey sky, ¡°That¡¯s sad but I guess I¡¯m no different. To tell the truth, I wouldn¡¯t have mentioned my old coven either but my aura vision helps me see if a person is trustworthy or not. Even when I see a person¡¯s trustworthiness, I still don¡¯t mention it. I guess it¡¯s our kindred survival spirits, having gone through betrayal and rejection at a young age. Hey, how old are you anyway? You seem too short for college, no offence, and you look so young.¡± No use in lying about my age since I¡¯ve already mentioned my past to her, ¡°Fifteen. You?¡± ¡°A smart girl, huh? I admire that. I¡¯m turning eighteen in a few months.¡± She paused, thinking, ¡°Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t know your name either.¡± ¡°Avarielle. You look older than seventeen.¡± Natalia seemed like the name reserved for Candy and the Syrens I¡¯d met while Avarielle and Arielle were reserved for everyone else, like I was leading two separate lives. I guess I was. She shrugged, hopping over cracks in the sidewalk, ¡°I guess looking over your shoulder and being paranoid for almost two years is bound to add a few years to your appearance. A word of advice, from one runaway to another; part of you will be paranoid, that¡¯s a given, but sometimes, instead of looking over your shoulder, look ahead and around you. Appreciate the life you¡¯ve built for yourself. In the one year plus that I¡¯ve been here, I never made real friends because in my mind, everyone is out to get me. Don¡¯t make the same mistake.¡± Following her sudden seriousness was silence. We walked like that, her hopping over cracks and me deep in thought. Vehicles whizzed by and pedestrian filled the street. She checked her phone and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s almost time for my shift, I¡¯d better get going. Gimmie your phone.¡± She said and handed me her phone. I unlocked mine and handed it to her the entered my number in hers and she did the same. She handed my phone back once she was done and I did the same. ¡°There. I¡¯ll text you when my shift is over so we can talk more. Do you live with anyone?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Then I think it¡¯ll be better to meet at your place since my roommate will be around. Are you free today? I¡¯ve got to teach art classes for the rest of the week.¡± ¡°Yeah but don¡¯t you go home during the summer?¡± Talking probably wouldn¡¯t take long so I could step away from Hailey for a while. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I¡¯m trying to save up enough to buy a house once I¡¯m done with college since I¡¯m on a part scholarship. I don¡¯t know why my roommate doesn¡¯t go home either but everyone has their reasons so I don¡¯t pry as long as she doesn¡¯t. Initially, I suspected she was sent by my coven to lure me back but I didn¡¯t find any connection so I dropped it.¡± She whistled for a cab and, soon enough, one stopped in front of her. She waved, opening the door, ¡°See you later, Ava. Bye!¡± ¡°Bye! Thanks for your help!¡± I waved back. She got in, told the driver her destination and was on her way. I continued walking for a while, thinking about the new turn of events. It seemed too good to be true. ¡®I wonder who that guy was¡­¡¯ ¡®What guy?¡¯ Candy asked, sounding slightly miffed. ¡®The one in the corner of the breakfast bar.¡¯ ¡®Oh, him. He smelled strange.¡¯ I stopped walking, ¡®Strange how?¡¯ ¡®Wrong somehow.¡¯ Her reply bothered me and, for some reason, I didn¡¯t mention how my reaction to his scent had been the opposite. ********** I¡¯d given up on walking after hearing Candy¡¯s answer and ran home. I checked my watch as I unlocked my door. Twelve minutes to eight. ¡®Remember, you¡¯ve got company today.¡¯ I stepped out of my shoes, ¡®Yeah, I know. I should probably make something to eat for when she gets here.¡¯ I made my way to the kitchen, pausing briefly to send my address to Kaesha. ¡®Like what?¡¯ ¡®Like¡­¡¯ I trailed off, opening cupboards and looking at the ingredients at my disposal, ¡®spaghetti and meatballs.¡¯ I donned an apron and got to work, chopping and blending. Not long after, I was done and had cleaned the place up. ¡®The weather¡¯s cleared up. I wanna go swimming.¡¯ Candy said. I wiped my hands with a towel, glancing out the window, ¡®So it has. Alright then.¡¯ I changed into the bikini Hailey had talked me into buying, grabbed a large towel and went to the back yard. The sun had warmed the pool water a little. A light breeze played with the flowers, trees and my hair in its ponytail. I leapt off the diving board and into the water, parting it with wide, confident strokes. I wasn¡¯t that fond of swimming as it was Candy¡¯s preferred hobby but I did it since she couldn¡¯t take control of our human body because we hadn¡¯t shifted yet. Other than a few days ago, when I¡¯d been mad at Keily in my kitchen, I¡¯d always felt closer to her when in the water. That was how I passed the time, gliding through the water in silent contentment with Candy, till I heard a car approach my driveway. I left the pool and wrapped the towel around myself. I didn¡¯t feel like leaving a wet trail from the kitchen to the front door so I walked on the stone path around my house to the front. On my way, I checked my watch; a few minutes to noon. ¡°Hey. You look like you¡¯ve been having fun.¡± Hailey greeted as she approached with two medium to large sized duffel bag over her shoulder. One clanked and jingled as she moved. ¡°I was bored. Let¡¯s go round the back.¡± I led her around the path I¡¯d used. ¡°Do you take care of them yourself?¡± She asked, gazing at my flowers. I nodded, ¡°From time to time.¡± ¡°They¡¯re beautiful. I really love those gold ones in the pink soil.¡± ¡°So do I.¡± When I¡¯d worked on the garden, I¡¯d noticed the gold flowers with black in the centre that seemed to shimmer on their own, rooted in hot pink soil. I¡¯d wondered what breed they were but couldn¡¯t think of any. Mom had probably cherished them so I¡¯d taken extra care of them. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you the guest rooms. Choose the one you want while I go shower and change.¡± I led her to the doors to the guest rooms and left her with a look of contemplation on her face. I took a quick shower and changed into shorts and a tank top since I didn¡¯t intend to leave my house again that day. Wrapping a towel around my head, I approached the open guest door and leaned on its frame. The room was the third biggest in the house. The walls were an off white colour and the large bed was closer to the window. Three quarters of one wall was occupied by the closet and the door on the opposite wall led to the bathroom with a simple shower, tub, sink and toilet. ¡°Thanks for letting me stay over even though we haven¡¯t known each other for very long.¡± She said without turning to me as she unpacked her clothes from one of her bags. ¡°Well, you needed a place to stay. I think anyone would need a break from Keily, especially if they live with her. I admire your patience.¡± She laughed, ¡°It¡¯s really more of avoiding confrontation than patience.¡± ¡°Either way, you seem to have held up well.¡± ¡®Now that I¡¯m alone with her, I think she smells a little familiar. I didn¡¯t really notice it before cause the guys have really strong scents but I think they both smell familiar.¡¯ I told Candy. ¡®You¡¯re right.¡¯ She agreed. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s talk.¡± She said, flopping onto the bed after she put the last item away. A mischievous grin crept onto her face, ¡°So, tell me, who will you pick? Trev or Greg?¡± I shook my head and sat next to her, ¡°You¡¯re the third person that¡¯s brought this up. Is it that obvious to everyone except me?¡± ¡°Yes. Keily¡¯s confrontation was stupid but she wasn¡¯t wrong about the attraction being there. Apart from Keily, who else?¡± ¡°Their Grams.¡± ¡°Really? Tell me everything.¡± And so I sat there, cross legged, and recounted the conversation from that day. Time flew by as one topic led to another. I heard a car drive away and footsteps approach my house before the sound of the doorbell stopped our conversation. ¡°Who could that be?¡± Hailey asked, curious. ¡°Just a friend. We won¡¯t take long. I made some food before you got here so you can go to the kitchen and help yourself.¡± I leapt off the bed and went to the door, Hailey trailing behind me. I opened the door, ¡°Hey, Kaesha.¡± ¡°Hey, Ava. Is this the werewolf you said was helping you with your plan?¡± I blinked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sorry. There are so few werewolves in the city at any given time so I thought she was the one you talked about this morning.¡± I looked back at Hailey with wide eyes, ¡°You¡¯re a werewolf?¡± She stared back with similar bewilderment, ¡°You too?¡± Chapter 24 - Revelation Natalia¡¯s P. O. V We¡¯d moved to the living room so that we could be more comfortable as we went over this new revelation. ¡°You mean you two didn¡¯t know? Don¡¯t you smell each other¡¯s wolves?¡± ¡°Normally, we do, but she smells more human than wolf to me.¡± Hailey had gone to get something to eat as I¡¯d closed the door after Kaesha and she sat, cross legged, holding her plate, ¡°I¡¯ve never met another werewolf before and have been around humans my whole life so that¡¯s probably why.¡± ¡°Why do you live so deep in the city? What about full moon shifts?¡± During full moons we were forced to shift and our wolves had complete control. More often than not, they went berserk. It was one of the reasons werewolves didn¡¯t live in cities. ¡°My mom¡¯s a Seer, so is Keily. Apparently, she had a one night stand with some dickhead werewolf while attending to some things with the Seer Cycle and got pregnant so she got permission to do her Seer thing from the city and send them the information she gathers. As for full moon shifts, I just chain myself up in our basement or any secluded area.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what the clanking in the other bag was.¡± She nodded, ¡°There¡¯s a full moon in a few days. I was going to propose a road trip to outside the city or something. My wolf, Opelene, warmed up to you so quickly. She said she liked your scent and so did I. Why are you in the city though? You smell a lot more like the way I imagine a werewolf would smell.¡± ¡°I left my pack recently.¡± She leaned forward, curiosity shining in her eyes, ¡°Are both your parents werewolves?¡± ¡°My biological father is a werewolf. My mom wasn¡¯t a werewolf but I could tell she also wasn¡¯t human. She never did tell me what she was.¡± That much was true. ¡°Was? So, your mom dying recently was true?¡± I looked at my hands, ¡°Not completely. She disappeared when I was six. I have no idea if she¡¯s dead or alive right now.¡± Keasha, who had returned from the kitchen with a plate of food, and Hailey, who had been in the process of raising another forkful to her mouth paused, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡± They said. I shook my head, ¡°That was almost a decade ago. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°A decade? You¡¯re sixteen?¡± Hailey asked. Kaesha looked at me questioningly. ¡°Fifteen.¡± ¡®Nat.¡¯ Candy warned. ¡®I¡¯m tired of lying to people that could help. Have you ever sensed any deception from her? I haven¡¯t. She¡¯s my friend, Candy. When you think about it, there¡¯s no way anyone I¡¯ve met in New York so far could be connected to the Lightwood pack, apart from that Danny guy and that¡¯s only through Kirstin.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re being na?ve, Nat.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not being na?ve. Do you think I¡¯d have the capacity to be na?ve with the life I¡¯ve lived till now? You¡¯re being paranoid. I¡¯m not going to tell them what mom was and I won¡¯t mention the name of the pack.¡¯ Kaesha raised an eyebrow at me, probably noticing the flare in my wolf colour, ¡°You said biological father instead of dad.¡± She didn¡¯t ask about my conversation with my wolf. ¡°I don¡¯t consider him my dad.¡± Hailey swallowed then spoke, ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a product of rape. He violated my mom and initiated my abuse in the pack after she disappeared. He kept telling me that she left cause she couldn¡¯t stand to be around me when I¡¯d finally mustered up the courage to ask him why my mom wasn¡¯t around anymore. Someone like that could never be a dad, at least not to me. He treats his legitimate kids better though.¡± I remembered crying, sobbing and shrieking as he said things no sane person would tell a six-year-old, especially not on their birthday. He¡¯d slapped and yelled curses at me when I¡¯d refused to believe him and called him a liar. I knew he was lying. He was lying. ¡°That¡¯s awful.¡± Hailey said after a long pause. Keasha simply looked at me with sad, understanding eyes, as if reliving her own trauma. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. I looked back at my hands, ¡°I know he was lying. He¡¯s always hated me and my mom. He¡¯s probably happy now that he thinks I¡¯m dead which is even better.¡± I smiled slightly at the thought of how I could destroy his happiness. Both of them remained silent for a while. I guess talking about my childhood had killed the mood. The only sounds that came from them were the clanking of their forks on their plates and the sound of their chewing. I went to get my own food and re-joined them in silence. Soon, Hailey had finished her food and set the plate down on the coffee table, ¡°Ari, I understand it wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience but, could you teach me about being a werewolf in general? My mom likes werewolves least and wouldn¡¯t get me books or anything from the palace whenever she visits. She made me keep my werewolf nature from Keily so I can¡¯t ask her for help. I hate my biological father for leaving my mom to take care of us but I want to know more about what I am.¡± I put my plate on the table, not feeling like eating anymore, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll teach you. You¡¯re here anyway.¡± ¡°Thank you so much! It means a lot to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. I¡¯m not like the average werewolf either.¡± Kaesha, done with her food, dropped her plate, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it has something to do with my mom¡¯s genetics or if I¡¯m just defective but I haven¡¯t been able to shift yet. I have a wolf. I feel her in my consciousness and talk to her, just like any other werewolf but it¡¯s like she doesn¡¯t have a form or I can¡¯t access it. When I yelled at Keily three days ago and I felt her voice come up with mine, that was the closest I¡¯ve ever been to shifting. I can only teach you the theory stuff but I won¡¯t be able to teach you things like hunting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I only need the theory stuff.¡± Kaesha was staring at me strangely and I was reminded of her words earlier that day. Maybe I was just an abnormal werewolf. On the other hand, Hailey was most likely a werewolf-Seer hybrid. ¡°Anyway,¡± I said, getting up and stretching, ¡°I¡¯m going to clean these up.¡± I picked the plates up and took them to the kitchen, leaving them in silence. ¡°So, Kaesha, right? What are you? How could you tell I¡¯m a werewolf?¡± I heard Hailey ask. ¡°I¡¯m a witch-psychic hybrid. My psychic side lets me see auras so I can use them to tell the specie of anyone I see. I can also hear the thoughts of anyone I¡¯m in physical contact with.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°I guess it is. You said your mom¡¯s a Seer. That means you must have a few Seer traits.¡± Kaesha commented, saying out loud what I¡¯d been thinking. ¡°I do. During full moon shifts, and sometimes as I sleep, I get visions. They¡¯re always blurry round the edges and I only see them in black and white. I haven¡¯t told anyone about them.¡± I¡¯d finished cleaning and returned to the living room, ¡°Kaesha, did you find anything on pack witches?¡± She shook her head, ¡°I used magic to cross reference the books I have on werewolves and witches but I didn¡¯t find anything on witches joining a werewolf pack. They aid them sometimes but never call packs their home. I guess it¡¯s a case of thriving with their own species.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not with a coven so that won¡¯t apply to you, right?¡± She shrugged, ¡°The problem with my old coven was mainly whenever we channelled each other. Their bodies couldn¡¯t handle my magic. Packs don¡¯t rely on magic so I think I could find a way to connect to the wolf bond with magic. I¡¯ll need to tinker around with some linking spells.¡± I nodded and turned to Hailey, ¡°I¡¯m going to start a pack. Would you like to be part of it? I have to warn you, my main reason for starting a pack is vengeance but I¡¯ll take care of all the members.¡± In that moment, Hailey looked the happiest I¡¯d ever seen her, ¡°I¡¯d love to join! I¡¯ll help you any way I can.¡± I smiled at her joy, ¡°Thank you.¡± Kaesha stood up, ¡°Well, girls, that¡¯s all I could find. I¡¯ll text you if I have anything else. It was nice to meet you Hailey.¡± ¡°You too.¡± ¡°I can help you out with some werewolf books if you¡¯d like. You can get Ava to explain them to you.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯d be great, thanks.¡± Kaesha smiled, ¡°No problem. Ava can give you my number and we¡¯ll talk.¡± ¡°Okay. Wait¡­ Ava?¡± She asked, turning to me. ¡°It¡¯s Avarielle so she calls me Ava. Not many people in my old pack knew my name but I didn¡¯t want them to get word of my presence.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay. Bye, Kaesha.¡± I opened the door for her, ¡°Bye, Kaesha. Thanks for your help, again.¡± ¡°Again?¡± Hailey asked, confused. Again. ¡°She helped me with a spell this morning.¡± ¡°You have to tell me more about magic and psychics.¡± Kaesha laughed at her enthusiasm, ¡°Sure.¡± She left and I closed the door behind her, locking the door. I went back to sit opposite Hailey, ¡°So, if I¡¯m gonna teach you about werewolves, let¡¯s start with what you already know and what your mom has told you about werewolves.¡± She marks the points off her fingers, ¡°They are humans that can change into wolves. They have heightened senses. My mom says werewolves are beastly creatures that are full of themselves. Werewolves normally live in groups called packs. That¡¯s the general knowledge. She once mentioned the pack my father was from, Lightwood or something, in Florida.¡± I looked sharply at her, ¡°Did she say his name?¡± ¡°I think so but I can¡¯t remember. Uhh¡­ something Lightwood. I remember her saying something along the lines of ¡®that damn shitty Alpha¡¯ when she was describing him while drunk one evening.¡± ¡°Clark Lightwood.¡± She nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. How did you know that?¡± ¡°I know that because, Clark Lightwood, Alpha of the Lightwood Pack, is my biological father.¡± ¡®Well, that explains a lot.¡¯ Chapter 25 - Story Time and Hugs Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°So, here¡¯s what I¡¯ve gathered, tell me if I¡¯m wrong: there¡¯s the first and oldest set of twins, Brittany and Harry, the legitimate ones, who just turned eighteen on the ninth of June; then there¡¯s Keily and I who will turn eighteen on September fifth and finally, there¡¯s you, who¡¯s still fifteen.¡± We¡¯d left the living room and had returned to the guest room Hailey was staying in after finding out we shared the same sperm donor. I nodded in confirmation, ¡°Every werewolf has a soul mate, or as we call it, mate. Mates are normally both werewolves but some werewolves get human mates. We¡¯re able to tell who our mate is when one of them turns eighteen. We know who our mate is by their scent ¨C it¡¯ll be the best thing you¡¯ve ever smelled. Mates are usually in the same age group, with a zero to two years gap and the guy being older but sometimes, there¡¯s a larger age gap, like my case, and the girl is sometimes older by a year at most. Tiffany, the mother of the legitimate twins, is Clark¡¯s mate.¡± ¡°And our moms are what? Side chicks?¡± ¡°Even though we get mates, it¡¯s still possible to sleep with someone else. There are two options for that. The first one is that you do it while still connected to your mate. This brings your mate pain every time you even kiss anyone else. The second way is to reject your mate then sleep with the other person. This way, your mate only feels the pain once after the rejection and never again. Accepting rejection also hurts your mate. Rejecting and cheating on mates were once taboos but they happen more often these days.¡± ¡°So, Clark just decided to sleep with his mate, a werewolf, and a Seer and whatever your mom was and who knows who else? What¡¯s he trying to do? Max out on XP points in the bedroom?¡± I laughed at her analogy for all this, ¡°You might have to ask him that. I wonder if we have any other siblings from him¡± ¡°He¡¯s definitely an asshole to have put his mate through that kind of pain at all. Do werewolves have any other specific weaknesses or things that cause them pain? I know for vampires it¡¯s sunlight, wood and one herb or another.¡± I nodded, ¡°Apart from mate inflicted pain, silver and an herb nicknamed Wolvesbane burns us. Wounds caused by them heal at a human rate.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe I¡¯ll use those on Clark if I¡¯m ever forced to meet him cause I didn¡¯t want to meet him before and I definitely don¡¯t want to now. Anyway, enough about him, tell me more about mates.¡± ¡°Well, we weren¡¯t taught this in class, but I believe the mate bond is a mostly physical connection. We¡¯re taught that you¡¯re supposed to love your mate, and I think that¡¯s the reason we instantaneously fall in love with our mates once we know who they are, regardless of what they¡¯ve done to us in the past if you knew them. We were made to love our mates from a young age.¡± She cocked her head, curious about my reasoning, ¡°So, why do you think it¡¯s a physical thing?¡± ¡°You feel pain when your mate gets physical with someone else, not when they have feelings for someone else. To complete the mate bond, you need to mark your mate then sleep, otherwise known as mate, with them, both of which are physical acts. To claim someone else as your mate after a rejection, you need to mark and mate with them every three months. All these are physical things. Besides, we¡¯re part wolf, they¡¯re not famous for their emotions. Sure, you¡¯re able to sense their pain from a distance a few months after completing the mate bond but everything is mostly physical.¡± She placed a hand on her chin, stroking an imaginary beard, ¡°That all makes sense, really. So, bottom line is, your mate is mainly the best person for you to sleep with?¡± ¡°Yeah, when you think about it like that. Well, maybe except the mates of Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and the royal werewolves. They¡¯re also the best to lead beside you in those positions.¡± ¡°What about rejecting and accepting? You mentioned that earlier.¡± ¡°When you reject your mate, you¡¯re severing your connection to them so you are still their mate but they¡¯re not your mate. It hurts the other person because they feel you leaving the link. When you accept the rejection, you¡¯re severing your connection to them so they are not your mate anymore and you¡¯re not theirs but there is still lingering attraction and it can be reversed by accepting them back as your mate. Accepting a rejection doesn¡¯t hurt the other person as much as rejecting them does because the rejecter has already severed their link to you so you accepting it is just taking your right to claim another mate since you can¡¯t have two mates at once.¡± ¡°How do you reject your mate?¡± ¡°You say that you reject your mate and include you and your mate¡¯s full name, pack and position. For example, let¡¯s say Jacqueline Jonas is the Beta of the Greenstone pack and Kelvin Lance is a regular member of the same pack. If Jacqueline were to reject Kevin, she¡¯d say, ¡°I Jacqueline Jonas, Beta of the Greenstone pack, reject you, Kevin Lance, member of the Greenstone pack.¡± And for Kevin to accept the rejection, he¡¯d say, ¡°I, Kevin Lance, member of the Greenstone pack, accept your, Jacqueline Jonas, Beta of the Greenstone pack, rejection.¡± If your mate isn¡¯t a werewolf then you just say their name.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. She fell back onto the bed, ¡°That¡¯s a lot to remember.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve had my whole life to remember this stuff so I guess it¡¯s a lot to memorise all in one go.¡± ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s also pretty interesting. My mom wouldn¡¯t teach me about Seers and she wouldn¡¯t help me learn about werewolves so I¡¯ve pretty much lived as a human. I listened in on Keily¡¯s Seer lessons and they seem interesting enough. She¡¯s been getting more visions lately so I guess she¡¯ll leave for her turn the Seer Cycle soon.¡± ¡°Do you know which specie she¡¯ll be helping?¡± She shook her head, ¡°My mom always chased me out of hearing range before she spoke about it.¡± She rolled onto her stomach and looked at me, ¡°Did your teachers ever talk about how the rejection felt?¡± ¡°The only teacher that had gone through a rejection said it felt like needles poking at your heart from every side. That¡¯s not how mine felt though.¡± I laughed bitterly and Hailey put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°It hurt. Everywhere hurt ¨C my veins, my head, my heart and especially where he¡¯d marked me right before rejecting me.¡± I tapped my neck, on the mostly faded mark. Once he mated with Brittany again in two and a half months, it¡¯d completely disappear. I couldn¡¯t wait till then. ¡°He¡¯d bitten me then tore his teeth from my skin. He didn¡¯t even know my name and had to ask before rejecting me. He punched me when I hadn¡¯t answered the first time he¡¯d asked,¡± I touched my nose, ¡°I accepted the rejection then he left me, a sobbing screaming mess, to go kiss my childhood best friend, Kylie. Hours later, he mated with our half-sister, Brittany. It burned. It burned so bad. It was more than just needles in my heart, it was fire and lava burning through me. My wolf, Candy, took some of my pain for a while so I could escape that hell hole but she couldn¡¯t handle it for long. I couldn¡¯t even stand before I passed out.¡± Through my description of that night, Hailey simply listened, never taking away her comforting hand from my shoulder, never interrupting me ¨C just listened. I was grateful for that as I realised that I¡¯d needed to tell someone about it for a long time and I found that I couldn¡¯t stop. I simply relived those horrible memories like a broken record, unable to stop. ¡°Remember when I said I wasn¡¯t the most popular girl at school? That was sugar coating it. Everyone hated me, even the humans despite the fact that they didn¡¯t know anything about me or werewolves in general. They saw my pack members pick on me and decided to do the same. I once stood up to one of them and a teacher was around so he reported it. It got back to Clark since the Lightwood family technically owns the school. When I got back to the pack house that day, he was waiting for me in the attic, where I stayed. He threw me around, beat me and kicked me. As he¡¯d pressed his foot on my head so hard I was afraid my skull would crack, he told me I was worthless. He¡¯d gotten someone to heat his favourite silver hunting knife and carved the words ¡®worthless¡¯ and ¡®mutt¡¯ into the soles of my feet while it was still red hot. Then, he¡¯d had water treated with Wolvesbane and poured it on me. He said I was beneath even the humans and therefore should never talk back to them again or he¡¯d cut my tongue from my throat.¡± I raised my legs so the soles of my feet were visible to her. The scars had taken three days to heal enough for me to walk without wanting to scream. They didn¡¯t hurt anymore but the words ¡®worthless mutt¡¯ were clearly visible. ¡°I still remember the intensity of the pain. How everywhere the water touched had stung and my feet had burned. I¡¯d opened my mouth in a silent scream as he¡¯d tormented me with pain that rivalled when Callum had mated with Brittany. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe he would have stopped at beating and insulting me if only I¡¯d screamed.¡± I heard a sob and looked up to see Hailey crying. Tears ran freely down her face and she hugged me. She held me tightly, like she never wanted to let go, and I sat there, eyes wide with surprise. ¡°Mom? Is everything okay?¡± A sleepy almost six-year-old me had asked my mom as she¡¯d gone back and forth our tiny attic room in the pack house. ¡°Everything¡¯s alright, darling. Did I wake you? I¡¯m sorry.¡± She¡¯d come to the thin mattress where I¡¯d been sleeping till a minute ago. ¡°It¡¯s alright, mom. I¡¯m a big girl.¡± She¡¯d smiled adoringly. How I missed that smile. ¡°Yes, you are. It¡¯ll be your birthday in a few minutes.¡± I¡¯d smiled wide, the gap in my teeth visible, ¡°I can¡¯t wait! Do you think Kylie will remember?¡± ¡°Of course she will. Who could forget the birthday of such a special girl?¡± She¡¯d tickled me. I¡¯d squealed, laughing with innocent glee, happy to be with mom. ¡°I just wish you could have a cake.¡± She¡¯d sighed after my laughter had died down. I¡¯d simply grinned, ¡°Who needs a cake? I have you.¡± In reply to that, she¡¯d hugged me tight, tears shining in her eyes, ¡°Yes, my little Ember. You have me.¡± She¡¯d choked out, on the verge of tears. I hadn¡¯t known the reason for her sudden sadness till I¡¯d woken the next morning to find a piece of cake in a plate by the mattress. What I hadn¡¯t found was mom. Nobody had hugged me since. ¡°You¡¯re amazing! S-so amazing!¡± She sobbed. ¡°Y-you went through aaall that and more a-and you can ssstill laugh a-and s-smile and be k-k-k-kind¡­¡± Her words were punctuated and drawn out with sobs that wracked her body. ¡°Somebody loves you now. Even if it¡¯s n-not much, I love you.¡± As she cried, hugging me, I realised that her tears were for my sake. She was crying for me and that made me hug her back. Even though she hadn¡¯t gone in depth about it, I knew she also understood what it felt like to be prejudiced against because of something you couldn¡¯t control. Her mom probably hated her werewolf nature and preferred Keily. She understood. Till that point, in my mind, she¡¯d just been another person that shared the sperm donor¡¯s blood but now, she was my sister. My sister that loved me. I hadn¡¯t realised how much I¡¯d craved for it, for someone to say they loved me, till she said it. I hadn¡¯t heard those words addressed to me since my mom disappeared. She calmed down a bit but didn¡¯t let go, ¡°It¡¯s okay to cry. It¡¯s alright to scream.¡± She murmured. I did neither. Chapter 26 - Study Hailey¡¯s P. O. V Finding out Ari was a werewolf too had been the best thing to happen to me in months. Finding out we were sisters¡­ well, half-sisters? Best thing since Keily started being horrible to me, which was about ten years ago. Maybe eleven. I¡¯d lost track. When Ari first mentioned her father ¨C our father ¨C and how horribly he¡¯d treated her and her mom, my heart ached for her. But as she mentioned how happy he¡¯d be to hear of her death, a look crossed her face. It was dark and menacing. Like it would make her ecstatic if she could to crush that happiness into nothingness and watch him suffer. Yes, he¡¯d done terrible things to her and if it were me, I¡¯d want to make him pay for it too. But this was much different. The look in her eyes begged for pure, undiluted rage to be unleashed on their target. But it seemed to be held in check by something ¨C a cold and calculating patience. This was a whole new side of Ari, one that I¡¯d never guessed would exist. It scared me. The look passed quickly. So quickly that I¡¯d almost managed to convince myself that my newfound half-sister didn¡¯t appear to be a vengeful mastermind. Almost. As she told me the horrors of her past, I felt both furious at Clark and sorrowful for her. I wasn¡¯t even aware of when I started crying till I sobbed, causing her to look at me. Sitting there and hugging her, doing my best to comfort her, my wariness of that look faded away. Of course she¡¯d hate anyone who was cruel enough to mar her like that, to permanently brand her as a ¡®worthless mutt¡¯ and torture her for no reason. It wasn¡¯t the same. My mom didn¡¯t restrain or beat me or outright insult me, but she discriminated against me for something I couldn¡¯t control. Even Keily treated me similarly despite the fact that she didn¡¯t really know how different we were. So I empathised with Ari. I understood and admired her strength to carry on. And I loved her. I loved my little sister and I let her know it. When I felt her return the hug, I felt closer to her than I¡¯d ever felt to any family member since I was little. After staying like that for a while, I¡¯d managed to calm down. I didn¡¯t really know why I was crying in the first place but it didn¡¯t feel awkward or wrong when my head cleared a bit. ¡°It¡¯s okay to cry. It¡¯s alright to scream.¡± I told her upon noticing her stillness. Then I pulled away. There was no evidence of tears on her face. Her eyes weren¡¯t bloodshot or watery and her cheeks weren¡¯t tearstained. You¡¯d think she wasn¡¯t fazed if you didn¡¯t read her expression carefully. Her smile was the most genuine I¡¯d seen on her since I met her. I knew she wasn¡¯t ready to really show grief after what was probably a lifetime of holding back her pain. It was okay, we¡¯d get there eventually. ¡°I¡¯m a mess.¡± I laughed as I imagined what my face probably looked like, eyes puffy and cheeks red. I got up and made my way to the bathroom to fix my face. Before reaching the door, I faintly heard her whisper, ¡°Thank you.¡± Looking back, I smiled before opening the door. I shook my head at my reflection in the mirror, having been right about my appearance ¨C my eyes were puffy and bloodshot and most of my face was a deep pink. I hated how easily I let my tears escape. Every damn time. It was probably the reason Keily picked on me consistently. Every time she saw my tears, her taunts became more vicious. I wished I had the strength to hide my pain from the people responsible for it ¨C to at least pretend their words and actions didn¡¯t get to me. But I always let it show and in that way, I envied Ari, even though bottling up her emotions wasn¡¯t healthy. I splashed water on my face a few times before wiping it with a nearby towel. When I deemed myself good enough to leave the bathroom, I came back to find the spot where Ari had been vacant. She¡¯d most likely gone somewhere in the house to do something. Or she probably felt a bit awkward after what happened but either one was alright. These things took time. I decided to explore the library a little. When Trevor had taken Keily and I up here, I¡¯d been too busy keeping an eye on her, making sure she didn¡¯t steal or break anything, to actually appreciate the house. I¡¯d looked at the other guest rooms besides the one I currently occupied and had liked them a lot, but preferred the view of the front of the house from the room I¡¯d chosen. I scanned the titles of the fiction shelves. They were all dusty and quite outdated, the most recent having been published around eighteen years ago. The same was the case with the books in all the other shelves. I remembered Ari mentioning that her mom hadn¡¯t lived in this house since Ari was born, probably before that, but I¡¯d assumed someone came by to maintain the house regularly while it was devoid of occupants. ¡®She¡¯d also mentioned not knowing anything about her mom¡¯s wealth.¡¯ Opelene reminded me ¡®That¡¯s true. I wondered what could¡¯ve happened for Ari¡¯s mom to end up with that dreadful Lightwood pack when she came from all this.¡¯ I replied, looking around the library. She made a vague ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯ sound and retreated into silent contemplation. On one of the tables in the library, I found a list of what I assumed were pack names next to a large map of the States and a laptop. Deigning to ask her about that later, I moved on to other sections of the library, looking for something interesting to read, perhaps something on werewolves to get started on my learning. I wanted to help speed my learning up as much as possible to take some of the burden off Ari, so that I could be of more help to executing her revenge plan. I heard my cell ring and took it out of my pocket. One of the many selfies Keily had taken with my phone without permission stared back at me. Exasperated, I pressed ignore, letting the call join the growing count of missed calls from her and my mom. ¡®You should tell them you¡¯re alright. They might be worried.¡¯ Opelene advised. I scoffed, ¡®They barely notice my presence at home. They probably only realised I¡¯m not there because Keily wants me to take her turn in throwing the trash out again.¡¯ She was fond of making me take the trash out when it was her turn then proceeding to refuse to help me on my turn. She always laughed when I threatened to tell mom, knowing that she¡¯d take her side on the matter, per usual. I had no idea why I still agreed to help her after the first few times she pulled that trick. Maybe I¡¯d hoped she¡¯d return my kindness with something other than a sneer or harsh insult. Either way, I was through with being nice. ¡®You should at least text one of them.¡¯ She insisted. I rolled my eyes, ¡®Fine! The next time one of them calls, I¡¯ll tell them I¡¯m alright. Happy?¡¯ ¡®Immensely.¡¯ She replied before retreating into silence, allowing me to continue my search. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°You won¡¯t find anything.¡± Startled, I turned around to find Ari leaning on the frame of the library door. She descended the three steps and made her way to me. ¡°I¡¯ve searched all over this room. There aren¡¯t any books on Supernaturals besides the cheesy fiction novels over there.¡± She said, pointing her thumb over her shoulder, towards the fantasy and paranormal corner of the fiction shelf. ¡°Oh.¡± I sighed then my phone rang. I was going to press ignore again when Opelene spoke, ¡®Hailey. You agreed to pick the call.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to. I probably knew what was to come if I picked Keily¡¯s call ¨C a long string of curses and insults, followed by sharp orders to do something that she was most likely could do by herself but was too lazy to handle. ¡°You should pick it. It¡¯s been ringing nonstop since you got here and is starting to annoy my wolf. You can just tell her you¡¯re fine and to stop calling you then hang up before she can get a word in.¡± Ari, now at the table with the map and laptop, suggested while studying the list in her hand. Sighing, I pressed answer and put the phone to my ear, ¡°What do you want, Keily? Stop calling me, I¡¯m fine.¡± I growled, annoyed. ¡°Who the hell do you think you¡¯re talking to?! Like I¡¯d be worried about you. Where the f*ck are you, bitch?!¡± She shrieked in my ear, giving me an instant headache. ¡°Do not talk to me like that. What do you want?¡± I replied, heart beating fast, face probably red, angry enough to want to throttle her. ¡°I want you to get your stupid ass home and make something for me and the guys to eat. They¡¯ll be here in a few minutes and this is the first time since that whore, Ari, arrived that I¡¯ll be seeing Greg without her around. I want to make him forget about my little¡­ outburst in her tacky kitchen and giving him better food than some disgusting cookies and sandwiches will help. When I¡¯m done, she¡¯ll know not to mess with my man.¡± Only she would be able to insult someone so many times in four sentences. Hearing this, Ari rolled her eyes and moved her index finger in small circles on the side of her head then mouthed the word ¡®crazy¡¯, making me laugh. ¡°You think this is funny, bitch?!¡± Keily asked, blowing up again. Still laughing, I replied, ¡°No, I think this is hilarious. I think the fact that you¡¯re trying to impress Greg with food when you can¡¯t cook to save your life is hilarious. I find the fact that you think Ari gives a shit about you and Greg¡¯s non-existent love complication hilarious. I think you believing that I¡¯d help you with anything anymore is hilarious. Stop calling me.¡± Then I hung up. Smiling, I high fived Ari, ¡°That felt good.¡± She laughed, ¡°I¡¯m sure it did. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get to work.¡± She retrieved two thick books, a notebook and a pen handing me the last two. We sat at the free table opposite the one with the map and laptop. ¡°This,¡± she said, holding up one of the books so I could see the cover that read ¡®Werewolf Hierarchy and Traditions¡¯, ¡°is a book that¡¯s studied by every pup of every Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and royal werewolf. Normally, packs have special classes to teach these pups. I was included in those classes till Clark found out and had me removed. I stole this copy on my last day of class and hid it. If you¡¯d been there, you would have studied it too. I actually forgot I had it till today when I checked in a hidden part of the bag I left with.¡± She put the book down and picked the other one up, showing me the cover that read ¡®Packs, Alliances and Rogues¡¯ ¡°This is the last published book of packs and alliances before the information was digitalized two years ago. This was only studied by the pups of the high ranks. Only the high ranks have access to the information from these books on the WolfNet. It¡¯s updated every six months and has information on the rank, numbers, alliances and location of every pack, plus the general location of the few rogue packs that were found.¡± She put the book down next to the other one and looked at them, ¡°Every werewolf is supposed to have access to the WolfNet even if they¡¯re not born of high ranks, so that they can be updated on news and general events. Lone wolves like you and I have to go through nearby packs to get our personal usernames and passwords to access it. I never received mine from the Lightwood pack and even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t be able to use it without alerting them of my existence.¡± ¡°Then, what do we do?¡± I asked. ¡°We study what we have and take it from there. We may have to go to find a pack close to the city.¡± She looked thoughtful; something else was running through her mind. ¡°Alright,¡± I said, clapping my hands together and pulling the book on pack hierarchy and traditions towards me, ¡°let¡¯s get to work.¡± I knew she probably wouldn¡¯t talk about whatever she was thinking about till she was ready so it¡¯d be best to move on with what we¡¯d agreed on. I opened the thick book and began to read, taking notes on what I thought would be important. So far, it encompassed a list of the different ranks and their descriptions ¨C Alpha, Luna, Beta, Gammas, Deltas, Trackers, Doctors, Battle Generals, Warriors, Hunters (who were no longer required in a pack), Household Managers, ordinary members and Omegas. Alphas were the equivalent of the kings of the pack. They were the leaders whose duties included maintaining order in the pack and ensuring their prosperity. They normally began training for the role from the age of five and formerly only came into power once they¡¯d found their mate, a rule that was abolished a decade and a half ago. Now, they were allowed to lead from the age of eighteen or earlier in some cases like if the former Alpha and Beta had died or were too old. Alphas were generically the biggest wolf in the pack. They were meant to be kind and thoughtful towards their pack despite their trademark short tempers and were normally kept in check by their mates. Originally, there were no Alpha Females till about five years ago. Where an Alpha Male¡¯s mate was called a Luna (for moon), an Alpha Female¡¯s was called a Sol (for sun). The concept of a she-wolf being an Alpha was still widely rejected by werewolf society. If Alphas were the kings of the pack, Lunas were the queens. They were normally the mate of the Alpha but lately, there were more Lunas that weren¡¯t the real mates of the Alphas due to their original mates being rejected. Probably due to pride. This caused the pack to fall into chaos and distrust as the Luna also acted as the mothers of the packs that held everyone together. Their touch was supposed to calm the rage of the Alphas so not having the real mate of the Alphas as Lunas also affected the behaviours of the Leaders. Though underappreciated, it seemed to me that they played a huge role in the pack¡¯s structure and balance. I wondered if the Luna of the Lightwood pack was Clark¡¯s real mate. Betas were the second in command in the bureaucracy of the pack ¨C third if you counted the Luna. Most of the business and meetings were spearheaded by the Betas. They were basically the Alphas¡¯ personal assistants. Anything they couldn¡¯t handle was passed onto the Alphas. Most Betas were normally male but females took over if there were no men in her generation and she was unmated. Both the main Beta and their mates were allowed to take on the duties of the Beta. Gammas and Deltas were the third and fourth in command ¨C or fourth and fifth, again, if you counted the Lunas. They basically had the same duties as the Beta but not as much authority. Most packs only had an Alpha, Luna and Beta. Gammas and Deltas were only required by large packs because the workload would be too much for the Beta and Alpha. Trackers were the werewolves in the pack with the best senses, specifically smell. Their role was for tracking individuals ¨C lost pups, runaways, spies that had run off with information, rogues and other things that generally needed tracking. I guess they were the ones the Alpha sent after Ari when she left. Doctors were basically that, doctors. They were once called healers and were normally females. In a pack, there were usually more than one but weren¡¯t required so much due to the enhanced healing of werewolves. Battle Generals were in charge of planning the formations and strategies for pack wars. They normally led the Warriors, who fought for the packs in armies. Lately, they weren¡¯t needed as much because territorial battles and rogues weren¡¯t really a problem anymore. Household Managers were in charge of listing and locating everything the pack needed for sustenance and they usually worked with Hunters, who hunted the game for food with their faster wolves and Omegas, who were the runts of the packs and were in charge of cleaning and taking care of the place. All members were supposed to be treated with respect and care but obviously, that wasn¡¯t the case. After some time, I¡¯d read about an eighth of the book. I noticed she had been reading the whole time without taking any notes and had gone much farther than I had. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to jot anything down? That¡¯s a big book.¡± It was thicker than the one I was reading. ¡°Photographic memory.¡± She mumbled without looking up, looking raptly attentive to every detail. ¡°You have a photographic memory? That¡¯s so cool.¡± Every time I was with her, she managed to greatly impress me with something completely new. First, it was her killer style and ability to handle Keily the day we met. Then, it was her extensive first aid knowledge when she saved Keily. After that, it was her house and baking skills when we came over for Keily and Trevor to apologise. Now, it was her survival spirit and reading speed. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw her smile lightly. Chapter 27 - Oh Shit… Natalia¡¯s P. O. V We studied till the sun fled the sky, Hailey noting everything she thought was important and me soaking up the information like a sponge. Comfortable silence reigned, only broken when there was a term Hailey couldn¡¯t find the meaning of and had to ask, or when one of us had to use the bathroom. I¡¯d finished my book a little before dusk and was currently writing up a summary of what I¡¯d read, completely immersed in my task till her stomach growled. ¡°Sorry, I guess my appetite¡¯s caught up to me.¡± She said, apologetic, stretching in her seat then caught sight of the time on her phone screen, ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s late! How did the time pass so quickly?¡± I stood, stretching out the stiffness from my joints, ¡°I guess we should find something to eat.¡± She glanced at her book, only a little more than a quarter of it left unread, then her stomach growled once more. We laughed. ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Together, we made our way to the kitchen without turning on any lights since, as werewolves, we could see well. In the kitchen we flipped on the light and the one for the storage room. ¡°I made some granola bars yesterday. You can have some of those while I look for what we can whip up. They¡¯re in the fridge.¡± ¡°Alright, thanks.¡± She nodded and migrated, in search of them. I went into the storage room and scanned the ingredients present. It was a good thing I¡¯d gone grocery shopping that time, ¡°There¡¯s some leftover spaghetti from this afternoon but we can have a sausage, tomato and mozzarella melt done under fifteen minutes if we hurry.¡± She swallowed what she was chewing as she came into the room, handing me a freshly microwaved bar, ¡°I can already taste the goodness from its name. Tell me what to do so I can help.¡± ¡°Alright, there¡¯s some ciabatta and mozzarella in the fridge and there¡¯s leftover pasta sauce in the freezer compartment. I can make the sauce while you top the ciabattas and put them in the oven.¡± As I grabbed the ingredients, she stared quizzically, ¡°Do we really need that much? We¡¯re werewolves so I know we eat a lot but I don¡¯t think we can finish all that tonight.¡± I laughed, ¡°I know, but I like to make extra so that there are leftovers if I ever feel too lazy to cook.¡± Shooting her a look, I added, ¡°It comes in handy for surprise visits.¡± Her cheeks pinked and she let out a laugh laced with realisation, ¡°Now I get why you were in such a hurry to get rid of us that day. You didn¡¯t want us to see your hand heal itself. I thought you¡¯d stopped liking us cause of what Keily did.¡± She paused, ¡°But what was that thing you did with your voice?¡± ¡°That was my wolf talking with me.¡± ¡°It sounded scary but so cool in hindsight. How did you do it?¡± We carried the ingredients to the kitchen countertop, ¡°I don¡¯t really know. That voice thing and half shifts are things usually reserved for Alphas and some strong Betas and Lunas.¡± She nodded, ¡°I read about that in the book. But since we¡¯re technically from an Alpha bloodline, it makes sense, right?¡± ¡°It would if I¡¯d shifted, but I haven¡¯t so half shifts and the voice thing should be impossible for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s obviously not. Maybe your genes from Clark mutated with the ones from your mom. You said you didn¡¯t know what she was. Maybe you¡¯re the chosen one. Or we¡¯re in an anime series and you¡¯re the MC. On another note, we need to stop calling it ¡®the voice thing¡¯. How about we name it¡­ Alpha voice?¡± ¡°Alpha voice is different. It doesn¡¯t involve the wolf¡¯s vocals and is used to command and forces obedience in every werewolf in a pack who isn¡¯t an Alpha.¡± ¡°That is also cool, like compulsion. How about dual vocals?¡± ¡°Dual vocals it is. Now, let¡¯s get food into our stomachs before we think any further.¡± Her stomach growled again and she grinned, ¡°Excellent idea.¡± Over the next half hour, we sped around the kitchen, preparing our meal at a lightning fast pace. More than once, Hailey lightly splattered the pasta sauce on my face and I¡¯d return the gesture. We ended up spending about fifteen minutes chasing each other around the kitchen, pasta sauce spotted lightly on our faces that were split with playful grins. We ran with all we had. I could finally move without restrictions around her. I didn¡¯t have to pretend; didn¡¯t have to lie. As I caught her, for the eighteenth time since placing the mozzarella melt in the oven, she tripped and pulled me down as she fell. On the ground, in a heap of limbs, hair and tomato-y faces, we broke into laughter. Hailey finally exhaled, the pinkness of happiness in her cheeks as we untangled ourselves, ¡°I can¡¯t remember the last time I had this much fun with anyone in my family.¡± I smiled, ¡°You and me both.¡± I got to my feet and held a hand out to her. She took it and got to her feet, panting softly. ¡°You sure you haven¡¯t shifted yet?¡± She asked I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯m sure I haven¡¯t. Why do you ask?¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°You¡¯re so fast!¡± I shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Maybe you¡¯ve been out of practice.¡± ¡°Maybe but you caught me every time and I couldn¡¯t catch you even once. I might not be an experienced werewolf, but I¡¯m pretty sure no werewolf should be this fast before shifting.¡± ¡°I never really paid attention to the other wolves at the pack when they ran so I didn¡¯t have anything to compare myself with.¡± I was the Omega back then. Omegas were notably weak. I was weak. That¡¯s why they picked on me. That¡¯s why Clark hated me. That¡¯s why I needed allies. Hailey put the mittens on and opened the oven, retrieving our hard work in the form of a hot, delicious smelling, mouth-watering batch of goodness. As she set the tray on the cooling rack, she turned to me, face cast in unsteady conviction. ¡°I don¡¯t know who lied to you but I know you¡¯re faster than most werewolves. I might not know much, but I know this in my gut and Opelene thinks so too.¡± ¡®Candy? What do you think?¡¯ She¡¯d been silent since morning. I wanted to hear her. ¡®I think I don¡¯t know. I was hidden from your consciousness till the night of your rejection and we haven¡¯t been around any werewolves since our encounter with Kirstin. There¡¯s nothing to compare to other than Hailey and she¡¯s been living like a human her whole life.¡¯ ¡®I know¡­ Wait, what do you mean by you were hidden?¡¯ She didn¡¯t answer. ¡®Candy? Candy?!¡¯ As I called for her, I felt her slink back into a corner of our shared mind space, almost out of reach, ignoring me. ¡°Hey? Ari?¡± Hailey waving her hand in my face snapped me back to the moment. She stared quizzically at me, a plate of our joint effort in her other hand. She handed me the plate and picked another one from the counter, ¡°You okay? You were spacing out for a while. Are you that hungry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, just thinking about what you said but¡± I smiled, ¡°it might also be hunger too.¡± Lie. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go dine in your extravagant dining room and pretend we¡¯re Arabian queens.¡± I laughed as she dragged me along, ¡°Or Greek goddesses.¡± ¡°Oh, nice.¡± So we sat and ate, talking between bites. ¡°Where will you station your pack?¡± She finally asked, on her last piece after having eleven. I shrugged then swallowed, ¡°I don¡¯t know. It can¡¯t be here, it¡¯s a bad idea to have werewolves live in a city. But it can¡¯t be too far away that I won¡¯t be able to go to and from Killdrain easily.¡± ¡°Why not have a temporary base? I doubt it¡¯d be a good idea to station werewolves within hearing distance of a city, even if it¡¯s on the outskirts. The pack doesn¡¯t have to start out big, you can keep it small for the four years of college before relocating and making it larger. Then we¡¯ll climb to the top¡­¡± ¡°¡­ And accomplish our goal.¡± We shared a look. The expression in her eyes mirrored mine. After a content silence, she suddenly smirked and, I knew, that I¡¯d end up with a hard decision once she was done. ¡°So, what are you gonna do about your love square problem.¡± ¡°Not again.¡± I sighed and stuffed food in my mouth to avoid answering. She leaned forward, ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. You can¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not even a little curious about the outcome.¡± I gave her a side eye, still chewing. She continued, unfazed, in a voice I assumed was supposed to sound dreamy, ¡°The handsome and noble Geranomy brothers, both vying for your affection. In one corner, we have Gregory, already the object of obsession of a notably beautiful girl.¡± She placed the back of her hand on her forehead, exhaling breathily as she fanned herself with her other hand, ¡°But, alas, he ignores the obsessed girl¡¯s advances and, instead, does his best to woo you with his callous charm and charisma. He even allows himself to get hurt as he helps you in the kitchen. Oh, how noble!¡± She made a large, sweeping motion and I had to duck to avoid getting smacked in the head, ¡°On the other hand, we have Trevor. A dashing cutie who¡¯s a little on the shy side. A plus, he has no crazed girl on his tail and was the first one to make your acquaintance in this big, bad city. He even brought you flowers and everything. So sweet!¡± She looked at me from the corner of her eye and took her hands away from where they were clutched at her chest, holding them at her sides like balance scales. ¡°Who will you choose? Will it be Trevor, the sweet shy guy? Or will it be Gregory, the noble mischief maker? Will the obsessed girl get her way in the end? Who will be left heartbroken and which ship will become a canon?¡± She fired off the questions in an ominous voice. I swallowed, ¡°I choose neither, Keily can be with Greg if they work their drama out, what is a ship and what is a canon?¡± ¡°A ship is like when someone wants two people to be together. It gets a ship name, which is just the potential couple¡¯s names combined. A cannon is when the ship becomes official. And what if one of them is your true love?¡± ¡°Even if they are, I don¡¯t want to date them so I won¡¯t. You read too many romance novels.¡± She nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. If you¡¯re really not interested, I guess there¡¯s no need to force it. It¡¯s unrequited.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± As I finished the last of my meal, she picked her phone out of her pocket and powered it on. Immediately, the thing started pinging with missed calls and unread messages. As she read over them, her eyes widened. Then, her phone rang. ¡°Hey, Gre-¡± She was interrupted by a panic stricken Greg, ¡°Hailey! Where are you?! What happened?!¡± ¡°Greg what-¡± ¡°Tell me where you are?! Where did she take you?!¡± ¡°Greg, back up. What are you talking about?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been driving around the city for hours, looking for you! Tell us where you are.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯m not lost.¡± ¡°Keily said that you swung by Ari¡¯s place in the morning and she hasn¡¯t heard from you since. When she went to check, she said the house was empty and there was a ransom note on the front door from that sadist. Your phone¡¯s been off. Where is she keeping you? She hasn¡¯t hurt you, has she? I should¡¯ve known her sudden move and gain of money was suspicious! Trevor warned me and I didn¡¯t listen! Where are you?!¡± Growling, I slammed a fist on the table and Hailey jumped. On the other end of the line, I heard Greg inhale sharply. ¡°Hailey, is she there? What is she doing to you?!¡± ¡®I hate that bitch.¡¯ Candy growled from her corner. ¡°Greg, Ari didn¡¯t kidnap me. I came to her place to get a break from Keily. My phone was off cause I didn¡¯t want her blowing the thing up.¡± Silence. ¡°Shit¡­¡± I heard Keily mutter in the background. Without a word, Hailey handed me the phone. ¡°Shit is right, Keily.¡± I growled. Chapter 28 - Wasted Apologies Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°Ah, uh¡­ Ari¡­ I¡­¡± Greg stammered uselessly. I hung up and placed the phone on the table. Wordlessly, I picked our used plates up and carried them to the kitchen, washing them and everything else in the sink quickly before walking back upstairs to my room. As I got ready for bed, I heard Hailey retreat to her room and do the same. Dressed in my pyjama shorts and tank top, I put some sweats on over them and stepped into my slippers. ¡®Why are you dressed like that?¡¯ Candy asked. I sat at my vanity and redid my ponytail, ¡®Now you decide to talk. Oh well, I know you¡¯ll tell me what¡¯s really going on eventually. I¡¯m dressed like this because I know the brothers are gonna come straight here to apologise.¡¯ ¡®But, I thought you wouldn¡¯t want to see them.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t, but I want to say my piece to their faces before I slam the door on them.¡¯ As I stood, I heard the doorbell ring, ¡®I¡¯m tired of staying silent.¡¯ I left my room to see Hailey stepping out of her room. We both knew who it was ¨C we could smell all three of them. I descended the stairs at my leisure, making sure every step could be heard by them. I smiled to myself as I heard their heart rate gradually increase. By the time I reached the door, it sounded like the collective galloping of horses. I picked the wooden coat rack from beside the door and broke off all the hanging hooks. For each one I broke off, I heard their pulses spike. ¡°You¡¯re toying with them.¡± Hailey noted with a laugh from her crouched position atop the stairs. I broke the last one off and grinned up at her, ¡°Just a little.¡± I opened the door. ¡°Well?¡± I raised a brow at their deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression. Keily was partially shielded by the guys, and rightly so. She avoided my gaze as the other two opened and closed their mouths like blubbering fish. ¡°Ari. I¡­we¡­ um, uh¡­¡± ¡°Uh, uhuh. You what?¡± I could hear the erratic bump-dump of their three hearts, each to their own beat like a deteriorated marching band. They scrambled to explain and apologise in a way that wouldn¡¯t make me want to carry out every creative way of murdering a person on them. Unfortunately, there was no amount of sugar coating or careful wording that would make me any less mad. They, regrettably, did not know this. Trevor spoke up, ¡°Ari, I¡¯m sorry. I-I¡­ Keily. She looked so worried. She sai- she said you¡¯d taken Hailey, a-and she showed us a typed ransom note. Hailey¡¯s phone was switched off. And yours was too. I got so worried and¡­¡± ¡°Tell me, Trev, did it occur to you that, perhaps, Keily was being her usual bitch ass self and lying? Did you think to visit me yourself? Or were you too disgusted by the sadist to go near her home?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t think she¡¯d do that¡­ She¡¯s not bad enough to¡­¡± Greg murmured. The crazed bitch had lied about me kidnapping her sister, and the ignoramus was defending her?! My grip on the wooden stick tightened, ¡°Well, clearly, she is bad enough to do that. In fact, she did. AND YOU¡¯RE DEFENDING HER!¡± Breathe. Reign in the emotions, they can¡¯t know how this affects you. ¡°Trevor, if you can hear me through all that doubt filling your head, you can take your suspicions and questions and bother someone else with them. What was the damn point of acting like such good friends if you were doubting me the whole fucking time?!¡± I paused, holding the bridge of my nose. ¡°You Geranomy brothers are really something. I should have listened to myself and cut ties with you after Trevor acted like a dick when Keily had her little fainting spell. And when you didn¡¯t do anything about her even after she bitched at me in my kitchen. Speaking of the obsessed little girl,¡± ¡°Little girl?!¡± She shrieked then shut her trap when I looked sharply at her. ¡°I know you two need to cater to her oh-so-fragile ego and completely irrational desires so Greg, you should probably just give the child what she wants so she can stop throwing tantrums.¡± ¡°Child?!¡± I ignored her, ¡°I mean, she¡¯s already got you wrapped around her tiny finger so it¡¯s inevitable, why else would you believe her so readily when you know her history of squabbling with people she knows are more likely to beat her at a game she doesn¡¯t realise nobody¡¯s playing with her.¡± Throughout, the boys¡¯ expressions remained remorseful, hoping, pleading for forgiveness through their eyes. Their unspoken pleas fell on deaf ears. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± I moved to close the door but the two of them pushed on it. ¡°Ari,¡± Greg cried, ¡°please wait! We¡¯re sorry!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why I felt the need to be suspicious, you¡¯re perfect.¡± Trevor added. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re everything. But please understand, we¡¯ve known Hailey and Keily forever. We were just worried.¡± That was one of the reasons I was mad ¨C because they¡¯d do almost anything to keep the twins safe. They were real friends that stuck by despite Keily¡¯s antics and went full on defence mode when they thought Hailey was in danger. I¡¯d never had that. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. They were loyal and I became the enemy. The target of their suspicion and doubt. The bad egg. The stranger. For a moment, I was the Omega again. I hated it. ¡°Good, so for the sake of that precious bond you have, I¡¯ll cut myself out of the picture.¡± Keily scoffed. I snapped. Multiple things happened simultaneously. Throwing the doors wide open, I lunged at her. The boys, who had been pushing on the doors, lost their balance and fell forward. I heard Hailey get up and run towards us as fast as she could without raising suspicion. Keily and I tumbled on the hard ground, fighting for dominance. She clawed at my hair and I did the same to her arm. Somehow, she ended up on top. ¡°YOU¡¯VE TAKEN EVERYTHING SINCE YOU GOT HERE! EVERYTHING! THE ATTENTION, GREG, MY FUCKING SISTER! JUST LEAVE ALREADY!¡± She tried to claw at my face. I caught her arms and shifted my weight. She lost her balance and I tipped the scales, putting me on top. ¡°I DIDN¡¯T DO JACK SHIT! MAYBE IF YOU WEREN¡¯T SUCH AN ENTITLED BITCH, YOU¡®D SEE THAT!¡± I alternated between clenched fists and clawing at her pampered flesh. Hailey and the boys couldn¡¯t decide between trying to pull me off her and not knowing what to do. ¡°CUT THE CRAP! YOU¡¯RE SUCH A PERFECT LITTLE PRINCESS! THEY EVEN SAID IT THEMSELVES ¨C YOU¡¯RE EVERYTHING! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I GO THROUGH! YOU HAVE IT MADE!¡± She screamed through trying, and mostly failing, to block my attacks. Who was she to think she could talk? ¡°YOU DON¡¯T KNOW ANYHTING! DON¡¯T ASSUME SHIT YOU CAN¡¯T HANDLE!¡± ¡°TRY ME!¡± We went back to rolling, trading blows as we did. Suddenly, she was pulled off by one of the guys. I flipped off the ground and moved to where she was struggling against the arms that held her but was pulled back by two sets of arms. ¡°Ari! Please stop!¡± Hailey groaned from behind me. I struggled against her and Greg. ¡°I told you it was a bad idea to bring her! We should¡¯ve dropped her at her place.¡± Trevor yelled from behind her. ¡°We were in a hurry!¡± Greg shouted back, huffing. ¡°Yeah, now we¡¯ve got a cat fight on our hands and it¡¯s midnight!¡± ¡°No shit, Sherlock!¡± Hailey added. ¡°STOP TOUCHING HIM!¡± Keily shrieked. ¡°HE¡¯S TOUCHING ME, BITCH!¡± Trevor rolled his eyes and threw her over his shoulder. As she kicked and screamed, pounding on his back, he walked carefully to us and plopped her into Greg¡¯s arms, bridal style. She continued to struggle till she realised who was carrying her and quite literally melted against his chest. Trevor turned to me, ¡°We¡¯re so sorry, Ari. We just wanted to apologise for all those horrible things we said.¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll make it up to you. Dinner, bowling, movies¡­ anything. It¡¯ll be our treat.¡± Keily tensed in his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Just take your stalker and leave. I don¡¯t want to see any of you again.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t leave things like this.¡± ¡°Leave.¡± ¡°We¡¯re so-¡± ¡°Leave! Go away already and if I ever see any of you three here again, I¡¯ll make sure none of you will be able to walk, ever.¡± They flinched, eyes wide and retreated to their car. Hailey and I remained outside for several minutes ¨C me trying to calm myself down and her glancing cautiously between my face and their retreating taillights. Finally somewhat calm, I spun on my heel and marched back inside and straight to my room. Hailey followed, locking the front door behind her. She stopped at my door before I could close it. Her eyes expressed her internal argument to say something profound before she sighed, ¡°Goodnight, Ari.¡± ¡°Goodnight.¡± She walked away and I closed the door. Back pressed against the wood, my eyes swept the room and landed on the picture the boys had given me. It sat there, perched on the bedside able, taunting me with memories of what I¡¯d so desperately wished for, what I¡¯d just lost. I glared at it and it stared back till my vision glazed over with a memory. A newly six-year-old me ran, fat tears raining from my eyes. A few hours prior, I¡¯d woken to my mother¡¯s absence and, desperately in search of her, had gone to the one creature my young mind had had the capacity to despise, Clark. In his office, he¡¯d told me how my mother left because she couldn¡¯t stand to be around a disgrace like me, that I was the root of everyone¡¯s problems and he was going to make sure I never forgot it. I¡¯d called him a liar and he¡¯d snapped, slapping me over and over, calling me horrible things till he was satisfied. Tattered and broken, in more ways than one, I¡¯d made my way to where I knew Kylie would be at that time. What I¡¯d arrived to broke my heart all over again. There sat Kylie, happy as could be, playing clapping games with the people we¡¯d referred to as the Meanies before the term Slut Squad had been coined. I¡¯d recognised the one they were doing at that moment and realised that she¡¯d taught them our special one. It wasn¡¯t till she got to the part where they had to spin around that she saw me. ¡°K-Kylie¡­why¡¯re you p-playing On the Mountain with them¡­?¡± I¡¯d sobbed in a small voice. ¡°Because they¡¯re my friends.¡± ¡°B-but, they¡¯re¡­ we¡­¡± She¡¯d stared at me, eyes wide. To anyone else, she¡¯d look like she was sent from above, but to me, she looked like a destroyer of souls. ¡°We?¡± She¡¯d asked, coy. I¡¯d trembled, ¡°T-that¡¯s our game¡­¡± They¡¯d burst into laughter, as though I¡¯d told a joke. I¡¯d sobbed again. If Kylie had been the destroyer of souls, Brittany had been the Reaper, hungry for everything but food. When I¡¯d found out she and her twin brother, Harry, were my half siblings, I¡¯d tried to approach her, eager to have a big sister. It hadn¡¯t ended well. Picking up a medium sized rock, she¡¯d said, ¡°My tutor taught me a new word today. Chuck. It can be a boy¡¯s name but it also means throw. He said British people say it a lot.¡± She¡¯d smiled and then, I¡¯d known, evil was real, ¡°Let¡¯s make a new game. It¡¯s called Chuck it at the Chicken. All you have to do is throw anything you can at the Chicken and see how much you can get it to cluck till it goes to sleep.¡± I¡¯d backed away slowly, dreading her next words. Before I could have reached the door, one of their friends had closed it behind me. They¡¯d circled me, like vultures, waiting for their command. ¡°Daddy says you have no name and we should call you Omega. So, Omega is the Chicken.¡± That had been all it took for their collective assault to begin. Rocks, twigs, acorns and the like had pelted my small body as I¡¯d fallen into a fetal position, covering my head. I¡¯d cried and cried, heaving sobs that left me breathless. ¡°Omega,¡± Kylie had said between throwing stones, ¡°you¡¯re the Chicken. You need to cluck.¡± ¡°Yeah, cluck!¡± Brittany yelled. ¡°Cluck!¡± Another voice parroted. Soon, they were chanting ¡°Cluck¡± at the top of their lungs as they continued giving me bruises. One of them threw a particularly large rock, breaking a bone. I¡¯d screamed then finally clucked through my sobs, wishing myself to be anywhere else, till I¡¯d fallen into unconsciousness. Screaming, I flung the picture across the room. It hit the wall, leaving a dent, and shattered. ¡®Nat¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡¯ Candy said, pity in her voice. ¡®I don¡¯t need your pity or apology. What I need is revenge.¡¯ I took my sweats off and climbed into bed, ¡®Tomorrow, we find our manpower.¡¯ Chapter 29 - Road Trip Natalia¡¯s P. O. V The next day, I rose before the sun, per usual. From the even rhythm of her breathing, I knew Hailey was still asleep. I climbed out of bed and laid it, carefully, to avoid waking her. Once I was through with that, I changed into my workout clothes and moved to the window. Opening it carefully, I balanced on the sill then dropped to the ground below, landing in a crouch. Standing, I broke into a run, speeding around the city. ¡®We should probably convert one of the rooms into a training room.¡¯ Candy said twenty minutes in. I nodded. She waited some time, then continued, ¡®Maybe we should look around the house. There has to be an attic we can use.¡¯ I nodded. Another pause, then, ¡®The house is so big but, if werewolves will be staying, there are only a few rooms¡­ maybe we could extend the house or split some rooms?¡¯ I stopped at the front door, ¡®Candy, you don¡¯t get to keep secrets and be cryptic then expect to get away with pretending like everything¡¯s fine. You¡¯re my wolf and I¡¯m your human so we shouldn¡¯t need to keep anything from each other¡¯ ¡®I know, I just¡­¡¯ She trailed off. When it was obvious she wasn¡¯t going to say anything so I went round the house to the garden and scaled a tree then leapt into my open window. As I took a shower, I heard Hailey get out of bed and go downstairs. Shortly afterwards, the scent of bacon wafted around the house. When I was done, I dried off and dressed in black leggings and a blue button down dress shirt. ¡°Morning, Ari. Oh, you¡¯re already dressed, must be an early riser. I¡¯m not really a morning person. Sleep well? I slept like a baby, the bed is so perfect. I made breakfast, hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Hailey greeted as I stepped into the kitchen. I smiled as I took the plate she handed me, ¡°Good morning, Hailey. Yes, I slept well. I¡¯m glad you like your bed. No, I don¡¯t mind, thank you for making breakfast.¡± ¡°No problem, it¡¯s the least I could do since you¡¯ve put up with me even after yesterday. I should have told the boys where I was.¡± I shook my head, ¡°None of that was your fault and you don¡¯t owe anyone other than your guardian an explanation of where you are. Keily just blew everything out of proportion and she¡¯s not your responsibility.¡± Hailey smiled warmly as we sat at the island to eat in comfortable silence. Halfway through, I informed her of my decision. ¡°We¡¯re going on a road trip.¡± She swallowed the food she¡¯d been chewing, ¡°Okay but why?¡± ¡°I found a map of the location of packs in the book I was reading. Most of the ones I¡¯m looking for were there so we¡¯re going to see if it¡¯s still accurate.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Crestwood village six, New Jersey.¡± ¡°Cool. I¡¯ve never been to New Jersey.¡± She said then polished off the last of her food. I finished up with my food and took our plates to the kitchen, ¡°You have a driver¡¯s licence, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t have a car.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll rent one. I¡¯ll handle the dishes while you take a shower then we can pack. There¡¯s a forest there. The next full moon is in two days and will last for two nights. We¡¯ll stay there for five days. How does that sound?¡± ¡°Great! I¡¯ve never shifted in a forest before, Opelene¡¯s so excited!¡± She grinned then practically skipped away to get ready. I smiled as I cleaned up. When I was done, I returned to my room to prepare for the trip, packing mostly jeans and a few shorts then my night and workout clothes, shoes and a few other necessities into my duffel bag. While I was trying to decide whether or not I needed my spelled jacket, a knock sounded at my door. ¡°Come in.¡± I mumbled. Hailey opened the door and skipped in, ¡°You done packing?¡± I shook my head and held the jacket up, ¡°Almost. I¡¯m trying to decide whether or not to bring this.¡± ¡°Why would you need it? Won¡¯t you get hot?¡± ¡°Kaesha spelled it for me.¡± ¡°Okay. Hey, why don¡¯t we invite her? Since she¡¯s gonna be our pack witch.¡± ¡°Good idea, but she said she¡¯s busy for the rest of the week. I¡¯ll still call though. And she can help us out with those visions you said you get when you shift.¡± Her voice fell flat, ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ the visions.¡± I took my gaze off the jacket and raised a brow at her strained smile. Whatever those visions played out was obviously a thing to dread. She didn¡¯t make any move to elaborate on her reaction so I returned my attention to my jacket. ¡°You can tell me when you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Thanks, Ari.¡± I shot her a smile then stuffed the jacket in my bag and zipped it. Throwing the strap over my shoulder, I stood, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Hailey nodded then left my room, with me closing the door after I passed. She picked her own travel bag up from its spot beside my doorway. As we descended the stairs, I took my phone out of my shirt pocket and dialled Kaesha¡¯s number. After four rings, she picked, ¡°Hey, Ava. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Morning, Kaesha. I was just calling to let you know that Hailey and I are going on a road trip and were wondering if you could join us? I know you said you had to teach art classes for the rest of the week but we just thought to ask.¡± ¡°I guess I could. My class was almost empty yesterday since most of my students have gone on holiday. What time are you leaving? How long will you be gone?¡± ¡°As soon as possible, for five days. Six at most.¡± ¡°I could give them an assignment and take the week off. Can you wait while I email it to them and pack my things?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± She said, then hung up. Hailey and I set our bags down by the front door and went into the living room. ¡°Could I see the map and the list of packs?¡± Hailey asked, once seated. I nodded and went to retrieve my hand drawn copy of the map and the list Kirstin had written. Returning to the living room, I unrolled the map and laid it out on the coffee table. It spanned the entire continent of North America. ¡°The location of packs mostly populate areas with forestry, steering clear of metropolitan and city areas.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. I pointed at the packs in the Northern region, outside areas I imagined were habitable for humans in Canada, ¡°I think the wolves here have adapted with thicker fur coats and higher body temperatures. Naturally, packs are wary of outsiders and trespassers but they¡¯ll possibly be more ruthless and unreceptive. They¡¯re not on the list but they¡¯ll be strong allies so expect a trip to Canada sometime in the future.¡± I moved my finger to the South, to the southern border of the States, ¡°There are a few here. Being close to the border, they¡¯ll probably be more diplomatic and diverse. Diversity is good.¡± Hailey piped up, ¡°Oh, let¡¯s go there on the Mexican Day of the Dead. The festivities might put them at ease.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Maybe not this year though but let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°This is gonna be so much fun! New Jersey, Canada, Mexico, we¡¯re gonna travel a lot and see so many things.¡± I smiled at her, her childlike excitement was contagious. I was also looking forward to the trips we¡¯d take. I returned my attention to the map, ¡°We¡¯re gonna need to find our territory and mark it.¡± ¡°How about here?¡± She pointed to an unoccupied forest halfway between Manhattan and the Lightwood pack. ¡°Perfect.¡± ¡°What¡¯s perfect?¡± Hailey and I whipped around, her ready to pounce as I defaulted to a fighting stance. Only when we recognised Kaesha did we relax. ¡°Don¡¯t sneak up on us like that.¡± I near hissed. Kaesha raised her free hand up in a surrender gesture, ¡°Relax, I just used my magic to teleport here. I thought it¡¯d be faster.¡± Hailey reverted back to excitement, ¡°That¡¯s so cool! Can you teleport with other people?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I have to have been to the place first myself. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t teleport to Ava¡¯s place the first time.¡± ¡°So you can¡¯t take us to Crestwood Village six in New Jersey?¡± I asked. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Alright, then, let¡¯s go.¡± We left the house with our luggage and I made sure to lock up. The air had warmed since my morning run and the light morning dew had fled. As we left the gate to my driveway, Kaesha turned to me. ¡°Want me to spell your house while we¡¯re gone?¡± I nodded. I wasn¡¯t too sure that Keily wouldn¡¯t be back to do some damage if she knew I was out of the city. I¡¯d seen the look in her eyes ¨C she wouldn¡¯t stop at a simple ¡®cat fight¡¯ in front of my house but I¡¯d be ready for her. I had pulled my punches that night and, once we were alone, would show her what I could really do. Kaesha motioned for me to close the gate then she stood before it with a hand outstretched. As she worked, my mind wandered to Mrs Burton and the Syrens. I¡¯d almost completely forgotten about them. I¡¯d be back within the week so they wouldn¡¯t miss me too much. ¡®You¡¯re the heir to the Syren throne. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be responsible to just up and leave like that.¡¯ Candy said quietly. I was still miffed at her, but her reasoning made sense. The only problem was how I was going to let them know I¡¯d be gone. ¡°Do you guys know where to rent a car from?¡± I asked. They shook their heads. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s split up to find one. Kaesha, you go down that way,¡± I said, pointing to one street, ¡°Hailey, you go down that way,¡± I pointed to another one, ¡°and I¡¯ll go down that way.¡± I concluded, pointing at the way to Super Banking, ¡°If one of us find a car rental, we call the others.¡± I started down the street before they could say anything. I turned back to look at them and noted that they¡¯d started down their respective paths. Once they were out of sight, I looked around. Spotting no one around, I took off, heading towards the Super Banking building. The increasingly familiar calm enveloped me as I walked through the front doors. ¡°Good morning, Your High- I mean Natalia. How are you today?¡± Melody greeted, bowing her head slightly. I smiled, ¡°Morning Melody. Is Mrs Burton in?¡± Melody nodded, ¡°Yes. She should be finishing up with a meeting right about now but I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be available once I tell her you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I was just stopping by to tell her that I¡¯ll be going out of the state for a few days.¡± Melody suddenly went white and fumbled for the phone on her desk. ¡°Oh no¡­ oh no, no, no¡­ this isn¡¯t good.¡± She dialled a number and held the receiver to her ear, ¡°Hello? Gaiana? Please inform Mrs Burton that Her Highneeh¡­ uhh Natalia intends to make a trip and we need to mobilise the guards and request five guard squad changes. Possibly more.¡± ¡°On it! Right away!¡± I heard Gaiana respond then rushed away from the phone. ¡°Melody,¡± I said a low voice, ¡°there¡¯s no need for that. I-¡± I was cut off by Mrs Burton bursting out of the earthy hallway. She offered a polite smile but her eyes gave away how she was planning who-knows-what in her head. ¡°Good morning, Natalia. If you would come this way please?¡± She said, directing me to the hallway. We made the trip to her office in silence. Once inside, she bowed to me, ¡°It is a pleasure to see you again, Your Highness. I have been informed that you will be taking a trip. When will you be departing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving today. There¡¯s no need for the guards or anything like that. I just came to inform you.¡± Then I added once I noted she was still bent over, ¡°Please don¡¯t bow, Mrs Burton.¡± She stood erect, ¡°You are most likely the only of the Syrenlina bloodline that still lives. Our whole world is tied to your life. To not ensure that you are well protected would be highly irresponsible of me.¡± I crossed my arms, ¡°But I¡¯ve been fine on my own till now.¡± Mrs Burton nodded curtly, ¡°That may be so but you were still attacked last night and met with a lone witch yesterday. While those encounters ended relatively easily, we-¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been following me?¡± I asked incredulously. ¡®How did we not notice?¡¯ Mrs Burton nodded again, ¡°Yes, Your Highness. An elite squad cloaked with magic has been keeping watch over you at a distance since your status had been established. But now that you will be leaving the city, they may need to protect you at a closer proximity.¡± I didn¡¯t need my Syren, Werewolf and Human lives interfering with each other. Sending in guards cloaked with magic on the trip may alert Kaesha to their presence. She¡¯d alert me and Hailey and I¡¯d need to explain their presence to her to prevent her from getting too paranoid. I wasn¡¯t ready to reveal my Syren life to them yet. ¡°The guards will need to follow at a distance. I¡¯ll be travelling with a witch and a Werewolf and I¡¯m not ready to explain to them why we¡¯ll be tailed.¡± I compromised. I¡¯d have preferred to go without the guards at all but I knew she would send them anyway. ¡°As you wish, Your Highness.¡± I turned to leave then stopped, ¡°Do the guards know¡­?¡± ¡°No, Your Highness. They believe that you are a common Syren with no relatives that has not been uncovered yet. Orphaned Syrens are often protected till their uncovering then taken to the School for Syrens, although your guards are more numerous and elite.¡± I sighed, relieved, ¡°Thank you Mrs Burton.¡± She bowed again, ¡°You are most welcome, Your Highness.¡± As I was waiting in the elevator, my phone rang. As I checked the caller ID, I decided I needed to change the ringtone. ¡°Hey, Hailey. Did you find something?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a bit far so I think a taxi might be in order.¡± ¡°All right,¡± I said as the doors slid open and I stepped out into the hallway, ¡°just give me the address.¡± She recited the address to me. ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± I stated then hung up, waving a goodbye to Melody as I passed. Once outside the building, the calm receded and I sighed, hailing a cab and reciting my destination to the driver. The drive didn¡¯t take too long so the bill didn¡¯t amount to much. Thanking the driver, I exited the cab with my bag just as Kaesha was pulling up in another one. Hailey stood outside, waiting for us, ¡°Come on! I¡¯ve found a Sienna that¡¯s really spacious. Let¡¯s rent it before someone else does!¡± Kaesha and I laughed as we followed her inside. A bored looking employee attended to us at the desk. ¡°Welcome to RoadLoans Agency. What can I do for you?¡± The boy asked Kaesha, since she looked ¨C and was ¨C the oldest out of us. Hailey looked at me with pleading eyes. I kept my face impassive for a few minutes before rolling my eyes with a smile and nodding. ¡°Yay! Thank you, Ari!¡± She hugged me then looked smugly at the boy, ¡°We¡¯re renting the big Sienna you took me to look at.¡± The boy rolled his eyes, ¡°I already told you, that car isn¡¯t something someone like you,¡± He glared pointedly at Kaesha, who blocked me from his view, and Hailey, ¡°can rent.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Kaesha challenged. ¡°I mean that Hailey and her trashy friends aren¡¯t good enough to have the kind of money you need to rent the Sienna.¡± Hailey and I growled lowly at his comment and Kaesha made a few small objects start rattling. The boy stared back, a little confused but mostly unyielding. I stepped around Kaesha and glared at him, careful to make sure my eyes didn¡¯t start glowing. Without looking away, I reached into my pocked and pulled out my wallet. ¡°We¡¯ll be taking the Sienna.¡± I said with finality, placing my platinum card on the counter top. His eyes widened slightly, still holding some sceptism. Only when I made the payment did he have the decency to look ashamed as he handed me the keys to the car. ¡°See ya, Lance.¡± Hailey sneered as we sauntered away. ¡°You know him?¡± Keasha questioned from the backseat once we were in the vehicle, with Hailey behind the wheel. Next to me, Hailey rolled her eyes, ¡°Yeah, unfortunately¡­ he took me out once and I ended up embarrassing him.¡± She shook her head and started up the car. ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Turning up the radio, she grinned and pumped a fist into the air, ¡°Road trip!¡± Chapter 30 - Good Work Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°You ¨C make ¨C me! Feel like I¡¯m livin¡¯ a- teen-age dream! The way you turn me on! I ¨C can¡¯t ¨C sleep! Let¡¯s run away and DON¡¯T EVER LOOK BACK! DON¡¯T EVER LOOK BACK!¡± Hailey was singing at the top of her lungs, swinging her head wildly so her, high ponytail kept flying around. It never hit me but she did swerve the car a few times and almost got us into a minor accident more than once. Let¡¯s just say that I found out what the handle on the hood of the car was for. ¡°Hailey,¡± I breathed deeply through my nose in an attempt to ease my galloping heart as she narrowly missed another accident, my knuckles white as I gripped the handle, ¡°could you please slow down?! And focus on the road!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t steady this death trap, I will drive it myself!¡± Kaesha yelled tensely from the back. My guess was that she did not like cars. Hailey laughed, not the least bit apologetic, ¡°Sorry guys. But, Kaesha,¡± She glanced back at the slightly nauseous witch for longer than advisable, in my opinion, ¡°are you scared of cars?¡± ¡°I am not scared!¡± Kaesha defended, indignation shining in her voice, ¡°I just get a little motion sickness in vehicles. And your reckless driving isn¡¯t helping anything!¡± This time, I joined in as Hailey laughed. ¡°Oh, you think it¡¯s funny?¡± Kaesha said. Then I was gripped with a sudden urge to empty the contents of my stomach. A short glance at Hailey showed that she was also green faced. ¡°Alright! Alright!¡± She conceded, ¡°I¡¯ll drive safer! Just make it stop!¡± Kaesha undid whatever she¡¯d done in the first place and laughed as Hailey and I gulped down air. ¡°Why¡¯d you do it to me?¡± I complained as Hailey pouted, muttering about killjoys. Through the rear view mirror, I saw her shrug, ¡°You laughed at me.¡± I simply shook my head and turned to gaze at the rapidly passing scenery, a smile on my face. I had allies, friends and a little family. And they were willing to help me. Listening to Hailey¡¯s pouty complaints and Kaesha¡¯s smug remarks, I was happy. Kirstin¡¯s P. O. V Heels clicking and hips swaying, I strutted down the hallway on the short trip to Brittany¡¯s room. I felt the gazes of horny males and a few jealous females. I had long since gotten used to the attention living the ¡®Brittany way¡¯ attracted. ¡°Come¡­ come in!¡± Brittany¡¯s breathy voice came at my knock. I opened the door, cringing at the sock hanging on the handle, and stepped in, shutting it behind me. ¡°Kirstin¡­¡± She breathed, entangled in her sheets and comforter with one of her guys. When he popped his head out to wink at me, I recognised him. He was her favourite of all of them and was the one she went the most rounds with. I wracked my head for his name: Dexter? Darik? ¡°Didn¡¯t know you liked to watch, Kirstin.¡± He gave me a sly side grin, ¡°Wanna join?¡± Derek. Definitely Derek. I smirked and shook my head, giving a short laugh, ¡°Not into threesomes, Derek.¡± ¡°You sure you don¡¯t wanna try?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± He made a half shrugging motion and resumed whatever the hell he was doing with Brittany under there. To occupy myself, I silently inspected her room again as I recorded them. It wasn¡¯t really much to look at. She had a few posters of the Royal Werewolves and power quotes here and there. Contrary to the stereotype that followed people with her kind of reputation, her room didn''t have a trace of pink in it. I was pretty sure she despised the colour. Said it made her want to gorge her eyes out. Instead, her favourite colour was yellow - light dusty yellow to be exact. The colour of her wolf. Ironically, she hated her wolf. Sitting there, passively observing her room as she rode wave after wave of ecstasy ¨C as she liked to call it, I realised I¡¯d gone numb to the vivaciousness of her activities. It no longer seemed to bother me how comfortable she could be as she cheated on Callum time and time again, without a trace of guilt. I¡¯d have to analyse how her mind worked later. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I stood and decided to subtly snoop around. On more than one occasion, I¡¯d found secret stashes of money and profiles on some really important members of Werewolf society but, save for taking photos for later reference, those held no interest to me. Still, I wandered around lazily, hoping to find more. Her room was meticulously clean. Not a single object out of place. She hated messes, that much I could tell. It showed in her nitpicky eating and spotless locker at school. Every single poster was perfectly straight and every one of her clothes were neatly ironed and hung in her mini walk in closet. But, again, save for now having knowledge of her borderline OCD under my sparkly black belt, this information was technically useless. Still. I took note. Minutes passed, and when I noted that the pair were nearly tired out, I shut off the recorder. ¡°Kirstin?¡± Brittany stood just as I closed the app, wrapping a previously neatly folded sky blue towel around herself, ¡°I think us girls should hang out. I need something to eat after all that exercise.¡± She joked. Derek laughed and I forced a giggle. ¡°Be a dear and round up the others. And tell the Omega to pack a picnic for us.¡± ¡°On it.¡± I nodded as she breezed past, giving Derek a peck on the lips on her way to the bathroom. He ¡®mmm¡¯-ed appreciatively. ¡°Derek, change my sheets. Then leave before my mate gets back.¡± She ordered before firmly shutting the bathroom door behind her. He gave a short laugh, infinitely humourless, before getting to work. A sudden scowl marring his admittedly handsome face. Interesting. I promptly left to do as I was told, making a mental note to coax his true feelings about Brittany out of him later. Turning a corner, I nearly barrelled into Kylie. ¡°Sorry, Luna.¡± I mumbled, bowing my head and doing my damnest to appear apologetic. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She looked uncomfortable. Good. ¡°Brittany wants us to hang out. She sent me to tell you guys.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be ready.¡± She started down the hallway. I let her get a few paces away before calling out to her, ¡°Luna, please wait!¡± She turned slowly, apprehensive. I kicked my acting skills into gear, letting regret flirt across my face, opening my mouth and closing it several times in faux hesitation. I congratulated myself internally as I saw the tension ease significantly from her demeanour. ¡°Kirstin¡­? What is it?¡± I briefly cast my eyes to the floor before looking back at her, avoiding her gaze, ¡°I- I just¡­ I wanted to say I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I said quietly, managing to force the words past my lips. From my peripheral, I could see her expression of utter surprise and sceptism. I shifted my feet, laying my remorseful expression on thick, ¡°You and Alpha Lightwood have always been together. You¡¯re the perfect couple in every way. La Luna obviously made a mistake when she paired me with him.¡± I looked away, casting my eyes to my left before dragging them back to her now sympathetic face, ¡°But even though all that¡­ despite every obstacle¡­ you two faced everything and you still stuck together.¡± By now, Kylie had moved close enough for me to grab her hand. I grasped it gently when really, I wanted to squeeze it hard enough to turn her bones to mush. ¡°He is your true mate. I will never be worthy of him,¡± I stated, winding down my performance, ¡°and I¡¯m so sorry if I¡¯ve made you two uncomfortable.¡± I paused for empathetic effect. ¡°Could you ever forgive me?¡± Kylie¡¯s guard had completely lowered as she stared at me with wide, forgiving eyes, ¡°Of course! There¡¯s nothing to forgive.¡± She consoled. I let a hesitant smile if relief grace my face, ¡°Thank you so much, Luna.¡± I bowed my head. ¡®Try your gift on her.¡¯ Gracine suddenly prompted. I wasn¡¯t too sure. I¡¯d never actually used it on people before and I didn¡¯t want to mess up what I¡¯d just achieved with my intense acting. ¡®Her guard¡¯s completely lowered now.¡¯ She persisted, ¡®There¡¯s no better time.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t wrong. Taking a deep breath, I willed myself to relax and raised my eyes to meet hers. Her brows knitted together briefly before the green of her eyes clouded over and her expression went blank. ¡®It worked!¡¯ I cheered, doing a little happy dance. Then I stopped, ¡®What now?¡¯ ¡®Ask her about her real mate.¡¯ I stared at her clouded eyes, ¡°Who is your real mate and what happened after you rejected him on the night of the birthday party?¡± ¡°My real mate is Andrea Daniel Bennett, Battle General of the Lightwood pack.¡± She responded, voice monotonous and subdued, ¡°I rejected him on the night of the birthday party then went to make out with Callum Jacob Howling to take my mind off of it. The previous Omega burst into the room and tore me of him, claiming he was her mate. He denied her and we beat her up a bit then went back to making out while she limped out of the room and passed out. Some minutes later, Callum claimed he wanted to use the bathroom and left. I heard him hit the previous Omega a few times before rejecting her. Then she accepted the rejection. He returned to the room and we resumed for a while till I left, not wanting to be caught cheating on Harry Theodore Lightwood. I found Harry back at the party, about to touch Kirstin Lina Crest, who I assumed was his mate. I snapped him out of his trance and went ahead to the bedroom when he told me to. I assumed he was rejecting her. Some minutes afterwards, I heard her threaten me through the mind link. I was terrified as he and I had se-¡± I interrupted her, not wanting to hear any more, ¡°Okay! Thank you, that¡¯s enough!¡± I fished a voice recorder out of my pocket and handed it to her. Then I led her to a bathroom. Brittany always took at least two hours in the shower so I figured I had some time. ¡°Answer the question again then elaborate on five of your dark secrets. Once you¡¯re done, hide the recorder in the top cabinet. Then snap out of it.¡± I commanded, then pressed the record button and turned a faucet on just as she started talking. Smirking, I left her locked in the bathroom to fulfil my initial task from Brittany. ¡®Good work.¡¯ Chapter 31 - Start Talking Natalia¡¯s P. O. V After Kaesha quite literally set Hailey on a safer path, the drive went a lot smoother. Hailey still sang at the top of her lungs, swerving slightly once in a while, and Kaesha still looked supremely uncomfortable, fidgeting and tinkering with a sculpture she¡¯d conjured from her dorm room. I kept myself busy with doing my best to complete the summary on the Packs, Alliances and Rogues book I¡¯d read the previous night, but was having a little trouble due to the sudden jerks the car made under Hailey¡¯s increasingly restless command. Then she opened her mouth, but not to sing again, ¡°I¡¯m bored¡­¡± Kaesha and I raised our heads to look at her. ¡°I can see that.¡± We replied simultaneously. She was silent again for a while the spoke up again, ¡°I wanna do something!¡± ¡°You mean something other than murdering our ears?¡± Kaesha quipped, looking back down at her sculpture. ¡°Hey! I¡¯ll have you know that I won a sparkly pink ribbon for my singing in the third grade.¡± Kaesha snickered while I raised a brow. ¡°Okay, fine! So my singing isn¡¯t the best¡­ but you should be grateful it¡¯s me and not Keily.¡± We shared a look and shuddered. ¡°Who¡¯s Keily?¡± We looked back at her for a few seconds, only to whip back around when the heavy horn of a lorry blared straight at us. And it was right in our path¡­ or we were in its. We screamed. Kaesha and I grabbed onto the nearest stable object as Hailey tried to wrestle the wheel under control. A horn blared. We managed to get out of its way but the world still spun. Nauseous. A railing zoomed towards Hailey¡¯s side and rammed the car. The universe rocked. White exploded. I was shoved backwards, pressed violently into my seat. The car somersaulted, flipping and flipping and flipping and¡­ I lost count. Dizzy. I heard Kaesha chant as Hailey continued screaming with her apparently bottomless lungs. I struggled to breathe, white taking the place air should have been. We sailed through the sky, a blur of blue, green and grey visible outside my window. It stopped. Disorientation gripped me as I tried to rationalise which way was up. Chilling silence reigned. Then Kaesha groaned behind me. ¡°Ava?! Hailey?! Are you guys okay?! Answer me!¡± ¡°Alive¡­¡± Hailey croaked, voice hoarse and gravelly, ¡°Ari?¡± I wrestled enough air down to wheeze a weak, ¡°Kay¡­¡± Kaesha muttered a word and the white faded, the air bag deflating. Beside me, Hailey¡¯s did the same. I slumped forward as far as the seat belt welded against my chest would allow, trying to make up for my oxygen depravity. My vision still swam. Kaesha said another word and the seatbelt ripped down the middle, allowing me to properly breathe. ¡°I thought¡­ you don¡¯t chant¡­¡± I said once my vision cleared. ¡°My mind is a mess,¡± Kaesha said after a while, ¡°if I don¡¯t use the stupid words right now, my magic won¡¯t focus.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± Hailey commented, lacking her usual enthusiasm. Suddenly, we were descending. Gently but still going down. Till now, I hadn¡¯t noticed that the car seemed to be hovering above ground level. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± Panic crept into Hailey¡¯s tone as she looked at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I turned slightly so that Kaesha was visible through my peripheral, ¡°Kaesha? You were chanting earlier, right?¡± She shook her head, ¡°It isn¡¯t me. I only casted protection spells on the three of us. This isn¡¯t even magic.¡± ¡®The guards.¡¯ Candy reminded me. Syrens had special abilities, not magic, ¡®Shit, what do I tell them?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know but you need to think of something fast.¡¯ The car bounced slightly, touching the ground. Kaesha and Hailey scrambled outside and I followed in suit. We moved to the rear side of the car, tense and ready for a fight. A boy, a bit older than Kaesha, stood, panting with his hands on his knees. Sweat drops beaded his forehead as his hard brown eyes glared tersely at us. His clothes, too tight, stretched over his deep brown skin and muscles that spoke of years of manual labour. Overall, he didn¡¯t seem suspicious, save for one detail: he smelled like a Rogue. ¡°Who¡¯re-¡± Hailey started, then stopped as I held a hand up. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Hail, be ready to attack or run. Kaesha, ready an attack and a defence spell.¡± I instructed lowly. Thankfully, neither questioned me. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, by the way.¡± He snapped, standing straight, then focused his glare on me, ¡°What¡¯s a newbie Rogue doing in a car with a witch and a human?¡± ¡°Who¡¯re you calling a Rogue, Rogue?¡± I bit back. He sniffed the air, ¡°Could¡¯ve fooled me with that smell.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Lone Wolf. There¡¯s a difference.¡± He didn¡¯t relax, ¡°Explains why you don¡¯t smell like death¡­ yet.¡± ¡°Neither do you, it seems.¡± There was blood in the air but he didn¡¯t seem to have that stench of decay that followed notorious Rogues. The more Pack Werewolves they killed, the worse the stench. He bent into a fighting stance, his arms tenser than necessary, ¡°Might not stay that way.¡± My eyes narrowed, and Hailey and Kaesha stiffened beside me, ¡°Is that a threat?¡± ¡°Only if you are.¡± ¡°What is he talking about?¡± Hailey questioned. He scoffed, ¡°I see the human¡¯s in the dark.¡± Hailey bared her teeth, canines lengthening, ¡°I¡¯m not human.¡± ¡°So it seems.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± I demanded. He cocked his head, ¡°So they didn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The Pack that sent you.¡± Kaesha scowled, ¡°We¡¯re here on our own.¡± He stared at Kaesha long and hard, assessing her, ¡°Witches don¡¯t normally work for packs.¡± He admitted, ¡°But they also don¡¯t normally ride with two Werewolves. I don¡¯t believe you.¡± He looked ready to attack and judging by how he¡¯d stopped the Sienna mid-air and lowered it to the grass, he was a gifted Werewolf. ¡°We don¡¯t care!¡± Hailey snapped. His eyes glowed briefly and he flung an arm at us. The tree beside him followed the motion, branches racing to confine or impale, we never knew. Hailey dashed out of the way, leaping and running on and over them. The ones headed for Kaesha went limp, shrivelling up. I barrelled forwards, avoiding them with quick movements as I rushed at him. His breathing was heavy and more sweat glazed on his forehead. He was tired. With each arm movement, trees, logs and stumps moved to do his bidding. But he also grew more worn out. His gift didn¡¯t seem to be designed for continuous usage and it showed as he huffed and puffed with even the slightest twitch. Leaping over the last of the branches, I landed sitting on his shoulders. He yelped as I pulled our collective body weight backwards, steadying my hands on the ground before using my lower body strength so slam him down. Then I flipped so that I was sitting on his back, twisting an arm precariously behind him. The trees stopped. ¡°Who are you?¡± I demanded. He wheezed, ¡°You¡­ you know already. They hired you didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Who the hell are you talking about?¡± Kaesha groaned. Hailey flailed her arms, indicating all the twisted trees, ¡°Yeah, you just attacked us for no reason!¡± He was silent for a while. Then he spoke, ¡°You mean, you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°No!¡± We yelled in sync. ¡°Oh¡­ my bad¡­¡± Hailey growled in frustration. Then moaned with pain. My head snapped up to look at her. She was clutching her arm, several shards of glass and small pieces of metal poking out of it, some even lodged in her side. Blood almost completely coated her left side. ¡°Hailey!¡± I leapt off the jerk and raced to her as she sank to the floor. The injuries looked way too deep, even a Werewolf would need a pack doctor for them. Kaesha was by our side in seconds. I looked at her, ¡°Can you heal her?¡± ¡°Yes. But the wound¡¯s deep and she¡¯ll need blood. And I¡¯ll need to channel something to make it fast.¡± ¡°Channel me.¡± I grasped her hand. She nodded, ¡°Hailey, what¡¯s your blood type?¡± ¡°B¡­ negative.¡± Kaesha looked at me questioningly. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m O positive. Can¡¯t you?¡± She shook her head, ¡°AB negative.¡± Panic bubbled. I couldn¡¯t lose the one family member I liked. I could not lose my sister, ¡°We need blood!¡± ¡°Use mine.¡± I turned my head around so fast, it almost gave me whiplash. The jerk was standing slowly, rolling his shoulder I¡¯d been twisting some seconds prior. ¡°I¡¯m O negative.¡± Kaesha looked questioningly at me. I nodded. The jerk-turned-potential-saviour moved towards us. Kaesha summoned a knife and grabbed my hand. The guy moved his hands and the loose branches moved under Hailey and stretched out, forming a bed. Then he held his arms out to Kaesha. Kaesha didn¡¯t need to chant. She focused on Hailey and the pieces of glass and metal dislodged themselves from her. Blood flowed harder and she whimpered. ¡°Ari¡­¡± I held her hand and squeezed gently, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Once all the glass and metal was out, Kaesha dumped them on the grass and stabbed the guy¡¯s arm with her knife. When she took it out, the blood flowed through the air from his fresh injury to Hailey¡¯s. As Kaesha worked as fast as possible, the spell drew on my energy. Once she was satisfied, she focused on Hailey and closed the wounds. Then she did the same for the guy. ¡°Hailey?¡± I squeezed her hand. She sat up, smiling wide, ¡°Whoo, I feel so much better! Thanks you three!¡± Then she frowned, ¡°Kaesha, you have some glass shards on you. And you¡¯re bleeding a little.¡± We looked at Kaesha. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Silence and raised brows. She rolled her eyes, ¡°Okay, fine.¡± The pieces of glass fell off her skin and clothes. Those slightly lodged in her skin were pushed out as her bumps and cuts patched themselves up. ¡°Happy now?¡± I grinned, ¡°Immensely.¡± Then, turning to Hailey, I caught her in a hug, ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re alright!¡± I felt her arms return it as she smiled against my hair. Too soon, awkwardness crept on me and I let her go. Nevertheless, she smiled warmly and grabbed my hand, squeezing it. ¡°You¡¯ll get there.¡± She whispered. Then she turned and grabbed both Kaesha and the jerk in a group hug, thanking them in quick words that blurred together into barely understandable babbling. A full minute of thanks and reassurances ensured before she released them. Using the butt of my palm, I quickly shoved the jerk backwards. He near flew into a gnarled tree of his doing, back arched and gasping at the impact. I walked towards him, Kaesha and Hailey at my sides, surrounding him. Despite him helping us, he was still a Rogue Werewolf that had attacked us on the abandoned forest floor beneath a highway. He stared wearily up at me and I returned the look with a glare of my own, ¡°Start talking.¡± Chapter 32 - A Parasite of a Pack Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°My name is Timothy¡­¡± He began, then remained silent. Kaesha was all but done. She took a half step forward, hand trembling threateningly ¡°Explain yourself!¡± I subtly touched her elbow, trying to signal for her to calm down. Despite our obvious advantage over him, there was no telling what he could do to, at the very least, escape. Yes, he¡¯d helped Hailey, but he was also a Rogue that had stopped a falling car, right before attacking us out of the blue. The spell had weakened all of us and I knew a fight would not turn out well for either parties. Sure, we¡¯d most likely catch him, but only after we¡¯d sustained a few injuries. The way his gaze darted about moving between the three of us, but training mostly on me, put me on edge. He was cornered and he knew it. The most dangerous animals are always the trapped ones, desperate to get away. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away, Tim.¡± Hailey warned, shooting me a brief grin when I looked at her, then returning her gaze to him, ¡°So why don¡¯t you keep talking?¡± He glared at her for a while, before looking back at me. ¡°We¡¯re not your enemies.¡± I said, eyes unwaveringly on his, ¡°We just didn¡¯t appreciate you attacking us so suddenly and want to know why.¡± One last darting glance between the three of us, then he sighed, ¡°Not like I can take you three on anyway, even if I were at my full strength. And I¡¯m sure you know that, as cautious as you are, Ari.¡± He stated looking pointedly at me. Kaesha scoffed, ¡°Wow¡­ you¡¯re not a total idiot. Where was this revelation before you attacked us?¡± ¡°Three disoriented people who were in an accident? Pretty sure I could handle some spells a baby Rogue and a human girl.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Werewolf.¡± Hailey snarled. Kaesha continued, ¡°And how¡¯d that work out for you?¡± ¡°Still alive, aren¡¯t I?¡± He raised his chin, defiant. She crouched low, face level with his, ¡°You sure you¡¯d like to keep it that way, hun?¡± He smirked, ¡°Why¡¯d¡¯ya ask? You wanna switch it up for me?¡± Acting fast, he flicked his hand at her, causing the tree behind him to charge at her. Kaesha was considerably slower in her reaction but still effective as she held up a hand, withering it into lifelessness. Suppressing a groan, he leapt over the dead trunk and tried to slip past her. Hailey moved to jump into the fray, but I held an arm out, stopping her. Kaesha was extremely capable and I wanted to see how she would handle him on her own after such a spell. Timothy never got past Kaesha. If she was slow, he was slower and all she had to do was let her fingers brush his arm as he attempted to manoeuvre around her. He froze in his tracks. She placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning in to whisper in his ear with a teasing pout, ¡°And, here I thought you were staring to warm up to me, Timmy.¡± Besides the movements needed too keep him alive, he could only move his facial muscles, ¡°Can¡¯t do that if I¡¯m frozen, now, can I?¡± She patted his head, her fingers bouncing slightly on his thick, short curls that suck up at random parts, ¡°Not frozen, just paralysed.¡± She informed. Hailey and I made our way to his line of vision. ¡°Now, Timothy,¡± I said, ¡°you were telling us about yourself.¡± He scowled for a good few more seconds, before sighing, ¡°I was kicked out of my pack three years ago and have been living in seclusion ever since.¡± I analysed his look. His shorts and t-shirt were stretched way too much. The douches a back at the Lightwood Pack would usually wear tight fitting clothes, especially if they wanted to show off as a means to getting laid. But they ever looked this close-fitting, to the point of discomfort. Or this worn. I guessed that he was probably nineteen or so, meaning that he¡¯d had a considerable growth spurt during his time as a Rogue. But if that were the case, his sandals, snug as they were, wouldn¡¯t have had any hope of fitting. ¡°Not total seclusion.¡± I said finally, ¡°How do you get necessities?¡± He glared some more before replying, ¡°I help out with construction work around isolated areas, like the interstate roads and forests.¡± That would explain his physique and the fact that his shoes were the newest clothing item he wore. But some things were still off. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Earlier,¡± Hailey began before I¡¯d decided to voice my thoughts, ¡°you assumed that someone sent us¡­ that a pack sent us¡­¡± She glanced at me, silently wondering if she should continue, and risk revealing how inexperienced she was. I nodded. It was unusual for packs to send members or mercenaries after a single Rogue. For Rogue Packs and Wanted Rogues, yes, but, last I checked, he fell into neither of those categories. His scent wasn¡¯t even tainted with death. Hailey paused, eyes boring into his as she scowled at her, ¡°Who are you running from, Tim? What pack would want to hunt a gifted Werewolf like yourself?¡± He maintained his stony silence, allocating his glare between the three of us. We followed his lead, the three of us focused on him. Finally, his gaze settled on Kaesha, ¡°I assume that you¡¯re planning on keeping me like this till I talk.¡± He stated more than asked. ¡°You assume correct.¡± ¡°And who¡¯s to say that I won¡¯t just get the trees to knock you out or move me away?¡± ¡°Because you would¡¯ve already done that. You know it wouldn¡¯t make a difference.¡± She countered. ¡°Your gift seems to based on movement. Whether or not you¡¯re capable of it, you don¡¯t seem to have pinned down dendrokinesis without gestures.¡± I noted. ¡°Plus, you¡¯re tired. Too tired. You won¡¯t be able to escape the three of us, given the circumstances. I doubt you could barely move a twig right now.¡± Hailey declared in conclusion. Heaving a sigh, or, at least trying to, he began, ¡°I was to be the next Battle General, after my father was to retire. I¡¯d been trained and tested and tried in every way for the position, and passed. Everyone had given their approval, but the Alpha. I was on good terms with him and he had told me several times that I impressed him, that he was going to approve me.¡± He paused. His eyes gave away what his body could not convey in trembling. The memory pained him, enraged him. And he was willing to let take control. He closed his eyes, taking a few seconds to breathe and calm himself, before opening them. As he began to speak, I noted that his gaze was trained mostly on Kaesha. ¡°A week to when the Alpha was supposed to sign his approval, we hosted some representatives from a pack. That¡¯s when it all went downhill. Within the next three days, most of the pack had beef with each other that seemed to spawn from nowhere. Most of my friends weren¡¯t talking to each other, mates were fighting, and the higher ups were suspicious of everyone. By the fifth day, several mates had rejected each other, families had torn apart. Werewolves who were ride or die fought bloodily in both wolf and human form and every higher up had been challenged for their position at least twice. A few even lost.¡± He looked away, unable to face even Kaesha, ¡°I watched my pack, the community I loved, tear apart at the seams. Then, it was my turn. Somehow, the Alpha believed that I, and a few of the successors for other positions, were traitors. He accused us of systematically selling information to Rogue packs and organising an attack. The day before he was supposed to sign for our promotion, he waved some bogus evidence in our faces and banished us. When that happened, we turned on each other. Nobody knew what was happening and suspected everyone.¡± His voice trembled, ¡°We were Rogues now. We had no family, no pack, and some of the others had rejected their mates in the first few days of the confusion. I couldn¡¯t believe what had happened. I hung around the territory for a while. I kept hoping that the Alpha would realise that it was all fake and re-invite us. At the very least, I wanted to see my pack get better. It only worse. Then I noticed that the representatives made daily trips into the woods to make calls at a specific time. So I eavesdropped. And it made all sense. The calls were reports on how my pack was declining. They were responsible for all the mistrust and chaos that was going on. They were the reason I had to witness my best friends fight to the death over a mate and their banishment!¡± He was furious. Even under Kaesha¡¯s spell, he managed a few jerks. A few of the trees near us shivered, branches attempting to twitch in the way he could not. ¡°They tore my pack apart, and they want to kill me. They noticed my presence one night and recognised me. One of them gave chase while I heard the other tell the person on the phone that they needed to terminate an eliminated member. I managed to escape and have been in hiding since.¡± His story sounded too familiar. It was just like what Kirstin had described to me as the Lightwood pack¡¯s way of gaining power and eliminating competition. ¡°What was the name of the pack that destroyed yours?¡± He scoffed, glaring sideways into space, ¡°They¡¯re not even a pack: they¡¯re a virus. A cruse. I hear rumours from some middle and low ranking old pack members when I¡¯m on the move. They all hosted the same pack, then they either disbanded or lost their rank. Those that had heard the rumours in advance couldn¡¯t risk the consequences of refusing to host them. They¡¯re already that powerful.¡± He focused on me, and I said the words with him, ¡°The Lightwood Pack.¡± I smiled at his expression and his eyes, as slit as they already were, by some miracle, narrowed more. ¡°I think you¡¯ll be useful to us after all.¡± I said, mentally noting the questioning look on Kaesha¡¯s face as it slowly turned to realisation. ¡®That¡¯s right. I never told her the name of my old pack.¡¯ His neck muscles strained, as though he was trying to bolt. Kaesha¡¯s spell still held, but I caught his arms moving a miniscule fraction of an inch. I shot her a look and her brows furrowed, reinforcing her hold. ¡°I knew it! I knew it! You just wanted a confirmation out of me! They sent you here! They sent you all here to kill me!¡± Kaesha took a step towards him, ¡°Tim-¡± ¡°Why?!¡± He pinned her with his glare, ¡°Why would a witch work for that parasite of a pack? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be one of the keepers of balance? Just go back to your coven!¡± He looked back at me, ¡°No, you have control of her people, don¡¯t you?¡± Then snarled at Hailey, ¡°And newbie is here so you can show her the ropes, huh? Catching escaped pack demolition victims that know too much, one-oh-one?¡± His eyes were ablaze as the trees around us creaked and trembled, ¡°YOU¡¯RE SICK! ALL YOU LIGHTWOOD PACK MEMBERS ARE FUCKING SICK!¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re not Lightwood Pack members.¡± I grinned as he stared at me. ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± He said finally, ¡°So, how¡¯re you connected to them? And how would I be useful to you if you¡¯re not?¡± ¡°I was part of that sick pack. They treated me like crap. Now I¡¯m forming my own, for the sake of revenge.¡± I looked at Kaesha and nodded. She lifted the spell and he collapsed, muscles stiff and unsupportive. ¡°They¡¯re more fragile on the inside than they seem. And I fully intend to exploit that fragility.¡± I held a hand out to him and he stared apprehensively at it, ¡°Wanna join?¡± Chapter 33 - What They Lack Natalia¡¯s P. O. V Silence, dumbfounded silence. Then¡­ ¡°Are you all out of your minds?!¡± He exploded. ¡°Probably, but that¡¯s not the point here.¡± Hailey quipped. He ignored her, ¡°Were you not listening to my story?!¡± Kaesha replied, ¡°Yes, we were.¡± ¡°They destroy packs and are powerful enough to make the sizeable ones fear rejecting their visits and you still want to go up against them?!¡± I nodded, ¡°Yes, we do.¡± ¡°They have the resources to consistently hunt for a gifted, trained Battle General Werewolf for three years! Do you know how many times they¡¯ve come lose to capturing or killing me in that time?! Six hundred and seventeen times! Six hundred and seventeen times, they could¡¯ve either ended my life or thrown me in a musty cell, never to see the light of day again! And you still want to go against them?!¡± ¡°I believe I¡¯ve already answered that question.¡± He blinked, letting the fact that two Werewolves and a witch were, apparently, mad enough to fight a notably powerful pack sink in. Having finally absorbed that information, he scoffed, ¡°No matter how strong the three of you are, you can¡¯t go up against them. You don¡¯t act like someone on their radar. You should count yourself lucky that they freed you and just make a new life for yourself. Don¡¯t get too full of yourself just cause you know a few jiu-jitsu throws and have a witch and a newbie with you.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t get too full of yourself¡­?¡¯ Candy growled He had no right to say that, ¡°They did not free me! They hated me right from when I was born and made damn sure they showed it. I¡¯ve seen their tenacity. I¡¯ve served and cleaned and slaved for them, in both the teen and adult pack houses. I know what they have, what they are, what they can do, more than most others. I freed myself.¡± I leaned closer, daring him to argue, ¡°Or were you not listening?¡± He said nothing. I stepped back and turned to Kaesha, who had been regarding me with a concerned look, ¡°Is it possible to restore the Sienna with magic?¡± Refocusing on the present, she nodded, ¡°I¡¯d been in that death trap long enough to know it¡¯s form. It¡¯ll take a while though. And I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. You can go about it however you wish. Just don¡¯t overwork yourself, okay? You¡¯ve done a lot today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on it. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take it slow.¡± Hailey piped up, ¡°I¡¯ll help! You can channel me.¡± They started towards the battered vehicle. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Definitely! It¡¯s the least I can do, after what you, Tim and Ari did for me.¡± Hailey confirmed. ¡°If you say so. Not sure I¡¯ll ever get used to you calling her Ari, though. She seems more like an Ava to me.¡± Hailey shrugged, ¡°Ava¡­ Ari¡­ She¡¯s still the same baby sis¡¯ we both love.¡± Kaesha looked at Hailey sharply, surprised, ¡°You¡¯re sisters?! You look nothing alike.¡± ¡°Half-sisters.¡± Hailey corrected. ¡°When did this happen? I thought her only family was back at that horrible pack.¡± Hailey shrugged again, ¡°We just found out yesterday, after you left. Apparently, our old man wanted to try all flavours in bed.¡± ¡°Eww, girl! TMI!¡± Hailey laughed. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I really needed to fill Kaesha in on what she¡¯d missed. I turned back to Timothy. He¡¯d picked himself up, however wobbly, and stood, a sceptical frown I was sure wasn¡¯t too different from his neutral expression on his face. He looked from Hailey and Kaesha back to me. ¡°Our biological father is Clark Lightwood.¡± I stated simply. Sceptism morphed into shock, ¡°Why would the Alpha treat his kid like crap? And does he even know about bubbles and sunshine over there?¡± He indicated to Hailey, who was chattering away as Kaesha worked, a hand on her shoulder. ¡°He raped my mother, then resented me for daring to exist. I doubt he knows about Hailey and her twin sister but the only one that can tell you that for sure is their mother. Either way, we don¡¯t qualify as his children. They¡¯re the assholes that are next in line to lead the Lightwood pack.¡± I regarded the trees around us, ¡°Could you straighten all this out when you¡¯re strong enough? We don¡¯t need anyone, humans or otherwise, seeing this.¡± ¡°Was already planning to. I wouldn¡¯t¡¯ve survived this long if I left a trail everywhere.¡± Timothy rolled his eyes. ¡°Good to know.¡± I turned to leave. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to touch them.¡± He stated suddenly ¡°Who said anything about touching them?¡± I turned back to face him, ¡°I¡¯m going to demolish them.¡± He scoffed again, ¡°Easier said than done. Having two Alpha wolves and a witch won¡¯t do anythi-¡± ¡°And a Luna.¡± I interrupted. He blinked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°My half brother, the next in line for Alpha role, rejected his mate and took another. After that, she came to me.¡± He folded his arms, ¡°So, where is she? Why isn¡¯t she here?¡± Telling him was risky. There was a high chance he could go back to the Lightwood pack with this information in exchange for his freedom. I regarded him. From the way, he held himself to how he waited impatiently for my reply, he seemed like someone that hated more than feared in any given situation. He might not have wanted to join us, but he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to do anything major to hinder us. ¡°She¡¯s on the inside.¡± ¡°Inside as in¡­ she¡¯s still in that pack?¡± I nodded, ¡°She¡¯s our intel.¡± His eyes narrowed, ¡°And if she turns on you? What if she already has? She was supposed to be the next Luna, right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t lie,¡± I said, ¡°that is a possibility. My wolf and I worry about it each passing day.¡± I glanced back at Hailey and Kaesha, working together and laughing, and he followed my gaze. Then I looked back at him, smiling softly, ¡°But my pack will be built on the very thing the Lightwood pack severely lacks: trust.¡± Even though I¡¯m still learning how to do it myself. I turned again, facing Hailey and Kaesha. Facing my pack. ¡°The Lightwood pack will be destroyed by my hands.¡± I stated, not bothering to face him, ¡°So you can either be one of the orchestrators as it¡¯s playing out on the stage or catch whispers of the reviews when it¡¯s all over and you¡¯ve exhausted yourself from running.¡± He said nothing and we remained silent for a while, watching the others. Hailey would ask Kaesha a question about the technicality of witches or something pertaining to what they were doing, her voice carrying obvious interest and curiosity. Kaesha would respond patiently and in detail, obviously happy to be talking about her heritage. Hailey was probably the only person to ask her such questions since she¡¯s left her coven. Maybe since even before then. ¡°Timothy¡­¡± I called finally. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I once read that, ¡®Those with the brightest smiles often have the saddest hearts.¡¯¡± ¡°So?¡± I heard him huff. I turned my head so that I could see him in my peripheral, ¡°So don¡¯t underestimate bubbles and sunshine.¡± I started walking, making my way to Kaesha and Hailey as they worked patiently to revert the Sienna to its original state. ¡°Ari.¡± I turned back to him. ¡°How do you know it won¡¯t be the other way around? How do you know they won¡¯t catch on and demolish you before you can even get close enough to sniff them?¡± His gaze strayed to something behind me. My guess of that something was Kaesha. His eyes returned to me, his expression no longer simply hard and unyielding, but underlined with worry. The kind that most likely remained suppressed for three years. The kind that was nurtured with loneliness and crippling paranoia. The kind that was now for someone other than himself. ¡°Because I¡¯m trusting them.¡± I glanced back at the others, smiling, ¡°I¡¯m trusting Kaesha and Hailey to have my back. I¡¯m trusting my inside person to deliver with incriminating information on them. And I¡¯m trusting myself to become strong enough to slay my demons before they hurt anyone else I care about.¡± He regarded me, intense and searching. ¡°And if I join? What will you be trusting me to do?¡± No longer smiling, I looked him dead in the eye, matching his intensity, ¡°I¡¯ll trust you to want to slay the same demons almost as much as I do.¡± ¡°No.¡± I raised a brow. He raised his arms up, rotating his wrists as they reached for the cloud filed sky. The trees immediately surrounding us followed the instruction, unfurling themselves from whatever unnatural position he¡¯d put them in and standing upright. I could see the immediate effect of such a big action while he was still tired. A new layer of sweat replaced the sheen that had evaporated, glazing his forehead. His breathing became laboured again, chest heaving and muscles quaking. ¡°You can trust me to slay the bastards right alongside you.¡± I held my hand out to him again and he took it, grip as firm as his conviction. ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± Chapter 34 - The Village Natalia¡¯s P. O. V After restoring all the trees, a very exhausted Timothy left to retrieve the few belongings he had. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t a wolf on the run have everything they own on them?¡± I¡¯d asked. He¡¯d sighed, giving me a weary look, hung with exhaustion, ¡°I¡¯d explain the method I use to keep them off my trail, but I don¡¯t have the energy for that.¡± He looked about ready to fall over, and not in the lazy, laidback way of Danny, ¡°You sure you¡¯ll be okay? Should I come with you?¡± He gave me an infinitely displeased look. ¡®Alright then.¡¯ Candy quipped as he waked away. ¡®Be nice.¡¯ She harrumphed, ¡®I don¡¯t like this, Nat. You¡¯ve mentioned the Lightwood pack to three people over the last week. I get how Hailey and Kaesha are most likely unrelated to them, but what about him? He¡¯s on their radar. He could sell you out for lenience. He could be going to alert them as we speak! How can you trust him not to?!¡± I sighed, ¡®It¡¯s true that he could turn on us. He could be with them now. He could have called them long before we finished our little brawl. Hell¡­ He could even have left so that he¡¯s not caught in the fight that will ensure if they come. I don¡¯t know, Candy.¡¯ I sat, cross legged, on the grass, ¡®I don¡¯t know how to do this without worrying, either. But we have to, Candy. We have to trust that he wants them dead more than he wants them off his back.¡¯ I glanced back at Hailey and Kaesha again. They¡¯d fixed a considerable part of the vehicle, only a bit of it was still dented and scratched. Kaesha was working faster than I still thought was safe after the magic she¡¯d used earlier. But Hailey was with her. Beneath her relatively human upbringing, she was a, no doubt, powerful Alpha she-wolf. She¡¯d offered Kaesha her energy, and she definitely had enough to spare. Even after working on the car for a while, she was still energetic enough for two. ¡®Fine¡­¡¯ She grumbled finally, ¡®I trust you, Nat. And if you think letting him in is ultimately best, I¡¯ll trust you on that.¡¯ ¡®So, does this mean you¡¯ll trust me enough to explain what you said earlier?¡¯ She remained quiet. ¡®Thought so.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Nat. I just can¡¯t say.¡¯ I rolled my eyes, ¡®So can you tell me why you can¡¯t say?¡¯ ¡®Just that it¡¯s not time¡­¡¯ She replied in a quiet voice. I didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Ari!¡± Hailey called suddenly, ¡°We¡¯re done! And look how pretty it turned out!¡± She gestured excitedly to the new looking vehicle. I stood up and walked over to them, admiring their work. It looked even better than when we rented it. ¡°And guess what Kaesha did! Guess! Guess!¡± I opened my mouth to tell her I had no clue, but she turned to Kaesha. ¡°Kaesha, tell her what you did!¡± Kaesha laughed, ¡°I got a pretty good feel of that jerk¡¯s energy back at the rental agency when he handed you the keys. So, whenever he looks at the Sienna, he¡¯ll see something that looks like it¡¯s been used for a Fast and Furious movie¡­ only none of the main characters were behind wheel.¡± Hailey beamed, ¡°So, when he goes to tell his boss that we totally totalled it, he¡¯ll look like a bigger fool than how he made me look on that awful date.¡± I grinned, returning her high-five, ¡°He¡¯ll know not to mess with you again.¡± ¡°Better believe it! Hey, where¡¯d Tim go?¡± ¡°Went to get his things. He¡¯s coming with us.¡± Kaesha looked sharply at me while Hailey grinned. ¡°You sure that¡¯s a good idea, Ava? I mean¡­¡± She looked around apprehensively, ¡°he¡¯s still on your old pack¡¯s radar. What if he sells us out? Or what if this was all a trap from the start? We should go.¡± Hailey frowned, ¡°Or he could be telling the truth and we¡¯re his only chance to escape a lifetime of running. We can¡¯t just leave him here.¡± ¡°And if it is a trap?¡± Kaesha challenged, ¡°What¡¯ll we do? From that conversation back there, it sounded like this Lightwood Pack could easily outnumber us.¡± Hailey raised her chin, ¡°Then we fight.¡± Kaesha rolled her eyes, ¡°And just how long do you think we¡¯d last? I¡¯ve performed several intermediate spells in the past hour, Ava isn¡¯t at full strength from my channelling her for that healing spell and I just finished using some of your energy to fix the Sienna. We should go!¡± ¡°We should stay!¡± I held up both hands, ¡°Alright!¡± I paused, staring at them both till they¡¯d calmed, ¡°Alright¡­ You¡¯re both making excellent points here.¡± I looked at Kaesha, ¡°I¡¯m worrying about every single thing you mentioned. My wolf ran all the possible betrayal scenarios with me.¡± I turned to Hailey, ¡°You also make sense. What if he needs us? We¡¯d be no better than our sperm donor¡¯s pack if we leave him behind.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. I sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a huge risk, Kaesha. But we have to try. If he turns out to be real, we¡¯ll have another gifted wolf on our side. I¡¯m still unsettled about Kirstin, our insider, but do you know the kind of advantage we¡¯ll have if they both turn out to be loyal? Added to the fact that you¡¯re a Psychic Witch and Hailey is a Seer descended, Alpha wolf? With some serious training¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be unstoppable.¡± She completed. ¡°Exactly.¡± The three of us shared a look. Kaesha nodded, ¡°Fine, I¡¯m on board. Just know that I still don¡¯t trust him.¡± ¡°Neither do we.¡± Hailey said. Kaesha shrugged, ¡°I still have enough strength for one more major spell. If we¡¯re attacked, I¡¯ll teleport us right back to Ava¡¯s place in Manhattan.¡± I gave her an apologetic smile, ¡°I hate to ask that of you, Kaesha. But I think it¡¯ll be the best option in that scenario.¡± Hailey put an arm around each of our shoulders, smiling, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ari and I will give as much of our energy as you need to make it easier on you.¡± I heard movement and looked back, the others following my line of sight. ¡°My apologies, am I interrupting a moment?¡± Timothy drawled, oozing sarcasm, as he moved towards us, a worn and faded backpack slung on one shoulder. ¡°Actually, you¡¯re right on time.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s move our asses. We¡¯ve already been here too long.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one moving like you got the life sucked out of you.¡± Hailey countered. He snarled, ¡°Watch it, Sunshine. We could have another go, right now.¡± She simply smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t be so agitated, Grumpy. C¡¯mon, I¡¯m driving!¡± Then she sailed into the driver¡¯s seat. Kaesha retook her place in the middle row while Timothy confined himself to the last row after refusing to deposit his bag with the rest of our luggage. I rode shotgun again. Hailey started the car then frowned, ¡°How do we get back on the highway?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got this.¡± Kaesha replied, then worked her magic, making the vehicle slowly levitate. Through the rearview mirror, I saw Timothy silently reach an arm forward, placing it on her shoulder. She briefly glanced back at him then we were moving faster. The moment our tires touched the road, he let go of her. Kaesha yawned, ¡°Y¡¯all, I need some rest. Wake me when we get there.¡± ¡°Aye!¡± She met my eyes in the mirror and nodded. I¡¯d keep everyone safe. For the next half hour Hailey tried to engage Timothy in conversation, only to be met with either snark or silence. After yet another question, I noted that his breathing had deepened and evened out. ¡°Hailey, he¡¯s asleep. He¡¯s exhausted from using his gift too much and he helped Kaesha get the car onto the road. He needs it.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. They both deserve it.¡± She glanced briefly at me, ¡°You can rest too, Ari. I¡¯ll be fine, and you¡¯ve done more than I have today.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good. Sorry to make you the designated driver like this.¡± ¡°No worries, Ari. I mean, you¡¯re too young, Kaesha hates cars and Tim probably doesn¡¯t have an updated license even if he ever knew how. Besides, Kaesha¡¯s a powerful psychic witch, Tim¡¯s a Werewolf that can control trees and you¡¯re awesome.¡± She beamed, ¡°I¡¯m just glad to be useful, even if it means being the driver.¡± Somehow, her smile looked¡­ sad. ¡°Hailey, you are beyond awesome. You¡¯re a strong Alpha Werewolf with Seer blood. Even if you weren¡¯t, you¡¯re still fabulous, okay? No matter what anyone¡¯s told you, you¡¯re not useless. And you¡¯re not just the driver.¡± She remained silent for a while. ¡°Thanks, Ari.¡± ¡°What¡¯re sisters for?¡± She giggled, ¡°Depends on the sister.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that.¡± I checked the map on my phone, correlating what was there with the mini map of Werewolf Packs I¡¯d drawn. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll need to go to Pine Ridge at Crestwood instead. It¡¯s closer to the forest and not everyone there is above the age of fifty-five like in Village Six. Here¡¯s the navigation.¡± I showed her my phone. She nodded, then took the next turn off the highway. We were only twenty minutes away from our destination. Hailey and I spent the rest of the ride in comfortable silence, the even sounds Timothy and Kaesha¡¯s breathing filling the vehicle. Soon, we pulled into a parking lot. Hailey turned off the engine. ¡°You should stay here with them while I check us in.¡± I told her, then got out of the car, purse in hand. As I made my way to the reception area, I took a good look around. The area was tranquil, a quiet place befitting of the elderly, as they claimed to be. There were a few adults that looked to be in their thirty¡¯s and forty¡¯s. The younger ones were usually with an elderly person while the older ones appeared to be checking the place out. At the reception, a smiling middle aged man greeted me. ¡°You¡¯re rather young for this place, girl. What can I do for you?¡± I returned the smile, ¡°My grams is looking for where to ¡®spend the last few years of her existence¡¯, as she says. So I¡¯m here with my friends to check all the Crestwood places out with her. She wants to stay at each village for five days, then see what she thinks.¡± His smile warmed, ¡°That¡¯s awfully kind of you kids. Nice to see there are some good ones left in your generation. But what about your parents?¡± I let a dazed, slightly shaken, look cross my face, before casting my sorrowful gaze at my feet, ¡°They¡­ they¡¯re¡­ dead.¡± I lied in a small voice. ¡°Oh, you poor dearie. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get you, your grams and your friends the best house for rent that you can afford. You just take care of each other, okay? What kind of house would she like?¡± I let my head snap up, surprise and gratitude painting my features, ¡°Thank you so much, sir.¡± I paused, wiping moisture from the corner of my eye, ¡°She¡¯s a rather serene person, so she would love anything near the forest. And there are quite a few of us, so we¡¯ll need four bedrooms.¡± He nodded and typed some things on his computer then gestured to the payment terminal. I swiped my card when he looked away. Him seeing the type it was just wouldn¡¯t line up with my story. ¡°You kids have fun with your grandmother, alright?¡± I nodded, ¡°We will, Mr¡­.¡± I looked at his nametag, ¡°Harrington.¡± He waved a hand, then handed me keys and my receipt, ¡°Please, just call me Max. Do come to me if you need anything, child.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr¡­ uh, Max.¡± He smiled again. We waved goodbye as I left. I got into the car, showing Hailey the address. She drove us there without difficulty, parking beside the house, then turned off the engine. Quietly, we carried our luggage into the house. It was a quaint thing: one bathroom; four small bedrooms, the biggest one having its own bathroom; a homely living room; kitchen and dining area. The front of the house faced the forest and lake, a rocking chair stationed for whoever wanted to take in the view. ¡°Take Timothy¡¯s things to the master bedroom.¡± I told Hailey, carrying Kaesha¡¯s bag. Once we were done, we returned to the Sienna, sliding the back seat door open. ¡°Time to wake them.¡± Chapter 35 - When We Sleep Hailey¡¯s P. O. V ¡°Kaesha¡­ Kaesha, we¡¯re here. You need to wake up.¡± Ari said, softly tapping Kaesha. She stirred, eyes shifting under her eyelids, before they snapped open. The Sienna rocked violently and Ari and I were pushed several feet backwards, landing on our asses on the porch. ¡°No! Please! Don¡¯t take it!!¡± She shrieked. ¡°What the actual fuck?!¡± Tim yelped from the back, startled awake. A few moments later, having comprehended the situation, he reached forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Kaesha, breathe. You¡¯re gonna wreck something- or someone.¡± He said in a soft voice, ¡°Whatever you feel threatened by, isn¡¯t here. You¡¯re safe. No one¡¯s gonna take anything from you, okay?¡± Not long after the words left his mouth, the Sienna stopped. Tim sat back, sighing. ¡°What¡­ Ava? Hailey?¡± She jumped out, running towards us, ¡°Are you okay? I¡¯m so sorry! Here, let me help you. Are you hurt? Did you hit anything hard? Can you wa-?¡± ¡°Kaesha.¡± Ari said calmly, waiting for the psychic witch to calm down, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I can heal you if anything hurts.¡± Ari smiled, ¡°We¡¯re not hurt, are we Hailey?¡± She turned to me. Well¡­ my butt¡¯s sore¡­ I shook my head. ¡°There. We¡¯re fine.¡± She got up, dusting off her hiney, then lent me a hand, before turning back to Kaesha, ¡°Come on, you still need rest. Let my show you your room. You can take a shower before going back to sleep, if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Thanks, Ava¡­¡± Kaesha said in a small voice, following Ari inside. I looked back at Tim as he climbed out of the vehicle, shutting the door behind him. ¡°I guess you¡¯re not so grumpy.¡± I commented once he reached the porch. He rolled his eyes, ¡°The rocking was giving me a fucking headache. Was I supposed to just sit there and let her play bumper cars?¡± ¡°But¡­ you sounded kind.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Come on,¡± I grabbed his hand, leading him into the house, ¡°your things are inside. I¡¯ll take you to your room. Ari let you have the biggest one. You even get your own bathroom.¡± I knew Ari didn¡¯t trust him, not the way she could with me or Kaesha. He was far too closely connected to her former tormentors for her to comfortably do so. But she was at least trying to make him comfortable, and that was a start. ¡°How nice of her.¡± He rolled his eyes, words dripping with sarcasm. A second later, he snatched his arm from my grip. ¡°Meanie.¡± I grumbled. He sneered, ¡°Boo hoo, Sunshine. Gonna tattle on me? Make Ari take the big ¡®ol room from me?¡± ¡®He is so freaking rude!¡¯ ¡°Your room¡¯s over there!¡± I stabbed a finger in the direction of his door then stomped off to my own room. I slammed the door on the sound of his laughter. It wasn¡¯t enough. The sound of his fading chuckles still reached my ears before it altogether stopped and he retreated to his own room. ¡®Apart from Keily and occasionally your mom¡­ I¡¯ve never seen anyone annoy you in such a short time with them. Even with Lance. He didn¡¯t really piss you off till that date.¡¯ Opelene observed. I huffed and folded my hands, blowing on one of my longer bangs, ¡®I¡­ ugh! Did you hear what he said about Ari? How he said it? He was mocking her kindness!¡¯ ¡®Right¡­¡¯ She didn¡¯t even bother to try and sound convinced. ¡®It¡¯s true! She¡¯s the one paying for this place and she gave him the biggest room. Instead of being grateful and appreciating how her kindness is growing, he just had to go and be nasty about it!¡¯ I half threw myself onto the bed, wincing a little at its stiffness. ¡®Uh-huh¡­¡¯ ¡®His attitude is the worst! Just like Keily!¡¯ Opelene didn¡¯t stay quiet on that one, ¡®Hailey, you know that¡¯s not true.¡¯ ¡®I know¡­¡¯ I pouted. I knew. I knew he wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as Keily. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Not even close. He was much kinder than her. He¡¯d seen hardships in ways that she could never even begin to imagine. He¡¯d been run out of his home and hunted like some criminal. All because he¡¯d heard something. All because of something that was in no way his fault. But he was rude, arrogant, crude and a general pain in my usually pleasant backside. Sure, he didn¡¯t walk into a room and expect everyone to be at his beck and call, but he made it his job to be needlessly mean and distant. And he seemed to make a game of ruining my mood. He didn¡¯t appear to actively diss Ari, at least not to her face. And, to some extent, he seemed fond of Kaesha. Well, this was not my house back in Manhattan, and I wasn¡¯t gonna let anyone make me miserable ever again. I sat up, squaring my shoulders, ¡®I¡¯m not gonna let his attitude get to me.¡¯ ¡®Good for you.¡¯ She said dryly. ¡®Opelene! Be more supportive!¡¯ ¡®This is the most I can muster.¡¯ I huffed, then started unpacking. It was a short trip and I didn¡¯t have much with me, but I always thought it best to have all my clothing options out where I could see them. Plus, it was nice to have something to do with my hands. When I was done, only ten minutes had passed and it was almost four pm. I figured, Kaesha should be done with the bathroom by now, and I definitely needed to get out of these clothes. They were bloody, dirty and I could feel a thin layer of grime all over my being. I grabbed my towel and toiletries and went to take a hot bath. I took extra care to scrub the dried blood and dirt from earlier in the day. It was only about quarter past five, but it felt like Ari taken us on this trip two days ago. I sighed. I guess it¡¯ll feel that way with all that¡¯s happened today. Once I returned to my room, I got dressed in some comfortable clothes and crawled into bed. It didn¡¯t take long for me to slip into unconsciousness. ¡®No¡­ not again.¡¯ My present consciousness groaned, taking in the scene. I¡¯d found myself in a darkened stone hallway. Gold and black themed tapestries illustrating extravagant balls, glorious warriors and some of lone women with enough regality to make a any of the Queen of England¡¯s descendants feel like servants. I watched in third person view as a version of myself raced down the hall, taking the stairs at the end in leaps and bounds. Her- well¡­ my - clothes were in tatters, the all too familiar pattern of dried blood coating them. Hair, a greasy, dirty mess and skin pale and dull. She - I - was covered in bruises and barely healed cuts. There was a particularly nasty gash on the side of our head and we were bleeding profusely from our outer left thigh. My present consciousness, in the form of an inconceivable ghost, floated after her, an all too familiar dread clenching my corporeal core. I knew this scene. Other me reached the top of the stairs, and continued her run, kicking down doors on each side of the hall. I floated over to the fourth door on the right and counted down. ¡­ four, five, six, aaand, seven. Other me knocked down the door I was next to, ¡°KEILY!!¡± She rushed inside and I floated in after her. The view before me still made me feel the blood drain from my intangible face. Her normally straight, glossy blonde hair was sprawled out around her, lacking gloss, shine and its usual luster. And, somehow, the unthinkable had happened and she was missing some chunks of it. ¡°Keily! Keily! Oh, my God! Keily! Wake up! Wake up! No! This is not happening!!!¡± The other me was reduced to sobs as she did her best to stem blood loss from her abdomen. After so many times, corporeal me was still heartbroken, no matter how many times Keily had been nasty towards me. The sight of the ripped skin off her nose still prickled my skin. Looking at all her injuries and bruises still made me desperately want to make them disappear. ¡®And cue¡­¡¯ I floated closer in anticipation. Almost immediately, I felt my present self being sucked into the other, distraught version of myself. Her emotions and being became mine as the feeling of all her aches and injuries bombarded my consciousness. Sticky warmth filled my palms with the feeling of fresh blood. And then¡­ Panic. Terror. Despair. The next words out of my mouth were hers as well, and we were one. ¡°The Princess!¡± I knew she would be able to do something¡­ anything¡­ ¡°Where is Princess-¡± I gasped awake, struggling in my tangled sheets and tumbling out of bed with an oof, followed by a loud groan. ¡®Hailey!¡¯ Opelene startled awake, ¡®are you okay?¡¯ ¡®Yeah¡­¡¯ I sat up, rubbing the kink in my neck and gathering up my sheets. ¡®Same vision again?¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Did you find out who the princess was this time?¡¯ I shook my head. Dejected once more. This hadn¡¯t been the first time I¡¯d seen this in my sleep. At first, I¡¯d thought it was simply a dream. I¡¯d often cry once I woke, not wanting my twin to die despite her flaws and mistreatment. But it had gotten too much. The dream would only occur the times I slept within the forty-eight hours nearing a full moon shift. And then it would come at least once over the two, three or four nights of the shifts, while Opelene was in control and my consciousness took the back seat. However, once I¡¯d overheard mom talking about our Seer heritage with Keily, I wasn¡¯t so sure it was simply a dream. So, figuring that it was a vision, I¡¯d decided to take the offensive. But to do that, I had to figure out clues about the location and who the Princess was. Once I could, then I¡¯d be able to prevent Keily¡¯s death by making sure either I or Keily were with the Princess at any give time in that location. Unfortunately, the vision was always cut off before future me could say the Princess¡¯ name. So I¡¯d taken to observing the surroundings. I knew every stone of the corridor, the number of steps, the details of every tapestry, the positions of every dimmed light, and, most of all, the details of the room I would find Keily in. But not the Princess¡¯s name. Sighing, I made my way to the kitchen to drink some water. It was already dark, but I didn¡¯t need the lights and risk waking anyone. Thank goodness there was wifi, ¡®cause I normally couldn¡¯t sleep till some hours later and needed something to occupy myself with. On my way back, the uneasy sounds of whimpering and restlessness reached my ears. Following them, I found myself standing at the door of none other than¡­ Tim. How ironic¡­ I wrestled with myself, whether or not to intrude on what seemed to be a vulnerable moment. He¡¯d probably throw all the snark he could find at me for bothering him¡­ But what was the point of being allies if we couldn¡¯t be there for each other? Resting a hand on the doorknob, I gathered my patience and ventured into his den. ¡®Here goes nothing.¡¯ Chapter 36 - Nomads Hailey¡¯s P. O. V His room was clean enough. The backpack he¡¯d brought with him lay near the foot of the bed, still mostly packed. He¡¯d made a change of clothes after, presumably, showering. Probably the reason he smelled so nice. Though, his hair was messier than when I¡¯d last seen him. Another whimper. Then a sharp yelp. And I was reminded of why I was even here in the first place. ¡®This wasn¡¯t exactly what I thought you had in mind when you said you wouldn¡¯t let him get to you.¡¯ Opelene mused. ¡®Yeah yeah, hush¡­ I know. I¡¯m just here to check on him.¡¯ I¡¯d be right out once I was certain he was okay. ¡°No¡­ no-Jay, don¡¯t... Jay¡­ Jason, STOP!¡± He screamed, jerking in his bed, back arching when he said ¡®stop¡¯. The bed frame itself trembled, jerking and arching with him. He¡¯s gonna be very sore in the morning. ¡®Should I- should I do something?¡¯ I panicked slightly, ¡®Do I wake him up?! Hold his hand?? Sing him a lullaby???¡¯ ¡®Hailey¡­ calm down. Think about whenever you have a sleep vision. What would you appreciate someone you just met doing if they find you in a restless sleep?¡¯ ¡®I guess¡­ I¡¯d have liked to wake up to someone holding my hand and telling me that everything will be okay or ask me how I¡¯m doing. Like you do¡­¡¯ ¡®Good. Now what do you think he¡¯d like to wake up to?¡¯ I paused, ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯d want someone too close to him or prying too much. But I think anyone will need someone to just be nearby.¡¯ ¡®So go do that.¡¯ I nodded. He was still restless and his mumbling was less coherent, more like a string of incomplete words. At the foot of his bed, I wondered how close was too close in his opinion. Maybe I should pull a chair close to instead of squatting by the bed like someone whose close to him. Grabbing a chair, I lifted it, carefully moving closer with it, so as to not make noise. He let out another yelp. All the wood in the room seemed to respond to him, becoming rough and forming spikes along their surfaces. Including the chair I was holding. ¡°Gah¡­!¡± I hissed, holding my heavily bleeding hands. The chair hit the ground with an amplified clank. Tim sat up sharply, breath heavy and ragged. ¡°Hey¡­¡± I called softly, pausing when his wide gaze whipped in my direction, ¡°You¡¯re okay¡­ you¡¯re safe.¡± It took a moment for him to come back from where his mind was. His expression of panic and unease gradually settled into realisation, then his head hung in sadness. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I whispered, somehow unwilling to break the atmosphere, ¡°Wanna talk about it?¡± He didn¡¯t respond for a while. When he looked at me again, all traces of vulnerability were gone and he was right back to the same expression he had when we¡¯d first met. Angry, cautious and ready to throw down. ¡°The fuck are you doing here, Sunshine? Watching me in my sleep? Some damn creep you are.¡± My heart pumped with anger, making my hands bleed more. The sting was maddening, ¡°No, you jerk. I heard your restlessness when I went to drink water and thought you could use company. Sorry for my misplaced empathy.¡± I spat. ¡°Obviously, it wasn¡¯t needed. Go bother someone else wi-¡± He paused, sniffing the air, his gaze landing on my hands, ¡°Why the hell are you bleeding?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I grumbled, moving away. He got out of bed, stepping closer. He cradled my hands in his before I could move them away. Hand holding shouldn¡¯t feel so nice¡­ When he asked again, he was kinder, the nickname no longer a thinly veiled insult, ¡°Sunshine¡­ what happened?¡± Somehow, I couldn¡¯t look at him. I couldn¡¯t look at my hands in his. So I settled for staring out the window that looked onto the forest. ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ You were restless in your sleep and the wood in the room responded to that. I should¡¯ve known better. That¡¯s all.¡± He looked from my hands to the chair near us. ¡°Come on, you probably have some splinters. I think I saw a first aid kit in the bathroom.¡± He said, leading me to the connected bathroom. ¡°I¡¯m a Werewolf. I¡¯ll be all better by morning.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t need you trailing blood everywhere. And I¡¯m sure Ari and Kaesha wouldn¡¯t want to see you like that either.¡± I didn¡¯t respond. He led me to the bathroom and told me to sit on the counter, near the sink. Doing as instructed, he retrieved the first aid kit from the cabinet near my head. Without a word, he guided my hands to the sink and rinsed the blood off. I winced. He glanced at me, apologetic, ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m gonna take the splinters out. It¡¯ll probably hurt.¡± I nodded. He placed a hand over mine then flexed his fingers. At once, several pieces of wood shot out of my hands. ¡°Ahh¡­!¡± ¡°Shhh¡­ you¡¯re okay.¡± He soothed, retrieving antiseptic and some cotton. With more care than I¡¯d thought he possessed, he finished cleaning and patching my hands up, eliciting a few winces and hisses of pain. ¡°Thanks.¡± I mumbled as he put the kit away. ¡°Forget it, Sunshine. Was my fault anyway.¡± He stood back upright, ¡°You can get down from there now.¡± I slid off the counter found myself standing nearly chest to chest with him. Dang¡­ he was tall. He stood nearly a full head above me and I had to tilt my head up to meet his gaze. ¡®And he smells so good¡­¡¯ ¡°You should probably be more careful too.¡± He said lowly. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Why on earth was I whispering? And this was Tim for goodness¡¯ sake! Was I going mad? ¡®I¡¯ve got no objections¡­¡¯ Opelene hummed. Well I did! I took a step back, my hip hitting the counter, ¡°Yeah, so¡­ um, what were you dreaming about? You seemed pretty upset.¡± He cleared his throat, ¡°Nothing of your concern, Sunshine.¡± ¡°You sure you don¡¯t wanna talk about it, at least?¡± ¡°Pretty sure, Sunshine. Even if I did, definitely not with you. Now, get your klutzy ass out of my room and back to your bed. And try not to die on the short trip there.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I rushed out of his room, and retuned to mine, closing the doors behind me. ¡®That was definitely something.¡¯ Opelene whistled. I climbed into bed and buried myself in the covers, ¡®Nope. Not addressing it. Take control and put us to sleep.¡¯ ¡®Aye, captain.¡¯ She snickered. Soon, she was in control and we were drifting back off to sleep. I woke the next afternoon to voices drifting from the living room. Getting out of bed, I went to join them. ¡°Afternoon Hailey.¡± Ari greeted, ¡°How was your night? When I went to wake you, Opelene told me that you needed to rest. Is everything alright?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± My eyes landed on Tim perched on a couch armrest. He paid me no mind. I refocused on Ari, ¡°I¡¯m okay. I hurt my hands last night and Opelene probably just wanted to make sure I¡¯m fully healed.¡± I unwrapped the mildly bloodied bandages. There were still lights scars and the skin looked tender, but they were almost good as new. ¡°Take it easy, alright? Your breakfast¡¯s in the kitchen. We¡¯re discussing how best to go about introducing ourselves to the pack in the woods.¡± I nodded and retrieved my meal then sat on the couch furthest from Tim. Ari gave me a look, then returned her focus to the map she¡¯s laid out on a coffee table before her, ¡°Alright. To go over everything, Hailey, Timothy and I will get new accounts for the WolfNet. Not a lot of packs take well to strangers, especially not if they¡¯ve been targeted like Timothy¡¯s pack was. Timothy, you¡¯ve had an account before, but the Lightwoods will probably be monitoring it for activity so you¡¯ll need a new one. If they ask for your former pack, you can pick one from the list of targeted packs Kirstin wrote. It is extremely important that we don¡¯t give away our real information. That includes names, birthdays and the like. As for where we live, we¡¯re a trio of nomad lone wolves. What names will you give?¡± ¡°Jason Armeniy.¡± I glanced sharply at him. There was that name he¡¯d screamed in his sleep. Ari nodded and turned to me. ¡°Danielle Flow.¡± I said. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be Richelle Avaline. Don¡¯t forget that we have to address each other by our fake names. Remember them. Kaesha, it¡¯s not a must that you come too, but if there¡¯s any way to make others perceive you as a werewolf, that would be great. If you¡¯re coming, also tell us your name.¡± Kaesha thought for a moment, ¡°Probably, but I¡¯ll need some things from one of your wolves. I¡¯ll most likely smell pretty similar to whoever helps so, Timmy, it¡¯s probably best if it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Tim shrugged. She smiled, ¡°Thanks. So I guess I¡¯ll be Kenya Armeniy.¡± Ari nodded, ¡°Timothy, you¡¯re more experienced, so I¡¯d like you to give us a rundown of the appropriate behaviour so that they won¡¯t feel threatened.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to approach the territory cautiously. When we reach the border, take no more than five steps inside it. They¡¯ll sense us and respond. We¡¯ll have to explain why we¡¯re there then most likely be taken to the Beta. Once we¡¯re there, the highest ranking member present will shift and stand before us. We¡¯ll have to shift and either expose our bellies or lower our heads, depending on our wolf size.¡± I could see the wheels turning in Ari¡¯s head. She couldn¡¯t shift yet so what would she do? ¡°How do we know what we¡¯re big enough to do?¡± I asked. ¡°Basically, if you¡¯re bigger than me, lower your head. If not, roll over. Same size, still roll over. You and Ari are Alpha descended so you¡¯ll probably only lower your heads. Kaesha, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re gonna do, but make your wolf a bit smaller than mine and a similar colour. After shifting back, they¡¯ll help us with what we need.¡± Ari, looking like she¡¯d finished thinking, nodded, ¡°We¡¯re also going to be around for the full moon shifts so we need to tell them in advance. And I want to spend some time with them. Timothy, you¡¯ll be in charge of communicating what we want.¡± ¡°Sure about that?¡± He raised a brow. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± ¡°Kaesha, Tim, you two go work on the spell. Afterwards, Kaesha, I need to talk to you.¡± ¡°Okay, Ava.¡± The two stood up to go outside. ¡°So you know, you¡¯re gonna be my little sister.¡± Tim stated matter-of-factly Kaesha argued, ¡°No way! We¡¯re twins.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still older.¡± ¡°By a minute.¡± ¡°Nope¡­ seventeen.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not serious.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I¡¯m older by an hour.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Poor mom. Took ages for you to decide to come out.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re an hour older, then the doctors had to perform surgery to reshape your deformed head.¡± Tim laughed, ¡°Now, you¡¯re just making stuff up.¡± ¡°Try me. I can make you look like Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame for the whole of our visit.¡± I could picture Kaesha standing with her hands on her hips. ¡°Fine, fine¡­ how about we-¡± Ari chuckled, drawing my attention from their playful squabbling. ¡°If they keep that up, no one will have trouble believing they¡¯re siblings.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ari remained silent for a while, analysing me with a soft gaze. ¡°What happened last night, Hail?¡± She asked finally. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ari. My hands are all better.¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I mean.¡± I looked away, ¡°Nothing happened last night.¡± Nothing. She relaxed in the couch, ¡°That¡¯s not what I heard.¡± What?! My head snapped up sharply, ¡°He told you?!¡± So he¡¯s that kinda jerk! Bragging about his conquests! She snickered at my expression, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you mad at someone other than Keily. No, Timothy didn¡¯t tell me anything.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She started folding the map, ¡°It doesn¡¯t take much to wake me and my room¡¯s right next to Timothy¡¯s. I was up the moment he first yelled in his sleep. Then you fell out of bed and left your room not long after. And, well¡­¡± she glanced at me, ¡°you know the rest.¡± I was talking a mile a minute, ¡°I swear, Ari, I just wanted to check on him. He sounded so scared and I thought anyone would appreciate someone being there for them after a nightmare so I went in but then I didn¡¯t know what to do and I figured he wouldn¡¯t want me too close when he wakes up so I was carrying a chair to his bedside when he screamed and all the wood went sharp and rough and my hands got hurt so I dropped the chair and he woke up and was a jerk again till he noticed that I was bleeding and he took me to the bathroom to get patched up and that¡¯s all that happened, I promise!¡± ¡°Hailey, it¡¯s okay. You weren¡¯t wrong to go help him. If you hadn¡¯t, I would¡¯ve.¡± She reclined in the chair, staring quizzically, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t feel that way to you, huh? What else happened to make you feel so guilty about helping someone?¡± I didn¡¯t look at her, ¡°Nothing happened¡­ ¡± Right? I mean, we didn¡¯t kiss or anything like that. He just¡­ smelled so good and was extremely gentle, but that didn¡¯t count as something happening, right? So why did I feel the need to leave it out? ¡°Intimacy and fondness count as something.¡± She stated, ¡°It¡¯s often the thing that escalates without us noticing.¡± Of course¡­ But what would I say? That he was nice to me for a second? I wasn¡¯t gonna be that girl, especially not in front of my little sister. ¡°None of it really matters. More importantly, what¡¯re you going to do about when we have to shift?¡± She gave me a look that told me she knew I¡¯d just pulled a subject change before answering, ¡°I want to talk to Kaesha about helping me out with that. I¡¯ll go over the specifics of size and colour with her.¡± I nodded, thankful she¡¯d let us leave the previous topic. I knew she¡¯d confront me about it later, probably after our visit. I took my dishes to the kitchen as Kaesha and Tim returned. From her new scent, they seemed to have succeeded. For the next hour, Ari and Kaesha fine tuned their shifting illusions while I got dressed and thought up a username and password. I had no idea what Tim was up to and had no desire to find out. When it was time to go, Ari called us back to the living room. ¡°Alright, nomad wolves. It¡¯s time to go. Remember to address each other by our fake names. Timothy has the most experience and empathetic capabilities for this pack so he¡¯s in charge for this trip.¡± Standing behind her, Tim smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to your head. And no demonstrations of power. Don¡¯t attack them off the bat.¡± She glanced behind her. Kaesha and I snickered and he shot us a scowl. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chapter 37 - WolfNet Hailey¡¯s P. O. V It didn¡¯t take us too long to reach the territory. Tim, Ari and I could tell when it was right before us, but Kaesha almost strolled right into it. Tim quickly grabbed her forearm to hold her back. Ari turned to address us one last time, ¡°We¡¯re here. We have to be appear as non threatening as possible. Timothy, don¡¯t use your gift unless it¡¯s to escape a dire situation. Kaesha, you can channel me if you need help with the illusions. Try not to perform other spells except it¡¯s an emergency. Hailey, your wolf will be on the larger side without Kaesha¡¯s spell so do your best to appear docile and friendly but if you feel danger, be as vicious as possible. Remember to use the fake names and Timothy¡¯s in charge. Anything to ask or suggest?¡± We shook our heads. ¡°Alright, nomads.¡± She turned back to face the territory before us then nodded to Tim. ¡°Nomad wolves, roll out!¡± He commanded cheekily, stepping ahead. We walked the five steps into the territory and waited for our reception. It took a few minutes before five figures leapt out to respond, three of them in wolf form. The two in human form held silver daggers, poised to attack while the wolves were volatile, teeth bared and hind legs bent. ¡°What do you want, Rogues? We¡¯ve got nothing for you.¡± One of the guys hissed, his grip on the dagger flexing. Timothy raised his hands in surrender and we followed in suit. ¡°We¡¯re no Rogues. Simply a group of Lone Wolves that need to connect to the WolfNet.¡± ¡°Do you know how many times packs have been attacked with that excuse?!¡± The other guy sneered. His brown eyes narrowed beneath his black bangs. Two of the wolves, one grey and the other bronze, growled lowly, stepping closer. ¡°I swear, that¡¯s the only damn thing we¡¯re here for. Take a whiff for yourself, we ain¡¯t no Rogues.¡± They paused, sniffing the air around us. ¡°You can march us with silver daggers to our backs and nipping at our heels if it¡¯ll make you feel better. We don¡¯t want trouble.¡± One wolf, coloured silvery grey, relaxed ever so slightly. She nodded to the ones in human form, then turned and led the way. We followed, and, begrudgingly, the others let us pass, rapidly assuming their places closely behind each of us. The walk took at least ten minutes. In that time, none of us dared to utter a word. I glanced at the others. Closest to me, Kaesha appeared to be going over the spell in her head, her eyes darting from left to right as though she were reading it right before her. Beside her, Tim seemed lost in thought, his mouth moving in silent words before he¡¯d shake his head and start over. And, on the far end, Ari appeared to be acutely aware of our surroundings, drinking every detail of the environment in. They all appeared to be contributing to the plan. Kaesha was readying her spells, Tim, thinking of what to say once we arrived, and Ari, assessing our situation and possibly planning escape routes. But what was I doing? Determined, I considered our chaperones. Behind Ari, was the grey wolf, the smallest of them. He followed her at a farther distance than the others did us. Probably thinking her the least threatening of us. Behind Kaesha was the black haired guy, his dagger pressing lightly against her flowy blouse. Tim¡¯s guard was much burlier, the tip of his own dagger so close to Tim¡¯s back that I was sure he had half a mind to ram it into him at so much as a sneeze. I could tell that Tim didn¡¯t like such treatment. Even as he was mouthing words, I caught the subtle twitching of his index finger and light furrow of his brow. He wanted to react but made no major movements or complaints about the dagger at his back. Though I knew mine was the bronze wolf, I daren¡¯t risk turning around to assess my companion, lest she bite me. She was too close for comfort and I could feel her harsh breath on the back of my thighs through my leggings. However, if her breath only reached my thighs, then she wasn¡¯t very big and I could probably beat her in size. But she¡¯d have the upper hand in fighting experience. Ahead of us, the silvery grey wolf finally brought us to the pack. Wordlessly, she turned back to face us. She appeared to be addressing the others through their mind link. Finally, she nodded and went ahead to the largest building, probably to notify the Beta. It wasn¡¯t long before a salt and pepper head emerged from the doorway, beckoning us inside. Nobody made a sound as we were marched inside. I spotted several young pups hiding behind their wary, worn looking parents. The few times I smiled at the children, they would turn tail and scramble away with terror stricken faces. ''What on earth happened here?'' Opelene questioned, horrified and sympathetic. I wondered the same, noting the intense mood of apprehension and depression. Whatever the Lightwood pack had done here seemed to have left the place in a permanent state of latent despair. How were only the four of us supposed to help them? We technically weren''t even a pack yet. We were led into a medium sized office. Like the rest of the building, it was in a state of disrepair. The wood of the table was splintered and the glass of the cabinets were missing. Faded spots of blood polka dotted the room, staining the wood and sparse furniture. There was a huge canvas rolled up above the space I was sure should have held a window. The frame was void of its glass and I assumed the canvas was to cover the hole when it rained and such. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. A huge fight had obviously taken place and there hadn''t been any major repairs besides removing the broken glass. The only breakable surface was a full length mirror in the farthest corner. Behind the splintered, blood splattered table sat a man with greying brown hair and matching weary eyes. The lines of his face seemed to have deepened with more than just age, illustrating experiences and griefs too heavy to bear. ¡°Alpha, these are the intruding werewolves. They claim to pose no threat. That they simply want to get themselves connected to the WolfNet¡­¡± He gave us a sidelong glance, staring particularly at Tim. Then he returned his attention to the Alpha, ¡°Personally, Alpha, I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s much damage they¡¯ll be able to do with only one semi competent looking wolf and three barely she-wolves.¡± Opelene huffed and I barely managed to not roll my eyes. Tim and Kaesha weren¡¯t so successful, indignation and sass bleeding into their postures at the jab to their capabilities. With a quick glance about, I caught sight of Ari. Only she remained passive, subtley observing. Whether conscious or not, she¡¯d seemed to fade out of everyone¡¯s focus and refused to keep her gaze directly on anyone for too long. I doubted the others fully registered her presence as she stood almost behind Tim. The Alpha remained silent, carefully analysing the three of us. Having made a decision, he got up and walked around the desk, ¡°Shift and submit.¡± Wordlessly, the men closed their eyes while we took our clothes off and got down on all fours. I shifted, my bone structure rearranging and dark brunette fur sprouting, while Kesha worked her magic. Being Alpha born, there was a good chance my wolf would end up being larger than Tim¡¯s. Unwilling to risk it, we¡¯d agreed to let Kaesha use a shrinking spell on my wolf which she¡¯d need to undo it before I shifted back. As soon as my shift was completed, I felt myself reduce in size. Looking over, I saw a grey wolf and a smaller, light brown one who I assumed were Kaesha and Ari. A moment later, Tim joined us. His darker grey wolf towering over the rest of us. ¡®Okay, so we were about the same size.¡¯ Opelene concluded. Tim¡¯s wolf lowered his head. The rest of us took that as our que to roll over, our bellies exposed. I did my best to keep Opelene from snarling as the Alpha looked down at us. An eternity passed. Opelene was getting irritated and ready to get to her feet. Then he decided to nod his approval and dismiss us, turning away. Kaesha undid the spell and we shifted back, getting back into our clothes. Once we were all dressed, the Alpha returned to his seat, motioning to his Beta. ¡°Do what they requested and send them on their way.¡± The Alpha ordered, returning his attention to his paperwork. The Beta nodded, bowing his head. But not before giving us a sidelong glance filled to the brim with lingering suspicion. ¡°Alpha, if I may ask one last thing.¡± Tim spoke up before we were ushered out. The Alpha didn¡¯t look up, simply gesturing for him to continue. ¡°We¡¯ll likely be in the area for a week at most because of the full moon shifts. If you would, I¡¯d like you to allow us access to the woods during that time.¡± He responded, unbrothered and dismissive, ¡°Do what you will, but approach none of my members.¡± With that, Tim nodded and followed the Beta, leading the rest of us out and Ari brought up the rear. Once in the hallway, our previous chaperones resumed their posts behind each of us, still just as tense and suspicious, but without the daggers at our backs and nips at our heels. After following the Beta in a single file out of the main house, and to one of the smaller surrounding homes. The whole way there, people dodged out of our way and line of sight. Once we reached the house, the Beta didn¡¯t bother to knock and simply barged in, startling the person in what looked like a living room. The geeky looking boy scrambled out of his rotating chair and into a salute, before shaking his head and bowing it, followed by hastily catching his too large bottle cork glasses as they began to fall of his face. A few of our guards snickered. With his boyish face and lanky, clumsy mannerism, I couldn¡¯t imagine him being older than sixteen. ¡°Robert, get these wolves into the WolfNet. The faster the better so they can leave our territory.¡± The Beta snapped. ¡°Aye sir! I mean, yes, Beta Livton!¡± He saluted again. He perched in his rotating chair and flew to the other end of the room, stopping before the desk with a laptop and stacks of paper on it. Then he got to work, his fingers flying deftly over the keyboard. Once he had the registration page open, he turned back to us, his demeanour drastically different, ¡°Name, sex, DOB, mate status, pack and position.¡± He pointed at Tim, ¡°You first.¡± Looking mildly irritated, Tim stepped forward, ¡°Jason Armeniy, male, seventeenth of May, 1998¡­ no mate, Lone Wolf, no position.¡± Robert nodded, entering all the information. A second later, he scrawled some things down on a paper and tore it off, handing it to Tim. ¡°Pathway to the Net, your name and password.¡± He swivelled around, pointing at Kaesha, ¡°Next!¡± Kaesha didn¡¯t even bother to leave her place, ¡°Kenya Armeniy, female, May seventeenth, same year, no mate, Lone Wolf and no position. Be a dear and bring my paper too, Jay-Jay.¡± I stiffled a giggle at the nickname and his expression as he took Kaesha¡¯s piece of paper back to her once Robert was done. He pointed at me next, gesturing me over. I moved next to him, reciting my information, ¡°Danielle Flow, female, November twenty-third, 2000, mateless, Lone Wolf and positionless.¡± ¡°If all three of you are packless, why not make one of your own? Or just stay here. Goddess knows we could use the members.¡± He huffed after handing me my paper. The Beta lightly slapped the back of his head, ¡°Making a pack is harder than it sounds and strangers aren¡¯t welcome here.¡± He turned back to us, ¡°If that¡¯s all¡­¡± ¡°I still haven¡¯t registered.¡± Ari spoke up. The Beta, Robert and the three guards besides hers turned to look at her, as if seeing her for the first time. Robert in particular looked transfixed, his mouth hanging slightly agape. The Beta slapped his head again, bringing him back to the present. ¡°Right¡­¡± Robert said, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Richelle Avaline, February eighth, 2001, no mate, Lone Wolf and no position.¡± She stated. Before she could move to him, he¡¯d finished typing, scribbled her info down and was bringing the piece of paper to her. ¡°Um, here. You¡­ you can come back if, uh, y¡¯know, you have any problems.¡± She raised a brow. ¡°Not that I think you¡¯d have any!¡± He said hastily, his ears turning a nice shade of pink. She smiled graciously and took the paper from his hand, ¡°Thank you.¡± The kid couldn¡¯t have looked more pleased. He looked at her with the purest smile, it made me feel old. ¡°Now, you Lones can leave.¡± The Beta finally stated. He motioned to our guards and they nudged at us, leading us out. As we left, I caught sight of a forlorn looking Robert in the window, his eyes following Ari as we all left. The guards stayed with us till we reached the border. They stayed at the border, watching us leave till we were well out of sight. Chapter 38 - Recon and Non-Love Natalia¡¯s P. O. V Not long after we left the guards¡¯ scope of perception, I noted Kaesha¡¯s switch in scent, having probably dropped the spell. Soon after, we got back to the house. Once we crossed the porch, she engaged Timothy in a tirade of irritation, something he was all to happy to contribute to after being compliant for so long. Choosing not to listen, I opened the folded paper in my hand. ¡®Mrs Burton wasn¡¯t joking about that whole ¡®attractive to males¡¯ thing.¡¯ Candy stated when I saw what I assumed was Robert¡¯s number hastily scribbled in a lower corner. I made a sound of agreement. Then finally returned Hailey¡¯s gaze. She hastily looked away, before appearing to rethink it and look back at me. She¡¯d been curiously staring at me at random intervals for most of the outing. Sometimes, I felt like she was checking to make sure I was still present. Other times, like she was pondering something. Especially so for the latter on our way back, after receiving our passwords and such. I gestured for her to follow me. We left the all too real, fake siblings bantering in the living room as we moved to my room. Closing the door behind us while she sat on the chair, I raised a brow at her and settled on the bed. ¡°Hailey, you¡¯ve been watching me all day.¡± She took a breath, fidgeting with her hair, ¡°I didn¡¯t realise I was looking at you so much. I¡¯m sorry if it made you uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Not really. What¡¯s on your mind?¡± ¡°I know it sounds stupid, but¡­¡± She started, averting her gaze, ¡°it just felt like you sort of¡­ disappeared, like, for anyone who wasn¡¯t paying attention to you. And when they did notice you, they seemed completely hypnotised. I know it sounds absolutely crazy, but it got me thinking about Trev and Greg on the way back, how they seem to think of you so much -when they aren¡¯t, y¡¯know, being tricked into thinking of you as a kidnapper. And they took to you so quickly¡­¡± She paused, shrugging, ¡°I don¡¯t even know where I¡¯m going with this, to be honest. I mean, you¡¯re so beautiful and chill so it could just be that. I¡¯m right, it does sound crazy. Sorry for all this madness, Ari. For your sake, I hope the crazy doesn¡¯t come from our father¡¯s side.¡± I didn¡¯t know about the disappearing part, but I couldn¡¯t tell her about how my Syren side was responsible for the¡­ transfixion¡­? Allure? I didn¡¯t even know what to call it. But I also didn¡¯t want to leave her believing she was crazy because of my secret heritage. ¡°You¡¯re not crazy, Hailey. I mean, I never noticed anyone take an interest in me before I left Lightwood, so maybe the better environment has me¡­ radiating pheromones or something. Goddess knows, I could¡¯ve used it.¡± She gave a half laugh, ¡°Maybe that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Just trust keep trusting your instincts. You¡¯re not crazy, okay.¡± I grinned, ¡°Even if you are, I¡¯m sure we both got it from the sperm donor.¡± She returned the grin with a snort. ¡°Now, I have a question of my own.¡± My grin widened as the look of apprehension crossed her face. Her eyes darted to the door. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere. Not till you tell me whatever you left out about what happened between you and Timothy last night.¡± Long silence. I didn¡¯t budge as she shifted uneasily. I watched her contemplate making a run for it several times and decide against it each time. Finally, she mumbled, ¡°Ithinkwesortakindaalmostbutdidn¡¯tkiss.¡± I blinked, paused, then nodded and smirked, ¡°So you had a heated moment. This was after he went from jerk to hand nurse?¡± Red bled into her face, ¡°After. And I wouldn¡¯t call it that¡­ we just got really close and he smelled so good¡­¡± She trailed off, lost in the memory. I cleared my throat, bemused. She snapped back, face going redder and eyes looking everywhere but at me, ¡°This is exactly why I didn¡¯t want to tell you! I¡¯m supposed to be your reliable big sister helping you with your hunt for revenge, not getting distracted by the very first guy we bring onto the team. We both know I don¡¯t even offer anything besides being the driver and now I¡¯m doing stuff as silly as having moments with our team mate. It¡¯s probably for the best that he¡¯s been ignoring me all day.¡± ¡°First of all, you have way more to offer than you give yourself credit for. This isn¡¯t going to make me think any less of you. Plus, ignoring someone should never be considered a good thing. Secondly, have you at all considered that he might be your mate?¡± I watched her expressions as she processed the idea. A blank face, then confusion. Sceptism, debate and disbelief. Assimilation, then consideration and disbelief again. And finally, realisation. ¡°I¡­¡± Hailey¡¯s P. O. V ¡°I¡­¡± I had no idea what to say. Tim was my mate? How? I mean, sure, I¡¯d been vaguely aware of the fact that I¡¯d get one, what with how prevalent the concept was in mainstream werewolf novels, and then Ari confirmed the fact. But I never had any serious idea of what it was supposed to feel like till just a few days ago. ¡®He¡¯s our mate¡­?¡¯ Opelene mused. Great. I was so bad at being a werewolf that I couldn¡¯t even identify my own mate. My eyes snapped up to meet Ari¡¯s, ¡°If that¡¯s true, that means he knows¡­¡± She shrugged, ¡°I get why you wouldn¡¯t realise it, but he most likely would have noticed the moment you met.¡± I remained silent at this. In my mind, I replayed every emotion I¡¯d felt since we met. And every reaction he¡¯d shown. From the get go, he¡¯d been taken with Kaesha. They were close enough to flirt and bicker with each other, evident from the sound of their voices from the living room. And I could tell that he, at the very least, respected Ari. Otherwise, I doubted he¡¯d go along so unproblematically with her plan, with daggers poised at his back. But, besides the one moment of¡­ closeness, he¡¯d been nothing short of mean. And now, it looked so very intentional. Whatever the case was, one thing was certain: we were obviously not in love. For whatever reason, he didn¡¯t seem to want to be and I wasn¡¯t gonna push it. ¡°I guess your theory was right. I don¡¯t think either of us were conditioned to fall for our mates.¡± She observed me silently, in that way I was beginning to attribute to her. Eventually, she nodded and got to her feet, ¡°Just know, Hailey¡­ if you two don¡¯t end up together, it would be best to leave things as they are till you find other partners. Once a wolf is rejected, they¡¯ve got five years to mate with someone else, or things could go pretty badly.¡± I blinked at her. Was that a real thing? I offered a sceptical shrug, ¡°So¡­ if a rejected werewolf doesn¡¯t sleep with someone else in five years, they, what? Die?¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. She nodded. For a bit, I blankly stared at her. Then my eyes widened and I shot out of the seat, ¡°But that means you could die in five years!¡± She smiled warmly, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll go round up the pseudo twins. I¡¯ll let you research a good place to eat. Let¡¯s go for lunch.¡± Lunch? How could she be thinking of getting us food right now? She grabbed her wallet off the table and left, giving no opening for me to object. Grumbling, I did a quick search for a good place before following her out to let the others know. I busied myself with finding the keys and making sure I had my purse while the others retrieved their stuff. The next ten minutes were filled with appropriate cheerfulness and bickering about where exactly we were going, Ari joining in like she didn¡¯t have the cloud of a foreseeable death hanging over her head. ¡°We¡¯re going to a restaurant of Hailey¡¯s choice.¡± Ari eventually stated after several minutes of debate. ¡°What¡¯s the place called?¡± Kaesha, sitting shotgun next to me, asked. ¡°El Ranchero. I hope you¡¯re in the mood for mexican. We should be there in about five minutes.¡± Within the next ten minutes, we¡¯d arrived at the restaurant and had ordered. The place was colourfully decorated and the waitress that attended to us was punctual and cheerful. After a brief gig in waitressing, I could really appreciate the effort it took to maintain a demeanour of hospitality while on the job and the skill it took to manage all the orders in a timely fashion. ¡°So, what are your plans for the full moon shifts,¡± Kaesha asked. I usually just locked myself up in my basement, so being able to run free in a forest was a novel and exciting thought for both Opelene and myself. ¡°My wolf gets kinda aggressive on some shifts,¡± Tim stated, sipping some water in his place opposite Ari, ¡°so I¡¯ll probably be deeper in the forest. He won¡¯t approach the pack though.¡± ¡°And you, Hailey?¡± I shrugged, ¡°I always shift in my basement so Opelene is pretty docile at this point. But this¡¯ll be new. Maybe she¡¯ll just run around a bit.¡± ¡°I can stay at the edge of the forest, make sure you don¡¯t enter the village. Keep you from attacking the locals.¡± Kaesha offered, elbowing Tim lightly. He scoffed, returning the jab with a poke that she swatted away. Our food arrived and their banter fell into a lull as we ate. Ten minutes into our meal we¡¯d eaten enough to balance the food with conversation. Tim gestured to Ari, ¡°What about you, oh fearless leader? What¡¯s your wolf gonna be up to this full moon?¡± Kaesha and I nearly shared a look but I avoided meeting her eyes. God knew how paranoid he was and a look like that wouldn¡¯t be doing any of us favours. Ari, on the other hand, didn¡¯t miss a beat with her response, ¡°My wolf was mostly restricted to a small area back at the Pack, so she¡¯ll be used to maintaining control. I want to try working with her to watch the Pine River Pack members from a distance. A long one. I don¡¯t want to risk angering their Alpha before we get a chance to help.¡± The lie was so smooth that I nearly believed her, before remembering the truth. The idea that a wolf wasn¡¯t able to shift after the age of thirteen didn¡¯t even occur to Tim and the conversion moved to the topic of where he would stay once we returned to the city. As they spoke, I found my mind wandering back to the afternoon¡¯s conversation. The idea of a predestined partner was never something that had really held my interest, but it was a romantic concept nonetheless. Someone picked out specifically for you from all the people on the globe, destined to cross paths. And, the moment you meet, you just know that they¡¯re the one. It definitely gets rid of the stress and heartbreak involved with serial dating. But, for werewolves at least, it didn¡¯t seem to be about romance. It was about sex and authority. I didn¡¯t particularly care about the former and, even though I was alpha born, I most definitely wasn¡¯t going to find myself in a leadership position anytime in the future, so the latter was of no consequence to me. I didn¡¯t need him. Soon after, we were done eating and left. On the ride back to the house, the others were less animated and Kaesha ended up dozing off a few times. Once we arrived in the house, everyone dispersed, off to occupy themselves in different ways. Kaesha went to take a nap, Ari wandered out the door and Tim, judging by the sounds of creaking wood, went off to flex his gift. Not exactly tired, I returned to my room and retrieved my notebook and the book of Werewolf Hierarchy and Traditions then resumed my reading and summary. Maybe I could offer it to Kaesha, since she was going to joining us officially, at some point. With that thought, I decided to focus on making my notes more understandable and got to work. Natalia¡¯s P. O. V Once we¡¯d returned, I beelined to the door. Since the full moon was tomorrow night, obviously, some reconnaissance was in order. The fib I¡¯d told Timothy wasn¡¯t entirely false; I really did intend to monitor the Pine River members. Just not in wolf form. But, to do that undetected, I needed pre-planned vantage points and direct routes there. With the heightened instincts brought by the full moon, I couldn¡¯t afford getting caught by one of the shifted wolves. And I¡¯d need to make sure to avoid Timothy altogether. Silently, I scoped out the area around the Pine River territory. A werewolf can usually tell just before entering another territory. I really hoped that they didn¡¯t have patrols, otherwise, their paranoia would morph into full on hostility if they found one of the visiting Lone wolves stalking around their territory. The forest was rather serene, without the threat of apprehensive werewolves at my back. Not much disturbed the crescendo of animals and plants simply living and surviving. Once in a while, I would spot treefrogs and deer milling about but my focus was mostly on finding some good, sturdy trees that I could move around in. After about an hour of careful inspection, I came across a river, almost opposite the side of the territory we¡¯d been brought in from earlier. The scent of two werewolves drifted lazily in the wind. Both of them were familiar from our visit today. Light on my feet, I scaled the nearest tree and buried myself amidst its thickest cluster of leaves. The sound of one¡¯s chattering voice reached me long before they did. ¡°I know, I know- she¡¯s way out of my league, probably out of my stratosphere, to be honest, but you should have seen her.¡± The voice belonged Robert. Shifting slightly, I saw Robert, still fidgeting with his oversized glasses, walking beside a blonde lady, both carrying two buckets. She smelled just like the silvery wolf that had initially ordered the guards to stand down and led the way to the pack. Even from the way she carried herself and how her gaze was steady and alert as she listened, I could tell that she held a substantial position. Perhaps a Battle General? ¡°Even if you like her that much, she still isn¡¯t a member of this pack and will probably move on after the full moon.¡± She finally responded in an even voice. The very logical, very easily discernable point sent him into a pout. ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right. No need to bother pining away at her¡­¡± He mumbled, eyes no longer starry. She spared him a single glance, ¡°Lift your head, Robbie. You still have your mate out there. And, who knows, she might be the one. If it¡¯s meant to be, it will find a way. Now go, it¡¯s your turn.¡± She ordered then turned away. Robert murmured his agreement and got out of his clothes. Averting my gaze, I listened to his form shift. A splash sounded and I turned to find his wolf wading through the river. For such a lanky person, his wolf was pretty decent. Still smaller than both Hailey¡¯s and Timothy¡¯s, but a good size for a normal member. His wolf moved adeptly in the water, limbs carrying him nimbly. Swiftly and sharply, he nabbed several bass, pickerel and catfish, among other species and threw them to the blonde lady, who then stuck them in a bucket. This went on for over an hour. My limbs were tired and numb from maintaining the same perch in the tree. In about a half hour, they would probably start quaking. But I daren¡¯t move, lest Robert sense me in his wolf form. It was already a miracle that the wind hadn¡¯t changed direction and sent my scent his way, occupied as he was. Eventually, the buckets were filled and Robert shifted back. The blonde lady congratulated him on his catches and they walked back into their territory and out of sight. I didn¡¯t relax till they were completely out of range. Lightly, I dropped to the ground and stretched. Resting a while, I continued my escapade, coming across several vantage points and hiding spots, and committed each of them and their routes to memory. I didn¡¯t return to the house till the sun had vacated the sky for the moon. Kaesha and Hailey were already asleep so I decided to wish Timothy a quick goodnight. ¡°Come in.¡± He called at my knock. I opened the door, but remained at it¡¯s frame, ¡°The others are sleeping but I just wanted to say goodnight.¡± He looked up from the small figurine he¡¯d been focused on, a scowl settling on his face, ¡°Where were you?¡± ¡°The forest.¡± He rolled his eyes, ¡°Obviously. What were you doing out there?¡± ¡°Looking for good spots for tomorrow night.¡± Not a lie. His eyes narrowed, ¡°Must¡¯ve been some thorough scouting you were up to, since you were gone for almost five hours.¡± I leaned on the door frame and crossed my arms, ¡°I wasn¡¯t ratting you out to the Lightwood Pack, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡± Silently, we regarded each other. Somewhat placated, he nodded, ¡°Goodnight, Ari.¡± Easing, I offered him a smile, ¡°Goodnight, Timothy. Sweet dreams.¡± And I meant it. Closing the door behind me, I left to take a quick shower and returned to my bed. ¡®Why didn¡¯t you tell him that we can¡¯t shift?¡¯ Candy asked, breaking her silence. ¡®I don¡¯t think telling him so early will do anything to boost his confidence in our likelihood of taking those bastards down. I need him to see me as capable before I share something like that.¡¯ ¡®So, why did you tell Hailey and Kesha?¡¯ I shrugged and shifted, looking for comfort in the stone mattress. I¡¯d really gotten used to my bed back home. ¡®Hailey¡¯s my sister and we¡¯ve always liked each other, and Kaesha just feels right on a deep level. They both already have faith in me to some degree. Timothy doesn¡¯t.¡¯ She made a sound of agreement. ¡®Night, Candy.¡¯ ¡®Goodnight, Nat.¡¯ Chapter 39 - Full Moon Natalia¡¯s P. O. V The next day began before the birds started chirping their wakeup call. By the time I¡¯d started my day, the others were up and about. Leaving my room after a shower and dressing, I found Hailey meditating on a mat in the living room, the rest of the world blocked out by her wireless earphones and closed eyes. Kaesha was seated at the dining table, absent mindedly munching on cereal as she read her spell book that levitated before her. Retrieving some breakfast for myself, I stationed myself opposite her and commented on Timothy¡¯s absence from the house. ¡°He¡¯s just a few paces into the forest, using his gift.¡± Kaesha informed between mouthfuls. She appeared to be making good on her offer to keep werewolves out of Pine Ridge, scanning her book for what I assumed was a suitable boundary spell. Meanwhile, Hailey had shifted from meditation to some rather advanced looking yoga, her breathing soothingly deep and even. Not being used in combat, I was sure Timothy¡¯s gift also had a soothing effect on him. ¡®They seem to be preparing their minds for the full moon.¡¯ Candy commented. I nodded. I knew all the theory of normal and full moon shifts. Full moons were compulsory, our wolves took over, and so on and so forth¡­ but never having experienced them myself, I didn¡¯t get how stilling minds tied into it all. Even back at the pack, I had noticed all their little full moon rituals. Quite a few drank themselves into stupor, others went missing, while some of the more level headed ones did menial things like meditate or go for long jogs that spanned the entire day. Full moon rituals had been mentioned in passing during our classes, but their full detail and significance remained unexplained. Deciding to ask Hailey about it after we returned home, I finished the rest of my breakfast and opted to stay out of the others¡¯ way by going for a run. There wasn¡¯t much I could do before the full moon began. With nothing to do, the rest of the day dragged on slowly. After my extended run, I returned to find Hailey in the same position in the living room, holding an entirely new yoga position. Kaesha had moved her study outside, no longer simply reading, but now experimenting on a small scale. After another shower, I strolled outside. Following his scent, I tracked Timothy. He sat cross legged in a small clearing, a few miniature, disjointed and twisting trees scattered around him. Remaining an imperceivable distance away, I scaled a tree and relaxed in its branches. He wasn¡¯t doing much, just making the trees move this way and that. Once in a while, they would wiggle and twist, dancing to a beat unknown. Watching him like this, playing around with his gift, devoid of his defensive rage, he looked like a simple, peaceful werewolf. A serene, happy life surrounded by a pack that loved him - that¡¯s what the Lightwoods had ripped him from, condemning him to a life on the run instead. And now, having possibly found his mate and a potential chance at happiness, he appeared wholefully uninterested. All to further Clark¡¯s crazed power agenda. And the Pine Rivers¡­ desolate, sparse and perpetually agitated. What I was sure was a once thriving, lively pack was now a shell of whatever it had been. ¡®How on earth are we going to help them?¡¯ ¡®We could start by helping them rebuild their buildings.¡¯ Candy offered. It was a good idea, but they needed so much more than we could offer. Sure, we had a versatile, psychic witch, a seer-werewolf Alpha, and a gifted werewolf¡­ But I couldn¡¯t ask Kaesha to exert the energy it would require to help them rebuild, and I couldn¡¯t expect Timothy to risk exposing himself by using his gift for a deed that would most likely spread. And Hailey had yet to share the specifics of her visions. Plus, I doubted they tied into things like this. And God knew there wasn¡¯t much I could do myself. ¡°Why the hell have you been watching me for so damn long?¡± The snark was undeniable. Looking back at the clearing, I found Timothy staring me down. I grinned at him, ¡°You¡¯re just so mesmerising¡­¡± His eyeroll was so exaggerated, I half expected them not to return, ¡°Would you like some company up there or do you prefer this creepy, stalkerish way of life?¡± I gestured to the space around me. In a few seconds, he was in the tree next to mine, moving the branches for maximum comfort. ¡°How long have you known I was here?¡± ¡°Since you stepped past there.¡± He pointed to an area not too far behind us, ¡°You¡¯re pretty damn undetectable, but the trees are my feelers.¡± That was interesting, ¡°So it goes beyond simple dendrokinesis?¡± He stroked the tree he was nestled in, ¡°Sometimes, the living wood has a way of¡­ communicating with me.¡± This gaze trailed off, drawn to a memory. A moment passed, then, abruptly, he rolled his eyes, ¡°Alright, alright! Yeesh, calm the fuck down.¡± His glare returned to me, ¡°You had something on your mind. They want you to share.¡± I blinked at him, then looked out in the general direction of Pine River, ¡°I was just thinking of how many lives Clark has destroyed, and wondering how we could possibly help this pack.¡± ¡°So our great leader doesn¡¯t have it all figured out.¡± He drawled. I shot him a look. He raised his hands in defence, ¡°You want them on your side in the long run, right? In your wild ambitions to make the very resourceful, very powerful, Lightwood Pack pay.¡± I nodded, ¡°Right, but, beyond that, I want them to heal. My wolf suggested helping them repair their buildings, but I can¡¯t ask you and Kaesha to do that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be our Alpha some time in the future, right?¡± I nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the idea, I guess.¡± His gaze hardened in a scowl, ¡°Idea? You guess? If we¡¯re going to destroy those fucking bastards, we need someone with more conviction than ¡®I guess¡¯. I¡¯m not risking getting caught by them for some weak ass ideas with no indication that they¡¯ll turn into actual fucking actions.¡± My back straightened and I maintained his glare, ¡°I will rip them apart and you will get your turn at them.¡± ¡°Good.¡± He softened, just the slightest bit, ¡°So, to that end, ask me of anything and, as long as I get to amputate and torture Clark Lightwood myself, I will comply.¡± ¡°As long as you leave enough life in him for him to feel getting disemboweled and castrated afterwards.¡± He smirked, ¡°Sure. It¡¯ll be a good bonding experience.¡± His wicked grin faded, ¡°On another note, as Alpha, you¡¯re going to have to ask some less pleasant things of your members. As long as you think things out, your intentions remain focused and you care for your pack, you should be fine.¡± I raised a brow at him, ¡°That¡¯s some surprisingly good advice from someone who hasn¡¯t had steady interpersonal interactions for three years.¡± He scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t get too comfortable with it.¡± Then he got up to leave, unfurling the branches and leaping down the tree. He didn¡¯t return to his spot, but, rather, moved a little deeper into the forest. Taking that as my cue, I vacated my tree and returned to the house. The full mood didn¡¯t start for another few hours and Kaesha was still outside, apparently taking a break from her work. She appeared to be having her lunch, so I decided to wait till she returned her plate to the kitchen. ¡°Hey, Kaesha. Could I bother you for a minute?¡± I called as she finished washing up. She turned, wiping her hands on a towel, ¡°Sure, Ava. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I have a favour to ask. Well, two favours, really.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. She joined me on one of the couches, ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡°I need to be undetectable tonight. I¡¯m going to be moving around the forest and I¡¯ll be able to stay out of sight, but I don¡¯t want any Werewolf to pick up on my scent.¡± She thought for a moment, ¡°Well, if I can make myself smell like a Werewolf, I should be able to change or erase someone¡¯s scent. But why will you be moving around? You could just stay here with me after Timmy¡¯s gone. Or I could teleport you to their main house if you really want to go there.¡± ¡°I know, but I want to observe the pack members. Maybe there will be a time that they¡¯re out of their territory and we can do something to help.¡± ¡°Okay, what about the second favour?¡± ¡°Well, I also need you to agree to it. My wolf had the idea of repairing their buildings as a way to help. But only you and Timothy have the ability to do that quickly and without detection. I know it¡¯ll take a lot of magic to do something like that and remain imperceivable. I¡¯ll be with you so you can channel me but it¡¯s still a lot to ask.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯ll help, Ava. They¡¯ve lost so much, it¡¯s the least we can do.¡± She waved a hand and her Spellbook floated towards her from the kitchen table, hovering open before her, ¡°But, I don¡¯t know the original state of their buildings, so the restorative spell I used on the Sienna may not be the fastest way to get it done. Plus, when will we be able to get into their territory?¡± ¡°This full moon is going to last for two nights. At the Lightwood Pack, most of the members would stay in wolf form during the day if the moon lasted for more than one night.¡± Those were the days I got the most breathing room, with my tormentors being gone the entire day, unless they decided to make a game out of hunting me during the full moon. If they didn¡¯t, they were always more than ready to make up for the time gap when they felt particularly wicked. ¡°This pack is on edge though, so we¡¯ll need to be careful.¡± She nodded, the pages of her Spellbook flipping erraticaly in one direction, then the other, ¡°Okay, so, I¡¯ll need a spell to cloak us from being sensed as we cross their territory, one to repair the buildings¡­ something that can work with Timothy¡¯s gift. Another to keep you undetectable this night, or do you need it for tomorrow night as well? I need to summon some tools for this¡­¡± She murmured. Abruptly, the satchel she¡¯d carried when she helped me with Killdrain appeared on the coffee table before us. It opened and some herbs and stones floated out of it and towards her. The Spellbook moved aside as she examined each of the items briefly before it moved for the next in line. ¡°Kaesha¡­?¡± I called ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Kaesha!¡± She looked up at me, the objects pausing in the air around her. I offered her a grateful smile, ¡°You don¡¯t need to handle all this on your own. Let me help, I can¡¯t perform any magic but you can give me something to do.¡± She thought for a moment, ¡°Well¡­ I completed the formula for the barrier spell to keep Timmy and Hailey in the forest. I just need their DNA, something from the forest and something to anchor the spell to.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± I got to my feet, ¡°I¡¯ll go get them. We can take these things one at a time.¡± I left, making my way to Hailey¡¯s room. Knocking, I entered at her call. She sat cross legged atop her bed, ¡°Hey, Ari. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Kaesha is helping with a few spells and I¡¯m getting some materials for her. She needs some DNA from you and Timothy to keep you in the forest this full moon.¡± ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± She plucked a strand of blonde hair, handing it to me, ¡°Anything I can do to help?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You and Timothy have the next two nights ahead of you.¡± ¡°Okay, but tell me if you need anything.¡± I nodded and left. ¡°Where should I put it?¡± I asked Kaesha upon returning. A small wooden bowl floated out of the satchel. I placed the strand in it and ventured out to find Timothy. He was in another clearing, just focusing on a single sapling this time. ¡°Either you really like me today or I¡¯m gonna have to start sleeping with one eye open.¡± He quipped as I entered the clearing. I laughed, ¡°No such thing. I¡¯m here on Kaesha¡¯s behalf this time. She needs your DNA for a spell.¡± ¡°What spell?¡± ¡°A spell to keep you, Hailey and I from wandering into the town. She mentioned it yesterday at lunch.¡± He raised a brow, ¡°She was serious about that?¡± I nodded, ¡°She agreed to help with assisting Pine River as well, so she¡¯s got a lot to do.¡± He plucked off a short, curly hair, ¡°Don¡¯t use it for any weird ass shit.¡± I grinned. On my way back, I picked a pine cone off the forest floor and took it back to Kaesha. She looked up at me as I dropped the items, ¡°Hey, Ava. I was thinking that I could start on the repairs before sunrise tomorrow, so we can get farther with them before Timmy joins us.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good idea, but will you have enough energy for it tonight?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to sleep once these are done and you can wait a few hours before calling me.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­ Let¡¯s get these done so you can sleep. What do you need for the anchor?¡± ¡°Something that¡¯ll only last till the day after tomorrow. Try catching a couple of mayflies. If we have enough of them and their eggs, we should be able to use them to hold the spell. But they have to be a lot, or they won¡¯t be strong enough as an anchor.¡± That¡¯s how the final few hours went. I finished retrieving the things for the barrier and moved on to the cloaking spell for me, then she decided to it to the spell to keep us undetectable later. I handed her the last of the items just as Hailey emerged, tugging lightly at her clothes. Kaesha followed us outside, setting the things up for the barrier spell, ¡°I guess it¡¯s time. Thanks for your help, Ava.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one asking for the favour. Thank you for helping. You should get some rest, I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s time to sneak into their territory.¡± She nodded. Hailey had already stalked into the forest and Timothy had been in there all day. Silently, Kaesha performed the spell then placed the jars of mayflies on the porch. ¡°Some of them may die before tomorrow night but they should be enough to hold till the full moon ends.¡± ¡°Just get some rest. Goodnight, Kaesha.¡± She yawned, ¡°Night, Ava.¡± Turning back to the forest, I twisted the makeshift bracelet, ¡®Here goes nothing, Candy.¡¯ ¡®You can¡¯t get caught, Nat. Stay on guard.¡¯ I nodded, moving into the forest. Some yards in, I found Hailey¡¯s clothes stashed in a bush. Werewolves had started shifting and I needed to get to my first watchpoint. As I reached my first cluster of trees, several howls weaved through the forest. Carefully, quietly but quickly, I climbed up the nearest tree. Seconds later, a small group of wolves raced past, competing with playful shoves and tugs. As they moved out of sight, I counted four of them. I glanced up. The moon shone gently, but the clouds remained stagnant, no breeze to carry them across the sky. There would be no natural rustle of leaves to mask my movements. It took a while for me to reach the end of the first thicket. A few wolves were in the area, playing, hunting and one particular pair focused on mating. Each time a group would pass, I stiffened in my place, waiting till they were well out of earshot. I still had about four more clusters of trees till I reached their territory. After that, my memory told me there weren¡¯t as many trees in close proximity to their houses and it would be harder to stay out of sight. Some time into the second half of the trip, I reached an area where Timothy and Hailey¡¯s scents hung heavily in the air. Looking down, I spotted the two of them, seemingly communicating with each other. Both wolves were seated, Hailey¡¯s in a somewhat calm, regal manner, and Timothy¡¯s, slightly more antsy. Their faces, ears and tails moved in time to their messages, whimpers, growls and barks acting as accompanying points. ¡®They¡¯re talking about Timothy and Hailey.¡¯ Candy offered. Part of me wanted to stay and see how the conversation went¡­ Shaking my head, I looked away and continued forward. There was work to be done and the direction of their relationship was none of my business, my own traumas associated with rejections and views on mates aside. I stopped in the trees closest to the border, listening and sniffing the air for any wolves. It was their territory, so, of course there were some wolves about, not necessarily on guard, but still alert enough to notice me if I wasn¡¯t careful. The forestry that would offer the most coverage beyond these trees were some bushes. I stayed where I was, plotting my movements in my head before springing into action. I made my way to the branch with the least leaves and propelled myself from there, using as much power in my legs as I could muster. That got me pretty far, crossing the border and over the heads of a lot of the wolves. I pushed off one of the larger saplings, directing myself to land in a soft bed of grass. Without skipping a beat, I found my way to the nearest bush, moving around it on the opposite side of a strolling wolf till I could go straight to the next one while remaining out of sight. ¡®On your feet and out of sight.¡¯ I repeated to myself. Soon, there was no forestry to hide behind, but there were also no wolves further ahead, from what I could tell. They didn¡¯t have that many buildings, just their main house, the one where Robert had been in and one other one. There were a lot of charred ruins of smaller houses scattered about. I could hear the collective, soft breathing of the children coming from a room in the far back of the main house. There seemed to be one or two awake, probably the older kids tasked with caring for the children while the teens and adults spent the full moon in wolf form. Staying on the far side of the building, I managed to get enough purchase to make my way to the roof. Up there, I could count eleven small ruins and four larger ones of varying sizes. One of the larger ones seemed to have some construction going on but the frame of the building wasn¡¯t even halfway done. ¡®Do we start with the smaller houses or the bigger ones first?¡¯ Candy mused. ¡®Majority of the appear to be living in the main house, so repairing the smaller ones first could help decongest their conditions, but the bigger ones could have been schools or training halls, which are useful.¡¯ ¡®Right, but they¡¯ve probably been teaching their kids in the main house and they can train outside or in the forest. Giving them back their homes would make things more manageable.¡¯ ¡®So smaller houses it is. We can start with the ones out of view of where the children are.¡¯ Checking the time, I found it was about half an hour to midnight. Even if some werewolves wanted to shift back, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do so till around five in the morning. It had been little over two hours since I left, but I knew Kaesha could use some more hours of rest. Staying low on the roof, I waited another two and a half hours. ¡®I don¡¯t want to talk while I¡¯m here if I can avoid it. I hope you got enough sleep, if not, you don¡¯t have to come. There are eleven small buildings and four larger ones. We can start with the smaller ones.¡¯ I texted her. I dialled her number and waited till she picked up, then I hung up. Seconds later, I got a reply, saying that she¡¯d teleport near the entrance of the main house and would be here soon. I climbed off the roof and waited near the entrance for her. Ten minutes later, the air shifted and she appeared next to me, her satchel slung across her shoulder. ¡°Which one first?¡± She whispered. Chapter 40 - Repairs Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I pointed towards one of the ruins closer to the border. She nodded then handed me a makeshift necklace and motioned for me to put it on. As soon as I did, my body faded out of focus, making me invisible. She grabbed my hand and put an identical necklace on, turning invisible herself. Then we were moving, jogging to our first mark. With the ruins before us, she kept a hold of my hand. In a few seconds, I felt the energy trickle out of me as time seemed to rewind itself for the debris. The burn marks on the wood faded and some pieces of wood flew to join the structure from the direction of the forest. In about forty-five minutes, a quaint little home stood before us in place of the ruins. ¡°Which one¡¯s next?¡± Kaesha¡¯s voice whispered. I led her to the next one and she got to work, repeating the process till another little home stood before us. At the rate we were going, we¡¯d be able to just finish four houses before the moon set. By the time we were moving to the third house, I was feeling the effects of Kaesha¡¯s channelling. ¡®If we¡¯re starting to feel tired, what about her? Knowing Kaesha, she¡¯s probably not using as much of our energy as she should.¡¯ Candy theorised. She was right. If I was a bit tired, I could only imagine how drained Kaesha was feeling. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ava.¡± She offered in a hushed tone before I could open my mouth to ask. ¡®You heard Candy, we don¡¯t think you¡¯re using enough from us.¡¯ ¡°I am.¡± Her breathing said otherwise. ¡®You¡¯re lying, Kaesha. I¡¯m only a little tired, use more from me.¡¯ She huffed, ¡°Fine.¡± Taking a deep breath, she started on the next house. This time, it started as the normal trickle, then quickly turned into a steady stream, the energy haemorrhaging away. And it kept pouring out of me and, I assumed, flowing through her and into the construction of the house. As the last pieces of wood melded and snapped into place, I was notably tired. To avoid letting it slip how drained I felt, I moved my thoughts to how the house looked. It wasn¡¯t entirely dissimilar from the design of the house we were staying at in Pine Ridge, however, I had yet to find out what the interior looked like. I didn¡¯t dwell too long, ¡®One more to go, before I can go get Timothy.¡¯ She nodded and we were on our way to the last one for now. In the last quarter of her work, I felt the flow of energy decrease. At this point, I was tired enough to not admonish her. Once she finished, she let go of my hand and sat near my feet. I could see her imprint on the ground but stayed standing. After a few minutes of rest, I felt her hand touch my leg. ¡®You¡¯ve done so much Kaesha, really. Is there a way you can transmit what the houses are supposed to look like to Timothy?¡¯ A hushed, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll go get him from the forest. Once I return, send transmission to him. We¡¯ll take it from there while you teleport back to get some rest.¡¯ ¡°Okay.¡± Her hand left my leg for some seconds. I heard some rustling and it returned with another necklace. I took my bracelet off and handed it to her, retrieving the necklace. ¡®Stay safe, okay? I¡¯ll knock on the door of this house when we return so, I guess you can wait inside. If anyone else enters the house, teleport back. We¡¯ll be fine but you need the rest.¡¯ ¡°Okay.¡± I watched our surroundings as she let go and got up, making her way to the door. Softly, the door opened and shut. There were some slivers of daylight now. ¡®Some wolves might return to to check on their pups. You need to get that necklace to Timothy quickly.¡¯ Candy reminded. I nodded. It took some effort to locate his scent, but once I did, it didn¡¯t take much to find him. Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t with Hailey this time. ¡°Timothy!¡± I called softly. He turned in my direction, hostility rising. Several branches turned to my general direction. I took my necklace off and raised my hands up, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too, Timothy¡¯s wolf. You mind releasing him?¡± I placed his necklace on the ground, ¡°We¡¯ve got work to do.¡± He looked at the necklace then back at me. ¡°Kaesha made it. You¡¯ll be invisible and undetectable when you wear it. Go change then meet me back here.¡± He huffed, stalking towards me to retrieve the necklace then disappeared into the bushes. Some minutes passed and he returned, fully clothed. ¡°His name is Bones, by the way.¡± ¡°Good to know. My wolf¡¯s name is Candy.¡± He raised a brow. ¡°It¡¯s short for Candice. Hey, I didn¡¯t ask about Bones.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Once we were at the border, I put my necklace on and took his hand. Rolling his eyes, he did the same and we crossed into their territory. I guided him to the house I¡¯d left Kaesha in. I knocked three times before entering and closing the door behind us. Soft footprints padded towards us then Kaesha appeared, having removed her necklace. We did the same. Silently, she took my hand. ¡®Have you ever tried a three way connection?¡¯ She hook her head, ¡°No, but let me try something.¡± She took Timothy¡¯s hand then got us to sit on the floor. After a minute or so, I heard both their voices in my head. ¡®Can you both hear me?¡¯ She asked. Timothy nodded, ¡®Nice trick you got there.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, we can hear you Kaesha. How did you get it to work?¡¯ She smiled, ¡®Just a bit of magic. I used it to augment my psychic power.¡¯ I scowled. ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Ava. I¡¯ll switch to your energy now.¡¯ ¡®Alright. Timothy?¡¯ He stopped glancing around and looked at me, ¡®Hm?¡¯ ¡®Can you make a house like this with your dendrokinesis?¡¯ He nodded, ¡®Sure, but, as you pointed out, I can¡¯t continuously use my gift for bigger actions. I¡¯ll need to take a break every few minutes so it could take over an hour for just one house.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s okay. Slow and steady. We¡¯ll get it.¡¯ ¡®What about the pack members. I get that we¡¯re invisible and undetectable, but what if they look in our direction and see the houses repairing themselves?¡¯ Kaesha nodded in agreement, ¡®That¡¯s if they haven¡¯t already seen the houses we¡¯ve already finished.¡¯ I shrugged, ¡®At the end of the day, if they don¡¯t see or smell us, we can keep working. We just have to stay our of their way. There are eleven small houses and four larger structures. Kaesha already finished four of them so we have seven left. Timothy, how many do you think you can complete?¡¯ ¡®More wolves might return later in the day. By then, if they see the finished houses, they¡¯ll shift back and stick around till the next moon. Before that happens, I can probably get another four done.¡¯ I nodded, ¡®Okay. Kaesha will stay here and rest. I¡¯ll be around on the lookout. Kaesha, can you make this connection remote?¡¯ ¡®Give me a second.¡¯ She closed her eyes. Several times, she took her hands away then placed them back on us. Finally, she opened her eyes and took her hands off for the last time, ¡®How¡¯s this?¡¯ ¡®Took you long enough.¡¯ Timothy quipped. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. She stuck her tongue out at him, ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯ll be saying when you finally get back from fixing those houses. Here, this is what they¡¯re supposed to look like.¡¯ As she said¡­ or thought that, he winced, blinking rapidly. ¡®Seems simple enough.¡¯ He finally responded. ¡®Good, so don¡¯t screw it up.¡¯ She turned to me, ¡®Once I¡¯ve rested enough, should I join him or start on a separate house?¡¯ ¡®Work on separate ones if you feel strong enough. If not, you can join him. Call for me if you need any help.¡¯ Timothy and I donned our necklaces. Feeling around, I found his hand and led him to the ruins he was to work on. ¡®Do you need me to help you lift or move anything?¡¯ ¡®Nah, I¡¯m good. Talk to you in about an hour.¡¯ I hung around for a few minutes, making sure he was doing okay. Where Kaesha¡¯s magic had made the repairs seem more instantaneous and simplified, like fitting ready-made parts of a puzzle together, Timothy¡¯s gift made things more detailed and fluid, each step was clearly followed. He actually started by creating a framework for the house. Satisfied that things were going well, I made my way to the main house and climbed up to the roof. From there, I spotted about five wolves within a three mile radius of our vicinity. They didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry to return, each of them simply strolling around, with long and frequent pauses. And not all of them were moving in our direction, or even at all. Satisfied that we had at least an hour from the shifted wolves, I turned my attention to the pups in the house. There were no longer two alert breathing patterns, but just one. And a drowsy one at that. They¡¯d probably switched to taking shifts. An hour passed, and Timothy was done with his first house. ¡®Where to next, oh great one?¡¯ He quipped, trying to hide his fatigue behind a dose of snark. I directed him to one closer to Kaesha, ¡®And take your time, Timothy.¡¯ He scoffed, but when he started working, he¡¯d taken my advice. About half an hour into his work, one of the wolves decided to move into the compound. ¡®Kaesha, Timothy. Incoming wolf, opposite your locations.¡¯ ¡®Okay.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll keep working. Tell me how to stay out of their way.¡¯ Timothy stated, undeterred. The wolf didn¡¯t move much further, stopping at Robert¡¯s place. It looked familiar and the scent wafting in the air, confirmed that it was him. He slipped in through a doggy door that took up half the frame. Some minuted passed and he emerged, fully clothed and heading for the main building. ¡®He¡¯s moving to my location. Probably to check on the children. There¡¯s a chance he may stay with them for the rest of the day.¡¯ Timothy¡¯s building was in view of their window. Not directly, but visible nonetheless. ¡®Timothy, stay behind the house you¡¯re fixing. Hopefully, they won¡¯t be watching the window too keenly but there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡¯ At my request, he moved. Not long afterwards, I heard the cry of one of the children, followed by two more wailing voices. Soon enough, most of the soft breaths had morphed into chatter and whines. The sounds were grating but upset children meant occupied caretakers. And they¡¯d be less likely to look out the window. About thirty minutes later, two people had started moving around the building, probably to get food. I kept an ear to the building as I directed Timothy to his next house. In the last quarter of his work, Kaesha spoke up, ¡®Ava, I think I¡¯m ready to start again.¡¯ ¡®Are you sure?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ I looked around. While a lot of the wolves had stopped to nap, two remained awake and were circling the territory. ¡®I need to maintain my position so you won¡¯t be able to channel me. Are you sure?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sure, Ava. But, you can get Hailey to help me, if it makes you feel better. I have an extra necklace for her.¡¯ I sighed, ¡®Alright. Timothy, I¡¯ll be gone for about twenty minutes to find Hailey so you¡¯ll have to watch your back. Will you be okay?¡¯ He let out a short snort, ¡®How do you think I¡¯ve stayed alive?¡¯ I took that as a yes and descended the main building. After retrieving the necklace from Kaesha, I made my way to the border. Staying low, I watched for the patrolling wolves then took off in the direction of our place. Halfway there, I picked up Hailey¡¯s scent and followed it to the clearing Timothy and I had been in earlier yesterday. Her wolf, Opelene, laid there in the grass, asleep. I took my necklace off and approached her. I was about a foot away when her ears swivelled upright and she jumped to her feet, growling. It took her a second to recognise me, but she relaxed as she did. ¡°Morning, Opelene. I hope your night went well.¡± I whispered. She cocked her head then nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. But we have a mission and we need Hailey. Do you mind?¡± I asked, showing her her necklace, ¡°Kaesha spelled it to keep us invisible and undetectable.¡± She took the necklace from my hand and wandered off into the forest. Some minutes, a dressed Hailey emerged. ¡°Morning, Ari. What¡¯s the mission?¡± ¡°Good morning, Hailey. We¡¯re repairing the destroyed houses in their territory. Timothy is working but Kaesha will need someone to channel. I would do it but I¡¯m keeping a lookout to keep them out of the pack members¡¯ way. Can you help?¡± She smiled, ¡°Of course I¡¯ll help, Ari. I only wish you¡¯d asked me sooner.¡± ¡°It would have been suspicious if they didn¡¯t sense at least one of us in the forest. Especially after we asked to use it.¡± She nodded, ¡°Makes sense. Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± We donned our necklaces and made our way to the territory, hand in hand. After slipping past the patrols, I took her to Kaesha. After Hailey had greeted her with hugs, Kaesha connected her to the mental link. ¡®Oh, this is so cool!¡¯ ¡®Keep it down, Sunshine. Some of us are trying to get shit done.¡¯ Came Timothy¡¯s remark. She scowled, but said nothing. Instead, she reached out to me, ¡®Where to, Ari?¡¯ Whatever their wolves had conversed about last night definitely hadn¡¯t helped their relationship. I didn¡¯t comment and led her and Kaesha to their ruins. After making sure they were okay, I returned to my lookout post. A few minutes later, I directed Timothy to his fourth house. Things were going smoothly. The three of them remained undisturbed as the children and their wards ruminated around the building and the patrolling wolves maintained their positions. Timothy was done with his final house while Kaesha and Hailey were working on the last one so I sent him to wait and rest at the meeting house. Once they were done, I sent them back as well, before going to meet them. With all of us inside, we took our necklaces off and our invisibility faded. ¡®Great work, all of you. There¡¯s no way I would be able to do any of this on my own. Thank you so much.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t mention it.¡¯ Kaesha smiled. ¡®Yeah, we¡¯re happy to help, Ari.¡¯ Hailey beamed, hugging me. ¡®Whatever, oh great one.¡¯ Timothy smirked. That got Hailey to send him a sharp look, but I placed a placating hand on her shoulder, ¡®That¡¯s just his way of saying ¡®you¡¯re welcome¡¯.¡¯ She settled back beside Kaesha, ignoring him. I checked the time, ¡®Okay, it¡¯s almost quarter to eleven. There are four larger structures left to repair. The younger teens and Robert are occupied with taking care of the children in the main building and there are two werewolves patrolling the border. Once it¡¯s afternoon, most of the werewolves will have woken from their naps and some of them may want to return to check on their pups. Because all of you are probably tired to varying degrees, I think you should work together on them.¡¯ Hailey and Timothy glanced at each other. Timothy with a raised brow and Hailey with withering irritation. But they didn¡¯t protest. ¡®Geez,¡¯ Candy murmured, ¡®I know they didn¡¯t exactly like each other, but what happened?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m wondering the same thing.¡¯ ¡®You may not finish all four, but that¡¯s okay. Just go as far as you can till more members return. But don¡¯t push yourselves too much.¡¯ ¡®Okay, Ava.¡¯ Kaesha responded on their behalf. ¡®One more thing, Kaesha. Just in case more return before we finish, can you erase our scents from this house?¡¯ I offered her my hand. She nodded and took my hand. A few minutes later, she was done. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ We put our necklaces back on and I took them to the ruins they were to start from, then returned to my post. It was probably a good thing that we were invisible, otherwise Hailey and Timothy would probably spend the entire time shooting daggers at each other. They finished in little over an hour and moved onto the next site. In that time, some of the pups had moved to a different room and seemed to be doing school related things, the older kids teaching some the alphabet and others basic math. There was always one crying child at any given time, but most of them had settled into simple conversations or babble. One pair of children had probably seen the houses because they were marvelling and commenting on them, but neither went to the older kids or Robert with their discovery. A while later, the patrolling wolves were met by another pair. After some time, the original patrols made their way into the territory, replaced by the new pair. ¡®Guys, incoming wolves. The patrols just changed so the first shift of them is probably returning to rest. Move to the back of the building you¡¯re working on. I hope they¡¯ll be too tired to notice the houses but they probably will. You can keep going but, Kaesha, be ready to teleport.¡¯ ¡®To our place? Are you sure?¡¯ ¡®Yes. I¡¯ll catch up but they cannot find you guys here.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Hailey protested, ¡®you should come with us, Ari.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll try. But you guys have to go on without me if things get dire.¡¯ Once the wolves were close enough to see the houses, they stopped dead in their tracks. The brown one of them started towards the nearest house, but the silver one stopped them, their hackles stiff. It looked like the the wolf of the blonde woman that had accompanied Robert. She motioned to the main house and they made a break for it. Once they reached it, I didn¡¯t hear them move directly to the children, but hurriedly threw some clothes on. Once they had, they quickly moved to the children and counted them, even as the pups made a commotion with greeting them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I heard Robert ask. ¡°The houses that burned down, they¡¯re fixed.¡± The blonde lady¡¯s voice replied. ¡°Whoa! Really?¡± Robert yelled as he moved to the window, ¡°But-but how?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. We need our guards here, now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Isn¡¯t this a good thing?¡± I could hear his confusion. ¡°No. It means someone has breached our territory, probably since this morning or longer, and we had no clue.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re probably helping, right¡­?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s catch the intruders and find out.¡± Looking around, several, if not all, the wolves in the vicinity were racing back to the territory. ¡®You guys need to go. Now.¡¯ The last piece of wood for their second building melded into place. ¡®What about you?¡¯ Hailey asked ¡®There¡¯s no time! There are wolves coming in from all directions, including yours. The closest will reach you before I can. You need to leave.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll be on your own, Ava!¡¯ Kaesha warned, ¡®I can¡¯t maintain the telepathy at that distance.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be okay. They won¡¯t find me. Now, go!¡¯ ¡®But¡­¡¯ ¡®Kaesha, Sunshine, we need to go! Ari, won¡¯t turn this repair mission into a rescue one so don¡¯t be the ones fuck it up.¡¯ Some wolves were just a few feet away from their location. ¡®Fine. You¡¯d better come back.¡¯ ¡®I will.¡¯ And they were gone. Chapter 41 - Trust the Magic Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I stopped myself from releasing a sigh of relief. Soon all the shifted wolves had returned and were clamouring about, some stopping to throw clothes on while the truly inconsolable parents went straight to check on their pups, furry and all. I could hear the delighted glee from the children. Most were clueless to the perceived danger, giggling and squealing as their parents nuzzled them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, daddy?¡± One little girl asked. I recognised her voice as the one who had noticed and commented on our construction but hadn¡¯t tattled. The father didn¡¯t answer for a while, his panic making him ask her a flurry of rapid fire questions to make sure she was safe. There was no denying the protectiveness he felt over her and his sigh was pumped full of relief once she¡¯d answered all his questions. She repeated her own, ¡°Daddy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing now, baby.¡± He breathed, ¡°You¡¯re okay and that¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡°Why is everyone scared? Is it because of our magic houses?¡± ¡°Yes, we don¡¯t know- wait¡­ magic houses?¡± As she said her next words, I could imagine the wide, beaming grin she probably gave him, ¡°Yeah! I saw the houses getting fixed when I looked outside earlier. I think the houses were fixed by my magic wishes but Olivia says that she asked the moon goddess for her house back as a Christmas gift. I think I¡¯m right, cause it¡¯s summer and Christmas presents only come in the winter.¡± ¡°You saw them earlier? Why didn¡¯t you tell Keith or Jane? Or Robert?¡± ¡°Because, daddy,¡± she stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, ¡°everyone knows that magic doesn¡¯t work when adults are around. And Keith and Jane and Robert are teenagers so they would make the magic slow down.¡± I heard scampering as her little feet moved to the window, ¡°See? When Miss Julia and Uncle Duncan came back, the magic stopped. The magic was fixing the exercise place before they came back but the school and the old hall aren¡¯t getting fixed now. At least our house is back so one of my wishes still came true.¡± The father said nothing, dumbfounded. In my head, Candy cooed, fawning over the little girl¡¯s words, ¡®I wonder what her other wishes were¡­¡¯ I returned my attention to Robert and the blonde lady who I now presumed was Julia. ¡°Alpha says to call a meeting once the parents have checked on their pups.¡± She ordered. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Robert complied. He started moving around and steering reassured parents out of the room. When he got to the father and the little girl, the father bid her goodbye. ¡°Alright, baby. The adults are going to talk about the magic now. Thank you for telling me. Go back to playing with Olivia, okay.¡± ¡°Okay, daddy!¡± Soon enough, all the adults and teenagers had congregated in another room on the second floor, leaving Jane and Keith with the children. The room they occupied opened out to a balcony with shattered glass doors. Quietly, I moved to the balcony, avoiding any possible creaking surfaces. From my view, the room was wide, large enough to hold the roughly fifty werewolves in attendance. The makeshift stand comprised of old crates that the Alpha and Beta stood on told me the room had initially served a different purpose. ¡°Silence!¡± The Beta ordered the murmuring crowd. Soon a hush fell over them. ¡°You¡¯ve all noticed that most of our structures seem to have been rebuilt overnight. Your pups all appear to be safe, which is comforting, but this can only be the work of outsiders.¡± Their Alpha stated, ¡°Julia, an update.¡± Julia, who stood next to their crates, stepped forward, ¡°Duncan and I returned after our patrol shift was over and Harold and Peter took our place. Upon reaching the compound, we noticed the rebuilt structures and first went to check on the pups before notifying of the breach. Keith, Jane and Robert reported to not having noticed the houses till we returned, likely due to the distraction of caring for the pups. We were also not alerted to any intrusions during our patrol and it appears that nobody felt anyone enter our territory since the visitors left two days ago.¡± The father of the little girl spoke up, ¡°Karla told me that she and Olivia noticed the training hall repairing itself some time ago but didn¡¯t say anything. She believes that the school and event hall would have been fixed too if the patrols hadn¡¯t returned.¡± ¡°And why the hell didn¡¯t they tell someone?!¡± One furious mother demanded, eyes narrowed and lips pulled back in a snarl, ¡°The children could have all been in danger. They should have said something!¡± ¡°She said that they didn¡¯t want the repairs to stop by alerting teenagers or adults. They thought it was magic and that it wouldn¡¯t work if anyone other than children noticed it.¡± The father defended. ¡°Of course they thought that! This is because you still let your daughter believe in silly fairy tails instead of preparing her for reality!¡± Some of the others around them murmured their agreement. ¡°She¡¯s only seven! She has the right to a childhood. Not all of us want our children to live in fear.¡± The father''s retort was accompanied with a fierce glare ¡°After what happened, we should be preparing them to survive so the pack isn¡¯t eradicated if it happens again.¡± He was tense now, his own body angled to her, ¡°She. Is. Seven.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± The Alpha ordered. The two still shot daggers at each other but said nothing. ¡°We must not resort to blaming children or parenting styles. We have all been scarred from what happened and have all adjusted differently. Agreed?¡± The crowd mumbled sounds of agreement, sombre at the shared memory. ¡°With this information, we know that, with the number of buildings fixed, the repairs must have been going on since last night. Nobody saw or felt anyone enter the territory, so the question remains: who did this and how did they get past the defences?¡± ¡°Maybe it was the visitors.¡± A younger looking guy offered, ¡°It can¡¯t be a coincidence that this happens right after we receive the first visitors we¡¯ve had since the incident.¡± Robert shook his head, ¡°My wolf caught their scents in the forest last night before I came back to help Jane and Keith this morning.¡± ¡°All of them?¡± The Beta asked. He hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°Yes, sir. I-I mean Beta. Yes, Beta.¡± I knew I was in the forest yesterday so my scent may have been lingering around and Timothy and Hailey were in the forest last night. But he definitely wouldn¡¯t have smelled Kaesha¡¯s scent since she changed it back as soon as we left their territory two days ago. Why was he lying? ¡°I-Is this such a bad thing though¡­?¡± He asked in a small voice, ¡°Anyone that would want to harm us wouldn¡¯t help us with something like this. Maybe¡­ maybe we should just be happy¡­?¡± Nobody in the room was fond of this idea. I could see him trying to shrink himself, wishing he could take back the words he¡¯d just said, as practically everyone turned their incredulous, disapproving gazes on him. ¡®Yikes¡­ poor kid.¡¯ Candy sympathised, ¡®With this sort of reaction, how are we going to convince them that we mean no harm?¡¯ I looked at the Alpha¡¯s face, then back at Robert, ¡®We start with him.¡¯ For the next few minutes, the Alpha gave instructions for there to be a second, tighter layer of patrols around the buildings and that everyone else should remain on high alert and return to the territory as soon as the moon faded enough for them to shift back this night. Having heard enough, I got off the balcony and made my way to the house we¡¯d been meeting at. Instead of entering through the front door, I climbed in through a window and made my way upstairs. After looking around a bit, I found my makeshift bracelet and put it on. Hopefully, it would keep my scent hidden even when I took the necklace off. Avoiding getting noticed, I left and snuck into Robert¡¯s house. By a stroke of luck, his window was open so I climbed inside and waited. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The meeting had finally ended and I heard him coming. Thankfully, no one was with him and he entered the house, closing the door behind him. Muttering, he got into his chair before his computer and rested his head in his hands. ¡°Robert.¡± I whispered, taking off the necklace. He whipped around, getting to his feet in a defensive position and emitting a low growl. I pocketed the necklace and raised my hands, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay.¡± His eyes went almost as wide as his glasses, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s you.¡± He gawked. I smiled softly, ¡°I just came to talk.¡± He blinked, ¡°You- you¡¯re in my house¡­ How did you get in here? How did you get into the territory? They can¡¯t be right, I know you¡¯re not a Rogue spy¡­ you can¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°No, no... we aren¡¯t spies or Rogues or anything like that. My friends and I wanted to help but we knew your pack wouldn¡¯t take lightly to strangers.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened to your pack, but we do know the pack that was responsible and we share the same grudge. We started out just wanting to get you to be our allies but when we saw the state of things here during our visit, we knew we needed to help regardless.¡± His expression darkened at the mention of whatever incident occurred and he sighed, looking away. ¡°I know you don¡¯t believe we¡¯re bad people, Robert. I need you to help convince the rest of the pack that we want to help the best we can.¡± I heard someone moving towards the us and put my necklace back on, taking some steps back before he could respond. The Beta walked in without knocking. Robert turned to him, trying to compose himself. ¡°What were you going on about back there, kid?¡± ¡°No-nothing, sir- Beta! I just don¡¯t think that the repairs are necessarily¡­ a bad thing¡­¡± The Beta scowled, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to take my place, dammit! You should be able to identify a potential threat to the pack.¡± ¡°I know si- Beta. I, um, I just don¡¯t think this is one of them.¡± ¡°You remember what happened the last time we took a potential threat for granted, don¡¯t you?¡± Robert¡¯s head lowered. He glanced briefly at where I had been just some moments ago, ¡°But who would target us now? We¡¯ve got nothing to lose anymore.¡± The Beta went quiet, his irritation dialling down a few notches. Robert took a deep breath then looked him in the eyes, ¡°Beta, sir, if you could punish them, put them through hell, would you?¡± The Beta searched his face, finding only dead seriousness in the boy¡¯s furrowed brows and hard gaze from behind his glasses, ¡°In this reality, definitely. But if, in some other life I was given the choice between revenge and gaining back all we¡¯ve lost, I would restore us in a heartbeat.¡± They remained silent for a while before the Beta spoke again, ¡°We¡¯ve still got each other to lose. We must protect ourselves, Robbie.¡± Then he left, all the fumes of his anger fizzling out. Once he was far enough away, I took the necklace off again, ¡°Your pack isn¡¯t alone in their carnage. They cannot keep doing this to good packs and good people. We won¡¯t let them.¡± He turned back to me but didn¡¯t say anything for a while. Eventually, he spoke, a finger on the frame of his glasses, ¡°These aren¡¯t mine¡­ but I guess it¡¯s obvious though. They¡¯re far too large and fall off my face if I don¡¯t remember to readjust them every two seconds.¡± He scoffed lightly, taking the large frames off, the green of his hazel eyes darkening, ¡°I don¡¯t even need them. I¡¯m a werewolf, we generally have pretty great eyesight.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything for a bit and I maintained the silence, not wanting to break the memory in his gaze, as he lightly stroked the glasses frame. With the glasses off and the pain in his eyes, he no longer looked like an awkward boy around my age, but a grieving soul several years older. ¡°They were my dad¡¯s. He was human, just a guy visiting Pine Ridge with his ailing grandmother, when my mom followed his scent and met him. She was smart and knew that he probably wouldn¡¯t take her werewolf nature in stride, so she befriended him first. She told him when he said the words ¡®I love you¡¯ but he¡¯d already figured it out some weeks before. And the rest is history. They lived happily and had me and my little sister and were expecting another boy. They were gonna name him Jake.¡± He chuckled dryly, a cynical, bitter sound, ¡°They were so excited when they heard we were getting a visit from the Lightwood Pack. We¡¯re such a remote community that most rumours just fly right by us. We didn¡¯t hear the stories till it was too late. And they did far worse to us than their reputation suggests. Nobody likes to remember it, but we were taken for fools and burned badly for it - literally. They eventually got a large Rogue Pack to attack us and refused to help with the defences. Most of our houses burned down, other than the main building, my home and the small shack we kept tools in.¡± His gaze was empty but his eyes were nearly spilling over with tears. As he spoke through the lump that was no doubt lodged in his throat, his voice wavered and cracked, ¡°We¡­ we lost so many¡­¡± I found myself shaking with fury and felt my eyes glow. Was there no depth they wouldn¡¯t stoop to? He wouldn¡¯t stoop to? ¡°We- we tried to hide the pups in the lower basement of the shack but not all of them could make it. My sister, Madeline¡­ she was caught by one of those bastards and my dad, human as he was, ran to save her. Of course, that didn¡¯t go well, and my mom didn¡¯t listen to anyone and tried to save them both, but she couldn¡¯t shift cause she was pregnant¡­¡± He shook his head, wiping his eyes and slapping his cheeks, ¡°And, pathetically, I couldn¡¯t do anything!¡± Eyes red and glazed, he looked at me, ¡°If you¡¯re giving me a chance to do something now, I¡¯m taking it. I¡¯ll talk to the Alpha alone and convince him. What do you want me to tell him?¡± ¡°Tell him that some others that the Lightwoods scorned are radicalising their victims. If he wants to get involved and talk, he can meet us.¡± I got my phone out and saved Robert¡¯s number from memory, then texted him, ¡°Now, you have my number. Tell him that he can choose the meeting place. And, if he doesn¡¯t want to get involved, we¡¯re still willing to help repair the last two buildings, if he¡¯ll let us.¡± He raised a brow, ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t want to help?¡± I nodded, ¡°I need to get going and return to my friends now. I¡¯ll be waiting to hear from you.¡± I smiled and waved him goodbye, putting my necklace back on. It took double the effort, but I managed to get past their extra patrols and security and ran back to the house. Upon exiting the forest and taking the necklace off, I was practically ploughed over by a chattering blur that turned out to be Hailey. As we struggled to get up, she was talking a mile a minute and I had to hold her shoulders to stabilise her, ¡°Hailey, slow down.¡± She took a breath then hugged me again, ¡°You were gone for so long, Ari! What happened?! We were worried!¡± I chuckled, returning the hug, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hailey. I was just doing some more recon.¡± ¡°Welcome back, oh great one.¡± Timothy drawled from his place leaning on the porch wall, ¡°Took you long enough. That one was about ready to charge back into the field.¡± Hailey finally let go and shot him a loaded glare, her eyes flashing briefly. ¡°Don¡¯t mind those two.¡± Kaesha, on the rocking chair, rolled her eyes, ¡°We¡¯re all just glad you¡¯re safe. What did you find?¡± ¡°Like we predicted, they went on high alert as soon as they noticed the buildings. It was obvious even from our first visit two days ago, but they¡¯ve been seriously traumatised. On top of their usual antics, the Lightwoods got a Rogue Pack to attack them. Many of them seem to have lost family members and probably mates.¡± As I spoke, I made my way inside and to the living room, the others following in suit. Soon we were all seated and I continued, ¡°Understandably, they see the repairs as a possible threat. One of them suggested that we may be responsible but Robert provided an alibi.¡± Hailey¡¯s brow rose, ¡°Robert? Why would he cover like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But, to be fair, the only person whose scent isn¡¯t relatively fresh in the forest is Kaesha¡¯s. He seemed to be convinced that we don¡¯t have ill intentions, so I found a way to speak to him alone. I assured him that we want to help and he told me about what happened to Pine River. He¡¯s going to talk to their Alpha about possibly getting involved with our plan then he¡¯ll text me their response.¡± Timothy¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Just covering for one person¡¯s missing scent isn¡¯t enough reason to trust him. What if he leads us into a trap?¡± Kaesha nodded, ¡°True. And is he even in any position to be convincing their Alpha of such an important issue?¡± ¡°He¡¯s apparently supposed to be next in line to take their Betas place.¡± Hailey thought for a second before she spoke, ¡°They did kinda have a tough love dynamic going on, but they don¡¯t smell related. At least, not that I remember.¡± I shrugged, ¡°They lost a lot of people in the attack. It makes sense if the Beta¡¯s kid was one of them. As for having reason to trust him, well, his drive aligns with ours. For the time being, that should be enough to at least keep him from setting us up.¡± ¡®At least, I hope it is¡­¡¯ ¡°I think it¡¯s a good thing.¡± Hailey piped up, ¡°On top of helping them, we now have a chance to get them on our side.¡± I nodded. Feeling the conversation had ended, Timothy got up to leave, ¡°Well, that¡¯s all fine and dandy, but your boy needs a nap.¡± ¡°One more thing.¡± I called. He paused and the others returned their attention to me. ¡°Now, and with future packs, I want you to pose as our Alpha.¡± He got over his surprise quickly, ¡°You want a figure head.¡± He stated in a flat tone, arms crossed. I shook my head, ¡°We need an ambassador, a focal representative.¡± ¡°Different words, same meaning. You want my face on your campaign with you pulling the strings.¡± ¡°A lot of the packs we meet won¡¯t take the words of a small, teenage girl seriously. It makes more sense to have you be our spokesperson. You hate the Lightwoods about as much as I do and have so much to gain from their demise.¡± He scoffed, ¡°Even if you¡¯re right, how long do you intend to keep yourself out of the spotlight?¡± ¡°Just long enough to gain some traction and reputation in the Werewolf society. We need whispers to circulate and make them anxious, before we go in to crush them.¡± He tensed up, finger twitching and brow entrenched, ¡°And when they mention the fact that a black, lone Werewolf is spearheading the movement in those whispers? You don¡¯t think they¡¯ll come for my fucking head? They didn¡¯t just send big ass wolves nipping at my heels. They sent silent killers too, killers that got onto some of my construction sites to off me and make it look like an accident. Some that tried to burn down whatever dump I was living in at the time, with me conveniently trapped inside. I agreed to help, but appearing as the poster child for this bout of madness is just asking for an even bigger target on my already fucked back.¡± ¡°Which do you want more? To just get them off your back, or to see them in ruins after they stole everything from you?¡± He looked away, replying in a less heated tone, ¡°You know the answer to that.¡± I stood up, invading his space and forcing him to lower his head in order to look me in the eyes, ¡°So why do I hear fear instead of fury?¡± We all remained silent for a while, no one daring to break the tension in the challenge. Eventually, I turned away and returned to my seat. ¡°You¡¯ll be safe. There¡¯s a reason they target smaller, upcoming packs instead of already established ones. Too much noise if anything happens to them. Since we¡¯ll be talking to packs that also have it in for them, the rumours shouldn¡¯t reach them till we¡¯ve already cemented our place. By that time, we¡¯ll either be too prominent for them to attack you, or you¡¯ll have enough protection to not worry much about it anyway. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you, I promise.¡± He remained silent of a while, then nodded, "Fine. I''ll hold you to that promise, oh great one." I smiled, "Of course. Thank you, Timothy." He scoffed, waving off the gratitude. Moments later, my phone lit up with a text from Robert stating a location and that their Alpha wanted to meet us there in an hour. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re finally about to get the ball rolling.¡± Chapter 42 - Building Bridges Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°Robert¡¯s text says that they want to meet by the river behind their territory. I¡¯ve been there before, when I was scoping out the area after our initial visit. The river runs around half of one side then to the back of their territory line, some yards away, then it veers off. It takes about an hour to get there if we move at a medium pace and stick close to their border, longer if we don¡¯t.¡± We were still in the living room, working on our strategy. Taking the initiative, Kaesha had gone to work on changing her scent while we spoke. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t we get moving? We only have an hour to get there.¡± Hailey suggested, her hand in Kaesha¡¯s as she donated her energy. ¡°The fact that they gave us an only hour, means they expect us to either move close to their territory, or enter it altogether.¡± Timothy nodded, ¡°If we do that, we¡¯ll possibly be intercepted by their patrols. They want us to get close. They might be looking to attack us.¡± He shot me a look. ¡°That could be the case, but there could be more to it. Their Alpha seems like an intelligent man. He might want to see if we can pull it off.¡± He crossed his arms, ¡°Say we pull it off, how am I even gonna know what to say to him?¡± Finished with her spell, Kaesha let go of Haley and grabbed both Timothy¡¯s and my hand before either of us could protest. Soon enough, she¡¯d established a telepathic link. ¡°Guess that answers that.¡± Timothy quipped once she¡¯d let go. ¡°You guys have your own link separate from the general one.¡± She explained, ¡°You¡¯ll just need to focus so that you don¡¯t end up sending your thoughts to the wrong one.¡± ¡°Kaesha, you¡¯ve been using too much energy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ava. I¡¯ve mostly been channelling you guys, and best believe I¡¯m gonna sleep for two days once we get back to Manhattan. I¡¯ll have a teleportation spell ready if things go sideways.¡± I smiled at her. I¡¯d have to find a way to repay her for how convenient she seemed to be intent on making things. ¡°I hope you all have your necklaces. We¡¯re gonna do the improbable and get there without getting caught. We just have to be quick and light on our feet.¡± As I said that, Kaesha gestured for Hailey to take her hand then went to work on another spell, ¡°Can I use one of you to mimic your speed and agility? I¡¯m already channelling Hailey.¡± Both Timothy and I moved to offer her our hands, but mine touched hers first, ¡°You¡¯ve all been working so hard. Let me help her with this.¡± He shrugged and went back to the topic at hand, ¡°So, we¡¯re going in fast, invisible, and undetected. How will we approach?¡± Kaesha¡¯s spell had my skin buzzing, static building up around me and diverting to her, ¡°From the trees. We climb up the trees around them, and take the necklaces off. We can¡¯t show our hand, so we need to avoid just appearing in their field of vision.¡± My conversation with Timothy didn¡¯t distract me from the fact that Kaesha was giving me another one of her contemplative looks. Like she had during the encounter with Tyson when she¡¯d bet a page of her Spellbook. Maybe my speed felt weird or something¡­? I¡¯d need to ask her about it later. A few seconds later, she was done and we were on our way out. ¡°I¡¯ll keep my necklace off till we get to the border. From there, we¡¯ll go around their territory till we¡¯re parallel to the first large structure you guys repaired, then we¡¯ll need to get behind it. That¡¯s where they¡¯ll most likely be. Everyone remember the way?¡± They nodded. I led the way and we were moving. Apart from listening for their footsteps, the telepathy helped to make sure they were all accounted for. I barely felt the difference in my movements, but I wondered how much speed Kaesha had mimicked, cause she was keeping up incredibly well. Soon enough, we were approaching the border. I pointed in the general direction of where we were meant to go and donned my necklace. There were a lot more werewolves around, all on high alert, but we took to the trees and avoiding them as much as possible. ¡®Kaesha is fast and agile, but her body may not be used to these kind of movements. Please keep an eye on her so she doesn¡¯t get hurt or fall out of a tree.¡¯ I told Timothy. He snickered, ¡®I¡¯d like to see that.¡¯ He¡¯d said that, but, for the rest of the way, his movements shadowed hers. Since we weren¡¯t trying to get into their territory, we only needed to move away from the patrols, not get by or through them. This sped the journey up considerably and we arrived at the meeting place just in time. ¡®Let¡¯s cross the river so we¡¯re opposite their territory.¡¯ I instructed. Once we were across and in position, I took note of our company. The Alpha, Julia and Robert were present and with their backs to us, probably expecting us to emerge from around their territory, if at all. I imagined their hot headed Beta didn¡¯t simply agree to stay behind when he could have the possible threat dealt with. My suspicions were confirmed when I picked up traces of his scent quite some yards behind us, along with two other werewolves. Either it was supposed to play out like an ambush, they were taking extra precautions, or the Beta had tagged along without permission. ¡®There are other wolves in the surrounding area behind us.¡¯ I informed them, ¡®About three, one of them being the Beta. Kaesha, Hailey, you two should stay in the trees. Timothy, let¡¯s go.¡¯ He complied, pocketing his necklace and dropping from his tree. I followed in suit and stayed in his shadow. Sensing us, The Alpha, Julia and Robert turned to face us. Robert offered a hesitant smile, while Julia¡¯s hand hovered around her back, no doubt where her dagger was stationed. Their Alpha regarded us evenly. The lengthened silence inched Robert, Julia and Timothy towards agitation but no one spoke. ¡®Don¡¯t divert your gaze from him.¡¯ I advised, ¡®And don¡¯t let your finger start twitching.¡¯ ¡®Easier said than done, the guy¡¯s just staring. And my finger does not fucking twitch.¡¯ Eventually, the Alpha spoke, ¡°Where are the others?¡± ¡®Ask him where his are.¡¯ Timothy didn¡¯t miss a beat, ¡°I could ask the same.¡± The Alpha cocked his head, ¡°Touche. You noticed. We don¡¯t have the best track record with visitors, so I¡¯d prefer to keep them where they are.¡± ¡°As long as we get to keep ours.¡± He gave a nod, ¡°My future Beta tells me that you¡¯re here to help, yet you sneak around and onto our territory. Very contradictory behaviour for people who claim to have good intentions.¡± ¡®Like you said, you don¡¯t have the best track record with visitors. How were we to know if you would be hospitable?¡¯ Timothy parroted. ¡°Approaching us legitimately would have helped your case.¡± ¡®Their Beta was awfully desperate to get rid of us. We needed to take baby steps.¡¯ ¡°Really? Your current Beta couldn¡¯t wait to send us on our merry way two days ago. We needed to take things slow.¡± The Alpha¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°I would hardly call sneaking onto our territory in the middle of the night ¡®taking things slow¡¯¡± ¡®Ask him what he returned to.¡¯ ¡°And what did you return to in the morning?¡± He sighed before replying, ¡°Most of our buildings restored.¡± ¡®A show of good faith. We have a common enemy and I want to reverse their carnage on good Packs.¡¯ Timothy recited. The Alpha nodded, studying Timothy, ¡°But that¡¯s not all.¡± Timothy shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m looking to force feed them their own medicine. To do that, I need allies.¡± ¡°And if we refuse?¡± ¡®As your future Beta said, we¡¯re willing to finish the repairs if you¡¯ll let us, then we¡¯ll move on. There¡¯s no shortage of Packs they¡¯ve targeted.¡¯ The Alpha remained in contemplative silence for a while after Timothy had spoken. Then, he asked, ¡°What makes you think you can take them on?¡± ¡®Strategy, the element of surprise, and the sheer number of Werewolves they¡¯ve victimised. They won¡¯t see us coming.¡¯ ¡°You know what they did to us, but how did they hurt you?¡± I could feel the anger rolling off Timothy in harsh waves, ¡°They took my pack down from the inside¡­ by the time they were done, we were reduced to infighting and crippling paranoia. Then they tried to have me killed for finding out what they¡¯d done.¡± The Alpha didn¡¯t look at him with pity, but with the gaze of a veteran. Maybe one from a different war, but ultimately the same core pain. His look became distant and I knew they were deliberating through their mind link. Finally, he spoke, ¡°What would you have us do?¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡®For the next few months, possibly years, nothing. You simply need to rebuild and be ready to officially ally us. This is a long play. When my pack rivals their own, they¡¯ll find it deeply unsettling that all of our allies are comprised of their former victims. Not only that, but that the Werewolves they tore down have suddenly built themselves back up.¡¯ Timothy repeated my words and the Alpha regarded him again. Then his eyes caught me, as if noticing me for the first time, ¡°Do you believe in his vision of revenge?¡± I returned his gaze evenly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here if I didn¡¯t.¡± He returned his attention to Timothy, ¡°They say that, before you embark on a journey of revenge, you must dig two graves. As long as none of my members will be digging or occupying either of those graves, we will support your journey.¡± He went silent again. This time, the Beta and two other werewolves made their way to us, emerging from the thicket behind us. ¡®Kaesha, Hailey, you can come down now.¡¯ Hailey and Kaesha dropped from the trees, landing beside the Beta and his men. We all crossed the river and Timothy stood before the Alpha, offering him his hand, ¡°With luck, this will be a productive alliance.¡± The Alpha took his hand and shook it, ¡°We shall introduce you to the Pack.¡± I could see Timothy holding back a grimace at the Alpha¡¯s grip, and his posture and expression were definitely unspoken warnings not to try anything funny despite his words. Timothy nodded, ¡°And then we¡¯ll work on the repairs.¡± In agreement, Timothy and the Alpha led the way, the rest of us falling behind them. The Beta still shot us sceptical looks but, for the most part, Timothy seemed to have succeeded in winning them over. For now. For the rest of the unsettled walk back to their territory, I ignored Robert¡¯s occasional glances and, instead, watched Julia. Her hand no longer hovered near her weapon, but she definitely wasn¡¯t relaxed. Judging by her looks, she probably wasn¡¯t that much older than Timothy or Kaesha. Maybe twenty or so. And with her proximity to the highest ranking members of her pack, she either already held a high position, or she was in line to. We were at the territory soon enough and another meeting was called, outside this time. ¡°As you know, we were worried about the sudden reappearance of our lost structures earlier today.¡± The Alpha began, ¡°Well, we can lay those worries to rest now. They were a gesture of good faith from our new allies. He motioned to us to join him in front of the crowd, ¡±They have seen hardships at the hands of the same fiends and wanted to give us a gift to demonstrate their good intentions. All they ask for in return is our acceptance and allegiance.¡± As he went on, I scanned the crowd. They weren¡¯t exactly jumping for joy at the sight of us. Many of the more agitated parents from earlier shifted uncomfortably. And the combative mother who¡¯d butted heads with Karla¡¯s father was openly eyeing us with unabashed distrust. ¡®Guys, we may need to spend the rest of the day with them after helping to rebuild. We¡¯re leaving tomorrow evening but we need them to have a better impression of us before we do.¡¯ ¡®Definitely,¡¯ Hailey piped up, ¡®they all look like they¡¯d rather stone us, and one lady seems like she¡¯d be more than willing to throw the first one.¡¯ Timothy scoffed, ¡®Easier said than done. You said it yourself, we¡¯re leaving tomorrow. These things take time.¡¯ ¡®True,¡¯ Kaesha agreed, trying to smile at one of the teenagers but being met with a glare followed by an indignant turn of girl¡¯s head, ¡®we can¡¯t just spend a day with them and wipe all their worries away.¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t need to get them to absolutely love us before we go. We just need them to begin judging us based on us, not their past. Timothy, you already tackled the hardest part of getting us through the door, and you did great by the way. Now, we need to stay in the room.¡¯ I glanced back at Julia. She looked entirely impassive, save for the slight scowl on her face. She seemed like she¡¯d prefer if we were allies from afar. Very far. ¡®I think the brevity of our stay is good. Their last visitors stayed a while before wreaking havoc on them, so they¡¯ll probably have a time limit before they become inconsolably antsy. We don¡¯t need to put on grand airs or do any huge gestures besides finishing up the repairs. We just need to be normal and treat them with decency.¡¯ ¡®Of course, great one. We can manage that, at least.¡¯ ¡°They will now finish the repairs they started.¡± The crowd dispersed and Julia, Robert and the Beta led us to the first undone structure. ¡°So,¡± the Beta said finally, ¡°one of you is obviously gifted. This will be interesting to watch.¡± ¡®Kaesha can¡¯t be a witch. Her gift is telekinesis.¡¯ ¡°Actually, my sister and I are.¡± Timothy clarified. Kaesha grinned, elbowing him, ¡°But, as usual, I got the good genes. He¡¯s dendrokinetic, I¡¯m telekinetic.¡± ¡°Fascinating,¡± Robert mused, ¡°you¡¯d think twins would manifest the same gift¡­¡± They shrugged, Kaesha grinning at him with playful superiority. Timothy rolled his eyes in response and started on the building. Abruptly, Hailey captured them in a web of conversation and questions. I took that as a cue to subtly keep a hand on Kaesha for her to channel me. She smiled silently and continued her work. Since we weren¡¯t in a hurry to avoid getting caught, the repairs took longer than before. Eventually, the Beta left, but left Julia and Robert with us. The look he gave them as he departed was a clear instruction to keep an eye on us. Most of the members were staying in the main house, where they probably felt safe from the invasive visitors turned questionable allies. But some of the more curious ones were milling about, close enough for them to hear any normal volumed conversation and watch Timothy and Kaesha work, but far enough for them to feign complete disinterest if we looked their way. They were easy to distinguish from the ones meant to monitor us. Those ones dared to get a little closer, and they were keener, not bothering to pretend to be busy with something else, and were obviously carrying one weapon or another barely concealed under their clothing. ¡®This is no way to treat allies that are obviously helping.¡¯ Candy huffed. I said nothing, knowing her well enough not to. ¡®But,¡¯ she continued, ¡®makes sense for them, given what they¡¯ve been through.¡¯ ¡®Our job is just to do our best to help them.¡¯ I said eventually. Hours later, we were done with the two buildings and were escorted back to the main house. Evening would fall in a couple of hours and it would be time to shift again. ¡®What should we do about shifting? We can stay and interact with them, then Kaesha will cast the same illusion spell, or we can leave before we have to deal with all that. Kaesha, I know you¡¯re tired from the repairs and keeping this telepathy up and all the spells you¡¯ve cast today, so I think we should leave before the full moon. What do you think? It¡¯s up to you.¡¯ ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be rude to leave so soon?¡¯ She asked. Timothy scoffed, ¡®After rebuilding their whole fucking compound? Don¡¯t you dare worry about being courteous right now. If you¡¯re tired, we can tell them that we need to get new clothes before we shift.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re right.¡¯ Hailey agreed, ¡®We can come see them before we leave tomorrow.¡¯ ¡®Okay¡­¡¯ Kaesha finally conceded, ¡®if you guys don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m knackered.¡¯ ¡®They might prepare something as a thanks. We can stay briefly then Timothy will give our excuse. Remember to tell him that we¡¯ll visit tomorrow.¡¯ Sure enough, they had prepared something for us to eat. It was dinner time, so a lot of the other pack members were eating as well. Their dining room wasn¡¯t large enough to take everyone, so they¡¯d knocked down the next wall to expand the room. Some parents were on another table with their children, helping them eat. We were seated close to the Alpha and Beta. The Alpha tapped his glass and a hush fell. He stood, raising his glass, ¡°Today, we were given back some of what we lost. Let¡¯s raise a toast in gratitude to our friends who made this possible.¡± Glasses clinked and people murmured thanks. I was done, so I took my leave and wandered over to the kitchen. A lone girl was there, washing dishes and organising leftovers. ¡°Need help?¡± I called. She started, nearly dropping a plate she was holding, ¡°Oh, no, I¡¯m fine. Some others usually come to help when they¡¯re done eating.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll lend a hand in the meantime.¡± I offered and started scrubbing a pot. She blinked, ¡°Well¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± I smiled, ¡°What¡¯s you name?¡± ¡°Pamela. But call me Pammy, everyone does. What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°Richelle. Have you had dinner?¡± She nodded, picking up a stack of plates, ¡°Yeah, I usually eat first before the food is served. You must be one of the four visitors. Why come to our little patch of land?¡± ¡°We were just gonna stop by for access to the WolfNet, but we saw the ruins and wanted to help out. Jason insisted and we agreed to do it.¡± I finished and moved on to the next pot. ¡°That was nice of you all. I¡¯m sure the families will be so glad to move back into their places.¡± She was back at the other sink and we were standing next to each other. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna?¡± She shrugged, ¡°A good chunk of teens and kids here are orphans. Not sure if living alone would be the best idea. Some of the kids with no parents might stay here, while adults that just had children move into their old houses. I wouldn¡¯t mind staying here. We won¡¯t have like five people crammed into a room anymore.¡± ¡°Makes sense, I guess.¡± ¡°It would really help if we got more members, you know? Build more houses, expand.¡± I nodded, ¡°Well, some of you look like you¡¯ll be finding your mates in a few years. If they stay, that¡¯ll mean more members.¡± She carried some of the clean pots to a cabinet, ¡°Yeah, sucks that we have to go all the way to the palace for a chance to find our mates though. We¡¯re too small a pack to skip it if we want to find our mates.¡± She was right. The Lightwoods barely bothered to take that many people to the palace for the biannual mate ball. Of course, Clark always took his spawn and their closest friends just to show face and schmooze with the royal family, but it wasn¡¯t much of a problem, since the pack was large enough for a lot of wolves¡¯ mates to turn out to be fellow members. Those that didn¡¯t were begrudgingly allowed to attend after two years of not finding theirs, on the condition that they convinced their mate to join the Lightwood Pack. ¡°I guess I never bothered to think about it. We visit enough places for us to eventually find ours on the way.¡± ¡°Lucky you. You¡¯re not stuck with the same people every single day. Sometimes, I want to leave, and Alpha says we¡¯re welcome to if we want, but I¡¯m not old enough yet. Plus, I still love my pack and I have no clue where I would go if I left.¡± I handed her a stack of washed plates, ¡°Maybe you should give the pack a few years. I¡¯m sure things will improve. And, if you still feel like leaving, you can always join us, but we live in a city when we aren¡¯t travelling. And you wouldn¡¯t need to revoke your membership.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Are you sure your Alpha won¡¯t mind?¡± I smiled, ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be happy to have you, if you want to, of course.¡± I could hear the wistfulness in her voice, even as her back was turned, ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a city before. The closest thing we have is the Village for old people, though there¡¯s a town on the other side of the forest, but that one¡¯s so tiny.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re always welcome to visit. I¡¯ll take you wherever you want myself.¡± ¡°Richelle?¡± Kaesha called, walking by the kitchen door and spotting me, ¡°There you are. We need to go back to get new clothes before the full moon. ¡°Okay, coming.¡± I said, finishing up the plate I was on. Pamela handed me a towel to dry my hands and I thanked her. Kaesha turned to her and smiled, ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Kenya, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Pamela. Call me Pammy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± Kaesha looked back at me, ¡°Look at you, making friends already.¡± I grinned, ¡°You know me, I¡¯m just too magnetic.¡± I laughed as she rolled her eyes and shook her head, ¡°You and Jason are made of the same stuff.¡± ¡°It was lovely spending time with you, Pammy. Maybe we¡¯ll talk again tomorrow.¡± She smiled, ¡°I hope so.¡± We left as two members walked into the kitchen, probably to help, and met up with Timothy and Hailey outside. They were with the Alpha, Beta and Robert. We bid them farewell, shaking hands and waving. This time, we weren¡¯t escorted out of the territory and made our way back to the house in relative silence. I felt the telepathy link dissipate and Kaesha¡¯s scent went back to normal. ¡°Thank you so much, Kaesha. You really did a lot today.¡± She shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I flexed my magical muscles so much, and I¡¯m glad I got to help build bridges with them.¡± ¡°Among other things.¡± Hailey added, giving her a hug. Timothy nodded in agreement, ¡°You¡¯d better sleep like a fucking log tonight.¡± She laughed, ¡°Definitely, but I need a serious shower first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll run you a bath in the tub.¡± I offered, then added before she could protest, ¡°The least I can do after all your construction.¡± She smiled, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 43 - Low Point Callum¡¯s P. O. V ¡®What¡¯s even the point?¡¯ That had been my general state of mind for the past two weeks¡­ or was it three? I didn¡¯t know. Wishing I were still asleep, I opened my eyes and glared up at the sky. It was a beautiful day. The clouds in the sky were few and fluffy, like layered cotton just waiting to be slept in. The birds were chirping their songs and a light breeze passed, rustling leaves and reminding me that I was naked. Getting up, I looked around for any available robes, thankful I didn¡¯t have to go too far before I spotted one. But, still, it was much farther than I was used to, and it just reminded me again of how nothing would ever be the same. Natalia used to hang them¡­ somehow, she always knew the general area we¡¯d all be in after the full moon. I returned to the house and dragged myself to the bathroom. Some people say that a good shower¡¯s enough to get them out of a funk and ready for the day. Liars. Showers were only good for crying my lungs out without being overheard by everyone in the territory. And they still weren¡¯t completely useful for that purpose. Even with the shower set to its rowdiest spray setting, James, the guy in the room next to mine, had started giving me strange looks. My only consolation was that he generally kept to himself so word of my daily tear fests wasn¡¯t likely to spread. The shower was the only place I was really allowed to grieve. Getting dressed, I had to leave my room to a world where I needed to pretend that I was okay with the death of my mate. Immediately, I made my way to the work house where meetings and important events were held. With school done, the immersive aspect of our training had begun, so all those next in line for high ranking positions had to spend at least six hours in the work house, observing our predecessors and familiarising ourselves with important information. Harry could get off a few hours a day cause he claimed that he did work in his office in our dorm-like house already. It was a blatant lie, but Alpha Lightwood seemed like the kind of man that would still be in charge even after Harry took the position anyway, so no one really said anything. I didn¡¯t care. Going to the work house just meant that I could be alone with my thoughts for most of the day. I¡¯d received praise a few times for my dedication to putting in more hours than required. Honestly, I just wanted to be away from the rest of my peers for as long as possible. About an hour later, my dad walked into his office and stopped, seeing me seated in the corner, ¡°In early again, son? That makes this a full two weeks now.¡± So it had been two weeks. I shrugged, ¡°Just eager to learn.¡± ¡°I knew you¡¯d hit the ground running as soon as you were born. Gifted, that¡¯s what you are.¡± He settled behind his desk and started on paperwork, ¡°Alright, give me the news for today.¡± I withheld a sigh, reciting the headlines and details from the news posts I¡¯d been reading on the WolfNet. Somewhere in my dad¡¯s mind, he was still holding out hope that I¡¯d be a Gifted Werewolf and become a prodigy Beta. Just like Connor. Done with the news, I took a stack of yesterday¡¯s paperwork to study and sort through. I was to help him send the papers to the places they needed to go, but first, he always had me read them and ask about any I didn¡¯t understand. But I preferred to look for answers elsewhere. The one time I¡¯d gone to him with confusion on something, he¡¯d given me a withering disappointed look. Then he¡¯d gone on to rant about how I should understand it and why couldn¡¯t I just get it and how Connor would never get confused by something so simple. After about half an hour of all that, he¡¯d gotten round to giving the most belittling explanation possible. What¡¯s even the point? By the time I was done reading and sorting the paperwork, and was getting up to deliver them, Harry walked into the common room. ¡°Man, that was a good full moon! Tay just went wild.¡± He announced, an open ended intonation that he clearly expected me to try and top. I tried, and probably failed, to plaster on a grin, ¡°Yeah, Cade was just all over the place. I almost couldn¡¯t find my way back.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Cade had done nothing but go to the tree where Natalia¡¯s scent had been strongest during the search and whimpered, sniffing around, hoping to catch a whiff of it. It had long since faded, but it didn¡¯t stop him from trying. I¡¯d begged him to take me close enough to the edge of the forest before the night ended for me to get back early and not have to see anyone else. Thankfully, he¡¯d complied. ¡°Even after the full moon, Kylie still didn¡¯t want to let me leave the bed this morning. That girl fucks like a rabbit.¡± I couldn¡¯t even try to come up with some fantastical story about Brittany, so I made an impressed sound and high-fived him, apparently placating his ego enough for him to move to his dad¡¯s office. I¡¯d been avoiding sleeping with Brittany since that night. I knew I¡¯d still need to in two and a half months, but even the thought of kissing her felt like spitting on Natalia¡¯s memory. I just felt guilty that I¡¯d quit sex with her so abruptly. She¡¯d already cornered me twice on the matter, and being tired from the work house had been my excuse both times, but that excuse wouldn¡¯t fly a third. ¡®She¡¯s my mate now. I should do something to make up for it¡­¡¯ I tried to convince myself. Cade scoffed, ¡®Go ahead. Put roses on the bed and make romantic love to Brittany while Natalia is digested and rotting with some bear. Because of you.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t reply. Cade had all but stopped speaking to me since we found out she was dead. He mostly stayed in the shadows, popping up once in a while to remind me that I¡¯d practically driven her to her demise. I knew he was still angry, but he really didn¡¯t need to keep telling me. We both knew I never stopped torturing myself with that knowledge anyway. The day trudged on, as usual. I stayed as long as I could, keeping myself busy with tax details and some finance entries till James came for me again. ¡°Closing up, Howling.¡± He called from the door. I placed my book back in its place and joined him to leave. For the past week, he¡¯d been the one to tell me when the building closed and walk back with me. Despite my desire to avoid his curiously concerned looks, he was really the only one I could stand to be around these days, cause he rarely spoke. People thought he was dense for not joining our group of future higher ups, but he was practically the acting Gamma so it never devolved into bullying like it would if he were another person. Plus, he was a year older than most of us so he probably had much better things to do with his time. I envied him. On our way back, I saw Brittany pull up to the parking lot with Kirstin and walk to the house. They seemed to be hanging out more lately. Brittany was saying something that had Kirstin laughing, and she looked in our direction. In that second, her smile seemed expertly forced, like it was an art. I¡¯d need her to teach me how to perfect it some time. We ended up converging paths on the way to the door. As soon as Brittany saw me, she gave a little squeal and ran to me, practically wrapping her legs around me in her hug. ¡°Hey babe! You¡¯re back late again.¡± I hugged her back, forcing my arms to stay put, ¡°Just trying my best, baby.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so hardworking, I love that about you.¡± She gushed, letting me go to kiss my cheek. I smiled down at her and we walked into the house. I waved James off while Kirstin gave Brittany a wink that surely didn¡¯t say anything at all and found her way to Kylie. Another thing to agonise over. I still felt horrible for allowing her to drag me off that night. The guilt was compounded by the facts that she was Brittany¡¯s friend, practically my family, Harry¡¯s mate and that I¡¯d abused my own mate with her. Definitely my lowest point. Brittany grinned at me and began dragging me, I assumed seductively, by my shirt to her room upstairs. I tried to get into it, returned her kisses with as much passion I could muster and focused on the feeling of her mouth on my neck. But, just as she was going to rip my shirt off, I held her wrists, shaking my head. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± Silence. I looked up to see her glowering at me with a look that would make any man stop and think. ¡°Are you fucking serious, Callum?!¡± She growled, ¡°Are you serious!? I don¡¯t know why the hell you¡¯ve suddenly decided to become a damn asexual, but can you not?! You¡¯re my goddamn mate! I bought your bullshit excuses cause I thought you¡¯d come to your senses and realise how lucky you are to have me, but now you¡¯re just being an imbecile.¡± I looked away. She scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re so emo cause you didn¡¯t find your mate once the fucking clock struck twelve?¡± I needed to tell her at least one of the reasons I felt so bad, she deserved to know, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brittany¡­ I cheated on you that night. With Kylie.¡± Slap! The force of it turned my head. I blinked, my hand coming up to feel the growing sting in my cheek. ¡°I know you¡¯re not telling me that you messed around with that WHORE! WHERE IS SHE?!¡± She roared, shoving me out of the doorway and stomping out of the room. ¡®Shit!¡¯ I followed her, trying to prevent a major natural disaster, ¡°Brittany! Please, wait! I¡¯m sorry, let¡¯s stop and talk about this, please!¡± I caught up to her before she finished descending the stairs wrapping my arms around her from behind. ¡°Let go of me, you fucking asshole! KYLIE, YOU BITCH! GET YOUR STUPID ASS UP HERE, NOW!! HOW DARE YOU FUCK MY FUCKING MAN?!¡± She screeched, her legs kicking wildly. I could barely hold her. I¡¯d stopped working out, Cade wasn¡¯t lending a smidge of strength and she was still alpha born, contrary to what her frame would have you believe. By now, a lot of other members had peeked out and gathered to see the drama, drawn to the smell of conflict like a pack of bloodhounds. ¡°We didn¡¯t sleep together! Please, Brittany, it was just a stupid mistake!¡± At that, she bit my arm. I hissed at the pain, but tried to hold on, so she threw her head back and hit me square in the nose. Staggering back, I let go of her. For good measure, she kneed me between the legs then continued on her warpath. Luna, what had I done? Chapter 44 - Mastermind Kirstin¡¯s P. O. V This was perfect. Today¡¯s session with her guys had been incredibly explicit. They¡¯d all been present, bodies writhing over each other like a nest of snakes. And to make things better, all my work on making Derek, her favourite and most frequent partner, crack had started paying off. Beneath his flirtatious and promiscuous persona, he was incredibly bitter and straight up despised Brittany. Once he¡¯d seen that I wasn¡¯t exactly on her side, he became infinitely more vocal on how much he wanted to rip her heart out and why he felt that way. Another screaming fit from Brittany brought me back to the current drama. The other members present were whispering amongst themselves, snide remarks and judgements flying through the air as the whole house seemed to focus on the meltdown. Trying not to grin at the chaos, I glanced at Kylie beside me. She was petrified. Poor Kylie looked more like a deer than a werewolf. Her face had gone ghost white and she was trembling so badly that I thought her legs might give out any second. I¡¯d honestly pay good money to see the likely pandemonium inside her head right now. Maybe I¡¯d pry it out of her with my gift later. I almost felt bad for her. ¡°We didn¡¯t sleep together! Please, Brittany, it was just a stupid mistake!¡± I heard Callum beg, followed by a hiss of pain, then a groan. I turned to Kylie, suppressing my glee and plastering worry in its place, ¡°Oh my gosh, Luna! What¡¯s going on? Luna? Are you okay?¡± Finally, she dragged her eyes to me. Too late. Brittany was upon her, her eyes flashing furiously as she swiped Kylie across the cheek. The smell of blood suddenly filled the air and another look at them confirmed that Brittany was a little way into a half shift and had used her resulting claws to slap and effectively tear Kylie¡¯s cheek open. Okay, maybe I felt a little bad for her. Just a smidge. ¡°How dare you?!¡± Brittany growled, pinning a sobbing Kylie in place with her glare, ¡°I allowed your bottom feeding ass to date my brother, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?! BY SLEEPING WITH MY MAN?!¡± Kylie¡¯s quivering lips parted, I assumed in an effort to form an excuse or apologise, but another sob escaped them instead. Brittany was not known for her patience, ¡°Well, you bitch?! Did you have a reason for sleeping with my fucking mate - who also happens to be your goddamn relative by the way, you disgusting, incestuous pig?¡± I didn¡¯t know if I should intervene. What could I do to maximise the chaos while making sure none of the negativity was directed at me? Putting a concerned face on, I whispered under my breath, quiet enough for only the two of them to hear at their proximity, ¡°I can¡¯t believe the Luna would do this to you, Brittany¡­¡± I paused, making sure they were listening, ¡°But fighting another she-wolf over a man¡­? That¡¯s so not a power move in this decade, even if he¡¯s yours¡­ I just think you¡¯re worth so much more.¡± That did the trick. Even though Brittany was still radiating wrath, she took a breath and exhaled. ¡°You¡¯re not even worth the energy, traitor.¡± She sneered, then turned on her heel and strutted off. She passed Callum at the base of the stairs. He tried to reach out and say something, but she just swatted his hand away and stalked off to her room. Briefly, he gave me a look before following her. She definitely wouldn¡¯t be letting him near her tonight, so I decided to go after Brittany. As I walked down the corridor, I passed Harry¡¯s room and stopped, an idea striking me. I knocked and waited. ¡°Come in!¡± He called. I opened his door and was hit with his scent again. Gracine released a low whimper but I forced myself to remain composed, when I just wanted to crawl into bed with him. He was on his play station, playing Fortnite with his headphones on. Probably why he didn¡¯t come to the scene of the drama. ¡°Excuse me, Alpha,¡± I said, bowing my head, ¡°Luna really needs you. She¡¯s injured and bleeding and I¡¯m sure she would want you with her right now.¡± He sighed, apologising to his teammates through the microphone, and dropped the game. ¡°Where is she?¡± He asked, not really sounding all that worried. ¡°She¡¯s downstairs, Alpha.¡± I replied then took my leave, continuing to Brittany¡¯s room. Kylie definitely wouldn¡¯t have calmed down enough to downplay the issue by the time he reached her, so the scandal with Callum would definitely come out. And I¡¯d be safely inside Brittany¡¯s room, condemning men and Kylie with her, before Harry pieced it together and came for Callum. Callum was standing outside her door, pleading with all his might for her to hear him out. It was sad, cause the hypocrisy was poignant in this and their roles really should be reversed. But I was sure that, even when he found out about her escapades, she¡¯d refuse to grovel for his forgiveness and they might just stay together. ¡°I think you should leave her alone now, Beta.¡± I told him gently. Defeated, he nodded and retreated to his room. Seconds later, I heard faint sounds of his shower running. ¡°Brittany?¡± I called, opening her door apprehensively. ¡°How fucking dare they?! He is my mate! Does her pea brain not get that?!¡± She was breathing heavily, standing in the midst of shredded papers. Not a single thing was out of place, though - nothing but utter insanity could drive her to dishevel her immaculate abode, and she hated her wolf, so shifting to comfort herself wasn¡¯t an option. She usually coped by beating Avarielle till she was satisfied, but I guess tearing up papers from notebooks was the next best thing. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. I listened, letting her rage and rant as she continued to shred papers. Outside her room, I could hear the sounds of Harry shouting at Callum, eventually blending into sounds of fists crunching bone, followed by the clamour of people trying to break up the fight. Through that, I sat, mhmm-ing and uh-huh-ing to Brittany¡¯s gripes while she paced and tore more paper. ¡°They obviously don¡¯t respect you¡­¡± I commented, shaking my head disapprovingly. ¡°Exactly!¡± She agreed. ¡°Just because he¡¯s Beta and she¡¯s Luna.¡± I continued. ¡°Ugh, right?! As if I¡¯m not the fucking brains in this pack!¡± I tutted, rolling my eyes, ¡°You should get your own title, your own position. You¡¯re so much better suited to be a leader in this pack¡­¡± ¡°I know my dad would recognise my talents if I were a guy!¡± She spat, angry again, ¡°Harry doesn¡¯t even care about putting in the work to be Alpha. I should be going to the work house! I should be allowed to take charge!¡± ¡°So, why not do just that?¡± I prompted, ¡°Why not go to the work house and show them what you can do? It¡¯s a disservice to let a great mind like yours remain out of use.¡± She turned to me with a superior look, ¡°Damn right! Honestly, Kirstin, lately, it feels like you¡¯re the only airhead around here with half a brain. I should¡¯ve had you as my second, not that trick bitch, Kylie. I only even have her around cause her family has ties to the Royals.¡± That was interesting. I knew her family was respected in the pack, but the reason was never really specified. I raised a brow, ¡°Really? She doesn¡¯t seem like someone who could possibly be related to the Royal Werewolves, of all people.¡± She rolled her eyes in agreement, ¡°I know, right. Apparently, her dad is the nephew of the aunt who is the second cousin of the Queen Regent. Even if they¡¯re not that closely related, everyone knows that the royal family is the most likely to have Gifted Werewolves among them. Defective dumbass Kylie isn¡¯t, but her sister was.¡± I remembered her sister, Leah. She used to play with us when we were younger but that was short lived since she was seven years older than we were. She¡¯d ended up mating with Callum¡¯s brother, Connor, and having a daughter. But they¡¯d been attacked by a Rogue Pack two years ago and were killed. That left their daughter in the care of both the Howlings and the Adams. Brittany continued, ¡°Jessica¡¯s definitely gonna be gifted, both her parents were. Unless she got whatever genes fucked Kylie up. Having gifted werewolves is a major plus for any pack¡¯s standing, so she¡¯s the only hope we¡¯ve got for now in that regard.¡± ¡°La Luna should have made you the gifted one. You would put it to much better use.¡± She flipped her hair, going on another self praise tirade. I thought back to my dad¡¯s reaction when I¡¯d told him of my gift after discovering it at seven. ¡°A gift is such a special thing, Kirstin. But it should not be the only thing that makes you special in people¡¯s eyes.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± I¡¯d asked, seated on his lap, ¡°Everyone likes Kylie cause all the grown ups say she¡¯s gonna be gifted. And they all love Leah.¡± He¡¯d nodded, ¡°Exactly my point. They all like Kylie and Leah because of their gifts. But real friends love you for who you are, with or without a gift.¡± I¡¯d thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°So you don¡¯t love me more because I have a gift?¡± He¡¯d laughed, shaking his head, ¡°Oh, my dear. I love you to the moon and back. And I¡¯d love you just the same if you didn¡¯t have a gift.¡± ¡°I love you too, dad.¡± He¡¯d smiled so warmly, then hugged me. ¡°Dad,¡± I said after the hug, ¡°I¡¯m only gonna tell the people that love me to the moon and back.¡± He¡¯d nodded, ¡°Such a brilliant idea.¡± Later on, the idea had evolved into only telling my mate. But, perhaps his goal had just been to keep me quiet about it for the meantime so the pack wouldn¡¯t use and parade me around. In a pack like this, it would certainly explain why he never went to Alpha Lightwood with the news himself. ¡°... alphas with gifts would have made us a powerhouse.¡± Brittany finished. I nodded, ¡°You¡¯re so right. I can picture it now.¡± She sighed wistfully, then shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s a shame. Anyway, you can go now. I need my beauty sleep after Callum and Kylie¡¯s bullshit.¡± I complied, getting up to leave, ¡°Goodnight, Brittany.¡± ¡°Night, Kirstin.¡± She yawned, then wandered into her bathroom. I left her room and closed the door behind me. ¡®I think I¡¯ve done pretty well today.¡¯ ¡®Yes, today was pretty chaotic.¡¯ Gracine agreed, ¡®But how will getting Brittany into a position of leadership help? She¡¯s conceited and self-centred, but still smart. Smart enough to actually help the pack progress.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re not wrong. But the stuff we¡¯re gathering on her will definitely come into play. Wouldn¡¯t it be so much better if she¡¯s in a high position when the dirt comes out?¡¯ ¡®I see. So when everything comes out, it won¡¯t just affect her.¡¯ I grinned, ¡®Exactly.¡¯ The fight between Callum and Harry had ended some minutes ago, and Harry had redirected his anger at Kylie. He¡¯d gone from yelling at her, to stone cold silence as she begged and pleaded for his forgiveness, to harsh grunts as he presumably angry-fucked her. I guess you could never underestimate the power of make-up sex. Rolling my eyes at one of her high-pitched moans, I forced myself to pass his door and continued down the hallway. A few rooms down, Callum¡¯s door was ajar and I couldn¡¯t help but take a peek inside. I wished I hadn¡¯t, so I wouldn¡¯t feel so bad for him. He¡¯d apparently taken another shower after his scruff with Harry, but had only bothered to wrap a towel around himself. His face was tear stained and he seemed to be asleep on the floor, curled up and clutching a bloodied piece of grey cloth to his chest. I sighed. Making sure no one was around, I slipped into his room and took his blanket and a pillow off his bed. I spread the blanket, covering him with it, then gently lifted his head to rest on the pillow. He shifted slightly, his brow furrowing, ¡°Natalia, I¡¯m so sorry¡­ don¡¯t leave, please¡­¡± I held my breath, hoping he wouldn¡¯t wake. Eventually, he just shifted again, a lone tear escaping one eye. I didn¡¯t breathe till I¡¯d closed his door behind me with a soft click. ¡®I know Avarielle told us to get dirt on him too,¡¯ Gracine began in a pitying tone, ¡®but I honestly don¡¯t think we¡¯ll find anything.¡¯ I sighed. She wasn¡¯t wrong. If he was this shaken up from a single kiss with the wrong girl on a drunken night, I couldn¡¯t imagine him hiding any secrets as dirty some others¡¯ on this hallway. Granted, he was still grieving his supposedly dead mate, but he¡¯d definitely told Brittany himself, cause Kylie surely kept it to herself. And no one devoid of remorse or with bigger secrets to worry about keeping would have ousted themselves like that. ¡®It does seem like a futile effort, but Avarielle gave me a job to do. I¡¯ll still have to look into him, if for no other reason than to be able to say that I did and found nothing. He¡¯ll just go down to the last on the list.¡¯ I decided. With that settled, I went off to document and make copies of the day¡¯s findings, feeling like a genius mastermind of the chaos. Chapter 45 - Back to the City Natalia¡¯s P. O. V After the quiet celebration of the previous night¡¯s successes in the form of an elaborately cooked meal by me, and a soothing bath drawn for Kaesha, and embellished with herbs at Hailey¡¯s suggestion, the next day came quickly. We got dressed and packed for our pending departure, gathering all our luggage in one spot, then made our way back to the Pine River territory. On our way there, Kaesha¡¯s scent changed and I felt the mind link go back up. A bath and some food really wouldn¡¯t be enough to thank her. We were greeted relatively warmly once we arrived. Hailey and Kaesha were roped into playing with some children while the Alpha and Beta invited Timothy inside to talk logistics. I followed the sound of their movements to the window outside the Alpha¡¯s office. Pretending to watch Hailey and Kaesha entertain the children, I leaned back on the wall and listened. ¡°You already said that there isn¡¯t much you¡¯ll need us to do for the time being, but I would like to have an idea of the role you intend for us to play in the future.¡± ¡®Reassure them that it¡¯s nothing too big or demanding. They won¡¯t actively confront the Lightwoods in person.¡¯ ¡°I won¡¯t have you intentionally cross their path, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about. The role I have for my current and future allies is vital, but minimal.¡± Timothy started. ¡®After I officially create my pack, I want us to grow in members and allies at such an alarming rate that it catches the Lightwood Pack¡¯s attention. That should draw them to me and they¡¯ll try to wreak the havoc they did here. The difference is that we¡¯ll be ready and waiting to crush them when they act out. With an audience of Alphas from all their previously targeted packs, of course.¡¯ The Alpha remained silent after Timothy had repeated my words. It was the Beta that spoke up, ¡°Even if this works, who¡¯s to say that those truly in charge at that wretched pack will be the ones to visit you? And what of the repercussions from the Royals? They obviously have friends in high places.¡± ¡®Because I have a silver bullet with their name on it. Their greed will works against them.¡¯ The Alpha broke his silence after Timothy¡¯s words, ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve got it all planned out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had a long time to think.¡± Timothy replied. Satisfied, they moved on to logistics, talking about what we could do to help each other and how often we were to meet. Chipping in my terms through Timothy, we managed to work out something mutually profitable, leaving room for adjustments once we officially set our base up. An hour later, the details were nicely wrapped up and we congregated in the dining hall again, for a farewell meal. There was no speech this time, but I guess the general knowledge that we¡¯d be out of their fur by the end of the day made the members noticeably more amicable. Several adults still sulked and glared, but most were more receptive to Hailey¡¯s good natured curiosity and enthusiasm. Some of them even engaged in long conversations after the meal. A soft tug on the hem of my shirt pulled me out of my observation. I looked down to see Karla staring up at me, her small brow furrowed with a question. ¡°Are you magic too?¡± I blinked, ¡°Huh?¡± She looked over at Kaesha then back at me, ¡°She¡¯s full of magic, the scent is so strong. The boy has a little too, and the other girl. But yours smells different. You smell like magic, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s yours. Kinda like it¡¯s hiding from you.¡± ¡°You can smell magic?¡± She nodded, ¡°Yeah, I can. But there¡¯s almost never magic around here. I really like the scent, I wish I there was more magic in the pack. How does a werewolf get magic?¡± I sat on the grass and she followed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had any. And I don¡¯t know how exactly a werewolf gets magic, but my friends are all gifted, so maybe that¡¯s how.¡± She took that and thought for a second, ¡°So, that means I should have magic, too. Why can¡¯t I smell mine? I¡¯ll miss the scent when you guys leave.¡± ¡°Well, a werewolf can¡¯t smell their own scent.¡± I explained. She nodded, but her huge eyes were still filled with disappointment. I really didn¡¯t want to leave her like that. ¡®Don¡¯t even think about it.¡¯ Candy warned. She was going to kill me and I was probably gonna beat myself up about it later, ¡°You can have a strand of my hair, it should still smell like magic for a few days after we leave.¡± She grinned widely, eyes bright, ¡°Really?¡± I nodded, ¡°But you have to promise not to let anyone have it.¡± She thrust her hand out, pinky finger poised, ¡°I pinky promise!¡± I laughed, curling my pinky around hers. Then I plucked off a length of hair and tied it around her wrist. ¡°You can tie it around a doll or something later. But make sure to burn it once the magic wears off, okay?¡± She nodded, then captured me in a hug, ¡°I¡¯ll take really good care of it, then I¡¯ll burn it so that no one else can have it.¡± I hugged her back, ignoring Candy¡¯s harrumphs and near audible eye-rolling. We spoke some more about magic. Understandably, she didn¡¯t have much knowledge about it or any distinctions between types due to lack of exposure. My supposed magic signature was the first one with a notable difference she¡¯d encountered, while Kaesha¡¯s was by far the strongest. I managed to explain that away with the logic that her gift was incredibly strong, so the corresponding magic must be as well. After Karla had cheerfully left, skipping towards some of her friends, I looked around again. Hailey had moved to playing with some children, while Kaesha was displaying her ¡®telekinesis¡¯ for Pammy and a guy around her age. Timothy was managing a conversation with a girl in her late teens, I think. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡®Guys, if you¡¯re ready, I think it¡¯s time to go. We¡¯ve still got to drive back to the city.¡¯ They made sounds of agreement and, within fifteen minutes, we were saying our farewells. The Alpha gave Timothy a respectful handshake and two wolves had shifted and were howling goodbye. The Beta looked a lot more relaxed but still pleased we were on our way, while Julia remained entirely passive, her hand wasn¡¯t even hovering around her dagger this time. Robert waved, looking forlorn, aware of his forlorn look, and sheepish about it all at the same time. I smiled and waved back, mouthing a ¡®thank you¡¯. Back in the house, I asked if they wanted a break, especially Hailey, since she¡¯d be driving. ¡°It¡¯s only past four.¡± She replied, ¡°The drive isn¡¯t that long, we can leave now and get home before sundown.¡± With that decided, we loaded into the Sienna and drove down to the registration building so I could return the key. ¡°Hello, dearie!¡± Max greeted, ¡°I hope your grams enjoyed the stay.¡± I nodded, ¡°She absolutely loved it, and she made so many friends. Between you and me, I think she¡¯s already decided on this place. We¡¯ll definitely be returning some time in the future.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be happy to have her. And you and your friends will always be welcome to visit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll take good care of her.¡± I said, handing him the key, ¡°And thank you for the place.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. You kids take care now.¡± ¡°We will.¡± I waved, then returned to the car. This time, the journey was relatively uneventful. Kaesha must have still been tired, cause she was out like a light once we were on the road. Timothy, on the other hand, was wide awake, fiddling with another wooden sculpture. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± I asked him. He scoffed, ¡°Nervous? Not a chance. A city as big as New York is the last place the Lightwoods would eagerly venture to for an assassination.¡± I raised a brow, ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not nervous.¡± He scowled, shutting the conversation down and returning his attention to his sculpture. Most werewolves avoided cities. Even if the problems full moon shifts posed were resolved, large cities were also sensory overloads waiting to happen. Hailey had grown up in the city so she was fine living there, and my senses had taken enough trauma for me to cope relatively well, but he was the most quintessential werewolf among us. I just hoped he¡¯d be okay in any place we set him up. ¡®You could let him stay with us. The sounds of the city aren¡¯t as loud from the house.¡¯ Candy offered. That could work. I wasn¡¯t sure if it could be considered a permanent solution, but it wouldn¡¯t be bad for the time being. Maybe I could let Hailey suggest it to him. Not much later, we were pulling up into my driveway. As soon as I saw my house, part of me relaxed. ¡°Of course she has a fucking mansion¡­¡± Timothy muttered, his comment making us laugh. I unlocked the door and we took our luggage inside, leaving them by the staircase. ¡°Shoes off.¡± I stopped them before they stepped on my carpet, ¡°I¡¯m going to get something for us to eat. Hailey, you wanna help?¡± She nodded, following me to the kitchen. There were some meals from before we¡¯d left, so I threw them in the microwave. ¡°What do you think of letting Timothy stay here? At least till he can get a place that¡¯ll block sounds out well enough.¡± She froze, gripping the plate in her hand briefly, before trying to play off her hesitation, ¡°Here? I- I mean if he wants to, yeah, sure.¡± She turned around, trying to hide the red creeping up her neck. ¡°If you¡¯re cool with it, could you help me tell him and get him settled in? I¡¯ve got some errands to run and you know the house pretty well by now.¡± ¡°Me?¡± She squeaked, then cleared her throat, ¡°I mean, I have to find a filling station then drive the Sienna back to the rental and take some pictures to make sure no one besides Lance gives us any issues about the car and charges you more, plus, I need to see the jackass¡¯ face when he sees the illusionary dent Kaesha left. So, you know, there¡¯s so much to do. I don¡¯t think I can help him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you do all that later, we gave enough time for the rental period. I just really need to step outside real quick.¡± She grimaced, brows furrowed. ¡°Please, Hailey?¡± I added, ¡°I really need your help to make him feel welcome. He might not adapt to the city as well as I did and I just want him to be comfortable.¡± She sighed, ¡°Alright, Ari. I guess we could settle in before I take care of the car.¡± I smiled, ¡°Thanks, Hail.¡± Taking the food out of the microwave, I served out portions on the plates Hailey had set out and carried two to the living room, Hailey following me with the other two. ¡°Dinner is served.¡± We ate, recounting the trip and how it had gone. ¡°I doubt thing¡¯s would¡¯ve gone the way they did if that boy weren¡¯t absolutely smitten with you, Ava.¡± Kaesha concluded. I didn¡¯t even bother to deny noticing Robert¡¯s affections, ¡°Yeah, it helped that Robert had a crush, but I¡¯m sure we would¡¯ve found a way to help them out.¡± ¡°Helping them was never an issue,¡± Timothy scoffed, ¡°it¡¯s getting them in on our vendetta that was the challenge. Hearts-in-his-eyes Robert was our way into their tolerable graces and that was all you.¡± I shrugged, taking another forkful of spaghetti. ¡°How¡¯d you even do that, anyway?¡± He continued, ¡°He wasn¡¯t your mate, was he?¡± I swallowed quickly, shaking my head. ¡°So, how?¡± Kaesha joined, ¡°Do you have some charm that puts every guy you meet in your age range under a spell?¡± I laughed, hoping it didn¡¯t sound forced, ¡°I don¡¯t have every guy I meet under a spell. Look at Timothy, he wasn¡¯t smitten when he saw me, and it certainly would¡¯ve helped. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t have attacked us like that.¡± He rolled his eyes, ¡°Yeah, but that was cause I was on high alert.¡± ¡°What about afterwards?¡± I shot back. ¡°Afterwards, my ma-¡± His eyes darted to Hailey for a split second before he continued, ¡°Sunshine over here was fucking bleeding out. Didn¡¯t exactly have the time to gawk at you, oh great one. Besides, I¡¯m almost twenty. I doubt I¡¯m in your age range and I have zero business looking at someone that could pass for a fourteen-year-old.¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost sixteen!¡± I huffed. He faced the ceiling as if he were looking up to the heavens, ¡°I¡¯ve fucking lost my mind, listening to a fourteen-year-old¡­¡± ¡°Fifteen!¡± ¡°Same difference, child.¡± Hailey and Kaesha laughed, while I devoured the rest of my food in a bid to ignore his teasing. After the meal, Kaesha started her farewells. ¡°This was fun, but I still need some more sleep. Plus, my art classes will continue soon, so I gotta get some teaching material ready.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Kaesha. We wouldn¡¯t have gotten anything done without you.¡± I said. She smiled, ¡°Damn straight, but I was happy to help those people out.¡± ¡°Make sure you get lots of rest.¡± Hailey instructed. ¡°Sure.¡± Timothy just made a face at her and she returned it with one of her own, both of them grinning. ¡°I¡¯m gonna run some errands now, so I¡¯ll walk you out.¡± I offered. She shook her head, holding a hand out, and her things floated from the staircase to meet it, ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m not really in the mood to walk and get a cab. I¡¯ll see you guys later.¡± Then she was gone. Timothy blinked, ¡°Did she just¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hailey and I nodded. ¡°Damn¡­¡± I laughed and went to put my shoes on in the landing, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got some things I need to take care of - nothing to do with the Lightwood Pack.¡± I added, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Hailey¡¯s staying here for the time being so she¡¯ll take care of you. Play nice.¡± Then I stepped out, leaving the two of them giving each other looks. Chapter 46 - Behind the Sunshine Hailey¡¯s P. O. V Panic alarms were wailing in my head. As the front door closed behind her, it occurred to me that Ari may have set us up. Tim gave me a look and returned to the couch, picking up on where he left off with his meal. Looking for something to do and not wanting to leave a mess for Ari, I took the unused plates to get cleaned. Just as I finished and was drying my hands off, he brought his plate into the kitchen and began washing it. When he was done, he used a look to ask where to keep it and I pointed him to the rack. After several minutes of silence in the sitting room, Opelene decided to chip in, ¡®You still have to get him settled.¡¯ ¡®Right¡­¡¯ I may need to have a word with Ari later. Opelene sighed, ¡®Just get it over with, and you can retreat to your room where you won¡¯t need to stew in your own discomfort.¡¯ I huffed, ¡°Tim¡­?¡± He raised his head to look at me. Why did he have to have such intense eyes? I cleared my throat, avoiding his eyes, ¡°Ari thinks it would be a good idea to let you stay here - for the time being. Just so you can be comfortable while you look for a good apartment to block the sounds of the city. Or till you get used to it.¡± My eyes followed the ripples of his exposed arms as he leaned back in the sofa, contemplative, ¡°As much as I hate the thought of taking more help from our underage leader, the noise outside was kinda fucking with my head as we were driving here. And it seems much better in this ridiculous ass mansion.¡± I stood up, ¡°Good, I¡¯ll get you settled. There are about six or seven rooms left that you can choose from.¡± He raised a brow, ¡°Left?¡± ¡°Ari obviously stays in the master bedroom, and I¡¯ve been here for like a week, so¡­¡± ¡°Great! We¡¯re housemates¡­¡± He drawled. I rolled my eyes and started towards the stairs, not bothering to wait for him to follow. After grabbing our bags, he trailed after me up the stairs and to the rooms. I dropped my bags in my room first and proceeded to present the rest of them to him. After not much deliberation, he asked which of them was closest to the fence bordering the compound. I shrugged, ¡°You saw the driveway, nothing¡¯s close. Just go to that one,¡± I pointed to the door opposite Ari¡¯s room, ¡°there should be a tree outside the window, so you can easily make your dramatic escape whenever you feel like.¡± Since the hallway went in a sort of square round the stairway, his room was also diagonal from mine. Meaning, the farthest it could geometrically be. He smirked, ¡°Oh, Sunshine, you know me so well.¡± I rolled my eyes again, ¡°I guess, till Ari returns, you can ask me if you need anything. You know where to find me.¡± Then I stalked off to my room and clicked the door shut behind me, flinging myself onto the bed. My phone chose that moment to ring. A look at the screen had me groaning. I had managed to keep my mom off my back by texting her every so often that I was fine, but I guess Keily had finally gotten her paranoid enough to call. ¡°How long are you going to keep this up?¡± I gritted my teeth, ¡°Hello, Mom.¡± She continued as if I¡¯d said nothing, ¡°Hailey Sight, I¡¯ve let you have your fun, now get your butt home. Do you know how worried you¡¯ve made your sister?¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine! I¡¯ve told you a thousand times, I¡¯m just staying with a friend, and Keily knows this.¡± The click of her tongue was piercing, ¡°Keily says this friend of yours is an utter hussy. Besides, you know what you are, Hailey.¡± She didn¡¯t say it, but I couldn¡¯t help but hear her unspoken words scream ¡°you disgusting burden of a child!¡± in my brain. Mom completely distrusted werewolves. Like racism, but supernatural. But having one in my life was good for me, and she knew it, ¡°Mom, Keily doesn¡¯t know this, but the friend I¡¯m staying with is a werewolf too.¡± She was silent for a good minute. ¡°Hello? Mom?¡± ¡°And what happens when you inconvenience this werewolf friend of yours one too many times? Huh? What happens when she gets fed up with you and kicks you out? Or worse, attacks you with her dirty claws? Then you¡¯ll come home crying to us.¡± My grip on my phone dangerously tightened and tears rimmed my eyes. I fought hard not to let my voice crack, ¡°In the week I¡¯ve known Ari, she¡¯s been more of a sister to me than your precious Keily ever has in all our seventeen miserable years of being twins!¡± I had to stop and take a shaky breath, then added, ¡°And, I found out that she¡¯s actually my sister, so I doubt that¡¯ll be happening anytime soon.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Young lady, watch your tone with me! And what on Earth do you mean by this hussy actually being your sister?¡± ¡°I mean, Mother, that we were talking and found out that Clark Lightwood, you know, the jackass that you only talk about when you¡¯re black out drunk? The one that you say knocked you up and refused to take responsibility for us, or at least refused to take his werewolf daughter off your hands. That one? Turns out that he was a bigger asshole to someone else and fucking raped her mom. So that makes us half sisters.¡± She let out a choked sound, then said nothing. I refused to be the one to break the silence. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever say that name to me again.¡± ¡°He¡¯s an ass, Mom, but I deserve to know about-¡± She cut me off, ¡°Do not mention his name to me, are we clear!?¡± I said nothing. She took a breath before speaking again, ¡°Well¡­ if she was raised by that beast, this Ari girl obviously can¡¯t be trusted. Get home, now.¡± ¡°Mom! She was not raised by that asshole! He abused and beat her and she had to run away. I¡¯m as much her sister as she is mine, and she¡¯s nothing like him. Despite everything he and the pack did to her, she¡¯s kind and generous and compassionate and I love her, Mom. You should understand, he treated you horribly. And, he treated her worse.¡± She didn¡¯t even miss a beat, ¡°Anyone treated like that their whole life must be one damaged person. You can play nurse to her issues all you want, but when she eventually gets tired and pushes you away, you¡¯ll come back home. So, you can stay and enjoy your bonding time with your new, broken sister, but your real family will be here, waiting for you.¡± She hung up. I threw my phone to a corner. Then I screamed till my lungs wanted to burst out of my chest, the tears that I¡¯d tried to hold off streaming down my face. ¡®Utterly useless¡­¡¯ ¡®Burden¡­¡¯ ¡®Dirty beast¡­¡¯ ¡®I never wanted you and no one else will¡­¡¯ My mom¡¯s disembodied voice chanted in my head and I couldn¡¯t stop the hiccups and sobs. I clutched my head, trying to squeeze the remarks out of my skull. ¡°Sunshine¡­?¡± I buried my face in my hands, trying to still the sobs and wipe the tears. In my screams, I hadn¡¯t even heard him open the door. I felt the bed dip and his hands were on mine, gently moving them away from my face. He thumbed away the tears and I closed my eyes, just wanting to cry in his arms. ¡°Truce?¡± He said, voice half joking. I remembered just what we were and my eyes snapped open. ¡°Why?¡± I snapped, glaring up at him and nearly snarling, ¡°You obviously don¡¯t want me, so don¡¯t fucking pretend you care!¡± You¡¯re no better than her¡­ For once, he had nothing to say. I wiped my eyes, turning away, ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± ¡°She¡¯s wrong.¡± He said finally, ¡°You¡¯re not an inconvenience.¡± ¡°Just go, Tim.¡± His hand was on my chin, gently nudging me to meet his gaze. ¡°You¡¯re not a fucking inconvenience, Sunshine.¡± He repeated, more force behind his words. ¡°You have no right to say anything. You¡¯ve been a jerk to me from day one while you joke about with Kaesha and even respect Ari.¡± ¡®You couldn¡¯t even get your mate to want you¡­¡¯ Mom¡¯s voice taunted. I looked away from him. ¡°Do you know why I bothered to save you guys at the highway?¡± His hands came up to cup my face, rubbing the stray tears away, ¡°Cause I didn¡¯t want my mate to fucking die, even though I thought you were either a clueless human or sent to kill me. Then you were bleeding out and I-¡± He cut himself off, grimacing. ¡°Even though I¡¯d tried to save you, you were fucking dying right before my eyes¡­ Dammit, I was terrified, Hailey. It just reinforced what I already knew. I¡¯ve wanted my mate for so damn long, but having you will just put the Lightwood Pack on your tail.¡± I blinked, ¡°I¡¯m literally helping Ari in her revenge plot against them. I¡¯m gonna have their attention sooner or later.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think I know that? That just makes it worse! What if Ari¡¯s insane plan fails and they catch us? And I can¡¯t protect you with this lazy ass gift? With how easily you three beat me, I¡¯d be fucking useless in a full on confrontation. I already lost everything to those fuckers once, I can¡¯t get close to you only to lose you too. I just- I can¡¯t. Not again¡­¡± ¡°Tim¡­¡± His hands were warm as they framed my face and I found myself wading in the deep caramel of his eyes, the evening light illuminating his face with a deep bronze hue. We inched closer, almost involuntarily, and the kiss seemed inevitable. We let it sweep us up, falling back onto the bed. Our lips were eager and desperate and wild. His hands left heated shivers in their wake while his kiss evaporated the breath from my lungs. I was drowning in him and air seemed trivial at the moment. Somewhere in my mind, the notion that this was a bad idea nagged at me. He moved to my neck and my breath caught. His mouth had my toes curling and body straining towards him like a sunflower to the sun. He continued further down, toying with my nipples, and my moans filled the room. Abruptly, we pulled apart, breathing heavily. I scrambled to rearrange my shirt, while he looked away, his face reflecting the awkwardness that I felt. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t-¡± ¡°This wasn¡¯t-¡± My face was flaming. How stupid was I to let this happen? ¡°I should probably go¡­¡± He murmured after heavy silence. I nodded. How could I have let this happen? Shacking up with him wasn¡¯t going to suddenly fix my insecurities about feeling like a burden on everyone I encountered. It wasn¡¯t going to miraculously convince him that he could protect ¡®his mate¡¯ from whatever dangers lurked in the shadows of his peripheral. It wasn¡¯t going to make him want me despite the dangers he feared. He got up, mumbling something about a shower as he left, but I¡¯d tuned him out. As soon as I heard his door close, I grabbed the nearest pillow and emptied my lungs into it, hoping he didn¡¯t hear me but not caring if he did. ¡®Well, that complicates things¡­¡¯ Opelene mused. I groaned, ¡®No! You don¡¯t get to talk about this! You won¡¯t even tell me what you and his wolf spoke about during the full moon.¡¯ ¡®Some things need not be said.¡¯ My eyes rolled so hard, I could¡¯ve seen my skull, ¡®That¡¯s just your ¡®wise talk¡¯ way of saying you¡¯re not telling me.¡¯ She snickered, then went sombre, ¡®I¡¯m sorry about your mom.¡¯ I moved to the window, watching Ari turn a far corner and start towards the gate, ¡®There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about, it¡¯s nothing new.¡¯ Part of me didn¡¯t blame her. She was hurt by a werewolf and reflexively hated them all. Unfortunately, that included me. I shook my head, then pulled my lips back over my teeth and lightly slapped my cheeks. Dressing in a smile, I left my room. Chapter 47 - Set the Timeline Natalia¡¯s P. O. V After the door was closed behind me, I ran off before Hailey had a chance to change her mind. There were no errands to run, but I did think it was a good idea to pop in on the Syrens. Even if their invisible bodyguards would probably pass on the message of my return just fine. Relaxing at the familiar sensation, I walked into Super Banking. ¡°Good evening, Natalia.¡± Melody greeted, ¡°How was your trip? I trust it was productive.¡± I smiled, ¡°Yes, it was. Is Mrs. Burton in?¡± ¡°Of course. She¡¯s been waiting for you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I waved, then started down the hallway and towards Mrs. Burton¡¯s office. ¡°Come in!¡± She called at my knock. I opened the door, walking into her office. ¡°Welcome back, Natalia. How was your trip?¡± I waved, then moved over to the glass box with the flame, ¡°It was productive, but I¡¯m sure you already have all the details on it.¡± ¡°Yes, I do. The guards almost had to intervene on several occasions.¡± She reprimanded lightly, shaking her head, ¡°I hope these perilous trips of yours don¡¯t become a habit.¡± ¡°Oh, they will.¡± She looked up sharply, ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± I moved over to the next box, fascinated with the mini blizzard trapped inside, ¡°These perilous trips have a purpose. I¡¯ll probably leave the city at least five or six times a year.¡± ¡°With all due respect, Your Highness,¡± She began, and I noted her switch to formality, ¡°till we can fully assess the state of Syrenlina, you are the only sure anchor for our world and we need you to be safe.¡± I took a seat, matching her gaze with all the seriousness my incoming request demanded, ¡°I understand that, Mrs. Burton, I really do. And I know how important my life is to our safety. But there are things I have to do before I can settle in one place. If I don¡¯t do this, I may never be at peace to rule.¡± I leaned back and gestured to myself, ¡°Besides, we¡¯ve already figured out that I¡¯m a Werewolf, not a Syren. I doubt I¡¯ll be in much danger. The only dangerous things that happened on the journey were the accident and the fight afterwards. I¡¯m sure Hailey knows to drive more carefully now and the guy we fought with returned with us.¡± ¡°That was just this time. It¡¯s not even completely safe here. Your mother¡¯s house is within the safe zone but the city is full of humans. And where humans are, there are bound to be vampires. It¡¯s already dangerous enough for you to live here, now you¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to be going on dangerous excursions so far outside our safe zones regularly?¡± ¡°When will I be expected to take the throne? Next year?¡± She blinked, ¡°That¡¯s actually something I wanted to inform you of today. Initially, you were to assume partial rule after a year of attending the School for Syrens and continue your education while in power. However, most of the High Court agreed that it would be best for you to graduate with the rest of your peers in three years then go through a year of leadership training afterwards. You were raised as a Werewolf, but we need a Syren Queen.¡± The change was in my favour, four years was enough, ¡°I just need anonymity and relative freedom of movement for those four years. I¡¯ll be able to accomplish my goal then you¡¯ll never have to worry about me. I¡¯ll learn to be a Syren in everything but biology and take the throne, and all the responsibilities that come with it. I just need to be free to do what I need to do before that.¡± She sighed, caressing the plant on her desk as she thought. ¡°The guards must accompany you for protection.¡± She stated. ¡°Naturally.¡± Some more silence, till she finally conceded, ¡°I¡¯ll hold the Court off for you as much as I can till you become Queen.¡± Relief flooded me and I smiled, grateful I wouldn¡¯t need to run from the Syrens, ¡°Thank you so much, Mrs. Burton. I pinky promise not to die.¡± She shook her head, stifling a laugh, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely hold you to that.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I grinned, ¡°If there¡¯s no more news, I have one more question before I should get going.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else, so ask away.¡± ¡°This bank, is it legitimate in the human world?¡± She nodded, ¡°It is. We provide services for some other Supernaturals but it¡¯s legitimate for even humans to use.¡± ¡°Who else do you help?¡± She cocked her head, remembering, ¡°Besides our species, we mostly get Psychics, Enchanters, Vampire Hunters, Fae, Sirens, Seers, and the occasional Witch as customers. Others come here too, but the ones I mentioned are the majority.¡± ¡°So you could help Werewolves too?¡± ¡°They¡¯re rarely in the city, but they won¡¯t be turned away if they come here. The only species we don¡¯t help is Vampires, for obvious reasons.¡± I could bring Timothy and any future Pack members here, ¡°I may be coming here with Werewolf customers from time to time, and a few may come on their own but call me Arielle or Avarielle if asked who referred them. I¡¯d really appreciate it if you help them, but nobody here can let on to the fact that I¡¯m related to a Syren, much less that I¡¯m the next in line.¡± ¡°Of course, this bank was set up by the Syrens, so it¡¯s basically yours. We¡¯ll attend to anyone you bring to us and I¡¯ll get Melody and Gaiana to be discreet.¡± I smiled, getting up from the seat, ¡°Thank you, Mrs Burton. You can call if you need me to come by.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. She moved to stand but I gestured for her to remain seated, ¡°Have a good evening, Natalia. And please stay safe.¡± I waved, ¡°Always. Bye, Mrs Burton.¡± Once I left the comfort of the building, it wasn¡¯t long till I was turning a corner and walking towards my house. I found Hailey putting her shoes on by the door. ¡°Hey, Ari!¡± She greeted, almost too cheerful, ¡°Since you¡¯re home, I¡¯m gonna return the car and watch Lance lose his mind in front of his boss. You said to get Tim settled, so he¡¯s set up in the room opposite yours. Call me if you need me to pick anything up on my way, but you just ran some errands so I guess you don¡¯t need me to do anything. In that case, I¡¯ll be going now, see ya!¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± I said to the closed door after she¡¯d breezed through it. ¡®Someone¡¯s in a hurry.¡¯ Candy mused. I took my shoes off and locked the door, deciding to head to my shower, ¡®Yeah¡­ it¡¯s none of my business, but I wanted to give them the opportunity to talk or something without anyone around. I¡¯d hoped it wouldn¡¯t end with something like this.¡¯ ¡®Well, there¡¯s nothing more you can do but be there if she wants to talk.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I know.¡¯ At that, she switched topics, ¡®You seemed a lot more comfortable with your title back with Mrs. Burton.¡¯ I shrugged, closing my room door behind me, ¡®Timothy was right. Whether as a Werewolf or as a Syren, I¡¯m gonna be a leader and I need to start learning how to deal with that incoming reality. I can¡¯t let my pack or the Syrens down.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s a lot to take on alone, Nat.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t wrong, ¡®If I can cater to a building of over two hundred hateful bastards for years, I can learn how handle this. Plus, we¡¯re learning to trust, remember? Hailey, Kaesha and Timothy can help out with the pack, and Mrs. Burton has my back with the Syrens.¡¯ She paused, seeming to think over her next words, ¡®I know you feel like you need to do this, but¡­ are you sure you have to go through with your revenge? Kirstin could snitch on you, Timothy could sell you out for mercy, or something could just go horribly wrong with the plan. The Lightwood Pack will have zero issues with killing you if they find out that you¡¯re not only alive, but trying to take them down. You heard Mrs Burton, you¡¯re their last sure anchor. Is your revenge really worth risking the safety of every Syren in Syrenlina?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t make me question this, Candy. Do you really think I could blissfully live my life, knowing they¡¯re out there? That they¡¯re living and breeding and squashing anything even remotely good that they touch? No matter what goes wrong, I¡¯ll never let them have the satisfaction of killing me. I¡¯ll even promise to retreat if things go south, but I will not sit back and do nothing after everything they¡¯ve done.¡¯ She sighed, ¡®So, you just promise not to die?¡¯ I nodded, ¡®I promise.¡¯ ¡®Then what about a mate?¡¯ I paused, hand on the shower knob, ¡®What about a mate?¡¯ ¡®You promise not to die, but with all that¡¯s gonna be going on in your life, when will you find time to get a mate? No matter what you think, you know we need one.¡¯ She insisted softly. I took a breath, forcing myself to ease my grip on the knob and turn it. I suppressed a gasp as the cold water hit me like pellets, before quickly warming up to a more comfortable temperature. ¡®We have four years, Candy. Four years to wipe the Lightwood Pack out. An unmated, rejected werewolf lives a bit over five years. That gives us a year. I¡¯ll get us a mate in that time, we¡¯re not going to die. But I need to deal with them first.¡¯ I¡¯d always found that particular trait unreasonable. Of all things, why death to the rejected? I had enough to deal with and the thought of needing some guy just for me to live made me want to kick something. Nobody¡¯s sex was worth such importance. And, even if I found someone who didn¡¯t make me want to dump them in the ocean, I couldn¡¯t force a heart with this much hatred to love anyone. And I refused to mate with anyone I didn¡¯t love. ¡®A year is plenty of time.¡¯ She conceded, ¡®I know how you are, Nat. I know you hate the idea of it all, but it needs to be done and I need to hear you say you¡¯ll do it.¡¯ ¡®I won¡¯t let us die from the rejection.¡¯ ¡®Thank you.¡¯ The rest of my shower was completed in silence. Once I was done and dressed, I made my way to the library. For the next few hours, I immersed myself in plotting. I set dates for pack visits, marking the trajectory on a map with a string of yarn and colour coordinated pins. I combed the WolfNet for other packs and details for creating my own. I was typing up a report from what I remembered of my conversation with Kirstin when Timothy walked in. He raised a brow at the map, ¡°So this is where the mad genius happens.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just preparing.¡± I shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s still so much to do and I just want to see what we have before us.¡± He skimmed over the hastily half-filled copy of the pack creation application on the desk then picked up the paper that held my scribbled pack name ideas, ¡°I can see that.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t really important yet, I was just brainstorming names. Creating our pack is in Phase Two.¡± ¡°Phase Two? So what¡¯s in Phase One?¡± I pointed at the map, ¡°Visiting the remaining twenty packs from the Lightwood¡¯s previous target list. Seventeen from the original list don¡¯t exist anymore and we¡¯ve already been to one. And we need to acquire the property and other requirements for our future pack.¡± From what I¡¯d read, a pack couldn¡¯t be created without proof of funds, a certain number of werewolves¡¯ signatures willing to join, an Alpha or Beta born wolf, and evidence of owning wooded land or land situated near a nationally protected forest. The specifics of packs¡¯ leadership were protected to prevent Rogues from using the information if they ever got their hands on it, so no one would know I was the Alpha till we wanted them to. Timothy regarded me for a while and glanced over the papers. ¡°Something¡¯s changed.¡± He stated. I shrugged, ¡°We have four years to get all this done. It¡¯s best to have a timeline we can follow.¡± ¡°Where did this deadline come from?¡± ¡°College. I don¡¯t want to drag Hailey and Kaesha along for this ride into the world after they graduate. Besides, do you really want to leave those assholes running around, wreaking havoc, for any longer than absolutely necessary.¡± He frowned at the thought, ¡°Fine. But where do I fit into your scheming?¡± ¡°You¡¯re already playing the role of our spokesperson-¡± I started ¡°Figurehead.¡± He quipped ¡°Same difference.¡± I shot back, ¡°You¡¯re the face they¡¯ll take more seriously so you¡¯re the face they¡¯ll see. But, besides that, I know you won¡¯t want to stay here forever, so we¡¯ll need to set you up in the city once you¡¯ve acclimated. If you don¡¯t want to go to college, that¡¯ll mean you getting a job.¡± ¡°I can handle that myself.¡± ¡°I know. But I¡¯m offering to help if you need anything, at least till you get on your feet here. I found a bank you¡¯ll be able to open an account in without all the human documents required, so it¡¯s a good start.¡± He scoffed, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I don¡¯t need you to hold my hand and take me anywhere.¡± ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t hold your hand.¡± I scribbled the address on a free paper and handed it to him, ¡°The place is called Super Banking. Just tell them Avarielle sent you and they¡¯ll help. You can go whenever you want and I¡¯m sure you can find your way there all by yourself. No map, no directions, and no phone. Speaking of which, I¡¯m sure you can get one by yourself too.¡± He scowled at me and I returned his gaze. Eventually, he groaned, ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll ask someone to take me to get phone tomorrow, then you can direct me to this Super Banking place. Happy?¡± I grinned, ¡°A little.¡± He shook his head and retreated, ¡°I¡¯m turning in for the night, I¡¯ve had more than enough socialising for today.¡± ¡°Good night!¡± I called. I laughed at his responding grunt. Once he was gone, I returned to my planning. Chapter 48 - Real Ones Hailey¡¯s P. O. V I was brushing my teeth after my shower when the off key chorus of my family singing ¡®Happy Birthday¡¯ in Keily¡¯s room began. I got dressed to the sounds of them cheering as she presumably blew out the candles on the cake. No sooner had I sat on my bed and prepared my appropriately grateful smile, than my own birthday procession began. ¡°Thank you, so much!¡± I smiled, blowing out the one stump of a candle they¡¯d been able to relight. My procession, made up of my Aunt Grelda and her two children, lasted as long as the candle. Once it was out, they were leaving as soon as they came. ¡°Your mom said you should join the rest of us downstairs.¡± Keith, the oldest, told me, before following his mom and sister out. ¡®Happy Birthday, Hailey.¡¯ I sighed, ¡®Thanks, Opelene.¡¯ By the time I got to the living room, Keily was already digging into her gift pile. The rest of our family and family friends were crowded around her, and the ones that weren¡¯t were already divvying up the cake. ¡°Oh!¡± Mom gushed, handing Keily another gift, ¡°Grandma sent this over from the Fae Realm.¡± ¡°Oh, my god! Is this what I think it is?¡± Keily squealed, ripping the shimmering wrapping paper off and cradling the milky orb inside. I leaned over to Keith, ¡°What is it?¡± He replied without taking his eyes off the ball, ¡°That¡¯s a Fae Orb.¡± I watched Keily inspect the orb. It was the size of a baseball and cloudy, softly illuminated by a swirling, dim light, ¡°What¡¯s it do?¡± ¡°Apart from communication, it basically lets the owner have some kind of control over an element in the area. Grandma must have really impressed them, cause they don¡¯t just let any non-Fae have it.¡± Keily focused on it and it brightened. A light breeze swept through the room, dissipating with a soft whoosh. ¡®So, Keily has something that practically lets her perform elemental magic?¡¯ The dread in Opelene¡¯s voice reflected what I felt. I didn¡¯t want to think of the things she could get up to with it. After she¡¯d moved on to the next gift, my attention was drawn to Jane, Keith¡¯s younger sister, pulling on my shirt. ¡°Happy Birthday, Hailey.¡± Her eyes were huge with pride as she handed me a drawing of what I was sure was her depiction of the two of us. I inspected the picture with a serious face, nodding solemnly, ¡°Janie, are you sure you didn¡¯t steal this?¡± She shook her head vehemently, ¡°No!¡± I squinted at her, raising my brows as far as they would go, ¡°Are you sure?¡± She giggled, hiding her face behind her hands, ¡°Yes!¡± I wriggled my brows, ¡°Are you really¡­?¡± She knew what the look meant. Squealing, she took off running and I chased after her. We weaved between irritated family members and guests, and I let her get to the kitchen before catching her and scooping her up in my arms. She screamed as I tickled her all the way to the back yard. Once outside, and away from the rest of the party, I put her down, laughing. Her giggles subsided into a pleased grin as I looked at the picture again. ¡°Thank you, Jane. This is the best gift ever.¡± I told her, embracing her tightly. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Hailey. I love you.¡± ¡°I love you too.¡± ¡°Jane! Get inside!¡± Grandpa called from the backyard door. Jane gave me an apologetic look before following her inside. I moved over to one of the chairs and sunk into it. Fall had certainly started to appear, ushered in with the chilly wind and the changing leaf colours. Closing my eyes, I zeroed in on the sound of rustling leaves and the steady city buzz. The backyard door didn¡¯t open for an hour. An hour of peace. ¡°There you are.¡± Mom shook her head, walking up to my chair, ¡°Your family came all this way for your birthday and you run off to sulk. Get inside, you¡¯re being rude.¡± They came for Keily¡¯s birthday. Mine just happened to be going on as well. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°No. I finally got your behind home from that hussy¡¯s place and I won¡¯t let you waste the day brooding. Go talk to your family, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a gift or two for you to unwrap.¡± I wished I hadn¡¯t returned. She¡¯d gone radio silent after that conversation on the day we returned from Pine River. I¡¯d enjoyed two months of bliss, visiting three more packs with the others and simply having fun with Ari and Kaesha around the city when we weren¡¯t on the road. Trevor and Greg had even managed to gain Ari¡¯s begrudging forgiveness three weeks ago, so they¡¯d tagged along for our city escapades when they could. Save for the awkwardness of having to avoid Timothy around the mansion, this summer had been my favourite by far. But nothing good ever lasted. Mom apparently decided to burst my happy bubble about two weeks back, when she¡¯d started bombarding my phone with calls and texts. I¡¯d managed to either ignore or put her off till four days ago, when I finally picked up and sat through an hour long tirade of yelling and guilt tripping. I¡¯d regretted coming home the moment I stepped back in the house three days prior, and had been begging her to let me go back to visit ever since. I sighed, ¡°If I go talk to them, can I please stop by Ari¡¯s place later?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you leaving this house to go fool around with that Ari and her group of degenerates.¡± She decreed and tentatively grabbed my hand, like she didn¡¯t really want to touch it at all, to take me inside, expecting the conversation to be over. This was ridiculous. I dug my heels in, wrenching my hand from her barely-there grip, ¡°Keily¡¯s going over to her friend¡¯s place today for some stupid, probably drugged up party! Why can¡¯t I go see my friends too? Why do you hate the idea of me spending time with people that know me and actually like what they see?!¡± She gave me a withering look, ¡°Watch your tone with me. Those people you¡¯ve been running around with all summer are only pretending, they¡¯ll get tired eventually. They¡¯re not your real friends and that Ari isn¡¯t your real family. You don¡¯t have to see them on your birthday. Besides,¡± she added with disdain, ¡°I¡¯ve already allowed you to move into the dorm. You¡¯ll be going there soon so I assume you¡¯ll be able to see them anytime once school starts.¡± ¡°No! They¡¯re not pretending! They are my real friends and Ari is my real family. She¡¯s my sister.¡± I shook my head, pleading with her to let me go, and with the universe that she was wrong, ¡°I want to see them today, and I know they¡¯ll want to see me too.¡± ¡°If she¡¯s really your half sister, if they¡¯re really your friends and if, for some reason, they care about your birthday, they¡¯ll come to you. You don¡¯t need to go there.¡± ¡°So that means I can invite them over?¡± I challenged. She stiffened, refusing to reply ¡°Mom.¡± I folded my arms, waiting till she returned my gaze, ¡°If I were to call them and they come to our house, would you let them in?¡± I maintained our locked gaze, daring her to lie. She huffed, looking away with something I could only describe as disgust, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare bring them to this house, or anywhere near this family. You can run off to the hussy¡¯s house after the family dinner, if that¡¯s really what you want to do with your birthday. Now come back inside.¡± This time, she didn¡¯t need to touch me, I followed her inside myself. By the time the dinner was over, the sun was hanging low in the sky. Keily had slipped out the back door at least an hour ago, her hair slicked up and her entire being bedazzled. There was an exodus once some of the guests noticed her absence. The few that decided to stay were engaged in some gossip with mom in her room, leaving me with a mountain of dishes to clean. ¡°Oh, you wouldn¡¯t believe the things Keith gets up to these days.¡± Aunt Grelda sighed, ¡°Since he got his Sight, he¡¯s been using it to predict basketball games and spread rumours about things his classmates haven¡¯t even done yet. All to impress his cavalier friends. If he doesn¡¯t tone it down, they¡¯re going to start calling him a freak.¡± Mom scoffed, ¡°The things these kids do for their friends. And they won¡¯t listen when we tell them that those friends are just using them.¡± ¡°Ugh, tell me about it.¡± Celeste, a family friend, chimed. ¡°Hailey¡¯s somehow found another beast in the city and she¡¯s refusing to listen to reason. Says that the girl is her half sister.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The others in the room gasped, talking all at once. ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°How did they meet?¡± ¡°Does that mean their father is around?¡± The room dropped to a hush at that last question. Mom¡¯s hatred of Clark was common knowledge and everyone knew better than to bring him up. ¡°They met,¡± She began evenly, ¡°through those nice boys Keily hangs out with. Apparently, the girl moved here alone and suddenly lives in a mansion that she somehow ¡®inherited¡¯ from a mother that died months ago. As for if she¡¯s actually related to my girls, it¡¯s possible, but what are the odds that they¡¯d meet in a city like this unless she sought them out intentionally?¡± ¡°What do you think she¡¯s here for?¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± She sniffled, and there was shuffling, like they were all clamouring to hand her a tissue. She thanked one of the ladies softly and continued, ¡°All I know is that she¡¯s somehow convinced my Hailey that she loves her and now she won¡¯t shut up about her. Ari this, Ari that! She¡¯s trying to tear my daughter away from me and Hailey¡¯s being a blind fool about it.¡± I rolled my eyes. Another sniffle, ¡°She spent the entire summer there, frolicking in her tacky mansion and refused to come home. I had to call and beg her to at least spend her birthday with her family.¡± This time she actually blew her nose, ¡°But she¡¯s been back for less than a week and is already demanding to return to that snake¡¯s nest. The hussy even has Keily¡¯s boyfriend wrapped around her finger and his brother at her beck and call. If I didn¡¯t know she¡¯s a Werewolf, I¡¯d think she were a Succubus.¡± They burst into sympathetic chatter and gasps, disapproving tuts and ¡®oh poor dear¡¯ being thrown around. ¡°Thank you.¡± Mom sighed, ¡°You¡¯re lucky Keith turned out to be a Natural Seer, Grelda. The most he¡¯s going to do is try to impress his friends. He¡¯s not running off to join a pack of mangy beasts.¡± I stopped listening. I wasn¡¯t allowed to use my speed or strength in the house, but I just wanted to be done with these dishes and get the hell outta dodge, so I could stop listening to Mom¡¯s theatrics. I picked up the pace, speeding thought the plates, then cleaned up the considerable water that had splashed on the floor in my haste. I made my way upstairs as quietly as I could. If Mom noticed me, she¡¯d likely give me another task to do to stall my leaving. I peered around the corner of the landing. Her door was open, but they were faced away from it, their attention on their conversation about her plights. Taking a deep breath, I zipped across the space and didn¡¯t release it till I¡¯d softly clicked my door behind me. Within five minutes, I¡¯d stuffed enough things into my bag to last me till I needed to move into the dorm and was scribbling a note. I texted Ari that I was coming, then slid my window open and climbed out, dropping lightly on the ground. Half an hour later, I emerged from the subway and was walking to Ari¡¯s place. The rhythmic meandering of the city faded the closer I got to her house. My senses were already used to everything, but Ari¡¯s home seemed to filter anything I wasn¡¯t explicitly listening for. I knocked on the door and waited. After a while of no response, I tried Ari¡¯s number and knocked again. I tried the door, expecting it to be in its usual locked state. The handle actually turned and I opened it carefully, peeking inside. ¡°Hello? Ari?¡± I debated whether or not to go inside. The autumn air had gone from nippy to chilly as night fell and I definitely wasn¡¯t going back home. Maybe she was just asleep. ¡°I¡¯m coming in!¡± I called, stepping inside and closing the door behind me. Dropping my bag, I took my shoes off and picked one of the spare keys on the hook to lock the door. I tip toed up the stairs and dropped my bag off in my room. Over the weeks, I¡¯d somehow managed to partially move in. A large percentage of the clothes I owned hung in the closet, and most of my usual beauty products were stocked in the bathroom cabinet after I¡¯d gotten fed up of sneaking into my house to retrieve mine. Thirsty, I crept back down the stairs. I yawned and reached for the living room light, flipping it on. ¡°Surprise!¡± Kaesha, Greg, Trevor, Tim and Ari yelled, jumping out of their hiding places. The living room was decorated with streamers and balloons, and adjourned with heavy amounts of glitter. A massive handmade banner wishing me happy birthday hung from the ceiling and a large, beautifully decorated cake sat on a pedestal in the middle of the room, surrounded by food and drinks. Off to a corner, there was a small pile of wrapped gifts. ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!¡± I threw my arms around Ari and she smiled warmly, returning the embrace. ¡°Happy birthday, Hailey.¡± She said once I let her go. I grinned, and shot Greg a look as he and Trevor moved closer, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be at Keily¡¯s party, she practically commanded it.¡± He shrugged, giving me a hug, ¡°I couldn¡¯t miss wishing you your happy birthday. I did go to her party for a few minutes just to say hi, then came back here. She¡¯s got enough people, she¡¯ll barely miss me.¡± Trevor, Ari and I shared a look and laughed. That was the furthest thing from the truth. Trevor shook his head and offered up his own hug, ¡°Happy birthday, Hail.¡± ¡°Thanks. You didn¡¯t have to escape any party to get here too, did you?¡± He laughed, bowing deeply, ¡°No, m¡¯lady. Nothing, be it Armageddon or a million dollars, could ever attempt to keep me away on your birthday.¡± Kaesha smirked, hugging me and nudging him as she let go, ¡°Happy birthday, sweetie. Don¡¯t listen to him, he¡¯s just here for the food.¡± We laughed as Trevor sputtered, tying to deny it. Still laughing, I turned, and fell silent as Tim and I stood face to face. ¡°Happy birthday, Sunshine.¡± He said softly. ¡®He¡¯s so close¡­¡¯ I felt warmth creep up my neck and took half a step back. I pulled my lips up, looking anywhere but his eyes, ¡°Thanks!¡± After a beat on neither of us saying anything, I moved on, leaving the conversation before it had a chance to turn more awkward than it already was. ¡°Time for gifts!¡± Ari announced, giving me a concerned look. Greg and Trevor went first, presenting me with a photo album that looked ready to burst. I opened it to the middle, landing on a picture of us on Trevor¡¯s tenth birthday. I laughed, recalling the epic water gun fight, the highlight of that day. ¡°This is so thoughtful.¡± I continued flipping, spotting some pictures that they couldn¡¯t possibly have known of, ¡°How did you get all these?¡± ¡°We went on a hunt for any picture with your face in it.¡± Trevor explained. I raised a brow, ¡°You braved my mom?¡± Greg gave a slight shudder, ¡°It wasn¡¯t so bad¡­ she only brought up the idea of me marrying Keily thirteen times.¡± I laughed and flipped to the end, landing on a spread full of pictures with me and Ari, some with Kaesha and even a few with Tim. ¡°They told me about their idea after they¡¯d sufficiently grovelled for my forgiveness.¡± Ari said, ¡°So I told Kaesha and Timothy and we took turns taking pictures without you noticing most of them.¡± ¡°Well, we couldn¡¯t make a photo album without some pictures of you with Ari in them. You guys are practically sisters at this point.¡± Greg joked. Ari and I grinned, sharing a look. ¡°My turn. Careful with unwrapping it, it¡¯s delicate.¡± Kaesha handed me her gift. I peeled off the wrapping paper, revealing an ancient looking tome. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± ¡®A book on Seers.¡¯ I heard her voice say in my head, ¡®You mentioned that your mom never talks to you about anything Supernatural. Since Ava¡¯s basically your Werewolf guide, I figured I¡¯d help with the Seer aspect. Most of their books are in possession of the Seer families, but I managed to get my hands on this one.¡¯ ¡°I figured you¡¯d like it.¡± She said out loud then handed me two, less decrepit books, ¡°And you can borrow these.¡± ¡®One on Psychics and another on magic. Happy birthday.¡¯ ¡°I love it, thank you, Kaesha.¡± I beamed, cradling the books to my chest. Ari went next, handing me a small wrapped box. She remained silent as I unwrapped it and opened the box. I looked at the contents then at her, unable to contain my smile, ¡°You¡¯re giving me a key¡­?¡± ¡°And a locket.¡± I inspected said locket, unable to contain my grin. It was oval shaped, and made from a beautiful rose gold, with a sapphire embedded in it that seemed to shine from within. Opening it, I smiled at the picture of the two of us together, one of the few ones I¡¯d been able to get with her laughing with abandon. On the other side of it was inscribed the words ¡°To the only family I need. Happy Birthday, Hailey.¡± I picked up the key, attached to a Todoroki keychain, and the locket, ¡°Thank you so much¡­¡± She hugged me again and helped me put the necklace on, ¡°Happy birthday.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s my cue.¡± Tim quipped, handing me a wooden box. I opened it and reached inside, gasping at the gift. It was a glossy, wooden figurine of me, caught in the motion of a twirl in a sundress. I stared at the figure then looked up at him. His wooden figures were usually simple things, a flower or a horse, and never this detailed. A conversation about gifts had revealed that he could only make what he could envision. So, to get every detail down, from the features of my face to the strands of my hair, to the curve of my fingers and the step of my feet... that took a lot of envisioning. ¡°How¡­?¡± He gazed back at me, ¡°How could I not?¡± The memory of his hands holding my face, tracing my body, flashed in my head like a warning sign. I desperately wanted to go back to that, to the feeling of him¡­ And his expression told me he knew exactly what I was thinking. I shook my head, taking a deep breath and offering a smile, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Dude, did you make that yourself?¡± Greg gaped at the figure. Snapping out of it, Tim nodded, ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s so detailed, how did you get it like that?¡± Tim glanced at me, before shrugging, ¡°I got to know the model.¡± Thankfully, Trevor and Greg kept him engaged, and the static between us dissipated. The celebration continued and we laughed and played and drank well into the night. Eventually, Trevor and Greg ordered a taxi to leave. Once they were gone, Kaesha helped us clean up a bit before she teleported away. ¡°Go to sleep, great one. You worked hard enough putting this together.¡± Tim told Ari, ¡°We can handle the rest.¡± She folded her arms, ¡°It¡¯s Hailey¡¯s birthday. She shouldn¡¯t worry about the cleanup.¡± ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll handle it. Go away.¡± I laughed, nudging her up the stairs, ¡°There¡¯s not much left, I don¡¯t mind helping out. I can only imagine the effort you put into all this.¡± She resisted, ¡°I can still help you guys finish up.¡± I shook my head, pushing harder, ¡°Nope. Good night, Ari.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯m going.¡± She huffed, ¡°Good night guys, and happy birthday again, Hailey. It wasn¡¯t much but I hope you liked it.¡± I hugged her, ¡°It was more than enough, I loved it. Sleep well.¡± She hugged me back then retreated to her room. ¡°She¡¯s getting more comfortable with that.¡± Tim stated. ¡°With what? Hugs?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yeah. And she seems freer, at least with us.¡± ¡°More so with you, she gave you a fucking key. The door¡¯s always locked so that¡¯s a big ass gesture.¡± He quipped. I smiled to myself, ¡°It is. And she has no idea how much it means to me.¡± We fell silent as we cleaned the last of the decorations up. Afterwards, we climbed up the stairs and headed to our rooms. ¡°Sunshine.¡± He called softly, before I could enter my room. ¡°Yeah?¡± He seemed to debate with himself, then sighed, ¡°Sweet dreams¡­¡± A strange disappointment gnawed at me, ¡°Thanks, you too. Good night.¡± ¡°Good night, Sunshine.¡± Chapter 49 - Killdrain First Day Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I inspected myself in the mirror. ¡®You should try a high ponytail.¡¯ Candy insisted. I held my hair up, cocking my head at the look, ¡®Really?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, it looks preppy and focused. Plus, you can wear one of the pairs of heels Hailey made you get.¡¯ I gave a short laugh, ¡®I¡¯ll go for the ponytail, but I¡¯m sticking with the flats.¡¯ ¡®Sure, they¡¯re cute,¡¯ she groaned, ¡®but the heels could really take everything to another level.¡¯ I rolled my eyes, ¡®You already got me into this skirt, I¡¯m not gonna run to campus in heels, Candy.¡¯ I¡¯d have been content wearing jeans and a simple shirt, but she¡¯d coerced me into a fitted burgundy miniskirt and a black, sleeveless, halter neck shirt with matching tights and the spelled jacket. To fit the look, I¡¯d chosen some black ballerina flats, but she somehow still wasn¡¯t satisfied. As I suppressed another twinge of nerves, I couldn¡¯t blame her. Today was the day. The resumption dates for both Killdrain and the School for Syrens had coincided. Two weeks ago, after some deliberation, I¡¯d changed my major to Political Science, with a minor in Economics, and registered all my classes for the morning. Apparently, most people preferred to start their days after noon, but I needed to get to the Syren school by half past twelve for the Supernatural classes. Hailey had tried her best to convince me to move some classes to the afternoon, so we could attend the one class we shared together. ¡°Please, Ari! We could go back to my room after classes and hang out, or go out to ear or something.¡± ¡°Sorry, Hailey.¡± I smiled apologetically, ¡°I want all my classes done by morning so I don¡¯t need to think about them for the rest of the day.¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s just one day! Digital Marketing and Mass Communications and Political Science and Economics are in no way connected, so the one Communication class we have may be the only bridge we¡¯ll get, most likely till we graduate.¡± ¡°Most of your classes start by the time I¡¯m finishing up, so we can cross paths.¡± She huffed, blowing on a stray strand of blonde hair, ¡°I guess¡­¡± The truth was, I would¡¯ve loved to share a class with her. But I couldn¡¯t explain to her why I couldn¡¯t. Not yet. I grabbed my book bag and left my room to get something to eat. Once downstairs, I met Timothy in the kitchen. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Morning.¡± He grumbled, shovelling more eggs into his mouth. I retrieved the things for a bowl of cereal, ¡°Still not a morning person?¡± He scoffed, ¡°I blame your damn bed, it¡¯s too comfortable. Makes getting up a fucking death sentence. I can¡¯t wait to move out.¡± ¡°You know there¡¯s no rush, you can take your time to get on your feet.¡± He grunted, focusing on his food. He¡¯d finally gotten hired on a construction site a few weeks back. As soon as he¡¯d gotten the job, he started packing his bag, ready to move out. It¡¯d taken the three of us doing some serious convincing to get him to stay, at least till he¡¯d saved up enough for a six month¡¯s rent in a simple apartment. We knew he hated staying here and feeling like he was taking charity, but it was only smart. He finished his meal first and left. His work took him out an hour before my classes and let him off three hours after the Syren school let out. I spent the next half hour saying no to Candy about anything that would result in a change of clothes. Finally, it was a suitable time for me to leave and I walked out, locking the door behind me. It took me a few minutes to get to Killdrain. Walking onto campus, I was reminded of the weight of the atmosphere as the early autumn sun was blocked off. There weren¡¯t as many people as I expected, but it was the first period of the day and I was twenty minutes early. I was supposed to find the Humanities section in the gothic castle. Looking around, I regretted not taking the Geranomy brothers up on their offer of a tour before summer. Speak of the devil, a familiar scent had me turning. ¡°Ari? What¡¯re you doing here? You¡¯re not supposed to start till January.¡± Greg asked, walking up to me. ¡°I wanted to surprise you guys, but I think I should¡¯ve let you show me around that day instead.¡± He lifted a brow, ¡°Can¡¯t find your class?¡± I shook my head. He laughed, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you. What¡¯s the hall number?¡± Relieved, I followed him, ¡°Humanities four - thirteen.¡± He checked his watch, ¡°That¡¯s all the way across the building from my class, but we¡¯ve got time. Let¡¯s go.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. He led me into the building, taking me through a maze of twists and turns to an elevator. ¡°What¡¯re you doing here so early, anyway?¡± I asked as we stepped out onto the fourth floor. ¡°My Machinery teacher and I have something we¡¯ve been working on since my first year. I like to come in early sometimes to help him tinker with it.¡± We took another turn. ¡°Lucky for me, I guess. What¡¯s the thing you¡¯re working on?¡± He grinned, a twinkle in his eye, ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Alright, Tinkerbell.¡± He thrust his nose into the air, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that Tinkerbell was a genius ahead of her times. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have let Hailey get a hold of you.¡± I laughed. Hailey had taken it upon herself to ¡®give me a childhood¡¯ during every free moment over the summer. That included watching as many Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks movies as possible, along with other classics from smaller studios. ¡°Well, here you are.¡± Greg announced as we came to a door labelled ¡®H 4-13¡¯. ¡°I should get going if I¡¯m gonna be able to help Professor Range, even if it¡¯s just for a few minutes. Have a good day, and good luck on finding your way to your classes.¡± I waved him off, ¡°With the look of this school, I¡¯ll definitely need it. Thanks for your help.¡± With Greg gone, I was left standing alone before the glossy doors of the auditorium. It had taken us little under fifteen minutes to get here, so there were a few more people on their way to their classes. I exhaled, then placed a hand on the door handle, psyching myself up. Today, was gonna have two new beginnings for me. I just hoped the day started off well. I entered the auditorium, taking a quick glance around. The seats were structured in a concave form, the height of the seat rising as you climbed the steps to the back. At the front of the room was a large electronic board, some speakers and a desk. There were a few people already present. Some were discussing in groups while others were scattered in isolation. I climbed up to the fifth row, not too close to the front, but still close enough for the people who would sit around me not to be the talkative type. As minutes passed, people trickled into the room, till the auditorium was over half full. Eight o¡¯clock was accompanied by a melodic chime and a woman I assumed was our lecturer walked in. Her demeanour reminded me of the woman I¡¯d met in the admissions office, on the day I¡¯d visited with the Geranomy brothers. Everything about her seemed intentional, from the crisp iron lines on her bouse and the precise high braid of her long brown hair, to the spotlessness of her pumps and the way her glasses perched right on the bridge of her perfect nose. The moment she walked in, a hush fell over the room. Without a word, she retrieved a tablet and stylus from her handbag and connected them to the display board. On it, she wrote her name, email and the class. ¡°Good morning, class. My name is Irina Sargsyan and I¡¯ll be your teacher for Introduction to Political Theory till the end of this semester. Since I sent the syllabus to everyone, you should already have my email address. You may use it to contact me concerning important matters during the semester.¡± With her statement, she gave us all a pointed look. ¡°Today,¡± she continued, ¡°we¡¯ll start with the meaning of politics and its significance.¡± Accompanied by a meticulous presentation, she launched into the lecture. Before I knew it, Ms. Sargsyan was wrapping up. The melodious bell chimed and the room was filled with shuffling as we left for our next classes. Once out in the hallway, I glanced at my phone for the location of my next class. I found my way back to the elevator, slipping between the doors just as they were about to close. Once on the sixth floor, I stepped out with a couple other people and looked around for a room labelled ¡®6-23¡¯. My frustration rose after too many turned corners with no room ¡®6-23¡¯ to show for it, and I had only a minute left till the next period started. Finally throwing the towel in, I looked around for someone to approach for directions. The closest person to me was a girl, with glossy dark brown hair and unblemished skin hued with a tone that bordered between beige and gold. Throughout the day, I¡¯d noticed three distinct types of dressing in most students. There were those that didn¡¯t care and had obviously thrown the first set of clothes they found on, those that looked nice, but hadn¡¯t put too much effort in, and finally, those that looked like they¡¯d meticulously crafted their outfits for the day. She looked like she fell in the last category. ¡°Excuse me,¡± I called, fully expecting the fabulous looking girl to brush me off, ¡°could you tell me where room six ¨C twenty-three is?¡± The soft waves of her hair seemed to defy gravity as she turned to me. Looking at her face, she had distinct East Asian features and a keen look in her eyes, ¡°Sure. That¡¯s where my next class is, follow me.¡± I thanked her as we speed walked to the class, ducking through the doors just as the bell chimed. After that class, I resigned myself to just asking for directions, as opposed to attempting to find my way by myself. The morning passed, a mix of admittedly engaging lectures all over the labyrinth of a school. As my last class ended, I packed my things back in my bag to leave. ¡°Hey.¡± I looked up, finding the girl from earlier, ¡°Hi. Thanks again for helping me out.¡± She smiled, pearly white teeth framed by the perfect pink of her lip gloss, ¡°No problem. I saw you in the first lecture as well, we seem to have some classes together. Political Science major?¡± I nodded, ¡°Yeah, with an Economics minor. What about you?¡± ¡°Same, but my minor¡¯s Business instead. I¡¯m Annya, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Avarielle, but most people call me Ava or Ari.¡± She smiled again, the warmth reaching her dark eyes, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Ava. It might sound creepy, but I noticed you taking notes during all the classes we shared. I¡¯ve got this idea to make a study group, and you seem like you¡¯d be a good fit.¡± I glanced at the clock on the wall behind her. I had five minutes till I absolutely needed to leave, ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll have time to meet up often for a study group. I wouldn¡¯t want to join then never show up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m asking all the serious people I can find and I know not everyone will have free enough schedules. I just want to add everyone to a google folder or something, so we can pitch in our notes from classes and stuff. Actually meeting in person is optional.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, I should be able to do that.¡± ¡°Great!¡± She retrieved a paper, half filled with a list of names, numbers and email addresses, ¡°Just write yours here, then I¡¯ll add you to the group and text you.¡± I wrote down my info and handed her the list, ¡°Thanks for the invitation.¡± ¡°Thank you for accepting. See you later.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± I picked my bag up and left, as she moved on to another classmate. I ran at a normal pace till I was off campus and out of sight. Once I could, I booked it to the Syren School. Three minutes till the first afternoon class was to begin, and I was jogging through the gate. I had to stop myself from gawking at the splendour of the buildings and made my way to the first of the connected looming towers. There was barely anyone around to ask for directions if I got lost and I was grateful for the tour Mrs Burton had given me last week, when I¡¯d chosen my electives and picked up my timetable. I rushed up the spiral escalator to the fourth floor and crossed the bridge connecting to another tower. ¡°Shit!¡± I hissed as the bell rang and ran the rest of the way to my class. Once there, I knocked on the door before entering the room. I walked in, my neck heating at the feeling of everyone¡¯s gaze turn to me. The teacher, a stunning woman with black hair that faded into a light blue, raised a brow, ¡°Nice of you to join us.¡± Chapter 50 - Syren School First Day Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°Nice of you to join us.¡± I ignored the sound of my heartbeat in my ears, avoiding the looks of my classmates, ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late.¡± She sighed, moving to her laptop, ¡°It¡¯s fine. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Natalia.¡± Her eyes ran over her screen, ¡°Natalia Sayna?¡± I nodded. Syrenlina was a major household name among Syrens, so Mrs Burton had registered me with a made up last name to maintain the low profile I¡¯d requested. She marked me present then waved me off, ¡°Take a seat.¡± I weaved between the desks, scurrying over to a seat at the back. ¡°Alright class. As I was saying, my name¡¯s Julia Zreed. This particular class is made up of the Lost Group. Most of you had little to no idea of your heritage so, I¡¯ll be teaching you Syren Fundamentals. It¡¯s like a crash course of the basics of existing as a Syren and you¡¯ll be required to take it for the first week or two.¡± With everyone¡¯s attention back on Ms Zreed, I glanced at the others in the class. Of the eighteen of us, just three were guys. There were a few who had two-toned hair, but most others had the usual black hair. The thing that really united everyone in the classroom, whatever their gender or skin tone or hair colour or texture, was the fact that they were all nothing short of gorgeous. My attention went back to Ms Zreed as she continued, ¡°For your afternoon classes, you¡¯ll have all your subjects outside basic academia. Those of you that haven¡¯t had your Uncovering yet will take Syrenlina Ecosystem, Syren History, Inter-species Relations, and Syrenlina World Structure, along with your elective. Once you have your Uncovering, Special Abilities will be added to your classes. Any questions?¡± A girl closer to the front of the class, with the faintest hints of purple at the end of her bobbed hair, raised her hand, ¡°How will we be graded for this class?¡± ¡°For this class, and all your afternoon classes, you¡¯ll have oral reviews to determine your understanding. Some teachers may have specific details that they¡¯ll ask for, while others will just let you talk about what you know of the subject. At the end of the first week, that¡¯s how we¡¯ll determine which of you will need to take this class for a second week. Any more questions?¡± Nobody said anything further, so she launched into the lesson. She¡¯d decided to start off the subject with Uncoverings and all they entailed. ¡°As most of you have probably noticed, your Uncovering will come with a colour addition to the black of your hair. In the weeks leading up to it, your puberty will be accelerated and your allure, the thing that causes the innate attraction the opposite sex has to you, will increase. Some Syrens have also had an eye colour change, but it¡¯s not that common. After your Uncovering, regular hair dye or contacts won¡¯t work, so there are enchanted products we use to stay hidden.¡± On the electronic board, she showed two pictures of the same Syren, two weeks apart. In the first one, she had plain black hair and, while still beautiful, a less mature look. In the second one, she¡¯d grown into all her features and a bright orange had been added to the ends of her hair. ¡°The biggest change will be your special ability. Most Syrens get a nature centric-affinity or power, and some can control more intangible things like sound, emotions or illusions. Usually, Syrens get one or two abilities, very rarely does a person get three. Special abilities will usually be illustrated in the form of a tattoo somewhere on your body that only you, your family and later, your life partner can see. Usually, the bigger the tattoo, the stronger the ability, but they have been known to grow if you actively train for it.¡± I raised a hand. ¡°Yes Natalia?¡± ¡°What if some of your family members aren¡¯t Syrens? Or they¡¯re cousins or half-siblings or something?¡± ¡°Excellent question. If they¡¯re a person born from either your mother or father, regardless of species, they¡¯ll see it. So, a yes for half siblings, but a no for cousins or aunts and uncles. And, of course, your children will be able to see it too, but your grandchildren won¡¯t.¡± She explained, then added, ¡°Since the circle of people that can see a Syren¡¯s tattoo is so small, it¡¯s one of the ways a Syren can identify their life partner, but that topic¡¯s for another day. If that answers your question, I¡¯ll move along.¡± The rest of the lesson covered the remaining details of Uncoverings, like the significance of the hair colour and how some Syrens with Siren ancestry could possibly gain traits closer to Sirens, like a hypnotic voice, gills or a monofin when in contact with saltwater as opposed to at will. Soon enough, the bell rang and it was time for my next class. ¡°Welcome to Syren History.¡± A woman that looked to be in her late fifties greeted us warmly. She was the definition of graceful aging, all the details of her face complimenting each other. After taking roll call, she began. ¡°The most important thing about any civilisation or society, is its history. History is constantly being made, through our ideologies and actions and their effects through time. We¡¯ll start the curriculum in our next class, so, today, let¡¯s focus on the importance of history. I know there are a few of you who weren¡¯t aware of your history as a Syren, so can anyone tell me a historical event they know of?¡± The girl in front of me, with black and emerald green hair that nearly touched the floor as she was seated, raised her hand. On the skin of the back of her hand was a crest, with a swirling plant inside it. ¡°The border to Syrenlina had been closed for almost sixteen years, but it¡¯s open now. I think that¡¯s pretty historical.¡± The teacher nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right, that is pretty historical. Does anyone know what that could mean?¡± Another girl, with shorter hair and lilac added to her black, spoke up, ¡°My mom says it means the lost heir¡¯s returned.¡± ¡°Yes, it does mean the heir has returned. Based on how long the border was closed, she could be in your year. Perhaps even this class.¡± Murmurs filled the room, everyone looking about and speculating on who it could be. ¡°Guys,¡± The girl in front of me declared, ¡°if she was lost and just recently returned, she¡¯s probably part of the Lost Group. Mrs Grandale, you have friends in the High Court, can you tell us anything you know about her?¡± ¡°Oh, I couldn¡¯t possibly¡­¡± The class erupted again, pleading and begging for details. ¡®Please don¡¯t say anything.¡¯ I silently willed. Mrs Grandale smiled, sighing, ¡°Alright, but you didn¡¯t hear it from me. All anyone knows is that she got in contact with Mrs Burton, and that she hasn¡¯t gone through her Uncovering yet.¡± With those words, all eyes swivelled to the three girls without any other colour in their hair, one of which I recognised from our Syren Fundamentals class. ¡°Katie and Lucy can¡¯t be it, they¡¯re both in my Group.¡± The girl in front of me mused, ¡°That just leaves you¡­¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Francess.¡± The last girl said. ¡°Well, it could be you, Francess.¡± Francess shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not me, I don¡¯t even know who Mrs Burton is. Besides, I wasn¡¯t the only one who hadn¡¯t had my Uncovering in the Lost Group. And what about her?¡± She pointed at me. The girl with the crest turned around, eyeing me up. Then she shook her head, ¡°Nope, can¡¯t be her. Her hair¡¯s brown to the roots and everyone knows that Syrens only have black hair before their Uncovering. What are you, anyway?¡± ¡°I- uh¡­¡± I looked around, everyone¡¯s attention now on my answer, ¡°I¡¯m a Werewolf¡­¡± She scrunched her nose, ¡°A Werewolf? What the hell are you looking for in a Syren school? We get Elves and Fae and Enchanters and stuff, but never Werewolves. Why are you here?¡± ¡°Um, I- I¡¯m part Syren.¡± She raised a brow, ¡°So? We¡¯re a species of mostly women, most of us here are part Syren. You can¡¯t be both anyway. Again, why are you here?¡± Their stares morphed from curious to invasive, demanding answers I couldn¡¯t give. However defective, I was a Werewolf, an outsider. Sure, my mother had been their Queen, but I¡¯d never be a Syren and it was wishful thinking to assume they¡¯d accept me for what I was. Why was I here? ¡®Nat,¡¯ Candy said softly, ¡®Werewolf or Syren, you¡¯re the heir. You¡¯re here because you decided to learn how to become the Queen they need.¡¯ She was right. I was supposed to fill the shoes of my mom, at least till we figured out where she could be. And if I didn¡¯t start acting like it, this was gonna be the Lightwood Pack all over again. I took a breath then met her eyes, ¡°Why I¡¯m here is really none of your business.¡± She blinked, ¡°Excuse me¡­?¡± ¡°Miss Flossarez, that¡¯s enough.¡± Mrs Grandale called, ¡°Her history is her own and we mustn¡¯t take it by force. We¡¯re happy to have you¡­?¡± ¡°Natalia.¡± I looked around, then landed my gaze back on the girl with the crest, ¡°Natalia Sayna.¡± The rest of the class passed relatively uneventfully. As did the next class, Inter-species Relations, taught by a tall, winged lilac man that turned out to be a Pixie enchanted to be human-sized, and not a unique race of the Fae like everyone initially thought. For our first lesson, he¡¯s regaled us with the tale of his epic romance with a Syren who was the equivalent of his life partner, and how their love would¡¯ve had more challenges than just his size if the Syren and Pixie relationship was less than cordial. Finally, the final bell of the day rang. Shuffling filled the room as we all packed to leave. Once outside the building, my stomach growled and I checked my phone for the time. It was just past four o¡¯clock, so I thought of what I¡¯d have for dinner. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re Natalia, right?¡± I turned to see an Uncovered girl with pink in her long afro, along with either Katie or Lucy from the second class, I didn¡¯t know. I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m Jenna, and this is Lucy.¡± Lucy waved, ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°This one,¡± Jenna continued, shooting Lucy a look, ¡°kept gushing about how you shut the Countess down, so I got her to come talk to you.¡± I cocked my head, ¡°Countess?¡± ¡°Aubrey Flossarez, the girl that was grilling you in Syren History.¡± ¡°Why did you call her ¡®Countess¡¯?¡± ¡°Because,¡± Lucy spoke up, ¡°everyone knows she¡¯s the daughter of a Countess in Syrenlina.¡± I raised a brow, ¡°Really?¡± Jenna nodded, ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t you see her crest? She was practically waving it in everyone¡¯s faces.¡± ¡°The one on her hand? I saw it, but I didn¡¯t know what it meant.¡± ¡°All members of Syren nobility get one once they¡¯re Uncovered and are recognised by their family¡¯s head. It¡¯s pretty arbitrary, but some people let it get to their heads anyway.¡± Lucy nodded, fuming, ¡°It¡¯s not like she¡¯s evil, but she acts like she¡¯s the best thing to happen to Syrens since Syrenlina was created! There are a few other members of nobility in our year, but no one¡¯s become as notorious as Aubrey has on the first day. And she¡¯s just a Countess! Jenna¡¯s a Duchess but you don¡¯t hear her title everywhere.¡± Jenna tugged on her long sleeve, shooting Lucy a look, ¡°No need to go announcing it for me.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± From what I knew of hierarchy, the Duchy came after only the royal family itself. I glanced at Jenna. She was wearing a cold shoulder sweater, its sleeves going well past her hands, and skinny jeans that accentuated her features. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a large puff that was dominated by pink. ¡°So,¡± I asked, ¡°all members of nobility get a crest? What if they have no family head? Or they¡¯re not a Syren?¡± Jenna shrugged, ¡°Then, I guess they¡¯re the family head and get one by default after their Uncovering. Anyone with Syren blood can see it, so I think non-Syren children of nobility still get one once they turn sixteen.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem like you want people to know you¡¯re a Duchess, Jenna.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m hiding,¡± she explained, ¡°I just want to get to know people here a bit before it gets around. It¡¯s an arbitrary title, but people will still act different once they know you have it, whether they realise it or not.¡± ¡°Makes sense. What about you, Lucy?¡± She blinked, ¡°Me? I¡¯m not a noble. My parents and I were separated during the Jam, so Jenna¡¯s family took me in.¡± ¡°The Jam?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what most people call the time that passed while the border to Syrenlina was closed. Like, the door was jammed.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Have you been able to see them since the Jam ended?¡± She nodded, ¡°I was like two months old when it happened, so it¡¯s been weird to get to know my parents for the first time after almost sixteen years. They ID-Commed as often as they could, but I just got to hug them for the first time three months ago. They moved to Earth so we could get to know each other better where I¡¯m comfortable.¡± ¡°ID-Commed?¡± ¡°Inter Dimensional Communication.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± I knew the border had been closed for as long as I¡¯d been alive, but I had no idea just how badly my birth had affected the Syrens. ¡°Wow is right.¡± Jenna said, ¡°A lot of families and life partners were separated during the Jam. The worst part is, no one knows why. Queen Aquina just disappeared out of the blue and, six months later, the border¡¯s closed and no one can find her or her daughter. Even if her daughter¡¯s back now, no one knows anything and there¡¯s been no news of Queen Aquina herself. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, not even my parents know anything about the Princess beyond the fact that she¡¯s under Mrs Burton¡¯s care, and there¡¯s no information on the Queen.¡± ¡°Who exactly is Mrs Burton?¡± ¡°She¡¯s one of the most important Syrens in the High Court.¡± Lucy said. ¡°So, she¡¯s nobility?¡± I hadn¡¯t noticed any crest on her during any of our meetings. She shook her head, ¡°The nobles make up the Court, but the High Court has both the Court and the Council. It¡¯s kinda hard to explain how it all works, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll learn that in Syrenlina World Structure class.¡± Jenna checked her phone, ¡°Well, I gotta go. The theatre club meets in five minutes. It was nice meeting you, Natalia.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Lucy said, ¡°I¡¯ve gotta get home for dinner with my parents. I¡¯m glad I got to talk to you.¡± I smiled, ¡°Me too. It was great to meet you two. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± ¡°See ya.¡± Jenna made her way to a building on campus that I was pretty sure was a theatre, while Lucy left the premises. Standing outside, there were still quite a few students left. A lot of them were hanging around what looked like a dorm, while others were talking in groups. Some were even showing off their special abilities for friends. ¡®So,¡¯ Candy said, ¡®once you turn sixteen next month, you¡¯ll get a mark that¡¯ll out you as the heir, whether you like it or not¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll need to see Mrs Burton before my birthday.¡¯ I left the school, walking to a secluded enough place for me to run back home. Once home, I locked the door behind me and made my way to my room. I took my shoes off and threw myself onto my bed. Looking up at my ceiling, my shoulders relaxed and I sighed, the day catching up with me. ¡®You should get something to eat.¡¯ I yawned, tears gathering in the corners of my eyes, ¡®But I¡¯m sleepy.¡¯ ¡®Come on, Nat.¡¯ Candy tutted, ¡®You haven¡¯t eaten since breakfast. Warm up some leftovers then you can take a nap.¡¯ I blew on some hair on my face, ¡®Alright. At least I don¡¯t have any assignments from today.¡¯ Downstairs, I fixed something to eat. Once I was full, I returned to my room and drew a bath to soak in for an hour, then changed into my pyjamas. Some minutes later, I heard Timothy approach and went to open the front door for him. ¡°Welcome back.¡± He grunted. ¡°Well, there¡¯s some food in the fridge you can heat up.¡± I said, locking the door, ¡°I¡¯m going to bed now, good night.¡± ¡°Night.¡± He mumbled, taking his shoes off and making a beeline for the kitchen. I returned to my room and was out like a light. Chapter 51 - Bonfire Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°Laura,¡± Ms Zreed sighed, ¡°I think you¡¯ll need to stay on for another week.¡± Friday had finally come around, bringing with it our oral review on Syren Fundamentals. Ms Zreed was seeing us individually, following the order of our class register, and there were just two people left before my turn. We weren¡¯t allowed to review any notes we¡¯d taken once we entered the classroom. Thankfully, a large chunk of the subject was based on observations most of us had made by now. I directed my mind back to remembering everything we¡¯d been taught. ¡°Natalia, you¡¯re up!¡± Fabel called on his way out of the classroom. I moved to the seat across from Ms Zreed¡¯s table. ¡°Hello, Natalia. Shall we begin?¡± For the next few minutes, I narrated everything I¡¯d heard her say in class and even threw in some bits of information I¡¯d picked up from Lucy and Jenna. When I was done, she raised her brows in approval and wrote something down, ¡°Excellent job, Natalia. You¡¯re definitely done with this class.¡± I smiled, ¡°Thank you, Ms Zreed.¡± I packed my things up to leave, finding Lucy and Jenna waiting for me in the hallway. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Jenna smiled as Lucy pushed off the wall to hug me, ¡°We knew your review was today, so this one wanted to be here to either congratulate or comfort you.¡± Lucy stuck her tongue out, arms wrapped around my shoulders, ¡°You say that like you didn¡¯t eagerly agree to the idea.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t.¡± I laughed. ¡°Anyway,¡± Lucy continued, letting go, ¡°I was thinking we could go out for dinner to celebrate.¡± ¡°Today?¡± ¡°No, next week.¡± Jenna drawled, pushing off the wall, ¡°C¡¯mon. I know a great sushi place that serves Italian food too.¡± I cocked my head. ¡°It¡¯s owned by an Italian and Japanese couple.¡± She explained. ¡°It sounds great, but can I take a rain check? My college is having a bonfire today and my sister said she needs me back home asap, so she can make sure I look ¡®fire¡¯.¡± ¡°I keep forgetting that you¡¯re an actual college student.¡± Lucy pouted. Jenna scoffed, bumping her shoulder, ¡°How do you forget? There¡¯s always silence when Mr Jamerson calls her for attendance in homeroom. That should be enough of a reminder.¡± ¡°I guess¡­ Can¡¯t we come with you, Natalia?¡± I shook my head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Lucy. My sister doesn¡¯t know my mom was a Syren yet, and I don¡¯t want her to get suspicious from your scents.¡± ¡°Scents?¡± A mocking voice called, and we turned to see Aubrey and her shadow, Olivia, ¡°Look, Liv. The dog¡¯s talking about smells. I wonder if she sniffs her own ass too?¡± I raised a wholly unimpressed eyebrow, ¡°Dog jokes for a Werewolf? I¡¯ve never heard those before! How original¡­¡± Jenna and Lucy snickered. Aubrey scowled, turning her nose up, ¡°Probably because it¡¯s the most fitting for the likes of you.¡± ¡°Or cause there isn¡¯t an original bone in the body of the likes of you.¡± I shot back. She huffed, turning to Jenna, ¡°I really have no idea why a Duchess like you is hanging out with a blemish like her. I get that Lucy¡¯s like your family¡¯s charity case or something, but you really don¡¯t have to go so far. She¡¯s not threatening you, is she?¡± Jenna stepped forward and her unblinking eyes flashed pink to match her hair, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re so sorry for that stupid thing you just said.¡± Aubrey blinked, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, ¡°I- I have no idea why I said those stupid, awful things. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She was almost sobbing. Jenna smiled wickedly and finally blinked, her eyes fading back to brown, ¡°How sweet of you to apologise. Thank you, Aubrey. Let¡¯s go, girls.¡± Aubrey furiously wiped her tears, ¡°Did you just use your ability on me?!¡± Jenna cocked her head, ¡°I¡¯ve no clue what you¡¯re on about. You said some rude things and apologised for it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll report this!¡± Lucy tutted, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed, Aubrey. It takes a big person to apologise for their mistakes. None of us saw her do anything, you don¡¯t need to make up a false accusation.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I added, ¡°my Werewolf eyes definitely would¡¯ve seen something.¡± Aubrey glowered, indignation practically seething from her pores. Then she stuck her nose as high as it would go and spun on her heel. We held our snickers in till she and Olivia turned the corner. ¡°I know you¡¯ve told me what your Ability is, but I¡¯ve never actually seen it in action.¡± I told Jenna once we¡¯d calmed down. She shrugged, ¡°¡¯Course you haven¡¯t. You know we aren¡¯t allowed to use them on other people in school without supervision. I used to accidentally activate it a lot when I was first Uncovered, but I think I¡¯ve kinda gotten the hang of it in the past few months.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an understatement.¡± Lucy snorted, ¡°She had her dad weeping for hours when they got into a fight once. He turned into a blubbering mess and she had no idea how to undo it.¡± Jenna huffed, shouldering the giggling Lucy, ¡°Hey! It¡¯s hard to control when I¡¯m emotional, you know that. And that was literally the day of my Uncovering.¡± We were interrupted by my ringtone. My screen was lit up with a picture of Hailey and I in the woods. I picked the call, ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hi Ari. Where are you? I got to your place as fast as I could, but you¡¯re not here.¡± That was my cue to go. Covering my phone¡¯s microphone, I whispered my hurried goodbyes to Lucy and Jenna. I started on my way, scanning the place for somewhere I could run back to my house from unseen. ¡°Sorry, I got a little held up, but I¡¯m on my way now. I¡¯ll be home soon.¡± ¡°Okay, see you soon.¡± A few minutes later, I was walking into my house. ¡°Ari!¡± Hailey called as soon as I clicked the front door shut. ¡°Yes¡­?¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She appeared atop the stairs, hands on her hips, ¡°Hurry! This is our first bonfire and you-¡± ¡°Need to look fire.¡± I droned, completing her sentence. She shot me a look. ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯m coming.¡± I kicked my shoes off and she led the way to my room. The whole process of finding a suitable outfit for me to wear took thirty minutes. She¡¯d settled on a beige cold shoulder top tucked into a pair of black jean shorts with thigh high boots to match. ¡°Time for your makeup.¡± She grinned, brandishing a brush and foundation. I wrinkled my nose, ¡°Do I have to? Last time, it felt like you¡¯d covered my face in a layer of oil. Besides, it¡¯s gonna be dark, no one will see it anyway.¡± She frowned, ¡°We¡¯ll see it, even if the humans don¡¯t. Besides, there might be other Supernaturals with good eyes there, you never know.¡± ¡°Please¡­?¡± I pouted. Sighing, she conceded, ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯ve got good skin. Let me do your lips and eyes at least.¡± I grinned, settling into the chair of my vanity. After fifteen minutes of making sure the wing of my eye liner was sharp enough and choosing the best lip shade, she finally released me with a satisfied look, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get dressed. Trev and Greg should be here soon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wearing this?¡± Her current outfit was a very cute crop top with jeans. She laughed, ¡°Definitely not.¡± I inspected her work. Over the summer, she¡¯d cajoled me into a full face of make up, setting powder and highlighter and all. The entire thing was truly an art form, but this felt more comfortable. She¡¯d gone over the lip colour with a shiny gloss, added mascara for my lashes and dabbed a bit of blush on my cheeks. I felt pretty. Not long after, Trevor and Greg were at the door and I went to answer it. ¡°Hey Ari¡­ wow, you look amazing.¡± Greg greeted, Trevor nodding in agreement behind him. I smiled, ¡°Thanks, it was all Hailey.¡± ¡°Speaking of her,¡± Trevor looked around, ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Hailey announced from the top of the stairs. She wore a short sweater dress and some ankle boots. She seemed to have put more effort into her makeup, giving herself a very sophisticated look to match her high ponytail. ¡°You look so beautiful.¡± I said as the brothers clapped while she descended. ¡°Why, thank you. Thank you all. We may leave now.¡± She grinned with a flourish once she finished her descent. We went to the boys¡¯ car, Hailey sitting shotgun this time, and started the drive to campus. After the incident of Keily accusing me of kidnapping, it had taken me a while to forgive Greg and Trevor for prematurely taking her side. Thinking about it, part of me still hurt from their blatant view of me as an outsider that day, and another part of me was mad at myself for even being upset, because of course I was an outsider to them. But everything had been smoothed over, and I hadn¡¯t seen Keily at all since that day. As for their suspicions of me being a vampire, I had no idea if they were still on that, but I was still careful around them anyway. When we arrived, the place was littered with people. The tree sized bonfire was obvious all the way from the parking lot, and only got hotter and brighter as we moved closer. There were several speakers playing music and the people who weren¡¯t seated on the blankets spread around, were dancing and talking, holding red cups and bottles of alcohol. Off to the side of the bonfire was a smaller fire people were using to cook meat and tofu to hand out. ¡°You guys have to try the bonfire food. It¡¯s practically a rite of passage.¡± Greg yelled over the music. ¡°Really?¡± He shrugged and waved to a group of guys that caught his eye, ¡°Well, kinda. It¡¯s also really good. I¡¯m gonna go talk to some friends, you guys have fun.¡± Once he was gone, we lined up for the food. They¡¯d already cooked a good amount, so the line moved quickly. ¡°I guess Greg was right.¡± Hailey said once we¡¯d gotten and tried the meat. I nodded, taking another bite. ¡°I brought some lip gloss, so you can find me once you¡¯re done eating. I¡¯m gonna go find some people from my class.¡± She said, then made her way through the crowd. Trevor had been pulled into a conversation as soon as he¡¯d gotten his own food, so I was left to wander around till I found someone I knew. ¡°Hey Avi.¡± Annya called over the music. Over the past week of sitting next to her in class, I¡¯d gotten used to her perfection, but she looked especially beautiful today with her carefree outfit and relaxed smile. ¡°Hi Annya.¡± I said once I joined her and her group. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come today, you¡¯re always so serious in class.¡± I smiled, ¡°I could say the same about you.¡± She laughed then turned to the rest of the group, ¡°Everyone, this is Ava. She¡¯s also part of our study group.¡± They all yelled their hi¡¯s over the music. A guy with a hint of a melodic accent spoke up, ¡°So you¡¯re the famous Ava. Annya¡¯s told me about you. The notes you send are always so detailed, I wish you were in all my classes.¡± ¡°You should see her in action. I¡¯ve never met someone that could type faster than me.¡± After the first day, I¡¯d decided to get a small laptop for taking notes in class. It was better than writing my notes by hand, only to transcribe them on a laptop later, and I hadn¡¯t seen anyone send pictures of physical notes so that didn¡¯t seem like an option. ¡°That can¡¯t be possible, I have to see that the next time we meet.¡± I laughed, ¡°Sure, I should be able to make it for study group sometime this month.¡± I spent the rest of the evening getting to know the others in the group. The guy that had spoken up first was named Nathaniel, Annya¡¯s boyfriend. The group had dubbed them the Asian Power Couple, since Annya was Taiwanese and an aspiring politician, and Nathaniel was Filipino and an aspiring business mogul. Others in the group were Beth, who apparently had the same major and minor as me, James and Ada, international scholarship students from Nigeria, redheaded Jamie, who informed us that he was a hundred percent Irish, and George, who was also a scholarship student. Apparently, there had been more people invited to the group, but after a week of no contribution, they¡¯d been asked to leave. After a while, someone with a megaphone stood atop a chair in front of the fire and called everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Go Vamps!¡± The guy roared, inciting cheers from most people present. ¡°Vamps, for vampires. It¡¯s the school¡¯s mascot.¡± Ada explained, noting my confusion. Once the cheers died down, the guy continued, ¡°My name¡¯s Chase, I¡¯m the student council president. I¡¯d like to take a moment to welcome the freshers to the Killdrain. Can we make some noise for them? They just joined the best of the best!¡± Another round of cheers and hollers erupted. At least they were loud and proud about the school. ¡°Since you guys just joined,¡± Chase began again, in a voice reserved for campfires and ghost stories, ¡°it¡¯s my duty to warn you of the legend.¡± People ooh¡¯ed and ah¡¯ed, egging him on for the story. Most people had found a space on one of the blankets on the ground. Those who hadn¡¯t were either standing, seated on their garments, or had gotten creative and climbed the trees around. I¡¯d managed to find a space on a blanket with the rest of the group. ¡°Well, it¡¯s no secret that our school¡¯s nickname is the Haunted Fortress, and it¡¯s not just cause of the dark clouds that hang over the campus year-round. Killdrain is ancient, older than the USA itself. They told you, during orientation, that it was founded in the year sixteen twenty-one, but legend has it, that that¡¯s not the case.¡± He paused, looking over the hushed crowd. With the raging bonfire behind him, his face was shrouded in flickering shadows, ¡°The legend says, the main building of the school is an ancient castle, built for a noble European family. According to the locals of the time, this family was a peculiar one. They say that people were strangely drawn to the castle, and scores would disappear at a time, only to turn up a fortnight later with no recollection of the time that had passed. This went on for months, and rumours of ghosts spread like wildfire.¡± He paused again, holding the rest of the story hostage till people began to fidget. ¡°Finally, when the locals had had enough, they banded together to storm the castle. But, as soon as they stepped beyond the boundary, they were all stuck with pain like no other. Some managed to crawl away, but others passed out. By the time those who¡¯d made it out returned, the others were gone. And, like the earlier abductees, they returned two weeks later with no memory.¡± ¡°Nobody could enter the castle, and anyone who did returned with no memory, so it received the name, Haunted Fortress. The mystery was never solved, but it is still believed that something wicked lurks beneath the castle to this day, drawing the dark clouds to the area as a sign of doom for all who enter.¡± As he finished the story, the hissing of fire several extinguishers filled the air and the fire blinked out, plunging us into the night. There was silence for a moment, before people broke out in laughter, cheers and scoffs, switching on their phone torches. Most people took it as a cue to leave, picking their things and trash up. Apparently, one of the fraternity houses was hosting an after party till dusk, but I was ready to leave. After saying my goodbyes, I tracked Hailey down and found her leaning against a tree with a guy. She spotted me and made her way over. ¡°Hey Ari, you ready to go?¡± She smelled faintly of the alcohol that had been circulating, ¡°Yeah, but are you? You looked kinda engaged back there. I can go home myself if you wanna stay.¡± She sighed, shoulders slumping, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I just wanted to spend the evening not thinking about certain people, but there isn¡¯t enough booze here for me to get drunk.¡± She glanced back at the guy she¡¯d left by the tree, ¡°Couldn¡¯t even distract myself with a flirting.¡± I offered her a small smile, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go find out if the guys are ready to leave too. We¡¯ll stay up talking or whatever you want when we get back and you can spend the weekend. Sound good?¡± She smiled, wrapping her arm around my shoulder and leading the way, ¡°Sounds great.¡± Chapter 52 - Sentiments Natalia¡¯s P. O. V The timer beeped and I put my oven mitts on to retrieve the carrot cake. I placed it on the cooling rack then moved over to the stovetop. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want any help?¡± Kaesha laughed, shooing me away, ¡°No, Ava. You don¡¯t even know the recipe.¡± ¡°I can just be another set of hands¡­¡± I pouted. She gave me a look, ¡°I don¡¯t even need my own. Go set the table or something. The food¡¯s almost done.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m going.¡± I sighed, leaving the kitchen as she levitated another piece of meat into the waiting pan of oil. In the dining room, Hailey was already doing the job of setting the table. She presented a folded swan napkin with a proud grin, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Where¡¯d you learn to do that?¡± ¡°Youtube.¡± ¡°Need any help?¡± She shook her head, already laser focused on the crease she was folding into a new napkin, ¡°This is the last one. Tim¡¯s close though, so you should probably open the door for him.¡± She was right. I went over to the front door to unlock it, just as he was about to knock. He thanked me and took his shoes off, making his way to the kitchen. ¡°Got the shit you asked for, plus drinks and ice cream.¡± He told Kaesha, setting the bags down on the counter. ¡°Thanks. The salad¡¯s already done, you can add the salad cream and toss it for me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He complied, washing his hands to do as asked. I managed to help put the drinks and ice cream in the fridge and freezer, but was left jobless again till Kaesha was done. ¡°Lunch is served!¡± She announced, walking into the dining room with the food floating in behind her. I¡¯d called for a meeting to discuss the land options for our pack. After we¡¯d all agreed to meet over food, Kaesha had said she wanted us to try her cooking this time, asking for permission to commandeer my kitchen for the day. After the floating spoons served us, she waited for us to try the food. I took a bite of the rice and my mouth came alive with the flavours, followed by the delayed fire from pepper. Even as my nose ran, I wanted more, and I could see Hailey and Timothy reacting the same way. Kaesha laughed when we all finally reached for water, ¡°How do you like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so spicy but I love it. And I was wondering why you had big bananas earlier but they taste so good.¡± Hailey said. ¡°They¡¯re called plantains and I fried them.¡± ¡°And the rice?¡± I asked. ¡°Jollof rice.¡± Timothy fanned his tongue, ¡°You don¡¯t taste the pepper in this? You haven¡¯t touched your water.¡± She laughed, ¡°I guess I¡¯m used to it. My neighbour used to make it for me back home whenever I visited her.¡± Hailey stared at her plate, ¡°I can¡¯t believe Canadians eat food like this¡­¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t Canadian. She and her family migrated from Nigeria. Since my mom was always away with work and the coven, I spent most of my childhood in their house.¡± ¡°Looks like we¡¯re less of a pack and more of just a bunch of Supernaturals who all need therapy.¡± Timothy quipped between bites. ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± Kaesha laughed, a spoon flying towards him, which he caught and sent back to her before it floated back down to the table. Hailey downed another glass of water before speaking, making sure to avoid Timothy¡¯s gaze, ¡°I mean, he¡¯s not entirely wrong. Some of us might be happier if we just get past our hangups.¡± Timothy scowled and the rising tension between the two left us in silence. After a few moments of nothing but the clanking of utensils on our plates and uneasy glances with Kaesha, I decided to change the topic. ¡°So, I¡¯ve got the perfect option for our location. It¡¯s halfway to the Lightwood Pack from here, like Hailey, Kaesha and I planned on, and right next to a forest.¡± Timothy dragged his eyes away from Hailey, ¡°Sounds too good to be true.¡± ¡°Kinda. It¡¯s essentially a ghost town, so we¡¯re gonna have to remodel some aspects and pay the few people that still live there enough to relocate comfortably. The money isn¡¯t an issue but we¡¯ll need somebody to oversee-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Timothy stated. I glanced at Hailey. She¡¯d stiffened at his statement, staring down at her plate with an empty gaze. ¡°Are you sure? The process will take at least five months, and what about the things you¡¯ve got going on here?¡± ¡°The current project I¡¯m on at work ends in a week.¡± His gaze flickered to Hailey for a split second, ¡°Besides that, there¡¯s nothing really holding me down here.¡± Hailey¡¯s head snapped up and she gaped at him. He ignored her, taking another bite of his food. Kaesha glared at him and he jumped, I assume from the kick she gave him. He slammed his fork down, ¡°You think I don¡¯t fucking know what you¡¯re all trying to say? Whatever¡¯s going on between me and Sunshine over here is none of your damn business.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°At least they care!¡± Hailey snapped, ¡°They¡¯re not running off to some ghost town just to get away from the things they don¡¯t want to face!¡± ¡°You do realise what we¡¯re doing here, right? Don¡¯t you know who we¡¯re fighting?¡± She rolled her eyes, ¡°How could I forget?! You only remind me in every conversation.¡± The violent scraping of his chair pierced the air as Timothy got up, ¡°Y¡¯know what? I don¡¯t fucking need this!¡± ¡°Yeah, run away.¡± She scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s what you¡¯re best at anyway.¡± ¡°At least I¡¯m not desperate for all the scraps of love and affection I can get!¡± He sneered. His words drained the steam from her anger, leaving her with tears in her eyes. His own anger flickered out as he realised what he¡¯d said. Her voice was low and monotonous, ¡°Thank you for the food, Kaesha, it was delicious. I¡¯d love to take some back with me to the dorms. Ari, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be heading out now.¡± Without another word, she got up and left, slamming the front door behind her. A moment later, Timothy followed, cursing under his breath. Kaesha sighed, and I heard the front door lock, ¡°Damn, those two can¡¯t even make it to dessert.¡± ¡°I know, right? I understand why Timothy¡¯s scared, but this is too much. He won¡¯t even be in a room alone with her. I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s worse than being rejected, but it seems pretty awful.¡± She stabbed a plantain, ¡°I guess that¡¯s his brand of baggage. I¡¯d be pretty scared of my coven using a loved one against me if I¡¯d had that many run ins with them.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, you never talk about your love life.¡± She shrugged, ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about, I was too paranoid to date. I just had a couple flings here and there, to scratch the itch when it came up. But never anything too serious.¡± ¡°Really? Nothing?¡± She thought for a moment, ¡°There is this one guy I flirt with in my teaching building, but we¡¯ve never gone further than that. He¡¯s not bad, but I¡¯m in no hurry to find a relationship. What about you?¡± ¡°Besides one very painful rejection, no one on my end. I¡¯ve got too many things to worry about anyway.¡± She laughed, ¡°And the only two of us with any interest in love are always at each other¡¯s throats. Looks like Timmy was right, we are just a bunch of Supernaturals who all need therapy.¡± I laughed and finished the last of my food, ¡°The food really was great, Kaesha. Thanks for sharing it with us, even if it didn¡¯t go so well.¡± She smiled, ¡°My pleasure. I was feeling a little homesick, so I just wanted to be around people I care about, eating the food I love. It¡¯s a shame the others had to run out, but there¡¯s always more left.¡± The plates and utensils began moving. She brought two Tupperware bowls from the kitchen and emptied the rest of their plates¡¯ contents into them. ¡°Your magic is so handy.¡± I said, as a knife cut some cake for the two of us. She shrugged, ¡°I guess others would see it that way. It¡¯s really just like another sense or limb to me, like how I assume your wolves are natural to you guys. It just sucks that I have to be careful with it in the dorms.¡± ¡°You sure you don¡¯t wanna stay here?¡± It wasn¡¯t my first time offering. She shook her head, ¡°As tempting as that it, nah. Maybe if things get really bad financially, but I¡¯m doing okay.¡± I nodded and we moved onto the topics of school and our dreams outside of the Lightwood pack. ¡°I wanna travel.¡± She said, swirling her finger over her glass, the contents of it following the movement, ¡°I¡¯ve got a list of countries I wanna visit, but I have to graduate and buy a house of my own first, so I¡¯ll always have a place to come back to.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll always have our pack to come back to as well, if you want.¡± ¡°Thanks, Ava. I know I will, but this is for me. What about you? Your life can¡¯t begin and end with the Lightwoods, can it?¡± ¡°Well,¡± I started. I knew I couldn¡¯t say anything about becoming the Syren queen, ¡°I really want to make something out of myself. It¡¯s what my mom would have wanted for me.¡± She regarded me evenly, no longer swirling her apple juice, ¡°Besides your rage at the Lightwoods, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve spoken much about your family. What was she like?¡± ¡°Serene.¡± I said, poking at my cake, ¡°She was what I imagine peace and calm to be. And she was the most loving person I knew, despite where we were and how we were treated. She did her best to protect me and make me happy. I just wish I knew where she was and why she disappeared.¡± She cocked her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but you don¡¯t seem too keen on finding her.¡± ¡°I guess not. I just¡­ it¡¯s just that,¡± I searched for the words, ¡°she¡¯s been gone for almost ten years now, and she never came back or found me. I don¡¯t want to look now, before I¡¯ve done the best I can for myself, and not like what I find.¡± Sure, I felt closer to her now than ever before, in this house and among the Syrens, but what if she was dead? What if she¡¯d been taken by something darker than I could fathom? What if Clark had been right and she¡¯d left of her own accord? What if she didn¡¯t want me? Kaesha placed her hand on mine, drawing me from my thoughts, ¡°You¡¯ll always have our pack.¡± I smiled, ¡°Thanks.¡± ***** A couple weeks later, I was walking into Super Banking. ¡°Good afternoon, Melody.¡± Melody smiled, a slight bow to her head, ¡°Good afternoon, Natalia. Mrs Burton should be back in just a moment, you can wait in her office.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I waved and made my way to the office. Once inside, I took in the view from her floor to ceiling window. She had a beautiful vantage point, overlooking an upbeat square from the comforting feeling of the building. A few minutes later, a frazzled Mrs Buron walked in, muttering under her breath. ¡°Oh, hello Natalia. I didn¡¯t see you there, how are you?¡± I watched her practically stomp over to her desk, shoulders stiff and brow slightly furrowed, ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I think I should be asking you. Are you okay?¡± She sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± She rolled her eyes, ¡°Just had a meeting with the Hight Court. Some of them really need to watch themselves.¡± I cocked my head, I¡¯d never seen her so mad, ¡°Why? What did they say?¡± ¡°A whole lot of nonsense. Some of them are getting antsy about not seeing you, while others just outright want to keep you under lock and key, starting to sound like those idiot Insurgents¡­¡± She muttered, then waved off the topic, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about all that now, dear. You¡¯ll have plenty of time to deal with their stubbornness after you¡¯re done with school. You said you wanted to ask me something?¡± I nodded, ¡°On the first day of class, I found out that all members of Syren nobility get a crest that anyone with Syren blood can see, and I¡¯m worried that could let everyone know my identity.¡± ¡°I see. I actually wanted to see you about something related to that.¡± She got up and retrieved a mahogany chest from her shelf, ¡°These are for you.¡± She handed me the chest and I opened it, inspecting the contents. Inside were some jars of silver powder with a powder brush, a few contact lens cases and spray bottles of a luminescent liquid. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re turning sixteen in just a week.¡± She gushed, ¡°I wish Aquina were here to see you now.¡± ¡°Yeah, me too¡­¡± I said over the twang in my chest. Another birthday without her¡­ ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, dear. I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. Besides,¡± I gestured to the chest, ¡°I¡¯m a Werewolf, we both know I won¡¯t need all the things in here.¡± She smiled softly, ¡°I know¡­ It¡¯s just that, receiving your concealment kit is kind of a rite of passage for most Syrens about to go through their Uncovering. Your mother told me about how she¡¯d gift her child a concealment kit and teach them how to use it, and be there for their first hair spritz. Even if you aren¡¯t a Syren, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d want you to have the experience. She actually kept the one she¡¯d hoped to give eventually, but I couldn¡¯t find it, so this was the best I could do.¡± I cradled the chest, unsure whether to cry or smile. I just knew it hurt to swallow and that I desperately wished I could see her. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I keep saying these things and I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just making you miss her more and-¡± ¡°Can you show me how to use them? All of them?¡± Tears brimmed her eyes, and she smiled, ¡°It would be my honour.¡± Chapter 53 - Birthday Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I almost didn''t want to get out of bed. From the lack of sunlight trying to penetrate the curtains, I could tell it was gonna be a cloudy day, and the birds weren''t chirping as much as they had during the summer through to about a week ago. Hailey and Kaesha both had classes early today, so they¡¯d apologetically slept in the dorms, not that they¡¯d been around much lately anyway. Added to Timothy having left for our territory three weeks ago, the house was devoid of all breath besides my own. ¡®At least it¡¯s peaceful.¡¯ One year, Brittany and her posse had found out my birthdate and made it their mission to dunk me with any liquid they could find throughout the week. Ice water, honey, liquid soap, the chilli sauce I¡¯d cooked in advance for the pack, vomit from someone at one of their parties, and finally manure I¡¯d already cleaned up from their farm animals. They¡¯d gotten progressively worse till my birthday and had made sure to dunk me either in the middle of class, or during my chores on the weekend. And, of course, I¡¯d also had to clean the messes up or there¡¯d be hell to pay. I glanced at my alarm clock, somehow hoping to confirm the date as the one I already knew, October twenty-first. It was ridiculous, but I wanted to run to my vanity table and look for changes. I wanted to inspect my being, to see if I was still just¡­ me. Instead, I laid there, letting the seconds crawl by as I stared at my ceiling. My alarm finally rang. I closed my eyes and swung my feet to the floor. The ground was chilly as I walked over to my mirror, my eyes still closed, only opening them when the ringing stopped. Nothing had changed. I was still brunette, my black roots barely noticeable. My eyes still swirled with their ember colour, but I had no doubt my regular contacts would work just fine. My body hadn''t gained any new dimensions and my height had gone absolutely nowhere. But what did I really expect? My disappointment was unreasonable. Of course, nothing had changed overnight. I was a Werewolf. ¡®Happy birthday, Nat. I''m sorry you didn''t get what you wanted.¡¯ I turned away from the mirror, and started on my morning routine, ¡®Thanks Candy. Don''t worry about it, we both knew it was never gonna happen.¡¯ Soon enough, I was in my first class of the day. As the day dragged on, I spent most of the time sitting next to any study group members that were present, taking notes. During my last lecture of the morning, the lecturer stepped out, so Beth brought up the topic of our Halloween plans. "I think I might attend the party my sorority''s throwing." Ada mused. Beth giggled, ¡°Finally got time for them?¡± ¡°At least I¡¯m better than our Presido over here.¡± Ada gestured to Annya, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve seen any of their faces since they let you in.¡± Annya laughed, ¡°Guess I¡¯ve just been occupied.¡± ¡°An understatement if I ever heard one.¡± Ada quipped. We laughed. Ada turned to me, ¡°What about you, Ava?¡± I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m not really big on Halloween. Might just watch some horror movies with my sister or something.¡± ¡°You should come for the party.¡± She suggested. Beth nodded, ¡°Yeah. Besides the bonfire, I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s seen you outside of class. We meet for our study group and sometimes see each other outside of school but it¡¯s like you cease to exist the moment classes are over. Especially since you don¡¯t live in the dorms or with any sorority.¡± ¡°I met with you guys for the study group last week.¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Annya said, ¡°But you left the moment it was over and we all ended up going for lunch without you.¡± ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re worse than Annya.¡± Ada chimed in, ¡°I get that you probably wanna keep some things to yourself, but none of us know a single thing about you. I bet this is the first time you¡¯ve mentioned having a sister to any of us. I don¡¯t think any of us even have your number or any way to contact you. Besides sending coded messages in the google doc.¡± Beth and Annya nodded. ¡°Well¡­¡± I let out a chuckle that sounded anything but easygoing. They were right. Sure, I wasn¡¯t bullied in Killdrain, I doubt anyone had enough time for that in this school, but I was also doing an awful job of fitting in. Outside the study group, I hadn¡¯t made a single friend, and the only reason I was even part of them was because Annya had approached me first. ¡°Um¡­ today¡¯s my birthday¡­?¡± I guess that was something to share. Ada folded her arms, ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡± I shook my head. Beth and Annya shared a look, while Ada just stared me down. When I didn¡¯t budge, they burst into the happy birthday song, drawing the attention of the rest of the class. I felt my face heat up, and by the time the singing ended, most of the people in the lecture hall had joined in and were wishing me a happy birthday. Even the lecturer wished me a happy birthday when he returned, having heard the singing from the hallway. The three of them couldn¡¯t stop snickering at my, no doubt, very red face throughout the entire thing. ¡°What was that for?¡± I asked them after the class was over. ¡°For not mentioning that it was your birthday sooner.¡± I shrugged, ¡°It never came up, and it¡¯s not that important anyway.¡± Nothing good¡¯s ever happened on my birthday anyway Beth scoffed, ¡°Birthdays are always important! Unless you¡¯re Hitler or some other horrible person.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Ada added, ¡°We could¡¯ve gotten you a gift or a cake or something.¡± My chest felt warm and I smiled, ¡°Knowing you guys care is more than enough of a gift.¡± They burst into coo¡¯s and aww¡¯s ¡°Looks like you¡¯re really just a big softie under all that seriousness.¡± Annya said, bumping shoulders as we walked across the courtyard. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Like you¡¯re not the exact same way.¡± Ada quipped. We laughed. My phone beeped, and I remembered that my day wasn¡¯t done. ¡°We should go out to celebrate.¡± Beth suggested. An apology bled into my smile, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry guys, but I¡¯ve still got some things to do this afternoon.¡± ¡°Will you be free this evening?¡± I shrugged. Knowing Hailey, she¡¯d probably want to do something nice for me, but she and the others hadn¡¯t made any mention of a party or get together to me or each other, at least not when I was within earshot. They¡¯d barely even been around the past few days. ¡°My sister might have something in mind, but she¡¯s been pretty busy lately.¡± ¡°She might just want it to be a surprise. You two seem close, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯d just let the day go by¡± Ada remarked. Were we actually close? When you thought about it, if I didn¡¯t insist on enacting my plan against Clark, would she have any reason to hang around me? If I weren¡¯t the only real ties she had to her Werewolf nature, would we be friends? Hailey¡¯s kind to me, but Hailey¡¯s kind to everyone¡­ ¡®Nat, don¡¯t think that way. You know she loves you.¡¯ Candy insisted. ¡®Yeah¡­¡¯ I smiled, ¡°I guess we are. I¡¯ve gotta go now, I¡¯ll probably see you guys tomorrow.¡± After some rushed goodbyes, I had to push myself on my run to the Syren school, and my chest was heaving as I raced to my first class. ¡°How I wish I were a Witch right now¡­¡± I muttered under my panting, before fumbling with the doorknob to the lab for Syrenlina Ecosystem. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late.¡± I mumbled once inside. The feeling was reminiscent of my first day, as I fidgeted under the weight of my classmates¡¯ attention. ¡°Lunch is an hour and you¡¯re three minutes late, you should¡¯ve had enough time to find your way to class. Or did you get lost on your way from the cafeteria?¡± My face warmed at the snickers from the class, and I spotted a glib Aubrey, covering her sly grin with her crested, manicured hand. This definitely wasn¡¯t how I wanted the day to go. I opened my mouth to form an explanation, but the teacher just waved me off. Eyes to the ground, I shuffled to my seat, sliding into the stool beside Jenna. I got my books out of my bag as she and Lucy glared at the rest of the onlookers into turning their attention away. The rest of the class went on uneventfully, save for the times the teacher had decided to call on me abruptly. I¡¯d read ahead for most of my subjects, so he never caught me off guard, but I got the distinct feeling it was what he wanted. By the time we¡¯d moved to our next class, I wanted the day to be over. To add to everything, I got a text from Hailey, saying she was behind on her school work, so she wouldn¡¯t be around, and another from Kaesha, telling me that Timothy needed her help with something on our territory so she¡¯d be out of town for the next few days. ¡®See? They¡¯ve all got better things to do.¡¯ A voice taunted at the back of my head. ¡®What made you think that anyone would care about your birthday anyway? You caused the entire Syren race problems just by being born. You¡¯re the reason Lucy¡¯s just now getting to know her parents and Jenna¡¯s family had been separated from her mom. You¡¯ve got no right to want people to celebrate you.¡¯ My breath caught in my throat and my feet itched to break into a sprint. ¡®And you¡¯d been stupid enough to hope for an Uncovering¡­ you¡¯re already a failure of a Werewolf, you¡¯re not special enough to be a Syren too.¡¯ None of my birthdays had been anything to smile about since mom disappeared, so why did I think this year would be different? Why did I let myself hope? The Inter-species Relations teacher¡¯s voice faded into the background, overtaken by my thoughts. My breath filled my ears as I stared at the empty skin of the back of my hands. I wasn¡¯t even Syren enough to get a crest, what made me think I could become their leader in any capacity? Jenna¡¯s hand moved into view and she placed it on mine. I turned to her, finding a worried look on her face, punctuated with creases between her perfectly arched eyebrows. ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯ll be okay.¡± She whispered, eyes flashing pink. A calm washed over me, pushing the taunting voices away and slowing my near hyperventilating breath. Jenna and I had to whip our attention back to the teacher as he turned to face the class before I could thank her. My last class was Syren History, which only Lucy and I shared, so I only managed to murmur a hurried thanks to Jenna before we had to leave for our separate classes. Whether it was the lingering effects of Jenna¡¯s ability or the focus I had on the history lesson, I managed to stay calm till the last bell of the day chimed. After packing our stuff up, Lucy and I met up with Jenna on our way out. ¡°Thanks again for what you did, Jenna.¡± I said as we walked out of the tower. She shrugged, ¡°You¡¯re welcome, but what got you so upset?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Lucy chimed, walking on the curb like a tightrope, ¡°You looked so shaken up. I¡¯m glad no one else noticed, or Aubrey would have a field day.¡± I sighed, ¡°Today¡¯s just not been the best since I got to school, and I got a text from my sister and friend saying they won¡¯t be around today so I guess I just¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Why would they need to be around? What¡¯s happening today?¡± ¡°My birthday.¡± Jenna and Lucy stopped in their tracks and turned to me. ¡°Your sixteenth?¡± I nodded. They squealed, hugging me and jumping about, wishing me happy birthday. I laughed, their excitement contagious. They continued for a good few minutes before calming down, breathless and smiling. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to break it to you guys after all that excitement, but I¡¯m still a Werewolf.¡± Jenna rolled her eyes, ¡°Who cares? Sixteenth birthdays are still important, Syren or not. I can see why you were so upset.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Lucy huffed, ¡°What kind of person misses the birthday of someone they care about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, guys.¡± I kicked at a rock and it skipped across the ground, ¡°They explained why and I understand, they¡¯ve been really busy the past few days.¡± Jenna and Lucy shared a look. ¡°Will you let us come celebrate with you? We can call our parents to let them know we¡¯ll be home late.¡± Jenna suggested. I probably should have said no. Bringing my Syren friends over to my house, where my Werewolf life lived, probably wasn¡¯t the best idea. As I opened my mouth to decline, my mind went back to the isolation I¡¯d felt this morning. How the house had been silent and empty and echoing the past few days. Back at the pack, it was a breath of fresh air to be left to an empty house, but now, the loneliness lurked on the edges of my mind and my mood, waiting for me to let it overturn my psyche and plunge me back into feelings of worthlessness and pain. ¡°Of course. Do you want to take the subway or a taxi?¡± An hour later, we were walking up my driveway. ¡°Your place looks amazing! I didn¡¯t think it was possible for anyone to have a house better than Jenna¡¯s family¡¯s.¡± Lucy gushed. Jenna bumped Lucy¡¯s shoulder and glanced around, ¡°There are plenty of houses better than mine in the city. But she¡¯s right, your home is impressive, Natalia. How did you come into it?¡± The lie rolled off my tongue, ¡°My pack is sponsoring my college education, and they¡¯ve got a lot of money to splurge.¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯ve got great taste.¡± I shrugged, unlocking my front door for us to go inside. I directed them to take their shoes off and led them to the living room, meeting decorations and a banner hung across the room. ¡°Surprise!¡± Everyone yelled, jumping out of their hiding spots behind couches, under tables and even from the fireplace. Everyone I knew was here; Trevor and Greg, all the people from my study group, Hailey, Kaesha and even Timothy. And they were all grinning and celebrating and here¡­ for me. My throat clogged with emotion as Hailey bounded over to hug me, burying me in her embrace. ¡°I thought you guys were busy.¡± I choked out, ¡°I¡¯ve barely seen you lately.¡± She laughed, ¡°Of course you¡¯ve barely seen us. We couldn¡¯t risk you hearing our plans and we don¡¯t exactly know how far you can hear, so we just stayed away.¡± ¡°You even went to get Timothy¡­¡± I sniffled. She spared a moment to glare at him, before returning to her smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t, Kaesha did, so she can teleport him back.¡± She whispered. Her gaze moved behind me and I felt the beginning of panic creeping on me, remembering who I¡¯d brought. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had more friends.¡± Pride seeped into her smile, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve been socialising. If I¡¯d known, I would¡¯ve invited them.¡± She moved over to Jenna and Lucy, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you two. I¡¯m Hailey.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Jenna and this is Lucy. You must be Natalia¡¯s sister.¡± I stiffened at my name, searching for how to explain. She seemed not to notice the name Jenna had called me, and instead, was gazing at her with what I could only describe as admiration and fascination, ¡°I am. I¡¯m sorry but I have to say, you¡¯re, like, stunning.¡± Jenna smiled, ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°So, how did you guys meet Ari?¡± Chapter 54 - Epiphany Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I interjected, begging Jenna and Lucy with my eyes to go along with my lie, ¡°I met them at a library I¡¯ve been going to and we just seemed to get along pretty well. I went there today cause I thought you guys were busy and saw them, so I brought them over.¡± I held my breath, waiting for someone to continue the conversation. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Lucy started, ¡°she told us about her birthday and we offered to come over.¡± Jenna nodded, ¡°Ari¡¯s always got her nose buried in a book, so it¡¯s nice to see her in a different environment like this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so nice.¡± Hailey smiled, likely pleased with the idea of making more friends. I suppressed a sigh and turned to her, ¡°Hailey, I think we should get started on the food. Do you want me to help?¡± She shook her head, ¡°You just have fun and talk to everyone, we¡¯ll handle the party.¡± I thanked her and she wandered off, motioning to Kaesha and Timothy to help her with the food. I turned to Jenna and Lucy, hoping the panic wasn¡¯t showing on my face, ¡°Thanks, you guys, for going along with it. Besides my sister and the two people she¡¯s with right now, all the other people here think I¡¯m turning nineteen, so please¡­ I don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t lie, I guess, but they can¡¯t find out the truth cause they go to my college.¡± Jenna laughed, ¡°It¡¯s cool, really. You¡¯ve got stuff you don¡¯t want causing issues with the human institution you¡¯re attending. We can understand that.¡± Lucy nodded. I thanked them some more and took them around the room, introducing them to everyone. Like Hailey, most of the people present were in awe of Jenna. Lucy was definitely beautiful too, but Jenna seemed to stun everyone with her looks. I guess I was witnessing the allure of an Uncovered Syren in action. I bet if they could see her hair colour, they¡¯d be even more fascinated, not that her airy, gravity defying hair wasn¡¯t entirely showstopping without the hot pink look. Looking around, I watched as all the aspects of my life blended together in my living room. I tried my best to ignore the panic lurking around the edge of my mind. This party was exactly what I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d desired the entire day, but something deep in my chest felt like it was a disaster waiting to happen. The humans could hear or see something they shouldn¡¯t, the Werewolves could find out I was a Syren, the Syrens could find out I wasn¡¯t just in the city at my pack¡¯s behest, and I still had to remember to make sure that Trevor and Greg didn¡¯t suspect me of being a Vampire. I spent a lot of the party running around and corroborating stories. Trevor, Greg and my study group friends just knew of me as their friend and fellow student, so I kept them out of everything Supernatural related. Everyone besides Timothy, Jenna and Lucy could relate on the topic of Killdrain, so I steered the conversation towards that. When the question of how I knew Timothy at all came up, Kaesha jumped in to say he was a relative of hers. And as far as anyone who wasn¡¯t a Werewolf or Syren was concerned, I was turning nineteen today. By the time the present giving part of the celebration rolled around, I was somewhat satisfied that none of my secrets would spill over to where they weren¡¯t supposed to be. I opened the first present to find a pair of light blue running shoes. ¡°Hailey said that you usually go on runs in the morning.¡± Trevor explained. ¡°Yeah,¡± Greg added, ¡°and I remembered your shoe size from when we went shopping the first time you got here.¡± I smiled up at the both of them, ¡°Thank you so much, guys. I¡¯ve almost worn my shoes out from when I first got them.¡± Ada and Annya stepped forward, handing me a flat, rectangular gift. I opened it to reveal a laptop case. ¡°It¡¯s from all of us. We figured you might need one, since we¡¯ve never seen you with one in class.¡± Annya explained. ¡°Yeah. We don¡¯t know very much about you, but you can never go wrong with a gift that¡¯s useful. Happy birthday.¡± Ada said, smiling. ¡°Thank you so much, but you guys didn¡¯t have to get me anything, really.¡± ¡°Think of it as a thank you, for all those detailed notes. They really help with the more particular lecturers.¡± Nathaniel said. I shrugged, ¡°I guess that works.¡± Timothy and Kaesha stepped up, and Kaesha¡¯s hand lightly brushed my arm. ¡®Your real gift is upstairs, in your study.¡¯ I heard Timothy¡¯s voice in my head, ¡®It¡¯s a wooden scale model of the plans I have to turn the ghost town you sent me to into somewhere fitting of a halfway decent Werewolf Pack.¡¯ Out loud, he said, ¡°For when you get to the top, and need to stamp your logo on some paperwork or something.¡± Then he handed me an ink pad. I laughed. The others shared confused looks, but my future pack members got the message loud and clear. The next gift came from both Kaesha and Hailey. It was a beautiful silver bracelet with tiny blue gems embedded in the intersections of the chain. ¡°I thought you¡¯d like it, and Kaesha added a few tweaks to it.¡± Hailey said shifting on her feet and looking slightly unsure. ¡®I redid the spell on your jacket on this bracelet, so you won¡¯t have to wear that jacket in the summer.¡¯ Kaesha explained in my head, ¡®Hailey picked the bracelet, and she¡¯s been freaking out about whether you¡¯d like it or not since we walked out the jewellery store.¡¯ I caught them both in a hug, whispering into Hailey¡¯s ear, ¡°I love it, thank you.¡± When I pulled away, her grin was in full force, and Kaesha was smiling warmly at us. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all get in for a picture as the birthday girl cuts the cake.¡± Beth suggested. Hailey set her phone atop the fireplace and started the timer. Everyone squeezed into the frame and I placed my hand on the knife handle protruding from the cake. ¡°Everyone say ¡®cheese¡¯!¡± The timer finished its countdown, and we all yelled ¡®cheese¡¯, grins wide to various degrees. My own smile looked happier than I¡¯d seen myself, surrounded by people that I meant something to. Callum¡¯s P. O. V I woke up to another day in hell. My tears had dried up days ago, so my showers now consisted of me staring blankly at the wall as the water ran over me. I¡¯d finally figured out how to fix the hot water to my bathroom after Brittany got Harry to make someone cut it. It had taken over a week and my new status as the pariah of our pack meant nobody was willing to help me and risk persecution by association. A shoulder rammed into mine as I shuffled down the corridor. I kept my head down and held my breath, praying it was just one of the ordinary pack members. I heard a scoff and the person continued on their way. Since the night of the fight, I¡¯d pretty much been reduced to the status of an omega in all but my title, and even that wasn¡¯t guaranteed right now. I¡¯d hurt the Alpha¡¯s precious daughter and the future Alpha¡¯s little sister. If Brittany wanted, she could demand to have me, and maybe even my dad, stripped of our titles. And she could be successful. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Anywhere with a person other than James or the new Omega was a no-go zone for me. I slipped through the kitchen, grabbing something to eat on my way, and found my way outside, to the forest of our territory. After walking for a few minutes, I found a nice tree to climb and rest in its branches. Half an hour into the scanty meal that I was trying to make last as long as possible, I heard footsteps approach. I stopped chewing and remained silent, hoping the person would just pass through without spotting me. The footsteps stopped a few feet away from my tree. After too many seconds of the person not moving or speaking, I dared to peek through the leaves to check for who it was. Kirstin was standing there, eerily quiet and dazed. Her eyes were clouded over and out of focus, moving back and forth like she was watching a movie. After several minutes of her trance, she suddenly became alert and walked over to a bush to her left. She got a Ziploc bag out of her pocket and put a single disposable glove on her free hand, then reached into the push and pulled out a crusty, used condom. My confusion grew as she placed it in the bag then reached back in to retrieve an earring. She removed the glove and closed the bag with an expert like efficiency. Once she was done, she turned on her heel and left, on her way back to the pack house. When she was a safe enough distance away, I slid down the tree and tentatively approached the bush. ¡®That earring looked awfully similar to the pair you got Brittany for her birthday.¡¯ Cade mused, ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be amazing if the girl you drove your mate to her death for was cheating on you?¡¯ I shook my head, my eyes locked on the bush. It couldn¡¯t be possible. Brittany couldn¡¯t be cheating on me. She wouldn¡¯t have been so furious at my drunken kiss with Kylie if she were engaging in worse behind my back. She¡¯d never even kissed a person before me. She always said we were meant to be together. She hated that La Luna hadn¡¯t made us actual mates. She loved me. Cade laughed, ¡®Are you forgetting what she told you at your birthday party?¡¯ ¡®She at least cares about me, we¡¯ve known each other since we were born. She wouldn¡¯t hurt me like that. She¡¯d at least tell me if I¡¯m not satisfying her¡­¡¯ The scent from the bush stopped me dead in my excuses. It was old and fading, and undeniably Brittany¡¯s, intertwined and mingled with the scent of some other guy, both shrouded together by the musk of sex. My head was suddenly swimming, and the scents where all I could perceive. How could she do this to me? I was giving up everything for her. She¡¯d been the second voice of pressure in my ear after my dad, requiring and expecting and demanding the world of me, from the moment we were old enough to understand the concept of our roles in the pack. ¡°Be the best Beta you can be, for me and for yourself.¡± She¡¯d whispered in my ear at night, over and over again. She¡¯d painted elaborate pictures of us as the most perfect power couple, playing vital, irreplaceable roles in the Pack and taking the Lightwood and Howling names to greater heights in the Werewolf world. ¡®Those were all her dreams, genius.¡¯ Cade scoffed, ¡®Since I¡¯ve been in your body, you¡¯ve never actually followed your own will. It¡¯s always what dad wanted, or how mom would have felt, or what Connor would have done, never what you want, or how you feel, or what you want to do. And now you¡¯re shocked that the girl who¡¯s made her aspirations more than clear, is just in it for the status you could have?¡¯ I treaded over to a tree and sunk to the forest floor next to it, my head pressing against the bark. My mind raced back to every major decision in my life, and I hated to admit that Cade was right, about all of it. My life wasn¡¯t my own. I belonged to those around me. I belonged to the grandiose expectations of my father, to the spectral worry of my dead mother, to the larger-than-life ambitions of my girlfriend, to the interrupted greatness of my dead brother, and to the shackling reputation I had in this unbearable pack. I wasn¡¯t a person, I was a marionette. And a hundred different people had possession of my strings. The realisation had my head in my hands, lamenting at my wasted life. What did I actually want? What did I really like? Was anything in my life even mine? ¡®Oh, so you really didn¡¯t know all this?¡¯ Cade taunted., ¡®You never suspected this? Not even a bit? Not even after your weak-willed ass led my mate to her death? Do you think you would¡¯ve dared reject her if you had any clue of what¡¯s good for you?¡¯ As he spoke, the world began to grow dimmer and unhinged, my vision swinging back and forth with tears and the kind of pain that left your head spinning. ¡®No¡­ I- I want to be a good Beta. Being with her would¡¯ve put that in jeopardy¡­ I never should have rejected her, I know that, but I thought I had to at the time. Kylie was right there, she would¡¯ve ratted me out and ended my future in the pack.¡¯ ¡®And what future would that have been? What kind of future do you want in this fucking pack?¡¯ My mind came up blank at his question. What kind of future did I want? He scoffed, ¡®You don¡¯t know, do you? Do you even know what you want now?¡¯ Right now? Right now, I wanted to storm into the pack house and hunt Brittany down, to ask her why the hell she would be so callous and selfish, to pry the answers out of her lying, treacherous jaws. I wanted to air her filthy laundry to the entire pack, along with everyone else¡¯s. Harry¡¯s aconine dealing and his ties to Rogues, Kylie¡¯s fondness for older men in power, all of it. In the depth of my sadness turned rage, I didn¡¯t hear a single thing till I turned around and came face to face with Kirstin. The look on her face was a mixture of pity and a hidden glee that my instincts told me to be wary of. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to find out this way.¡± She barely seemed sorry at all. I regarded her without a word, my anger moving aside for a massive dose of suspicion, ¡°How did you know where to look for Brittany¡¯s¡­ trash? Did she send you to get rid of the evidence of her cheating? Also, how did you know I¡¯d be here?¡± She¡¯d just been standing there, like she was waiting for me to finish processing everything and turn around to see her. She shook her head, ¡°Brittany normally leaves it to her boys to clean up after their escapades. If the place has any trace of their fun times, she blows a gasket. She¡¯s cut some of them off for that.¡± Boys? The word had me forgetting to breathe. Boys? Plural of boy? Meaning multiple? She had multiple guys she was cheating on me with, apparently enough of them for her to cut loose when they didn¡¯t do something to her liking. And it happened often enough for Kirstin to know their clean-up routine. The world was spinning again. Of course she had a harem of guys at her disposal, this was Brittany we were talking about. It was always go big or go home with her, she could never do anything in moderation. ¡®Not even cheating, it seems.¡¯ Cade snickered. Kirstin glanced over her shoulder, back at the pack house then refocused on me, ¡°I don¡¯t have much time. You¡¯ve been sneaking off here for at least a week, so anyone who¡¯s paying attention would know where you¡¯d be. I had one of her guys bring Brittany here for their session and leave evidence behind.¡± My feet took a step back. Was she telling me that she¡¯d orchestrated this whole thing just for me to find out? Reading the look on my face, she sighed, ¡°Yes, I needed you to find out. I couldn¡¯t just tell you, cause you¡¯re so trusting of that demon that you might not have believed me.¡± My mouth opened to argue, but my brain caught up and I closed it. She had every reason to believe she needed proof, I¡¯d been too trusting of that she-devil. ¡°I need to get back to Brittany now, but let¡¯s meet here at midnight. Till then, do not let anyone catch on to the fact that you know, or she¡¯ll find out.¡± My brows furrowed, ¡°Anyone?¡± Pity flitted across her face again, before she nodded, ¡°Anyone. Most people know and they¡¯ll tell her if they know you found out. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Then she was gone. It took me a while to process this new information. Everyone knew? Like, all the members? Even Harry? ¡®Wow, you really were dense¡­¡¯ Cade mused. What the hell kind of pack was this? Where someone cheats and everyone knows, but no one does the right thing? Where if the victim of the cheater found out, the default action of the pack members was to tell the cheater? I wanted to shift and run away. To get the hell away from this place, my future as Beta be damned. My panic only briefly paused to think of Jessica, my niece. A succession needed to take place within the next few years and she was too young to be ready to assume the position anytime soon. Things might get harder for her without an acting Beta to look out for her, but she was adorable and well liked, so I was sure she¡¯d be fine eventually. Besides, she still had Kylie¡¯s family to watch over her and they were still oddly influential, even without an official title in their lineage. ¡®So you¡¯ve moved straight on from people¡¯s opinions to fear driving your actions? You¡¯re not even trying at this point.¡¯ Cade¡¯s painfully disapproving voice filled my head. ¡®Fine! What do you think I should do, since you¡¯re so full of ideas?¡¯ ¡®Make up your goddamn mind by yourself, that¡¯s a start. Not from fear, or disgust, or panic, or anything but what you think is best for yourself. Maybe then you¡¯ll be worthy of being in charge of this body. Cause you¡¯re not even in charge of your own actions anyhow.¡¯ I scowled into space, before taking a heaving breath and turned my glare on the bush, ¡®I want to hear what Kirstin has to say. She seems to be up to something against Brittany.¡¯ I could almost hear a smirk in Cade¡¯s voice, ¡®That¡¯s more like it.¡¯ Chapter 55 - Better Late Than Never Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡°Thank you again for having us.¡± Timothy said with a graciousness that he¡¯d seemed to develop along with his Alpha persona. We were on the Oaktail territory, visiting the inhabiting pack. After four packs, his persuasion and sweet-talking skills had started improving. The Alpha of this pack had immediately taken to Timothy and had been all too eager to jump on the revenge bandwagon against the Lightwood pack. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s the Thanksgiving spirit.¡¯ Candy offered. I rolled my eyes. I was just happy that we hadn¡¯t been rejected by any of them yet. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, it was a pleasure. Don¡¯t hesitate to let us know if you need us to do anything else.¡± Timothy gave a true politician¡¯s smile, ¡°I appreciate it.¡± They slapped hands and patted each other¡¯s backs to say goodbye. Timothy even waved as we drove off. ¡°Careful, you wouldn¡¯t want people to think you¡¯re actually pleasant.¡± Kaesha snickered. He glared at her, ¡°Your salty ass just can¡¯t admit that people can actually stand me, unlike someone here.¡± She laughed, ¡°They only find you tolerable cause they don¡¯t actually know you.¡± ¡°And you think people will like you when you say shit like that?¡± She stuck her tongue out at him, getting a laugh out of all of us. The drive to the airport was short and full of bickering and conversation. Hailey and Timothy had been able to refrain from glaring daggers at each other for most of the trip, and I was optimistic about getting through this last leg without any commotion. ¡°You really didn¡¯t have to fly us, Ari.¡± Hailey said, for the third time in the last three days, ¡°I could¡¯ve just driven us here.¡± The new documents we¡¯d gotten, courtesy of Super Banking, had come in incredibly handy for transportation and getting things done officially. ¡°Hailey, how many times do I have to tell you that it¡¯s okay? It¡¯s a holiday, so I thought it¡¯d be nice.¡± She sighed, ¡°I know¡­ but I¡¯m sure Tim at least would¡¯ve been able to find his way here from our territory by himself. And he¡¯ll be able to find his way back after our thanksgiving dinner. You can still cancel his last flight and get a refund.¡± I gave her a look. She huffed, ¡°I¡¯m joking¡­¡± ¡°Hailey, we¡¯re going to enjoy a nice, first-class flight back home, and tomorrow we¡¯re all going to get along and go out for a nice dinner. Then the day after that, we¡¯ll have a nice day with him then take him to the airport for his flight back to the territory to prepare it for our pack. One that you will both have a hand in leading, so why not get along?¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± And try they did. They were on their best behaviour for the next three days, save for the screaming match they engaged in the night before Timothy was supposed to leave again. It had ended with some pretty heavy breathing and sounds that I tried my best to ignore, before Hailey ended things and kicked him out of her room. That had apparently been enough to make her refuse to talk to him all day, and stay home while Kaesha and I dropped him off at the airport. By the time the Thanksgiving holidays were over, Hailey was back to her normal self, but I barely had time to enjoy her company, or anyone else¡¯s for that matter. ¡®What possessed me to think I could do all of this at once?¡¯ I grumbled to Candy. It was halfway into the second week of December, and with exams for both Killdrain and the Syren school bombarding my thoughts during my every waking moment, I¡¯d barely had time to think of anything else. I¡¯d even needed to reschedule some of my exams cause the timing for them clashed. I¡¯d been running around, finishing projects and brushing up on information I needed to pass my college classes, as well as studying for both my Supernatural and regular subjects in the Syren school, cause I apparently still needed to write English essays and math exams to pass this term. Jenna and Lucy had a field day every time they watched me introduce myself to the teachers of my regular subjects, and fib my way through explanations for my term-long absence from their classes over and over again. I was now on my way back home from six stretched hours of back-to-back exams and reviews, and Candy was snickering at my complaining. ¡®You¡¯ve got this, super student.¡¯ I scowled, stabbing my front door with my key, ¡®You know, you could help out more.¡¯ She tutted, ¡®Now, that would be cheating.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think it counts if you¡¯re literally in my head.¡¯ I rolled my eyes, and threw my bag on one of my couches, following the smell of food to my kitchen. ¡°Welcome back, Ari.¡± Hailey threw the greeting over her shoulder as she retrieved lasagne from the oven. She set it down on a cooling rack and moved over to hug me. ¡°Hey Hailey. How were your exams today?¡± She shrugged, ¡°Pretty good, what about you?¡± ¡°Long, but okay I guess.¡± I went to wash and dry my hands so I could help her with the salad ingredients she had on the counter, ¡°What are you doing over here?¡± She began handing me the ingredient while I tossed them, ¡°I just had my last exam and I figured I¡¯d come over and make something for you, since you seem like you¡¯ve been really stressed out lately. You didn¡¯t even have leftovers in the fridge, and that never happens.¡± She was right, I hadn¡¯t had the presence of mind to take the time out to cook, and the barrenness of my fridge could testify to that. I smiled at her, ¡°Thank you so much, what would I do without you?¡± She grinned, ¡°You¡¯d die of starvation and malnutrition apparently.¡± We carried our conversation over to the dining table with our food, complaining about lecturers that pissed us off and subjects we thought were more stressful than necessary. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m so glad this semester¡¯s over.¡± She sighed. ¡°Lucky you, I won¡¯t be done till the twentieth.¡± She gave me a pitying look, ¡°Yikes¡­ but it¡¯s just one more week, it¡¯ll be over before you know it.¡± I stabbed a layer of lasagne with my fork and sighed, ¡°A week and a half. And I know, I just can¡¯t wait to get a moment to breathe.¡± She perked up with an idea, ¡°Why don¡¯t you pack a bag and come for a sleepover on your last day? It¡¯ll be something to look forward to, and you¡¯ve never actually stayed overnight in my dorm.¡± My mind went back to my reaction to being on Killdrain¡¯s grounds before Kaesha had helped me. I knew I had the spelled jacket, and now the bracelet, but the thought of spending the night there had me apprehensive in a way I couldn¡¯t quite place. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to be back home by then?¡± She shook her head, ¡°I managed to convince my mom to let me stay in the dorms over the holidays, with the promise of amazing Christmas gifts for her and Keily.¡± ¡°But what about your roommate? Won¡¯t she mind?¡± ¡°She¡¯s really nice and understanding, she won¡¯t mind as long as we don¡¯t leave a mess or break any of her stuff. Besides, she¡¯s already on a flight back to Argentina to see her family as we speak.¡± Out of excuses, I gave in, ¡°Then I guess we¡¯re having a sleepover in your room.¡± As long as I kept my bracelet on and packed my jacket as backup, what was the worst that could happen? She beamed at the acceptance to her invitation, ¡°Great! I¡¯ll invite Kaesha, Beth, Ada and Annya.¡± I cocked my head, ¡°Beth said she¡¯s got a flight for the evening of the twentieth, and why invite them? Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea?¡± She nodded, ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be a fun sleepover, with zero serious talk about vengeance or anything Werewolf related. We¡¯re gonna gossip and do each other¡¯s hair and nails and makeup and watch movies and just have fun. The two of them being there will help make sure of that.¡± I wanted to balk at the idea of sleeping in an enclosed space with four other people, but these were my friends and I hoped I¡¯d come far enough to have a sleepover with them, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pack a bag. It¡¯ll be nice to have an actual sleepover in someone¡¯s room and everything.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t wait! I never actually had one, Keily made sure to kill most of the friendships I tried to start in school.¡± ¡°Sounds just like her. Speaking of which, I hope she hasn¡¯t been bothering you?¡± She swallowed the salad in her mouth and shook her head, ¡°No, she¡¯s been keeping to herself and her new posse of friends. She did break up with her boyfriend again, so she¡¯s got too much time on her hands and uses it to try and sneak her laundry into mine. I¡¯m just glad we have completely different majors and minors so she can¡¯t get mom start comparing our grades again.¡± ¡°Again?¡± We finished the meal off with her narrating about how Keily would approach her mom with feigned concern for Hailey¡¯s grades whenever the smug Seer scored higher in anything, even if it was just by a few marks. It got to the point where her mom doubted if Hailey would even get into Killdrain. An hour and a half of us talking passed. Abruptly, she switched the topic from places we¡¯d love to visit, ¡°Oh, by the way, I wanted to ask before I forget. There¡¯s gonna be a full moon the night after our sleepover. Do mind if I come here to shift?¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Hailey had been coming over to shift in my basement for a few months. By now, it was a routine that I was used to, but she always made sure to let me know at least a week in advance. ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± My phone rang, and I looked at the caller ID, ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for Timothy¡¯s update.¡± Since the thanksgiving holiday, Timothy had began calling me with progress updates on the construction on our territory three times a week. She checked her own phone, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably time for me to go. Do you need any help clearing up?¡± I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯ll do that after this call. Thank you so much for today, I really needed it.¡± She smiled, ¡°Anytime.¡± Then she was gone. I picked the call, ¡°Hello, Timothy.¡± ¡°Greetings fair leader.¡± I rolled my eyes, putting the call on speaker and moving to my study, where the wooden model he¡¯d given me and my notes were, ¡°Give me the news.¡± He launched into his report. The main office building was coming along well, and they were reworking the sewage system to include secret passageways and escape tunnels in the event of an attack. They were having a few issues with the water pipes, but he¡¯d been assured that it wouldn¡¯t cause too much of a delay, and the architect had finished drawing up the plans for the rest of the buildings. After the call was over, I dragged myself through cleaning up, then a shower and brushing my teeth, before falling onto my bed and straight into sleep. The next week and a half was another blur of stress and frustration, to the point that I saw some pimples on my face the one time I paused long enough to notice my reflection in the mirror. By the time I was sitting in my last exam, Hailey had already picked my stuff up for the sleepover and I was really looking forward to it. Maybe Kaesha would even have something to help with my face¡¯s sudden outbreak. ¡°Pens up!¡± Ms. Sargsyan ordered, ¡°Pass your papers to the front and leave. Happy holidays.¡± I felt the tension evaporate from my body, like I¡¯d handed off all my pent-up energy along with my paper. I shouldered my bag and followed Beth and Annya out of the hall in a conversation. ¡°I hope you have a lovely Christmas with your family.¡± Annya said, hugging Beth. I opted to offer her a smile, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be so happy to see you.¡± Beth could barely contain her grin, ¡°Yeah, me too. I can¡¯t wait to see them, this is the longest I¡¯ve been away from home.¡± She checked the time on her phone and gave Annya another hug, ¡°I should get going now. It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t say bye to the others, and I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t make it to your sleepover, Ava.¡± I waved her apology off, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Have a Merry Christmas at home, Beth.¡± ¡°I will!¡± She called as she hurried off into the sparse crowd. With Beth gone, Annya turned to me as we continued walking, ¡°It¡¯s great that she¡¯ll get to be with her family this Christmas.¡± I nodded, ¡°Yeah. What about you though? Won¡¯t your family miss you during the holidays?¡± She shrugged, throwing the longer end of her scarf over her shoulder, ¡°My family isn¡¯t particularly sentimental about the holidays, or anything really. Plus, the break isn¡¯t that long and they live too far for the visit to be worth it. You?¡± My dad¡¯s a piece of shit and my mom could be dead. ¡°All the family I need lives in this city.¡± She regarded me evenly, like she was watching for something, then returned her focus to our walking path, ¡°I guess everyone¡¯s got their family dynamics.¡± I just nodded. A lull of silence fell over us as we finished the walk to the girls¡¯ dorms. The dormitories of Killdrain were more like apartments. There were several boys¡¯, girls¡¯ and co-ed dormitory buildings, but Hailey¡¯s mom had insisted on keeping her daughters squarely in a girls¡¯ dorm, for chastity¡¯s sake. In Hailey¡¯s building, each floor had several apartment spaces with either one or two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a living area. Some of the apartments had rooms with bunk beds as cheaper options, while others just had single beds. The most expensive were the apartments meant for just one person, with one bedroom and a single bed. That was the type Hailey had wanted, but she¡¯d had to compromise on a two-person, two-bedroom apartment to share with someone. Not that she minded much, as long as she wasn¡¯t stuck living with Keily anymore. And she was even in the same building as Kaesha. Upon entering the dorm, Annya took a detour to her room to get her stuff, while I headed straight to Hailey¡¯s place. An excited Hailey opened the door before I even knocked. ¡°Hey,¡± She greeted me with a hug, ¡°how was your exam?¡± I followed her inside and dropped onto the deep green couch in her living room, next to Kaesha who was sipping her tea, ¡°It was good. I¡¯m so relieved to finally be done. Hi Kaesha, you¡¯re already here.¡± She nodded, setting her mug on the coffee table and leaning back on the couch, ¡°Yeah, had to keep our dear Hailey company.¡± Hailey laughed, perching on the armrest next to me, ¡°You¡¯re already here pretty often anyway.¡± ¡°Yeah, but most of the time, you¡¯re at my place.¡± Hailey stuck her tongue out, ¡°You love having me over.¡± ¡°Yes, you and your cookies.¡± Kaesha said, then raised her mug to take another sip. Hailey¡¯s response was interrupted by a knock. She went over to welcome Ada and Annya, who came bearing takeout and pizza, signalling the beginning of the sleepover. We complained about the previous exams and semester while we ate. Ada spoke about how she wanted to make a new hairstyle for the holiday, so Kaesha offered to help her undo her current one. With that we washed our hands and got into the hair aspect of the night. Kaesha helped Ada undo her cornrows, while Hailey quizzed Annya on the secrets to her perfect hair as Annya brushed mine. I¡¯d made sure to refresh the dye around my roots, so I let myself enjoy the gentle movements of her hands. With Ada¡¯s hairstyle newly undone, her hair was out in a thick cloud around her head, so she and Kaesha decided to teach us how to braid and twist on both our hair and theirs. We all ended up taking turns styling each other¡¯s hair with the new knowledge. Once Ada mentioned having an acrylic nail kit, we moved over to doing our nails. While the conversation while doing our hair had been centred around school and our ambitions, we spoke about romance while doing our nails. ¡°Hailey,¡± Ada started, ¡°you invited us over, so you start us off. Are you dating anyone?¡± Hailey¡¯s brow twitched in a frown for a split second, ¡°Nope. I hate the term ¡®it¡¯s complicated¡¯, so no, I¡¯m not dating anyone.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± This time, Hailey¡¯s scowl lingered for a few seconds, before she shook it off, ¡°He says he cares, but not enough to actually be with me. He even went as far as leaving the state to avoid being around me¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hailey.¡± Ada offered, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s missing. The guy for you won¡¯t leave you confused.¡± She sighed, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right¡­¡± An uncomfortable silence hung in the air, before Kaesha redirected our focus, ¡°So, when did you start dating Nathaniel, Annya?¡± Annya chuckled, ¡°He and I go way back, but we didn¡¯t have the capacity to love each other till recently.¡± Her statement had most of us furrowing our brows and looking to her for an explanation. ¡°Your parents wouldn¡¯t let you date?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ plus we just had really different priorities. What about you, Kaesha?¡± Kaesha shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s this guy I¡¯ve been on a few dates with, but it¡¯s mostly casual on my end. Ada, you?¡± Ada huffed, ¡°My mum was so strict about dating when I was home. Even if I were seeing someone, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d disapprove. But I haven¡¯t really found anyone that¡¯s caught my interest enough for me to bother anyway. What I want to hear about is Ava¡¯s love life.¡± I blew on the nails on my left hand, ¡°Nothing to report here, sorry to disappoint.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ that¡¯s not entirely true though,¡± Hailey interjected, ¡°Trevor and Greg were so in love with her when they first met.¡± ¡°The brothers from the party?¡± Hailey nodded, ¡°And guys just seem to fall in love with her at first sight.¡± Kaesha laughed, ¡°You noticed it too? She and I even ended up betting on it just after we met. I watched our waiter get trip over himself for her.¡± Ada looked up from her nails, ¡°Now that you mention it, I think Jamie and James both have a crush on her too.¡± Annya cocked her head, studying me, ¡°Interesting¡­¡± My face warmed. ¡°I was basically invisible before getting here.¡± I informed them. ¡°Then the girls in your hometown must be drop dead gorgeous.¡± Ada snorted. I do wish they¡¯d drop dead¡­ It wasn¡¯t long before we were done and our nails had dried. With hair and nails checked off Hailey¡¯s list, we moved on to movies. We started with The Notebook, then ditched it for Titanic and continued with Legally Blonde, Clueless, and half of Pitch Perfect, before most of us began to doze off. I didn¡¯t even know what time I¡¯d fallen asleep, but because of how late we¡¯d slept, it was already past nine a.m. when I woke up. Everyone else was still in their slumber, with Ada and Kaesha sharing Kaesha¡¯s mattrass that we¡¯d dragged over from her room sometime in the night, Annya in the sleeping bag she¡¯d brought with her, and Hailey in her bed where she¡¯d insisted I sleep too. My feet met the cold floor as I slipped out of bed and tip toed over to my bag to retrieve my toothbrush and contacts. Passing a window, I noted the probability of snow and found my way to Hailey¡¯s bathroom. The bathroom door clicked closed behind me as I moved to the sink and squeezed some toothpaste out. ¡®Looks like you had fun last night.¡¯ I smiled, ¡®Yeah, I really enjoyed spending time with them like this. Maybe I¡¯ll do this more often.¡¯ ¡®Just don¡¯t get carried away, Nat¡­¡¯ Candy warned. I wanted to roll my eyes, but her advice wasn¡¯t entirely unfounded. Save for my calls with Timothy and our visits to the packs, my life was filled mostly by my Syren and college responsibilities. If I wanted to carry out the plans I had for the Lightwood pack in time, I couldn¡¯t afford to lag behind. ¡®I won¡¯t.¡¯ I decided to facilitate at least two more visits this break. Raising my toothbrush to my mouth, my eyes met my reflection in the mirror and I forced a scream down into a shuddering gasp. The woman gaping back at me had the same incredulous look on her face, with familiar luminescent amber eyes and the same nose, but that was just about where the constants ended. Her lips were fuller, her eyebrows were thicker and darker, her skin was more dewy, devoid of the blemishes I¡¯d grown accustom to over the last week and a half, and her hair was definitely not brown. Her hair fell in waves, starting with the deepest black I¡¯d ever seen on someone¡¯s head that lasted for just about two or three inches, before plunging into a deep, deoxygenated-blood-like red colour, highlighted with orange and yellow in a way that made it look like it was on fire, and finishing off with sharp, blue-tinged white tips. My hand went up to touch the mirror, and she did the same. With my hand in front of me, my eyes were drawn to the new marks on it and I swallowed another gasp. Sitting squarely on the back of my hand was a crest with more detail than I¡¯d seen on Aubrey¡¯s or even Jenna¡¯s. The border of the crest was intricate and winding, coloured with a gold that almost seemed to shimmer as I moved my hand. Inside the crest were two planet like circles that overlapped like a Venn diagram. The details inside overlapping parts intermingled with each other, becoming almost indistinguishable from one another. My attention was drawn to the markings on the wrist of my other hand. The mark encircled my wrist in sprawling, winding lines that seemed to originate from a ring of fire drawn on the inside of my wrist. The whole thing was just over an inch thick all around, before fading at the edges. I tore my eyes away to look down at myself. My dimensions were certainly more than I¡¯d gone to bed with, and I was sure I¡¯d been shorter last night. As I turned my head to look at my hair again, I caught sight of what looked like flakes of frost on the side of my neck, with one snowflake in the centre, larger and more detailed. ¡°What is happening¡­?¡± My voice didn¡¯t even sound the same. Sure, it could still be recognised as mine, but it sounded richer somehow. ¡®You¡¯ve Uncovered.¡¯ Candy¡¯s disbelief was clear, her statement sounding more like a question. ¡®This can¡¯t be possible. I¡¯m a Werewolf, you¡¯re right here!¡¯ ¡®Yeah, in your head. We haven¡¯t shifted, so you¡¯re probably not a Werewolf physically.¡¯ I shook my head, my hair flowing in a way that seemed almost unreal, ¡®Then I wouldn¡¯t have my physical capabilities, or that time you spoke with me when we were pissed at Keily wouldn¡¯t have happened. You¡¯re here somewhere. Besides, why did I Uncover today? It¡¯s not my birthday, I¡¯ve been sixteen for months.¡¯ I could almost hear the shrug in her voice, ¡®I mean, better late than never.¡¯ The sounds of movement from outside the bathroom shoved the confusion and bewilderment aside, rousing panic in its place. I was a Syren. I was Uncovered. And my concealment kit was at home, stashed somewhere in my closet, because of course I hadn¡¯t expected any of this to happen. As the footsteps approached, the fear of exposure weighed on my chest and made it hard to breathe. What was I going to do? Chapter 56 - Changes Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I scrambled to lock the bathroom door, just before the handle moved. Annya¡¯s voice came through the door, ¡°Is someone in there?¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry. I¡¯ll just be a minute.¡± I called back. My eyes darted around for an escape and my heartbeat quickened. The smell of burning plastic jumped at my nose, and I looked down to see my toothbrush on fire in my hand. I yelped, tossing the flaming brush into the sink, but it still burned and my hand was still on fire. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± I replied, waving my hand around to try and get the fire out, ¡°I thought I saw a cockroach!¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± She sounded sceptical, and I couldn¡¯t blame her. A cockroach would hardly warrant the way I yelled. I searched the ceiling, praying to whoever what I¡¯d find a smoke detector. Not finding one, I used my non-flaming hand to turn the sink tap on and pump soap onto the toothbrush, hoping to at least kill the smell. ¡°Ava, are you okay in there? What¡¯s that smell?¡± I wanted to sink to the floor and barricade myself in here. The only other option I had was to leave through the window, but there were people milling about and I didn¡¯t have any way to get down without drawing attention to myself. ¡®You need to get Kaesha, she might have a spell to help you.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t ready to tell her, or anyone for that matter. What would she think of me, asking her to help me but not disclosing something so important? Plus, there was no way I could tell Kaesha and not tell Hailey, and this was the worst way for her to find out. I liked my lives separate, but what choice did I have? ¡°I think my curling iron is broken! I¡¯m sorry, can you get Kaesha for me? I think I¡¯ve got an emergency in here and she¡¯s helped me out with this before.¡± ¡°Okay, sure. I¡¯ll see if she¡¯s awake.¡± A minute and some sleepy voices later, Kaesha was knocking at the door. ¡°Ava? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I unlocked the door and opened it for her, hiding behind it and locking it as soon as she was inside. She turned, ¡°Ava, what¡¯s that smell? What¡¯s going- what the fuck?¡± ¡°Shh, please don¡¯t freak out. I can¡¯t explain now, but I need to ger back home without being seen like this.¡± She inspected me from head to toe, ¡°Yeah, this¡¯ll definitely require an explanation. I can help you out with an illusion, but you¡¯ll need to do something about that.¡± She pointed at my still flaming hand. ¡°Annya came to the door and I panicked and this happened. I can¡¯t get it to stop.¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± I shook my head. She thought for a moment, ¡°Okay, I need you to take deep breaths and calm down. You¡¯re fine, and everything¡¯s gonna be okay, just relax. If this is anything like magic, you need to find the flow of power within yourself and direct it inwards.¡± I followed her instruction, closing my eyes to focus on the feeling within myself and look for a way to shut the fire off. Every time I tried to still my breath, a sound from beyond the bathroom door would meet my ear and my agitation at being caught increased. Finally, I opened my eyes in frustration, and huffed and puffed on the fire to put it out instead. During the time I¡¯d had my eyes closed, Kaesha had fixed the sink and my toothbrush. She glanced at the fire still burning from my hand then at my face, ¡°Can you at least make it smaller? If you can do that, then maybe I can try forcing it off.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try.¡± My attempt was basically staring at my hand and willing it to go down. After a minute of deep breathing and mental straining, the flames went down to the point that they were just licking my palm and fingers. Kaesha took my hand and closed her eyes. It took almost a minute and a nit of chanting, before I felt a strange heaviness in my breath and the fire went out. Without letting my hand go, I felt her drawing energy from me as she cast another spell. When she was done, she exhaled and gestured to the mirror. My eyes were back to green and my hair looked brown, and while I didn¡¯t look exactly like myself, I looked more normal. The markings and crest remained, but I guess she couldn¡¯t change what she couldn¡¯t see. I turned back to her, ¡°Thank you so much, I can¡¯t tell you how much I appreciate it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I used your energy to reinforce it and made it so that it¡¯ll only fade once you¡¯re get back inside your house. So you don¡¯t have to rush home and draw more suspicion from the others.¡± I hugged her, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say, Kaesha.¡± She returned the embrace, ¡°Say that you won¡¯t start a fire here, and that you¡¯ll explain everything once you can.¡± I stepped back and nodded, ¡°I won¡¯t start a fire, and I¡¯ll tell you and Hailey everything once this is over.¡± ¡°Good. Now finish brushing your teeth and come out. No one likes a bathroom hog.¡± I laughed, ¡°Sure.¡± She conjured a curling iron into her hands, then unlocked the door and left. I steadied myself against the sink and took a deep breath. Eager to not waste any more time, I brushed my teeth and stuffed my contacts into my pocket, then emerged from the bathroom. Annya was hanging around nearby, a food delivery app on her phone. Ada and Hailey had already woken up and were helping Kaesha out with her mattrass. ¡°That took a while.¡± Annya said, ¡°Kaesha said you somehow managed to break a curling iron and burn the sink.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I hoped my laugh was as smooth as I intended it to be, ¡°Yeah¡­ I wanted it to heat up while I brushed my teeth, but I guess some water got into it and something short circuited. I ended up dropping it in the sink cause it was too hot.¡± She stared at me for an almost too long amount of time, like she was inspecting me before continuing, ¡°I hope you¡¯re not hurt?¡± I shook my head, ¡°Nah, I¡¯m okay. The bathroom¡¯s free now, sorry for taking so long.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± She nodded then left to go to the bathroom. The morning passed with us ordering the fluffiest pancakes I¡¯d ever seen, cause everyone was too tired and lazy to cook, and I was too apprehensive to be around fire. By the time noon came around, Ada had an appointment with a girl to make her hair, and Annya had a lunch date with Nathaniel, so they said their goodbyes. Once they¡¯d left, I felt tension that I hadn¡¯t even been cognisant of leave my body. But I knew I¡¯d feel better if I were home. A moment of silence passed. Kaesha looked at me, and I looked back, and glanced at Hailey, asking Kaesha the question of if she¡¯d told Hailey with my eyes. She shook her head, while Hailey just stared at us with growing confusion. Finally, she spoke, ¡°Okay, what¡¯s happening? Are you guys using telepathy to talk?¡± I shook my head and sighed, ¡°No. But I¡¯d feel better telling you guys what¡¯s going on if we were at my place.¡± Wordlessly, Kaesha went into Hailey¡¯s room to retrieve my bag and grabbed both our hands. A second later, we were in my living room. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re here. Now Ari, tell us what- what happened to you?¡± Hailey began then gasped once her eyes landed on me. Now that I was at home, I figured Kaesha¡¯s spell had been dissipated. ¡°Ari, what on earth is going on? Is this what cause the commotion I was hearing in my sleep? I thought that was a dream?¡± I nodded, ¡°Can we sit? I¡¯ll explain everything now.¡± With Hailey still stunned and Kaesha silently attentive, we sat on the couches and I explained what I could, while leaving the fact that I was the Syren heir out. If they found that out, they might decide that keeping me safe was more important than taking the Lightwoods down. ¡°So those tattoos on your wrist and neck show your Special Ability?¡± By now, Hailey was more amazed than shocked. Kaesha stared at me, ¡°What tattoos?¡± ¡°Only immediate family members and life partners can see a Syren¡¯s Special Ability tattoo.¡± I explained. ¡°Well, I guess you won¡¯t need to worry about covering those up, but what about your eyes and hair? How will you hide the changes?¡± ¡°My eyes have always been this colour, and my hair was actually black before this happened. I used contacts and dye to hide them cause my mom told me to years ago, before she disappeared.¡± Hailey¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°But you told me you didn¡¯t know what she was?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really didn¡¯t know till recently, I was just doing what she¡¯d said. By then, I¡¯d just found out and I was still figuring out how to deal with it. I didn¡¯t want anyone to know and we¡¯d only just realised we were sisters.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ I guess I understand. It was probably a lot to deal with.¡± I nodded, ¡°It was. I¡¯ve been going to a Syren school to learn more, that¡¯s what takes up my afternoons.¡± ¡°Why now though?¡± Kaesha questioned, ¡°You said Syrens Uncover when they turn sixteen, and that¡¯s what just happened to you, but your birthday was in October. What happened?¡± I was at a loss on that too, ¡°I have no idea.¡± ¡°Either your Uncovering manifested late, or December twenty-first is your actual birthday.¡± She theorised. The first option was plausible, but the second could be possible too. I only knew the date from my mom, and she¡¯d had me dyeing my hair and wearing contacts for most of my life. What if my birthday needed hiding too? ¡°What about your wolf?¡± Hailey added, ¡°Syrens and Werewolves both seem like pretty physical species to me, and Kaesha said hybrids like that can¡¯t exist.¡± Her observation had Kaesha nodding in confusion, and they both settled their focus on me, ¡°I don¡¯t completely understand everything myself. I have a wolf and my strength and speed are good enough for me to be a Werewolf, but I haven¡¯t shifted yet, and I just Uncovered.¡± We were silent for a while, mulling everything over. How likely was it that I still counted as a Werewolf? Was I some kind of freak-of-nature hybrid? What did this mean for Candy? My thoughts were interrupted by Hailey coming over and hugging me. ¡°Well, Syren or Werewolf, you¡¯re still my sister and I¡¯m still here for you. I wish you would¡¯ve told me sooner, but I understand why you wanted to keep things separate.¡± She said. I returned her hug allowing myself to relax. ¡°Ava is Ava, I guess. It¡¯ll be fun helping you practice getting your Special Ability under control.¡± Kaesha said once Hailey let go of me. Then she got to her feet, ¡°Well, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ve got a class to teach, but call if you need me to keep you from burning the place down.¡± I laughed, ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Hailey, do you need to go back to the dorm?¡± Hailey shook her head, ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m spending the night here, it¡¯s a full moon.¡± ¡°Alright. See you guys later.¡± ¡°See ya.¡± ¡°Bye¡± Then she disappeared. After unpacking the thing¡¯s I¡¯d used for the sleepover and taking showers, Hailey and I spent the rest of the day inspecting my new features and trying to see what I could do in the garden, close to the pool. During all my attempts, I only managed to create a sputter of flames that died out almost immediately. By the time we decided to stop speculating and attempting, it was evening and snow was dancing from the sky. By the time eight p.m. rolled around, Hailey had retreated to the basement. I was in my study, trying to plan our next pack visits, but a persistent prickling discomfort under my skin kept me from focusing. And it only grew by the second. ¡®What¡¯s going on with me?¡¯ I asked Candy, just as the discomfort turned into pain. She didn¡¯t respond, but the snapping of my elbow kept me from asking again. I screamed, cradling my arm. One of my knees cracked, bringing me to the ground and rousing another scream. A worried, half-shifted Hailey appeared in my vision. I hadn¡¯t even noticed her coming. ¡°Ari? Ari, can you hear me?¡± Her voice sounded gruff and was overlapped with another, ¡°I think you¡¯re shifting. We need to get you to the basement.¡± I could only nod. Another bone shifted and I screamed again. I felt my body lift off the ground as she picked me up. I gritted my teeth against the pain her movements induced as she carried me downstairs and to the basement. Just as we got there, another bone snapped and I shrieked. I yelped again when I suddenly hit the ground. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Ari! I didn¡¯t mean to drop you. Please hang in there, I¡¯ll go call Kaesha.¡± As she apologised, I noticed fire on me. I guess that was why she¡¯d dropped me. The thought was cut short by what felt like my face splitting. Moving my mouth was agony, so I just laid there whimpering. My entire body was on fire, both literally and pain-wise. My hands and feet snapped and shifted, elongating and morphing into paws. My spine felt like someone was dragging it out from my tailbone, while my skin prickled as it forced out millions of hairs at once. I was still writhing on the concrete ground when I heard Hailey and Kaesha¡¯s voices. ¡°Whoa!¡± Kaesha exclaimed when she saw me. Hailey was further along in her shift now, only just managing to stand on her two legs, ¡°Normally, we¡¯d need to chain her down so her wolf doesn¡¯t go on a rampage, but I can¡¯t touch her at all while she¡¯s on fire.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just full of surprises today, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kaesha tried to lighten the mood, then turned to Hailey, ¡°What about you? Don¡¯t you need to shift too? You¡¯re already halfway there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been shifting for years, so I can hold it off for a little while. Opelene¡¯s mature enough to not need to be chained down, but Ari¡¯s wolf definitely will need to be, especially since it¡¯s her first full moon shift.¡± ¡°A barrier spell then, since we can¡¯t touch her. If your wolf is calm, can I channel you? I¡¯ve teleported three times today and had to force her powers off this morning, I¡¯ll need a little extra energy if I¡¯m gonna keep her here all night.¡± Hailey nodded, ¡°Opelene said she¡¯ll help.¡± Then in a smooth transition, she completed her shift and her dark brown wolf walked over to sit down next to Kaesha. Kaesha placed one hand on Opelene¡¯s head, giving her a little scratch then faced me. She took a deep breath then exhaled and raised her free hand. That was the last thing I remembered, before a growl emanated from me. Then everything went black. Chapter 57 - Not the Same Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I felt raw. My entire body was stiff and creaky, but somehow noodle-like and ungrounded at the same time. My head was pounding in a way it hadn¡¯t since the last time Clark had gone on a rampage with me close enough for him to direct his rage at. Every single decibel of sound and every trace of every smell, for what I assumed were miles, bombarded my senses, adding to the throbbing of my head. With the way my ears and nose were acting up, I didn¡¯t even want to open my eyes. I heard someone approach and enter my room. The scent told me it was Hailey, with food that triggered a growl from my stomach. I was ravenous. ¡°Hey¡­¡± she called. Her tone was soft but her voice sounded like it was at full volume to my ears, ¡°I figured you¡¯d be hungry, I was starving after my first shift.¡± ¡°I am, thanks.¡± My voice sounded hoarse, like my vocal cords had been out of order. I took a breath, then decided to peel my eyes open. I could literally hear the movements of my eyelids sliding over my eyeballs. The first thing I noticed was that the world was much brighter, and there were more shades and colours than I¡¯d ever seen. I knew my sight had been heightened before, but this felt like I was gazing into another dimension. I looked over at Hailey seated in a chair next to my bed. She looked the same, but different, like I was seeing her again for the first time. I guess this was what people who needed glasses felt like after their first time wearing them. She placed the tray she was holding on my lap after I sat up in bed. It was a beautiful spread of pancakes and at least half of a grilled chicken. I paid no mind to the odd combination, devouring the food with a speed that surprised even myself. When I was done, she silently handed me a glass of water, which I basically downed in one gulp. ¡°How do you feel?¡± She asked once she¡¯d taken the tray back. ¡°Better¡­¡± My hunger had been sated, but my body still felt weird to me. She offered me another sympathetic smile, ¡°I felt different after my first shift too, so I know that feeling of strangeness. Not to mention the fact that you Uncovered and your body just grew and matured overnight. I can only imagine how dissociated you feel right now.¡± I nodded, and my new hair came into view, ¡°Everything¡¯s hyperfocused, but off at the same time.¡± It reminded me of when my hearing had heightened before at nine. It had been overwhelming, and had taken me a few days to get it under control. And I needed to do that all over again, but also get used to moving with my new height and dimensions and controlling the rest of my senses. Plus, there was the little issue of my spontaneous combustion. Hailey must have seen the worry growing on my face, cause she placed a hand on mine, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Kaesha and I will be here to help you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I smiled. She gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, then left with the tray. I looked around my room. It was the same as I¡¯d left it, with the only change being that Hailey had moved the vanity¡¯s chair next to my bed. I spotted my phone on my night stand and picked it up. I¡¯d wanted to check if I had missed calls from Timothy, but I caught sight of the date and my jaw dropped. It was the twenty-third, and the middle of the day. I¡¯d lost a day and a half, and I had no idea of how much of that time I¡¯d spent as a wolf or asleep. No wonder I¡¯d been so hungry. Deciding not to lose sleep over the time I¡¯d lost to sleep, I swung my legs over to the floor and stood up. Like Hailey had said, my body was foreign to me, and just standing up felt like I was piloting a new vehicle. I decided to direct my body to a shower first, which felt good, but also served to show me just how I¡¯d changed even more. As I lathered myself and washed my hair, my mind went to all the insults that had been hurled at me over my appearance. One particular summer day, Brittany had been feeling bad about herself, so she¡¯d forced me to strip in front of everyone while she stood in a bikini next to me. Then I¡¯d just stood there as the entire pack ridiculed my prominent ribs and lack of any semblance of a shape. When someone had yelled out ¡®twig arms¡¯, Brittany had gleefully broken one of my arms just to prove the theory correct. I shook my head to clear the latent anger and embarrassment that had surfaced alongside the memory. ¡®For what it¡¯s worth, you¡¯d put her figure to shame now.¡¯ Candy yawned. I shrugged, ¡®I guess so, not that it matters anyway. What happened with you? Where have you been?¡¯ I could feel the giddiness in her voice as she perked up, ¡®Oh my gosh, Nat, it was amazing! I might have been a bit rabid in the beginning, but once I settled into my body, I felt like¡­ I don¡¯t even know how to describe it, Nat! I felt whole, and free, and like myself for the first time ever!¡¯ I just had to laugh, ¡®I¡¯m glad at least one of us feels good about these new changes.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d just been let out for the first time. Any change feels amazing to me, cause I¡¯ve never felt anything myself before. You already had a body you were used to, but now you¡¯re taller, sexier and Uncovered, with new things your body can do that you have no control over yet. You¡¯ll get the hang of yourself, and when you do, you¡¯ll be magnificent.¡¯ Her words turned my lips up in a smile. The clouds of trepidation at the journey to getting myself under control had eased, letting hope and excitement shine through. I wanted to feel as whole and free and amazing as Candy felt. For whatever reason, I was a full physical hybrid of both a Werewolf and a Syren. Even though my confusing biology left more questions that needed answering in my life, it had given me the gift of having one more thing to feel closer to my mother with. And I needed to explore this connection. Stolen story; please report. With that determination, I started what was left of the day. I¡¯d heard and smelt Kaesha earlier, and true to that, she was present when I went to the living room. ¡°So she lives.¡± She teased, her eyes relieved and laughing. ¡°Apparently so. I might as well have been revived from the dead, with the way I feel in my body.¡± She laughed, ¡°Well, you¡¯re apparently both a Werewolf and a Syren. At this point, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you could resurrect yourself from death too.¡± ¡°I know right.¡± Hailey chimed, ¡°How are you even possible?¡± I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯d like to know that too.¡± Silence passed, each of us pondering our own theories on the basis of my existence. Eventually, I decided thinking about that didn¡¯t matter anyway. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t cause too much trouble for you or hurt you in any way?¡± I couldn¡¯t see any injuries on them, or smell any blood from them, but Hailey was a Werewolf, so she¡¯d probably have healed by now, and Kaesha could have used magic to heal herself too. They shook their heads. ¡°You were hella strong though, nearly broke my barrier. But you didn¡¯t hurt us.¡± Hailey nodded, ¡°The worst thing that happened to us was the fatigue afterwards. By the time you shifted back, we were both exhausted. Kaesha couldn¡¯t teleport back and she was too tired to walk any distance, so she slept over in one of the guest bedrooms. I was pretty drained from her channelling me too, so I was out once my head hit my pillow.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, for everything. The both of you have been there for me more than anyone in my life, and we haven¡¯t known even each other that long.¡± Kaesha smiled and Hailey waved me off, ¡°Why do you still think of it that way? We¡¯re family.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re my friend. Besides, I¡¯m not completely unselfish. Practicing magic has been good for me and being around you gives me plenty of opportunities for that.¡± Her smile turned into a smirk, ¡°Plus, I know you¡¯ll have my back just the same if my coven ever turns up to drag me back and sacrifice me again.¡± I snorted, ¡°Definitely.¡± Hailey¡¯s stomach growled, and our conversation was steered towards food. The lack of any strong smells of food told me that there wasn¡¯t anything substantial to eat in the kitchen. It didn¡¯t take long for the two of them to agree on what to eat then Hailey fished her phone out of her pocket, but I stood up before she could order the food. ¡°I¡¯ll go get some groceries so I can make something.¡± The same worry appeared on both their faces and they shared a look. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah, you sure you won¡¯t burn the store down?¡± I was already walking away to go upstairs and get ready, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. The fire mainly seems to come when I¡¯m emotional, and I doubt picking broccoli is gonna make me cry. Let me do this for you guys.¡± They shared another look, but let me go. Up in my room, I retrieved my concealment kit and placed it on my vanity. For a while, I just sat there, staring at it. The instructions Mrs Burton had given me played in my mind, her carefully going over things the both of us had been so sure that I wouldn¡¯t need. I needed it now. I picked up a spray bottle, the contents sloshing around mesmerizingly. Closing my eyes, I spayed it on my head, envisioning myself as a brunette again. Mrs Burton had made sure to note that if I used the spray without envisioning anything for my hair colour, it¡¯d just make my hair appear black. And while it would be nice to move in the world with the hair colour I was born with, I didn¡¯t need the added stress of lying about the change. Feeling like I¡¯d sprayed enough, I retrieved the contacts and put them on, making sure to give myself green eyes again. In my vanity mirror, I looked the same, and it struck me that I referred to my Uncovered look as ¡®same¡¯ like it was normal for me, when it felt anything but. In the small mirror that came with the concealment kit, meant to be the spokesperson for the eyes of everyone without Syren blood in their veins, my reflection showed that I was in fact concealed, right down to my roots. With my appearance settled, I grabbed my wallet and phone then left for the grocery store. Fifteen minutes later, I was speed walking to outpace the small group of people that had begun to follow me around the store. I looked normal, I knew that, but my allure must have been in overdrive, cause I¡¯d been turning heads from the moment I finished running to the store and walked in. ¡®This is getting ridiculous!¡¯ Candy grumbled. I glanced back, agreeing with her. The three men trailing behind me all had the same dazed look on their faces, with their eyes transfixed on me. In my focus on the guys behind me, I nearly ran into one standing in front of me, my feet fumbling to a halt before him. My senses were probably what kept me from colliding into him before my focus caught up. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± I mumbled, moving to sidestep him, before my eyes went up to his face. He was so familiar, and it took me a moment to recall that he was Danny, the guy that had sort of kidnapped me to meet Kirstin. He was staring too, with an intensity unlike the others behind me. And there was something in his eyes that made me take a step back. Alarm bells were ringing in my head and I had to remember to breathe as I begged my body not to sprout any fire. ¡°Danny¡­?¡± Hearing his name seemed to snap him out of whatever was going on in his head. Lazily, he dragged his eyes away from me to look at the men behind me. ¡°Do you need something from this young lady?¡± He drawled. At his confrontation, the men left their daze. Mumbling and confused, with lingering looks, they dispersed. ¡°Thanks.¡± He didn¡¯t respond, but looked at me strangely. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for me to meet up with Kirstin at the hotel.¡± He nodded slowly, stretching a keycard out to me, ¡°Room 343, fifth floor. And get each other¡¯s phone numbers this time, so I don¡¯t have to keep being the middle man.¡± I¡¯d forgotten to ask her last time we met, so unused to having a phone, and I guess it hadn¡¯t crossed her mind either. I took the card out of his hand, ¡°We will.¡± My mind went back to Hailey and Kaesha, I wasn¡¯t going to just leave them without anything to eat after I¡¯d insisted on making them something, ¡°Could you tell her that I¡¯ll be there in the evening? I need to go back to my place and prepare.¡± Another nod, then he turned on his heel and sauntered away. I stared after him, willing my heart to slow down its frightened pace. ¡®I don¡¯t know why I don¡¯t like him.¡¯ Candy huffed. ¡®Well, he did put you to sleep last time we met.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, but still¡­¡¯ I knew what she meant. For whatever reason, I couldn¡¯t see Danny and I ever getting along. He unnerved me, more than I remembered, and I hated the feeling of being so ready to run from someone. Not to mention how he mysteriously seemed to have the ability to track me down. I was just glad I probably wouldn¡¯t need to see him again. I finished up my shopping, the only other awkward encounter being when my cashier insisted on packing my groceries for me, and even offered to ditch his shift and carry them to my house through the snow when he found out I¡¯d walked here after I¡¯d declined his offer to carry them to my car. As soon as I got home, I threw together some creamy mushroom and chicken pasta as fast as I could. Then I went upstairs to get the things I¡¯d need for my meeting with Kirstin from my library. ¡°Where are you in such a rush to, lugging all that with you?¡± Kaesha called out, spotting me from where she sat with her food in the living room. ¡°Remember how I mentioned that I have an inside person to help us? She¡¯s in the city and I need to meet with her so we can discuss the dirt we have on the Lightwood Pack.¡± ¡°Why not just invite her here?¡± Hailey asked. Kaesha answered her before I could respond, ¡°She doesn¡¯t trust her yet.¡± ¡°Oh, makes sense.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re super strong or whatever, but text us the address so we¡¯ll know where to start searching if you¡¯re kidnapped or something.¡± Kaesha said then returned her focus to the food. ¡°I will.¡± I called, then breezed out the door and locked it behind me. Chapter 58 - Updates Natalia¡¯s P. O. V It didn¡¯t take long for me to get to the hotel. Once there, I walked in through the revolving door and went to the front desk. ¡°Hi.¡± The lady behind the desk looked up from her computer. When she saw me, she sat up straighter and tucked her hair behind her ear. ¡°Good evening, welcome to The Jewel Hotel. How may I help you?¡± ¡°My friend is waiting for me in room 343, on the fifth floor. She gave me a keycard.¡± She checked her computer then nodded, ¡°Yes, she did call saying she¡¯s expecting a friend. The elevator¡¯s down the hall after the lobby, you can just go on ahead.¡± I thanked her and made my way to the elevator then up to the fifth floor. I counted the number of rooms in my head, till I reached hers. Standing before room 343, I adjusted my bag and knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± I unlocked the door and walked inside. The room wasn¡¯t anything outrageous, but it was spacious for a single guest, with a nice sized bed and wardrobe, along with a table and two chairs in a corner. The curtains had been drawn closed, keeping our silhouettes hidden from the outside world. ¡°Thank you for waiting.¡± I told Kirstin, who was standing by one of the chairs. She nodded, and appeared to take a gulp before responding, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It gave me some time to get used to the sounds here. And I did just pop up unannounced.¡± ¡°That reminds me,¡± I fished my phone out of my pocket, ¡°I need to get your phone number, so we can communicate better. Danny was quite adamant about it.¡± She laughed, taking my phone and putting her number in it, ¡°Yeah, he gave me a hard time about it when I asked for his help to meet you. I hope he didn¡¯t bother you too much?¡± I shook my head, ¡°He wasn¡¯t bad, just¡­ peculiar. How do you know him anyway? I doubt that he¡¯s a Werewolf.¡± She called her number with my phone, then ended the call and handed it back to me, ¡°No, he¡¯s not. I guess I always just assumed he was a human. We were childhood friends. He was always a loner, and a bit odd. We lost contact for a few years, but I had his number so I called him when I needed to find you.¡± I placed my bag on the table and took a seat, and she did the same, ¡°How does he do that anyway? Find me?¡± She shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s like a superpower of his or something. He was undefeated whenever we played hide-and-seek with our other friends, before he left the state.¡± ¡°Why¡¯d he leave?¡± Another shrug, ¡°He never told anyone why, and I guess we were too young to ever really get it anyway. His family just up and left one day.¡± Kirstin¡¯s words did nothing to allude to why he was the way he was now. A bit of strangeness and an unexplained move in his childhood didn¡¯t explain why I felt so primally uncomfortable with him. I glanced at Kirstin, her arranging the documents and photos she¡¯d come with. I wasn¡¯t at the point where I could share concerns I had about him with her, I didn¡¯t want that information coming back to bite me later. I took my own documents out of my bag. I¡¯d left the ones pertaining to our territory at home, and instead brought the plan timeline with me, along with signatures from the Alphas that had agreed to be our allies once we were established. ¡°Shall we begin?¡± I launched into the progress made on my end, ¡°We¡¯ve gained three more members willing to join us. One of them is currently getting the territory of our pack ready for us to officially register it and accept members. The timeline for development is five to eight months, but it¡¯s already been over two months and there¡¯s been a lot of progress made.¡± I showed her the signatures, ¡°We¡¯ve visited five of the packs from the list you gave me. So far, all of them have agreed to ally with us and give their aid when we need it. We plan to visit at least two more before school starts again next semester. If we keep this pace up, we¡¯ll have covered half of the twenty-one packs that are still active from the list you gave me by the end of spring break. By the time June ninth rolls around, we¡¯ll officially register our pack and territory and those packs will ally us immediately.¡± She nodded, then cocked her head, ¡°Why June ninth? Is there something special about that date?¡¯ My lips twisted into a smile, and I could almost taste my own bitterness, ¡°It¡¯s the anniversary of my rejection and escape from that hell.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Silence passed, the thought of Callum popping up. Because of him, I had a ticking clock over my head. The concept of the clock alone annoyed me ¨C why did the ridiculous requirement of mating exist for Werewolves? I wasn¡¯t a hundred percent sure of it applying to me, but so far, everything else from both sides of my biology seemed to apply to me, so I couldn¡¯t take the chance. I shook my head and continued, ¡°Once we create our pack, Phase Two of the plan begins. We¡¯ll need to find members fast, as well as ally several strong packs. That, coupled with us attending the winter Mate Ball next year and making a good impression will get the attention of the Lightwood Pack. They won¡¯t be able to resist sabotaging such a promising new pack, and you¡¯ll be there to nudge them in our direction.¡± She sat there for a few seconds, digesting my words. ¡°Will you be able to do that?¡± I asked after a while. Her lips spread into a smile that I could only describe as sadistic, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I spaced out thinking about how I can get them to do what you want.¡± ¡°From the look on your face, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that hard for you.¡± Her smile widened, pride adding to the sadism, ¡°It seems I have a talent for stirring up trouble among them.¡± I laughed, leaning forward, ¡°Oh, do tell.¡± With pride and a sense of self satisfaction, she told me of the chaos that had ensued after Callum and Kylie¡¯s cheating had been revealed, and how she¡¯d been able to use the issue to get a shoe in with Brittany. She narrated the misfortune that had befallen Callum in the wake Brittany¡¯s wrath, and his willingness to do whatever Kirstin suggested ¨C and she emphasised on the importance of only suggesting things to him, as to not agitate his newfound personal agency ¨C after coming to the realisation of his role as a puppet in the lives of those around him. ¡°He¡¯s by far the most innocent of everyone there.¡± It was clear that she pitied him, ¡°Poor thing doesn¡¯t even know what goes on most of the time. And he¡¯s supposed to be the second most powerful one in our generation. For now, he doesn¡¯t know about much of what I need from him. I¡¯ve got him copying official documents from the main work house and letting me into the building once in a while to snoop around.¡± From everything she was saying, she had a knack for not just magnifying problems among them, but also capitalising on their weaknesses and chaos. I was impressed, no wonder she was proud of herself. ¡°As for the actual dirt on them, I decided to start with Brittany.¡± She opened a file, full of documents and pictures, ¡°I¡¯ve been sticking close to her and she¡¯s been singing like a bird. She¡¯s taken me to so many of her rendezvous and I¡¯ve met everyone she sleeps with. I¡¯ve been able to gather information on all of them. One of them even agreed to leave proof of his escapades with her, and that¡¯s how I was able to get Callum to find out about her cheating.¡± She spread out the documents and pictures, all of guys that were involved with Brittany, ¡°Of her current regulars, two are humans, one is a Psychic, one is a Vampire that she swears only comes into the state to be with her, and four are Werewolves. Out of the Werewolves, one is our age and is a regular member of the Lightwood Pack, another is also from the pack, but is older and has a mate and three pups, one is from a powerful neighbouring pack, and the last is a Rogue.¡± I raised a brow, ¡°Really? A Rogue? Not a Lone Wolf?¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. She nodded, ¡°I was surprised too. I wasn¡¯t expecting her to be so sloppy with who she chooses, but she is. According to what he told me, he was sent by a Rogue Pack to get an in with the pack and she took an interest with him. He figured it was a good opportunity to keep someone so connected to the higher ups of the Lightwood Pack close, so he went for it. And get this, they¡¯re the Rogue Pack that killed Leah Adams and Connor Howling.¡± My eyes widened, ¡°Are you sure?¡± The loss of the former Beta-to-be and his mate had been something that had rocked the entire pack, and even upset Clark. Not upset in the sense of mourning, but of having lost two gifted Werewolves and useful assets. And Brittany was sleeping with one of the culprits. I almost didn¡¯t believe she could be so callous. She nodded and picked out a document and an accompanying picture of a guy, ¡°His name is Derek, he¡¯s twenty-six years old and he belongs to the Blood River Rogue Pack. They want to take control of the area and do as they wish, so the Lightwood Pack is in their way. Derek has a specific bone to pick with Brittany though. A few years ago, his family somehow managed to get his little sister, Dani, to join the Lightwood Pack for a better life. Just a few months after she joined, Brittany saw the necklace Dani¡¯s parents had given her as a keepsake and demanded that she give it to her cause it was pretty. When Dani refused, Brittany screamed and accused her of stealing the necklace. Even though the necklace was hers, Dani got in trouble, and she almost died from the beating. When it was over, Brittany happily took the necklace off Dani¡¯s neck and left her there.¡± The story had me recalling a time when I¡¯d been instructed to clean up a dangerous amount of blood. Worry for whoever the blood belonged to had crossed my mind, but I¡¯d been too grateful that it wasn¡¯t my own that time around to give it much thought. Kirstin¡¯s face was twisted in disgust as she told the story, ¡°After she gathered enough strength, Dani severed her ties to the pack and limped her way back home. Their entire family has dibs on Brittany¡¯s head when their Rogue Pack finally attacks.¡± I snorted, ¡°Would be unfortunate if they lost their chance after we¡¯re through with the Lightwoods. I¡¯m surprised he told you all this, isn¡¯t his mission supposed to be a secret?¡± ¡°The only thing he told me of his own free will was the story of what happened with his sister. Everything pertaining to his Rogue Pack and the fact that he and his family belong to one was only said when I used my gift on him.¡± I nodded, looking over his file. Everything she¡¯d told me was written down, along with information about when he infiltrated the pack and his other activities outside of sleeping with Brittany. My murderous intent was reserved for Clark, so Derek exacting his own revenge on Brittany had no bearings on my end goal. Kirstin held up another bunch of papers, this time pertaining to Kylie, ¡°As for Kylie, she¡¯s not the only one in her family that¡¯s been doing messed up shit. According to Brittany, her dad is the nephew of the aunt who is the second cousin of the Queen Regent. So, Kylie herself is the third cousin, once removed, to the current King. And the Queen Regent married into the monarchy, so all in all, the Adams¡¯ family ties to the Royal Werewolves are pretty loose. Their relationship, if you could call it that, to the Royal Werewolves is one of the main reasons for their standing in the Lightwood Pack. The other reason is because the Adams have a¡­ cleaning business of sorts. They basically take care of Werewolves the Lightwoods want dead, and they have several active cases they¡¯re working on.¡± She pulled out a paper with a list of names, ¡°These are the names Kylie knew of and dictated when I used my gift on her. The ones with an ¡®x¡¯ marked next to them are the ones she knows for sure have been eliminated, while the ones with question marks are the ones that she doesn¡¯t know about their current status, and the one just written without anything is definitely still alive. I don¡¯t have access to the files yet, but I should be able to find them if I snoop around in the Adams¡¯ part of the work house, or in their home.¡± I scanned the names. My name hadn¡¯t made it to the list, but Timothy¡¯s was definitely there. And from the looks of it, he was the only one that was definitely still alive. I put the paper down and she continued. ¡°Kylie is generally mousey, feeble minded and panic-prone. And she hates taking accountability. So it¡¯s no surprise that she got away with killing someone a year or so ago. She slept with a teacher for a better grade back in her junior year. Unfortunately, that teacher had a mate in the pack who happened to be friends with her mom. For months, she was so on edge about her mom¡¯s friend finding out and ousting her to her parents and the rest of her pack. She couldn¡¯t take the fear and anxiety to the point that by the time her mom¡¯s friend did find out and confronted her about it, Kylie threw a fit then snapped and murdered her a few hours after the confrontation. Kylie dragged her body to the forest then called her dad and told him that they¡¯d been attacked. She even made up this elaborate story about how the Rogues that attacked them had forced them to fight each other, and that her mom¡¯s friend had willingly, lovingly let herself be killed. And since she¡¯s been daddy¡¯s little princess since her sister died, he believed every word and had it covered up. A week later, the teacher she slept with and his son left the pack.¡± I blinked at the story. Kylie hardly ever abused me with nobody else around, but she was always ruthless in front of others, keeping up appearances for everyone. I had no doubt that something as potentially life-upending as sleeping with a mated Werewolf would make her go insane. ¡°I¡¯m surprised she didn¡¯t take that approach to dealing with her cheating with Callum. But then again, you can¡¯t just get away with murder when it comes to the higher ups and their families.¡± She mused, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve got her confession, along with others she spoke about recorded on my phone, and I transferred them to the flash drive for you to have them.¡± She gathered the papers back up and pushed the flash drive towards me, ¡°There¡¯s some more stuff, but not much else to talk about in particular. Once I¡¯ve verified that I have everything on Kylie and Brittany, I¡¯ll move on to Harry and Callum.¡± I regarded her evenly. Just saying Harry¡¯s name had brought a look of pain to her face for a split second. ¡°Kirstin.¡± She looked up from the papers she¡¯d been arranging, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Will you be able to do this?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve made great progress and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to gather a truckload of dirt on them by Phase Two.¡± ¡°Your progress has been impressive and I appreciate your hard work, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. Will you be able to handle him?¡± She was quiet for a second, then shifted in her seat, ¡°I can get information on Harry.¡± ¡°You might not need to get information just on him. He will be the next Alpha of the Lightwood Pack. He¡¯ll be the best person to stay close to and milk for information on the pack¡¯s practices as a whole.¡± She looked away, then rethought it and looked back at me again. I folded my hands under my chin, ¡°You may even need to seduce him.¡± Blood crept into her face. ¡°Will you be able to do that? If you have to bed him and use him, will you be able to keep your wits about you?¡± Her face was completely red, and she was looking away again, at everything but me, desperate to leave this conversation. I didn¡¯t let up. Finally, she sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ His presence still affects me sometimes and I don¡¯t know how to get over him¡­¡± ¡°Accept his rejection.¡± She looked at me sharply. I leaned forward, maintaining my gaze with her frenzied expression, ¡°Accept his rejection. Then, because the attraction between mates never really fades, because he¡¯s a petulant child that always wants what he can¡¯t have, and because you¡¯ll be infinitely more attractive to him if you prove that you don¡¯t need him, he¡¯ll want you so much more.¡± Her expression became progressively more heartbroken as I continued. ¡°And you¡¯ll use that. You¡¯ll use your irresistibility to him to get closer to him, to find out everything we need. You don¡¯t have to sleep with him, of course, but you¡¯ll manipulate him in a way that will make him obsessed with you. And if you really do it right, you¡¯ll be in his every waking thought and his wildest dreams.¡± ¡°Now, just imagine, he can¡¯t take his mind off you, and it gets to the point that being with Kylie feels like torture to him. Imagine having his ear and his heart, and he follows your every whim like a puppet. Imagine what it¡¯ll do to him when you just disappear one day. He may even take it out on poor Kylie¡­ And just think of what it¡¯ll do to him when, after a few months or maybe even years, he sees you again, only for you to destroy him.¡± By the time I finished, tears were hanging in the corners of her eyes, and anger intermingled with her heartbreak. I leaned back in my seat, ¡°I know you can do it, you¡¯re talented at wrapping them around your finger. What I want to know is if you will. Will you be able to do it if you need to? Do you even want to?¡± She was looking unblinkingly at her hands. I let the silence grow as she contemplated my words and passed through all her emotions. Her voice was quiet when she finally spoke, ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± ¡°Of course you do. If you can get all the information without doing that, go right ahead. With your access to Callum, it might¡¯ve even been easy, if only he hadn¡¯t messed up his life in the pack. It might still be possible, cause he¡¯ll be the Beta. But if I don¡¯t have enough information to destroy his life, I¡¯ll just have to kill him.¡± ¡°What?¡± I shrugged, ¡°Harry, Brittany, Kylie and Callum are my main targets. I promised to make each of them pay. I had no plans on killing anyone besides Clark, but if I don¡¯t have enough information to make them pay for the rest of their lives, I¡¯ll have to just settle on killing them.¡± I could see her protectiveness rising, and it was clear in her voice when she spoke, ¡°What about Callum? I haven¡¯t looked into him yet, but I can almost guarantee that there won¡¯t be much on him. How will you punish him then?¡± Without taking my eyes off her, I rested my cheek on my hand and crossed my legs, ¡°I¡¯ll have to handle him differently. Either I¡¯ll have the Lightwood Pack find out that he was the one that helped get critical information while he¡¯s still with them, so they can brutalize him themselves, or I¡¯ll kidnap and torture him myself.¡± The horrified look she was giving me didn¡¯t stop her from challenging further, ¡°Even if you do that, he¡¯ll recover. He won¡¯t be paying for the rest of his life with that.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll kill him.¡± She paused. ¡°What?¡± I challenged back, ¡°Were you thinking I¡¯d go easy on him? Just because he doesn¡¯t have any dirty laundry? Were you hoping you could use whatever softness you found in my heart for Callum to lessen Harry¡¯s punishment?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± I laughed, a wicked sound that filled the room, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you obviously don¡¯t know me very well. My retribution will not be mitigated by anything or anyone. You don¡¯t have to do anything cruel if you don¡¯t want to, but I will.¡± I leaned forward, and without realising, she leaned back, ¡°And I dare you to stop me.¡± Chapter 59 - Menace and Christmas Madness Natalia¡¯s P. O. V To say there was tension would be pointing out the obvious. Kirstin was staring at me with an almost glare. And even though we were sitting on the same level, it felt like I was looking down at her. I relaxed and rested an arm on the armrest, my fingers warming the wood, ¡°Kirstin. I don¡¯t care whose mate they are, none of them are safe from me.¡± She seemed to weigh her words before talking, ¡°I know what they did to you. Harry discarded me like I was nothing, and Callum was foolish enough to think that what he thought were his own desires for himself in the pack was worth losing you. But I can¡¯t just let my mate die, and I don¡¯t believe yours is guilty enough to deserve the same fate as the others.¡± I cocked my head, ¡°How sweet of you. You¡¯re such a good person, how did I never notice this side of you before?¡± She went silent, shrinking in her seat. I snapped my fingers, and a spark flew from them that she thankfully didn¡¯t notice, ¡°Oh, right! Cause you were on their side. If I remember correctly, it was your job to take pictures of me after they were done beating me. You even joined in a few times if I recall.¡± She had nothing to say to that. ¡°I wonder where this compassion and mercy was back then.¡± I continued. The sarcastic upturn of my lips dropped into a scoff, ¡°You have a choice here, Kirstin. Either get the information I need to have them arrested and locked up for the rest of their lives, or let me deal with them as I see fit. So, what will it be?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the information you need¡­¡± She mumbled, her head bowed. Another long silence passed. Wordlessly, we both began to get our things together. She gathered all the papers on the table together while I transferred all the files on the flashdrive to my laptop. When I was done, she handed me the papers and I put them in my bag. Finally, I got to my feet, and walked to the door. With my hand on the knob, I sighed and turned to her, ¡°I¡¯m not angry at you, I just don¡¯t need anyone trying to hold me back. I know what I went through, and you do too. I get that they¡¯re our mates and that means something to you, but it holds no significance for me. Harry¡¯s still the same person that abused me and threw you to the wayside for Kylie of all people. And Callum¡¯s still the same coward that joined in with the torment and rejected me for them.¡± She lifted her head, meeting my eyes, ¡°I know you think it¡¯s weak and stupid of me, but I still care about Harry as my mate. I want to hurt him, but not as much as you do, and my instincts are telling me to protect him from you because of that. And Callum¡¯s biggest crime is being an impressionable fool.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I do think it¡¯s weak and stupid.¡± Her head lowered again. ¡°But since he¡¯s your mate,¡± I continued, ¡°I¡¯ll allow you to pick his punishment.¡± She perked back up. I held up a finger, ¡°On one condition. Make sure whatever you choose does not deny me the satisfaction of his suffering. Our next meeting will be on the thirty-first of March, so I suggest you use the time we have till then to come up with multiple ways we can deal with him, because I¡¯ll veto the ones that don¡¯t satisfy me. Is that better?¡± She nodded. I turned to leave. ¡°And Callum?¡± She called before I could open the door. The doorknob began to heat up, so I let go of it before it could start melting. I took a breath, ¡°What about him?¡± ¡°Whatever punishment you have in mind for him doesn¡¯t fit his crimes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that.¡± I spat, then left. I refused to think as I made my way back home on autopilot. Before I knew it, I¡¯d finished unloading all the documents in my study room and was sitting on my bed. ¡®Nat¡­¡¯ Cany said carefully. ¡®Yes?¡¯ ¡®What happened back there?¡¯ I groaned, letting myself fall back into the bed, ¡®We had a difference in opinion.¡¯ ¡®That was more than just a difference in opinion, Nat. You were threatening, and menacing and almost cruel. She was terrified of you at some point.¡¯ ¡®Good.¡¯ I huffed, ¡®I¡¯m not here to play with those bastards and she¡¯s letting her feelings for an asshole that rejected her cloud her judgement. If she wasn¡¯t willing to hurt him, she shouldn¡¯t have sought me out.¡¯ Truth be told, I had no clue what¡¯d come over me. Part of me had relished in seeing her shrink away from me, and I had no idea where that part had come from. ¡®You once told me that obsessive paranoia would make us no better than the Lightwood Pack. Well, cruelty will definitely bring us down to their level.¡¯ I knew she was right, but when I thought of everything they¡¯d subjected me to, of everything I¡¯d had to overcome and would still need to face because of the lingering effects of what they¡¯d done to me, I didn¡¯t want to be better. I wanted to drag them to hell. But I didn¡¯t tell her that. Instead, I said, ¡®I know, you¡¯re right.¡¯ I¡¯d planned to start visiting more packs after Christmas, but I didn¡¯t want my fire to act up and cause any issues, so over the next couple of days, my hours were filled with trying to practice my new abilities with Kaesha. She really was a great teacher, but conjuring the fire on my own still proved difficult. Though, I was making headway with being able to handle the sudden outbursts of flames whenever I got emotional. And paying attention to the patterns so far told me that I needed to pay closer attention to my feelings of panic and anger in particular. I¡¯d thought that was all I could work on for the moment, but then Mrs Burton had given me a piece of advice when she¡¯d seen my Uncovered state after I¡¯d briefly dropped by on Christmas between celebrating with my friends. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how happy this makes me.¡± She¡¯d said tearfully as she embraced me. ¡°I¡¯m glad I got to Uncover too.¡± I told her once she let me go. She held my crested hand in hers, looking at the markings with what I could only describe as joy, ¡°I almost didn¡¯t believe it when one of your guards told me when it happened. I thought you said you were a Werewolf though? And the day you Uncovered wasn¡¯t your birthday.¡± I nodded and shrugged, ¡°I am. I Uncovered and got my first shift on the same day. It was a lot to handle, but I¡¯m managing. As for my birthday, I have no idea what happened, but the most logical explanation is that December twenty-first is my actual birthday. I have no idea why my mom would have lied to me about it though.¡± ¡°December twenty-first?¡± I nodded. Awe and unease melded on her face, ¡°How haven¡¯t I thought of this for months? I was so occupied by the news of your return that I didn¡¯t even stop to consider the dates. It makes sense now, December twenty-first was the first day of The Jam. And it was the day Syrenlina was made. The first Queen needed several celestial events to align, to meet the conditions needed to create Syrenlina, and the winter solstice was one of the most important ones, because it gave a stable start for the world¡¯s seasonal cycle. It would make sense for your mother to lie to you about your birthdate if she didn¡¯t want the wrong person figuring that out.¡± My mom hadn¡¯t told me much about the circumstances around my birth before she¡¯d disappeared. The only reason I even knew about the disgusting details of my conception was because Clark had used it to taunt me years ago, and another adult in the pack had confirmed it. ¡°It would be best for you to keep the lie up in the Syren School, so that your classmates don¡¯t get suspicious of your lineage, and don¡¯t forget to use the powder on your crest so they don¡¯t see it.¡± I nodded, ¡°I won¡¯t let them find out.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. She returned the nod, ¡°Good. Your hair is so beautiful, but it isn¡¯t the usual black with just one additional colour like most Syrens. And your eyes are already a bit out of the ordinary, but hopefully, both can be explained away by your Werewolf side making your Syren traits present themselves differently. Do you know what your Special Ability is?¡± My hand went to my fire mark on my wrist, ¡°I have two Special Ability marks. I know one of them is for fire, and I assume the other is for snow or ice or something, but I haven¡¯t manifested it yet.¡± Her hand wandered to her chin, ¡°They seem so contradictory, and nobody¡¯s had a fire related ability for a while. The closest we¡¯ve seen is light. We usually don¡¯t get such destructive abilities. How are you handling it?¡± I felt like I grew more out of the ordinary with every new thing she told me. ¡°The other ability hasn¡¯t manifested yet, so I don¡¯t know how it¡¯ll be. The fire seems to be triggered mostly by panic and anger but I¡¯ve been practicing it at home. What I wish I could get a handle on is the allure. I¡¯ve had groups of men and even some women follow me around more than once.¡± She laughed, ¡°It¡¯s to be expected. A lot of Syrens have the innate ability to remain unseen by others, kind of like going invisible to those who aren¡¯t aware of you. Not everyone can do it, and those that can can¡¯t really explain how they manage to, but it¡¯s worth giving a shot. Though once people notice you, your allure will be in effect, but it could help.¡± My mind was taken back to Hailey¡¯s concerns when we¡¯d visited the Pine River Pack some months ago, about how she felt like I¡¯d gone invisible. ¡®Maybe the dangerous and stressful conditions of being in the Lightwood Pack made you manifest it early to help avoid some situations.¡¯ Candy theorised. That could have been it. I believed the same of some of my Werewolf traits like my hearing and speed manifesting long before my first shift, even though they¡¯d increased since then. ¡°Thank you, Mrs Burton, I¡¯ll try that.¡± After a few minutes of more discussion and wishing each other a merry Christmas, I returned to my celebration with my friends to exchange gifts. Trevor and Greg had given me strange looks and commented on my sudden growth spurt, but they were apparently used to me enough for my allure to not have much of an effect. As for Timothy, besides a sarcastic comment about me finally not counting as a midget, he was completely unfazed by my changes. Of everyone present, the one who took the most issue with my new self was the person least welcome: Keily. ¡°Oops.¡± She said prematurely, as she tipped her glass of eggnog in my direction. I sidestepped her, and the eggnog ended up on the floor instead. I was glad we were in the kitchen, cause I¡¯d make her clean the carpet if she messed it up. Trevor and Greg had begged me to let her join the celebration. Their regular Christmas tradition had included both Hailey and Keily for years, but they¡¯d insisted on celebrating with me too. I was hosting the festivities, so it went without saying that Kaesha and Timothy would attend, but I hadn¡¯t wanted Keily anywhere near me and they knew it. After hours and hours of their pleading and promising that they¡¯d keep her on her best behaviour, I¡¯d finally agreed. Unfortunately, I found myself alone with her in my kitchen again, and she most definitely wasn¡¯t on anything resembling good behaviour. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend.¡± I rolled my eyes, retrieving a mop and handing it to her. Her nose wrinkled and she looked from my face to the outstretched mop then back again, ¡°You expect me to clean that up?¡± I re-extended the mop in response. ¡°You¡¯re the host, you clean it up.¡± ¡°You practically threw it at me.¡± She huffed, folding her arms, ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate you accusing me like this. Maybe all the growing you¡¯ve done took away the energy your brain needs to think.¡± I could feel my annoyance growing, along with the heat in my hands. Despite how much I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t just set her on fire, so I opted to mop the mess up myself instead. Continuing to go back and forth with her would only anger me. She watched me as I cleaned up, which I ignored. When I¡¯d finished and returned the mop, she decided to speak again. ¡°You¡¯re really something, getting all that surgery. And it makes you look like even more of a skank.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t get taller from surgery. I just grew.¡± She scoffed, ¡°As if anyone believes that. I bet you used your mommy¡¯s money to give yourself some enhancements.¡± ¡°As if you could tell a real body from a fake one.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not exactly a genuine person. Who knows what passes as real to you.¡± Her face twisted in a scowl, but I moved away from her before she could respond. Ignoring her, I turned one of the stovetop fires on to reheat one of the many dishes made for the festivities. As I carried one of the pots to place it over the fire, the flames jumped up to ten times their size, engulfing my hands and the pot. I placed the pot back on the counter and shut the gas off. ¡°You freak!¡± I turned to her, wondering what the hell she was on about now. She had one hand in her pocket and another was pointing an accusing finger at me, with a look of disbelief on her face. I rolled my eyes, ¡°What are you talking about now?¡± I could hear Trevor and Greg competing with Timothy in an eggnog chugging contest, and was tempted to yell for one of them to come and get Keily back on her leash. ¡°Your hands should have burns, you should have felt pain and screamed or something. But there¡¯s nothing!¡± I hadn¡¯t even noticed the pain, or rather, the lack thereof. My ability apparently made me fireproof, and it was just my luck that Keily was the one to witness it. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie, that fire was big enough to hurt you.¡± My eyes narrowed, ¡°You sound like you really wanted that to happen.¡± She went silent, and my gaze went to the hand in her pocket. Really noticing it now, it looked like she was holding a ball in there. She saw my gaze on her pocket and turned away. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re the freak here, Keily.¡± She turned back to me, her expression the most vicious I¡¯d ever seen her, ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± ¡°How did you get the fire so big? You were nowhere near it.¡± ¡°It must have been an overflow of gas.¡± She couldn¡¯t even lie decently. I took a step towards her, ¡°But you knew. And you wanted it to hurt me.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just your karma. Things were fine till you started hanging around Greg again.¡± What was with her? Her obsession with Greg was way past the point of being unhealthy, it was dangerous. Enough for her to try to have me burned. ¡°They begged me for forgiveness after the shit you pulled, remember?¡± She scoffed, her nose in the air, ¡°I don¡¯t recall.¡± ¡°Keep testing me, and I¡¯ll be happy to give you a reminder. And I won¡¯t let them stop me this time.¡± I snarled, temperature rising. A throat cleared and we turned our attention to the person. Hailey was leaning on the kitchen entrance, her arms folded, ¡°Do you have to do this every time?¡± ¡°Buzz off, this is none of your business. And I didn¡¯t even do anything, she¡¯s the one threatening me.¡± ¡°Quit lying. I can see the Fae Orb through your pocket.¡± Keily¡¯s eyes went wide and she glanced at me conspiratorially, before staring at Hailey in disbelief. ¡°I wish you¡¯d just get over yourself. You¡¯re not the only different one, Keily.¡± Hailey had pondered revealing the fact that she was a Werewolf to Keily a few times, but I hadn¡¯t thought she¡¯d do it so soon. She¡¯d been home more often in the past few days, so I guess Keily and her mom had gotten on her nerves enough to make her talk. Keily fumed, her indignation flaring, ¡°How dare you? You don¡¯t know-¡± Hailey cut her off, ¡°What you go through. Yes, yes, life must be so hard as a Seer, what with your visions and all.¡± She rolled her eyes, ¡°You¡¯re not a Natural Seer, so you don¡¯t even get visions that often.¡± Keily was speechless. ¡°You¡¯ve hated her from the moment we met her, and I really have no idea why. You just seem to be awful with sisters it seems.¡± Hailey continued, pushing herself off the frame and moving closer to her dumbfounded sister, ¡°Greg and Trevor may have had crushes on her in the beginning, but I think they see her more like a sister now, so I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re worried about. Plus, she has way more important things to do then get into a relationship right now. And all that aside, he¡¯s not yours. You¡¯ve got a boyfriend, for fuck¡¯s sake.¡± Keily went on another tirade, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! She¡¯s been throwing herself at him, even pretending to be mad so he¡¯d beg for her forgiveness and want to be around her more. And she¡¯s even got you fooled. I can¡¯t believe- wait.¡± Her eyes moved from Hailey to me then back again, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®sisters¡¯?¡± ¡°Unfortunately,¡± I shrugged, ¡°We share the same father.¡± She was speechless again. Seconds passed, then she burst out laughing. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fucking rich! Don¡¯t tell me you believe this skank¡¯s lies. Is that why you¡¯ve been following her around like a lost puppy? Cause you think you her saying we¡¯re family will somehow make her the one person related to us that doesn¡¯t like me more?¡± Hailey and I shared a look. I shrugged and gestured for her to handle it. I didn¡¯t mind Keily knowing we were related, or even that I was a Werewolf. I just didn¡¯t want her knowing I was a Syren. ¡°Basically, our father is a Werewolf. He¡¯s an asshole alpha of some pack in Florida. He had a one night stand with mom and forced himself on Ari¡¯s mom, so we¡¯re her half-sisters. We also have another set of twin siblings, his legitimate son and daughter. Ari escaped his abuse and somehow met us by coincidence through Trevor.¡± Keily¡¯s nose wrinkled again, and she looked at me with disgust, ¡°So, she¡¯s a Werewolf?¡± Hailey moved next to me and crossed her arms, ¡°Yes, we are. Mom just never let me say anything cause she hates Werewolves, and she apparently passed it down to you.¡± ¡°Well, that explains all the chains.¡± She pointed at me, ¡°But I don¡¯t believe that I¡¯m related to her.¡± Showing her my special ability marks would be the simplest way to prove it, but I had no intention of letting her of all people in on my Syren secret, ¡°I can have a blood test done, but I don¡¯t care either way. The point is, I don¡¯t want Greg, or anything to do with you really, aside from being in Hailey¡¯s life.¡± ¡°Not like I¡¯ll buy that, but whatever. Just keep your dirty paws away from me.¡± ¡°Gladly.¡± I sneered, ¡°Now get out of my kitchen.¡± She finally left and I released a sigh. Dealing with her always left me in a bad mood. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ari.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I¡¯ll always commend you for living with her for seventeen years and not going crazy.¡± She shrugged, ¡°I might be and just not know it.¡± We laughed at the thought. ¡°Come on.¡± I said, picking up the yule log cake, ¡°Let¡¯s make it through today, then we won¡¯t have to see her for the rest of the holidays.¡± She smiled, ¡°I like the sound of that. After all, what¡¯s the holidays without dealing with family members you don¡¯t like?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Chapter 60 - Uncovering Side Effects Natalia¡¯s P. O. V The winter break had given us the opportunity to visit three packs. The first one, a micropack close to Canada that very much still bore the effects of the Lightwood pack¡¯s sabotage, had gone over smoothy. Up until the point that one of the guys took notice of me, then proceeded to follow me around, which drew the attention of others to me. One of the younger guys had even mistaken the feeling of attraction to me for the feeling of finding his mate. It had taken baring my fangs and Hailey shooing them off to get them to leave me alone. During our visit to the second pack, Kaesha had cast a spell to keep me invisible, so the visit went better than with the first. Timothy had suggested we use that spell going forward with the rest of the visits, but I didn¡¯t want to. I was going to be the Alpha of our pack, and I wanted most of the leaders of the packs we visited to have at least seen me, even if not all of them. We tried the third visit without using Kaesha¡¯s magic. It didn¡¯t go nearly as chaotic as the first, but I still ended up drawing the attention of three guys, one of which had a mate that didn¡¯t appreciate the fact that his attention was wandering. When she spoke to me face to face though, she¡¯d said she understood why he was so taken, and explained that they were chosen mates for each other, cause both their original mates had died. By the time the semester was about to start, I was tired of being around people. Back from our trip, I was unpacking in my room when I passed my vanity mirror and caught sight of my reflection. Then it dawned on me. ¡®How am I gonna explain all this at the Syren School?¡¯ ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ I gestured to my reflection, ¡®I told them I¡¯m a Werewolf. I mean, I am, but you can¡¯t be both under normal circumstances. Aubrey will never let me hear the end of this. And Lucy and Jenna already know for a fact that I¡¯m a Werewolf.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re right¡­ What are you gonna do?¡¯ I ran a hand through my hair. I knew that Mrs Burton had mentioned it when I visited, but I hadn¡¯t thought about actually dealing with the people I went to school with. The Syren School resumed a few days before Killdrain, so I¡¯d have to face them first. This was what I got for mixing parts of my life that needed to stay separate. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll just have to make up something about my genes getting my traits messed up and hope for the best. Hopefully, not many people will notice.¡¯ People noticed. I¡¯d visited the main office in the morning to get my Special Abilities class assignment but hadn¡¯t stuck around in order to avoid people seeing me. But I couldn¡¯t skip my afternoon classes. I could feel all the eyes following me as I walked to my first class. People that weren¡¯t in any of my classes and had probably never heard of me were gawking as I passed. My hands and face warmed under their gaze so I decided to redirect my eyes to the floor. Explaining my genes was gonna be hard enough without the apparent strangeness of my hair and eyes. When I walked into my first class, all heads slowly turned to me. Jenna and Lucy were already there. Jenna, who was perched on a table and facing the door, noticed me first and stopped mid-sentence. Lucy followed her gaze and turned to look at me. I took a breath and walked up to them. When I reached them, we just ended up looking at each other. They stared, confused and silent, while I shifted my weight, turning my words over in my head. My voice was small when I finally spoke, ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Hi¡­¡± Jenna said slowly. Lucy continued to gape at me. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the Werewolf.¡± Aubrey announced. I sighed to settle my temperature, then turned to face her. ¡°Looks like someone¡¯s got an identity crisis.¡± She continued, ¡°Either you were just lying for the attention of being different, or you just dyed your hair and put contacts on so you can fit in here. Either way, I think it¡¯s cute that you¡¯re so insecure.¡± ¡°Are you serious Aubrey?¡± Jenna groaned, sounding bored, ¡°She changed in more ways than just her hair and eyes, she¡¯s obviously a Syren. She probably just got some Werewolf traits first and thought that she was one. It¡¯s not like Syren-Werewolf hybrids are common, so you can¡¯t really tell how the genes mix anyway.¡± I thanked whatever power for the fact that Jenna had come to that conclusion. Aubrey flipped her green hair, ¡°How confused do you have to be to not know what you are?¡± ¡°Can you go away now?¡± I snapped, ¡°I thought I was a Werewolf, but I¡¯m a Syren. We get it, you¡¯ve made your point. Excuse me for thinking my brown hair excluded me from being a Syren.¡± She blinked, then scoffed and turned on her heel to return to her seat. I glared at the other people still staring, and they returned to their previous activities and conversations. With everyone¡¯s gaze finally off me, I faced Lucy and Jenna. They squealed and captured me in a hug. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you Uncovered! Oh my gosh!¡± Lucy grinned, ¡°And your hair is so cool! Syrens should be with Werewolves more if this is the result.¡± ¡°I know, right!¡± Jenna agreed, ¡°Your eyes are like, luminescent. And don¡¯t get me started on the body. You must be fighting men off with a stick.¡± I laughed, ¡°Something like that, yeah.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Lucy perked up, ¡°You have to show us your Special Ability after school.¡± ¡°Ugh, yes!¡± I laughed, my nerves easing with their excitement. ¡°Good afternoon class.¡± The Inter-species Relations teacher said as he walked in. We all took our seats as he placed his bag on the table in front of the class, ¡°Shall we begin?¡± The classes couldn¡¯t end quick enough. Mrs Grandale even paused Syren History class to point out my Uncovering in front of everyone. Special Abilities was the last class of the day, and if I could get through the day without setting anyone or anything on fire, I¡¯d count it as a win. The classroom was much larger than any other I¡¯d been in, with a high ceiling and massive windows. I took my things to one of the empty ones of the eight tables in the room. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°I see we¡¯ve got a few new faces.¡± The teacher smiled warmly as she walked in, ¡°My name is Miss Asa. Would you mind standing up and introducing yourselves? Tell us your names and a little bit about your abilities.¡± Out of the six of us present, only two of us stood up. ¡°Hi, my name is Emily, and my ability lets me hear diseases and illnesses. They sorta whisper to me and they all sound different and have different volumes.¡± ¡°What an interesting ability.¡± Miss Asa appeared completely unfazed, while I was wondering how she could stand to be near hospitals or the elderly. Then she turned to me, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Um,¡± I began, ¡°My name is Natalia. My ability lets me produce fire and apparently makes me fireproof. I have another special ability mark that I think depicts ice or snow or something along those lines, but it hasn¡¯t manifested yet.¡± Miss Asa clapped her hands together, ¡°Wonderful, you may take your seats. As some of you may know, the school sorts students into their Special Ability classes based on the subject of your ability, as well as the uniqueness and danger level it could pose to others. To save time, let me introduce our old students.¡± She went around the class, gesturing to the other four students and talking about their abilities. The two girls, Poppy and Holly, seated at the two tables in the front of the room were twins, and had the abilities to turn the things they touched to stone and sand respectively, so they wore enchanted gloves to avoid destroying everything around them. The guy at the table behind the space between the twins was named Oliver and his voice produced vibrations that caused headaches and possibly worse effects whenever he said or sang anything, so he mainly communicated through sign language and a small whiteboard and marker he carried with him. To his left was Kimberly, and she had the ability to make people descend into madness the longer they looked into her eyes, so she wore special blindfolds that let her see through them. The class basically consisted of working through our abilities. Kimberly was given several birds and small animals to practice on, Oliver was humming and whispering in a soundproof closet, Emily was given a few test rats for mild diseases that the school had been able to procure, and the twins were basically disintegrating and petrifying small toys and objects. I looked at the things on my table. I¡¯d been given several sticks and a basin of water. Setting the sticks on fire was simple enough, but I hadn¡¯t been able to produce anything besides that, so I just used the water to put the flames out. Miss Asa¡¯s role seemed to be to watch over us and ensure that we didn¡¯t harm ourselves or each other, but most of our abilities weren¡¯t strong enough to do much damage. Some of the objects given to the twins were too big for them to completely affect with one touch, and a few of the animals were able to resist Kimberly¡¯s ability or revert back to a state of normalcy after a while. The tension leaked out of my body as the last bell chimed. I was interested in getting my flames to be bigger, but I¡¯d been too scared of setting things I wasn¡¯t supposed to on fire. Jenna and Lucy were waiting for me in front of the building. True to their word, they made me show them my ability, so I lit a little flame above my index finger. ¡°There are a lot of elemental abilities, but I¡¯ve never seen fire.¡± Jenna commented after I¡¯d put the flame out. ¡°Seems like it. How many people are in your class? Cause there are just six of us in mine.¡± ¡°We started out with twenty-three, but we ended up splitting the class into groups cause it was a lot for one teacher to handle so many emotion abilities.¡± Lucy groaned, looking between Jenna and I, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to Uncover. I wonder what I¡¯ll get.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your birthday¡¯s just in a week. And your parents seem to be plant based, so you¡¯ll probably have something related to that.¡± Lucy pulled a face, ¡°Ugh, then I might end up in the same group as Aubrey.¡± Jenna laughed, ¡°There are like five plant and earth groups, that a one-out-five chance. I¡¯d say your odds are good.¡± I wondered what my mom¡¯s special ability had been. The idea of abilities being hereditary made sense, but I couldn¡¯t imagine my mom wielding something like fire. Lucy threw her gaze to the sky and clasped her hands together, ¡°Oh, Rebekah! Please don¡¯t let me end up in the same group as Aubrey.¡± Hearing the name of my ancestor like that made me cock my head, ¡°Rebekah?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the name of the Syren that created our world, Syrenlina.¡± Lucy explained, ¡°We learned about her is Syren History class.¡± ¡°I know, but you used her name the way Werewolves use La Luna, or humans use God.¡± ¡°Oh that.¡± Lucy said then shrugged, ¡°She¡¯s kinda like a hero or deity to us in that sense, I guess. She made the world that kept us safe from Vampires.¡± Jenna nodded, ¡°Yeah. Though we don¡¯t really use her name like that too often, and we all know that she was a Syren like us. But doing something that impactful gets you remembered.¡± ¡°I wonder how the new princess will be remembered.¡± Lucy mused. ¡°I wonder that too.¡± Jenna sighed, ¡°According to my parents, everyone but Mrs Burton has basically been blackballed from seeing her, and she wants to remain anonymous for like four years. Apparently, she needs time to acclimate to being a Syren. They just get updates about her from Mrs Burton.¡± ¡°Really? What have they said?¡± I asked. ¡°So far, just that she¡¯s attending our school and she Uncovered over the Christmas break. They haven¡¯t been told what her ability is though.¡± ¡°I wonder if we know her.¡± Lucy looked around the courtyard, at the other students talking in their own friend groups, ¡°There were a few people that Uncovered over the break.¡± Then she looked at me, ¡°Including you, Natalia.¡± I laughed, the lie rolling off my tongue, ¡°I wish I were a long lost princess, but my birthday¡¯s in October, remember? My Uncovering was just delayed. Plus, I doubt a princess would have Werewolf genes.¡± ¡°True¡­ I guess we¡¯ll just have to wait till the princess is ready.¡± ¡°I just hope she isn¡¯t anything like Aubrey.¡± Jenna said, ¡°We¡¯ll probably be working together in the future and I cannot deal with the thought of having another Aubrey in Court.¡± Lucy and I laughed. ¡°I guess I¡¯m not the only one that needs a favour from Rebekah.¡± Resuming classes at Killdrain was easier in some ways and harder in others. I didn¡¯t really have to explain my biology to anyone, but the fear of what my allure would do had me shrinking in the back corner of all my classes. I even stayed away from Annya and the others till our classes were over. ¡°Hey.¡± I waved as I approached them. ¡°Hey- girl, look at you!¡± Ada grinned, ¡°What happened? You¡¯re taller and all sexy looking.¡± ¡°Did you get some work done?¡± Beth asked. I laughed and shook my head, ¡°I guess I¡¯m just a late bloomer.¡± Annya eyes bored into me with an intensity reminiscent of what I¡¯d felt from Danny. I bristled. Apprehension filled me, accompanied by heat and the straining of my hairs against my neck. We stared at each other for too long. Ada and Beth were looking between us and at each other with worry, but for some reason, I dare not take my eyes of her. ¡°You look¡­ different.¡± Annya said finally. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Are you two alright? Is there some beef here that we don¡¯t know about?¡± Ada asked. Annya perked up, her usual perfect smile taking over her face, ¡°Oh no. I was just so surprised, and a little jealous to be honest. I mean, look at you Ava. You were beautiful before but you¡¯re somehow more stunning now.¡± I hoped my smile wasn¡¯t uneasy, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Well, Nathaniel and I have a date so I must be going now. See you guys later.¡± She said then breezed away. Ada, Beth and I were left blinking after her. They shared a look and shrugged, then we said our own goodbyes. By the time my day was over, and I was making myself dinner, my mind wandered back to the encounter. ¡®There¡¯s something Danny and Annya share, and whatever it is, isn¡¯t good for you.¡¯ Candy stated I turned he fire down and twirled the wooden spoon in my hands, ¡®I know, but why wasn¡¯t I feel this before?¡¯ ¡®The major difference between your encounters with them before and now is the fact that you¡¯ve Uncovered and shifted.¡¯ She was right, but something didn¡¯t add up, ¡®I Uncovered the day we had our sleepover, but Annya didn¡¯t react like that then. Why now?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know¡­¡¯ We were silent, mulling it over in our shared mind space. Suddenly, it clicked and I put down the wooden spoon I was holding, ¡®Kaesha used her magic on me right after I Uncovered. That¡¯s different from using the concealment kit, so maybe that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t react that way that day.¡¯ Candy made a sound of agreement, ¡®That could be it. But we still need to know what it is about them that makes you react so viscerally.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know, but I hope it doesn¡¯t pit us against each other.¡¯ I guess this was a side effect of Uncovering. Chapter 61 - Time Flies Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I was undoubtedly busier for the rest of the school year. Between practicing my ability, fine tuning strategy with Timothy, trying to squeeze in a pack visit on freer weekends, and maintaining my grades at Killdrain and the Syren school, I had less time to just stop and think. Even though spring break was supposed to be relaxing, I somehow managed to cram four pack visits into the measly nine free days we had. The effects of my overplanning showed in the final visit, when most of us were too tired to put our best foot forward, so the pack rejected our proposition. Birthdays and meetings and tests and mid-terms passed quickly, and it was already the end of March before I knew it. I sat across from Kirstin again, my arm draped over the armrest of my chair. We¡¯d already given each other updates on both our ends, and were at the part of the meeting where we tried to compromise on her mate¡¯s fate. As she shifted in her seat and fidgeted with the paper in her hands, it felt like I was looking down at her again. After the long silence, it was clear that I wasn¡¯t going to start the topic, so she began. ¡°I thought about what you told me to.¡± She began. I raised a brow and she continued. ¡°His ego and pride are bigger than the moon. I was thinking that we could humiliate him on such a grand scale that it bursts his inflated ego.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°We could promise Kylie mercy in exchange for spilling his embarrassing moments and expose them. We won¡¯t actually show her mercy though.¡± I rested my face on my knuckles, ¡°You want us to embarrass him as a punishment?¡± She might as well have suggested we pull his pants down in front of everyone or something equally as juvenile, ¡°Is that all?¡± The apprehension on her face sank into dread, and her hands fidgeted more, ¡°N-no. I know you hate Alpha Clark Lightwood too, so I thought of the option of forcing Harry to be the one to maim his father.¡± The thought of anyone else honing in on my kill nearly made me snarl. It would be a nice touch, to have what Clark thought would be the carrier of his legacy be the one to torture him, but any poetic justice I was looking for didn¡¯t extend to him. I wanted to hear his screams of pain and know that I was the cause. I shook my head, ¡°Clark is mine. Something else.¡± ¡°We can make him hurt Kylie.¡± She sounded a bit more cheerful giving that suggestion. I chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s not bad, but that¡¯s more of a punishment for Kylie than him.¡± She went quiet, her eyes moving back and forth as she searched for more ways to harm someone she cared about. After a few seconds of drawing a blank, I made my suggestion. ¡°Cut off his tail and one of his balls.¡± The blood drained from her face. Slowly, she dragged her eyes to me and gaped at me with horror, a single word clawing its way out, ¡°What¡­?¡± I rested my cheek back on my knuckles, ¡°It makes sense, doesn¡¯t it? He sleeps with anything with a skirt on. A dog like that would¡¯ve been neutered, so why not him?¡± She blinked at me and I shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s just one ball, he¡¯ll still be able to use the other with you if you still want him somewhere down the line. And it¡¯ll be a good way to keep him in line.¡± I didn¡¯t need to say the weight cutting off his tail held. A tailless wolf was a usually an outcasted pariah, regarded even less favorably than Rogues. The only exception to the stigma of being tailless was if the tail had been lost to an accident or had been unjustly severed, in which case the pack was bound to support the wolf that had been victim to that. And if the pack was negligent of caring for the wolf, they could file to be under the care of the Royal Werewolves. And none of them would even remotely qualify for such protection once I was through with them. Her aversion the suggestion screamed through her silence. I nurtured the silence, allowing her to process the riot that was no doubt taking place in her head. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Just one.¡± She said finally, in a voice that sounded ready to cave in on itself, ¡°We sever just one, either his tail or a ball.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll let you choose which one goes when the time comes.¡± She balked again, and it took me a second to realize that she thought I expected her to be the one to maim him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t have to hurt a hair on his head yourself.¡± I chuckled. Relief gave her breath weight as she exhaled. Either one she chose was fine with me, as long as she didn¡¯t try to circumvent it altogether somewhere down the line. May was fast approaching and along with it, finals. Spring was in full swing and we were all gearing up for and stressing out about the pending exams. It was while Kaesha, Hailey and I were sitting in my library that I got the long-awaited message from Timothy. The words ¡°Our territory is complete¡± popped up in a notification on my phone. I put the screen off and glanced at Hailey without moving my head. She was immersed in what she was doing, studying with a look of laser focus on her face. She¡¯d been talking for weeks about wanting to do better in these finals than the first and second ones of the session. ¡°I¡¯m off to the bathroom.¡± I said, then got up and left, taking my phone with me, I went to my room then to my bathroom. Perched on the sink, I texted Timothy. ¡°When will you be returning?¡± ¡°There are still some minor brush ups, so probably at the end of May.¡± ¡°I thought you said it was done.¡± ¡°The main infrastructure is done. All the buildings, water and drainage system, electricity and whatever. We just need to paint a few things.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I looked up from my phone. Finals would be over by the end of May, so that would give Hailey enough time to focus. I flushed the toilet and put the faucet on then continued. ¡°Thank you for everything. Let me know when you¡¯re ready to come back so I can book a flight for you.¡± ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± I turned the faucet off and returned to the library. ¡®Won¡¯t it be best to let her know so she can prepare herself.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want her to get distracted.¡¯ I responded to Candy without taking my eyes off the textbook in front of me, ¡®She¡¯s been saying how much she really wants to do better in these finals and I don¡¯t want to give her news that¡¯ll upend her. Besides, he¡¯s returning at the end of May and finals end in the third week. That¡¯s a week notice.¡¯ ¡®If you really think so. I just hope you don¡¯t forget to tell her. I¡¯d hate for her to have to deal with him suddenly returning.¡¯ I glanced at Hailey. She was so focused that she didn¡¯t even notice. I didn¡¯t want to imagine how thrown she¡¯d be if Timothy suddenly reappeared with no warning. Not to mention the cute guy she spent the half of her time that she wasn¡¯t with me studying with. ¡®I won¡¯t forget.¡¯ But I did, in fact, forget. In the middle of the second week of our finals, Timothy told me the date to book his return flight for. I completed that for him and didn¡¯t think about the topic of his return for the rest of the month. The Syren school was offering extra classes after exams for those who wanted to work more on their abilities, so my time was taken by that as soon as all my exams were over. I returned home after one of the extra classes, groceries in hand, to find Hailey storming out of my house, Timothy right on her heels. ¡°Get away from me!¡± She almost screamed, breezing right past me. ¡°Sunshine, please.¡± His hand was stretched out to her, his fingers nearly brushing her wrist by a hair¡¯s breadth. She whipped around and expanded the distance between them, ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®sunshine¡¯ me. Don¡¯t ever talk to me about this,¡± She gestured aggressively between the two of them, ¡°again.¡± ¡°Fuck, Hailey!¡± He ran his hands over his face, ¡°It¡¯s been almost a year, and I can¡¯t get you out of my fucking head. I just wanted to try and clear all this up.¡± She let out a sound that sounded like a cross between a groan and a scream, ¡°I can¡¯t do this with you!¡± Her face was crumpled in a mixture of angst, anger and anguish, tears flowing freely down her face. But her glare remained venomous as she stared him down. ¡°You ran off! You told me that we could never be anything! You decided that it¡¯d be better to get yourself on some far-off assignment than be here around me! You did this! You do not get to waltz back in when I¡¯m finally learning how to not think of you. I finally let myself like someone else, and you just had to come and ruin it! And it¡¯s not like you¡¯re even gonna be with me, so I don¡¯t know what the hell you want to clear all this up for.¡± With every statement, she¡¯d stalked closer to him, and by the time she was done talking, they were chest to chest. Their deep, ragged breaths heaved their chests as they stared each other down and filled the atmosphere with their errant, electric emotions. This felt like something my eyes shouldn¡¯t be privy to. I cleared my throat and their heads jerked to look at me, startled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot to tell you he was coming.¡± I said softly. Her expression barely softened, and her response was hard, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I left something at Killdrain. Bye.¡± She turned on her heel and sped off, not caring who saw her as she ran. Timothy and I were left staring after her, till she left our view. Wordlessly, Timothy took the groceries I¡¯d been holding and returned to the house. I spared another glance in Hailey¡¯s direction. ¡®This is bad.¡¯ I could hear the cringe of discomfort and remorse in Candy¡¯s voice. ¡®Yeah¡­¡¯ I should¡¯ve told her. Chapter 62 - Fallout Hailey¡¯s P. O. V I always found it tranquil whenever I was home alone at Ari¡¯s place. Kaesha was out at work, while Ari was taking her summer Special Abilities classes, so I had her mansion to myself. I would¡¯ve cooked something, but we were low on some ingredients, and Ari said she¡¯d take care of it on her way back, so I essentially had nothing to do. By now, my mom had stopped pestering me to come home, and even Keily had decided to steer clear of me since finding out we were related to Ari. She still latched onto Greg possessively whenever we were in a group setting, but, to my knowledge, she hadn¡¯t cornered Ari again. The tranquillity slowly soured into boredom as the hours ticked on. Having gotten to the end of yet another manhua while sprawled out on my bed, I groaned, ¡®I really need a summer project.¡¯ ¡®What about Kaelin? Can¡¯t he be your project?¡¯ Opelene teased. My face went warm, ¡®He¡¯s just a friend.¡¯ She made a sound that definitely said she didn¡¯t believe me. Kaelin was a friend. A good friend. I hadn¡¯t been able to see anyone in a romantic light since meeting he-who-shall-not-be-named. The lingering attraction I felt to him, even while despising him with my everything, got in the way of every other male interaction I even attempted to nurture. But Kaelin was different. We¡¯d met at the end of one of our shared lectures, after I¡¯d dropped something and he¡¯d picked it up for me. We were both heading for the library that day and had decided to walk and study together. Over time, he¡¯d really helped me out with a lot with some of my courses, and we¡¯d started hanging out outside of the college setting too. We¡¯d actually become genuinely good friends, and I was sure we might grow into something more if we kept spending time together. ¡°Do you think I should call him?¡± I wondered out loud. Even though we¡¯d seen each other in a few places off campus, it still felt weird asking to see him outside the pretext of studying. ¡®Oh no. Stew in your boredom and waste away to oblivion.¡¯ She drawled I rolled my eyes and opened up my phone app, but before I could call him, my phone rang with a call from him. My heart jumped and I fumbled with my phone, my normally superior grip slipping and nearly failing me. I could hear Opelene snickering in my head as I took a deep breath then answered. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hi.¡± I said, then cringed at how high pitched I sounded. ¡°What are you up to?¡± ¡°Nothing much, you?¡± ¡°Just finished helping my dad out at his shop.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice. What do you do?¡± From there, we spent nearly an hour on the phone. In that time, I¡¯d somehow rolled all over my bed, perched on the windowsill, descendingly sat on each step of the staircase and found myself lying upside down on a couch in the living room. ¡°So¡­¡± He said after we¡¯d settled down from laughing, ¡°I really enjoy your company and I¡¯d like to take you out, when do you think you¡¯ll be free?¡± My heart broke into a sprint and I couldn¡¯t contain the grin that spread out on my face, ¡°I like spending time with you too. I¡¯ll be free to go out tomorrow.¡± ¡°Great! How does seven sound?¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°Are you staying in the dorms or with your sister? So I can know where to pick you up from.¡± ¡°I¡¯m at my sister¡¯s place,¡± I caught myself twirling a lock of my hair then stopped, ¡°but you don¡¯t have to come pick me up, that¡¯ll be a long taxi ride. You can just tell me where to meet you.¡± I could hear the smile in his voice, ¡°That won¡¯t do, it¡¯s a surprise and I am a gentleman after all.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure of how Ari would feel about giving her address to someone she didn¡¯t really know, so I gave him the address of the mansion four houses over. I could always find a way to run over if I was late. It was obvious that I was enjoying the conversation way too much, because I didn¡¯t sense anyone approach till I heard the doorbell ring. ¡®Did Ari say she was expecting anyone?¡¯ I asked Opelene. Before she could respond, Tim¡¯s scent filled the air around me and my body froze. What was he doing here? The bell rang again and my feet carried me to the door. My limbs felt unlike my own as I stood there, with nothing but the white painted wood between us. ¡°Hailey? Are you there?¡± Kaelin called over the phone. I brought my phone back up to my ear, ¡°Sorry, I have to go. My sister just got a visitor.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Talk to you later, bye.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I hung up and put my phone in my pocket. ¡°Hailey?¡± The sound of my name carried by his voice seemed to pass through my body and into my bones, nearly making me shiver. My voice sounded barely there, shaking under my words, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I finished overseeing the repairs on our territory.¡± He paused, ¡°Ari knew I was coming, didn¡¯t she tell you?¡± ¡°She knew?¡± Why didn¡¯t she say anything? ¡°Yeah, told her over a month ago. She even booked my flight.¡± Of course she hadn¡¯t told me. Finals just ended and she¡¯d been one of my main study buddies. Knowing her, she¡¯d probably wanted to keep my focus on school and doing well in the exams, as I¡¯d expressed I wanted multiple times over the past few months. But still, I wished she¡¯d said something. Anything. Then I wouldn¡¯t be standing here, petrified of facing him. I watched my hands move in slow motion as they unlocked the door. As the door swung open, I knew it in my spirit that I could not handle seeing him, so as soon as the door was open, I spun on my heel and raced upstairs and to my room. I paced. And read. And listened to music. And stretched. And paced some more. Anything to distract me from the scent of him, from the knowledge of his presence in this house. I finally wore myself out enough to fall into a restless sleep, but was woken up to the sound of him knocking on my door. ¡°Sunshine?¡± I groaned. ¡°Can we talk?¡± ¡°No.¡± I huffed. ¡°Come on, Sunshine. Just hear me out and I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± I rolled my eyes and got to my feet. When I opened the door, I ignored the almost overwhelming desire to touch him and leaned on the doorframe, crossing my arms in a feeble attempt to put a barrier between us. Words seemed to fail him for a while, and he just gazed at me with a look I didn¡¯t have the self control to deal with. ¡°Well?¡± He inhaled, ¡°I want to fix this shit between us.¡± My eyes narrowed, ¡°Oh, do you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tryna build bridges here, Sunshine. I know we can¡¯t be together yet, but my meetings with Ari and the progress we¡¯ve made got me thinking. We might actually have a shot at taking those Lightwood bastards down, and I don¡¯t want us to still be at each other¡¯s throats after this is all over.¡± I placed a hand on my hip, ¡°So we can be together now?¡± ¡°Not right now, but-¡± ¡°Oh! Okay, I get it now. You want me to be on the hook for you till you¡¯re convinced it¡¯s safe for us to actually start acting like mates, right?¡± His hand moved, as if to run it through his hair in frustration, but he thought again and lowered it and settled on sighing, ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Sunshine.¡± ¡°Then what is it like?¡± He sighed again, running his hand down his face, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to keep you on the hook. I just want us to¡­ I don¡¯t know, not hate each other.¡± I crossed my arms, ¡°And what will we do with this non-hatred for each other?¡± ¡°Maybe not ruin everything just by being in the same room¡­? We haven¡¯t even been able to enjoy a holiday with Ari and Kaesha without fucking everything up.¡± Annoyance prickled at me. After all these months, now he was realising the need to be civil with each other. But in the meantime, he¡¯d rejected me in almost every way possible and refused to claim me. My mind screeched to a halt. That phrase¡­ ¡°claim me¡­¡± coming from my own thoughts, stemming from my own feelings. The realisation doused me like cold water, I was mad because he hadn¡¯t done just that, and that I wanted him to. And the notion that I had any desire to be his pissed me off all the more. I knew, he was just someone predetermined for me. We hadn¡¯t grown to know and care for each other over time, I¡¯d literally just been tossed into his path and we were somehow meant for each other. But some part of me, and not just one of Opelene¡¯s desires, wanted to be his. Reeling at the thought, I turned away from him, ¡°I can¡¯t deal with this, Tim.¡± ¡°Oh, but you can deal with Kaelin?¡± He near spat. Regret at the statement filled his face the moment the words passed his lips, but I didn¡¯t care. My gaze was on him again, eyes narrowed, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± He huffed, ¡°Nothing, Sunshine. Just seems like you¡¯ve been bonding real well since I was gone.¡± ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± ¡°Your mate.¡± He snapped. ¡°You were gone!¡± I could feel my blood begin to boil, ¡°You ran away! From me! What was I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Maybe not start giggling on the phone with some guy that¡¯s probably a fuck boy trying to get you.¡± ¡°Kaelin is not a fuck boy.¡± He rolled his eyes, ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m not a Werewolf. Just admit that you¡¯re fawning over the first pretty guy that looks your way, cause you can¡¯t do without the love of someone, and that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m here now, trying my fucking best to reach out to you. You don¡¯t need his ass.¡± His words just stoked the anger that was boiling my blood, and I could physically feel myself getting irritated with his very presence. I turned on my heel, sidestepping him and making my way to the stairs. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Away from you.¡± I spat. He followed me down the stairs, ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s talk about this.¡± With every second he was around, I wanted to scream. Reaching the base of the stairs, I put my shoes on and unlocked the door, ¡°Leave me alone.¡± I said through clenched teeth. He put his shoes on as well, following me outside, ¡°Not till we¡¯ve sorted this shit out.¡± ¡°Get away from me!¡± I almost screamed. ¡°Sunshine, please.¡± His hand was stretched out to me, his fingers nearly brushing my wrist. My skin prickled and I whipped around taking wide steps backwards, ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®sunshine¡¯ me. Don¡¯t ever talk to me about this,¡± I pointed my finger at the two of us, ¡°again.¡± ¡°Fuck, Hailey!¡± He ran his hands over his face, ¡°It¡¯s been almost a year, and I can¡¯t get you out of my fucking head. I just wanted to try and clear all this up.¡± The scream that had been rising in my throat finally burst out, wrapped in the most fed up groan I¡¯d ever heard myself, ¡°I can¡¯t do this with you!¡± Glaring at him with all the venom in the world, I barely noticed the tears flowing down my face, ¡°You ran off! You told me that we could never be anything! You decided that it¡¯d be better to get yourself on some far-off assignment than be here around me! You did this! You do not get to waltz back in when I¡¯m finally learning how to not think of you. I finally let myself like someone else, and you just had to come and ruin it! And it¡¯s not like you¡¯re even gonna be with me, so I don¡¯t know what the hell you want to clear all this up for.¡± With every sentence, I marched closer to him. I didn¡¯t even notice how close we were till I was done and we were standing chest to chest. My chest heaved with rage and a longing I wanted to squash as I stared him down. He only stared back at me, with a look that only made things all the more confusing. A throat cleared and our heads swiveled to see Ari standing there, holding groceries and looking immensely apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot to tell you he was coming.¡± She said softly. I just wanted to be away from him, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I left something at Killdrain. Bye.¡± I said curtly and turned on my heel. I ran as fast as I could, away from him and all his drama. Chapter 63 - Commence Phase Two Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I was at a loss for what to do. For the next few days, Timothy was a stoic mess, shuffling around the house with a pungent air of discontent. Hailey had refused to return since that day and had practically taken up permanent residence in her Killdrain dorm room. Save for when she¡¯d come to my neighbourhood to be picked up for her date with her crush, she¡¯d stayed as far away from my place as possible. As the days began to grow into a week, my worry for Hailey grew. While she seemed fine, every time I visited her, I could feel her grow harder and harder, like she was donning more and more armour around herself at every reminder of him. And he wasn¡¯t faring any better. Since most of the high level matters were left up to the two of us, I found myself having daily meetings with him to discuss our course of action, though Kaesha teleported over whenever she was free for them and Hailey occasionally joined in over the phone. Every time we met, he seemed to get more and more gloomy, the dark cloud hanging over him growing more melancholic and thunderous each day. Some days, he barely spoke, and others, it was all he could do to keep from snapping at everyone. A week after their fallout, I called a meeting for the creation of our pack. For this, I¡¯d been forced to iterate that Hailey¡¯s physical presence was required. So, by three pm on the dot, she shuffled in with all the enthusiasm of someone who wanted to be on the other side of the world. ¡°Thanks for making it.¡± I said as she took her seat. She smiled at Kaesha and I in greeting, ignoring Timothy altogether, ¡°So we¡¯re finally doing this, huh?¡± ¡°I know right.¡± Kaesha exhaled, reclining back in her spot on the couch, ¡°It¡¯s been what? Almost a year?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been nearly a year, and we¡¯re finally commencing phase two.¡± Hailey gave a little cheer, while Kaesha and Timothy offered proud smiles. ¡°So, are you finally gonna tell us what the name of our pack is gonna be? Or will you keep drawing out the suspense?¡± The pack name was something I hadn¡¯t thought too much about. It had popped up in my mind, but I¡¯d been too occupied to think of a fitting name. When Timothy had asked me one day, I¡¯d jokingly told him that it was a surprise, so he seemed to be convinced that I had some heavily meaningful name in mind for our pack ready and I just wanted to keep them in the dark till our registration date. ¡°So,¡± Hailey piped up after I didn¡¯t respond, ¡°how exactly do we register our pack?¡± ¡°Well, according to the WolfNet, we need at least one Alpha or Beta born wolf, the signatures of at least ten wolves willing to join our pack, and proof of ownership of wooded land, or land close to the woods. Of those, the only thing we don¡¯t have is the list of signatures.¡± During our travels to find allies, many Werewolves from the packs we visited had expressed their interest in joining us outright. While I was glad they saw the value in joining us, very few of our allies were in position where they could afford to lose and more members. So we needed new members entirely. ¡°We already have five people, but since Kaesha¡¯s a witch and not a werewolf, I¡¯m not sure if adding her will count, cause it read exactly ¡®ten Werewolves¡¯ on the site. We¡¯ll need to find at least six Werewolves to join us, just in case.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Kaesha said evenly, ¡°But where are we gonna find a bunch of Lone Wolves? I¡¯m assuming we can¡¯t take members from the packs we¡¯ve been to since they¡¯re already so small.¡± Timothy moved his hands, which had been folded in front of him since Hailey walked in, ¡°I might be able to help with that.¡± With our gazes on him, he continued, ¡°Lone Wolves still need to gather sometimes, so there are a few sanctuaries they meet up in. They¡¯re kinda like packs, but we could come and go as we pleased. Some Lone Wolves end up staying longer, I guess cause they miss the community being in a pack offered them or some shit like that. Representatives from packs visit them sometimes for recruitment, but they don¡¯t usually get anywhere. They¡¯re Lone Wolves for a reason.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay there?¡± Kaesha raised a brow, her tone playful, ¡°Did they get to know you too much and kick you out?¡± He rolled his eyes, ¡°Places like that are the first place you look when you¡¯re searching for a Lone Wolf on the run. I can almost guarantee that part of the reason I¡¯m not in a shallow grave yet is cause I tried my best to avoid places like that.¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. Sanctuaries like that sounded like the kind of place a na?ve wolf on the run would think of as the perfect place to seek refuge. And that¡¯s what made them unsuspecting traps. ¡°Where¡¯s the nearest one?¡± He shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure. Like I said, I did my damndest to avoid those places. But I do remember the general location one of them should be in. A lot of my former pack mates went there, but¡­¡± He trailed off, his mind and gaze wandering before snapping back, ¡°I was better off by myself.¡± Kaesha and I shared a look, while Hailey just gave him a blank, almost bored once over, her hand on her cheek in her hand, before returning her attention to me, ¡°So how are we doing this?¡± ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to go to the one Timothy knows.¡± He bristled at my statement, his expression turning hard, ¡°No. We¡¯re not involving them in this shit.¡± I raised a brow, crossing my arms, ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll try not to involve them. But we might have to if we don¡¯t find enough suitable Werewolves willing to join our pack.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want them anywhere near this shit. They¡¯re off the Lightwood¡¯s radar and I wanna keep it that way.¡± I could see Kaesha¡¯s growing discomfort and Hailey¡¯s pointed indifference to him, but focused my attention on him and his abrasive protests to my idea, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to drag anyone into anything they¡¯re not willing to be a part of. But if we don¡¯t have the numbers, we might need to ask your old pack mates if they¡¯re interested.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I¡¯ll save you the trouble- they¡¯re not.¡± Before I could respond, Kaesha spoke up, ¡°Will you both calm down? With the way people are fall over themselves for Ava, we probably won¡¯t need to meet your pack mates anyway, Timmy. And Ava, you know how he is, he¡¯s probably burned all his bridges with them by now anyway. So both of you, relax, it¡¯s not that deep.¡± A stretch of silence passed, both of us watching each other while Kaesha and Hailey looked on. Eventually, he exhaled and took his seat but his sour look lingered on me. ¡°Now, here¡¯s the plan.¡± I continued, ¡°We visit these sanctuaries and get the numbers we need. I¡¯m thinking of us getting fifteen to twenty starting members in total, but we could settle for the ten that we need if that starts looking unrealistic to accomplish before June ninth. Once we have the numbers, we¡¯ll finally be able to make our application.¡± ¡°Why June ninth? That¡¯s just a few weeks away, will we be able to make it in time?¡± Hailey asked. ¡°We have to get the approval by then cause that date¡¯s important to me. It¡¯s the day I escaped from that hellscape of a pack and I want to mark that day by having a pack to call my own.¡± Excitement and concern built on her face, ¡°I had no idea the date was that close, you never mentioned it. If you want, we could celebrate the day, do something to mark it, or just spend the day cursing the Lightwoods for all the abuse and harm they¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Well, there won¡¯t be anything to celebrate if we don¡¯t have the numbers needed to establish our pack,¡± I looked pointedly at him, to which he scowled in response, ¡°which is why we need to go to the sanctuary Timothy knows.¡± ¡°Fine, but you¡¯ll have to talk to literally every other Werewolf other than my old pack mates.¡± ¡°Fine, but you¡¯ll have to put on your best salesman act to get others to join instead.¡± He huffed, but his body told of his relief at the thought of his former pack mates no longer being an option. I didn¡¯t care how grumpy he wanted to pretend he was, as long as we got the members we needed. The trip to the sanctuary was anything but straightforward. As Timothy had pointed out, he didn¡¯t know the exact location of the sanctuary, so he set off on a three day long search while Kaesha, Hailey and I settled into the Air BnB I rented for us in Texas. Kaesha had offered to go with him so she could teleport him back to the house we were staying in to spend the nights and take him back to his last location in the morning for him to continue his search. In response, he¡¯d scoffed, proclaiming that she¡¯d only slow him down, then stalked off to prepare, all while muttering under his breath about how she shouldn¡¯t be wasting her magic on something as unnecessary as him back and forth. So for three days, he was gone. And being who he was, his absence came with a near radio silence, apparently not feeling the need to tell us he was still alive till he found the sanctuary. For the time being, Hailey was notably cheerful, her earlier attitude dissolving with his absence. This was more obvious whenever she was on the phone, giggling away with Kaelin through their hours-long conversations. I imagined all the butterflies in her stomach made her feel weightless. On one of the days of our wait, I decided to shift and go for a run. I¡¯d been practicing my Special Abilities with a daily diligence that almost felt seem like I were studying for an exam of some sort, but I was just desperate to get some aspect of my existence under control. But, living in a city, I didn¡¯t get many chances to experiment with my shifting, or my Werewolf abilities on a whole really, aside from my senses that were passively on high resolution at all times. ¡°Be careful.¡± Kaesha cautioned as I put my shoes on at the door, ¡°You mentioned one of the large packs being around here. We don¡¯t need you trespassing or whatever then they hold you captive and we have to plan a rescue mission or something to save you.¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. The second largest pack in the country was located in and around a massive forest that wasn¡¯t too far from where we were staying. I suspected that that was one of the reasons the sanctuary may be around too, cause which Rogues would have the arrogance to attack it if it were in the vicinity of a pack that could definitely take them out. I laughed, straightening after tying my shoelaces, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Kaesha. I won¡¯t go sniffing around anywhere I¡¯m not supposed to be, and even if I somehow manage to wander onto someone¡¯s territory, I can take care of myself.¡± ¡°Well, true,¡± she shrugged, ¡°you could probably leave some pretty nasty burns on anyone that tries to pick a fight with you.¡± I grinned, ¡°Exactly.¡± In my efforts to gain control of my fire, Kaesha had proven to be an amazing teacher. Special Abilities and magic didn¡¯t exactly work the same way, but there was enough overlap for Kaesha teach me some theories that I applied, which had gone into helping me gain some control. With a final assurance to Kaesha and a yell goodbye to Hailey, who yelled one back in response before continuing with her phone call, I left for the forest. The Claw Moon Pack took up a chunk of the forest, and I¡¯m sure their patrols meant that an even larger chunk of the forest was in the ¡®bad idea to enter¡¯ zone, but the forest was humungous, so that left more than a good half of it safe to venture into. I walked for a bit, taking the greenness of the air in. I¡¯d somewhat acclimated to the intensity of the world that my senses gave me, but the contrast between the atmosphere in the city and in the midst of nature was stark. The freshness of the air, the uniqueness of the sounds, even the caress of the air on my skin, they were nothing like what I¡¯d grown accustomed to in the place I now called home. Basking in it all, I walked continued walking for another fifteen minutes, before reaching a cluster of rocks where I decided I¡¯d leave my clothes. As I stripped down, the musings of a spell that could keep my clothes intact when I shifted crossed mind and I made a mental note to ask Kaesha if doing something like that were possible. I dropped to the ground, and in about twenty short seconds, I was a wolf. Being Candy¡¯s form, I took the passenger¡¯s seat in our mind, while she took the lead, leading us about nimbly through the woods. I knew she¡¯d be able to tell if we got too close to the territory, but I still made a point to remind her not to stray too close to anywhere that¡¯d cause problems for us later. ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± She said hurriedly, before darting off. Since our first shift, she¡¯d become more energetic and enthusiastic, finding the excitement in almost any situation. Her acclimation to her own body had been much smoother than mine, evidenced by the way she moved, darting lithely between trees without any breaks in her speed. That she loved to be free was no secret at this point. Sixteen years without a form of her own and the inability to share control of mine had that effect, so now that she was free to roam and prance about, she revelled in it. And the feeling of bliss and elation that emanated from her was something I¡¯d come to love. As was the feeling of relinquishing control to her. We moved about for over half an hour, simply running and leaping and playing and tumbling. We were drinking from a stream when our serenity was interrupted, our ears swivelling up at the sound. The scent of another werewolf wafted to us and we stood upright, at alert. I knew we¡¯d stayed a safe distance from their territory and their possible patrol route was still too far from where we were to be taken as a threat, so who was this werewolf and what could they be doing around here too? ¡®Nat, what should we do?¡¯ Candy asked as she crouched low, to run or to fight was what we didn¡¯t know yet. Candy was a big wolf, definitely an Alpha size, but we¡¯d never fought anyone in wolf form before. Not to mention, I doubted my abilities would work in wolf form. But on the other hand, even if we could outrun this stranger, I didn¡¯t want to lead him back in the direction of where Kaesha and Hailey were, and I¡¯d still need to shift and get dressed if I were going to end up fighting with my fists and my fire. ¡®We need to fend them off then run.¡¯ I decided. My confidence in our fighting abilities as a canine was as low as our crouch, but if I could make whoever this was unable to follow me back, or at least delay them enough for me to get a good enough head start so I could get dressed. With that, she raised her hackles and pulled her mouth back in a snarl, exposing her fangs ready to tear into anyone and anything that confronted us. Seconds passed and a wolf emerged from the bushes, half our size and whimpering as she limped our way. She took a few more steps before tipping onto the ground, unconscious. Chapter 64 - Full Prisoner Treatment Natalia¡¯s P. O. V Moments passed, Candy and I watching the surroundings with weary suspicion. She was laying on her side, her unconscious form heaving with laboured breaths. We moved closer to her, and used our muzzle to nudge her, feeling her unusual warmth that told of a fever. Closer to her now, I noticed the scent and stain of berries around her mouth. My guess was that she¡¯d eaten something poisonous that had started taking effect. As for her ankle wound, that was a question to be answered later. ¡®Nat, what do we do?¡¯ Shivers were beginning to wrack her body as I weighed our options. Her scent was a question mark, as newly shifted wolves sometimes are, not clearly defining her rank or potential, just that she wasn¡¯t a regular member. We could either take her to the Claw Moon Pack, which, based on the direction she¡¯d stumbled from, was where I assumed she was from, and hope they¡¯d have something to counteract the poison, or I could take her back to Kaesha to have her heal her with magic. But I¡¯d strayed far from our place, and I didn¡¯t want to risk exposing Hailey and Kaesha, lest something go wrong. Plus, to get there, I¡¯d still have to pass a few homes with regular humans and I didn¡¯t want them freaking out at the sight of an abnormally large wolf carrying another one. But going to their territory with her would be a bad look, and if they assumed I had something to do with her injuries, it would be a challenge to prove otherwise if she remained unconscious. Plus, I had no clothes. She shivered again and I made our choice. It was a struggle to get her on our back, and she whimpered softly with every movement, and once we did, we had to take care not to jostle her around too much or move so fast that she slips off. So painstakingly, and as quickly as we could manage, we trotted till we got there. ¡®Are you sure this is a good idea? Can¡¯t we just leave her here for someone to find?¡¯ Candy was nervous, but even as she gave her suggestion, I knew she wouldn¡¯t do it. ¡®Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡¯ I sighed. We moved forward, hindlegs trepidatiously following our forelegs onto the territory. Patrols and guards were around, but none explicitly close enough to warrant wasting time waiting to be discovered, so we pressed on, till someone eventually came to deal with the intruder. It wasn¡¯t long before I was confronted by four Werewolves, two shifted and two in human form. They approached, ready to attack as recognition and worry filled their expressions at the sight of me and the wolf on our back. We halted, and carefully slid her off our back and to the ground. Then we nudged her with our muzzle and took a step back with our head lowered in a show of non-aggression, giving space for them to come check her. Two rushed forward, a shifted wolf and a man with wavy brown hair and soft eyes filled to the brim with worry to match. ¡°Carla!¡± He reached out to stroke her head, ¡°Luna, what happened to you?¡± Shivering and feverish in her sleep, she couldn¡¯t answer. Then his soft brown eyes turned on us, hard and accusatory. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± He hissed. The two wolves moved closer, teeth bared and ready to strike. In response, we stiffened, muscles taut and ready to either fight or flee. The other man spoke up, his words cutting the agitated atmosphere, ¡°Taz, wait. If she did something to her, do you think she¡¯d waltz in here with Carla on her back? Besides, she¡¯s obviously an Alpha. Harming her will most likely piss her pack off and you don¡¯t want to be responsible for that, do you?¡± Taz¡¯s eyes narrowed at us, but another shiver and whimper from Carla drew his attention and he huffed. ¡°Fine. If she really didn¡¯t do anything, Carla will be able to tell us the truth. Till then, she¡¯s coming with us.¡± The other man shrugged his agreement, and the two wolves moved behind us, ushering me forward as the Taz and the other one shred the weight of carrying Carla¡¯s unconscious wolf. The distance was far, but with the urgency of tending to Carla, we basically jogged deeper into the territory. The farther we went, the more wolves and people were present, milling about and stopping to gape and gasp at the sight of an intruder being led in behind an injured one of theirs. Several jumped to the obvious conclusion and glared daggers at us or bared their teeth, but asides from the two more wolves that joined our little procession to keep me from escaping or harming someone, nobody else approached. The Claw Moon Pack was a functional town. As we moved deeper and deeper into the territory, stores and shops cropped up, selling everything ranging from flowers to food to clothes, without the scent of a human around for miles. The faint smell of raised earth and fresh vegetables from a distance, along with the distinct smell of raised animals, told of their self-sufficiency. From one of the edges of town, the steady ring of metal against metal rang out, faint against my ears at this distance, and my thoughts went to an anvil, imagining the sound to be the rhythm of a weapon being formed. We came to the main house, a hulking structure that blocked out the afternoon sun and stretched so wide that it looked awkward. News of our arrival must have gone ahead of us, because two people came out with a stretcher, which Carla¡¯s wolf was loaded onto and taken in the direction of a building that had the harsh scent of sterilisation and looked too big to be just a clinic, but too small to qualify as a hospital. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Taz moved to follow the ones taking Carla to get treated, but one of them reassured him that she was in good hands, so he instead headed inside with up, face steely and eyes glaring daggers and murder at Candy¡¯s wolf. Shortly after entering the building, I was taken to a wide room, two women entering with me on my tail, and given underwear, shorts, a sports bra and a large t-shirt, with the obvious order being for me to shift and get dressed. Seeing the clothes on the ground, my mind raced a mile a minute, filling with dread. Obviously, I was meant to shift back so I could explain my side of the story and wait for Carla to wake up and confirm my innocence, which was all well and good. Shifting back and getting dressed should have been no issue. The problem was my hair. One thing I¡¯d learnt in the past few months was that, any time I shifted into a wolf then back again, my hair reverted to its natural colour, black roots, flaming red, white tips and all. My eyes went back to their shifting, fiery colour too, but I was certain that I could keep attention off them if I kept my eyes low and avoided speaking. It was my hair that¡¯d steal the show. My spray bottle was miles away, tucked neatly into my folded clothes where I¡¯d left them when I shifted. And I couldn¡¯t count the veil ¨C what I¡¯d started calling the ability to remain unseen till people noticed me ¨C to hold up, what with them already on high alert with me. ¡®What are you gonna do, Nat?¡¯ Candy asked as I was mentally beating myself up for not considering this factor before deciding to carry Carla back here. ¡®I have no idea¡­¡¯ Unless it was a special dye, Werewolves usually left their hair natural, because anything we did to it usually reverted back to its original state after shifting. And from what I¡¯d seen of the few that had gotten their hands of the special dye back in the Lightwood pack, the colours were single toned and oftentimes left their hair looking limp and dull, so the vibrance and sheen of my hair would give me away if I tried to claim that. I contemplated wrapping my hair in the shirt and just wearing the sports bran and shorts. It might work, but I had a feeling it would only serve to draw more attention to me, both to my body and to my hair. ¡°Shift!¡± One of the women ordered, dagger clutched with her growing impatience at my hesitation. The other was much softer when she spoke, ¡°Hang on, she might just want some privacy.¡± ¡°Intruders get no privacy.¡± The nicer one couldn¡¯t argue with that, the corners of her hazel eyes softening as she shot me an apologetic look. I could no longer delay. ¡®We have to do it. Let¡¯s just hope none of them know what the hair actually means.¡¯ Not a minute passed and I was me again, donning the clothes under the thinly veiled fascination of their gaze. The impatient one¡¯s unease only grew as she watched my every move like a hawk, while the nicer one¡¯s face announced her desire to ask questions. The best I could do was to throw my hair into a hasty braid and wrap it around itself in a makeshift bun. They opened the door and I braced myself for the stares and glares I would no doubt get on my procession to the Alpha of this pack. And I was right to expect it, because they were trained on me as we moved. The now six people guarding me doing nothing to obstruct their looks. One of them even shoved me forward in a wholly unnecessary effort to get me to move faster. ¡®Wow, they¡¯re giving you the full prisoner treatment.¡¯ Candy scoffed. Eventually we came to a massive oak door that did nothing to block the presence of the Alpha inside from spilling out in waves. The ominous swinging open of the door only made his presence more prominent, and had I been anyone else, I would have been bowing my head from the hallway. When we stepped in, there were two people present, the Alpha, a greying man with sharp eyes and features, seated behind a glossy desk with neat piles of papers and who I assumed was his son from the resemblance standing off to the side behind him. The doors shut behind us and silence reigned. They studied me, the son with conflicting expressions of deep distrust and attraction which combined and sparked into frustrated confusion, but the Alpha with something else. Their combined hostility, along with the added intrigue and vague recognition of the Alpha made my already buzzing discomfort grow into alarm bells in my head. The spark within me that I¡¯d come to recognise as a prelude to my fiery outbursts went off, and I took a breath as inconspicuously as I could to smother it before it could get the chance to manifest on my hands. Finally, he uttered a single word, ¡°Leave us.¡± My guards, or jailers, briefly exchanged looks, but none of them said a word as they trooped out, leaving me alone with two of their most important members. More pungent silence. This time, the son¡¯s growing puzzlement at his father¡¯s words began to show on his face as he glanced as his father between glares at me. ¡°Speak.¡± When I opened my mouth, I was surprised at the fact that I found my voice at all, and much more at evenness of my tone, ¡°I was in the forest, at a river far from your territory, when a wounded wolf approached and collapsed in front of me. She had come from this direction, so I brought her back here to get treated.¡± He nodded once, curt and short, ¡°You realised who we are before you made this choice?¡± I nodded. I could tell that his son didn¡¯t believe me, but his own face was unreadable, ¡°And who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Lone Wolf just passing through the area.¡± His eyes narrowed, ¡°I¡¯m not asking for the story you tell those more foolish and less experienced.¡± I blinked. Once I¡¯d Uncovered, my physique and abilities hadn¡¯t been the only things to change. My scent, according to Timothy and Hailey, and aura, according to Kaesha, had too. So, while there wasn¡¯t much she could do about my aura, Kaesha had spent a week finding a way to make me smell like a regular Werewolf through trial and error, and not like the weird mix of feral wildfire and regal sweetness that Timothy had described my scent as. And even if the strangeness of my scent was noticed, Werewolves didn¡¯t interact with many other species enough to accurately pinpoint all their scents, much less Syrens who were notably more elusive. ¡°I will not ask this again, intruder. Who are you, Syren or Wolf?¡± Chapter 65 - Pasts of Today Natalia¡¯s P. O. V My brain stalled. The current situation alone screamed that lying to him would be a very bad idea. But the idea of giving too much away filled me with almost as much dread. How much did he know? How much could I conceal? If I said too much, I¡¯d give him more than what he had and what I needed to survive this situation. But not enough, and I¡¯d be a goner. ¡°I am not one to repeat myself, intruder.¡± The Alpha¡¯s voice was deceptively even, masking the certain impatience that was prickling beneath his skin. His son chimed in, apparently not as versed in the art of a cool exterior, ¡°Speak now, or we¡¯ll make it so you can never spew your lies again.¡± The Alpha¡¯s annoyance at his son¡¯s words was understated and would probably manifest later in a stern lecture delivered behind closed doors, but his glare remained trained on me as I finally spoke. ¡°Not many Werewolves can recognize the scent of a Syren.¡± ¡°Not many Werewolves have lived the life I have.¡± What had he seen that left him with the knowledge of who Syrens were? The possibilities were endless, and yet I couldn¡¯t think of a single one that would make a Werewolf as aware as he was of the existence of Syrens. ¡°And what life is that?¡± His eyes narrowed, ¡°One of many experiences. But life stories are shared between allies, and you are anything but that.¡± ¡°I hope to change that.¡± ¡°That all depends on who you prove yourself to be.¡± My arms widened in a gesture of openness, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find that I haven¡¯t told a single lie.¡± He scoffed, a curt, harsh sound, ¡°Be that as it may, the absence of lies does not equate to the presence of truth.¡± I cocked my head and dared a small upturn of my lips, ¡°Maybe not, but the truth can only exist within that absence of lies you¡¯ve said it does not equate to.¡± ¡°If that is so, then why does a Lone Wolf carry the scent of a species no one had heard from in over a decade?¡± ¡°Just because you don¡¯t hear from someone doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re dead.¡± I smiled, a dry, wry thing, ¡°Though sometimes, it¡¯s better when the world believes you to be gone.¡± His eyebrows raised at that, interest piqued under his stern, stony exterior, ¡°So they¡¯re not entirely gone?¡± Relief. It crouched in the light softening of his expression, and hid in the hope his voice carried, try as he might to conceal it. And it shone a ray of hope for me too. Maybe I could leave this pack with more than just my life. ¡°I can¡¯t presume to speak on behalf of all Syrens, but,¡± I chanced a smile, ¡°I¡¯d imagine that depends on who you prove yourself to be. We can¡¯t very well expose ourselves to enemies after all.¡± A hint of a smirk, ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± Ignoring his son¡¯s knotted brows and questioning gaze, the Alpha summoned my jailers back into the room with his Alpha voice. ¡°Take her to our guest quarters. She shall stay there till Carla wakes and either confirms or refutes her claims. Till the that happens, she will be monitored like she¡¯s guilty, but treated like she¡¯s innocent. Is that clear?¡± Many, Taz in particular, of their faces screamed that it was not, in fact, clear. But their mouths all chanted the same, ¡°Yes, Alpha!¡± His gaze turned on me as he addressed me next, ¡°The content of our next conversation will depend on your guilt or innocence. For both our sakes, I hope it¡¯s the latter.¡± ¡°It will be.¡± To that, he said nothing, and I was escorted to the guest quarters through a series of passages and halls. The room they took me to was part of a suite, with an adjourning bathroom and sitting room. The accommodation was certainly welcoming, even if their venom filled expressions undercut the atmosphere. Over the next several hours, they took turns watching me, offering me food and drink as they stared at me like they hoped I¡¯d choke on it. I politely declined for a while, before my stomach won over. Even still, I sniffed everything thoroughly for even a hint of anything remotely poisonous before consuming it, and made sure to only take a bite or sip then wait ten more minutes in case anything happened, before continuing with it. With the minutes trickling into hours, and the hours eating up the rest of the day, I tried to get my mind to stop its turmoil. Kaesha and Hailey would likely start getting worried, and it¡¯d be just my luck if Timothy returned after days of his prolonged search, only to be met with my absence. I glanced down at the mark on my wrist. Telepathy would have been such a useful Special Ability right now, as opposed to a fire could barely control, and ice that was apparently non-existent. The sun had long since set when I got any news of Carla¡¯s condition. It was Taz, who had coincidentally been permanently stationed outside the suite, whether by his request or at his superior¡¯s initiative, which was all the same, since it kept his contempt away from me too. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°She¡¯s up.¡± He said, evidently less aggressive now that he knew she was alright, ¡°Time to see if you¡¯re a liar or not.¡± Before long, I was led back to the imposing doors of the Alpha¡¯s office. They swung open and we were met with the father and son, in addition to a young girl of thirteen or fourteen. The bandage around her ankle, as well as the situation, told me she was Carla. ¡°So,¡± The Alpha said once the doors were shut, this time with my jailers inside the room, ¡°this is the she-wolf that claims to have found you and brought you back for treatment while you were unconscious. I would like your side of the story.¡± Carla only stared, mouth slightly agape and wonder in her eyes. She looked so young and innocent, and it stuck me that while I thought of her as a child, I was probably just two or three years older than her. I offered her a small smile and she blushed, her mouth snapping shut as she looked away, ¡°She didn¡¯t hurt me, Alpha. I was already dizzy and limping through the woods when I saw her wolf. And I was the one that approached her, she was just drinking from a river when I came out of the bushes.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t lie about this, would you?¡± She shook her head vehemently, ¡°No, Alpha.¡± His face relaxed into a smile, ¡°Thank you, Carla. We will look into how you got injured and ate poisoned berries, but that will be a matter for another time. For now, go get some rest.¡± ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± She said. The doors were opened for her and she left, accompanied by a smothering, flittering Taz. She gave one last glance behind her as the doors closed again. ¡°Now,¡± He said, resting his back on his seat and beckoning a chair to be brought in for me, ¡°it seems we have much to discuss.¡± ¡°It would seem so.¡± I took a seat. He¡¯d taken care to select a chair with the same height as his, ¡°How about we start with what you know.¡± ¡°I met a Syren once.¡± He began, the very memory of this mystery woman blanketing his features in fond remembrance. He narrated the story of who she was and how he came to cross her path. As part of his training to become an Alpha worthy of his pack, his own father had arranged for him to live in different packs of varying size and influence. All his father had done was confirm with other Alphas to accept his presence, but the logistics of getting to these different locations was up to him alone, in an added test of his resourcefulness. On his journey from one pack to another, he¡¯d made stops and used routes that Werewolves wouldn¡¯t typically frequent. And so, he¡¯d met her. ¡°Her name was Diane.¡± He said, a wistful sigh under his words that made me wonder about his relationship with his mate. Behind him, his son was shooting him confounded looks, his mind no doubt on the same question as mine. He continued, both mine and his son¡¯s curious concern flying over his head in the face of the memory of Diane. They¡¯d met on a beach in Miami. He¡¯d picked up a bartending job in the area to scrouge together some money for transportation to the next pack, and she¡¯d been there, sitting at his bar. The way he described her told me that even if he¡¯d eventually grown to love her, her allure had definitely been what initially drew him to her. Instead of heading straight to the next pack as intended, he¡¯d decided to linger in hopes of having more time with her. He¡¯d already secured a job and a strict timeline hadn¡¯t been set for his travels, so staying hadn¡¯t posed much of an issue. ¡°From the moment we met, I knew there was something different about her. She was mesmerizing and she made me feel like I was the only man in the world. It wasn¡¯t till she needed to leave that she told me the truth of what she was.¡± From the way he spoke, I wasn¡¯t even sure if meeting his mate would have been enough to make him leave her if she hadn¡¯t disappeared. ¡°Why did she leave?¡± The bittersweet fondness on his face turned more bitter at my question, ¡°She never said why exactly, just that it was an emergency and she needed to return to Syrenlina. She said she¡¯d just be gone for a week, two at most, then a month passed with no word from her. By then, I couldn¡¯t afford to stay there for no reason, so I had to leave Miami for my training to continue. While I continued my travels, I tried to find more out about Syrens, and to even see if it was possible to go to Syrenlina. The few people I came across that had ever met a Syren said that the ones they knew had disappeared too, sometimes with the man that they¡¯d loved, sometimes without him. As far as I know, you¡¯re the first one I¡¯m aware of in about sixteen years.¡± When learning about The Jam, what Syrens had named the period of time that the way to Syrenlina had been closed off, lasting from my birth to when I¡¯d given my blood to make it possible for Syrens to cross between Syrenlina and Earth again, my teacher had mentioned that disturbances had been noticed in the portals and the state of Syrenlina had given them signals that something was amiss. As a precautionary measure, Syrens who didn¡¯t live in the safe zones or close to Syren communities on Earth had been called back. That had been to keep them safe, so none of them would be stranded where Vampires could get to them, should anything happen. Hearing of how my birth alone had been enough to separate families and keep loved ones apart for more than a decade and a half always made my stomach curl in on itself and my blood run cold. ¡°So, I must ask, how is Syrenlina? And how are you here?¡± Hope hung in his words and filled his eyes. I shook my head apologetically, ¡°I¡¯ve never been, so I can¡¯t tell you. I was born here, my father is a Werewolf and my mother was a Syren, but she also disappeared when I was young.¡± I didn¡¯t mention that she disappeared long after his precious Diane had. His shoulders slumped and his disappointment was palpable, ¡°So you¡¯re a Werewolf, but your mother¡¯s genes show up partially in your scent and in your hair.¡± I nodded. ¡°In that case, I guess you wouldn¡¯t know much about Syrens in general. It must have been hard to grow up without your mother.¡± ¡°Thank you for your compassion. It wasn¡¯t easy.¡± My mouth twisted, ¡°And my father was abusive so that didn¡¯t exactly make things better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± I pulled myself up to my full seated height, my head held high, ¡°It¡¯s okay now, I escaped. And I¡¯m working to make sure he¡¯ll know that he couldn¡¯t break me.¡± The pity in his gaze gave way to something akin to respect, ¡°How do you plan to do that?¡± ¡°The only good thing that can be said about him is that he¡¯s an Alpha.¡± I frowned, he didn¡¯t deserve the title, ¡°A terrible one, but one nonetheless. Meaning I have the capacity to become one too. I¡¯ll use the only good thing I ever got from him and create my own pack. I¡¯m not the only person he¡¯s abused and someone needs to stop his reign of tyranny.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why not just challenge him? Surely, if he¡¯s as bad as you say, the Royals will have no problem recognizing you if you beat him.¡± It was rarer these days, but Werewolves were allowed to challenge their Alphas for the position if they felt their current one was inadequate. The biggest issues stemmed from getting the rest of the pack to accept you if you won, and getting the Royal Werewolves to recognize your victory. I didn¡¯t tell him that the rest of the pack was just as bad as him in my eyes, or that I intended to take them all down together. Instead, I said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can win with just myself.¡± He regarded me, probably calculating the likelihood of a girl like me winning against what he probably imagined to be a grown man, ¡°Well, it is important to know your limitations, that¡¯s part of being a leader.¡± He considered for a moment, then clapped his hands together with the finality of a decision being made, ¡°Alright, why don¡¯t we become your ally when you create your pack?¡± Chapter 66 - Closer Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I didn¡¯t want to believe it. ¡°Unless the pack you escaped from is one of our allies, I¡¯m sure we can be of help.¡± I doubted it, ¡°It¡¯s the Lightwood Pack.¡± He shook his head, disgust briefly crossing his face, ¡°No, that¡¯s definitely not a pack we associate with.¡± I wrestled with the grin threatening to invade my face and willed my heart to slow its pace, ¡°I would definitely appreciate your help, but I¡¯m not sure of what I could offer you with your standing.¡± Larger packs didn¡¯t typically ally smaller ones, or even currently non-existent ones in my case. Sure, I¡¯d hoped to find stronger allies than the victims of the Lightwood Pack¡¯s shenanigans, but I¡¯d known it would be a sizeable hurdle to cross. I hadn¡¯t hoped to stumble into a golden alliance like this. ¡°I know a strong Alpha when I see one. And having ties to another species is beneficial, no matter how estranged you may be from them, having grown up without your mother.¡± The same disgust peeked through his features again, lingering a bit longer this time, ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve never been fond of them.¡± And just like that, the pack that I was yet to even create was an ally of the second largest one in the country. We finalized the details of our collaboration. I informed him about Timothy, and how he was meant to be believed to be the Alpha instead of me, the idea of a secret Alpha greatly amusing him. He had the idea of officially becoming allies on the first day of the next winter Werewolf Ball, which would garner plenty of attention. I loved the idea, and with the more minor details to be left for when we actually became official allies, I was free to leave their territory. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± I bowed my head to him. ¡°No need, we are allies now. I look forward to seeing the kind of leader you become, Avarielle.¡± I was escorted to the edge of the territory, the atmosphere of my departure in stark contrast from that of my arrival. Once at the edge, I said goodbye to the guards and began to make my way back. After about ten minutes of walking, I noticed Kaesha and Hailey¡¯s scents, and not long after, I was face to face with the both of them. Hailey barrelled towards me with a hug, ¡°Oh, my gosh, Ari! We were worried sick!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry guys,¡± I told them once she released me, ¡°There was this wolf that came from nowhere and passed out in front of me, so I had to take her back and then-¡± Kaesha continued, ¡°And then the pack thought you¡¯d done something to her so you had to wait till she woke up to confirm your innocence before they let you leave.¡± I blinked, ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°I made Hailey undetectable so she could do some recon, instead of just rushing in guns blazing to rescue you.¡± She explained, ¡°Since neither of us think you¡¯re in the habit of knocking girls out for sport, we decided to let things play out and see what happens.¡± Hailey nodded, ¡°I wanted to get you out of there pronto, but Kaesha made the call to just watch, and I¡¯m so glad she did. I can¡¯t believe you managed to get us such a massive ally.¡± I could barely believe it too. The scorned packs were one thing, but teaming up with the Claw Moon Pack was, as Hailey had said, massive. Not to say that I hadn¡¯t believed we could accomplish what I¡¯d set out to do a year ago, but I¡¯d very much expected to have to have to make some sacrifices for my goal. But this made it feel tangible, like I could almost taste the satisfaction of spilling Clark¡¯s blood already. I smiled, ¡°All that¡¯s left is to go get our members.¡± Since Kaesha and Hailey had already picked up my things on their way, she decided to teleport us back to the house. ¡°The fuck?¡± Timothy yelped, holding his chest, ¡°Where were you guys? I had to climb in through a window, and I¡¯m sure that was a fun show for the neighbours to watch.¡± Kaesha snickered at the image while, Hailey her mood having notably shifted at the sight of him, wordlessly vacated the living room. As I explained everything to him, Timothy had a glint in his eye that I was almost certain reflected my face too. ¡°This is might turn out better than I¡¯d let myself hope.¡± He said, a wicked half-smile on his face. With the high of the golden egg of an alliance, I realised that Timothy¡¯s presence here must mean that he¡¯d found the sanctuary. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t come back till you¡¯d found it¡­¡± His half smile morphed into a full one, ¡°Well, I¡¯m back, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Damn, today¡¯s a good day, ain¡¯t it?¡± Kaesha said from the fridge as my own wicked grin beamed. ¡°This is better than good, this is monumental! Things are finally shifting!¡± I said, with something of a giggle. My body heated up, but not in the panic inducing way I was used to. I took a gamble and let the flames burst from me in little spheres that swirled around me almost like excited sprites. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Timothy gaped, while Kaesha who emerged from her rummaging through the fridge looked on in a mixture of awe and pride. ¡°How are you doing that¡­?¡± Hailey¡¯s voice came from behind me. ¡°I have no idea. I was feeling warm, so I just¡­ let it out, I guess.¡± I responded, watching the flames dance around me. I knew negative emotions made my ability flare up, but I¡¯d never experienced this with positive ones. ¡®Maybe because you¡¯ve never let yourself feel this positive this strongly before¡­¡¯ Candy suggested. If she was right, it wouldn¡¯t shock me much, the idea of my strongest positive emotion having anything to do with the Lightwood pack left a whisper of dissent that settled in my belly. I shook my head and the fires flickered out. I had demons to slay and a pack to destroy, so of course I¡¯d feel happy taking a step closer to crushing them. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Let¡¯s go get our members.¡± Hailey¡¯s P. O. V I emerged from my room at the sounds of fascination and fire. Ari sat on a couch opposite Tim, orbiting her as if she were a celestial body. I¡¯d seen her practice with her fire before, but I¡¯d never seen her doing anything like this. ¡°How are you doing that¡­?¡± I asked, then started moving around the couch so I could see her face. ¡°I have no idea. I was feeling warm, so I just¡­ let it out, I guess.¡± She said, looking just as fascinated as the rest of us. With the little fires floating around her, her gorgeous hair, and the glow of her eyes, she was positively ethereal. Then a look of dissatisfaction crossed her face, and she shook her head, the fires flickering out with the movement. ¡°Let¡¯s go get our members.¡± She said with a slight hardness that made me wonder if I should be worried. While Timothy was raring to go at her call to action, Kaesha pulled the brakes, ¡°How about we go tomorrow. I¡¯m sure both of you are tired from your adventures and my magic could use some time to recharge.¡± Neither of them put up any fight at the suggestion, so it was settled on that we¡¯d leave for the Sanctuary tomorrow. ¡°Get some rest, it¡¯ll be a bit of a journey.¡± Timothy announced as we all retired for the night. The Air BnB we got had three bedrooms. When Timothy had been away, Ari had slept in his room, but since he was back, she stayed with me instead. ¡°Are you excited about tomorrow?¡± I asked as we settled under the blanket. Her expression was a mixture of things I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on, but she smiled, ¡°Yeah. And a little nervous¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ari. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have people lining up to join our pack. We might even empty out the Sanctuary.¡± She laughed at the idea. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡± I smiled, ¡°I know I am. Just get some rest and we¡¯ll go put our best foot forward tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright. Goodnight, Hailey.¡± ¡°Goodnight.¡± The next morning came and the heavenly smell of Ari¡¯s cooking coaxed me out of bed and to the kitchen, where she and Tim were, already showered and fully dressed. ¡°Good morning, Hailey.¡± She greeted with the flip of a pancake. ¡°Good morning, Ari.¡± I glanced at the dining table, where several open Tupperwares full of food were cooling off, ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­?¡± ¡°Well, Timothy floated the idea of packing some food for the trip and I thought we could take some to share with some of the wolves at the Sanctuary.¡± She replied as he moved over to a different pot and grabbed some more Tupperware. My nose wrinkled at the fact that it¡¯d been his idea, but it was admittedly a good one and would probably help our chances with the people at the Sanctuary today, ¡°That¡¯s a great idea. Need my help with anything?¡± She shook her head, handing Tim the food she¡¯s just packed to place with the others on the dining table, ¡°No, I think we¡¯re good. Thanks though, you should probably go wake Kesha up so the two of you can get ready. Don¡¯t forget to wear something comfortable and maybe pack something to sleep in.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I said then went to do just that. Half an hour later, having woken Kaesha and up finished getting dressed, I stood in front of the mirror, contemplating my hairstyle. I finally settled on two French braids and was weaving my fingers through my hair when Opelene spoke. ¡®So, you¡¯re still not talking to Tim?¡¯ I rolled me eyes, ¡®What do you think?¡¯ She was silent for a while and just when I was about to ask if she was okay, she spoke, ¡®You know we can¡¯t be with Kaelin forever, right?¡¯ ¡®Why not? He¡¯s kind, caring, and most importantly, not a hot-and-cold asshole that pushes me away one minute then expects me to come crawling back the moment he decides to get over himself.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s not the one for us.¡¯ I finished off the second braid and tussled the whisps of hair escaping near my ears, ¡®Well, Tim should¡¯ve thought of that, huh?¡¯ Especially before he basically called me an attention whore to my face. She sighed, ¡®Yes, you¡¯re right. But I also think we should maybe give reconciling with him a shot. It¡¯s not like he hasn¡¯t tried, and your refusal to acknowledge his existence kinda makes things awkward with everyone else too.¡¯ She was right in that he¡¯d definitely tried to bridge the gap, but I wasn¡¯t ready to give him the time of day. The less I interacted with him, the less I¡¯d be reminded of those awful things he¡¯d told me and the less I¡¯d relive the feeling of everything I hated about being in my own home. ¡®I¡¯ll try to keep things less awkward,¡¯ I conceded. I¡¯d definitely seen Ari and Kaesha share uncomfortable glances on more than one occasion, ¡®But I won¡¯t be anything close to friendly.¡¯ She sighed but the conversation stopped there so I took that as her dropping the topic. By the time Kaesha and I were done, Ari and Tim had everything ready to go. With the beautiful spread of her gourmet food and her magnetism, our chances of gaining new members were looking pretty good. ¡°I can keep these in a storage till we¡¯re close, so we don¡¯t have to carry them all the way.¡± Kaesha said, waving an arm over the containers of food. They vibrated for a few seconds, so fast that I thought they were about to explode, then faded out of existence. Tentatively, I placed my hand where one of them had been, feeling nothing. ¡°Impressive.¡± Ari commented, while Tim gave her a pat on her shoulder. Outside, I saw that Ari had done more than just make food; she¡¯d also packed some camping gear for us. Two foldable tents and four sleeping bags were rolled up tightly next to four large water flasks. Tim moved to carry them, but Kaesha waved an arm over them, casting the same spell she had earlier. Once Kaesha had masked her scent, it didn¡¯t take long for us to depart. We trudged through the woods, Tim leading the way. Since it had taken him several days to find the Sanctuary, I knew we were in for long journey. Most of the journey was uneventful. When Kaesha brought up how long Tim had been gone and joked about not trusting his navigation skills, he explained that most of his trip when searching for the Sanctuary had been spent going the wrong way and assured us that we¡¯d be there by the end of tomorrow. The problems came when night fell. We¡¯d already set the tents up and were sitting around the makeshift campfire Ari had lit for us, finishing off the food she¡¯d made for us earlier, when the topic of sleeping arrangements came up. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can stay with Timmy tonight.¡± Kaesha said, before anyone else could give their suggestions, ¡°I know he turns in his sleep and I need my beauty sleep.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Ari said, drawing the word out. She looked at me, likely searching my face for the visceral discomfort that twisted in my core. But I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I said, keeping the quake out of my voice. I¡¯d told myself I¡¯d be civil, and I¡¯d already succeeded at making things consistently uncomfortable between the four of us for weeks. Kaesha needed her rest, likely so that she could use her magic properly tomorrow, and I needed to suck it up and deal with the proximity to him. Sleeping next to him. In a tent. For the entire night. ¡°I can handle one night of dealing with him.¡± I continued, hoping I sounded nonchalant and not deeply shaken. ¡°Are you sure¡­?¡± He asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft. I turned to him, keeping my gaze on his forehead, ¡°Mmhmm.¡± I nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t love it but it¡¯s just one night and we¡¯ll both be in sleeping bags.¡± ¡°Okay, I guess it¡¯s settled then.¡± Kaesha said, the empty bowls vanishing from her and Tim¡¯s hands, ¡°Just let me know when you two finish eating, so I can send your bowls away too. I¡¯m gonna go get ready for bed.¡± She got up and padded away to one of the tents, unfurling her sleeping bag inside it. Wordlessly, Timothy got up to do the same in the other tent. At some point, the two of them wandered off to the nearby river with their toothbrushes. Once they were far enough away, Ari spoke, ¡°You know I could stay with Timothy if you¡¯re uncomfortable. He¡¯s the biggest and I¡¯m the smallest, so it¡¯d probably make more sense space-wise too.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Seriously, I¡¯m okay.¡± She raised a brow. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± I sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not thrilled, but I figured that my avoidance of him has already made things difficult for everyone so far, so I¡¯m manning up and dealing with the fact that we¡¯re all on the same team here.¡± She still didn¡¯t look convinced, but her brow lowered, and she took the last bite of her food, ¡°I just hope you know what you¡¯re doing.¡± Then she went off to get ready for bed. I hoped so too. Chapter 67 - The Sanctuary Hailey¡¯s P. O. V By the time Kaesha and Timothy were back, I¡¯d already finished my food, drank some water, changed into my pyjamas, and was wrapped up in my sleeping bag. There was some chatter when they returned, but it didn¡¯t take long for everyone to retire for the night as I heard ruffles and the zip of the other tent closing. And then I was suddenly hyperaware of him, of his movements as he walked over to our tent, of the heavy sigh he gave before climbing in, of the warmth emanating from him as he climbed into his sleeping bag next to mine. I was as still as an untouched lake through it all, my back to him and my sleeping bag cocooning me. Outside our tent, crickets and critters conversed in their nighttime sounds, but in our tent, silence reigned. ¡°Goodnight.¡± He uttered, suddenly, softly, like he wasn¡¯t sure if I were still awake. A beat passed, then I whispered back, ¡°Goodnight.¡± More silence. Try as I might, I couldn¡¯t sleep. It felt like my entire being was on high alert with him so close, coiled to pounce or retreat, I didn¡¯t know. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡± He said after some twenty minutes, ¡°And your breathing hasn¡¯t changed, so I guess you can¡¯t either.¡± ¡°No.¡± I sighed. The movement of his sleeping back ruffled and I was aware of his heat getting nearer. When he spoke again, his voice was closer. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Kaesha is up to, making us stay together, but why did you agree to this?¡± ¡°I figured it couldn¡¯t be worse than the last time we were left alone together.¡± I replied without thinking. He sucked in a breath and I sighed, then turned to face him too. ¡°I decided to try.¡± I said, not meeting his gaze, ¡°I¡¯ve been avoiding you and I know it¡¯s made them uncomfortable, so I decided to try.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He said softly, then paused, looking unsure of himself, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for those things I said.¡± I bristled, but he continued, ¡°You had every right to avoid me, and it gave me a lot of time to think about how things went down. I was outta line and me listening to my fears since we met has been unfair to you. I just want the chance to make it up to you, if you¡¯ll let me.¡± I finally let my eyes meet his. They were earnest and unguarded, imploring me to accept his apology. ¡°You were so outta line.¡± He nodded. ¡°And rude.¡± He nodded again. ¡°And you hurt me.¡± He winced, then nodded once more. ¡°But if I have some time¡­ I think I can forgive you.¡± Hope bloomed on his face and my heart squeezed at the sight, ¡°Take all the time you need, Sunshine.¡± I allowed myself to smile. Then thoughts of Kaelin invaded my mind. Sweet Kaelin, who still blushed every time I looked at him, who listened to me yammer on and on without so much as a yawn, who loved to bring me little trinkets from his dad¡¯s shop that he tried his best to bend into shapes and animals, who brought me food whenever he noticed any change in my mood. Who had nervously asked to be my boyfriend just last week. Who I¡¯d said yes to. My smile fell. ¡°I can forgive you,¡± I said around the dryness of my mouth, ¡°but I don¡¯t know if we can be together.¡± The earlier hope on his face faltered, sputtering into disappointment. The urge to argue, to plead, was there in his eyes, in the furrow of his brows. But he just took a deep breath and gave me a smile that made my heart squeeze in an entirely different way, ¡°I can wait.¡± I gave him a feeble nod and we exchanged goodnights again, turning our backs to each other. I fell into a restless sleep. When we¡¯d woken up, we¡¯d been facing each other again, our faces mere inches apart. But I¡¯d determined not to let that make things awkward, and it seemed he¡¯d drawn the same conclusion. By the time we got to the Sanctuary, the energy between us was notably different. There was a longing every time he looked at me, and I no longer shied away from him completely. It wasn¡¯t lost on me that every time we interacted, Kaesha looked immensely pleased with herself while Ari just shot us curious glances. But it was all forgotten once we reached the Sanctuary. ¡°Remember,¡± Ari had told us as we approached, ¡°we can go for ten signatures, but we just need six. Make sure they know what they¡¯re getting into, but don¡¯t mention who we¡¯re up against. We don¡¯t know if the information will reach them if we say their names.¡± If you¡¯d ever imagined a town of tree houses, you¡¯d have been able to predict what the place was like. Platform and tree houses interconnected above us, nothing but ropes and ladders built into the trunks to get to them. Some structures and tents were on the ground, along with a small clearing with a canopy tied to the nearest trees housing sacks of ingredients, pots and pans. In the trees, Werewolves of all ages and backgrounds moved around deftly, obviously at home here. After we¡¯d been inspected by the nearest guards, Ari and Kaesha had broken away to go talk to other Werewolves about joining us. Tim and I had approached three Werewolves, only managing to get two no¡¯s and one maybe after explaining our goal and inviting them to join us. ¡°Timmy? Is that you?¡± A voice called, quaking with emotion. He froze, almost statuesque. I saw a kaleidoscope of emotions prance about on his face. Grief, relief, guilt, and then finally one that shouldn¡¯t have prickled at my heart to see him feel ¨C tenderness. ¡°Pen¡­¡± he breathed, turning slowly to look at the girl that stood behind him. At the sound of her name from his lips, she raced over and captured him in a hug that pinned his arms to his sides. He wiggled his arms out of between them and wrapped them around her, his embrace tender and fierce all at once. I averted my gaze, my eyes looking for anything to put my attention on other than the sight of him like this. They eventually released each other and proceeded to chatter on. ¡°I thought I¡¯d lost you.¡± She whispered, sounding like she was speaking around a lump in her throat. Tim held her hands in his, his eyes searching hers, ¡°I had to stay away. It was just safer for you that way.¡± ¡®I guess that¡¯s just his playbook for every girl. Stay away cause it¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes, my internal sarcasm so potent that I was glad I hadn¡¯t blurted it out. She shook her head, her curls swaying with the motion. Tears made her eyes glossy, ¡°I grieved you.¡± He hugged her again, and I suddenly found some interest in the ladder on a nearby tree trunk. They¡¯d really done a good job of keeping them sturdy. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I put you through that, Pen. There were some fucked up people after me and I really needed to make sure you were safe.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She exhaled and pulled back, her eyes roaming his face as if to take every feature in, ¡°All that matters is that you¡¯re here now.¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± He said, caressing her cheek, ¡°But I can¡¯t stay.¡± She pulled away, taking a step back as indignation filled her face, ¡°What? I just got you back and you¡¯re already telling me that you¡¯re going to disappear? Again?¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°I have to, Pen. I can¡¯t go into details, but I¡¯m working on something, and if it works out, I could get justice for our pack. Kieran, Jason, Cam¡­ what happened to them will not go unpunished. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± She didn¡¯t miss a beat, ¡°I want to help.¡± ¡°Absolutely not. There¡¯s a reason I had to stay away and I¡¯m not taking you anywhere near it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a choice you get to make.¡± She retorted. They stared each other down, the atmosphere around them static with tension. I needed to get out of there. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go talk to some more people.¡± I said, my legs already carrying me away from them, ¡°You two should catch up.¡± He barely even looked my way, only deigning to mutter a distracted ¡°sure¡±, his gaze still locked in hers. ¡®Kaelin.¡¯ I reminded myself as I approached another Werewolf, ¡®Kaelin¡¯s my boyfriend. This means nothing to me.¡¯ ¡®If you say so.¡¯ Opelene drawled, the pity in her voice apparent. Natalia¡¯s P. O. V Walking into the Sanctuary, I didn¡¯t know how to feel. Excitement, nervousness and the desire to turn around melded inside me, none of them dominant for long enough for me to be able to tell which I felt more. After passing the inspections and confirming that we had permission to scout new members for our pack, we decided to move in pairs to cover more ground. After reminding them of the numbers we needed, Kaesha and I went into the trees while Hailey and Timothy stayed on the ground. They¡¯d been strange, interacting more than they had over the past few weeks. Hailey had called me, giddy with excitement last week, when Kaelin had asked to be her boyfriend, and since our phones weren¡¯t getting much service out in the woods, I knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to break up with him till we returned, if that¡¯s what she decided to do. But the carefulness between them told me that maybe she¡¯d decided to choose Kaelin over Timothy. All of that was pushed to the back of my mind though, as Kaesha and I pressed on. I¡¯d had her cast a spell to suppress my Allure, and my concealment kit was in full effect, so I had just my persuasion skills to rely on. Most of the Werewolves we approached were open to the idea of joining another pack, as new as it was. What they weren¡¯t as open to was the idea of having to go up against another pack. I couldn¡¯t blame them. Werewolves were community creatures, and the whole point of being in a pack was safety, security, and connection. Throwing revenge into the mix, especially for Werewolves who had been in danger enough to need to come to the Sanctuary in the first place, wasn¡¯t exactly an attractive proposition. So I was surprised when, as Kaesha and I were going over our failures while seated free platform, we were approached by three Werewolves. Two of them were guys, their shaggy, long hair pulled back in low ponytails. The brunet had some of his hair free from his ponytail, obscuring part of his face and hiding the eyepatch beneath, while the black-haired one looked older, wearier of life and on edge. The lady with them was petite, barely reaching their chests, and deftly used her crutches to keep pace with the men beside her. Kaesha and I shared a look as we got to our feet. ¡°We hear you¡¯re looking to start a pack and you need some members.¡± The woman said. We nodded. ¡°We also hear that you¡¯re looking to bring justice to some pack that¡¯s abused their power.¡± I¡¯d hardly call what I planned to do to the Lightwoods justice, it was more like pure, unadulterated revenge, but I nodded all the same. ¡°Who¡¯s gonna be the Alpha of this pack of yours?¡± The eyepatched brunet asked. I lifted my chin and met his eyes, ¡°I am.¡± They all looked skeptical, but the older man continued, ¡°You¡¯re an Alpha, no doubt from your scent, but are you strong enough to handle what you¡¯re planning to do?¡± My lips widened in a grin, ¡°Why don¡¯t you find out?¡± Eyepatch laughed, a hearty sound that made his shoulders shake, ¡°That a challenge, little lady?¡± I cocked my head to the side, sizing him up, ¡°More like an invitation.¡± He laughed again, ¡°I like her.¡± The older man shook his head, while the woman regarded me evenly. Her gaze was piercing, like she was boring a hole into me and peering at my soul. No doubt, she¡¯d find nothing but burning hatred and barely controlled rage if she could actually see it. ¡°There are many here who crave the safety of a pack once again.¡± She said finally, ¡°There are also many waiting for an opportunity to right some wrongs, ourselves included. They will all follow you, should you prove yourself worthy of it.¡± I nodded. I¡¯d survived beatings and withstood torture. I¡¯d had the ire of an entire pack determined to break me bear down on me all at once. I¡¯d been ridiculed and belittled and treated like less than gum on a shoe. I knew I was strong. But was I strong enough to protect others? ¡°How do I prove myself a capable leader and protector?¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy, dear. You fight, and you win.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. They pitted me against two people. One was a bear of a woman, with scars that crisscrossed up her exposed arms and an x marked on her cheek. The other was a burly man missing his middle fingers on both hands, who looked enough like her to be considered her brother. When Kaesha had protested against the fact that they were making me fight two people, Eyepatch had scoffed, saying that an Alpha ought to be able to fight regular Werewolves two to one. This logic was new to me, but then again, I suppose Alphas needed to be stronger for a reason. ¡°You may use the clearing and this portion of the trees.¡± The woman, Margorie, had explained, her gait brisk as she outlined our arena, ¡°If one of you crosses the bounds, you¡¯re out. If one of you loses consciousness, you¡¯re out. If one of you forfeits, you¡¯re out. Ari, you only win when both of them are out.¡± ¡°Are you sure this is fair?¡± The man, Daniel, asked, fingering his brass knuckles nervously as he echoed Kaesha¡¯s earlier sentiment, ¡°I know she¡¯s meant to be an Alpha and all, but isn¡¯t she a tad outmatched?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Daniella, his sister, chimed in with an entirely different tone as she eyed me gleefully, tossing her axe from one hand to the other, ¡°fighting just one of us should be more than enough for her.¡± I met their concerns with a wry smile. A year of proper nourishment and my Uncovering had taken my body out of the rickety, malnourished zone, but I was sure I looked like a fawn to them. ¡°Ready¡­¡± Margorie called, the crowd that had gathered to spectate cheering for the siblings in amused jeers as a backdrop to her, ¡°Fight!¡± For such large people, they moved quickly. Daniel charged straight towards me, all earlier apprehension having evaporated with the call to fight, while Daniella curved around, her axe ready to strike. I readied the forearm-length dagger I¡¯d been given, avoiding Daniel¡¯s blows with slight movements, and avoiding getting hacked by Daniella. They moved with so much unison, I was sure they¡¯d fought together for years. Daniel would come in close with a flurry of punches I had to avoid if I didn¡¯t want a nasty bruise, then he¡¯d fall back in the same split second that Daniella would strike, his last-second withdrawal nearly making me a second late to dodge her blade. With my newly Uncovered senses, I was able to track their movements easily, but had this been a few months ago, my coordination may not have been able to keep up with the speed I needed to avoid them both. After a few minutes, I got used to their patterns, so the next time Daniel fell back, I swiftly moved in with my dagger and slashed at the handle of Daniella¡¯s axe with as much force as I could muster. I¡¯d underestimated my strength, so the attack left me unbalanced for a second as the rest of Daniella¡¯s axe flew to the side, lodging in the ground with a thunk and leaving her holding just a stump of wood. In the second I¡¯d lost balance, Daniel swooped in, landing a blow in my side that had my breath whooshing out through gritted teeth. Forging through the pain, I immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him in, the both of us tumbling to the ground. Before he could get the upper hand, I locked my arm around his trunk of a neck in a chokehold and my legs around his torso, managing to trap one of his arms. His weight bore down on me as he clawed at my arms with his free hand to get me to release him. I refused to relent, only tightening my hold when Daniella started on me with hits of her own. I didn¡¯t let go till I was sure he¡¯d passed out, then I rolled out from under him, in time to avoid the punch she¡¯d aimed for my head. My arms were bleeding, and my side still stung, but I jumped to my feet and rushed her with my dagger. She avoided most of my slashes, but I pressed on, refusing to give her an inch of ground in the fight. We were approaching the line in the sand marking the bounds. She seemed to realize this too, because she abruptly spun off to the side, risking a slash that caught her in her side. I rounded on her with a kick. She managed to block it, but the force of it sent her skidding back several feet. When she lowered her arms, her eyes met mine and her mouth widened in a twisted grin, ¡°Oh, I like you.¡± I met it with one of my own, ¡°Thanks.¡± Then rushed back in. Whatever counter she had in store for me met air as I dropped to my knees at the last second, slicing her thigh as my momentum helped me slip passed her. She growled in pain, which continued into an actual growl as she shifted. When I looked back at her, I was faced with her wolf. She wasn¡¯t quite as big as Hailey¡¯s or even Timothy¡¯s, but I was sure that what she lacked in size, she¡¯d more than make up for in viciousness. I needed to end this quickly. Snarling, she raced at me, and I ran headlong to a tree. When I was close enough, I pushed off with all the strength I could gather in my legs and leapt, reaching the platform above with a single jump. As wolves, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for us to climb trees, so staying up here would have forced her to shift back, but I didn¡¯t wait. Almost as soon as I was on the platform, I dropped back down, landing on her back and wedging my dagger into her shoulder. She let out a howl and thrashed about, rolling around in an attempt to shuck me off. I held on. Even as I felt the bruises and scrapes forming from the impact of her tossing herself to the ground with me still clinging onto her. I yanked the dagger out of her shoulder and buried it in her other one, earning more howls and violent thrashing. I took it out again and buried it in her side next. Her howls grew sharper. Finally, as she tried to slam herself to the ground with me on her back again, I rolled away, getting not a crouched position when I was far enough away. It took her some effort to get to get up and winces of pain punctuated her every movement. She turned to me, her snarl full of violent promises if she got her teeth in me. I smiled. She charged. When she moved in to bite, I held the dagger out in front of me, bracing the blade with my other hand. She pulled back just in time to stop herself from chomping on the blade, receiving a gash to the side of her snout instead. I moved in, ignoring her claws nicking my flesh and pushing grabbing onto her as I used me momentum and strength to toss her as hard as I could. She skidded to a halt and turned back to me, gearing up to attack again. ¡°Stop!¡± Margorie bellowed. She moved over to me and when she was by my side, she took one of my bloody, bruised arms in her own and raised it, ¡°Daniel has been knocked out and Daniella fell out of bounds. Ari wins!¡± The crowd was silent for a second. Then they cheered. Chapter 68 - The Palace Natalia¡¯s P. O. V My chest heaved as I looked around at the crowd, the sound of my own heartbeat rushing in my ears muffling their cheers. Marjorie announced me as the winner then promptly released my hand, shooting me a curious look as she glanced at her red palm. With the adrenaline from the fight, my skin must have heated up. I shot her an apologetic look as I tried to calm myself down. I was just grateful that I hadn¡¯t set anything or anyone on fire. Before I knew it, Kaesha and I were sitting at a table, attending to the small queue of Werewolves wanting to join our pack. ¡°We need to do something about your wounds.¡± Kaesha insisted, for the fifth time after I¡¯d explained what our pack was going to be doing to the seventh person. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I groaned, ¡°I heal quickly. Besides, it¡¯s good for them to see me in this state, to know that I¡¯ll get bloody and dirty if I need to.¡± She sighed, then put on a smile to attend to the next person in line. By the end of the day, we¡¯d gotten nine upfront signups, seven people who vowed to join once the new members were fully settled and gave their feedback after a month, and thirteen willing to seriously consider joining by the end of the year. Daniel and Daniella had been among the thirteen, stating that they¡¯d enjoyed the fight and would like to serve under a ¡®scrappy Alpha¡¯ like me, in their words. Eyepatch had joined upfront, which surprised me for some reason. I noticed that a girl with light brown skin, thick curly hair and a determined expression had marched over to the table, after having what had seemed like a heated discussion with Timothy in the distance, expressing her very poignant desire to join after a month. One glance at Hailey, who¡¯d tried her best to look aloof and like she wasn¡¯t watching, told me that our new pack may be in for some drama somewhere down the line. ¡°This is Timothy, a founding member of our pack.¡± I told the group of twenty-nine that had expressed interest, ¡°For those of you joining immediately, I¡¯ll organise to have a shuttle bus drive you to our pack in three days. That should be enough time to get your things together and say your goodbyes. I¡¯ll let Timothy describe the meetup point. As for those that want to join after a month, I¡¯ll let you all come to a decision on the date you want to be picked up. You can contact either Kaesha, Timothy, or myself with the date. If any of you can accompany those joining now to the meeting point, it¡¯ll be better, so you can guide the rest when a month passes.¡± Two people volunteered, one of them being the girl from earlier, so I continued, ¡°And for the last category, those that¡¯ll join as time goes on. If you¡¯d like for a bus to be sent for you too, you¡¯ll need to be six joining at a time. Otherwise, the location can be given to you and you¡¯ll unfortunately have to make your way there on your own.¡± I smiled, ¡°With all that being said, welcome to the Vengar Sanguine Pack.¡± By the time Timothy had finished describing their meetup location in great detail and we¡¯d fully introduced ourselves to everyone, night had fallen, so we spent the night in the Sanctuary. I finally allowed Kaesha to take a look at my injuries, and while she didn¡¯t heal them fully, she did get them to the point where they didn¡¯t sting. After that, we freshened up and were knocked out for the night, each of us exhausted in our own ways. When the next morning came, we were up bright and early, and after we¡¯d said our goodbyes, we set out. The journey back both dragged on and flew by, and by the time we were crossing the threshold of the house, none of us were particularly chatty. We each shuffled to do our own things, Hailey passing out on the couch, Timothy dropping into his bed without bothering to close his bedroom door, Kaesha going off to, in her words, ¡°soak away the journey¡± in a bath that I eventually had to wake her from and me sinking to the ground in my own room after organizing the bus over the phone. I fell asleep like that, with my head lolled to the side and my phone in my hand, sitting on the floor. The next day, Hailey and I had packed our things and were on our way back to the city. Kaesha had decided to stay and help Timothy relocate our new members so just the two of us returned. On the journey back, Hailey was abuzz about Kaelin, gushing about the take he planned to take her on and how romantic he was and how much he missed her. I had yet to meet this guy who had seemingly swept my sister off her feet, but he seemed to be doing a good job of keeping her happy. If only she didn¡¯t have a Timothy-shaped cloud over her heart. I¡¯d seen what having a mate had done to my sweet sunshine of a sister. How their fundamentally different approaches to love had hurt them both. And I saw how desperately she was clinging to Kaelin in spite of it all. Perhaps even because of it all. It made me wonder if I¡¯d ever let myself get close enough to someone like that. If I¡¯d ever let myself be so vulnerable with someone that the very thought of them not reciprocating left me crushed. I hadn¡¯t loved Callum. I hadn¡¯t even liked him. But because the culture of mates meeting and falling hopelessly in love was so pervasive, some part of me had expected my mate to care for me, whoever he¡¯d turned out to be in that wretched pack. I resented that idea now¡­ because maybe, just maybe, I might¡¯ve left that place sooner if that part of me hadn¡¯t been holding out for a fictitious love. With a lull in the conversation, I gazed out the window, my mind wandering to the life partners Syrens got. According to the syllabus, we were meant to go into more detail about life partners over the course of the next two sessions, but I knew the basics at least. Syrens only got the ability to detect who their life partner was at the age of nineteen but from what I¡¯d heard, many went decades before ever meeting theirs. I wasn¡¯t quite sure of how one could tell who their life partner was and, truthfully, I hoped I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about having to identify him either way. But realistically speaking, it seemed unlikely that I¡¯d never get one. I was a hybrid in every sense, a full Werewolf and Syren, wolf and abilities and marks and all. So by that logic, if I¡¯d gotten a mate, a life partner wasn¡¯t entirely out of the realm of possibility, unless my makeup dictated that they were one and the same in the person of Callum. I just hoped that was the case, as opposed to the alternative of having to deal with yet another man foisted upon me by destiny. Hailey spent the night when we returned home, then promptly left to be reunited with her beau the next day. In her absence, I packed and prepared myself for the journey to the Royal Werewolves I¡¯d embark on tomorrow. ¡®Are you sure you should be going alone?¡¯ Candy asked as I zipped my suitcase closed. I shrugged, ¡®I don¡¯t want to disturb Hailey while she¡¯s with Kaelin, and Timothy and Kaesha have their hands full with getting our members settled.¡¯ ¡®What about Kirstin?¡¯ I shook my head, ¡®It¡¯s not time to recall her, and I can¡¯t have anyone knowing of her ties to me. I¡¯ll just go alone.¡¯ ¡®I guess¡­ but do you have to meet with them on the ninth?¡¯ ¡®Yes, Candy.¡¯ I sighed, ¡®I need our formation date to be the same as when I left the Lightwood pack. Besides, I¡¯ve already set up the audience with the Royals through the WolfNet for that day.¡¯ Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡®Alright¡­¡¯ She conceded, not sounding at all alright with the idea of me going by myself. But it had to be done, and it had to be done tomorrow. Did I feel anxious about a meeting with the Royals? Definitely. Would I have preferred to go with Timothy at least? Of course. But I was a royal in my own right, an uncertain, uncrowned, unknown one, but one nonetheless. And I couldn¡¯t cower at the thought of facing my equals. An idea formed in my mind. Checking the time to be sure Super Banking wouldn¡¯t be closed, I left my house, opting to run. It didn¡¯t take me long to get there, and I walked into the familiar doors with a wave to Melody. ¡°Is Mrs. Burton in?¡± I asked as I approached her desk. ¡°She should be finishing up with a meeting about now. Is anything the matter, Natalia?¡± She asked with a slight bow to her head, the subtle show of respect she¡¯d adopted since she couldn¡¯t refer to me by my title. ¡°No, I just want to ask her some things.¡± ¡°In that case, you can wait for her in her office.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± I said, then made my way there. I¡¯d been waiting for about fifteen minutes when Mrs. Burton returned. ¡°Natalia, hello.¡± She greeted as she walked in, her smile as warm as ever, ¡°Melody says you have some questions for me. You don¡¯t normally come around this soon after a trip, how was it by the way?¡± ¡°Hello, Mrs. Burton. It was very productive, actually. I¡¯ll be taking another one again tomorrow, this time, to the Royal Werewolf Palace. That¡¯s why I wanted to talk to you.¡± Her brows climbed as she took her seat opposite me, ¡°That¡¯s interesting. What do you want to know?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the Syren¡¯s relationship with Werewolves?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite neutral. We don¡¯t relate with them much, so we don¡¯t have much of an opinion on each other.¡± It made sense. Werewolves were pack creatures, but not very open to outsiders. We just didn¡¯t have many chances to interact with other Supernatural races. ¡°So, there shouldn¡¯t be anything preventing us from forming an alliance with them?¡± She shook her head slowly, processing the idea, ¡°No¡­ not that I know of¡­¡± I could do this. ¡°What if I facilitate an alliance? I¡¯m a hybrid of both, who better to get the two of us to be allies?¡± She thought for a while, the contemplation on her face heavy, ¡°This is a massive move, Natalia. You¡¯re not yet Queen, so we¡¯ll have no choice but to run this by the High Court, especially the Council. Besides, from what I understand, Werewolves are a race that values strength, and as much as I hate to admit it, Syrens are seen as a weak race in the wider Supernatural world, since we¡¯re the only ones with a clear predator. Alliances are a balance of give and take, but I struggle to think of what we could have to offer them, or what we could even want from them too.¡± I frowned, ¡°But wouldn¡¯t the very fact that we¡¯re allied help our standing?¡± ¡°I suppose it would, but I struggle to see what we could offer in return.¡± She was right. Werewolves did value strength, and as a race of mostly women who had spent centuries in hiding, Syrens weren¡¯t exactly considered a force to be reckoned with. And as Mrs. Burton had said, it was hard to think of anything we could offer Werewolves that would have them want to associate with Syrens. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right¡­¡± I sighed. I¡¯d really thought the idea could work. Her expression softened, ¡°It¡¯s a lovely idea. Rebekah knows we could use some friends in this world. And I¡¯ll be willing to help you pass it through the High Court if you think of any way it could work.¡± I smiled, grateful for her offer to help, ¡°Okay.¡± She was always looking out for me. ¡®She must really have loved mom to be so kind to you.¡¯ Candy mused. ¡®Yeah¡­¡¯ Thanking her, I left her office, waving goodbye to Melody on my way out before returning home to finish preparing for my trip. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. My stomach was in knots. I was drawing closer to the palace, accompanied by a guide that had been sent to take me to the palace as it was my first time visiting, and I could already see the spires towering above the spruces surrounding us. My audience with the Royals was scheduled for three pm, but my anxiety about missing it made me plan to arrive four hours early. The guide, Tyler, walked on ahead, holding my small suitcase in one hand as he narrated the history of the palace and the surrounding woods with hearts in his eyes. I listened absentmindedly, clutching my papers to my chest as my eyes darted around. Eventually, we approached the palace and I had to remember to keep my jaw from hanging open as I followed the guide around on his offered tour. It was massive, the main building looking to be eight storeys high and composed of two wings attached to the main, long structure that absolutely dwarfed the three-tiered fountain in front of it. Off to the side, sprawling gardens populated with flowers of a myriad of colours spread out, leading to a hedge maze that I could just tell was designed to keep you wandering for hours. It took us a while to get around the main palace, and when we did, we were met with what looked like a smaller castle made of what looked like glass, mirrors, and metal. The mid-morning sun glistened off it as we walked by. ¡°This is where the Summer Mate ball is held.¡± Tyler explained, then he went into a monologue on the history of the stunning structure. Around the other side of the palace, was a stable and training ground, as well as what Tyler described as the grounds servants¡¯ quarters. He led me through a door in the right wing. According to him, the right wing was for the political and official activities of the Palace, the left wing was the residence of the Royals, and the main wing was for everything else, including the Winter Mate Ball. Once inside, I was stunned anew. The ceilings were high, littered with chandeliers that had been polished to perfection. Per Tyler¡¯s words, the halls felt extravagant, but professional all at once, with painted portraits of historical figures lining the walls, punctuated by paintings depicting savage battle scenes, majestic wolves, and the moon in all its waxing beauty. We climbed several grand steps, and I was led to a room on the third floor. ¡°You may wait here till your audience. The room has everything you need, including food in the mini fridge and a bathroom, but do not hesitate to ring for one of the servants by pressing this button.¡± He gestured to a button on the wall above the bed, ¡°I will return to fetch you forty-five minutes before your audience. You are also permitted to explore the grounds and this wing, but you cannot go beyond the fourth floor, or to any of the other wings.¡± I nodded and he placed my suitcase down near the bed. ¡°Is there an iron here? I packed my outfit for my audience in my suitcase and I¡¯d hate to go looking creased and wrinkled.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll take your clothes to get pressed and have one of the servants return them to your room. If you¡¯re not around, they¡¯ll just leave it on the bed.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± I said, then got my clothes out of my suitcase and handed them to him. ¡°If that¡¯s all, I shall see you at two fifteen pm.¡± He said, then left the room, closing the door behind him. Alone in the room, I looked around. It was about the same size as my bedroom, and sure enough, had a minifridge, a microwave and an adjourning bathroom. My window had a view of the stables, servants¡¯ quarters and training grounds. Looking around, there was the place was full of movement, servants rushing to their duties, guards patrolling the areas and others who looked like important visitors being attended to. Thirty minutes of fidgeting and even showering in a poor attempt to calm my nerves passed. My clothes had been returned, pressed to perfection and brought in by a young girl who had scurried in then right back out after handing them to me. I checked the time. It was only noon, so I still had over two full hours of nervous energy I needed to endure. I wasn¡¯t unsettled enough to spontaneously combust, but my fire simmered under the surface, no doubt making my skin warm to the touch. I sighed and got up, deciding to take a walk around to give myself something to do. Wandering around, I noted that most of the rooms on the third floor seemed to be similar to mine, save for a room that had a large billiards table and dartboard in it. I ventured up to the fourth floor. It had fewer doors, and when I opened one of them, I saw why. The room I¡¯d entered was a massive library, with rows upon rows of tomes with varying degrees of age and volume to them. I ventured in, browsing the spines and flipping through some briefly, sill I found one that depicted the tale of La Luna and the creation of Werewolves. I was seated on the ground, my back resting lightly against the shelf I¡¯d pulled the book from, when I noticed a shadow over me and looked up, locking eyes with the person suddenly standing over me. Chapter 69 - Meetings Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I jumped to my feet, my heart pounding in my chest. How hadn¡¯t I noticed him? ¡°Well, this is a surprise.¡± His voice was deep as he spoke, still having to look down to regard me, even though I was standing. I slipped out from between him and the bookshelf and rounded on him with a glare, ¡°Who are you?¡± He turned to me, cocking his head as if my fleeing from his proximity puzzled him, ¡°That¡¯s a bit rude, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°So is sneaking up on someone and towering over them.¡± His lip quirked in the echo of a smile, ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± My eyes narrowed, and I was going to demand he tell me who he was again, when his scent hit me. He smelled like citrus cologne, smoke-like musk and a mild foreign element that left me feeling¡­ pleased¡­? The overwhelming feeling that I¡¯d perceived this scent before gnawed at me. I looked at him, really taking him in. He was tall, almost annoyingly so, with pale skin and shoulder-length hair as dark as a moonless night. His clothing was simple, a pair of black pants with an almost-tight white shirt and a lightweight black jacket that remained open. He was wearing shades inside, which surprisingly didn¡¯t seem obnoxious to me. They did little to detract from his face, with his sculpted jaw and a shadow of a beard. Even though his eyes were obscured, I could feel them taking me in too. ¡°Who are you¡­?¡± I asked, lacking most of my earlier bite. ¡°Just a stranger killing some time.¡± ¡°Sneaking up on people must be such a fulfilling pastime.¡± I quipped, earning a chuckle that I wanted to hear more of. What? ¡°It can be quite fun.¡± He said, with a mischievous tilt to his lips, ¡°Especially when you find yourself a belle buried in a book on the library floor. Were there no free chairs?¡± Since Uncovering, I¡¯d been told time and again how attractive I was by friends and strangers alike. By now, I was used to being called beautiful and all its synonyms. But for some reason, I felt my cheeks warm. I raised my chin, ¡°I guess I just didn¡¯t bother to look. Besides, I was comfortable.¡± ¡°Ah yes, there¡¯s nowhere quite like the floor when it comes to comfort.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± He opened his mouth to say something when a palace servant ran up to us. ¡°There you are!¡± The man sighed, visibly relieved, ¡°Please do well not to wander off, you don¡¯t want to be late for your audience.¡± ¡°Apologies, Carl.¡± The stranger said, all earlier playfulness shoved aside in the wake of his air of grace, becoming so sombre that he was almost regal, ¡°Let¡¯s get going, shall we? It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss¡­?¡± ¡°Ember.¡± I replied, without a thought. ¡°Ember.¡± He repeated with a whisp of a smile, rolling the name that I hadn¡¯t heard from anyone since my mother disappeared on his tongue as if it belonged there. ¡°I hope I will be fortunate enough to meet you again.¡± He said, taking my crested hand and planting a kiss on it, right where the planets aligned. Then he followed Carl out of the library. I didn¡¯t exhale till he was gone. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Two fifteen rolled around and I was in my room, fidgeting in my outfit and wondering if it was appropriate. I¡¯d read an article on the WolfNet from someone who frequented the palace, and she¡¯d ranked the outfits of each visitor, from best to worst. Taking inspiration from her best list, I decided to go in a black skirt with tights, a tucked in button down and a deep red fitted blazer, with a pair of heels to match. I¡¯d piled my hair on my head in a calculatedly messy bun with locks of hair framing my face and applied some red lipstick and mascara. I was gazing at my reflection with a furrowed brow, wondering if I looked more like a secretary than intended, when Tyler rapped at my door. Too late to change, I grabbed my folder of papers and followed him. He led me up to the sixth floor, to another hallway with few doors. He took me to the end of the hall, to some chairs opposite a set of double doors and had me sit. ¡°Please put any device you have on you in silent mode.¡± He said, and I complied. It had taken us about ten minutes to get here from my room, so I sat there, for another thirty minutes. Five minutes to three, the double doors opened and a man left the room in a huff, all but stomping out. When he caught sight of me, his frustration ebbed and he stared, having to be led away by his guide. ¡°Avarielle.¡± Tyler called, and I stood to join him before the door. ¡°I¡¯ll enter and announce you, then you¡¯ll enter and approach the throne. You must stop at the end of the carpet and bow or curtsey.¡± He told me, then the doors opened and he walked in. ¡°Avarielle, here for permission to register her pack.¡± He called, then stepped aside. I exhaled, squared my shoulders and walked in. Today, I was here in the capacity of a subject of the Royal Werewolves, but I would one day return as a monarch myself. I would bow, but I needed to conduct myself befitting of their equal. Their scents hit me like a brick wall, reeking of power as I approached the throne, stopping at the end of the carpet as instructed, and sank into a curtsey. ¡°Rise.¡± I stood and lifted my eyes. There were two thrones, with the King and Queen occupying them. They looked better than their pictures. The Royal family was what humans would call Native American, with deep tan skin, high cheekbones and dark hair. The King had his long hair pulled back in a low ponytail, with streaks of grey running through brown, while the Queen had hers pulled back in a severe bun. Their eyes were luminescent like mine, only silver like the moon as opposed to mine with their colour of smouldering ashes. They regarded me with cooly curious gazes. The King spoke, ¡°What is your request?¡± I kept my voice even and clear, ¡°I would like your permission to start my own pack, Your Highnesses.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Have you met the requirements?¡± The Queen asked. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I have purchased and developed land near a forest, gotten eleven Werewolves, excluding myself, who are ready to join, and have enough funds to look after every one of them.¡± The King waved his hand, and one of the guards near them approached me. I handed my folder to him and he gave it to the King. Nothing but the sounds of shuffling papers was heard as the King and Queen flipped through my documents. As an extra step, I¡¯d gotten my new pack members to stamp their pawprint on a sheet of paper then sign it, and when they saw those papers and gave each other approving looks, I was glad. The King handed the papers, save for the application form I¡¯d filled out, back to the guard who returned them to me. ¡°So¡­¡± He looked at my form, ¡°Avarielle. You have no last name written here. We have records of every Alpha and Beta family there is. How are we to be certain of your own standing?¡± ¡°I would rather not give my family name in the presence of others.¡± The Queen, brow raised, while the King nodded and waved a hand again. All four of the guards took the kind of earplugs they give you on a plane out of their pickets and stuffed them in their ears, then they turned their backs to me. ¡°The earplugs are enchanted to block out sounds for Werewolf hearing. You may speak freely.¡± ¡°My last name is Lightwood.¡± At that, a look of distaste settled on the Queen¡¯s face, while the King looked at me, puzzled. ¡°I know Clark¡¯s children, I¡¯ve met them.¡± He said, ¡°He¡¯s never even mentioned you.¡± ¡°My mother was not his Luna.¡± I offered as an explanation. If the King knew Clark well enough to have met Harry and Brittany and remember them, then I needed to tread carefully with how I spoke about him. Till I was ready to present all the evidence, I needn¡¯t risk offending the King by speaking the truth about someone whom he may very well see as a friend. ¡°I see, an illegitimate child. It¡¯s faint, but you do smell similar to him¡­¡± I stifled my disgust at the thought of smelling anything like Clark and I raised my chin, ¡°I would rather not have my pack associated with them.¡± The Queen¡¯s expression shifted from distaste to contemplation then she turned to him. They shared looks in what looked like silent communication, their faces shifting every so often. ¡°Very well.¡± She said finally. She clapped twice and the guards returned to their positions, taking their earplugs out. ¡°You¡¯re a little young, but we shall grant your request. From today henceforth, you are Alpha Avarielle, head of the Vengar Sanguine Pack. We bestow upon you the ability to form pack bonds as you see fit.¡± She stood from her throne and approached me, and I bowed as she drew closer. Standing over me, she took my crested hand and bit the inside of my wrist. The pain was sharp and brief, and healed almost instantaneously, leaving wolf bite marks of her upper teeth. ¡°Congratulations, Alpha Avarielle. May La Luna¡¯s light guide you through the night. Your guide will take you to get briefed on all your duties as an Alpha.¡± She said, then returned to her seat. ¡°Thank you, Your Highnesses.¡± I said, then left the room. I met Tyler waiting for me outside, and when the doors closed behind me, I found myself giddy with excitement. It felt like flames would burst from me again like they had before, but I kept them in. ¡°Congratulations, ¡°He said with a smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± I beamed. He led me down to the fourth floor and to a room opposite the library where I¡¯d met the stranger in. There, I sat through two hours¡¯ worth of a lecture on everything that being an Alpha entailed. From picking quality higher ups, to maintaining order in a pack, to filing paperwork and taxes to the Royal Family. I gave them the address of the main house of my pack and was given a new account on the WolfNet with Alpha privileges and asked to delete my old one. Then I was shown where all the necessary links were and how to give my future higher ups privileges on their accounts. We finished by five thirty and I was told to wait for my guide to return me to my room by six. So to kill some time, I returned to the library to continue my earlier book. I was on the floor again, in a more secluded corner, when I heard voices from the back of the library. ¡°Do you call that a solution?¡± One man whispered harshly, ¡°We can¡¯t just charter entire packs to different parts of the world.¡± ¡°Well, what else do you suggest?¡± The other responded, sounding just as exasperated, ¡°Europe and South America have larger forest mass, so the only logical move is to move them there.¡± ¡°Aside from the fact that that plan is completely impractical financially, there¡¯s also the fact that most of the forests are in Russia, a climate that most of the Werewolves won¡¯t be able to easily adapt to. And what happens when those forests are encroached on too? The humans will destroy everything eventually.¡± The second man groaned, ¡°Well, the only other option we have is to limit the number of packs and their sizes.¡± ¡°Oh right,¡± The first one drawled, dripping with sarcasm, ¡°let¡¯s place a one-child rule on Werewolves, a species that fucks like rabbits.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what you want me to say!¡± The second man wasn¡¯t whispering anymore. I would have listened more, but my nose picked up Tyler¡¯s scent, not too far from the library. Deciding that I¡¯d heard enough, I returned the book and left the library. I followed him back to my room. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to stay the night and tomorrow as well. Like before, if you need anything, simply press the button.¡± My return flight was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, ¡°Thank you. I should be leaving by tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Very well. Have a good night, Alpha.¡± He said, then left. I laid on the bed, residual excitement and an idea forming in my mind. This world was populated mostly by humans. If you added all the sentient Supernatural species, I doubted the number would be up to an eighth of the global human population. Some species were fortunate enough to have their own realms and worlds, like the Fae, Pixies, Spirits and even Syrens, or reside in places where humans usually had difficulty settling down, like Dwarves, Mermaids, Sirens and even the elusive Dragons up in the mountains or in oceans. For some species, being among humans was a bonus. Vampires, Succubi and Incubi fell into this category, being that humans were their main source of sustenance. Vampire Hunters, Enchanters, Witches, Psychics, Seers and the like had zero problems blending in, as their biology was fundamentally human to begin with. But it was harder for others. Werewolves and Elves needed to be near wooded land to be our best selves. Sure, Werewolves could survive in cities, Hailey had adjusted just fine, but it wasn¡¯t ideal. And certainly not for Werewolves who had grown up with nature, unlike Hailey. We needed woods and unobscured moonlight on our fur. And the problem of running out of wooded land was very real. Plus, it wasn¡¯t every forest we could reside in, as humans still ventured into a lot of them. ¡®Mrs. Burton said she couldn¡¯t think of anything Syrens had to offer¡­¡¯ I began. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ Candy said, curious. ¡®But what if we offer land? I¡¯m sure Syrenlina has forests. And according to history, Rebekah made Syrenlina as a mirror of Earth, so it should have just as much land mass. And we know it has only a fraction of the population, so there must be tons of untouched land.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s possible.¡¯ She said, ¡®You just need to find out the logistics like how to transport the Werewolves and regulate them, and how to make it all work.¡¯ ¡®But it¡¯s possible.¡¯ I hugged a pillow to my chest, trying to keep my expectations for what I had in mind contained. I resolved to speak to Mrs Burton about it once I returned to the city. Candy remained silent for a while, before speaking again, ¡®Do you have any idea who that guy from the library was?¡¯ I shook my head. I didn¡¯t like that I¡¯d given him my name, one that nobody else knew me by for that matter, and I hadn¡¯t gotten his. ¡®Why did you tell him your name was Ember? I thought you didn¡¯t tell people to call you that cause it¡¯s what mom called you.¡¯ My eyes were locked on my crest, right where he¡¯s kissed it. A faint blush crept up on me at the memory. ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ And I didn¡¯t like it. ¡®It seemed an awful lot like you were flirting with him. I just didn¡¯t want to say anything before your audience.¡¯ ¡®I was not!¡¯ I responded, indignant. I could almost feel her giving me a sidelong glance, ¡®I mean, it¡¯s not the worst thing in the world, and Luna knows you still need to mate with someone. Just maybe not him.¡¯ My brow furrowed, ¡®Not that I¡¯m going to, but why not him?¡¯ With the way he¡¯d smelled and how attractive he¡¯d been, I was surprised that he hadn¡¯t earned Candy¡¯s seal of approval. ¡®I didn¡¯t like his scent. He smelled kinda wrong.¡¯ Her words doused me in a wave of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, and I remembered where I¡¯d smelled him before. There¡¯d been a dark-haired stranger at the breakfast bar the day Kaesha had helped with a spell that let me enter Killdrain. And this stranger from the library smelled eerily similar. Candy had had a negative reaction to the scent back then too. And I hadn¡¯t told her that I¡¯d felt the opposite. The realisation came with a barrage of questions. If he was really the same person, how was he here? He didn¡¯t smell at all like a Werewolf, so he had to be something else. Granted, I didn¡¯t know what most species smelled like, so he could be anything. The question at the core of everything was, who was he? And why did I want to see him again? Chapter 70 - Bait Kirstin¡¯s P. O. V After months of essentially becoming her right hand and shadow, I could say I knew Brittany almost as well as I knew the back of my hand. I could predict almost all her reactions to different situations, I knew all her likes ¨C and more importantly, her dislikes- and her true feelings about almost everyone in the pack. I knew that she was secretly envious of the fact that Harry was next in line to lead. I knew that she¡¯d never felt an ounce of love for Callum. I knew she¡¯d never really liked Kylie, even before finding out about her betrayal with Callum. And above all, I knew that she would move mountains if it meant finally getting her father¡¯s recognition. We were in the work house, Brittany barking orders at some of the lower ranking higher-ups while I occasionally slinked away to steal information. Over the last few months, she¡¯d managed to claw her way to some actual power, and was now considered more useful than Harry by most of the higher ups. Despite the fact that she¡¯d effectively imposed herself on all his work, Harry seemed to have more enthusiasm about visiting the work house than he¡¯d ever had before. And I had a sneaking suspicion as to why¡­ He was almost always in the same room as Brittany and me, his eyes sneaking glances at me as Brittany berated him for one thing or another. His continued sneaking glances posed more than just one problem. On top of the shivers he still sent down my spine as I pretended not to notice his eyes on me, his attention also meant that I couldn¡¯t do my job properly. Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t around today. I ignored the twinges of disappointment as I worked in Brittany¡¯s shadow. I was walking back to Brittany¡¯s side when my I caught a strong scent. Brittany must have noticed it to because she immediately looked up from the papers she¡¯s been pouring over, her back rod straight and eyes wide with tension. The two others in the room with us scrambled to their knees and something told me I to follow their lead. Just as I did, he stormed in. I¡¯d only seen him a handful of times. He normally ate with us when Harry and Brittany¡¯s birthday was near to show face, but he¡¯d been absent this year. And from my time accompanying Brittany to the work house, I¡¯d hear whispering of his escalating outbursts from people grateful for every day he wasn¡¯t around. And we were about to find out why. ¡°Why haven¡¯t we destroyed those Acewoods yet?¡± He demanded. The Beta, who trailed in after him, answered in a small voice, ¡°We¡¯re close Alpha. All we need is one more visit to put the last nail in the coffin and they¡¯ll collapse. This phase is critical and we need to be careful.¡± The Acewood pack was the best pack in the state, and our ally. And as our ally, they were also subject to sabotage. But it was taking a bit longer than usual, since the targets were usually smaller packs where intimidation also worked. It went without saying that the downfall of the Acewoods needed to be meticulously planned. But Alpha Clark¡¯s impatience said otherwise. ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that for almost a year, Howling. I want results and I want them now.¡± ¡°Yes Alpha, we¡¯ll have it done right away.¡± Beta Howling said, his frustration expertly supressed. Alpha Clark waved him off and turned our way, approaching Brittany with a plastered-on smile, ¡°Sweetheart, how are you enjoying your time here? Are you having fun?¡± When Brittany had first gone to him to beg to be allowed to go to the work house, he¡¯d refused. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry your pretty head about what goes on there. Just enjoy your time with your mate.¡± He¡¯d apparently said, according to her grumbles in a rant about it. Eventually he¡¯d given his permission, but she¡¯d still returned in a mood, griping about how he thought she simply wanted to play with the big boys. ¡°I¡¯m doing more than having fun, daddy.¡± She said, presenting what she¡¯d been working on with pride, ¡°I know how everything works now and I¡¯ve been doing a lot of work, even more than Harry. I figured out how we can write off some of our taxes to the Royals and I¡¯ve made a list of seven packs vulnerable enough for us to take down.¡± ¡°Yes, darling. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been very helpful.¡± His voice was sickly sweet with dismission. Brittany pushed, ¡°If you¡¯ll look at the list, there¡¯s a particular pack that¡¯s a bit concerning. It was created just three weeks ago but they¡¯ve got too much land for one so new, and not to mention tiny. The Alpha decided to stay anonymous which shouldn¡¯t have been a problem but our inside person in the Palace wasn¡¯t assigned as his guide and when he went to his room, nobody was there so we don¡¯t know much. I doubt he¡¯s very strong if he¡¯s hiding his identity though. The worst part is that, for some reason, they¡¯ve already gained like seventeen allies. All of them are weak, but if they keep growing at this rate, they may become a problem.¡± With my head still bowed, I smirked. I hadn¡¯t heard Brittany talk about this, but it sounded an awful lot like Avarielle had already put her plan in motion. She¡¯d been right to assume that a new pack with too much upward potential would catch their eye, end here Brittany was, taking the bait like a good little fish. This bit of news seemed to give Alpha Clark pause. I chanced a glance at him, catching his pensive look before he gave a slow, approving nod, ¡°Have your little friend here bring the report to me when you¡¯re done. I¡¯ll decide how we move forward with this.¡± I could practically feel Brittany bursting with joy, but her face remained neutral, ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± Done with the conversation, he had Beta Howling retrieve the documents they¡¯d come in for and left. As soon as they were out the door, the tension in the room eased and Brittany spun to me, positively radiant and vibrating with excitement, ¡°Luna, did you hear that, Kirstin? Daddy said he¡¯ll look at my report. My report! I need to make this the best fucking report he¡¯s ever laid his eyes on. I need to dig up as much dirt as I possibly can on this Vengar Sanguine Pack, whatever the fuck that means.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°If you¡¯re putting your all in this, anyone should be impressed¡­¡± I said, leaving enough uncertainty in my voice for her excitement wo waver. She narrowed her eyes at me, ¡°What? You think he won¡¯t be impressed with my work?¡± My brows furrowed in careful concern, ¡°I could never think that, Brittany.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± She demanded. ¡°I just worry that after all the work you¡¯ll put into the report, he¡¯ll focus more on whoever is assigned to handle these Vengar nobodies.¡± I suppressed a smile as panic crept into her features, ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ What if he forgets all the work I did after someone else brings them down? I don¡¯t want that.¡± I placed my hand on my chest, earnest, ¡°Personally, I think there¡¯s no one more suited for the job than you. You¡¯re so smart, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to handle anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bet I can even finish them with just one visit.¡± She said, indignant. ¡°Exactly.¡± I smiled, ¡°You¡¯ll prove that you¡¯re even more useful than Beta Howling. His methods waste too much time.¡± The thought of showing up her dad¡¯s right-hand man put a calculating gleam in her eyes, ¡°If I¡¯m good enough, they might just make me the next Beta instead of that worm, Callum.¡± She said in a hushed, conspiratorial voice, then went back to work. She worked for the rest of the day, combing the WolfNet and shaking down our contacts for any bit of information she could glean. Of course, Avarielle had been careful, so the only things she could find were the fact that they had twelve members, their allies were comprised of our old victims, the general location of their territory, and the fact that the Alpha had apparently told the Royals something so secret that the guards had been required to turn around and use their special ear plugs. Ten minutes till the work house¡¯s closing, she sent me off with the report, ¡°I¡¯m fucking done. Too many coincidences and not enough information. See you at home.¡± She¡¯d muttered then stormed off. I took her report to the Alpha¡¯s office and was about to knock when his door opened. I immediately stepped back and bowed me head. ¡°What are you looking for at this time?¡± He demanded. ¡°I have Brittany¡¯s report for you, Alpha.¡± I said, presenting them to him. He took them from my hands but didn¡¯t let go, ¡°You¡¯re her little friend.¡± ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± ¡°Raise your head.¡± I complied, slowly lifting my head so my face was visible. I¡¯d never been able to see him up close before. He had more grey streaks than a Werewolf his age should and permanent frown lines between his brows. There was something very wrong in his eyes that made me avoid their gaze. His eyes took in my face, then ran down the length of my body and back up again. I suppressed my urge to recoil. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± My voice shook when I spoke, and I prayed he didn¡¯t hear it, ¡°Kirstin Lina Crest, Alpha.¡± He cocked his head, thinking for a second before asking, ¡°Kingsley¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± ¡°You should be old enough for a mate about now. Do you have one?¡± Sirens went off in my head at the question and my breath caught, so I shook my head. He took in the length of me again. Hanging around Brittany meant wearing next to nothing. I¡¯d grown used to it, and as Brittany¡¯s new right hand, I was as close to untouchable as I could get without having a title. I¡¯d felt uncomfortable in these clothes before, but never unsafe. Until now. ¡°Have you been fucked before?¡± His voice was even, as if he hadn¡¯t just asked me what he¡¯d asked me. Gracine said nothing, but her panic swelled and melded with mine. My mind screeched at me to wrench my hand out of his and run. I didn¡¯t. ¡°I- I don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m not¡­¡± About two years ago, I¡¯d wanted to experience it, so I¡¯d found a willing participant and we¡¯d gotten to work. It was enjoyable, I¡¯d found, but I quickly lost interest in trying to keep up with the rotating door of partners my friends had had at the time, so I only engaged when the urge arose, and it hadn¡¯t since finding my mate. ¡°You should practice. You wouldn¡¯t want to leave your mate unsatisfied.¡± He said, the suggestion that he be the one to help me practice hanging in the air. ¡°Dad?¡± We both turned our heads, spotting Harry at the end of the hallway. I¡¯d never been so happy to see him. ¡°It¡¯s late, son. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I forgot my charger.¡± He replied, then moved his attention to me, seemingly unfazed by the sight of us, ¡°Brittany¡¯s been looking for you, she wants to talk to you about something.¡± Alpha Clark released my hand, and I moved away from him as inconspicuously as I could, ¡°I see.¡± I said, my voice still shaky, ¡°I guess I should get going. Good night, Alpha Clark.¡± I bowed my head to him then followed Harry as he turned and left. We stopped to get my things and left the building. We¡¯d been walking for ten minutes in complete silence till he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about him¡­¡± He didn¡¯t look at me, keeping his gaze straight ahead, ¡°Avoid being alone with him as much as possible. He can be¡­ pushy¡­¡± I nodded then paused, rubbing my wrist, ¡°When did you leave your charger? I didn¡¯t see you there today.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t.¡± I looked at him, ¡°Then why did you come?¡± He shrugged, ¡°I saw Brittany return without you. It¡¯s late so I thought I¡¯d come see if you were okay.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I squeezed out around the lump forming in my throat, fighting the tears that threatened to fill my eyes. He must have heard it in my voice, cause he stopped and looked at me. Before I could think, he¡¯d pulled me into a hug, enveloping me in his scent, his arms, in him. I couldn¡¯t fight the tears anymore and once the first sob escaped my throat, I couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He whispered, again and again into my hair as I cried, apologizing for more than just this evening. ¡°I was so scared.¡± I choked out between sobs. At that, his embrace tightened. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Kirstin. For everything.¡± He said, almost like a plea. My chest constricted. We stayed like that for a while, me tucked into his arms and him whispering apologies. Finally, my tears abated and I took a deep breath, stepping away from him. ¡°Thank you for today, Alpha.¡± I began, my eyes looking anywhere but his face, ¡°I appreciate you stepping in, but I don¡¯t think this is appropriate.¡± ¡°Kirstin¡­¡± He reached for me, but I pulled away and his hand dropped back to his side. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Luna would be pleased.¡± ¡°You know she means nothing to me.¡± My heart clenched and I turned away, ¡°She is your Luna.¡± ¡°I was forced to choose her. Please understand.¡± He whispered, sounding defeated and torn. Understand? White hot anger flared in me and I faced him, ¡°Really? It doesn¡¯t sound like you were forced to when you fuck her every night.¡± I spat. He recoiled at the venom in my words. Avarielle had been right. I was still weak to him. ¡°I,¡± I began. The look on his face told me that he knew was I was about to do and pleaded for me not to. I didn¡¯t listen, ¡°Kirstin Lina Crest, member of the Lightwood pack, accept your, Harry Theodore Lightwood, Alpha of the Lightwood pack, rejection.¡± He staggered back, clutching his chest as the brief wave of pain hit him. I returned to the house alone, not bothering to wait for him to recover. Chapter 71 - Progress Natalia¡¯s P. O. V Being an Alpha was harder than I thought. Of course, I hadn¡¯t been deluded enough to assume it¡¯d be a cakewalk, but I definitely hadn¡¯t anticipated how heavy the weight of having the wellbeing of nine new werewolves resting on my shoulders would be. The bite the Queen had given me the ability to bond Werewolves to me by biting them. It seemed that pups born into the pack didn¡¯t require a bite to be included in the bond, but for new members, it was necessary. We¡¯d held a ceremony in front of the main building of our territory. Timothy had been the first to receive my bite, followed by Hailey, then I¡¯d pretended to bite Kaesha. Despite the fact that she¡¯d insisted that she could just use her magic to heal herself like a Werewolf, I hadn¡¯t wanted to bite her. Partly because she still needed time to figure out how to join the bond using magic, but mostly due to the fact that I didn¡¯t want to needlessly hurt her just for show. The rest had followed, swearing their allegiance to me on La Luna and stating their expectation of care in return. As a new pack, we were given six months from the date of our creation before we were required to pay dues to the Royals in the form of taxes on the income we generated. That brought another issue of figuring out how a pack of our size could produce anything of worth. Timothy and I were by the training grounds on our walk to survey how our members were settling in, when we deliberated on the matter. ¡°We could offer up some of the houses for rent.¡± He¡¯d suggested. Our little town had the capacity to house about two thousand people, give or take a few hundred. I¡¯d been certain that our members wouldn¡¯t be up to two hundred within the next year, so as long as the members remained on the side of town near the village, I doubted it would pose much of a problem. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but till we get enough people renting houses, what are we gonna do in the meantime?¡± ¡°I sectioned off a piece of land that could be used for a farm. Some of the members could work it and help provide food that way. Any extra can be sold too.¡± I¡¯d nodded. There was a small grocery store not far out of town, which was where we¡¯d been getting food for our members for the time being, but opening up a market of some sort would reduce the amount of money we were losing. Timothy had also suggested asking our current and future members if they had any talents with crafts like woodworking or blacksmithing that could be used to create items to sell. Timothy himself focused a lot of his efforts on crafting intricate pieces of art that could be sold online, while I reached out to the Claw Moon pack to ask for their help with farming practices. The Alpha of the Claw Moon pack had called to congratulate me when he¡¯d heard the news of an anonymous Alpha registering a pack, and we¡¯d discussed our plans further. Publicly allying with a pack as large as the theirs could risk scaring the Lightwoods off and deter them from targeting us, so Alpha and I had agreed to keep our allegiance under the radar till they were in my grasp. He was still more than happy to send a few members of his to help us get started with our farming and animal rearing. Now, three weeks from our official creation, the Claw Moon members were out with our own members, Hailey and Kaesha were out there getting their hands dirty, and I was waiting for Timothy in my office. I hadn¡¯t given him many specifications on how I¡¯d wanted it to look, and so I had been pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it when he¡¯d shown it to me for the first time. It was a pretty wide room, with bookshelves already beginning to be populated with official documents for our pack and a few textbooks. My desk was placed before the floor to ceiling window, offering me a view of the nearby buildings like the training grounds and common house, thick drapes on either side waiting if I needed them. The desk itself was made from a beautiful red wood that I¡¯d found out had been crafted by Timothy himself, polished to glossy perfection, with the stamp he¡¯d given me upgraded to one that proudly stated my title and pack. It had three drawers, one of them with a lock and a false bottom. He¡¯d gotten me a swivel chair made from a luxurious looking leather and two seats across from the desk. All that was great on its own, but he¡¯d also had an escape route built into the space under my desk and a small, secret saferoom installed in the space between mine and the Beta¡¯s office where I filed the originals of the dirt Kirstin had given me on the Lightwoods. Footsteps treaded up to my door, Timothy¡¯s scent announcing him to me before he finished walking. ¡°Come in.¡± I called before he could knock. He walked in, clicking the door closed behind him, ¡°You called, oh great Alpha.¡± He drawled, sinking into one of the seats across from me. I lowered my papers and gave him a sidelong glance, to which he responded with a cheeky grin, ¡°I wanted to talk to you about something.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to officially name you as my Beta.¡± His brows shot up, ¡°I thought the idea was for me to pose as the Alpha in public.¡± ¡°Yes, but you¡¯ve been giving your all from day one and you¡¯re basically already performing the role. It wouldn¡¯t be right to leave you title-less.¡± He remained silent for some seconds, then asked, ¡°What about Sunshine? She¡¯s Alpha-born so making her the Beta would be a better move.¡± I had pondered over choosing Hailey. As the daughter of an Alpha, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she turned out to possess some leadership qualities. And he was right, having an Alpha born wolf serving as Beta would definitely improve our standing. I shook my head, ¡°I considered it, but she didn¡¯t grow up as a Werewolf, and she¡¯s got other commitments with school. She¡¯s been incredibly helpful, but you¡¯re the one that has been and will be on ground when school starts again.¡± His waning skepticism was painted all over his face, regarding me with a look that asked if I was sure this was the best decision. I sighed, ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Just take the position, you¡¯re more than suitable for it and your wolf is big enough to count too.¡± A slow smile crept into his expression, ¡°How can I refuse the will of our great leader? I guess I¡¯d better get to work, Alpha.¡± I returned his smile, ¡°Right. That¡¯ll be all, Beta.¡± We gathered for his official title announcement during one of our breaks the next day. Since he¡¯d already been working closely with our members, it was well received, and even Hailey was cordial about it. After congratulations and respects were paid, I addressed the other topic at hand. ¡°Is there anyone here that would like to attend the Summer Mate Ball?¡± Our current efforts were directed at establishing ourselves. The first and most vital tasks were learning how to raise our own food and establish some income sources, after which plans for the Claw Moon Pack to send trainers had been put in place. But finding one¡¯s mate was a right, and none of my members should be deprived of. Seconds passed, then more, and nobody indicated any interest in attending the ball. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked. Daniel and Daniella shared a look, while Eyepatch, Ryan, stepped forward, ¡°Many of us lost our mates before arriving at the Sanctuary. Besides, how can we go when there¡¯s so much work to be done?¡± I nodded, gratitude at their determination growing in me. I hadn¡¯t told them much more on my plans yet, but some already showed signs of being determined to stand by me, ¡°In that case, the meeting is adjourned.¡± We returned to work. Since I¡¯d finished a lot of the paperwork yesterday, I was able to join them in the field, learning alongside them and entertaining a significantly more energetic Carla, who had insisted on accompanying her parents since they¡¯d been part of the group sent to help us out. That was how the days passed, then weeks. We cared for some crops out in the open, and most others in the greenhouse. It took a lot more work than simply poking holes in the ground and dropping seeds in them. We also needed to learn how to care for the cows, chickens and goats. The goats were the hardest to deal with, stubborn as they were. Most of the animals seemed to be able to sense that we were werewolves and as a result were somewhat subdued, but not the goats. Their stubbornness didn¡¯t let up till Hailey, in her mounting frustration, slashed at one of them in an anger fueled half shift. Apparently, the feedback from our members was positive. Everyone that had indicated their interest in joining after a month turned up, plus three more that had wanted to join by the end of the year. Their arrival brought our total numbers to twenty-two. They settled in easier, helped by our other members, then got to work after a few days. Things seemed to be progressing well. I was getting to know the personalities and some of the strengths of our members, we were well on our way to self-sufficiency, and save for a few tiffs, most of us seemed to get along well enough. The only issue was that with the arrival of Penelope, the girl I¡¯d seen Timothy talking to at the Sanctuary, Hailey¡¯s mood shifted. She pulled a Houdini every time the two of them were together. Her communication with Timothy became almost nonexistent as she constantly had either me, Kaesha or some other member send him messages, somehow always seeming too busy to talk to him herself. And when she did speak to him, it was awfully brief and overly civil. I¡¯d heard them resolve the argument they¡¯d had months ago the night in the tents, but something about seeing him with Penelope seemed to be driving her to avoid him all over again. From what I could gather, she¡¯d been in his old pack when it had been targeted by the Lightwoods, and Kaesha had whispered to me that they¡¯d apparently dated at one point. It¡¯d make sense for Hailey to be uncomfortable around them if she still had feelings for Timothy, but she was still with Kaelin. ¡®The mate bond is stronger than you give it credit for, Nat. Most werewolves can¡¯t just discard it the way you seem to be able to. Especially not in cases where they haven¡¯t rejected each other yet.¡¯ Candy said. I glanced at Hailey seated across from me. I was working in my office today and she¡¯d come in some minutes ago, wanting to see how I handled paperwork. One glance outside told me that that organic curiosity might not have been the only reason she¡¯d taken an interest in something as tedious as paperwork. Candy was seemed to be right. Outside the Lightwood Pack, the mate bond seemed to be something that was cherished. Perhaps part of my aversion to mates in general stemmed from living in a place where it was so callously discarded. I held in a sigh, ¡®If she still feels things for Timothy, then I just feel bad for Kaelin.¡¯ Plus, I didn¡¯t fully understand why they still couldn¡¯t be together. If her feeling were still there, and Timothy had already expressed his desire to be with her, them choosing to remain with other people on puzzled me. ¡®Tim rejected her for almost a year so I get why she wouldn¡¯t want to jump into being with him right away. Who¡¯s to say that he won¡¯t just let his fears take over again? And she seems to really care for Kaelin, so why not just stay with him?¡¯ ¡®True. And he treats her well.¡¯ I agreed, thinking back to all the hours-long calls I¡¯d been on with her where she pretty much sang his praises after going on dates. I glanced at her again. She was engrossed in the work I¡¯d given her, her blonde brows slightly furrowed as her green eyes skimmed over the page. I just hoped she was able to work through her conflicting feelings soon enough so she could be happy. She deserved that much. Chapter 72 - Back to School Natalia¡¯s P. O. V It didn¡¯t take long for my leadership duties to take the form of a routine. The day often began with a shared breakfast, with all our members and guests present. Then we began working the soil. After several attempts, I¡¯d long since come to terms with the fact that I was barely capable of keeping a plant alive, but Timothy and Kaesha were naturals, for good reason I suppose. Timothy¡¯s gift gave him a special affinity for trees, which he seemed to apply to other plants. Meanwhile, I suspected that Kaesha¡¯s goddess level of plant care even sans magic stemmed from the unique identity Witches had as keepers of the balance. I was often shooed away from working on our plants by one of the two. Since the day I¡¯d accidentally set a few young sprouts on fire in a burst of frustration, their trust in me when it came to our crops was lower than the seeds beneath the ground. After my daily attempts to be useful in the fields were thwarted, I often migrated my efforts to my office, plotting out our projected spending and earnings. Being a princess gave me a plush financial cushion, but I wanted our reliance on that to end as soon as possible. The plan was for Kaesha and Timothy to eventually use their abilities to expedite the growth of our food sources, but we needed to learn how to sustain them ourselves before we got their magical boost, in case they ever became unable to help somewhere down the line. The Claw Moon Pack had made good on their offer to send trainers, the first three arriving just a few weeks to the end of summer. With their help in both the food and defence department, my members studied under their tutelage in alternating day shifts. With my ban from the fields, I was the only one that seemed to have purely combat lessons. Aside from learning how to fight as a wolf and against a wolf with the others, a member of their defence council held sessions with Timothy, Kaesha, Hailey and I on the fundamentals of keeping a pack safe and secure. Before I knew it, three months flew by in a blur and resumption dates were upon us. I would have opted to stay till November and then fly back to cram for finals if I¡¯d just had Killdrain to contend with, but my attendance at the Syren school was more than just for the sake of grades or a diploma, so I needed to be there in person to digest the lessons. So, after months of working in what had come to feel like my element, I was back in the city, on my way to the first class of the day at Killdrain. Walking in early, I was greeted with a warm chorus of ¡®hey¡¯s¡¯ and ¡®hi¡¯s¡¯ from most of the study group members. This semester, there was one class we all shared, and that shared class was my first one of the day. ¡°Looks like someone got a tan.¡± Beth said with a smile, her skin a nice flush of pink. I shrugged. I hadn¡¯t taken note of it, but the consistent work in the sun plus the warmer climate than the usual city chill had likely given me more colour, so the comment didn¡¯t shock me. I noted the intricate braid that had been crafted into a crown around her head, as well as Ada¡¯s fresh braids, ¡°You and Ada seem to have had fun with your families.¡± At that, Beth lit up, talking about how she¡¯d gotten the chance to connect with her grandmother and learn more about her family heritage, after which Ada launched into how she¡¯d gotten the chance to be babied and enjoy good food at home. Throughout their narrations, my being was hyperaware of Annya. Since the day she¡¯d reacted strangely to me after my Uncovering, things had been off. She oscillated between ignoring me outright during group interactions or being entirely too close. And she¡¯d ceased talking to me without someone else present altogether. Today, she chose to be within breathing distance, nearly leaning on me as she listened to the girls talk about their summers. She was so close that her scent of perfection nearly drowned out every other one my nose was capable of picking up. I would¡¯ve just taken it as the new part of the normal of our relationship, if Nathaniel wasn¡¯t glancing over at her every few seconds, looking ever so slightly uneasy at the proximity between us. Soon, class began and the morning became a blur of looking for new auditoriums and sitting through lectures prefaced with introductions to new teachers. Once my last class of the morning ended, I said my goodbyes to Beth, Ada and James and began making my way off the campus. I was rushing through the courtyard when the scent, faint as a whisper, tip-toed through the air and brushed my senses ever so slightly. Him. I stopped dead in my tracks, my head on a swivel. After several seconds of thorough scanning, catching every blade of grass and every nook in every brick, he was nowhere within my line of vision, meaning he had to be indoors. My feet had taken the first few steps back to the main building before I jolted back to reality, remembering that I was on a time crunch to get to the Syren school. I shook my head, my brows tense as I stared questioningly in the distance, before turning back to leave. What he was doing at my school, I didn¡¯t know. And I didn¡¯t have the time to find out. I got to the School for Syrens with seconds to spare before the bell rang. This session, our afternoon classes consisted of Special Abilities, Syrenlina Economics, continued Syren History and Inter-species Relations, and our choice of elective. Sitting in Syren History class, I sent silent greetings to Jenna and Lucy before facing the teacher. Half of my mind was on the lesson the new teacher prattled on about, but the rest of my thoughts were at Killdrain, wondering what the dark-haired stranger could be doing there. Seeing him at the Royal Palace had been jarring, especially after I¡¯d recognised his scent from a caf¨¦ not too far from Killdrain the previous year, but for his scent to be lingering within the halls of my school. Just who was he? Living in the city, I was presented with the so very obvious humanness that clung to the scents of humans. And attending the Syren school, I¡¯d been familiarized with the woodsy, ethereal note that followed Elves, the whimsical element of the Fae¡¯s scent, the heavy wilfulness in the Enchanters¡¯ and Enchantresses¡¯ smells, as well as a few others. But for the life of me, his scent told me nothing of what he could be. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. My mind only fully returned to the lesson when the teacher was wrapping up. ¡°Next lesson, we¡¯ll be covering the Insurgents.¡± The class broke into chatter, sharing hushed whispers at the mention of the topic. I glanced back at Jenna and Lucy, my brows furrowed with the question on my face. Jenna¡¯s look was pensive as she mouthed a silent ¡®later¡¯ to me, while Lucy looked somewhat excited. And so, I waited for later, going through the rest of my classes wondering who the Insurgents were and why they elicited such a response from everyone. The only thing that kept me from wondering was Special Abilities class. I was engrossed in my flames, carefully weaving two moderately-sized balls of fire through the air, with a pitcher of water and fire extinguisher nearby. ¡°Good job, Natalia. Looks like you put in some work over the summer.¡± Miss Asa said to me at the end of the class, noting my improvement. I smiled, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then left to find Jenna and Lucy. They were waiting outside, seated under one of the massive trees with browning leaves. I laid my hoodie on the ground and joined them. The first thing we did was share a hug and catch up. Both Lucy and Jenna had spent the summer in Syrenlina, catching up with extended family and doing things that I couldn¡¯t even wrap my mind around, like floating island gliding and untethered-river sailing. Spending time in their own world had given them a tranquil glow that I¡¯d noticed on some other Syrens too. ¡°What did you do over the summer, Natalia?¡± Jenna asked. ¡°Nothing much, just helped out with my pack.¡± I said, then shifted the topic, ¡°What was all that about Insurgents? Who are they and why did everyone get all conspiratory when they heard their name?¡± A dark look crossed Jenna¡¯s face, ¡°They¡¯re this radical group in Syrenlina.¡± ¡°More like revolutionaries.¡± Lucy contradicted. They shared a look, obviously at odds, while I looked between the two of them. ¡°What did they do?¡± My question pulled their gazes off each other and back to me. ¡°They believe that the Royal family shouldn¡¯t be allowed to move about as freely as they do.¡± Jenna explained. My heart sped up, and I was glad that none of them could hear it. ¡°Oh, stop it, Jenna. They just want to keep Syrenlina safe.¡± ¡°By locking the Royal family up and breeding them like cattle!¡± Jenna snapped. The beating stopped and the organ dropped to my stomach. What? ¡°You know that¡¯s not what their main ideals are.¡± Lucy shot back. Jenna faced Lucy, her entire body turned to her in barely contained annoyance, ¡°Their main ideals are that the Royal family, as Rebekah¡¯s descendants and the anchors of Syrenlina, should be kept in Syrenlina and allowed to do nothing but roam the castle and pop out babies.¡± ¡°They believe that the Royal family needs to be kept safe for the good of Syrenlina and all who live in our world. Look at what happened with the Queen! She went missing, had a kid that was unaccounted for, and families were torn apart for almost sixteen years! And even with that, the Princess still won¡¯t make herself known to put our minds at ease. No one knows who or where she is, what if something happens to her? I just got my parents back, I can¡¯t lose anyone to another Jam again. I won¡¯t!¡± Lucy was close to tears, her breathing heavy with the labour to keep them falling. Jenna¡¯s expression softened, and she placed a hand on Lucy¡¯s, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lucy, but you won¡¯t lose anyone again, I promise. There are better ways to do this than to keep our leaders locked up for all their lives. It¡¯s not like the Queen was just running around unaccounted for, what happened with her was out of anyone¡¯s control.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s keep it within our control. It¡¯s not like the Insurgents want to breed them or never let them leave the castle, they just want us to be safe¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t know their intentions for sure, Lucy.¡± Lucy wiped her eyes, sniffling, ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to agree to disagree.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go home, my parents are waiting for me.¡± Lucy mumbled, packing her things up and waving us goodbye as she walked away. Jenna sighed as we watched her leave, not looking at me as she spoke, ¡°Lucy doesn¡¯t know¡­ She doesn¡¯t know the lengths they¡¯re willing to go to. With everything that happened with The Jam, their ideology has spread to more of Syrenlina than ever. They¡¯ve even got backers in the High Court now, and many of those backers are Nobles and Council members that would love nothing more than to take their intent from just keeping Syrenlina safe to making the Royal family nothing but baby-making figureheads.¡± She looked down at her hands, at her crest ingrained on her caramel skin, ¡°Honestly, I think the Princess is smart to not reveal herself now. Syrenlina needs time to heal from The Jam before she comes back fully.¡± We were silent for a while, before she shook her head and offered me a smile, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about all this though, Natalia. It¡¯s all just Syren politics and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got a lot on your plate from your Werewolf side already.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess¡­¡± I said, returning her smile with one of my own. I prayed she couldn¡¯t sense my unease or my rising temperature. After parting ways with Jenna, I went straight to Super Banking, greeting Melody at the counter on my way to see Mrs Burton. She was at her desk when I walked in, offering me a welcoming smile, ¡°Welcome back, Natalia. I hear things went well with your plans over the summer.¡± ¡°Thank you. Yeah, I made some progress¡­¡± I said, taking a seat. I¡¯d intended to come today to make my proposition for Syrens to ally with Werewolves by offering some packs land, but the argument between Jenna and Lucy had put a queasy, questioning feeling in my stomach. Did I need to do this? ¡°So, what brings you to my office?¡± I took a breath, steeling my resolve. It wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t known that my life had more attached to it than my soul, so a faction of Syrens wanting to keep me in Syrenlina for their own safety shouldn¡¯t surprise me. More than anything, I needed to stay alive. I explained my idea to Mrs Burton, how Werewolves were in danger of not having anywhere to call their home, should humans decimate all the forests, and how access into Syrenlina could be regulated on the basis of applications and merits. When I finished my explanation, she nodded thoughtfully, ¡°We¡¯ve never had much contact with Werewolves, but an arrangement like this could be the start of a promising alliance. The only issues I can think of are the existing stereotypes. Most Syrens see Werewolves as uncultured beasts, and I¡¯m sure Werewolves probably aren¡¯t even aware of our existence. Besides organising the logistics and construction, getting over those ideas will be the biggest challenge.¡± I nodded, remembering the disgust on some of my classmates¡¯ faces when they found out I was a Werewolf, ¡°Yes, but an alliance like this could be a step towards improving our overall standing in the Supernatural world. If we have more allies and credibility, we won¡¯t be in as much danger from our natural enemies.¡± Mrs Burton was quiet, smiling at me like I was her pride and joy, ¡°You¡¯ll make a fine Queen, Natalia.¡± My insides warmed, not from my fire, but a maternal warmth I¡¯d been missing for years. I found myself aching to hear my mother say those words to me. ¡°Thank you... I really hope so.¡± Chapter 73 - Promises of Retribution and Reconciliation Kirstin¡¯s P. O. V My hands trembled as I shoved things into my bag. I was a mass of tears, tremors and terror. I could barely see what I was putting in the damn thing through my tears, but only one thing rang through my mind as I dashed around my room. Get out. The evidence I¡¯d gathered and some essentials had been the first things to go into the rucksack, so everything else was just a formality. I picked a thick enough jacket for the chill I expected, and a few other pieces of warm clothing, then I zipped it closed with all the finality I felt. I couldn¡¯t do this. It was the dead middle of night. Most of the house was fast asleep, and anyone who wasn¡¯t was thoroughly engrossed in one activity or another. I turned my shower on, zipped my boots up and threw my hood over my head, feeling the bristled edges of my uneven haircut graze against my neck and shoulders. The window opened with a muffled click, and I climbed out. The bricks of the building were poor ledges for my already unsteady hands to hold on to, but I strained to hold on, fighting back the tears of pain and distraught that threatened to spill over. I dropped the last few feet, not landing nearly as softly as I¡¯d hoped to, and scrambled to my feet. My legs ached from work and their wounds as I sprinted away from everything I¡¯d ever known, and I refused to give them reprieve till I was well into the forest and out of anyone¡¯s sight or hearing range. Only then did I contact Ari, sending her only three words: ¡®I need out.¡¯ Hailey¡¯s P. O. V Months had passed since summer ended and we¡¯d returned to the city but I missed it all the same. I hadn¡¯t realised how constantly my senses were bombarded by an array of harsh human sounds, scents and sights till I¡¯d spent a stretch of time without them. Or how tranquil I felt being so close to nature for so long. I knew Ari would never agree to it, out of guilt or duty, but everything in me was telling me to go back to our pack to live my days out there. Save for the matter of missing Kaelin and my turmoil surrounding Tim, I¡¯d probably be content there. Kaelin, smart as he was, had started prepping for the December exams weeks ago and I¡¯d spent the day with him in an attempt to find some motivation to read mine, being three weeks away. I was walking to Ari¡¯s place after a day of staring at the same page of a pdf on my laptop, hoping for a nap, a distraction, or both. When I turned the corner, Ari¡¯s mansion came into view, along with a girl, a Werewolf, exiting a taxi in front of it. As I watched her begin the walk up Ari¡¯s driveway, the only thing I could think was that she looked¡­ tired. World weary and wide eyed, her short, awkwardly cut hair brushed her neck as she looked around in muted awe. I hurried the rest of the way to the house, getting to the door as Ari was gently welcoming the girl. She looked up at me as I approached, and the girl followed her gaze to do the same, her brown eyes filled with a mix of surprise and suspicion. ¡°Good, you¡¯re here.¡± She said as she ushered us both inside and out of the nippy November weather. Not that she needed to, radiating warmth as she always did, ¡°Hailey, this is Kirstin, our inside person. Kirstin, this is Hailey, my half-sister.¡± Surprise overtook suspicion on Kirstin¡¯s face, ¡°That means she¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Also Clark¡¯s child.¡± Kirstin flinched at the mention of his name. ¡°Nice to meet you, Hailey.¡± ¡°You too¡­¡± I said, then couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking, ¡°Are you alright? You don¡¯t look too good.¡± My question was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back, I realised, as her eyes filled with tears that quickly overflowed. Her sobs were heart-wrenching, her breathing ragged in hiccups and hyperventilation. I took her bag off her and Ari guided her to the living room, sitting with her in front of the fireplace. She flicked two fingers towards the fireplace, sending a small ball of flames that ignited on the waiting wood and I went to get a blanket and start up some hot chocolate. Kirstin didn¡¯t stop crying for well over two hours. Several times, she tried to wrestle her composure back, only for the tears to begin anew with more ferocity in their anguish, triggered by memories I was sure I never wanted to live. Eventually, her tears abated, and she was silent with the occasional sniffles and sips of now room-temperature chocolate as she stared blankly into the flames. Ari had brought pillows and cushions for us to rest on, some of which ended up being hugged to our chests, and blankets to wrap around ourselves. With the early winter night that had fallen, we were illuminated with the soft, shifting light of the convulsing fire. Neither Ari nor I uttered a word, only sitting with her in silent support. Our silence continued as she spoke. ¡°That monster is no Alpha.¡± Her voice was hoarse and barely there, ¡°He has to be stopped. Someone has to make him stop.¡± She turned to Ari, her puffy, bloodshot eyes pleading for retribution, resolution¡­ something to make this awful wrong less wrong somehow. Ari tenderly took Kirstin¡¯s hands in hers, ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re working on. I promise, once everything¡¯s in place, we¡¯ll stop him- we¡¯ll stop them all.¡± Kirstin was crying again, ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Ari. He-¡° She choked on a sob, ¡°I-¡° She broke down, crying once more, this time into Ari¡¯s arms. Ari¡¯s eyes widened slowly in horror, and I got the sinking feeling that, contrary to what Kirstin had just said, she did in fact understand. Many would say that a year and a half doesn¡¯t count as a long time of knowing someone. After all, there are people that have known each other for decades. For sisters, we¡¯d spent precious little of our lives around each other. But in the time we had, we¡¯d been close. Close enough that I could say with measured confidence that I could tell what she was feeling with above average accuracy, even if only slightly. But in this moment, as her expression shifted from horror to something else, I would bet my first-born child that I knew what she was feeling. It was in her eyes, glowing with the stoniest, coldest rage I¡¯d ever seen on a person. It was in the way the temperature went up several degrees in an instant. It was in the way the lazy fire roared to life. Ari was livid. Kirstin pulled away as if she¡¯d been burnt. Thankfully, she hadn¡¯t, but she stared at Ari in confusion. Ari didn¡¯t address her power, and instead uttered a statement that had all the weight of a vow and nearly had me bending my head to her. ¡°I¡¯ll kill him myself.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Tim had his hands full with spearheading the growth of our pack and Ari, Kaesha and I had imminent exams to contend with, so there was no one immediately available to take Kirstin to our pack. Granted, Kaesha could have taken her and been back in under a minute, but her identity as a Witch was still undisclosed and on a need-to-know basis. And according to Ari, nobody else needed to know. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. So, in the mansion she stayed. After she¡¯d fallen asleep, Ari had carried her up to one of the spare rooms and taken her things there for her to get set up. She¡¯d also scheduled for a hairdresser to come over to the mansion, so that by the time Kirstin had woken and eaten, she was set to have a haircut to turn the haphazard cut she¡¯d arrived with into a style of her choosing. She opted for a sleek bob that stopped at her chin level. She took tentative trips into the city, stocking up on clothes and things she needed at Ari¡¯s insistence. She was always accompanied by either Ari, Kaesha or myself for these trips, and we always brought noise cancelling headphones, spelled to keep up with Werewolf hearing. After a few weeks, the darkness in her eyes began to lighten. I ignored the knots forming in my stomach as we walked onto our territory. I continued to ignore them as we were greeted warmly, and introduced to the new members that had joined in our absence. Through his introduction to Kirstin and our meetings on our progress and plans for the Mate Ball, I kept my focus on the meeting topics. I turned a corner on one of the hallways, then saw them. He was leaning on the wall, and she was standing near him. Nearer than she needed to be. Stop it. I had no right to my discomfort, or that increasingly unignorable knot in my stomach. My gaze locked ahead, I powered on, fully intending to walk right by them. ¡°Hi Hailey.¡± Poppy called out as I approached, with a smile full of warmth, ¡°I¡¯ve barely seen you since you got back. How was the semester?¡± I offered her a smile, trying to match mine to the warmth of hers, ¡°Hey Poppy. Sorry, I had to catch up with everyone. The semester was alright, just glad to be done.¡± ¡°That¡¯s always how school is, isn¡¯t it? I really don¡¯t miss it.¡± She turned to Tim, ¡°Do you remember Mr Jarvis? You were always such a troublemaker in his classes.¡± Tim smiled at the memory, ¡°And you were always his favourite.¡± ¡°I was not.¡± She laughed, waving off the mere notion then turned back to me, ¡°This one absolutely could not sit still during any of the man¡¯s lessons. Damn near drove him mad.¡± ¡°I can imagine¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t need me to tell you how much of a pain in the ass he can be.¡± She continued, ¡°I hear you guys spent a while together when preparing for all this.¡± ¡°You could say that¡­¡± ¡°He only responds to snark, so please feel free to tell him to fuck off when he gets on your nerves. I know I have.¡± She said with a laugh, elbowing him lightly. Antsy and increasingly irritated, my mouth moved before I could bite my tongue, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve told him to fuck something.¡± My eyes widened and darted to him, seeing his face for the first time since I returned. His expression bled shock and anger as he looked at me with eyes that made me want the ground to swallow me whole. Poppy, on the other hand, looked hurt and entirely taken aback, ¡°Hailey, I¡¯m sorry if I did anything to hurt you or-¡± Tim put his arm out in front of her, making himself a wall between the two of us. Almost like he was protecting her¡­ from me. It stung. ¡°You have nothing to apologize for, Poppy.¡± He declared, his eyes narrowed at me. The back of my eyes prickled with tears and my face was on fire, from embarrassment, from guilt, from shame. ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry Poppy. I don¡¯t know why I¡­¡± But I knew. I knew why. The bitterness at their closeness that I¡¯d been bobbing and weaving away from acknowledging had reared its ugly head in the worst possible way. With vitriol and in front of him. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be best if you just leave.¡± His voice was piercing cold and his eyes were repelled from me, landing on everything but mine. ¡°Okay- yeah. I¡¯ll just¡­¡± My voice was small, my feet already carrying me away. Go, go, go. I just needed to get to my room, tuck my tail and hide away for the rest of eternity. Before the tears fell, before my throat sealed up, before my heart burst. Ari had had herself, Tim and I placed in different wings of the general house, each of us to maintain order in our respective wings, with Kaesha in Ari¡¯s wing. By the time I got to my room in my wing, the tears were already falling. Thankfully, no one was around as I slipped through my door, my hand over my mouth to muffle the sobs. My rom was blurry from the tears that refused to stop falling, and my head was already throbbing from the force of my sobbing. The lump in my throat got bigger with every breath. I wedged myself in the space between my bed and my dresser, crouching on the floor with my arms around my knees. I didn¡¯t move for longer than I could keep track of, till the flow of tears slowed to a trickle and I felt like I could breathe and think again. Till he came in. He didn¡¯t bother to knock, his scent being the only thing to announce him. He strode in like he was meant to be here, closing the door behind him, and his eyes went straight to mine. His face was unreadable, an indecipherable plain that told me nothing of why he was here and what he was going to say. My breath was unsteady again, my heartrate picking back up to the erratic pace it just came down from. ¡°Stand up.¡± Slowly, I got to my feet, my hands fidgeting to straighten my clothes as I stood. He strolled towards me and my heart picked up the pace with every step he took. By the time he was standing in front of me, with nothing more than an inch between us, I was sure the pace my heart was going at would have killed a human. ¡°I don¡¯t know what came over you.¡± He took a deep breath, ¡°But I¡¯m telling you now: Don¡¯t ever talk to Penny- to Penelope like that again.¡± I nodded, my head hung low. ¡°Why would you even say something like that? You¡¯ve already got Kaelin.¡± He sneered. I did have Kaelin. I¡¯d never felt so secure with someone in my life. He was romantic and charming and fit in perfectly with Greg, Trevor and Ari. Our dates were progressively getting more expensive and thought out and after months of dating, he¡¯d begun to bring up the topic of meeting his family. Logically, I should have just agreed, but I¡¯d kept putting it off. With Kaelin, things were perfect. But they didn¡¯t feel right. He wasn¡¯t my mate. I raised my head, lifting my eyes to meet his gaze, ¡°I know¡­ I just- I just couldn¡¯t handle you being with Penny.¡± His eyes narrowed, ¡°You don¡¯t get to call her that anymore. And I¡¯m not with her.¡± ¡°Then why are you always around her? Every second that you¡¯re not working, you¡¯re with Penelope, giggling and skipping down memory lane together.¡± He threw his hands up, ¡°Who should I be around then? You? When you¡¯ve spent the last few months keeping me at arms¡¯ length? Or did you think I wouldn¡¯t fucking notice?¡± ¡°I was just trying to give you two some space! You seemed like you needed it.¡± He threw his gaze up, his hand on his head, ¡°Why would I need space with anyone after I told you I¡¯d fucking wait for you?¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°You said that before you found her in the Sanctuary. You two have history and you¡¯ve spent every moment since reminding us all of that little tidbit. How was I supposed to know you still wanted me?¡± His gaze hardened, ¡°You don¡¯t get to question my feelings for you when you¡¯re still running around with that damn boyfriend of yours.¡± ¡°At least he knows he wants to be with me! You just came around to the fact after a year of stringing me along, so forgive me if I don¡¯t immediately jump into things with you.¡± He stepped forward, and I stepped back, till my back was against the wall and I was staring up at him with a mix of anger and need. ¡°In case I haven¡¯t made myself clear,¡± He said, running his thumb along my cheek that left a trail of fire in its wake, ¡°I want you, Sunshine. I¡¯ve wanted you from the moment I laid my eyes on you at that highway.¡± ¡°Then why did it take you so long?¡± I whispered. ¡°I was scared. I didn¡¯t believe we could really do this without losing each other, but I do now.¡± My hand went up to his own at my cheek, ¡°I want you too, but I¡¯m the one that¡¯s scared this time. You¡¯ve made me scared.¡± ¡°I am so, so sorry I did.¡± He wrapped his free arm around me, his touch light as a feather, ¡°Please let ease your fears.¡± Ease my fears¡­ I was never scared with Kaelin. He was safe and kind and sweet in every possible way. But Tim was mine, and every part of me knew it. How long could I keep denying it? ¡°Okay¡­¡± I whispered. He let out a shaky breath, his eyes searching mine in shock, ¡°Y- you¡¯ll¡­ you¡¯ll let me¡­?¡± I nodded. He looked like I¡¯d just told him that he¡¯d won the lottery. I let out a little yelp when he scooped me up and twirled me around in uncharacteristic elation. His enthusiasm contagious and I laughed along as I wrapped my arms around him. Finally, he let us fall onto the bed and we laid there side by side, with silent, unbridled smiles at each other. He brought my hands to his mouth, placing kisses on them and rousing the butterflies in my stomach, ¡°I swear I¡¯ll spend every day of my life making you feel safe, for as long as you¡¯ll let me.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯d better get started.¡± Chapter 74 - Winter Mate Ball Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I stared myself down in the mirror, searching furiously for any imperfections. My eyes bored into my reflection long and hard, and the girl in the mirror did the same, her glowing brown eyes digging back into me. At a knock at my door, I started, pulling my eyes away from myself. ¡°Come in.¡± I called, smoothing my already smooth dress with gloved hands. Hailey walked in, wearing her own gown. It was a simple princess gown with long sleeves and a cold shoulder neckline, but the shimmering gold accents sprawling the dress from the hem of the skirt to the ends of her sleeves made it look simply divine. Her hair was piled atop her head in an almost messy updo that let her show off her elegant neckline and brilliant sun-shaped earrings. She smiled when she saw me, a beam fitting of the endearment Timothy had given her: Sunshine. ¡°You look gorgeous, Ari! Every time I turn around, you get more beautiful.¡± She took a long, proud look at my dress, ¡°I really outdid myself this time styling you.¡± Outdid herself she had. While her dress was a sweet princess dress, she¡¯d dressed me to stun and kill. My dress was a figure-hugging mermaid dress with a train that trailed behind me by a few inches and a slit that went up to my thigh. Like hers, mine had accents that were condensed around the hem of my skirt and became sparser the higher they went, only mine were a brilliant ruby red. My dress was also off the shoulder, but without sleeves and with long opera gloves instead. I¡¯d chosen to make my hair black, and it sat atop my head in a style identical to Hailey¡¯s. A blush crept up on my cheeks and I smiled, ¡°Thank you, Hailey. You look absolutely radiant.¡± Radiant was truly the word. She was beautiful on a good day but ever since she and Timothy had accepted each other as mates last week, you¡¯d think they somehow swallowed the sun with the way they constantly radiated warmth and joy. Several pack members had joked about them being each others¡¯ sun with the way they revolved around each other. Her smile grew wider, ¡°Thank you. Now come on, let¡¯s go make your debut.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I spared one last glance at my reflection and followed her out, locking my door behind me. As an Alpha, my assigned room had been separate from the others of my pack that decided to attend the Winter Mate Ball. Nine of us had come in total, the three girls sharing one large room and the four other guys split into two sharing rooms. As mates, only Timothy and Hailey had been allowed to share a room co-ed. Unfortunately, in a place full to the brim of Werewolves, many of which were searching for love, Kaesha had decided to stay back at the pack, keeping Kirstin company and taking leadership in our absence, and I¡¯d seconded her decision. I¡¯d questioned Timothy¡¯s decision to come, being that he was still on the Lightwood¡¯s hit list. He¡¯d argued that the one that had visited his pack was the Gamma, who was unlikely to attend the ball, according to Kirstin. Another point he¡¯d presented was that killing was strictly forbidden on the Royal territory. I¡¯d suspected that he had more unspoken reasons for attending that had less to do with our plans and more to do with Hailey, but I¡¯d figured that even if he was somehow recognised, it¡¯d only make them more eager to visit my pack so I allowed him, despite the risk. Hailey informed me that the others had already joined the party as we emerged through the grand doors to the ball. I¡¯d never been to a Mate Ball before, but they were as grand as I would have imagined. Glistening chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, reflecting the golden light around the room. A live orchestra had taken up residence in a corner of the room, playing tones that you would most definitely hear in the background of a scene where the love interests of a movie finally reunite. There was a buffet lining one end of the ballroom, and a small cluster of tables for those that decided to do more eating than mingling. I was taking it all in, till I realised that the eyes of most of those present were on the entrance. On me. My skin heated. I smothered the desire to scurry away from their eyes and held my expression as I followed Hailey down the stairs, my back straight in my descent. As romantic as the scene was, I wasn¡¯t here to find love. How could I when they were here? I¡¯d smelled them days ago, long before as we¡¯d approached the Palace. After over a year, I still knew every note of their scents. Their rancid smells had given me a perpetual dark cloud over my head and a sour taste in my mouth. Hailey had noticed after a few hours of my stony silence upon our arrival and had done her best so far to distract me. But now, we were in the same room. And it took every ounce of self-control not to rip into them right here and now. My peripheral vision had caught them the moment Hailey and I emerged from the doors. Harry sipped a glass of enhanced wine in the corner, his arm slithering up and down Kylie¡¯s waist as she whined into his ear about the earrings he¡¯d gotten her not being real. Meanwhile, Brittany stared daggers at the back of the head of the man she¡¯d been dancing with, who was now watching me descend the stairs. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Then there was Callum. He was off to a corner, watching me with more intensity than any other person in the room. I ignored him. I ignored them all. As soon as my heeled foot touched the landing, there was a small crowd of men placing requests for a dance. Unlike the Lightwood Pack, the Royal Werewolves still respected the supposed sanctity of the mate bond, especially when it came to Alphas. At these balls you were allowed to dance and interact with any Werewolf till you found your mate, unless you were an Alpha. Alphas could only dance with their Lunas, each other, or the Lunas of other packs as a way to discuss their alliances. Of course, rejected Alphas or ones with deceased mates were exempt from the restriction. My choice of who to dance with needed to be calculated. As a rejected Alpha, I was in the green to dance with any man at the ball, but due to my status, I couldn¡¯t just take the floor with anyone. Whoever I partnered with to the music needed to be at least a Beta if he wasn¡¯t a member of my own pack. The Alpha of the Claw Moon pack would have been my first pick, but he was mated and we¡¯d agreed to keep our public interactions brief and cordial, to avoid scaring the Lightwood Pack out of targeting mine. I scanned the crowd of outstretched hands for a suitable partner, then took one. He smiled, leading me to the dance floor, forcing the others to stay on the edge of the dance floor to take other partners in the hopes of catching me after the song ended. Bertram Cawrling, better known as the Blue Alpha, regarded me with amused curiosity as we moved, ¡°I¡¯m honoured you chose me for your first dance, Alpha.¡± Around us, people bristled and shared looks, obviously eavesdropping on our conversation. I offered a polite smile, ¡°The honour is all mine, Alpha Cawrling.¡± ¡°It seems your beauty blinded people to your status.¡± I cocked my head, ¡°Is that so?¡± There had been a handful of female Alphas in history. Not so few that it was still a novelty, but few enough that you wouldn¡¯t immediately expect one to be a woman. And as of this moment, to the best of my knowledge, I was the only one currently in power. I was sure my allure had a part to play in them overlooking the power in my scent, but the likely conclusion they¡¯d drawn was that I was just Alpha-born, not one in my own right. ¡°I would say so.¡± He said as he twirled me. I waited till we were facing each other again before I spoke, ¡°You weren¡¯t blinded, though. It would appear the rumours are true.¡± He threw his head back in a hearty laugh. According to the stories, his pack, the Moon Tail Pack, had been infiltrated by a Rogue Pack during his childhood. As young as ten years old, he¡¯d sussed them out and struck before they could wreak havoc, single handedly butchering the three Rogues within their ranks and sending the blue eyes of one of them back to the Rogues. The general consensus was that he was a gifted wolf, but what his gift was, no one quite knew for sure. What we did know was that while small, their pack was notorious for keeping to themselves, steadfastly rejecting alliance requests over the years. ¡°Your pack is new,¡± He stated, ¡°barely six months old, but you reportedly have at least fifteen allies already.¡± I smirked, ¡°Is this your way of offering an alliance?¡± He laughed again, ¡°Sadly, no. I¡¯m just curious as to how such a young pack has managed to make so many friends.¡± I shrugged, ¡°I guess we just have the favour of La Luna.¡± The song was nearing its end, and he twirled me again, ¡°It would seem so.¡± He said, but his eyes told me he knew there was more to it than happenstance and blessings. The song ended, and he bowed to my curtsy, ¡°It was a pleasure meeting you, Alpha¡­?¡± ¡°Ari.¡± I said to him, and everyone listening, ¡°Alpha Ari of the Vengar Sanguine Pack.¡± Brittany, in the middle of her curtsy to her dance partner, stiffened, and from the look on her face, she was communicating, likely frantically, with the others through their mind link. Hook, line, and sinker. A scent caressed my senses, and my smirk froze. My temperature went up with the fluttering of my heart and I fought the urge to whip around. He was here. Slowly, I turned and came face to face with him, his hand outstretched for the next dance. ¡®Handsome,¡¯ was my first thought. ¡®We¡¯re matching,¡¯ was my second. He wore a black three-piece suit that he filled out well, with a red tie and pocket piece. I took him in, my confusion growing. Seeing the look on my face, his lips quirked into a Cheshire grin, ¡°So we meet again.¡± ¡°It would seem so¡­¡± I took his hand and let him guide me into a dance. We were silent in our movements, more questions buzzing around inside me with every passing second. ¡®Why are you everywhere?¡¯ I desperately wanted to ask. He still had on those almost obnoxious shades, watching me with what I could tell was a mixture of amusement and enthrallment through them. He let me stew in my questions, knowing I couldn¡¯t ask them with all the ears around and not bothering to offer a single answer. Still, the silence with him wasn¡¯t uncomfortable and we moved in tandem, almost like we were made for this. My movements flowed with his and I found myself wishing this moment of silent comfort would last for more than just the one song. With the song nearing its end, he spun me out, then looped me back in, ending our dance with a dip so deep, I was nearly touching the floor. With one arm around my waist, he grazed my cheek with the softest of caresses, searching my eyes through those shades of his. My breath caught. Before I could register, he¡¯d brought me back up, bowed to me and disappeared into the crowd, him and his scent disappearing just as suddenly as they¡¯d appeared. I was left blinking after him when another scent came up behind me. Candy¡¯s whine rang low in my head, clearing the fog the stranger had left my thoughts in. I steeled my expression and turned, following the outstretched hand to meet Callum¡¯s eyes. ¡°May I have this dance?¡± Chapter 75 - Questions of Fate Natalia¡¯s P. O. V The Werewolf who rejected me, who stood by as I was demeaned and abused, who had been born into greatness within their ranks while I was seen as nothing more than an anthill to kick on their path¡­ Callum stood before me, doing his best to contain the tremors of his outstretched hand, as he looked at me like I was an apparition with those stupid brown eyes of his. From Kirstin¡¯s reports, he¡¯d been demoted in every way but his title. Cheating on Brittany had garnered him not only her ire, but also that of Harry and anyone who would listen to them, hypocritical as it was. But to the wider Werewolf world, he was still the next Beta of the Lightwood Pack. ¡®Nat¡­¡¯ Candy said in a small voice, not daring to ask what she already knew the answer to. Whatever she still felt for him was dead in me and she knew it. I let my eyes run down him, then back up to his apprehensive face with a not-at-all-forced look of disdain on my own. If anything, I had to work to make my distaste look light and vaguely dismissive, as opposed to advertising my hatred on my face for all to see. ¡°I¡¯ll have to decline.¡± I said, then turned away, making my way straight for the Sunshine duo, who had taken a break from spinning around the dance floor and had stationed themselves across the room from Brittany, who was fuming to Harry. I picked up a champagne flute, swirling it in my fingers as I listened in. ¡°Who does she think she is, rejecting a Beta just cause she¡¯s an Alpha?¡± She fumed in whispers. ¡°I bet I could¡¯ve gotten her to dance with me.¡± Harry threw a drink back and gave her a look, ¡°And I don¡¯t think you should speak like that about another Alpha.¡± The unspoken ¡®not here¡¯ passed between them and she rolled her eyes but seemed to get the message from her switching topics. ¡°Callum suddenly started begging for us to let him dance with her. I thought you would be a better choice to do it, but your Luna was against it.¡± She must have added something else in their mind link, because Harry suddenly whipped his head to her, his glare severe, while she shot back a smug look. Kylie, who stood next to him, shrank back, almost hiding behind him from Brittany¡¯s gaze. I smiled into my glass. ¡°This discussion is over. I¡¯ll handle it, you go dance with your mate.¡± He finally said out loud, after several seconds of intense looks and unspoken words. ¡°Fine.¡± She shot back, then spun on her heel to join Callum in a dance. ¡®Looks like there¡¯s trouble in hell.¡¯ I told Timothy and Hailey through the connection Kaesha had set up for the three of us before we left. Timothy replied, ¡®That means Kirstin was right.¡¯ ¡®What did he mean by he¡¯ll handle it?¡¯ Hailey asked, her curiosity painted on her face. I glanced at Harry over the top of my glass, finding him staring at me, ¡®If I¡¯m correct, it means we¡¯ve got their full attention.¡¯ I scanned the ballroom for which of my pack members was unoccupied. Through our pack mind link, I called to Daniella, ¡®I¡¯m going to need you to leave the ballroom right after I do and go to the quiet room we were shown. If the window isn¡¯t open, I need you to pretend you¡¯re hot from all the dancing and open it. Make sure it stays open till I leave the balcony nearby.¡¯ ¡®Yes, Alpha.¡¯ I placed my untouched glass on the tray of one of the passing servants, ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m going to go get some fresh air.¡± I left the ballroom, weaving between bodies and avoiding the ones who were still hoping for a dance with me. Down the hall, there was a smaller, quieter room for people who wanted to get away and talk with a balcony near it. I stepped out on the ledge, closing the balcony doors behind me. The balcony looked out onto the gardens, and beyond them were the palace walls, with the forest stretching beyond the horizon. In the soft crescent moon¡¯s light, it was a sight to behold. I heard the click of the quiet room¡¯s window opening just as the balcony doors did. ¡°Mind some company?¡± I gestured to the space beside me and Harry walked over, joining me to lean over the marble railing. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful view¡­¡± He stated, leaving room for me to concur. It was, undeniably so. But even if he¡¯d said the sky was blue, I¡¯d sooner open my mouth to retort that it was red than agree with him. I settled for a nod. He shifted on his feet, ¡°It¡¯s not nearly as beautiful as you are. You turned every head in the ballroom.¡± I kept my gaze on the view. The bile in the back of my throat threatened to jump out of my mouth if I so much as spared him a glance. My will battled my body¡¯s instincts to purge myself of both the contents of my stomach and the heat rolling under my skin. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Really? I hardly noticed.¡± He moved closer and I suppressed the shudder that ran through me, ¡°You know, I feel like we¡¯ve met somewhere before.¡± Finally, I looked at him with the same vaguely dismissive expression I¡¯d kept with Callum, ¡°I¡¯m sure we haven¡¯t. Can I ask you why you followed me out here?¡± He blinked at my expression, only speaking when he¡¯d recovered his thoughts, ¡°I heard you¡¯re the Alpha of a new pack. I¡¯m an Alpha myself so I know being in charge must be hard. I wanted to offer your pack the chance to ally yourselves with mine.¡± I cocked my head, ¡°And what¡¯s your pack¡¯s name?¡± ¡°The Lightwood Pack.¡± He looked smug, puffing his chest at the chance to mention his affiliation. I gave him a blank stare before fritting my eyes about as I feigned trying to remember if I¡¯d recalled the name that had been branded on the deepest, darkest parts of my soul for as long as I could remember. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of you.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re not the biggest or anything, but we¡¯ve got a lot going for us and have a lot of members. It¡¯s great there- if you weren¡¯t an Alpha of your own pack I would have invited you cause you¡¯d fit right in¡­¡± What? He rambled on but I barely heard him over the sound of my blood rushing in my ears. My head was hot, his words ringing like a slap across the face. I¡¯d fit in? With them? He didn¡¯t even realize the look on my face as I was fully glaring at him, pulling on his collar as beads of sweat gathered on his skin. Skin that I wanted to char. My hands twitching drew my attention, and I looked down to see them on fire. I moved them behind me, watching him drone on while I willed the fire away. Taking deep breaths was out of the question due to his scent churning my stomach. I needed to get it together. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll gain a lot from our help. Just send us an alliance request and I¡¯ll personally make sure it¡¯s accepted.¡± He finished, waiting for me to thank him. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± My reply was curt, then I turned away with a withering look, ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m going to join the ball, or are you going to follow me back too?¡± He was quiet, gaping at me with the eyes of a man with a bruised ego. Taking his silence as my answer, I left him on the balcony. As I got further away, I heard him use some choice words to describe what he thought of me and my attitude, and wonder why he was so hot anyway. When I returned to the ballroom, slipping in through a far less conspicuous door, Timothy and Hailey were swept up in a dance, enthralled by each other as they held one another like lifelines. Only upon seeing her beaming smile did I feel some of the tension leave my body. The day she accepted Timothy as her mate and broke up with Kaelin over the phone, she¡¯d been beside herself with guilt. She¡¯d padded up to my room and poured her heart out to me about how he¡¯d been nothing but the perfect boyfriend to her, and how she thought breaking up with him over a call was far less than he deserved. Through her lamentations, my curiosity had gotten the better of me. ¡°If he¡¯s as perfect as you say,¡± I¡¯d asked, bringing my legs up so I was sitting cross-legged on my bed beside her lying form, ¡°Why dump him for Timothy when things were going so well.?¡± ¡°Cause Tim is my mate.¡± I¡¯d shrugged, ¡°Yeah, but why does that matter? Kaelin was the one you spent all that time building a bond with, so why are you choosing Timothy after everything that¡¯s happened between you two?¡± She¡¯d been silent for a while, finding the words. When she eventually spoke, she looked enviably peaceful, with a smile to her lips as she talked, ¡°He feels like home¡­ I don¡¯t know the exact science of mates and all that, but being with him feels like coming back from a long, journey and finding warm food and a loving hug. I think I always knew that we were going to come back together, but he was scared, and that made me scared to trust him. But now that we¡¯re together, it feels like everything is how it¡¯s meant to be.¡± I¡¯d watched her curiously as she¡¯d traipsed off into whatever flowery thoughts were skipping around her head. When she noticed me staring, she gave a little laugh. ¡°It¡¯s not like I think we¡¯re going to live happily ever after and never have any issues for the rest of our lives,¡± She¡¯d smiled at me, looking so serene that I¡¯d almost wondered what it would be like to feel so much peace that it radiated from you, ¡°but I just have the conviction that no matter what we face, we¡¯ll be okay as long as we face it together.¡± Looking at them as they painted the dance floor with their movements, he looked every bit as in love as she was. Hailey, in her excitement for the ball, had taken dance classes before we¡¯d left New York. With that knowledge, he¡¯d undergone secret lessons with Kaesha on how to properly dance so he could be a good partner for her. And that he was, managing to lead her in the proper steps but also letting her shine with big twirls, dips and spins that left her giggling and grinning from ear to ear any time she locked eyes with him. My hand went up to my cheek, the one the dark-haired stranger had grazed before pulling a Houdini and vanishing into thin air. ¡®Nat¡­¡¯ Candy called once I was comfortably tucked into one of the corners of the room, ¡®Why don¡¯t we just try talking to him¡­?¡¯ My eyes darted to the object of her request. Brittany was gripping his arm, glaring at him while spewing a barrage of insults into his head through their mind link. His nose had led his eyes to where I was and he was watching me, paying her little mind, which only served to piss her off more. I took my eyes off him, ¡®What would you like to chat about, Candy? About the time he helped them break my ribs? Or when Brittany wanted to try being an artist and he held me down so she could draw on my back with a dull knife? Oh, maybe about the time he rejected us and kicked me in the ribs for good measure?¡¯ The stem of the flue in my hand felt soft so I set it down, moments before it fully melted and spilt the drink. A servant fluttered through to clean the spilt drink up, puzzled at the state of the glass but ultimately saying nothing as he darted away. ¡®You and Kirstin are so sure that he¡¯s an innocent little thing whose only crime is cowardice, that he wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as the others. For some reason, you don¡¯t think he deserves to be punished, but what about me, huh? What did I do to deserve anything they did to me?¡¯ Silence. Pitiful, shameful silence. ¡®Well? Answer me!¡¯ ¡®Nothing, Nat¡­ You did nothing wrong.¡¯ My gaze found Hailey and Timothy again, spinning around in their own little world without a single care. Then I looked back at Callum, still under fire from Brittany while he pined away at me. ¡®He rejected us, Candy. We¡¯re not getting that happily ever after that you want with him. Our story doesn¡¯t end on a bed of roses, it ends in a pool of blood. And he¡¯s part of the reason why.¡¯ Chapter 76 - Stares and Whispers Callum¡¯s P. O. V ¡®She¡¯s here.¡¯ On my way to the ballroom, with Brittany on my arm, I stopped in my tracks. Those were the first words Cade had spoken to me in months. Brittany shot me a deadly look, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡®Why have you stopped in the middle of the hall like a fucking idiot?¡¯ I smiled at her, ¡°I forgot something in my room. You can go on ahead while I-¡± Her nails dug into my arm, almost tearing the fabric, ¡®Whatever you forgot can wait. I am not entering the Mate Ball without my damn mate.¡¯ I nodded slowly, ¡°Whatever it is can wait. I¡¯ll get it later.¡± We continued on, but my mind was looking for Cade in his dark corner, ¡®What do you mean by she¡¯s here? Who¡¯s she?¡¯ ¡®Our mate. She¡¯s here.¡¯ With the scents of at least two thousand different Werewolves, it was hard to pick a single one out. My thoughts went back to two days ago, when I¡¯d smelled someone vaguely familiar while taking something to Harry in the Alphas¡¯ side of the palace. ¡®Do you mean the person we smelled two days ago?¡¯ She¡¯d smelled familiar, but months of crying into her torn clothes long after the scent had faded had branded every note of her scent on my brain. That wasn¡¯t the same girl I¡¯d driven to death. He didn¡¯t respond, so I was left wondering why he would think that. I chalked it up to the essence of the Mate Ball. I spent the next hour being led around by Brittany, in dances, to conversations, to prop her up in front of Alphas of important packs. Over the last few months, Brittany had pretty much cemented herself as the pseudo Alpha, even though the title had already been passed to Harry a few weeks ago. Not that he made it hard. To him, being Alpha was sitting in the main office with his feet up as he barked orders at me and the others next in command. An hour in, Brittany ditched me to dance with the Beta of another pack, batting her eyelashes at him as he led her onto the dance floor. I let out a sigh of relief and looked around for a drink. The sound of the grand doors opening drew my attention. A blonde wearing a yellow dress that made her shine like the sun walked in, and stepping in behind her was a raven-haired woman. The moment my eyes landed on her, my heart stopped and sped up all at once, She wore a black and red dress that would make any man weak, with her hair a on top of her head, leaving her neck bare and me longing to mark it. As she passed a look over the ballroom and descended the steps, my eyes were glued to her form, watching every gliding step she took, every shift in the canvas on her face. I didn¡¯t stop watching, even when she chose the Blue Alpha as a dance partner, amused and engaged as they exchanged words between twirls. Then she announced herself as an Alpha. ¡®Harry, Callum,¡¯ Brittany called the moment the words left Ari¡¯s mouth ¡®I need one of you two to go dance with that attention whore. Her pack is new and weak so she¡¯ll jump at the chance to ally with us.¡¯ Harry started moving before Kylie grabbed his arm with a pouting complaint. ¡®Let me do it.¡¯ I told them, hoping my eagerness wasn¡¯t apparent, ¡®It won¡¯t look good if our Alpha offers a partnership to them personally in front of everyone. Let me go as a delegate.¡¯ Across the room, Brittany rolled her eyes, ¡®Fine. Just don¡¯t fuck it up.¡¯ I weaved through the crowd of men looking for a dance, my heart beating and my hands shaking compounding with every step. Finally pushing through, I stood behind her and she must have sensed me, because she turned to look at me. She was gorgeous from afar, but seeing her up close left me speechless. Her beauty was so striking that you couldn¡¯t help but stare. She looked so much like the memory of Natalia¡¯s face painted with venom that had burned into my memory on the night I lost her, but at the same time, like an entirely new person. If I hadn¡¯t known better, I would have thought them sisters. I stretched my trembling hand out, doing my best to keep it and my voice steady, ¡°May I have this dance?¡± She regarded me, her gaze running to my feet and then back to my face. The look on her face made something inside me wither. ¡°I¡¯ll have to decline.¡± She said, sounding entirely uninterested in anything to do with me, then left the dance floor to mingle with the girl that had entered the ballroom with her and who I assumed was the girl¡¯s mate. Somewhat dazed at the rejection, I started walking back to where Harry, Brittany and Kylie were. Their conversation made me rethink the decision to join them just before I reached them. ¡°Who does she think she is, rejecting a Beta just cause she¡¯s an Alpha?¡± Brittany grumbled. ¡°I bet I could¡¯ve gotten her to dance with me.¡± Harry threw a drink back and looked at her sternly, ¡°And I don¡¯t think you should speak like that about another Alpha.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡®At least not here. People don¡¯t need to hear you disrespecting an Alpha or they¡¯ll think you disrespect me like that too.¡¯ He added in our mind link. ¡®You worried they¡¯ll think you don¡¯t do shit at the pack?¡¯ Brittany quipped, then continued aloud before he could respond, ¡°Callum suddenly started begging for us to let him dance with her. I thought you would be a better choice to do it, but your Luna was against it.¡± ¡®I guess the bitch can¡¯t handle what she dishes out.¡¯ Brittany spat. Harry¡¯s head whipped towards her, ¡®Watch how you talk about my Luna.¡¯ ¡®Oh please. She can¡¯t stand you dancing with someone else but had no problem sucking face with my fucking mate. I don¡¯t know why you didn¡¯t get rid of her when she obviously disrespected you by doing that. If not for the fact that she up and disappeared, I would have said you should pick Kirstin instead. At least she was useful before she ran off.¡¯ Over a month ago, we¡¯d woken to find Brittany ranting about Kirstin being missing when she needed her. After checking high and low, we¡¯d concluded that she¡¯d left the pack in the dead of the night. Her disappearance had puzzled everyone, seeing as she¡¯d become indispensable to Brittany and proved her competence, but I knew better. Months ago, when Kirstin had arranged for me to discover Brittany¡¯s cheating, she¡¯d confided in me about how she was unhappy with how things were done in the pack, and that she was on a mission to find out how deep our sins ran. ¡°Everything I¡¯ve ever known is here.¡± She¡¯d said, approaching me in those woods, ¡°I need to know the truth so I can leave with confidence in my decision.¡± After minutes of her pleading and prodding, I¡¯d given it up. I¡¯d started off with my own dealings with aconine at Harry¡¯s request and gone right down to I suspected that he was connected to some Rogues. I hadn¡¯t told her about the pack¡¯s methods of systematically tearing others down, or anything else done on a scale higher than us, but when I finished talking, she thanked me for helping her make the decision. That had been over a year ago. ¡®Kylie is my mate and a good Alpha knows when to forgive.¡¯ He didn¡¯t even sound like he believed it. She scoffed, ¡®Did you forgive her or did your dick do all the forgiving?¡¯ ¡°This discussion is over. I¡¯ll handle it, you go dance with your mate.¡± He finally said out loud. ¡°Fine.¡± She shot back, then made her way to me, dragging me by the arm to join the people on the dance floor. I tried to see what Harry and Ari were up to, only managing to catch him trailing behind her out of the ballroom before I had to return my attention to Brittany to avoid pissing her off. They were gone for about half an hour, and by the time they returned, Brittany had finally let us off the dance floor and was rambling on about all the people she¡¯d spoken to over the course of the night. As soon as my nose picked up her scent again, my eyes found her, buried away in a corner of the room silently observing. Brittany noticed my divided attention and her grip on my arm tightened, ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re looking at that attention whore? You looking for another bitch to cheat on me with? I should have known¡­¡¯ Her voice in my mind faded to a buzz when Ari¡¯s tepid gaze suddenly locked with mine, catching me staring. As quickly as she¡¯d looked at me, she looked away, placing her champagne glass down before the drink suddenly spilled. She spared one more look at me before leaving the ballroom for the night, my eyes drawn to her form up until the moment she slipped out the door of the grand entrance. I didn¡¯t see her for the rest of the night, or when we were leaving the next day. Brittany¡¯s ranting in my head had given me a headache, but I¡¯d long since learned that trying to argue her down only riled her up more. So silent I stayed, till she eventually slept off on the bed in our shared room while I curled up on the couch. On my way out of the Palace to meet up with everyone the next day, my ears picked up gossip exchanged in hushed voices. ¡°Did you hear of what happened with Alpha Lightwood and Alpha Ari? I heard some of my pack mates mention them.¡± The first voice asked. ¡°Ugh, yes. I heard he shamelessly tried to hit on her on the balcony last night.¡± The second voice whispered scandalously. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, even used that cheesy ass pick-up line of calling her more beautiful than the view.¡± The first person laughed, ¡°Oh, you can¡¯t be serious.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The second giggled, imitating a deep voice with mockery, ¡°He even told her he feels like they¡¯ve met somewhere before.¡± ¡°Was she falling for it?¡± The first asked. ¡°Absolutely not,¡± The second said, the eye-roll reflecting in her voice, ¡°honestly, she sounded so done and I don¡¯t blame her.¡± ¡°Wait, doesn¡¯t he have a mate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the worst part, he does! And apparently, they¡¯re not even fated mates, just mating together.¡± ¡°Oh Luna. Of course, he¡¯s a sleaze.¡± ¡°A sleaze that thinks he¡¯s got power. He tried to offer to ally with her pack cause apparently, they¡¯re new, but she hadn¡¯t even heard of them. And after all his rambling and explaining, she just told him she¡¯ll think about it but I seriously doubt it.¡± They laughed, making fun of Harry some more, and I left with dread in my stomach. We were Werewolves, so our hearing was good enough that gossip and rumours spread like wildfire if you weren¡¯t talking in the lowest of voices when we were within earshot. If I¡¯d heard it, it wouldn¡¯t be long before Harry would too. That is, if he hadn¡¯t already. My fears were confirmed when I joined the others, the dark cloud hanging over Brittany and Harry, and by extension, Kylie having nothing to do with the winter weather. ¡®I told you to make them our allies!¡¯ Brittany raged. ¡®I tried!¡¯ She scoffed, ¡®Not according to what I¡¯ve been hearing all morning. If you were going to hit on the bitch, you could¡¯ve at least done it when no one was around!¡¯ ¡®There wasn¡¯t. We were on the balcony with the door closed.¡¯ ¡®Well, obviously someone was close enough to hear you make a fool of yourself.¡¯ ¡®Why do we even need them as allies? Her pack is puny, smaller than all the other ones we¡¯ve handled. We should just forget about them.¡¯ She looked at him, the question of if he was an idiot practically screaming on her face, ¡®Have you not been paying any fucking attention? They¡¯ve already got too many allies, and their dues to the Royals have been more than any of our spies speculated they¡¯d be.¡¯ ¡®Doesn¡¯t mean we need them.¡¯ He folded his arms across his puffed-up chest, ¡®I¡¯m officially telling you to drop this.¡¯ She laughed in his face, belittling sound, ¡®You¡¯re officially telling me to drop this? On what authority?¡¯ ¡®As your fucking Alpha.¡¯ Her smile was wicked and Harry¡¯s ego faltered, ¡®You may be my ¡®fucking Alpha¡¯, but dad¡¯s the one in charge. And he wants them gone.¡¯ Chapter 77 - Proposals and Requests Natalia¡¯s P. O. V Once again, I found myself inspecting my reflection in a mirror of the Royal Werewolves¡¯ Palace. This time instead of the right wing for official duties or the main wing for the mate ball, I had been given a suite in the left wing ¨C the residence wing of the Royals. The difference was striking. Instead of a room with an adjourning bathroom, the suite was complete with a parlour for receiving personal guests, a bedroom twice the size of any I¡¯d stayed in during my time at the palace, a closet bigger than I needed for a visit, and a bathroom that could be described as nothing short of luxury. A knock came at the suite door, followed by Mrs Burton¡¯s voice, ¡°Are you ready, Your Highness?¡± I left the bedroom and crossed the parlour to open the door for her. She looked at me with that same expression of pride that made my heart long for my mother. ¡°You look lovely, Your Highness.¡± She said with a bow. I had her to thank for it. The dress she¡¯d found for me was midnight blue, with subtle shimmers that sparkled when I moved ever so slightly, like a night sky with shy stars. It was asymmetrical, with the front stopping at my knees and the back just brushing the floor with the lace-up platforms I wore. My hair had been weaved into an intricate crown on my head, where a brilliant silver tiara was placed. ¡°I have the final touch of your outfit. May I place it on you?¡± I turned around and she came up behind me, placing the heavy cape on my shoulders and clasping the thick woven rope across my chest. From what I¡¯d seen of it, my family¡¯s crest was embroidered on the back of it, bold and proud for all to see that I was a Syrenlina. ¡°It¡¯s time, Your Highness.¡± I nodded and followed her out of the suite, where we met a palace guide who took us to the royal reception hall. The closer we got, the hotter I got. By the time we reached the doors, my heart was galloping so fast that I was sure even Mrs Burton could hear it. My nerves made me glad I¡¯d decided to ask her to come along months ago. The moment I¡¯d finished unpacking after returning to New York in January, I¡¯d beelined to Mrs. Burton¡¯s office. ¡°Hello Natalia,¡± She¡¯d greeted me warmly, ¡°Happy New Year and a belated Merry Christmas. How was your last trip?¡± I¡¯d thought back to the excitement in my members¡¯ voices as they¡¯d told me all about how the news of Harry¡¯s failed attempt to flirt and invite us to ally with the Lightwood Pack had spread like wildfire and smiled, ¡°It was very productive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. What brings you to my office so soon after you¡¯ve returned?¡± ¡°I want you to come with me to the Werewolf Palace.¡± She blinked. ¡°The plan I told you about last year,¡± I continued, ¡°the one for us to form an alliance with Werewolves by offering land that they may not have. I want to go as the envoy to propose this idea and I want you to come with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m flattered you want me to come, but an alliance like this needs the approval of the High Court. I¡¯ll have to convince them before we can do this and it won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°They have to listen to reason.¡± I insisted, ¡°Besides Syrens who are Vampires¡¯ natural prey and Vampire Hunters that were specifically made to hunt them, Werewolves are the only other species that¡¯s had beef with Vampires. They might not be actively at war anymore, but there¡¯s a long history of bad blood there. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Let¡¯s make them our friends.¡± She sighed, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do my best, Natalia.¡± And so, for two months, she¡¯d painstakingly explained to every member of the High Court why allying ourselves with Werewolves was a good idea. Many had been reluctant or repulsed initially, but she¡¯d won over as many as she could. For the ones that proved stubborn, she¡¯d added that if we succeeded, it would be a new group to benefit from, and if we failed, it would be no skin off our backs. The fruits of her labour came when she was given the votes we needed at the meeting she¡¯d called. A request for a Royal meeting was sent and, one week later, we were here, standing before the doors that separated us from the Royal Werewolves. The guide entered the room, his bellowing voice echoing around the room as he introduced us, ¡°Announcing Her Majesty, Natalia Avarielle Ember Syrenlina, Princess of the Syrens. Accompanied by the High Court Chancellor, Marianne Burton.¡± The end of the introduction was my cue to move. I was supposed to glide in, looking every bit of the princess I apparently was, but my legs felt heavy. I hadn¡¯t felt this disconnected from my body since the day I Uncovered. Behind me, Mrs Burton placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, then gave me a gentle nudge that propelled my legs into action. I walked through the doors, reminding myself to hold my head high. The room was oval-shaped, with low lighting from the flickering candle chandeliers. There was a long table that followed the shape of the room, with the King and Queen¡¯s thrones at one end and another placed at another end with a smaller chair beside it. Their silver eyes followed me as I approached, curious on the Queen¡¯s part and perplexed on the King¡¯s. The Queen¡¯s silver dress flowed behind her as she stood from her throne, taking a few steps towards me. ¡°Welcome to the Palace of the Royal Werewolves, Princess Natalia of the Syrens.¡± Her eyes scanned my face and she smiled, ¡°Though, I suspect you¡¯ve been here before.¡± I nodded, ¡°Yes, I was here last year to register my pack, and a few months ago for the Winter Mate Ball.¡± ¡°I knew you smelled too familiar.¡± The King said from his throne, ¡°You¡¯re a Werewolf.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°And a Syren.¡± ¡°But a Werewolf nonetheless. And yet, you have not bowed.¡± I lifted my chin higher, ¡°I will not be bowing today, King Luna.¡± He rested his cheek on his fist, ¡°Then why did you bow when you came here all those months ago?¡± ¡°Back then, I was here as a Werewolf and subject. Today, I am here as a monarch and envoy of the Syrens.¡± The room filled with silence as my gaze held his. ¡®I am a Princess. I am a Princess. I am a Princess¡­¡¯ I chanted in my head, willing myself not to look away. Finally, he chuckled, ¡°Very well, Princess of the Syrens. Today, we are equals. Please, take a seat.¡± I held in a sigh as I sank into the throne and the Queen returned to hers. ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive my husband.¡± The Queen placed a hand over the King¡¯s, ¡°None of the monarchs we¡¯ve been visited by have ever been Werewolf hybrids, so the rules on how to proceed are rather unclear. But I believe your logic of which side of you we acknowledge depending on the nature of our meeting works well.¡± ¡°Well, yes¡­ It¡¯s a tad unclear.¡± The King parroted, then shifted the conversation, ¡°We¡¯ve never been visited by Syrens. I wonder, what brings you here in this capacity?¡± ¡°I have come here in hopes that we can facilitate the beginning of what I believe will be a pleasant relationship.¡± They both raised a brow. ¡°Our species have basically had zero interaction with each other.¡± The Queen said, ¡°We have no idea what the nature of our relationship will be as we have no model for it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s precisely because we have no model that I believe we can make it work. We can set an example of good relations.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± The King¡¯s voice was still laced with scepticism, ¡°We could set a good example, but why would we bother to undertake that in the first place? Your species isn¡¯t exactly one held in high esteem.¡± My mouth tensed. Someone had done his homework. ¡°Opinion is subjective.¡± I barely kept my tone measured, ¡°Besides, I believe Syrens have more to offer than you might realise.¡± The King opened his mouth to speak, when the Queen gently squeezed his hand, ¡°We¡¯re curious to hear what that might be.¡± ¡°Werewolves are facing a deforestation problem, I hear.¡± ¡°Go on¡­¡± ¡°You may have it under control for a while,¡± I continued, ¡°but humans, being humans, will eventually either decimate or subdue every wooded area on the face of the Earth.¡± ¡°And you believe you can get them to stop?¡± The King quipped. ¡°I don¡¯t have to. What I can do is offer Werewolves some space in our world.¡± ¡°Your world?¡± Apparently, someone hadn¡¯t done all his homework. ¡°Syrens have their own world.¡± I informed them, ¡°Many generations ago, my ancestor created a world for us. And I can assure you, there is no deforestation issue there.¡± From what I¡¯d been told, many Syrens had an affinity for nature and the natural elements. Aside from two or three cities, many cities had been built with the incorporation of the natural landscape of the area. Even the capital city was partially woods and waterfalls. The King and Queen were silent, communicating again, I assumed. Their faces were mostly unreadable, but something told me the Queen was gaining ground. ¡°If we were to take you up on this offer,¡± The King said slowly, ¡°how would you propose we implement the idea?¡± ¡°Portions of land will be designated for Werewolf settlers. After constructions and provisions have been made, the news can be made public and packs that want to move will apply. The decision on whether or not to accept their application can be made after an audit of the pack¡¯s history and conduct. Of course, economic exchange and stimulation will be encouraged between the settlers and the locals.¡± In other words, taxes and barter. ¡°You¡¯ve given this a lot of thought.¡± The Queen stated. ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded, glancing down at my hand with the crest and her bite marks, ¡°I am a Syren, but I am also a Werewolf. I want us both to be prosperous and have a relationship that will make my very existence not seem unnatural or unwelcomed.¡± ¡°Very well. I can admire your desire to bring two parts of yourself together, and this deal will be helpful in the not-so-distant future. Let¡¯s discuss it further.¡± Hours passed as we went over the idea, right down to its skeletons. Of course, there would be an official agreement signed in the presence of an Enchantress to bind us to our major obligations, but the details were up to us. After our meeting, the King and Queen bid me a pleasant farewell, and Mrs Burton and I were ready to return in under half as hour. ¡°Thank you for being with me.¡± I told her in the SUV taking us to the airport. Her smile was warm, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have missed it for the world. You were born for this, Natalia.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I shook my head, ¡°But I was so nervous. Having you there gave me some confidence.¡± She placed a hand on mine, ¡°I barely needed to say a word. You¡¯re more capable than you give yourself credit for.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I said, my voice small. At the airport, we parted ways. She got on a flight back to the city while I made my way to my pack. Since it was still spring break, I wanted to spend the last few days of it with them and check on how things were progressing. When I arrived, I was welcomed warmly by new faces. According to Timothy, after the mate ball, we¡¯d gotten several join requests, but I was still surprised to see so many. ¡®Looks like you caused a bit of a stir at the mate ball.¡¯ Candy said as I was introduced to the new people. When the introductions were over, Timothy followed me to my office for a progress report. ¡°Besides the influx of new members, how have things been going?¡± I asked him as we sank into our seats. ¡°They¡¯ve been good- more than good, actually. Our produce has been coming along great and we¡¯ve started getting settlers in the human side of town who are buying the local produce as well as the things we import and mark up. Also, our shop online is doing well. You were right about people and their love for mini figurines of plain ass shit, they¡¯re selling better than some of my best work.¡± He huffed. ¡°And them?¡± His face went hard and he nodded, ¡°They sent another allegiance request yesterday.¡± For two weeks after the mate ball, there¡¯d been nothing but silence from the Lightwood Pack. I¡¯d almost wondered if I¡¯d overdone it and bruised their ego too much by facilitating eavesdroppers on Harry¡¯s antics that night. My growing worry had abated when the first allegiance request had arrived. Timothy had wanted to speed the process up and accept it the moment it appeared in our inboxes, but I¡¯d stopped him, and I¡¯d continued to stop him from accepting the three other requests that had come after. ¡°Accept it.¡± His brows shot up, ¡°You¡¯re not fucking with me, are you?¡± I chuckled, shaking my head, ¡°I think it¡¯s time we begin to welcome them.¡± I¡¯d wanted to keep ignoring their requests till the end of May, when I could invite them with ample time to spend toying with them, but I wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d persist for two more months. I wanted to give them the carrot before rolling the stick back out by making them wait for an invitation to our territory. ¡°Besides,¡± I pulled their request up on my computer and turned it to him with a grin, ¡°fifth time¡¯s the charm.¡± Chapter 78 - The Beginning of The End Natalia¡¯s P. O. V My finger tingled as I focused, pushing the fire to the highest temperature I could reach. I kept going, only letting up when the singular flame from my index finger had turned white and melted a small hole in the block of cast iron before me. ¡°Incredible work, Natalia.¡± Miss Asa said as she inspected the newly melted hole, ¡°Your precision has improved so much. You¡¯ve been practicing your Special Ability and it shows.¡± I gave her a smile, thanking her. She was right, in more ways than one. My practice had finally started paying off a few months ago, and I no longer lived in fear of burning my house to the ground. I still had the occasional outbursts, but they were easier for me to control now. But beyond the practical changes, I could actually see the difference too. Some weeks ago, I¡¯d noticed my mark wasn¡¯t quite the same as how it had been when I¡¯d first gotten it. Its faded edges had thickened and grown by about two inches, and it somehow looked more vibrant. In contrast, the mark near my neck remained the same: unevolved and unused. I waved Miss Asa and the others left in my Special Abilities group goodbye on my way out. Today was the final day of lessons before exams started next week. For this class, while ungraded, we were undergoing a final review of our progress before focusing on other subjects next week. The mid-May sun was warm as I crossed the courtyard to meet Jenna. ¡°Hey,¡± I greeted, setting my bag down and sitting with her on what had become our spot on the grass, ¡°Where¡¯s Lucy?¡± ¡°Hey girl. I think she¡¯s still having her Ability review. How was yours?¡± ¡°It was pretty good, I¡¯ve gotten a lot better. How about yours?¡± Over time, I¡¯d come to the realisation that Jenna was adept at using her Special Ability, so it was unsurprising when she told me her review went great. We continued talking, going over potential topics of next week¡¯s exams, as we waited for Lucy. She eventually joined us, sighing about her struggles with the review. ¡°It wasn¡¯t awful,¡± She groaned, ¡°but it wasn¡¯t good. I really need to practice more. Thank Rebekah it isn¡¯t graded.¡± Jenna placed a hand on her shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lucy. You said it yourself, you just need to practice.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right¡­¡± I was about to offer her my own words of comfort when I noticed Aubrey¡¯s scent getting too close for anything good to happen and my mood soured. ¡°Oh, Lucy!¡± She called from behind me with mock sweetness, ¡°How are you? I heard you bombed your review.¡± Jenna glared up at her, her jaw clenched, ¡°Leave her alone, Aubrey.¡± ¡°I just want to make sure we do better as a species, Jenna. Imagine how shameful it is for a Werewolf spinoff of a Syren to do better than an actual Syren.¡± I turned to her, my eyes narrowed, ¡°Want me to show you just how good this Werewolf spinoff has gotten?¡± She took a step back, raising her crested hand to her chest, ¡°My mom told me the Princess is starting a program that¡¯ll let some Werewolves relocate to our world. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking, letting them in, but I¡¯ll have to make sure the violent ones like you never set foot in Syrenlina.¡± I smirked, ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll make sure, huh?¡± Her brows furrowed, ¡°Yes¡­ I will¡­¡± Jenna, Lucy and Aubrey¡¯s two shadows looked back and forth between us. I let the silence linger, looking at her with the grin of someone that knew something you didn¡¯t. The more uneasy she got, the wider my grin grew, Eventually, she broke her stare, grumbling as she backed off, ¡°Whatever, Werewolf.¡± We waited till she was gone before we broke into giggles. ¡°Wow, Nat.¡± Jenn said, wiping a small tear away, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten really good at getting rid of her.¡± ¡°Yeah. Thanks for that, I really didn¡¯t need her rubbing my review in, and I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s still so hung up on you being a Werewolf.¡± Lucy rolled her eyes and turned to Jenna, ¡°What was she saying about the relocation program though? Is that an actual thing?¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Jenna shrugged, ¡°My mom didn¡¯t mention anything about that. Though she usually avoids telling us about major political things. But since she¡¯s a Countess¡¯ daughter, I wouldn¡¯t be quick to dismiss it, especially if her mom told her.¡± ¡°So, it could be true?¡± I asked. Jenna nodded, ¡°It most likely is.¡± Lucy¡¯s curious eyes came back to me, ¡°Are you gonna come? Imagine how amazing it would be if you moved to Syrenlina.¡± It was my turn to shrug and I let my expression to go pensive, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I wouldn¡¯t know the first thing about living there and besides you guys, I don¡¯t have anyone there.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Jenna said, ¡°But you should at least consider visiting. I¡¯m sure the school can help you get visit access.¡± ¡°I guess I could look into it.¡± ¡°You really should.¡± With the idea out there, the conversation steered back to our upcoming exams. We exchanged thoughts, fears and groans on them, before deciding to head home. ¡°Hey Ari! How was school?¡± Hailey¡¯s voice called from the library as soon as I stepped in. I slid my shoes off and wandered to the kitchen, leaving my bag in the living room on the way, ¡°It was okay.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I raised my voice, ¡°It was okay.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good. I ordered some pizza. There¡¯s some left over if you want it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll have it. Thanks Hailey.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Using one hand, I opened the fridge and put the pizza in the microwave while I used the other to dial Kirstin¡¯s number. ¡°Hello Alpha?¡± ¡°Hey Kirstin. How are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± She said to the backdrop of rustling leaves and tools in the soil. She was outside, ¡°Is there something you need?¡± ¡°Yeah. I need you to leave the territory.¡± She paused, ¡°Okay¡­ how long will I be gone for?¡± The microwave beeped, and I reached to open it, ¡°I¡¯d say three weeks, but probably longer.¡± She was silent. I could almost see her puzzled, thinking face, then she asked, ¡°Can I ask why? That¡¯s a really long time for me to be away from my duties.¡± Despite her depression when she¡¯d arrived, Kirstin had somehow taken up the role of being Timothy¡¯s assistant. Their styles and thoughts opposed each other on many occasions, but they¡¯d managed to turn their differences into teamwork. If the pack ever got big enough for it, she would make an excellent candidate for the role of Gamma. ¡°I know it¡¯s a while, but we¡¯re inviting them over in three weeks and we need to give your scent time to fade before they arrive. You¡¯re too familiar to them so if they catch so much as a whiff of you, they¡¯ll know something¡¯s up.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°We just need to keep you out of sight till we have them where we want them. I¡¯ll make sure we bring you back when it¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Okay, I think I understand.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I said, ¡°Cause you¡¯re gonna be the one to take the evidence to the Royals.¡± ¡°I am?¡± ¡°You are. You¡¯ll present them with the evidence and help their inquiry and investigation. You need to make sure they don¡¯t take you anywhere near them though. If we time it right, the investigation will take place while they¡¯re distracted with taking our pack down. So I¡¯ll need you to be as detailed and as thorough as possible with your information. Don¡¯t miss a single thing, is that clear?¡± ¡°Yes Alpha. When do I leave?¡± ¡°How soon can you be packed?¡± ¡°Tomorrow.¡± ¡°Then you leave tomorrow. Take every shred of evidence with you. If the Palace dismissed you early, I¡¯ll book a flight for you to come to my place in the city.¡± ¡°Okay, Alpha. I¡¯ll start packing now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± With that, I ended the call. Somewhere during the conversation, Hailey had joined me in the kitchen. Putting my phone in my pocket, I turned to meet her curiously excited gaze as I chewed on my pizza slice. ¡°You¡¯re planning something.¡± She stated more than asked. I smiled into my pizza. ¡°I¡¯m planning something.¡± I parroted. Her smile widened and she clasped her hands together, ¡°Are you finally inviting them?¡± ¡°Soon enough. I¡¯ll be sending the invitation later this evening but like I told Kirstin, I need her scent to fully disperse before they arrive. That should take about two or three weeks.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re inviting them to come three weeks from now, instead of immediately?¡± I nodded. ¡°Our finals will be done by then.¡± ¡°Exactly. The timing¡¯s perfect and waiting a little longer gives their ego more bruises. By the time they¡¯re on our soil, they¡¯ll be full of hot air and want to do as much damage as possible. And we¡¯ll be ready for them.¡± Three weeks later, I was sitting in my office, feeling anything but ready as the scent of our visitors invaded my territory and made my hands hot and my stomach churn. I¡¯d spent the last twenty-one days burying myself in my exams, resisting the urge to open their response message to the apathetically worded invitation I¡¯d sent. Only last night, after arriving back in my territory, had I read it. ¡°We¡¯ll be sending two of ours.¡± When Timothy had asked if we should prepare our best guest rooms, I¡¯d told him no. I wasn¡¯t going to be giving them the best of anything, so I put them in the fifth and sixth best guest rooms in the main house. Timothy knocked on my door and I called him in. He was stone faced, his knuckles white on the knob as he closed the door behind him, ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± Chapter 79 - Welcome Carpet Hailey¡¯s P. O. V Tim and I stood at the edge of our territory, waiting. The air was tense. Tim had done a good job of preparing all our members for our incoming visitors. He¡¯d explained that they would most likely try to harm and sabotage us, but Ari¡¯s plan was for us to let them do as they pleased in order to lull them into a false sense of security and hopefully careless pride. Standing here, waiting to meet my sister¡¯s former tormentors, I prickled. The thought of Ari downtrodden and abused made me want to go feral. I couldn¡¯t even imagine her like that, and I was going to meet two of the people responsible for keeping her in such a state for most of her life. I wanted to tear into them on sight, but also huddle up with Ari in her office. Unfortunately, I had a job to do. Ari had called me to her office a few days ago, and I¡¯d arrived to find her and Kaesha waiting for me. After taking my seat, I¡¯d asked what was going on. ¡°If I know anything about Brittany,¡± Ari had said from across her desk, ¡°It¡¯s that she loves two things: power, and taking what doesn¡¯t belong to her.¡± I¡¯d nodded slowly, a growing pit in my stomach making me wonder where she was going with this. She¡¯d sighed, ¡°There¡¯s no other way for me to say this, Hailey¡­ If Brittany is one of the people sent, which I¡¯m almost certain she will be, one of her sabotage tactics will undoubtedly be to seduce whoever is highest on our totem pole. Since they already know the Alpha is a woman, that means Timothy will be the target.¡± I bristled and my eyes narrowed, ¡°Why are you telling me this, Ari?¡± She gave me a sorry look, ¡°The fact that he has a mate he¡¯s happy with will probably make him that much more attractive to her as a target.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, he¡¯ll never go for her!¡± I yelled, then caught myself. She¡¯d given me some seconds to compose myself before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m gonna need him to flirt with her a little, and I¡¯m gonna need you to talk about how great he is while playing dumb.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Opelene growled. She reached a hand across the table, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Hailey, I-¡± I jumped from my seat, my heart racing and fists clenched, ¡°How could you ask that of me, Ari? Of us? You know what we went through to be together and you know how much he hates them.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°So why would-¡± ¡°He already agreed.¡± I blinked, ¡°What?¡± She sighed again and looked at me. There was less sympathy in her eyes now. ¡°I asked him if he would be willing to flirt with her as part of the plan, and he said yes. It won¡¯t even get to kissing, I promise. You have nothing to worry about. He hates the very idea of having to even be in the same room as her, but it¡¯s a necessary evil. We need her to think she¡¯s winning while we wait.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even want him to touch her.¡± I snarled. Kaesha spoke up, ¡°That might not be possible.¡± I turned to her and she continued, ¡°As you know, I was able to create a spell that bonds me to the mind link you guys have as a pack.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Well, I used that spell to work on one that lets us eavesdrop on a mind link without anyone¡¯s knowledge. The only thing I need is to make physical contact with someone in the mind link. I¡¯m not a Werewolf, so I don¡¯t want to risk being near them. Because of that, I¡¯ll need a conduit to touch them, and since Timmy¡¯s gonna have to flirt with her, I figured making him the conduit would kill two birds with one stone.¡± ¡°So not only is he gonna have to flirt with the bitch, but he¡¯s going to have to touch her for the spell?¡± Kaesha nodded, ¡°Unfortunately¡­ But Hailey, it¡¯s not that terrible. He¡¯s made physical contact with other women before, even me. And we all know that he¡¯s mad about you.¡± I sat back down and grumbled in a small voice, ¡°It¡¯s not the same¡­¡± Everyone on the territory, even Penelope, was just a friend. None of them had any desire to make moves on either of us. But this was someone that not only took pleasure in breaking people up, but was also someone he despised. But he¡¯d agreed to this, so for the sake of the plan, I could reign my jealousy in for a few days. ¡°Fine,¡± I¡¯d said, ¡°But it¡¯d better not go farther than that.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Since reconciling, Tim and I had been almost blissfully happy. But here I was, waiting to meet the bitch that would throw herself at my mate so I could hype him up in her eyes. The very thought of it had me sick to my stomach, but there was nothing I could do. Their car eventually pulled up and two people got out. I¡¯d decided that I couldn¡¯t be too angry at Ari for this. I could only imagine how she felt, her plans finally starting to come to a head after two years of preparation. ¡®She just wants everything to go according to plan.¡¯ I told myself. Still, knowing that didn¡¯t help my mood much. Next to me, Tim noticed my cloudy expression and took my hand in his, squeezing it. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, this is only temporary. I love you, Sunshine.¡¯ I mustered a smile, ¡®I love you too.¡¯ He brought my hand to his lips for a kiss that made my heart flutter, then we approached. ¡°Welcome to Vengar Sanguine.¡± He was using the diplomatic tone he¡¯d developed from all those pack visits. They approached, a guy and a girl. The guy was unfamiliar, he hadn¡¯t been at the Mate Ball. He was tall, with long black hair that his blue eyes peeked out from behind. He looked bored, almost unassuming, but he was one of them and we weren¡¯t going to forget. My attention moved to Brittany as she spoke, ¡°Thank you.¡± It was her. During the Mate Ball. I¡¯d spent most of my time with Tim, and we hadn¡¯t needed to get too close, so this was my first time meeting her face to face. She was pretty, with her blonde hair and blue eyes. I¡¯d heard Clark¡¯s eyes were green, so I guess he¡¯d still mated with someone that had eyes like our mom¡¯s. The resemblance wasn¡¯t very strong, but I still couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was looking at Keily. She¡¯d been the main instigator of the violence against Ari when she was still with them. Perhaps it was because I already knew what sort of person she was, or maybe she was truly that bad at hiding her rottenness, but her smile looked cruel to me. ¡°Could you help me get the rest of my bags¡­?¡± She cocked her head, leaving her sentence open ended in a question for his name. ¡°Timothy, I¡¯m the Beta of this pack.¡± He gestured to me, pulling me close with a sweet smile, ¡°And this is my mate, Hailey.¡± I offered a smile, ¡°Hi, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± She said shortly and returned her attention to Tim, ¡°I¡¯m Brittany and this is James. So you¡¯re the Beta... I think I saw you at the Mate Ball, you looked so good.¡± He chuckled, ¡°Thank you. You also caught my attention.¡± She placed a hand on her cheek, coy, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She grinned at him. I blinked. I almost couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡®Is this bitch seriously flirting with him right in front of us?¡¯ Opelene growled and I had to keep from emanating one of my own. I knew it was going to happen, Ari had prepared me for it. But somehow, I didn¡¯t account for the fact that anyone could be so brazen as to flirt with someone¡¯s mate right in front of said mate. They finished their little exchange and Timothy went with James to get their bags. Without him around, she finally turned her attention to me. ¡°You¡¯ve got such a nice mate.¡± She remarked. I gave her my dreamiest smile, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know how I got so lucky with him. He¡¯s so doting, I never have to worry about him with anyone else. And it doesn¡¯t hurt that he¡¯s the Beta too.¡± Her eyes scanned me. Briefly, but intently, like she was determining whether I was worthy of such love, ¡°I¡¯m sure it doesn¡¯t.¡± She looked around, at the main house in the distance and all the smaller ones closer to us, ¡°Your Alpha didn¡¯t come. Is she not around?¡± ¡°Oh, she is.¡± I chirped, ¡°She¡¯s just busy.¡± Irritation crossed her face, and was gone as quickly as it came, ¡°I see. I¡¯m sure it must be hard for her, being a new Alpha and all. Leadership doesn¡¯t come that easily to everyone, after all. She must have her hands full with trying to keep you all happy.¡± I smothered the desire to rattle off the list of things Ari had done since forming our pack, and instead gave her a blank stare, ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what you mean.¡± She gave me the look one would give a na?ve child, ¡°I guess you don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I show you around while Tim helps James?¡± I said, then started walking before she could give her go ahead. I led her around the territory. I made sure to pass all the structures: the training grounds, the houses, the greenhouse, the farms and fields and all. As I¡¯d been instructed to, I yammered on about non-details in my explanation, saying a lot without actually giving any real information. At every point, she looked around with concealed calculated observation and listened like I was telling her fortunes. Finally, we got to the main house where she and James would be staying. I took my sweet time leading her to the guests¡¯ floor. On our way to her room, we passed the open door of the best bedroom, with Linda, one of the new members, fritting around like she was cleaning. ¡°And this is your room, we hope you¡¯ll enjoy your stay with us.¡± I said, ushering her in with a butler-ly flourish. ¡°This is my room?¡± She looked around with her nose in the air. The bed was a simple double, with a plain frame and wardrobe to match. There was a small desk and wooden chair in the corner of the room by the window, and a modest adjourning bathroom. Her bags had already been dropped off on the carpet by the bed. By all accounts, it wasn¡¯t a bad room. It just wasn¡¯t our best. And she¡¯d seen that. ¡°Yes, this is the room you¡¯ll be staying in for the duration of your visit.¡± She turned to me, ¡°Really?¡± I nodded. ¡°Oh, I get it. You¡¯re having me stay here while that girl cleans the other one for me.¡± She concluded. I held the laugh in my throat as I shook my head, ¡°No, this is your room.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, I-¡± She began, full of smoke then caught herself, ¡°Hailey, right? I think you might have made a mistake when preparing the rooms.¡± I cocked my head, ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no mistake. Alpha Ari assigned these rooms herself.¡± Her mouth tensed as she spoke through a poorly subdued glare, ¡°She did?¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m not sure why though. If you want to switch rooms, can tell her you don¡¯t like this one.¡± She debated with herself for a second, before shaking her head and forcing a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have other things to talk about when I see her. When will that be again?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, Alpha Ari is very busy so I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯ll let you know as soon as she¡¯s available. In the meantime, I¡¯m sure my Tim will be happy to keep you company.¡± I told her, barely keeping myself from stressing the ¡®my¡¯ in ¡®my Tim¡¯. ¡°Right.¡± She said through clenched teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll get settled.¡± ¡°Excellent idea.¡± I said with a nod, then left her in the room to fume about it. The welcome carpet was out. Chapter 80 - Sabotage Brittany¡¯s P. O. V It pissed me off. Everything about this place, from the too-impressive training grounds, to their flourishing greenhouse, right down to their fucking barns, was made elaborately and soundly. All their equipment was top of the line, and as Hailey showed me around, I saw their members working in the fields and training too efficiently to be amateurs. ¡®Where the fuck did they get actual farmers and warriors?¡¯ In this era, farming and combat weren¡¯t things deemed as necessary as they once were. The days of territorial bickering and living off the land were behind us, yet here these people were, training like we were still at war with the Vampires and ploughing like there wasn¡¯t a supermarket an hour away. After unpacking my things in the shoebox of a room their bitch of an Alpha had put me in, I followed James¡¯ scent to find him in the room opposite mine. I walked in without bothering to knock and clicked the door shut behind me. He shot me an annoyed look, which I ignored as I stomped around his room. They¡¯d given him a better one. ¡®What is it, Brittany?¡¯ His tone reflected the look on his face. ¡®Can you believe these people?! Sticking us in tiny rooms like we¡¯re some stray wolves and not from one of the best packs in the country.¡¯ He rolled his eyes, ¡®Is that all? We don¡¯t need to be griping about our rooms when we¡¯ve got work to do.¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t need to tell me that.¡¯ Nobody ¨C not him, not anyone ¨C understood how important bringing this pack down was more than I did. They¡¯d gone from twelve members to forty-seven despite the fact that, due to Werewolves¡¯ tendency to form connections to their territory, many small packs remained in their number range for years. The amount they paid in dues had compounded on itself faster than any of my predictions had accounted for. They¡¯d gained seventeen allies in their first month alone and had accepted three more requests before ours after the Mate Ball. And all in the span of just under a year. If left to their own devices, there was no doubt they¡¯d grow to rival us in the not-too-distant future. I knew it, and dad did too. Initially, he had been passive about this pack. It was small fry to him, a dot on the map. But in the month before the Mate Ball, he¡¯d finally seen the potential they held. Potential that we needed to crush. I remembered the day he¡¯d called me to his office, and I¡¯d arrived to see James there with him. ¡°Brittany, come in, have a seat.¡± He¡¯d gestured to the chair next to James and I sat down. ¡°This Vengar Sanguine,¡± He flipped through the file I¡¯d made on them that had since bulked up with more updates, ¡°They¡¯re on the fast track and we need to put on the breaks.¡± My heart raced. Was this what I¡¯d thought it was? He put the file down and looked at the two of us, ¡°I¡¯ll be sending you both there to handle them. They¡¯re new enough that the right amount of unbalance will make them disband entirely. I need you to be thorough and meticulous enough to do that.¡± It was! He was finally trusting me with something big! I did my best to keep the smile off my face, ¡°Yes Alpha. We¡¯ll pull out all the stops.¡± My dad, the Alpha, was finally recognising my usefulness and I had every intention of living up to his expectations. So no one, absolutely no one, was going to get in the way of me completing my first assignment. ¡®Where¡¯s the wolvesbane and aconine you packed?¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re in the secret compartments of my bags. Hold on first, we need to be patient. We just got here, let¡¯s take the time to study them and work on reducing trust and morale first. We can¡¯t just jump into poisoning them immediately we arrive, it¡¯ll be too suspicious.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t argue with his logic. ¡®Fine.¡¯ I told him on my way out, ¡®Let¡¯s take our time.¡¯ And so we did. For the following fortnight, I latched onto Tim. Since the Alpha was not only a woman, but also entirely absent, he was the person in the highest position who I could use his male urges to my advantage. He was cute, tall with the body of someone that did physical labour and had a wolf he seemed in tune with. And to top it off, he had a mate that yapped so much about how great he was that it made me more inclined to find out for myself. Particularly in bed. ¡°You¡¯re so capable.¡± I said in a dreamy sigh once he¡¯d approached me from helping some members with something on the field. He gave me a crooked, bashful smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just doing my job.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing so much more than just your job,¡± I leaned in close on the tips of my toes, caressing his arm as I brushed my lips against his ear, barely trying to avoid being heard, ¡°you might as well be the Alpha yourself.¡± He froze, looking at me with wide eyes, ¡°No, I could never¡­¡± I cocked my head to the side, looking up at him through my lashes, ¡°Why not? Since I got here, she¡¯d been nowhere to be found and left you with everything. You¡¯re already performing the role without the title, anyone can see that.¡± ¡°Alpha Ari works very hard for us.¡± He barely sounded like he believed his own words. ¡°What good is an Alpha that isn¡¯t present to lead?¡± I retorted, then sighed and gave him a shrug, ¡°But what do I know, I¡¯m just a visitor.¡± After that, he was quiet. With the seed planted, I left him to do whatever it was that he did and returned to my room. ¡®Where are you?¡¯ I was walking to the main house. ¡®In the kitchen.¡¯ He told me. My brow furrowed, ¡®What are you doing there?¡¯ ¡®If you must know,¡¯ He began in a tone that made me wish he wasn¡¯t an acting Gamma, ¡®I¡¯ve been showing an interest in how their food is cooked.¡¯ Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I frowned, his reason dawning on me. Showing up consistently in the kitchen meant that he had access to their food and enough leeway to poison it without his presence being too suspicious. Why hadn¡¯t I thought of that? ¡®When are you gonna do it?¡¯ ¡®Tonight.¡¯ We couldn¡¯t put too high of a dose, so they wouldn¡¯t immediately suspect poisoning, but I so wanted to do a number on them, ¡®Do you have access to the Alpha¡¯s food?¡¯ ¡®Yes. She has her food sent to her office but still eats the same thing as everyone else. They don¡¯t take particular care to isolate her food before sending it off.¡¯ ¡®That makes it so much easier. Put a tiny amount in the general food, just enough that everyone gets a stomach ache, then more in hers and other random plates of food except the Beta¡¯s.¡¯ ¡®Won¡¯t that mean it¡¯ll affect us too?¡¯ I rolled my eyes, rummaging around my bag, ¡®Well, duh. But we need to show the same symptoms so that they don¡¯t suspect us of anything. The general stomach aches should get better by tomorrow morning.¡¯ He was all the way in the kitchen and yet I could practically feel him silently judging me. It didn¡¯t matter, I could take a little stomach ache if it meant getting the job done. ¡®So, while I¡¯m doing all this, what¡¯ll you be doing?¡¯ I picked the empty vial, with trace droplets still clinging to the insides, ¡®I spent the last two weeks singing their Beta¡¯s praises and telling everyone how he should be in charge. Now, I¡¯m gonna give him some backbone.¡¯ I pocketed the vial and made my way to Tim¡¯s room, knocking on the door. He opened it, his hair damp and a towel hanging around his neck, ¡°Hey Brittany, what¡¯s up?¡± My eyes ran down his bare chest, following the water droplets trailing paths between the crevices in his abs. I brought my gaze back to his, looking curiously at me, ¡°Can I come in?¡± ¡°Sure, I guess.¡± He said, walking to his table and leaving the door open for me to enter. I looked around to make sure no one was there to see me as I slipped in. His room was massive, bigger than mine back home. A closet lined the wall opposite the bed, with space for more clothes than I was sure he even had. The table he sat at was across the room from the door and offered a view of the back side of the house. ¡°What brings you here?¡± He asked, ¡°Nothing in particular.¡± I said in a small voice, ¡°I just seem to like being around you.¡± ¡°Thanks. You make good company too.¡± He reached for his shirt, about to put it on. I crossed the room and placed a hand on his arm before he could raise the shirt over his head, ¡°I really like being around you.¡± He looked up at me but made no moves to recoil or push me away, so I tested the waters some more. Gently, I pushed his arms so they were in his lap and sat on the table. ¡°Hailey is so lucky. What I wouldn¡¯t give to have a mate like you.¡± I ran a hand down his bicep. His brows drew together, ¡°But I thought you already have one.¡± I shook my head, ¡°He wasn¡¯t my fated mate. He used his power as the Beta to force my mate to reject me so he could be with me himself, since I¡¯m the Alpha¡¯s sister. Now, all he does is use me to perform his duties, so I know a thing or two about doing unrecognised work.¡± I sniffled and squeezed his hand, ¡°I guess I kept talking about you being the real Alpha because I want you to do what I¡¯ve been too scared to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that happened to you.¡± He was solemn, looking at me like I was some poor wounded animal. Good. I wiped the tears from my eyes and took a shaky breath, ¡°What¡¯s done is done. It¡¯s just¡­ I haven¡¯t felt this way about anyone since then.¡± At that, he blinked at me, searching for words, so I pulled away, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. You¡¯ve got Hailey and you two are so happy together.¡± I let my gaze fall to the ground, ¡°I wish I could trade places with her.¡± ¡°Brittany, I¡¯m sorry, but I-¡± I shook my head, letting more tears fall, ¡°No, I know. I¡¯m so sorry for this, please forget I said anything. It¡¯s stupid- I¡¯m stupid-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that about yourself.¡± He said sharply, grabbing my hands, ¡°We all can¡¯t help who we connect with, it doesn¡¯t make you stupid.¡± His eyes searched my face intently. What was it about pretty girls crying that made men so fucking dumb? ¡°You¡¯re just saying that.¡± He shook his head vehemently, ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Then he perked up, ¡°Wait here, I want to show you something.¡± He got up to go to the bathroom. Once he was out of sight, I raced to his closet doors and shoved the empty vial in the back, where he hopefully wouldn¡¯t find it for the next few days. I was sitting back on his table by the time he returned with a piece of wood in his hands. He presented it to me and I took it in my hands in a small gasp. It was a small figurine of myself, looking over my shoulder. It didn¡¯t quite look like me and some of the details were a little off, but it was impressive nonetheless. ¡°I made this for you.¡± He said sheepishly. I took it in my hands, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± I smiled up at him, ¡°Thank you so much. I can¡¯t believe someone would do something like this for me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re worth it.¡± He said softly. I¡¯d initially intended to sleep with him and hide the vial while he had a meltdown in the bathroom afterwards, as they all did. Since I¡¯d already accomplished what I came for, so there was really no need for me to stick around much longer. But that didn¡¯t stop me from wanting to have him anyway, if for no reason other than to satisfy my curiosity. I leaned in slowly, and he did the same. When we were millimetres away, I waited, wanting him to seal the deal himself. Instead, he pulled back and walked away, his back to me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brittany, I just can¡¯t. Please understand¡­¡± I blinked. Was he rejecting me? All you needed to get a man to cheat was an emotional connection or common interest, a stroked ego, and to be better looking than his girl. Sometimes, I didn¡¯t even need all of that, just an expressed interest in him and he was mine. But this time, I had everything. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you¡­¡± I kept my simmering rage out of my voice, ¡°But Hailey doesn¡¯t really love you. She always complains about you when nobody¡¯s around to listen. I guess she thinks it won¡¯t matter to me since I¡¯m not a member, but I think you deserve better.¡± He turned back to me and I smirked inwardly. ¡°I guess that¡¯s just something we¡¯ll have to work on together. But I still can¡¯t do this.¡± My expression froze. I was worried that if I said anything, I¡¯d rage at him and ruin everything, so I simply nodded and shuffled out of his room. I remained silent the rest of the way to my room and took care not to slam the door behind me. Then I kicked my trash can. ¡®What the fuck was that?!¡¯ I roared in my head at Tina. She didn¡¯t answer. ¡®Who the fuck does he think he is? How can he reject me for that airhead? She¡¯s not even pretty enough for him to be turning me down! And what sort of fucking response was that?! I just told you that your mate is bitching behind your back and you decide to ¡®work on it together¡¯? Where are your fucking balls?! I am the sister of an Alpha from a powerful pack! Does he not know what I can do to him for this?!¡¯ She didn¡¯t say a word as I shredded up several sheets of paper, unable to scream or rant out loud because I didn¡¯t want to be heard by these degenerate nobodies. Their Alpha was a bitch that didn¡¯t even have enough manners to greet us, and their Beta was a spineless half-wit. Before I knew it, it was time for dinner and I was forced to clean my room and compose myself to join everyone. When I got there, James gave me a curious look, but I ignored him, consoling myself with the knowledge of our plan and what was going to happen to Tim. I tried not to stare as he ate like a happy fool, seated next to his useless mate. I decided to leave before the effects hit me. So, half an hour into eating with half of my food already gone, I excused myself, holding my stomach on my way out. When I left the dining room, I¡¯d been faking a small ache, but upon reaching my hallway, I was increasingly queasy. My head was swimming and my vision began to blur. ¡®Just how much¡­ did you put in the food?¡¯ I slurred at James. I was met with silence. Fumbling with the handle, I opened my room door to see someone sitting on my bed. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± My tongue felt like it didn¡¯t fit in my mouth. She smiled at me with everything but kindness, ¡°Hello Brittany.¡± I knew that voice. The bitch Alpha had finally shown herself. I didn¡¯t know what was going on, but I knew something had gone so, so wrong. ¡°What¡­¡± I started to ask, when the floor suddenly careened towards me. Then everything was black. Chapter 81 - Retribution: Vanity Brittany¡¯s P. O. V My head throbbed. The vile taste of bile and partially digested food filled my mouth and a matching smell assaulted my nose. The whole combo made my face twist in pain and disgust. I tried to raise a hand to my head but found I couldn¡¯t move it from where it was behind me. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re up.¡± My eyes snapped open. It didn¡¯t take long for my sight to adjust to the dim room. The bitch Alpha was just a few feet away from me, leaning on a table with tools and knives on it. Besides the table, the room was bare, just an expanse of concrete. ¡°Welcome back to the land of the living. Literally. We had to keep you from choking on your vomit.¡± She smiled, ¡°Couldn¡¯t let that be what kills you, after all.¡± I tried to stand and the sound of chains rattling made me look down. I was chained to a metal chair that was bolted to the ground. My shackles were sturdy, barely giving me an inch of leeway to move my arms that were bound behind me, no matter how hard I strained against them. I looked back at her with a fire in my eyes, ¡°What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing? Let me go!¡± She tsked, flipping her brown hair over her shoulder as she shook her head. Wait, brown? Her hair had been black at the Mate Ball. Her looks were so obnoxiously obvious that I definitely wouldn¡¯t have missed it if her hair had been a wig. ¡°Now Brittany, is that any way to speak to an Alpha?¡± I laughed, ¡°As if you¡¯re a real Alpha. Once my pack comes for me, you and your play pack are gonna get what¡¯s coming to you. You have no fucking idea what you¡¯re dealing with.¡± She cocked her head, ¡°What makes you think they¡¯re coming?¡± James was likely in the same situation, but that didn¡¯t matter. It hadn¡¯t just been the two of us that had made the journey here. I¡¯d had the idea to take someone with us that would remain outside the territory, in case we needed to get away quickly or something went wrong. I hadn¡¯t actually expected anything as bad as our captivity to happen, but I thanked La Luna that I¡¯d bothered with the extra precaution. If more than a day had passed since I¡¯d lost consciousness, then our reserve agent would alert the pack of our situation. Then they¡¯d fucking know. ¡°Oh, is it cause of Hannah?¡± She chuckled like it was a silly notion. Panic bubbled in my still queasy stomach, but I did my best to keep it off my face. Even without Hannah¡¯s useless ass, I texted daily updates to Beta Howling. In the chance that they got into my phone to text him as me, he¡¯d hopefully be able to tell it wasn¡¯t me. As if reading my mind, she pulled my phone out of her pocket, ¡°By the way, Callum¡¯s dad says you shouldn¡¯t overdo it with the wolvesbane poison. You need to let us get a bit better before making it worse. Makes it seem more natural, you know?¡± My stomach dropped. ¡°Nice touch trying to frame Timothy for it.¡± She fingered an empty vial on the table, the same one I¡¯d left in Tim¡¯s room, ¡°Spreading dissent towards the absent Alpha and setting the overlooked Beta up as the saboteur? Smart move, it probably would have worked on a different pack. I guess Kirstin was right about you not being as dumb as I thought.¡± Kirstin? She¡¯d run off a month before the Mate Ball. It had annoyed me cause she hadn¡¯t been a complete dead weight before she left. Kylie had been uncharacteristically chipper and Harry uncharacteristically dull that day, but all I¡¯d cared about was the fact that she¡¯d been the only semi competent person working for me and she¡¯d just disappeared. So, she was the reason everything was going wrong. All her encouragement and whispering in my ear only for that snake to turn around and stab me in the back. Now I was sure she¡¯d become jealous of me from spending so much time together and couldn¡¯t take it. ¡°She came to you, didn¡¯t she? She was jealous and probably hates me so she betrayed me by telling you everything, right? Where is she?! I¡¯ll kill her!¡± I rattled against my chains. The bitch just rolled her eyes, ¡°Of course, you¡¯d come to that conclusion.¡± ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?!¡± ¡°Sure, she grew disgusted by you after spending so much time watching what kind of person you are, but Kirstin isn¡¯t the one that hates you here.¡± ¡°Then who does?¡± ¡°Why, me, of course.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Why would she hate me? We hadn¡¯t interacted at all during the Mate Ball ¨C this was our first time even having a conversation. Her gaze turned cold, ¡°After everything you did to me, why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± What was this bitch on about, ¡°You psycho, I don¡¯t even know you!¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. She placed a hand on her chest, feigning hurt, ¡°Oh Brittany, you¡¯ve forgotten me so soon? Nothing about me seems familiar to you?¡± I looked at her again. She had glowing green eyes and brown hair that fell in curls down her back but besides her annoying beauty, the only unique things about her were the tattoo around her wrist and the smaller one on the side of her neck. Her scent was vaguely familiar but didn¡¯t ring any bells. ¡°Really? Nothing?¡± Was this psycho really holding me here for no reason? ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell you¡¯re talking about! Let me go, I don¡¯t know you!¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re so much better than everyone but you¡¯re not. You¡¯re just a whiny bitch. Simple as that. There¡¯s not much I have to say to you, really. You put me through hell and when I get back, I¡¯ll do the same and then some. You will beg for mercy when I get a hold of you. Good luck - you¡¯re gonna need it¡­¡± She recited. I frowned. Where did I know those words from? ¡°With hate and vengeance, the former omega.¡± My eyes widened. It couldn¡¯t be; the bitch was dead. She¡¯d run away and been killed by a bear like the weakling she was. She hadn¡¯t even been a real Werewolf in the first place. I shook my head, ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡± ¡°Is this how you welcome your sister back from the dead?¡± ¡°Half-sister.¡± I snapped. Oh Luna, it was her. Her grin widened, full of wickedness and promises of pain. I stifled the fear creeping on me and raised my head. The omega had been weak, barely a Werewolf. Not once had anyone seen her shift. She was probably putting on a front and Tim was the real Alpha, just offering his help to exact her stupid revenge. I probably didn¡¯t even need to wait for the pack to come for me. Once I got out of these chains, I¡¯d deal with her myself. I sneered, ¡°So just cause you found another pack you think you¡¯re all that? You¡¯re still the weak piece of shit you were back then. No wonder Tim didn¡¯t mind doing all the work, you¡¯re probably not even the real Alpha. Just wait till I get of these chains, you bitch. I¡¯ll teach you a lesson myself, just like old times.¡± Smack. The entire left side of my face exploded with pain. My head had whipped to the side, and the blood pooling in my mouth was drooling out because I couldn¡¯t seem to close it. ¡°That was from Hailey and Timothy.¡± She said curtly, ¡°Hailey didn¡¯t appreciate you trying to sleep with her mate and Timothy hated being in the same room as you. Said he had to take another shower after the whole thing. I really hated having to ask them to do that, you know.¡± Tears gathered as I blinked against my swimming vision. I¡¯d been looking right at her and hadn¡¯t seen her even move. I dreaded to see the damage her punch had done to my face and the fear I¡¯d been stifling grew unhindered. This wasn¡¯t the same omega. Natalia¡¯s P. O. V She was still reeling from the punch, her blinking rapid and her head lolled to the side. I¡¯d asked Hailey if she¡¯d wanted to deliver the blow herself, but she¡¯d simply shaken her head. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to be near her. You can do it for me, and for Timothy. He really hated being so close to her.¡± She¡¯d told me then they¡¯d gone to spend time together. ¡°Oh, by the way, did you know that Hailey is also our half-sister? From a completely different woman though, and she has a twin sister but she¡¯s not a Werewolf. And frankly, I don¡¯t like her. She kinda reminds me of you, a slightly tamer version but still.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± She groaned. I sighed, ¡°I know, right? Clark really doesn¡¯t know how to be faithful. I guess that¡¯s where you and Harry got it from.¡± She groaned again. I probed her leg with my foot, ¡°Is that really all you can take? You were all talk just a moment ago. Said something about teaching me a lesson just like old times.¡± She spat a mouthful of blood on my boot and a tooth bounced off it. My lips pulled back in a grin. There she is. I grabbed a fistful of her hair and jerked her head up, then bent so I could look her dead in the eyes, ¡°Keep fighting, Brittany. I want breaking you to feel worth it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not gonna get away with this.¡± She wheezed, ¡°Even if it¡¯s not now, they¡¯ll know something¡¯s wrong when the mission takes too long then they¡¯ll come for me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I told her, ¡°I plan to take the fight to them before that happens.¡± She threw her head forward in an attempt to headbutt me. I moved my face backwards just enough to avoid it and tightened my grip on her hair. Then I set it on fire. She didn¡¯t comprehend it at first, so it took a second before the screaming began. She thrashed about, trying to get her head out of my grip as the smell of burning hair and flesh filled the room. When I let go of her, she was in tears and there was a fist sized burn right at the top of her head where her hair should have been. The laugh that came out of me almost sounded maniacal ¡°Oh, don¡¯t cry yet, we¡¯re just getting started.¡± I ran a hand down her cheek and she recoiled. ¡°I thought long and hard about what I would do to each of you.¡± I told her, ¡°On the nights when I couldn¡¯t sleep cause of the nightmares of your abuse, I would wonder how I could pay you back for everything in a fitting way.¡± Her eyes were locked on my hands, wide with fear and watching for signs of them bursting into flames again. ¡°You¡¯ve always been so pretty. Or at least, you thought so anyway.¡± I didn¡¯t think her eyes could get any wider, but they did, nearly bulging out of their sockets as she shook her head frantically, ¡°No, no, please! I¡¯m so, so, so sorry for everything I ever did to you! Please, just- No, I¡¯m begging you.¡± Werewolves could heal from almost anything, it was just a part of being one. Almost all cuts and bruises faded into oblivion at a relatively quick rate and few things would leave a scar. Fire was one of those things. And not slight burns from holding a kettle or something like that. No, you couldn¡¯t scar a Werewolf with fire unless you gave one third degree burns. I held a finger up, a single flame dancing above it, ¡°I¡¯ve really gotten a handle on my precision but I still need a bit of practice with temperature control. You¡¯ll help me practice, won¡¯t you?¡± She shook her head in frenzied terror, already sobbing. Her cries became more desperate as the flame turned from red to white. I grabbed her chin with my free hand and yanked her face to the side. Taking my time, I wrote the word ¡®mercy¡¯ on her left cheek. I traced over the word again and again, revelling in her struggles and screams. When I finished, I took a step back and admired my work as she sobbed uncontrollably. I¡¯d traced the word so many times that it looked less like a word and more like a patch of burnt skin. The bottom of the ¡®m¡¯ had melted through her face, so her teeth were visible. Some parts skin looked charred while others were an angry, bloody mess. Because there was a hole in the side of her mouth, her sobbing resembled the wailing of an animal gurgling its own blood. And that sound made something in me sing. Chapter 82 - Pits of Hell Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I walked out of the holding room to meet Kaesha, Hailey and Tim leaning on the opposite wall, waiting for me with crossed arms and disturbed looks. Their faces screamed questions and concern but they only stared. I couldn¡¯t blame them. My hands were coated in dried blood. There were some burnt stands of hair stuck to them and some of the blood had soaked into my clothes too. Plus, I probably still had a look of revelry in my eyes. Thank goodness I¡¯d dressed to get dirty. Hailey was the first to break the silence, ¡°How¡¯d it go¡­?¡± ¡°She looks like a serial killer, I think it¡¯s obvious how it went.¡± Kaesha quipped before I could speak. I tried to reassure them with a smile, but that only served to give Hailey a look of horrified worry and make Kaesha¡¯s already narrowed eyes judge me harder. Only Timothy¡¯s expression remained largely unmoved. ¡°Is she¡­?¡± Hailey trailed off, unable to say the word. ¡°Dead? No, that would be too good for her.¡± Kaesha looked at my hands then back at my face, ¡°What¡¯re you gonna do with her?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll return her, of course.¡± I took my phone out of my pocket and checked the date, ¡°There¡¯s supposed to be a full moon tonight. I just need to see if the scar stays on her after shifting.¡± ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t?¡± Hailey asked in a tone that said she really didn¡¯t want to know the answer. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll just have to do it again till it sticks.¡± I shrugged. Hailey and Kaesha winced. ¡°Ari¡­¡± Hailey took a step towards me and took my hand, gingerly, tentatively, like she could barely bring herself to touch it, ¡°I know I said I¡¯d help, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d actually torture someone.¡± My brows drew together and I looked at her, confused, ¡°What did you think I was going to do?¡± ¡°Definitely not this!¡± She sputtered, looking at me like I was insane, ¡°Kirstin gathered all that evidence! You even sent her to the Royals to report them. They¡¯re gonna be arrested anyway, why are you doing all this?¡± ¡°Why am I doing all this?¡± I laughed, my shoulders shaking with the hilarity of it all. Why was I doing all this? Why did I breathe? Why did I eat? Why did my heart beat? ¡°Because I need to.¡± She let go of my hand, rendered mute. Timothy stepped up to place his hands on her shoulders and Kaesha simply shook her head. My skin started to prickle with rising heat. Why were they looking at me like that? ¡°They did this to me for years!¡± My face felt hot, ¡°What did you expect me to do? Rise above it? Be the bigger person?¡± They said nothing, but their eyes said everything. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t- I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s cathartic for you,¡± Kaesha sighed, ¡°and I won¡¯t say I don¡¯t understand. But I can¡¯t let my magic be used like this.¡± I scoffed, ¡°Aren¡¯t Witches all about keeping a balance? This is just their karma.¡± ¡°That may be so, but I just can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll still be your pack Witch and help out here, but I won¡¯t be using my magic to facilitate things like this, Ava.¡± The judgement in her eyes was gone, and in its place was pity. Overflowing, demeaning pity. ¡°Fine.¡± I sneered. I¡¯d tried my best to keep her out of harm¡¯s way, and hadn¡¯t intended to take her with me to the Lightwood Pack in any case, ¡°I wasn¡¯t gonna ask you to come anyway so if this is what you choose, it changes nothing.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Okay.¡± I spun on my heel and left, stalking out of the dungeon and back to my office. As I reached my office door, my phone rang with a call from Kirstin. ¡°Any news?¡± ¡°Yes, Alpha. The council finished their investigations and have come to a guilty verdict.¡± My heart picked up, and I brought my other hand to steady my phone on my ear, ¡°Have they decided what to do with them?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re going to the Lightwood Pack in three days to arrest Harry, Callum, Kylie and Brittany, along with the groupies that committed crimes with them. Then they¡¯ll disband the pack. They also said that due to the nature, severity and longevity of the crimes, they¡¯re not going to send them any notice of arrest, so they won¡¯t be able to resist or evade capture.¡± I was already behind my computer, my fingers flying over the keyboard as I formulated a message for the Alphas of the previously targeted packs and the Claw Moon Pack. I had three days to carry out my plan. Three days till their demise was taken out of my hands by the authorities. ¡°Um¡­ Alpha?¡± Kirstin called in a small voice. I paused, focusing my attention back on her. She remained silent for a while, and I followed suit, not sure if I was going to like the words that hung in her throat. ¡°Showing mercy is out of the question, right¡­?¡± She said wobbling voice, an entirely redundant question. My voice came out monotonous, unfeeling, and wholly uninterested in entertaining the topic she was trying to broach, ¡°I believe you already know the answer to that, Kirstin.¡± ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± She squeaked. ¡°Then why are you asking?¡± ¡°I-¡± She sniffled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alpha.¡± ¡°Have you made your choice?¡± ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± She hesitated, tremors and tears in her voice, ¡°His tail¡­ Take his tail as your pound of flesh.¡± My cheeks felt tight as my lips widened in a twisted, sour smile, ¡°Good.¡± The call ended. ¡®Nat¡­¡¯ Candy called, full of apprehension. ¡®Yes?¡¯ Whatever she wanted to say, I knew I wasn¡¯t going to like it. ¡®I understand your anger, but don¡¯t you think you should be a bit gentler with Kirstin?¡¯ My anger? Anger was such a small word. Anger was what you felt when someone shoved you on the street. This was rage. This was fury. This was wrath. This was every thread of my existence being radicalized for the sole purpose of raining down fire and brimstone. She probably sensed my personal thoughts, cause she immediately backtracked, ¡®It¡¯s more than just anger, I know. You suffered and you want to make them suffer in return, and that¡¯s completely justified. All I¡¯m saying is that you shouldn¡¯t let anyone else suffer. What Clark did to her was enough¡­¡¯ My thoughts screeched to a halt and returned to that moment in my living room, listening to her story in horror before my fireplace. To listening to how she¡¯d been unable to escape the singular nightmare I¡¯d been saved from. To the way my body had flooded with heat and the fire had swelled in response. She still hadn¡¯t fully recovered. I deflated, my head falling into my arms on the desk. Candy remained silent, satisfied that her message had gotten across. She¡¯d once told me that I needed to be better than them, to which I¡¯d thought that I¡¯d wanted to drag them to hell. And I did, to the pits of it. But as much as I wouldn¡¯t let anyone get in my way, I had no intention of dragging anyone else there. I called for Timothy, and within the next few minutes, he was at my door. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°You called?¡¯ He said as he stepped in. His eyes went to my still red hands clasped on the table, then back to my face, his expression unchanged. ¡°Do you still want to slay the bastards right alongside me?¡± I said, invoking the words he¡¯d said to me when he first joined us. His face was pensive as he rolled the offer in his mind. Then he replied, ¡°I need to see them fall with my own two eyes.¡± I raised a brow, ¡°You just want to see it? Are you telling me that you won¡¯t want to do anything when you see the one responsible for everything terrible that ever happened to you? That you won¡¯t want to strike Clark when you see him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure what actions I¡¯ll want to take when I¡¯m face to face with him.¡± He spoke frankly, ¡°But I do know that fear drove my every action for years and I want to see the object of my fear be brought down.¡± ¡°What about everything they did to you? To the people from your old pack?¡± He lowered himself into a seat, sighing, ¡°I want them to pay for what they did, but now I know it doesn¡¯t have to be me that delivers their punishment.¡± I sat back in my seat, looking at him like he was some sea creature pulled out of the ocean; foreign and entirely alien to me, ¡°What changed?¡± He got a faraway look in his eyes, and his lips quirked in the softest of smiles, ¡°I guess I¡¯m just content now. Fear no longer controls me and I¡¯m not saying any of the things that happened to me was necessary or justified, but I never would¡¯ve met Hailey without it.¡± I blinked at him. ¡°I know the desire for blood ¨C the need to have their heads on a platter. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I still have some of it in me too. So I understand everything you¡¯re doing and I¡¯ll continue with you till the end. But I don¡¯t need it for myself as much as I used to.¡± How could he be content with just watching them suffer? How could he not want to be the one delivering the blow? How could he be happy? I sighed, ¡°Okay¡­ Well, if you want to watch, we¡¯re leaving tomorrow morning. We should get there by evening.¡± He nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll go pack my bags then.¡± Chapter 83 - Soulless Natalia¡¯s P. O. V The burns turned out to be permanent. After a night of my consciousness resting in the back while Candy pranced about the forest, I¡¯d woken bright and early to check on Brittany. I¡¯d found her on the ground, her clothes littered around her in tatters. She¡¯d slinked into a corner when I walked in, every muscle in her body quivering in fear. I smiled. Quicker than she could process, I¡¯d moved to her and injected her with a combination of Wolfsbane and anaesthetics. Her body hadn¡¯t even put up a fight and her eyes had fluttered closed almost instantaneously. I swung the van doors shut with, Brittany, Hannah and James¡¯ chained, unconscious forms inside, and walked around to the passenger seat window, ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to do this.¡± Hailey offered a smile, ¡°I know, but I want to. I want to be there for you after everything¡¯s over, plus I want to make sure Tim doesn¡¯t crash.¡± At that, he shot her a look and she just smiled at him in response. Tim had finally learnt how to drive over the last year, which turned out to be useful, seeing as dragging two unconscious people through airport security would raise more than just eyebrows. I was still going to take a flight, then wait a few hours before they arrived so I could make my entrance first. I¡¯d been surprised to find Hailey waiting for me with Timothy in the truck, given her aversion to my methods. But her decision to stick it out with me gave me a comfort that I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d wanted. ¡°If you¡¯re sure then I¡¯ll see you at the rental.¡± They were off. The drive would take them about eight hours, and the flight would take me under two. I¡¯d been tempted to use Brittany¡¯s phone to set the stage for my arrival. The idea of them assuming that she was bringing me back to them only to be met with an entirely different scenario was enticing, but I took the safer route and instead told them that she and her co-saboteurs were returning after a successfully executed plan. From what I knew, they hadn¡¯t brought any of their targets back except to kill them on the way, so news of my visit wouldn¡¯t be easily justified. On my way out of my wing of the house, Kaesha was waiting for me. ¡°Are you really going to do this?¡± She asked, her arms folded across her chest as she leaned on a wall. ¡°Yes.¡± She said nothing, looking at me with those pitying eyes again. Then she sighed and opened her arms for a hug. I regarded her for a second, before letting myself be embraced. Her arms wrapped around me as she whispered into my hair, ¡°I know you feel like you need to do this right now, but I just don¡¯t want you to feel regret when it¡¯s all over. These things¡­ they eat away at your soul.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I¡¯d be more than fine. ¡°I hope so. But I care about you and I couldn¡¯t live with myself if I never said a thing.¡± ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯m sorry for how I acted yesterday.¡± I mumbled. She released the embrace, holding my arms as she looked at me with a pained smile, ¡°I know you were just being testy about us getting in your way, so I understand.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kaesha.¡± She nodded and stepped aside, letting me go on my path. ¡°Also, you¡¯re in charge while we¡¯re gone.¡± I told her as I passed, to which she chuckled after me. The tension I felt emanated off of me the whole way, which probably didn¡¯t help the humans around me in the summer heat. By the time I reached the rental just an hour away from the Lightwood territory, I¡¯d heard from at least three concerned grandmas about how I should stay out of the sun and five guys about how I should join them in their pools. Kirstin arrived an hour after I did, her face drawn as she walked inside. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for yesterday.¡± I told her abruptly before my hatred for them could prevent me from making my apology. She peered at me, shocked. ¡°I won¡¯t go easy on any of them, but I should have been kinder to you. You¡¯ve already been through enough.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. She eyed me like she suspected my words were a trap, before her expression eased a little, ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡± I nodded and opened my bag to retrieve the necklaces Kaesha had made years ago when we¡¯d gone to visit the first pack. Its magic, which had cloaked us in invisibility and let us move through Werewolf territories undetected, was still effective since she hadn¡¯t dispelled it. She said she wouldn¡¯t continue to use her magic to help, but she said nothing of her magic from the past. I handed one to Kirstin, ¡°This will make us invisible and let us get into the territory without them knowing. It won¡¯t cancel any sounds we make or mask our scents, so we¡¯ll have to move quickly and silently.¡± It had been my plan to ask Kaesha to make something that would at least make us totally undetectable, but that was rendered untenable once she¡¯d rescinded her help. Still, these would do. ¡°Where did you get these?¡± She looked at the necklace curiously. I still hadn¡¯t told her about Kaesha, and didn¡¯t intend to till everything was over, ¡°I bought them from an Enchantress.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even know that was possible¡­¡± She trailed off, turning it over in her hands. I didn¡¯t respond to her musing, moving on, ¡°At this time of the day, Harry and Callum should be in the work house, right?¡± She nodded, ¡°They usually end work around the hours of six to eight, but Callum always stays till well after dark.¡± That gave us a few hours. I spent the next half hour going over our plan of action and possible backups for if the plan went askew. Once we were on the same page, we changed into clothes that were silent and easy to move around in, then headed out. Callum¡¯s P. O. V Every day was bad. Today was worse. I¡¯d walked into the work house to hear members poorly hushed whispering of Brittany and James¡¯ expected return tomorrow. And from the tone of the whispers, they¡¯d finished whatever awful thing they¡¯d set out to do. I¡¯d been kept out of the loop of this particular mission, per Brittany¡¯s fuming insistence, but her absence had given me respite from the problems that her very presence seemed to cause for me. I just felt bad for the Alpha of whichever pack they¡¯d visited. As if news of Brittany¡¯s return wasn¡¯t enough, Harry somehow remembered my existence a couple of hours ago, storming into my office in a flurry of frustrated grunts and groans. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant! Fucking pregnant!¡± He¡¯d repeated some variation of this over and over again as he¡¯d paced my office, till he collapsed into a chair with his head in his hands. This was the first time he¡¯d interacted with me with anything other than mild annoyance. Now he was mute, staring blankly at a wall. I would have suggested that he go be with her, but that seemed to be the last thing he wanted. ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­ Why¡¯s this such a bad thing?¡± He dragged his gaze to me, his eyes gaining focus as he explained, ¡°How the hell am I supposed to be taken seriously when there¡¯s a baby babbling around me? And what if the kid turns out to be fucking gifted cause of Kylie¡¯s family tree? I¡¯m not. What if the kid¡¯s a power-hungry little shit? My rule¡¯s gonna be over before I know it.¡± Disgust bloomed in my gut but my mouth only twitched downwards in what I hoped looked like confusion, ¡°Is that really all?¡± He stared at me, the silence growing more uncomfortable with every blink and shift in my seat. ¡°She¡¯s not my real mate.¡± He whispered, his voice low to keep his words out of the ears of anyone close enough to hear. My eyebrows shot up. The revelation shouldn¡¯t have surprised me. Mates were handpicked by La Luna, the divine ordination giving the pairings a supposed synergy and a sense of peace between them. Harry and Kylie only had rampant lust and frequent fallouts. After years of dating, everyone had simply expected them to turn out to be mates. Just as they¡¯d expected of me and Brittany. In that, we were the same. But over time, the turbulence of their relationship had led everyone, both members of the pack and outsiders, to question the legitimacy of their bond, leading to rumours of them just mating. His rampant skirt chasing didn¡¯t help matters either. But this was him admitting the truth out loud. ¡°Brittany isn¡¯t mine either.¡± I whispered back. His eyes widened, but he said nothing. Neither of us did, letting the unasked question sit between us. Who were our original mates? Had he not been in the same spot, I knew he would have asked me. Forced the information out of me if need be. But he was in the same boat, and I knew the one thing stopping him from asking was the fear that whoever his original mate was turned out to be less ¡®appropriate¡¯ than mine. That was impossible, seeing as mine had been the omega. But if Kylie hadn¡¯t already spilled the beans then he had no way of knowing that. Eventually, he found his way out of my office, mumbling about finding something to clear his head on his way out. He was probably going to his own office to get his fix of aconine. ¡®You¡¯re all messed up.¡¯ Cade snorted at me when he was out. I couldn¡¯t disagree. Since having that epiphany of my role as a powerless marionette whose strings were in the twisted hands of my pack, my already mate-less life here had turned darker. Everywhere I looked only served to prove my cynicism right. This pack was soulless. I returned to my work, my mind briefly considering who could have possibly been Harry¡¯s mate. Harry and Kylie weren¡¯t shy about their bedroom activities, with every breakup, make-up and other event in between marked by wild, loud sex. So, whoever she was had endured listening to it all. My thoughts went to Kirstin, living somewhere away from here. Her room still hadn¡¯t been cleared out. It wasn¡¯t for lack of trying, but whenever someone had tried to, Harry had barked at them, asking if he¡¯d given any such order. On the outside, she¡¯d been flourishing but I¡¯d known her dissatisfaction and I was secretly envious of her disappearance. Her leaving took courage. Courage that I didn¡¯t have. Chapter 84 - Retribution: Terror Natalia¡¯s P. O. V My heart was pounding. With every step that took us to the Lightwood territory, my body revolted. My hands clammed up with sweat and my stomach teetered on nauseousness. By the time we were on the edge of the territory, the most primal part of me wanted to jet off back to my territory, to where I felt safe. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Kirstin asked beside me. I nodded, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s do this.¡± I put my necklace on and she followed suit, our forms fading out of sight. I shoved my fear aside and let my muscle memory lead me. My lungs threatened me with hyperventilation, filling with scents I wanted to scrub from the face of the earth, but I forced my breathing under control, only focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. My steps came to a halt at the edge of the forest. When my eyes fell on the pack house, I nearly burst into flames. ¡®I¡¯ll go on ahead.¡¯ Kirstin¡¯s voice cut through the pandemonium in my head. ¡®Okay¡¯ The grass rustled softly under her feet as she pushed off her toes in a sprint. I could make out the vague shadow of her form as she scaled the side of the building and climbed in through her still open window. All that was left was to wait. I eased myself into a cross legged position on the grass. My unblinking gaze remained trained on the building, my very own house of horrors. Candy stirred in the back of my mind, but said nothing in silent comfort. I¡¯d been hunted for sport in these woods. My blood had been soaked in the soil of these woods. I¡¯d limped my way to freedom in the dead of the night through these woods. It was time to make a new memory in these woods. I waited for half an hour, before I noticed Kirstin¡¯s light treads towards me. ¡®I¡¯m over here.¡¯ I told her, knocking lightly on a tree next to me. She followed the sound, feeling around till her hand brushed mine and she took a seat, ¡®I did as you instructed and waited in my room till Kylie passed. When she did, I grabbed her from the hallway and used my gift to tell her to leave a note saying that she¡¯ll be staying with her parents tonight then to walk beyond the territory in the woods and confess her biggest fear. She should be here soon.¡¯ I nodded, then remembered she couldn¡¯t see me, ¡®Good work, thank you.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s my pleasure.¡¯ Her inner voice dripped in bitterness. ¡®Are you alright?¡¯ This was also the person her mate had rejected her for. She paused, then said truthfully, ¡®I don¡¯t know¡­¡¯ My hand found hers, ¡®Are you sure you don¡¯t want to join me?¡¯ When I¡¯d told her what I had planned for Kylie, she¡¯d declined my invitation for her to join me in the final step, simply content with watching her suffer from the trees. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste energy on her when there¡¯s Clark to deal with.¡± She¡¯d spat, a dark look on her face. ¡®I¡¯m sure.¡¯ ¡®Well, you can always let me know if you change your mind.¡¯ ¡®Okay¡­¡¯ I closed my eyes, feeling Candy¡¯s presence within me. Fostering the connection, I brought myself to a partial shift, my nails lengthening to claws through the gloves I wore. My eyes snapped open when Kylie¡¯s swaying form emerged from the pack house. Her green eyes were blank as she placed one foot in front of the other like a fawn learning to walk. People looked on after her, but no one moved to stop or follow her. She looked the same as I remembered, with the exception that she¡¯d stopped dyeing her hair, so it fell in brown waves down her back. Kirstin and I followed her deep into the woods. Suddenly, she jerked to a halt in the middle of a clearing, out of sight and earshot and off the territory. Away from anyone that could help her. Kirstin took that moment to scruffle up a tree, out of the way. Kylie¡¯s mouth opened in a confession, ¡°The thing I¡¯m most afraid of¡­ is being seen as useless prey.¡± Oh, how ironic. Kylie¡¯s P. O. V I jerked, blinking away the thick haze in my head. The first thing to rush at me were the sounds. The forest around me thrummed with the rustling leaves and scampering critters and I was struck with the feeling that I wasn¡¯t supposed to be here. The last thing I remembered was walking down the hallway on my way out of the pack house to see Harry. When I¡¯d broken the news of my pregnancy after morning sex today, he¡¯d said nothing, planted like a statue as he¡¯d stared at me with empty, shocked eyes. It had taken me actually snapping my fingers in his face to get him to blink. ¡°Well¡­?¡± I trailed off, looking at him with hopeful eyes. His silence unsettled me. With Kirstin gone and Brittany not around to remind him of my slip up with Callum, I thought we¡¯d finally gotten back on track. He was the Alpha and a child meant a legacy, strength to his position. Strength to our position. ¡®Strength to your position, you mean.¡¯ Heather muttered. I paid her no mind. This was good news and I wanted to celebrate with my mate. ¡°We should celebrate.¡± I reached to take his arm, ¡°Let¡¯s think of how to tell-¡± He jerked out of my grasp. I looked up at him, my brows furrowed, ¡°Harry?¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. He simply shook his head, wordlessly throwing his clothes on and near-running out of the room. I stared after the door he¡¯d slammed on his way out, a bad feeling twisting my stomach. I¡¯d tried to catch up with him, but he¡¯d been on his way to the work house before I could even get dressed, leaving me to stew in panic and unease at his reaction. And now I was here, in the middle of the forest, beyond our territory and any point I¡¯d ever reached before. I looked around at the surrounding trees, trying to find some familiarity, ¡°How did I get here¡­?¡± I wondered out loud. The last time I¡¯d felt this disoriented had been from an aconine-induced trip. I hated forests. They crawled with things that I didn¡¯t want anywhere near me and were full of creatures hunting each other down in games of kill or be killed. Finally, I gained my orientation enough to tell which way the territory was. I turned to walk in that direction, only to fly backwards, landing on my ass. It felt like I¡¯d been shoved, but I hadn¡¯t seen anything or anyone move and the wind wasn¡¯t strong enough to send me to the ground like that. I didn¡¯t know what was out there, but I knew that I wasn¡¯t alone in this forest. And I didn¡¯t like it one bit. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± I demanded, scrambling to my feet. Staying down was dangerous. ¡°I¡¯m the Luna of the Lightwood Pack!¡± I warned, my eyes running over every inch of space I could see as I rotated, ¡°If you hurt me, my whole pack will hunt you down!¡± My warning was answered with unsettling silence, the prior critter sounds having either ceased their songs or retreated altogether. Whatever was with me scared them enough to quiet the forest around us, leaving every hair on my body at attention and my gut screaming at me to bolt. I needed to get back to the territory. Carefully, I took another step, ready to break into a run if it meant getting to safety. My foot hadn¡¯t even touched the grass before slicing pain ran across my arm. Hot blood flowed from the slashes and I yelped, taking a step back as my hand went up to hold the bleeding arm. My eyes were darting around again as I circled this way and that. Fear¡¯s icy talons squeezed my heart, making the thing¡¯s beat as erratic as my search for my assailant. ¡°Who are you?! What do you want from me?!¡± I shrieked, cursing the tremble of my voice. My question was answered with pain raging across my back as claws I couldn¡¯t see sliced at me. Startled and scared, I fell forward on my hands and knees, screaming at the new pain. Tears bloomed in my eyes and my heart beat a mile a minute. My legs itched to carry me back to safety, but fear of another attack kept me planted to the ground. Whoever I was with obviously wanted me to stay off the territory and any move I made to get there put me at risk. I was trapped. A sob bubbled in my throat, infusing my words with desperation, ¡°I¡¯m a Luna! You can¡¯t hurt me!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± My head whipped to the direction the voice had come from, but again, I saw nothing but trees and shrubbery. I inspected the scent, finding something that smelled both Werewolf and not. My attacker sounded like a girl. A girl that was toying with me. ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± The air near me moved and the voice whispered, close enough that her breath grazed my ear, ¡°I want your fear.¡± My heart stopped. I lashed out, flailing about where the voice had been, my hands catching nothing but wind instead. This couldn¡¯t be happening, not after everything. I was a Luna, the mate of the Alpha and mother of the future of our pack. That had to mean something. ¡°Please let me go!¡± I sobbed, my hand hovering over my belly, ¡°Please, you can¡¯t do this, I¡¯m pregnant.¡± The voice laughed, her cackle echoing through the trees and sending shivers up my spine. She laughed long and hard, and with every passing second, fear, unadulterated and shrieking, made me shrink back. ¡°I can do this,¡± Her voice was full of glee, ¡°I just have to avoid your stomach.¡± Luna or not, pregnant or not, out here, beyond the reach of anything and anyone that I could possibly hope to protect me, I was powerless. I was vulnerable. I was in danger. A sob ripped out of me. She moved in on me, attacking me from every which way. Try as I might, I could never avoid her slashes or blows or scalding hot jabs. Every time I thought I knew where she was or where she was going to be, she caught me from an entirely different position. I might have had a chance as a wolf, but shifting would cost me my baby and we both knew it. So, over and over again, she picked away at me till I was nothing but a battered, bleeding ball on the forest floor, with only enough strength to hiccup and weep from the pain and fear. ¡°You¡¯re taking all the fun out of this, Kylie.¡± My swollen eyes cracked open at my name, though one was nearly sealed shut from the bruise. She knew my name. I¡¯d thought she was some malevolent spirit feeding off the fear of a lost girl in the woods, or an exceptionally strong rogue, but her knowing my name meant she knew me. Slowly, I braced against the pain and lifted my head. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± I asked, my voice barely coming out in rasps. At first, I saw more of nothing. Then a form suddenly materialised, crouching before me. That face¡­ The same face that I¡¯d instinctively pulled Harry back from dancing with at the Mate Ball for fear that she would whisk him away, ¡°You¡¯re that Alpha¡­¡± She smiled down at me, a dazzling thing that left me quaking, ¡°Well, yes. But that¡¯s not what¡¯s important here.¡± I racked my brain, searching for any instance where I may have seen her before. Coming up short, I shook my head. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t remember, Kylie?¡± She grabbed my chin, her glowing eyes boring into me with a cold, hateful stare, ¡°Take a good look.¡± I was looking into the eyes of a predator. I tried to shake my head, barely moving with her grip on my chin, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t- I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°So, this is how you sleep at night.¡± Her voice was bright with mock epiphany, ¡°This is how you live with yourself after everything you¡¯ve done, after sleeping with that mated man, after killing his mate, after having your daddy cover it up¡­ You just forget.¡± The world went still. I hadn¡¯t thought of the incident in years, scrubbed as it was from my memory like a bad stain. I¡¯d been young and impulsive. It wasn¡¯t my fault, she¡¯d confronted me! Her words blended with the echoes of that woman¡¯s pleas and screams in my head, slowly overpowered by the trill ring in my ears. ¡°No!¡± I wrenched herself from her grip, falling back and crawling backwards, away from her, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it! I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°So you didn¡¯t kill her to keep your mom from finding out and drag her to the forest then lie about being attacked by rogues?¡± She taunted, stalking towards me with every inch I retreated. How did she know? How did she know? I shook my head viciously, eyes wild, not even registering the pain the movement caused, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! I swear!¡± ¡°Yes, you did, Kylie.¡± She stated, inclining her head conspiratorially, ¡°We both know the truth. You killed her just because you could.¡± I snapped, ¡°I had no choice!¡± All I¡¯d wanted was to pass the year, but she just had to go and find out about what I¡¯d done. She would have told my mom, and who knows who else. She would have cost me everything. She had to go. After her mate and son had left the pack, I¡¯d thought my secret was safe and my future secure. But someway, somehow, here it was, ready to punish me years later. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I whimpered, tears and snot pouring in rivulets down my face anew, stinging my wounds, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for sleeping with a mated man, I¡¯m sorry for killing his mate, I¡¯m sorry for covering it up. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not why I¡¯m doing this to you, Kylie.¡± She said, prowling closer and closer. ¡°Then why?¡± I wailed, my voice hoarse, ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± ¡°Because I promised I¡¯d destroy you, Kylie. I can¡¯t break a promise to my bestie, can I?¡± She cocked her head, ¡°Well, ex-bestie anyway, before you joined everyone else to make my life hell.¡± No. I shook my head. She should be dead. I needed to run. I couldn¡¯t move an inch without pain and my head was light from blood loss and paralyzing fright, but I knew in my bones that I needed to put as much distance as physically possible between me and her. She must have seen my thoughts written on my face because she smirked. ¡°Yes, Luna.¡± She said, practically purring, ¡°You should run.¡± Chapter 85 - Cross The Line Natalia¡¯s P. O. V She didn¡¯t get far. Everything I¡¯d done to her up until this point would heal. But I couldn¡¯t go through all this trouble and not leave her something to remember me by. So I turned up the heat on one hand and gloved the other so I could smear Wolvesbane on her from the pouch I¡¯d brought. I¡¯d planned to force it into her mouth, have it sear her lying tongue before allowing her to spit it back out, but ingesting even an ounce would likely kill the baby that prevented her shifting to escape me. And it was so much more fun this way. So, I settled for using it to decorate her body, then compounding the wounds with fire. I toyed with her, revelling in every terrified glance she gave at the slightest sound. Her screams and cries were piercing melodies to the performance of the pain I inflicted. She was scampering away on all fours, looking behind and around her for any sign of me, when she finally succumbed to the agony and passed out in a heap on the forest floor. I stood over her and soon after, Kirstin joined me. Her mouth was drawn in a tight line as she stared down at Kylie¡¯s prone form, arms crossed. ¡°She¡¯s carrying my mate¡¯s baby¡­¡± She said, her voice empty. I couldn¡¯t see myself being this shaken if I were to find out Brittany and Callum were expecting. They weren¡¯t worth the heartbreak and neither was Harry. But she was obviously affected so I did my best to understand. I sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Frankly, I was surprised they hadn¡¯t already popped a few of their spawn out. She shook her head, holding back the tears that glossed her eyes, ¡°It is what it is. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± After that, she said nothing and silence reigned on our way back. As we drew closer to the rental, I put the necklace on Kylie¡¯s unconscious form and did my best to look natural while dragging her body through the streets. We returned to see Hailey and Timothy pulling up to the driveway. ¡°Hey, Ari.¡± Hailey greeted, hopping down from the van, ¡°Hi Kirstin, how¡¯ve you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been okay. Just¡­ looking forward to this all being over.¡± She replied, shifting her weight. Hailey¡¯s expression softened, and she offered a hug that Kirstin took, ¡°It¡¯ll all be over soon, just be a couple more days.¡± Kirstin sniffled and nodded into her shoulder. I guess that¡¯s how you properly comforted someone. Timothy walked over to me as the two of them went inside. ¡°Who¡¯ve you got there?¡± He jutted his chin at the hand that was holding Kylie, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you kidnapped another person.¡± I gave him a toothy grin, ¡°Another? The first three were on my territory. It doesn¡¯t count if they came to me.¡± He shook his head, ¡°You tortured someone again.¡± I looked off to the side, suddenly interested in the van¡¯s detailing. It had a nice light blue finish, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, we just played in the forest a bit.¡± He raised a brow, folding his arms, ¡°Oh yeah? What kind of game did you play?¡± ¡°Tag. She wasn¡¯t very good at it.¡± He almost chuckled, but caught himself and looked at the van, ¡°Good thing there¡¯s room for one more.¡± He helped me deposit her with the others. Since we couldn¡¯t rely on Wolvesbane to keep her down, we upped the drug dosage and secured her to the van. ¡°Isn¡¯t this their Luna?¡± He asked when I took the necklace off her, ¡°Are you sure they won¡¯t be looking for her?¡± I shook my head, ¡°No, they have separate houses for the actual families and the young adults. We had her leave a note saying that she¡¯ll be staying with her family tonight. Plus, I doubt my dear brother is gonna want to see her for a while, considering the fact that she¡¯s expecting and he has all the makings of a deadbeat dad.¡± He glanced at her. A few of her wounds had started healing but she still looked like she¡¯d experienced hell. Like she¡¯d experienced me. ¡°You knew she was pregnant and you still did all this to her?¡± I shrugged, ¡°I did leave her belly alone.¡± ¡°Remind me to never get on your hit list.¡± He muttered, swinging the van doors closed. We returned to the smell of food, Hailey whipping something up while Kirstin kept her company. When we walked in, Hailey glanced at me, everything she wanted to say written all over her face, but she sighed and remained mute on the topic. ¡°What¡¯s the plan for tomorrow?¡± Timothy asked, planting a kiss on Hailey¡¯s cheek as he passed her to go sit at the kitchen island. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯m going to challenge Harry.¡± The three of them shared looks. Challenging an Alpha hadn¡¯t been common practice for years. There were different scenarios for challenges. The first and most common was a member of the pack, Alpha or Beta born, challenging the acting Alpha for control of the pack. The loser would be kicked out and either roam the world as a lone wolf, rogue or become a member of another pack. The second was the Alpha of one pack challenging that of another. The losing pack would be absorbed into the winning one and the losing Alpha would be expelled. The third was challenging for resources like land, food, shelter or what have you. In this case, the losing pack would have to give up whatever the winning one demanded, even if it was their entire territory. The final one was a challenge for honour. This happened if a member of one pack harmed a member from another. Depending on the relationship of the two packs and the severity of the damage done, the situation could escalate to a full challenge where the Alphas of both fought on behalf of their members. If the wronged pack lost, they would take the loss on the cheek, but if the wrongdoers lost, then the wronged member had the right to demand any punishment for the one that wronged them. Stolen story; please report. No matter the challenge type, for it to be considered valid, the Alpha of another pack, unallied to either one, had to be present. ¡°The Lightwood Pack is a big one. Any pack we call to officiate could still say it was in their favour. All the Alphas we know are allied with us.¡± Timothy said. I smiled, ¡°Not all.¡± They shared another confused look, then Hailey had a lightbulb moment, ¡°The Claw Moon Pack.¡± I nodded. We¡¯d agreed to keep our alliance unofficial, to prevent the Lightwood Pack from being too cautious to target us due to their backing. And now, the unofficial nature of our allegiance meant that the Alpha of the second largest pack in the country would watch Harry lose to a female Alpha. But I hadn¡¯t stopped there. ¡°I invited him and all the Alphas whose packs were once victims of the Lightwood pack.¡± I told them. The rules said nothing about prohibiting inviting other Alphas to watch ¨C allies or not. Before a crowd of our peers in rank, Harry would lose, and have his tail taken from him. ¡°So, when are they arriving?¡± Kirstin asked, ¡°We¡¯ve only got two days left before the Royals come to arrest them.¡± ¡°Tomorrow morning. They¡¯ll all be there before noon. But I¡¯ll need help with something first.¡± Hailey¡¯s P. O. V I stirred the pot of sauce I was making, one ear on Ari¡¯s voice as she narrated the details of her plan. The rest of my attention was on my thoughts and the feelings of unsettlement twisting in my stomach. By the time the food was ready, the plan had already been laid out and Kirstin and Tim had their roles down pat. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should come.¡± Ari said abruptly between bites. I blinked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you should come tomorrow, Hailey.¡± She repeated. ¡°What? Why?¡± Kirstin glanced between the two of us, while Tim placed a hand on my thigh under the table, his focus seemingly still on his food as he let the conversation play out. Ari dropped her fork. Her mouth opened, then closed and opened again, the words buffering in her mind. ¡°Clark is going to die tomorrow.¡± She said finally. ¡°Yes, I know. Why does that mean I shouldn¡¯t come?¡± She¡¯d said this a few times, that at the end of this journey, the man who¡¯d done the most damage to her would pay for it with his life. Part of me still hoped she wouldn¡¯t go through with it, that she¡¯d stop before crossing the line of murder, but I highly doubted it. If the torture of a pregnant woman was on the table, why wouldn¡¯t murder be? ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to have to fight you to do it.¡± I gaped at her, my brows twisted in confusion, ¡°Why do you think I¡¯ll stop you?¡± She looked around at the others, ¡°Everyone here has a personal reason to want him dead. He¡¯s responsible for the death of some of Timothy¡¯s old pack, he abused me my entire life, and I can¡¯t even speak on the things he did to Kirstin.¡± Kirstin¡¯s eyes went glassy and Tim looked away, lowering his fork. ¡°But you¡¯ve never been personally affected by him.¡± She continued, her eyes landing on me, ¡°And he¡¯s the father you never knew growing up. I know you hate what he¡¯s done, but I don¡¯t think you hate him. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll react the moment you come face to face with the man you¡¯ve wondered about your entire life, knowing he¡¯s about to die. And even if you don¡¯t try to stop me, I don¡¯t want you to meet your father just for him to die the same day.¡± I got up, pushing my seat back and slamming my hands on the table. Kirstin started at the sound, jerked back to the present, while Tim looked up at me with concern. ¡°How could you say that?¡± I demanded, tears prickling at my eyes. ¡°From the moment we met, I¡¯ve been on your side and now you¡¯re saying you think I¡¯ll go against you for a monster that¡¯s hurt two of the people I love the most and countless others? Just because I came from him?¡± Ari took a breath, ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that I won¡¯t hold it against you if you feel some attachment.¡± ¡°Some attachment?¡± I scoffed, incredulous. ¡°I¡¯m trying to make this easy on you, Hailey.¡± ¡°Easy on me?¡± I pointed in the general direction of where the van full of her hostages was parked, ¡°There are four unconscious people in a van out there. One of them is pregnant and another is my half-sister, but you didn¡¯t care about making things easy on me when you decided to maim and torture them!¡± The dining room was suddenly sweltering and beads of sweat gathered on my forehead. Kirstin started fanning herself with her hand while Tim pulled at the neck of his shirt. Besides the spike in temperature, nothing else betrayed what was going on in her head. She simply looked at me with cool eyes, ¡°If that¡¯s how you feel, then I can book your return flight for tonight. You don¡¯t have to be here.¡± I threw my hands up in a scream, the sound harsh with frustration, ¡°Are you listening to yourself?¡± Her eyes narrowed, ¡°Are you?¡± My mouth fell open. Was she really looking at me like that? I shook my head and stormed off to my room, slamming the door behind me and throwing myself on the bed. Alone in my room, my hurt was quickly joined by pangs of guilt. I would never betray Ari, I knew that. But, while it was the biggest driving factor, my joining her today had to do with more than just being there for her. I wanted to sate my curiosity. I¡¯d spent years asking my mom the truth behind Keily¡¯s and my conception, only to be met with elusive drunken ramblings and angry blockades. After a night of thinking, I¡¯d realised that Clark was the only other person that knew the truth. With the state Ari was in, I feared admitting this to her would only sound like I wanted him alive, which wasn¡¯t the case. After all the pain he¡¯d caused, I was in no way attached to the continuation of his breathing. My only real qualm with his death was that Ari would be the one to cause it, and I feared what murder would do to her. But none of that changed the fact that he had answers. Answers I¡¯d wanted my whole life. From the dining room, I heard the resumed clanking of silverware on plates and Tim getting up. A minute later he was in the room. ¡°Sunshine¡­¡± He said softly, clicking the door closed behind him, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I propped myself up on my arms to look at him, gesturing to the living room in jerked waves of my arm, ¡°How could she not want me here?¡± He came to sit on the bed, placing a hand on my back, ¡°Do you really think she doesn¡¯t want you here?¡± ¡°You heard what she said.¡± I was blinking back tears, then decided to just close my eyes and bury my face back in the bed. He sighed, his hand moving up and down my back in calming strokes, ¡°You know that¡¯s not what she means.¡± ¡°Then what does she mean?¡± I asked into the bed, my words barely sounding like words. ¡°She just doesn¡¯t want to have to fight you when the time comes.¡± ¡°Why would she think she¡¯d have to?¡± I raised my head, ¡°I¡¯ve been with her through all of this. I could never take his side and betray her like that. Or you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she knows you¡¯d never choose him, but maybe she doesn¡¯t want you to have to make the choice at all.¡± I stayed quiet. He paused, his hand moving in small circles on my back. Then he spoke, ¡°Do you know she made Kirstin choose what she¡¯d do to Harry?¡± I rolled over to look at him, ¡°No¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know too much about Kirstin¡¯s situation, but I knew that she and my half-brother were apparently meant to be mates, and I knew he¡¯d rejected her for someone named Kylie, who was now pregnant and chained up in the van. His rejection was the whole reason she was helping Ari, but I could only imagine how Kirstin felt, knowing what Ari was going to do to him. ¡°She tried asking Ari if showing mercy was an option and she immediately shut the idea down. She did apologise this morning, but she¡¯s still gonna do what she¡¯s gonna do.¡± He took my hand, ¡°She was able to force Kirstin to choose but she doesn¡¯t want to do that to you. To you, she¡¯s the little sister you love and adore, but to them, she¡¯s ruthless and bloodthirsty. You¡¯re the only family she has, and I think she just wants you to maintain that image of her.¡± I stared up at the ceiling, turning his words over in my head. The person I¡¯d seen the past few days felt like an entirely different being from the Ari I knew and loved. Sure, there¡¯d been instances in the past when her intensity had scared me a bit, but seeing her like this was chilling. Was this the real her? Or was this just who she was when it came to them? ¡®Does it really matter?¡¯ Opelene asked, ¡®She¡¯s still the same person, this is just a different side of her. You came here cause at the end of the day, you love her and want to be there for her.¡¯ She was right. I¡¯d seen enough tales of revenge to know that, more often than not, it left you feeling empty and unfulfilled. If that was what waited for her at the end of the line, then I wanted to be there with her. That was the whole reason I was here. Or at least, the main one. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go talk to her.¡± I rolled over to give Tim a kiss, then left to find Ari. Chapter 86 - Return Natalia¡¯s P. O. V ¡®Why did you say that to her?¡¯ Candy sighed in my head. ¡®I¡¯m just trying to protect her.¡¯ I scrubbed at the dish in my hand with a little too much force and the water from the sink splashed all over my shirt. I groaned, stepping back with my dripping hands in the air as I looked down at my damp clothes. After a few muttered curses, I returned my hands to the sink and finished up, placing the last of the dishes in the drying rack then wiping my hands off with a towel. Candy waited till I was back in my room before continuing softly, ¡®You know you can protect her without pushing her away.¡¯ Could I really? The thought of Hailey being harmed had been one of my biggest fears. If it came to it, I¡¯d abandon the entire plan for the sake of keeping her safe. On the nights when nightmares of my failure plagued my sleep and I woke to the sick fears of what they¡¯d do to my dear sister because of me, I knew I¡¯d burn the world down if it meant keeping her out of harm¡¯s way. But of all the things I¡¯d feared losing my sister to, myself hadn¡¯t been one of them. Seeing her horror at my actions weighed on me more than I would have liked. And short of leaving things in the hands of the Royals when the Lightwoods were arrested, I could think of no other way to protect her from this side of me that didn¡¯t involve pushing her away. ¡®As long as she¡¯s safe, I won¡¯t stop what I¡¯m doing,¡¯ I admitted, looking down at my hands, ¡®but I don¡¯t want her to think I¡¯m the monster after everything.¡¯ ¡®You could stop.¡¯ She said in a rush of words, ¡®Leave this to the Royals. They¡¯ll be here in two days and the Lightwood Pack has no clue. Drop Brittany and the others off somewhere in the forest and let the authorities take care of them. It¡¯s not too late-¡¯ Heat thrashed about inside me, seeping through my pores and singeing my clothes. I closed my eyes, sure that anything I even looked at would burst into flames. The thought of leaving Harry, leaving Callum, leaving Clark to be dealt with by anyone but me, in any way but how I deemed fit¡­ If that happened, what would be the point? How could I let the hell I went through and the years of preparation since escaping amount to a simple arrest and disbandment? ¡°I,¡± I declared through clenched teeth, ¡°will be the one to punish them. Their arrest will be nothing more than the nail in the coffin I will put them in.¡± She said nothing, slinking back in my mind. A knock sounded at the door, pulling me from my anger. My temperature dropped at the distraction and I went to open the door, finding Hailey standing there. ¡°Hey¡­¡± The single word was full of concern, having obviously heard, and likely felt, my earlier mood. ¡°Hi.¡± Her eyes went down to the burn marks on my no longer damp shirt then back to my face, ¡°Can I come in?¡± I stepped aside, letting her into the still tepid room. I watched a sweat drop roll down the back of her neck and disappear under her tank top before she turned to face me. She got straight to the point, ¡°I don¡¯t agree with the lengths you¡¯re going to. You burned half the face off our half-sister, hunted and maimed a pregnant woman, you plan to take the tail of our half-brother and kill our dad. And who knows what you¡¯re gonna do to your former mate¡­¡± She sighed, taking my hands with a wince that told me they were still hot, ¡°But I¡¯m not you. I can¡¯t even fathom what they must have put you through, how you must have felt.¡± Her eyes searched mine, ¡°I understand. I understand and I love you. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here and that¡¯s why I¡¯m not going anywhere till you come out of this on the other side.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t scared of me?¡± The question slipped out of me before I could catch it. Silence passed and I bristled, bracing myself for the impact of her words. ¡°A little.¡± She admitted, and I inhaled sharply, starting to pull away, but her grip tightened, ¡°But more than that, I¡¯m scared for you. I¡¯m scared of what doing this could do to you. I¡¯m scared that doing this opens the gates for more things down the line and that you might not like who you become.¡± ¡°This ends with them.¡± I told her, earnest and hoping to assuage her fears, ¡°Once I¡¯ve made them pay and know they can¡¯t hurt anyone else ever again, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I know I¡¯ll be. She gave me a small smile and pulled me into a hug, stroking my hair, ¡°I hope so. But I¡¯ll still be here if you aren¡¯t. So, no more pushing me away, okay?¡± I felt myself relax, the last of my tension and heat dissipating in her hug. I wrapped my arms around her and nodded into her sweaty shoulder, letting out a small, muffled, ¡°Okay.¡± I didn¡¯t know how long we remained in the hug, relishing in the small relief that I hadn¡¯t lost my sister to my quest. When we finally let go, she spent the next few hours with me, talking about anything but this. I found it was a nice reprieve from the intensity of the last few days. By the time we were bidding each other goodnight, I felt stable, secure, and ready for the next part of my plan. I closed my door behind her and returned to bed, determined to catch the few hours left of sleep before dawn. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I rose before the sun, my body buzzing with tension and energy, despite the insufficient sleep. After showering, I paced my room for what seemed like ages till it was time for the others to wake, feeling like a caged animal as I prowled the four walls. After they woke and were ready to leave, I stood at the window of the driver seat of the van, with Timothy and Hailey in the driver and passenger seats. ¡°You know what to do, right?¡± They nodded, faces drawn and grim. Hailey leaned over to touch my hand that rested on the window. ¡°Be careful, okay? I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± Someone would get hurt, just not me. I gave her a smile, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± I walked around to the back. The doors were cracked open, a grim Kirstin looking into the space with the still unconscious... victims? Captives? Hostages? Whatever they were, the effects of going three days without a bathroom were beginning to show, the smell of days of grime making my nose wrinkle. They were still out cold, but the drugs wouldn¡¯t last for more than another hour or two. ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt him too much.¡± Kirstin blurted out, closing the van doors and turning to me. I cocked my head, peering at her with a measured gaze. She looked like she¡¯d barely gotten a wink of sleep. Her eyes were haunted, with shadows of pain beneath them, and her face was taut with unsettlement. To say that her attachment to Harry didn¡¯t concern me would be a lie. For someone that sought me out for revenge, she was disturbingly concerned for his wellbeing, even after having accepted his rejection. ¡°Why do you still love him?¡± I asked, finding myself genuinely curious. She stalled and looked at the concrete, a look of shame crossing her face, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I know I shouldn¡¯t, but I don¡¯t know how to stop.¡± It was that inability to stop loving him that made her the most unpredictable piece in my puzzle. Harry¡¯s rejection had driven her to me, but I knew in my bones that if he asked her to be with him right this moment, she¡¯d accept him in a heartbeat, and possibly turn me over in the process. Yes, the final act of my plot had begun, but her betrayal could, at best, help them evade capture, and at worst, put me or the others in danger. The idea of leaving her behind turned over in my head. I¡¯d assigned her a role for today¡¯s plan, but I still had Tim and Hailey, so her presence wasn¡¯t necessary for this last part. Before her flee from the pack, I hadn¡¯t even intended to take her along for the final act. Her being here today all came down to one thing. ¡°Is your hatred for Clark greater than your love for Harry?¡± She froze, and for a second, I saw the war raging in her head through her eyes. Then she replied, ¡°Harry hasn¡¯t given me any reason to love him, but I have reasons to despise him.¡± I nodded slowly. As long as that held true, then I supposed I could risk her presence. ¡°The challenge will go however it¡¯s going to go.¡± I told her, ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure what will happen. But I won¡¯t hit him when he¡¯s already down. Or at least, I¡¯ll try not to.¡± She nodded curtly, sombre but accepting. After that conversation, they departed with their objectives on hand, taking the longer road to their destination. I watched them drive away, till they were beyond my sight, then turned to the forest with a deep sigh. My unease and fears swirled in my mind as I trudged on, numbly placing one foot in front of the other in a run. Before stepping onto the territory, I donned the necklace and slowed my steps so my footfalls were reduced to near silence. Watching the buildings that had been my prison for nearly sixteen years from the treeline yesterday had been one thing, but approaching them was entirely different. The primal fear they¡¯d drilled into me threatened to hold me in place, but the sheer force of my loathing propelled me forward. I walked around the side of the pack house and in through the kitchen door. Looking around, it was a moderate mess. This had been where I¡¯d spent most of my time outside of school, slaving over the stove to feed hundreds of despicable, ungrateful mouths. The appliances weren¡¯t exactly dirty, but they definitely hadn¡¯t been cleaned after each use, and the stoves had several small splatters that the new omega had overlooked for whatever reason. Some of pots and pans were strewn about, hastily rinsed off but not washed. I left the kitchen, passing the dining room. On my way, I dragged my finger along the table I¡¯d never been allowed to sit at and, quickly and silently, made my way up to the attic. I winced at the creaking of the door and slipped inside through the small gap. It was untouched. Dust had settled heavily over every surface, only slightly less on the loose floorboard Kirstin had used to hide the evidence. The thin mattress was in the corner, with the blanket laid haphazardly in the same position I¡¯d left it. I walked over to the cracked mirror, misty and hazy from lack of cleaning. The reflection that stared back at me was worlds away from the one I¡¯d seen in the mirror the morning of my escape. She¡¯d been a bony shell of a girl, with nothing but fear and helpless hatred for her tormentors, living for nothing but the hope of a mate and the memories of a mother she¡¯d lost. The girl that looked back at me now was worlds away from that. I spared one last look around where I¡¯d once laid my head and nursed my wounds, then slipped back out. The house was coming to life with its waking members, so I dodged opening doors as I returned to the ground floor. I found a seat near the front door and took my place there, waiting silent and unseen. Nearly an hour passed, and the house filled with movement and sound. The omega was the first to descend the steps, a pixie of a girl too hurried to notice anything but the breakfast she needed to start making as she made a beeline for the kitchen. The rest were groggy, sleepy-eyed teens and young adults who mostly congregated in one of the common rooms. A few cast puzzled looks in my direction, but ultimately decided to trust their eyes more than their noses and went on their way when they saw nothing amiss. I smelled them before I saw them, and my ears tuned in on their conversation as they descended. ¡°Maybe she won¡¯t have it.¡± Harry said, not bothering to hide the hope in his voice. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Came Callum¡¯s distracted reply. As soon as they came into view of the entrance, Callum stopped dead in his tracks, making Harry pause to look at him. ¡°Did you forget something?¡± Harry asked, throwing him a puzzled look. Callum remained mute, his eyes trained on where I sat and his brows turned up in puzzlement. I ignored Candy¡¯s whines and mewls in my head and the heat that rose to my skin. This was it. Harry followed his gaze then looked back at him, ¡°Are you good?¡± Callum finally looked at him, blinking slowly, ¡°Yeah- sorry. I don¡¯t know why I stopped.¡± I brought my hands to my neck, removing the necklace and pocketing it in one motion. Now visible, Callum¡¯s eyes snapped back to me, going wide. Harry followed his gaze again, and joined him in a shocked expression. I crossed my legs and cocked my head with the sweetest grin I could muster, ¡°Good morning.¡± Chapter 87 - Setup Natalia¡¯s P. O. V They gaped at me for several seconds, frozen in place. Slow realisation bled into Harry¡¯s face while Callum¡¯s was struck with cautious, unsure recognition. ¡°Ari¡­¡± Harry said, drawing my name out slowly with caution. I inclined my head and matched his tone with mock exaggeration, ¡°Harry¡­¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He tried to keep his voice light, but we could all hear the underlying tension. By now, other members had noticed my sudden presence and were approaching us with confusion and curiosity. I didn¡¯t miss the few mesmerised looks my allure garnered, but my attention remained on my uneasy targets before me. ¡°Oh, I just thought I¡¯d stop by.¡± I waved nonchalantly, like my very presence didn¡¯t hold the implications it did. He took a few steps forward, and Callum remained planted in place, ¡°It isn¡¯t very appropriate to just drop by like that. We¡¯re allies, you could have placed a visit request.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re allies?¡± I gave him a puzzled look and got to my feet, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s cause I¡¯m a new Alpha so maybe I just don¡¯t know, but you haven¡¯t acted like an ally at all.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± His tone was insufferably placating, ¡°We just had two members pay you a visit.¡± I clasped my hands together, ¡°Oh, yes, the visit. That was a bit of nasty work. I have to say, this pack plays dirty, but then again, I guess you¡¯ve always been like this. Good thing I dealt with the problem.¡± At that, cracks in his ruse began to form, ¡°Where are our envoys?¡± He demanded, his hands in fists and the air tense with his poorly veiled apprehension. ¡°I don¡¯t think I know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± I parroted. ¡°Brittany and James¡­¡± He was anxious now, the caution for his sister¡¯s sake holding back his obvious desire to resolve the problem before him with violence, ¡°My sister and the Gamma, where are they?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re forgetting one person, unless Hannah just wandered all the way to my territory without your knowledge.¡± The reveal of my knowledge shut him up and eroded what remained of his earlier pretence. His eyes followed me like a hawk, watching my every step as I moved to a table and picked up one of the little knickknacks that decorated the entrance area. I turned the small, chipped ceramic figure over in my hands, ignoring his loaded glares, Callum¡¯s ghostly gape, and the curious stares of the gathering members. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re here, by the way.¡± I said lightly, not bothering to look at him, ¡°Just¡­ out of commission for the time being.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± His voice was low with threats. This time I looked at him and smiled, ¡°Nothing they didn¡¯t deserve.¡± His temper beat out his caution, and he rushed at me. The next instant stretched out to an eternity. He charged at me, face twisted in fury and claws outstretched in a half-shift. Callum snapped out of his daze, springing into action to catch Harry¡¯s arm. All the while, the thrumming heat under my skin rose to an inferno and pooled under my palms, one hand reflexively raised to hurt him before he could me. Callum stopped Harry before he could reach me, managing to hold him back with a strength he shouldn¡¯t have had, ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡± Harry whipped around, still full of violence, ¡°I swear to Luna, Callum! What the fuck is wrong with you? You¡¯d better have a fucking good reason for this!¡± Callum didn¡¯t pay him any mind, and instead looked at me with eyes brimmed with tears, ¡°You didn¡¯t die¡­¡± I lowered my hands and stood upright, giving him a sour look to match the sneer of my voice, ¡°Way to jump the gun, Callum.¡± Harry looked back and forth between the two of us in mounting anger and confusion, ¡°What the fuck are you two talking about? Callum, are you working with this bitch?¡± He wrenched his arm out of Callum¡¯s grip, rounding on him with suspicious eyes, ¡°You¡¯ve been on thin ice for months, I should have stripped you of your title when you started moping about two years ago, and your cheating only made it worse.¡± Callum met his gaze and his face contorted with sudden, explosive anger, ¡°Like you¡¯re one to fucking talk! You¡¯ve cheated with almost every girl who¡¯s even spared you a glance but you¡¯re judging me for a stupid drunken kiss I already regret? I wish Kylie were here so she could find out how her inept Alpha mate is pack property. And let¡¯s not even get started on your dear sister and her fucking harem! I mean, who has a whole ass harem for fuck¡¯s sake?!¡± Harry gaped at him in shock which was quickly overtaken by ire at such open disrespect, ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to? You might be the Beta but-¡± ¡°Keep your fucking title!¡± Callum spat, ¡°Kirstin had the right idea, I¡¯m leaving this goddamn pack. And I hope whoever was lucky enough to get rejected by you for fucking Kylie leaves too!¡± Harry looked like he¡¯d been doused with ice, his face frozen with what looked suspiciously like remorse. I wondered if seeing that look on his face would change anything for Kirstin. The members around us started chattering at the revelation that Harry and Kylie were not, in fact, meant for each other. And speculations of their original mates soon surfaced among them. Callum didn¡¯t seem to know who his true mate was, but I had no idea if Kirstin wanted that little tidbit known so I kept my mouth shut. Harry recovered soon enough, and shot Callum a venomous look, ¡°Go then, and make sure you take your real mate with you before I get my hands on her.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. At that, Callum¡¯s attention immediately returned to me, with that stupid hopeful look on his face. He didn¡¯t approach, didn¡¯t even utter a word, lest I fly away like a startled butterfly. Harry eventually followed his gaze, turning to me with knitted brows as he slowly pieced together the puzzle before him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± He trailed off, looking at me with new eyes. Then he turned back to Callum, incredulous, ¡°That¡¯s your mate?¡± The very insinuation of being mated to Callum filled me with fire and disgust, but I smothered my urge to deny it, and instead shifted the topic, ¡°That¡¯s not what matters right now, is it Harry?¡± His face went dark, ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I won¡¯t ask you again, why are you here and what have you done with my sister?¡± I extended the hand still holding the figure and unceremoniously dropped it, letting the shattered shards fill the floor between us. Before he could look up from the ground in his shock, I stated evenly, ¡°I¡¯m here to challenge you.¡± Harry¡¯s P. O. V I looked at her, the incredulity of it all leaving my mouth agape. My sister, bitch as she was, was in the clutches of this nobody of an Alpha, all so she could challenge me? I burst out laughing, my entire body shaking as my relief and amusement spilled out of me. I¡¯d been worried that she wanted to use Brittany to blackmail us, to force our hand in some way. I¡¯d dreaded the tongue lashing I¡¯d get from dad, because even though the plan for sabotaging her pack had been his prerogative and Brittany¡¯s design, the failure of that plan would still be my fault somehow. I¡¯d thought of how her, and later Callum¡¯s, blatant disregard of who I was would reflect in the other members attitudes going forward. But all I had to do to circumvent all that was just beat her in a challenge? With Brittany and James, she could have approached us any number of ways but instead chose this? Who even challenged anyone anymore anyway? It was funny how stupid she was. ¡°On what grounds?¡± I asked her, wondering what ridiculous excuse she¡¯d come up with. ¡°Honour.¡± I laughed again, ¡°You can¡¯t be fucking serious. That¡¯s the lie you¡¯re going with? None of my members have ever done anything to yours.¡± She couldn¡¯t possibly be challenging me over whatever Brittany and James may have done, not when she already had them Luna-knows-where. If anything, we should be the ones challenging her over our missing members. She didn¡¯t budge, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think you know, this is a challenge of honour. You can accept it, or I can find some other way to right this wrong.¡± Was this bitch threatening me? ¡°I accept your damn challenge.¡± I ground out. I¡¯d just get one of the packs vying for our allegiance to oversee it and spread the word of how I absolutely dominated her. She gave me another one of her blood-boiling smiles, ¡°Great. Let¡¯s go.¡± She told me then turned for the door. My brows furrowed in annoyance, ¡°What are you talking about? Are you so new that you don¡¯t even know that we need another Alpha to oversee the challenge? And it can¡¯t be one of your puny allies.¡± She looked back at me, ¡°I know, I brought one already.¡± Her expression shifted to mock concern, ¡°Or is this too soon for you?¡± My eyes narrowed at her insinuation, ¡°No.¡± Whoever she brought didn¡¯t matter, she was still going to lose and once we got our members back from her, there¡¯d be hell to pay. I pushed past her with a grunt and stalked over to the training grounds. We rarely used it, but it would serve for this sham of a challenge. I could barely hear her footfalls, but was acutely aware of her trailing behind me, Callum behind her, and the curious members from the house several paces behind him. Closer to the grounds, I saw Beta Howling at the entrance, speaking to someone beyond the door with barely contained exasperation and panic. When he noticed me, he hurriedly excused himself and jogged over to me. ¡°Harry, where have you been?¡± He near-demanded, then looked behind me and at Ari, ¡°Who is she?¡± I pushed aside my annoyance at his omission of my title, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I¡®d heard his voice requesting for me in my head some minutes ago, but had ignored it for the problem in front of me, thinking it due to my absence from the work house. ¡°We have a situation. Some Alphas just walked onto our territory and are refusing to leave. They said they¡¯re waiting for you.¡± Some? I glanced back at Ari, and she met my eyes with a cool gaze. I turned back to him, ¡°This Alpha is a recent ally of ours. She¡¯s unpleased about something and has come to challenge me.¡± Beta Howling had been running point with Brittany on her mission, and got the hint immediately, ¡°I see. Then that must be why Alpha Claw is here.¡± My eyes widened, ¡°Alpha Aaron Claw?¡± Of the Claw mood Pack? He nodded. I turned back to her again, this time finding her looking at me with expectant eyes. Something in me told me to be careful, but when her lip quirked up in a smirk, my irritation flared and burned away any echo of caution. ¡®Let¡¯s teach this bitch not to mess with us.¡¯ Tay growled in my head. ¡°Have the preparations made for a challenge.¡± I ordered. Several members sprung into action. Beta Howling opened his mouth to interject, but I shot him a glare that shut him up and sent him off. One of the members guided her around to one of the opponent locker rooms, while I marched off to the other. Alpha Aaron Claw, head of the Claw Moon Pack, the second largest and most influential pack in existence. He¡¯d brushed our alliance requests aside and dodged conversation with dad whenever he tried to connect in the Palace. How that bitch had managed to get him to officiate this sham of a challenge, I had no idea, but it didn¡¯t matter. He was here, in the flesh and on our territory. My easy win would leave a good impression before I went to greet him after the challenge was over. He¡¯d admire my strength and we¡¯d talk. I¡¯d be able to do what my dad couldn¡¯t and forge an alliance. In my locker room, I perused the selection of weapons before me. I questioned if I even needed them to achieve the complete victory I was certain of, but picked the pair of knuckle dusters anyway. I could hear the chatter of voices grow, as members from all over the pack, drawn by the fast-spread news of the situation, gathered in the seats. A voice called out, quieting the crowd instantly, and its power told me it belonged to Alpha Claw. ¡°Lightwood Pack.¡± He addressed us, ¡°Pardon our intrusion. This is a most unusual visit, I¡¯m sure, but today¡¯s case is just as unusual. What is about to take place today is a challenge of honour between Alpha Ari of the Vengar Sanguine Pack and your very own Alpha Harry Lightwood. She called me here as the officiant and the rest of the Alphas with me as spectators.¡± He paused for the chatter that arose, but it died as soon as he continued, ¡°Per the customs of a challenge of honour, should Alpha Ari lose, she will return to her pack unvindicated. Should Alpha Lightwood lose, he will receive any punishment Alpha Ari sees fit.¡± He paused again, this time purely for dramatic effect. This time, the whole grounds were still, every mouth silent with expectation. ¡°Let the challenge begin.¡± Chapter 88 - Retribution: Ego Harry¡¯s P. O. V I strode out into the arena, the late morning sun glaring down. The seats were packed with hundreds of members, from pups to our oldest and greyest, gathered to watch, no matter that many of them most definitely had places to be. My eyes immediately found Alpha Claw sitting at the front, surrounded by at least ten other men. The spectating Alphas watched me as I walked to the centre, but Alpha Claw paid me no mind, watching the bitch walk in instead. I turned my attention to her with a glare. She was wearing baggy cargo pants and a crop top. Hardly a fitting outfit for someone walking into a fight, but I wasn¡¯t much different. I was in the easy going loose shirt and cargo shorts combo I usually wore on the days I knew my dad would be working from home. They weren¡¯t exactly combat attire, but they allowed me freedom of movement all the same. We stopped walking about ten paces from each other. Knees bent and eyes keen, we circled each other. She held no weapons. The knuckle dusters weighing in my pockets on either side of me told me that she might have hidden one in one of her many pants pockets, but I couldn¡¯t make out any impressions to give that away. I closed the distance between us. I had no intention of letting her land a single hit, and for that to happen, I needed to strike hard and fast. I wouldn¡¯t even give her a chance to think. She fluttered out of my reach before I could strike. I recovered quickly and my fist followed her, but she twisted away from me again. Every subsequent attack I made was blocked as she danced just out of reach. My frustration swelled with each miss, and after several minutes of her damned fritting about, my fangs were bared and claws were out. ¡°Stop fucking moving!¡± I growled over my shoulder at her after yet another evasion. She only ever dodged me, never struck back. She was probably avoiding getting too close. Once she did, I¡¯d close in on her and she knew it. She smirked, ¡°Tired already?¡± My brow twitched, ¡°Don¡¯t challenge someone if you¡¯re gonna do nothing but run.¡± ¡°How do you call yourself an Alpha when you can¡¯t even catch little ol¡¯ me?¡± She mocked, ¡°Makes me wonder how any of your members follow you.¡± I grabbed at her with a grunt, wanting nothing more than to wipe the fucking smirk off her face. She only flipped away, laughing, ¡°Did I make you mad? Maybe you¡¯re not really the one calling the shots here.¡± I wasn¡¯t. I knew it, the higher-ups knew it, most of the members knew it. I was nothing but the new mouthpiece for my dad¡¯s machinations. Even Brittany had gained more significance. She¡¯d been the ditzy twin for most of our lives, only for her to develop a brain out of nowhere. This left me painfully aware of the reality that if she were a guy, dad probably would¡¯ve made her the new Alpha instead. But I was the Alpha. Dad might be the one calling the shots, but I¡¯d be damned if I let anyone disrespect me. This pack was mine. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± She continued, ¡°Daddy probably just handed you the title cause he felt like he had to. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve done anything worthy of the respect you go around demanding from everyone. If you weren¡¯t an Alpha¡¯s son, you¡¯d be nothing and you know it.¡± I saw red. Who did she think she was to speak to me like that in front of other Alphas? In front of my members? Alpha or not, she was still nothing but a she-wolf. I¡¯d remind her of that. ¡°Just wait till I get my hands on you.¡± I sneered, low enough for only her to hear, ¡°I just hope Callum doesn¡¯t mind damaged goods.¡± She was suddenly very still, her face struck with a faraway look as she stared into space. I smirked at her fear and took the chance to close in on her while her mind was still elsewhere. I was inches from her, my claws a hair¡¯s breadth from her face when her eyes regained focus, zeroing in on me. One second, I¡¯d been about to split her cheek open, the next, my body was flying backwardsyards through the air. When I hit the ground, the exposed skin on my side stung as the momentum sent me skidding several feet. My hands went up to my chest as I gasped for air, the pain of what I was sure were broken ribs poking at my lungs quite literally leaving me with the wind knocked out of me. Wheezing, I got to my hands and knees as I heard her walk over to me. ¡°Like father, like son.¡± She spat, the disgust in her voice bitterly thick. I raised my head to look at her. All traces of her earlier mockery had vanished, replaced by burning eyes of hatred. She raised a leg and brought a booted foot down on my back with a heavy thump that sent me back to the ground with a cry of pain. ¡°Kirstin begged me not to hurt you more than necessary.¡± She sneered, twisting her foot and pushing me further into the ground till my mouth began to fill with dirt, ¡°I told her I¡¯d try not to, but I think the threat of making me damaged goods deserves an appropriate response, don¡¯t you?¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Pain, panic and perplexity ran amok in my mind. How was she connected to Kirstin? Her foot felt like a mountain on my back, and I could barely breathe, talk less of mustering enough air to demand an answer. The noises of the crowd filled my head, blending together in a mix of heckles and cheers that simply added to my daze. My hands and knees had found purchase, but the lack of air and her practically burying my face in the dirt made all my attempts to lift myself moot. Just as the edges of my vision began to darken and my limbs lost strength, she took her foot off my back and used it to turn me over with a kick, so I was facing the sky. Air trickled into my punctured lungs as I gasped in shallow breaths. ¡°How does it feel?¡± She crouched low, her elbows on her knees, ¡°You used to love breaking my ribs so you must like this, right?¡± What in Luna¡¯s name was she talking about? ¡°You don¡¯t remember? Whenever something happened to piss you off, you¡¯d look for your favourite punching bag to take it out on.¡± She paused then shook her head, ¡°Must be something you picked up from our dear old dad. Like I said, like father, like son.¡± Confusion joined the pain. ¡°Our dad?¡± I tried to ask, but it came out in wheezing, wet coughs of blood. She answered my question anyway, ¡°Yes, our dad. I told you you wouldn¡¯t see me coming, didn¡¯t I, Harry? Or did you not read my letter?¡± ¡®Letter?¡¯ ¡°The letter I left before I escaped and had you believe I¡¯d been eaten by a bear.¡± She clarified with a roll of her eyes, ¡°I swear, you and Brittany must share the same brain cell. Took her forever to recognise me too.¡± My body went cold. The reality that this was the omega, the illegitimate half-sister that had been nothing but a pebble to be kicked, standing over me hit me. My stomach churned as I remembered my initial attraction to her at the Mate Ball coupled with the implications of my earlier threat. Then my skin prickled with indignant anger. No way was the omega handing me my ass in front of all these Alphas and my entire pack. This was someone that cowered in the very presence of my shadow, that even the lowest of our ranks could step on without a thought. She wasn¡¯t even a full werewolf. I rolled onto my side and got to my feet, still wincing and wheezing. My chest was tight and awash with pain, and my back burned with aches, but I¡¯d live. What I wouldn¡¯t live down was a loss to her. I brought myself up to my full height and glared down at her. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I began slowly through laboured breaths, ¡°how you did this. But I¡¯ll-¡± My body was wracked with coughs, blood splattering into the hand that covered my mouth, ¡°I¡¯ll end you.¡± She only gave me a death glare that sent a wave of ice through my bones. I shook it off and stood my ground, gathering my strength for an attack that would take her out at once. In the blink of an eye, she was in front of me, lifted on her toes and her hand on my chest as she whispered into my ear, ¡°You can tell me when you¡¯ve had enough.¡± Natalia¡¯s P. O. V I only allowed him a moment of confusion. His shallow lungs were capable of more screaming than his earlier wheezing led me to believe. He jerked and gyrated about, swatting at the fire ravishing his chest and rolling on the ground in an effort to put it out. The flames remained, as everlasting and furious as my hatred. Over the sounds of horror and fear from the crowd, his shrieks were all I heard. I walked over to where he was rubbing his chest in the dirt. ¡°Please!¡± He cried. I frowned. He hadn¡¯t even lasted long that long and was already pleading? After all his threats and chest puffing? It wasn¡¯t nearly as long as I¡¯d have liked. I placed a hand behind my ear, ¡°Please what?¡± ¡°Please stop. I lose! I lose! Please just stop this!¡± He begged. The fire flickered out, and he burst into tears. His sobbing coupled with whatever was going on with his ribs left him breathless and grasping at his throat and chest. I gazed down at him, one side of my lip quirked up in a curl of disgust, ¡°What a disappointment.¡± At that, his expression froze and he curled into himself, shaking with pain and silent sobs. I lifted my head to look at the Alphas I¡¯d gathered. Beta Howling sat with them, the blood completely drained from his face. Two or three of the Alphas shifted uncomfortably, but the rest had grim expressions. A contrast to the horrified expressions the members wore. Alpha Claw rose from his seat to address the crowd, ¡°The victor of this challenge of honour is Alpha Ari of the Vengar Sanguine Pack.¡± He turned to me, ¡°Tell us, what is the punishment, and what was the crime?¡± They all watched, hanging on for an explanation. I let the silence grow, watching as they shifted in their seats and shared looks of unease. Finally, I opened my mouth to speak, ¡°My name is Natalia Avarielle Lightwood.¡± I paused for their murmurs and gasps, ¡°I suppose I¡¯m better known to you as the omega. Now, with that knowledge, I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to tell you all the crimes. If I did, we¡¯d be here all day.¡± ¡°As for the punishment.¡± I prodded Harry with my boot, ¡°For you and your pack, I¡¯ll be taking your tail.¡± Horrified gasps echoed through the arena, but no one moved to stop me. I ignored them and prodded him again. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­¡± He croaked. ¡°Yes, I can. I won.¡± ¡°You can shift now, or I can keep you on my territory till the next full moon. That¡¯ll give us plenty of bonding time.¡± I told him when he made no effort to move. ¡°Dad¡­ He won¡¯t let you¡­¡± I crouched down to look him in the eyes, ¡°Tell me, Harry. Have you seen our dear old dad today?¡± His eyes widened slowly, filling with horror and renewed helplessness. I grinned. He screwed his eyes shut and began to shift, clenching his teeth against the pain. The sounds of his bones breaking and rearranging themselves filled the arena, and a few members looked away. He had to stop mid-shift to catch his breath, his brow drenched in sweat, before completing the transformation. Soon enough, his dusty brow wolf was laying at my feet, ears pinned to his head and chest heaving with pants and whimpers. ¡°Your tail.¡± I ordered and waited till he¡¯d padded around so his back was to me, his limp tail presented before me. I lengthened the claws of one hand and grabbed his tail with the other. In one swift motion, I sliced the thing off, blood spattering all over and catching my clothes and face. I laughed to the backdrop of his howls of pain, raising his tail above my head in victory. Chapter 89 - Retribution: Rejection Callum¡¯s P. O. V I could hardly believe my eyes. When we¡¯d met at the Mate Ball, the very idea of my mate being alive had been inconceivable, talk less of the possibility of her and Alpha Ari being one and the same. Without the knowledge of who she was, I¡¯d only been left with what I¡®d thought of as a coincidental resemblance. But now that I knew, I almost wondered how I¡¯d missed it. It wasn¡¯t till Cade had gone crazy over the sudden detection of her scent and I¡¯d laid my eyes on her, sitting in the house as if she owned it, that the realisation crept up on me. The final piece had been the unnatural strength the drive to protect her from Harry had brought out of me. There she was, enthrallingly menacing in every way. When she¡¯d uttered my name like it was a curse, all I could think of was how I would give anything to have her say it again for the rest of my life. I¡¯d been a riot of emotions, with elation, relief, guilt, desire and more warring for dominance in my heart. But now, out of her presence, I had the chance to think. My mate, Alpha Ari, was standing over the howling wolf of our Alpha, holding up his tail like it was a trophy. Her laughter mixed with his howls in some disturbing medley that raised every hair on my body. Coupled with the blood spatters on her clothes and face, and the savage look in her eyes, my gut was screaming at me to run. But she was alive. She was here. I was watching from the locker room she¡¯d entered the arena through. I¡¯d decided to wait for her here last minute, as opposed to sitting with my dad. Every time Harry had charged at her, it¡¯d taken every ounce of willpower to keep me from racing in to protect her. Evidently, that hadn¡¯t been necessary. She approached the Alphas, thanking them for showing up and advising them to return to their packs as soon as possible. I might have wondered why she decided to insist on that if I wasn¡¯t too busy fretting over how she¡¯d react to me alone. ¡®She could have denied it when Harry called her our mate.¡¯ Cade rationalized, his voice brimming with hope and excitement, ¡®It¡¯ll take all the grovelling skills you¡¯ve gained from all that time as a puppet, but we might have a chance to be with our mate.¡¯ This was a side of him I hadn¡¯t seen since we¡¯d lost her. I wanted to hold the same unadulterated hope, but I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the girl who¡¯d so readily torn the tail off another would even be open to the very idea of forgiving me. I might not have been the ringleader of her torment, but I was far from innocent. She finished her address and began walking back to the locker room. To the very one I was in. I panicked, the question of if being here was even a good idea making me consider bolting away. Just as she reached the room, I decided to remain, hoping she would at least hear me out. Her scent filled the room and seized my senses as she wordlessly walked over to the locker where she¡¯d left her phone and other things. She put her belongings back in her pockets and shut the locker door with a metallic thud. Then she turned to me. With her full attention now on me, every thought in my head evaporated. Splattered with blood and devoid of any expressions, she still took my breath away. Everything in me ached to reach out and touch her. She raised a brow, ¡°Well?¡± Blinking, I wrangled my thoughts into words, only managing a breathless, ¡°You¡¯re alive.¡± She crossed her arms, ¡°Last time I checked, yes.¡± My face warmed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just mean- I don¡¯t-¡± I paused to inhale, ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see you again¡­. I was hopeless without you.¡± Her mouth twitched, ¡°Hopeless? You rejected me then beat me up with Kylie.¡± I took a step forward, ¡°I know. I¡¯m so sorry, for everything I did. I was trapped by all the expectations of my dad and being the next Beta, and I was scared. I was such a fool to hurt you and I hated myself for it every single day. I spent every moment regretting it, I need you to know that.¡± She turned away, closing her eyes, ¡°I spent years hoping my mate would make things better and love me despite being the omega.¡± She looked at me, her pain-filled eyes galvanizing everything in me to hold her, ¡°When I found out it was you, I was willing to forgive you everything as long as you loved me. But you didn¡¯t even hesitate, you just thew me out like a piece of trash.¡± I reached for her hand. Its warmth seeped into mine as I implored her with my eyes, ¡°I hated every second of it. Please believe me. I never should have done it.¡± Tears glossed her green eyes, threatening to spill. Seconds passed with our gazes locked and her hand in mine. A tear finally escaped, leaving a single wet trail along her blood-stained cheek. I reached up to thumb it away and cupped her cheek. She leaned into my hand and I dared to hope. Her eyes fluttered closed again, ¡°I just need a little time and I don¡¯t want to do this here, in the locker room right after a fight.¡± I nodded, ¡°I understand.¡± She looked at me again, ¡°Can we meet in the storage shed in fifteen minutes? We¡¯ll have some privacy there.¡± ¡°Of course, anything.¡± I blurted. She stepped back and my hand fell to my side, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll meet you there.¡± Once she was out the door, my heart began to race. The realization that our next meeting in fifteen minutes would make or break our future together gripped me. ¡®Cade, what do I do?¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t fuck it up, that¡¯s what.¡¯ Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. I found myself racing into town. I bought a bouquet of roses from a flower shop, along with the fanciest-looking chocolates I could find. Last I remembered, the storage shed didn¡¯t have any chairs so I picked two up from the work house. Nobody was around to question me, everyone likely still tending to Harry after the fight. By the time I reached the storage shed, twenty minutes had passed, and I was praying to Luna that she hadn¡¯t already left. Her scent told me she was around, but when I entered the shed, she was nowhere to be found. The storage shed was less of a shed and more of a house. It was a sturdy building, large enough to house dozens of supplies, tools and weapons with space to spare. The extra space was made into a holding cell of sorts, used to lock rampaging werewolves or discipline deviants of the pack. The large space had plenty of hiding spots, so when I didn¡¯t immediately find her, I walked further into the building. ¡°Nat- um, Alpha Ari?¡± I called, unsure if I could even address her by name. I carried everything with me as I walked. When I approached the holding cell, she was standing inside it, staring ahead with dark eyes. Likely remembering the nightmarish memories she had of this place. I opened my mouth to call out to her again, but she turned to me before I could. ¡°You brought seats.¡± She noted. I nodded, ¡°I didn¡¯t know how long we were gonna be here and remembered this place doesn¡¯t have chairs. I thought you might want to be more comfortable.¡± ¡°How¡­ thoughtful.¡± I blushed and looked around, ¡°We can sit out here if it¡¯s better for you.¡± Scarcely were the words out of my mouth when she stated, ¡°In here is fine.¡± I complied and brought them inside the cell to join her, setting them down near a cluster of chains. Once the chairs were out of my hands, I handed her the flowers and chocolate, ¡°These are for you.¡± Slowly, she took them, looking at me with a raised brow. I felt my ears warm to join my already flush face and found myself unable to meet her eyes, ¡°I know it¡¯s nothing compared to everything that happened before, but I just¡­¡± I sighed and brought my eyes to hers, ¡°I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you and showing you how much I love you. This is just my way of trying to start.¡± Her expression remained sceptical, but I thought, perhaps, I saw something soften in her eyes. The flicker of hope I¡¯d been nursing bloomed. Whatever softness I thought I was seeing aside, she was still sceptical, and it showed, ¡°You rejected me so you could be Beta. How do I know you¡¯re not just saying this because I¡¯m an Alpha now? Being my mate would put you higher than your current¨C sorry, former position here.¡± I winced at the sting in her words, ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of that. I don¡¯t even have to be your Sol, I just want to be with you.¡± She was silent for a while, and I allowed it to stretch as she turned my words over in her head. She looked down at the bouquet in her hand then back at me, her green eyes glowing as she asked in a small voice, ¡°Do you really mean that?¡± I nodded vehemently, ¡°With all my heart.¡± Moving the flowers and chocolate so she held them in one hand, she approached me slowly. Her hands raised slightly, almost like she was going in for a hug, and I raised mine too, ready to embrace her for the first time. I didn¡¯t even realise I¡¯d been holding my breath, till I had my arms wrapped around her. For a second, everything that had died within me came back to life. The world was no longer a bleak, drab thing and life felt worth living. For a second, I could see my future, pouring all my love and support into her at any chance I got. For a second, I could see myself being her listening ear whenever the weight of her pack was too much to bear, and she only needed support. But only for a second. In the place of hope, pain bloomed, wet, and warm as the blood flowed out of me from the hole in my side. Slowly, my head lowered to look at her. Keeping eye contact, she yanked a pair of blood-covered pliers out of my side and stepped back. My hands came up to cover the hole, the slick blood leaking through my fingers. The future I¡¯d imagined shattered, leaving in its place the cold, satisfied smirk on her face. ¡°I thought¡­¡± I croaked, unable to finish the sentence. She giggled, a sound that should have made my heart flutter making it tremble instead ¡°You thought what? That I¡¯d forgive you and we¡¯d live happily ever after in my pack?¡± I could only stare in pained silence, too ashamed to admit it out loud. She put the bloody pliers in one of the many pockets of her blood-soaked pants. ¡°You and my wolf must have the same kind of delusion to think that.¡± She said as she opened the box of chocolates and took one out, ¡°Oh, white chocolate. My favourite.¡± Her eyes locked with mine as she plopped it into her mouth and chewed it slowly. With a smile, she licked the melted chocolate residue off her index and thumb, along with some blood. Her smile suddenly dropped, and she let the chocolates fall to the ground, scattering everywhere. The bouquet in her hands caught fire, burning to ashes within seconds like the flowers had never even existed. A gnawing, hollow emptiness consumed me. She walked back over to me, not caring that she was crushing balls of white chocolate under her boots. Standing almost chest to chest, she raised a hand to caress my cheek, and ran it down to rest above my heart. Then she pushed and I was falling backwards. I landed on my back with a thud and a groan, still pressing my hands to the wound. Before I could get my bearings and try to stand, I heard the metal click of one of the shackles locking around my ankle. Then she forced my hands to either side of me and straddled me, pinning them to my body. ¡°While you always joined in, you never instigated anything. I could have forgiven you for that, after all, I did forgive Kirstin. What made me hate you was the rejection.¡± She stated, ¡°You didn¡¯t have to mark me first, but you did and that made the pain of it so much worse.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The apology was weak, but it was all I had. Every ray of hope in me had winked out of existence, leaving nothing but a deeper regret than I¡¯d ever felt when I thought she was dead. It was so deep, I thought I¡¯d drown in it. ¡°I know.¡± She snapped. I winced. ¡°I was a little stumped on how I¡¯d pay you back for everything.¡± She continued, ¡°Brittany¡¯s a vain bitch so I burned half her face to disfigure her, Kylie¡¯s an opportunist with no real power of her own, so I reminded her of that by hunting her down in the woods where her mate couldn¡¯t save her, and Harry¡¯s got a swollen ego and a chip on his shoulder, so I beat and humiliated him in front of other Alphas. But you? You¡¯re just a coward with no mind of your own, a pathetic, toothless thing of a werewolf.¡± She took the pliers out of her pocket and waved it in her hand, ¡°So I decided to make you what you are: toothless.¡± Natalia¡¯s P. O. V The taste of chocolate and blood lingered in my mouth as I forced his open. He looked up at me with nothing but heavy sadness. He didn¡¯t plead, didn¡¯t beg, didn¡¯t demand to be spared. He only screamed. One by one, I relieved him of his canines. Each time I yanked one out with the pliers, he thrashed around in pain, but got nowhere with me pressing down on him with my thighs. I wanted to enjoy it, wanted to embrace the primal savagery of it all as I had with the others. But only part of me did. Candy and Kirstin must have gotten to me. The knot of pity in my belly refused to unwind, leaving a bitter taste in the back of my throat. It didn¡¯t help that Candy¡¯s whimpers echoed louder with every passing second. By the time I was down to the last canine left to pull, my head was throbbing from both of their noise. ¡°Will you shut up!¡± I roared, holding my head. Candy¡¯s whimpers reduced to heartbroken mewls, and he forced his screams into guttural, agonized groans. With the last tooth out, I rolled off him and got to my feet. Sighing, I dusted my pants off, which did little to help, really. His eyes were closed, tears streaming down the sides of his face as he held his jaw with one hand and his side with the other. I threw the pliers down near him, along with the key to the shackle around his ankle. ¡°You can let yourself out.¡± I said, turning on my heel and leaving him on the floor of the holding cell. I grazed my hands on a few of the weapons and supplies on my way out, setting them on fire. In about ten minutes, the whole shed would be ablaze. He had till then to get out. Chapter 90 - Answers Hours Earlier Hailey¡¯s P. O. V When we left the rental this morning, I was wearing a brave face. I didn¡¯t want Ari or even Tim to second guess the decision to let me tag along, now when I had the chance to get answers to the questions I¡¯d been asking my whole life. But now, so close to my answers, my stomach was in vicious knots of apprehension and twinges of guilt. Kirstin directed us to Clark¡¯s house. ¡®Unless he invites you himself, nobody is allowed near his house without prior notice except for emergencies.¡¯ Her voice shook with emotion as she briefed us through the mind link. I wanted to reach out a hand to her, but we needed to avoid making unnecessary rustles from the flower bushes we were crouched in. ¡®His room is on the top floor. Luna Tiffany doesn¡¯t always sleep in the same bed, but she¡¯s always home, so you¡¯ll need to figure out how to deal with her.¡¯ She checked the time on her phone, ¡®I have to go drop the hostages at the pack house while everyone¡¯s occupied with the challenge but I¡¯ll be back. She looked back at the house before us, her eyes stony and damp at once, ¡®Unfortunately, I know for a fact that most of his furniture is made of wood and that he¡¯s got a soundproof basement, so you know what to do. Good luck, and don¡¯t get caught.¡¯ Tim and I nodded as she put on the invisibility necklace Ari had left us. Before long, she was out of sight and already making her way back to the van we¡¯d parked blocks away. Then, it was just my mate and I in the bushes. My father¡¯s duplex loomed before us. It was a large house that, from the outside, looked like it had many rooms, surrounded by an expansive lawn filled with flowers and the occasional statue. I was sure one of them was a life-sized figure of the man¡¯s wolf, standing tall with its fangs bared. My heart sped up with the anticipation of what we were about to do, and I clutched the box with the wolvesbane drugs and syringes to my chest. ¡®Are you ready, Sunshine?¡¯ Tim¡¯s voice in my mind echoed with the same concern his eyes held as he looked at me. I nodded, ¡®Yeah, let¡¯s do this.¡¯ He reached out to squeeze my hand, ¡®I¡¯ll give you the signal to move in and drug the Luna. You¡¯ll need to move quickly, okay Sunshine?¡¯ ¡®Okay.¡¯ He nodded once and brought my hand to his lips. Then he was gone, racing to the house before his approaching scent would compromise his element of surprise. The harsh creaking of wood met my ears as his urgent, ¡®Now!¡¯ rang in my head. Heart in my throat, my feet carried me to the house. I followed Tim¡¯s lead and slipped into the window he¡¯d entered though. I found myself in a rustic living room alone with a blonde woman bearing a striking resemblance to Brittany, bound to a chair by the wood of a now partially deformed table. I had no time to think as my hands fumbled with the box to retrieve the syringe and jab it in her neck. The drug acted fast and her terrified eyes fluttered closed within seconds. Sounds of movement reached me as I rushed to find Tim, bounding up the stairs three at a time. I found them in the study, books strewn about everywhere. In the middle of the room was the man that sired me, locked in the bent and twisted floorboards. My hands shook and I swapped out the anaesthetic wolvesbane syringe for the plain wolvesbane one. His green eyes narrowed and he jerked his head about as I approached. It wasn¡¯t till Tim moved some more boards around to hold his head in place that I was able to inject him. I scurried back to Tim¡¯s side as soon as I was done. Ari wanted him lucid and as close to his full strength as possible, but we still needed to block his connection to the mind link, so the injection was necessary. This meant that he was still full of rage and had no inhibitions about trying to let us know just how he felt as Tim moved him to the basement. It wasn¡¯t hard to find. I walked ahead to find the steps near the back of the house. A chill ran through me I descended them first to find a wide space with a bed, a chair with metal straps built into it, a table laden with all sorts of tools, and some chains bolted to the ground. Tim brought Clark down after me, levelling the steps so he could slide the man to the ground before returning them to their original form and descending them himself. He manipulated the wood panelling to place Clark in the chair. Even when Clark had been strapped to it, Tim still didn¡¯t let up on the wooden tendrils that bound him. Clark, aware of the soundproofing in his own basement, stopped yelling and instead switched to fluently cursing us out with more expletives than I¡¯d heard in my life. Eventually, after several minutes of failing to get a rise out of us, he somewhat calmed down and settled for glaring daggers at us. I took a deep breath, my nose filling with his scent, ¡°I need to talk to him.¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Tim looked at me, his expression grim and knowing, ¡°Are you sure?¡± I nodded. ¡°Do you want me here?¡± He asked. Did I? I was about to get the answers I¡¯d been begging for my whole life. I had no idea what to expect, but the thought of not having him here to ground me made me nod my head, ¡°Yes, please¡­¡± Clark burst into laughter, ¡°Oh young love.¡± He droned, ¡°Better hurry it up, girl. Because once I get free, I¡¯m going to make the both of you watch each other suffer.¡± I could feel Tim vibrate with anger next to me, but he remained silent, leaving the space for me to talk. From Clark¡¯s perspective, we were two strangers that had infiltrated his home, but the cruelty in his voice was so gleeful that there wasn¡¯t a single doubt in my mind that he¡¯d derive pleasure from whatever suffering he¡¯d cook up for us. I couldn¡¯t even imagine being on the receiving end of this for nearly sixteen years. I took a small step towards him, ¡°Do you recognize me?¡± ¡°How am I supposed to recognize you, girl?¡± He scoffed, but he couldn¡¯t hide the spark of contemplation that appeared on his face a second later, or the way his brows furrowed the longer he looked at me. After he¡¯d been silent for a while, he uttered a stony, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that woman went and had a child¡­¡± ¡°Two. She had two.¡± He laughed and looked to the sky, ¡°Another set of fucking twins, huh?¡± I braved another step, ¡°So you do recognize me, and you remember my mother.¡± He shrugged, ¡°So what if I do? It¡¯s not every day you see a human wandering the halls of the Royal Palace, acting all high and mighty like she¡¯s not in the presence of creatures far superior.¡± A human? I frowned. Mom¡¯s turn in the Seer Cycle fell in the Werewolves¡¯ time, which is why she had been in the Palace at all. With how useful Seers were, I assumed anyone frequenting the Palace would have been aware of her status. ¡°Why did you do it though? If you saw her as a weak human who didn¡¯t know her place, why sleep with her at all?¡± His eyes locked with mine, disgust at the memory twisting his features, ¡°Because La Luna was foolish enough to make her my mate. I suppose I wanted to try her out before rejecting her.¡± I staggered back, barely registering Tim¡¯s steadying hands on my shoulders, ¡°What¡­?¡± His cruel laugh echoed in my skull, ¡°Oh, your mommy didn¡¯t tell you? Not only was she some big-headed human in a place she didn¡¯t belong, but was somehow my mate too. Me! She didn¡¯t know her place and was all too excited to get into bed with me. It would have been almost wrong not to have her.¡± He spat on the ground and ran his disgusted eyes over me, ¡°But now I¡¯ve got two half-breed bastards running around with my blood. I thought I was finally free of being tied to your kind when that other whore¡¯s child went and died, but of course two popped up in her place.¡± My body shook as white-hot anger coursed through me. For the first time in my life, I fully understood the depth of my mother¡¯s hatred of him. And worse yet, it went even beyond that. All the dysfunction surrounding mates and power in this pack originated from the man sitting before me, with his infuriating self-importance and twisted worldview. After fully accepting Tim, I¡¯d come to wonder how anyone could even want to be apart from their mates, but of course, all the rejections and backstabbing that had taken place over the last few years would occur. How could it not when this was their leader and supposed role model? When this was their ¡®Alpha¡¯? ¡°My mother isn¡¯t just a human.¡± He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. ¡°She¡¯s a Seer, a Supernatural Seer.¡± His eyes widened, and I watched as all the possibilities and scenarios of what could have been ran through his mind. If power was what he craved, I would make him realise just how much power being mated to the Seer of their generation would have given him. All the inside knowledge he could have had, all the added favour he could have curried with the Royals through my mom, all the gifts he could have used from Keily and I. All of it lost to his pride. His mind went exactly where I wanted it to, and the thoughts of what he¡¯d let slip through his fingers enraged him, ¡°She was the Royal Seer and the bitch said nothing?!¡± My hand moved faster than my brain, and I slapped him across the face, ¡°Do not call her that.¡± He gaped at me, his mind struggling to comprehend that I would dare strike him, ¡°You half-breed bi-augh!¡± His words cut off in a yelp as the wood around him tightened. I turned to look at Tim, the fingers of his outstretched hand closing in slowly as his face twisted with fury, ¡°You¡¯ve got too much fucking mouth for someone in your position right now.¡± He growled. ¡°You won¡¯t hurt me,¡± Clark wheezed, ¡°if you were going to, you would have done it by now.¡± Tim maintained his hold for a few more seconds, then abruptly released it. Clark¡¯s gasps for air bled into another cruel laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t think you went through all this trouble just to ask a few questions.¡± He gave us a toothy grin, ¡°You and your little mate should have stayed away, because bastard daughter or not, I¡¯ll show you how we deal with intruders here. Since you¡¯re obviously too weak to actually hurt me, I¡¯ll suggest you leave now so you can get a head start before we start hunting you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± Tim retorted, ¡°I already spent five years running from you after your minions failed to kill me when I found out the truth of what you did to my pack. I plan to live out the rest of my life in peace with my mate.¡± He wrapped an arm around me, and I blushed as he drew me into his chest. In the face of the entity he¡¯d spent years fearing, he was openly displaying his love for me without a care in the world. My heart swelled with pride at the fear he¡¯d overcome and love for the man he¡¯d become. Clark scoffed, ¡°Of course, a stupid, inept mate for a half-breed bastard. You¡¯ll die together.¡± I expected Tim¡¯s anger to flare up again, but he only smirked, ¡°By the way, you¡¯ve still got three illegitimate daughters, not two.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± An all too familiar scent reached me, and I was torn between breaking into a grin and grimacing at the knot of apprehension forming in my stomach. ¡°And you were right earlier, I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Tim continued as soft footsteps padded down the steps and walked up behind us, ¡°But she will.¡± Chapter 91 - Retribution: Origin and Demise Natalia¡¯s P. O. V Barely ten minutes out of the shed, the whole thing was up in flames. I continued walking, only pausing to look back when the boom of an explosion shot through the air. ¡®How could you?¡¯ Candy finally cried, her voice cracking, ¡®How could you just leave him there?¡¯ ¡®What? Did you want me to carry him out?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know, maybe not set the place on fire!¡¯ Her retorting screech had me staggering and holding my head, ¡®He didn¡¯t deserve to die in flames and you know it!¡¯ ¡°He¡¯s not dead.¡± I said out loud, hating the way my voice sounded like I wasn¡¯t just trying to convince her. ¡®How would you know, when you left him bleeding out and chained to the floor?¡¯ ¡®I gave him the key.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t having it, ¡®He looked awful when you left him! He wanted nothing more than your forgiveness and you brutalized him, how do you expect him to have the strength to get himself out?¡¯ ¡®He left me brutalized and in pain when he rejected me! He wasn¡¯t any better than the others, I was just returning the favour.¡¯ She went mute. When I thought the topic was done, moisture dampened my cheeks and I raised a hand to feel the tears pouring from my eyes. Tears that were not my own. ¡®He was better than them, Nat.¡¯ She said finally, her voice empty, ¡®You went too far and you know it. He just wanted to love you but you couldn¡¯t have that, could you? Even if you didn¡¯t get back together, the very idea of someone alive willing to spend his life with you must feel so wrong to you. You tried to push Hailey away but romantic love is just too much so you had to burn it- burn him.¡¯ By the time she was done, the tears on my face were mine too. Her words cut me deep, opening a chasm within me so deep that it brought me to my knees in the middle of the empty street. Hurt stabbed through me, fuelled by the fact that she would even say that to me at all. After everything she¡¯d seen me through, how could she turn on me? How could she bear to say such things? All because of Callum? Then fear and self-loathing began to trickle in. What if she was right? I knew I¡¯d resigned myself to the absence of romance, but what if that was born not out of my lack of desire, but a lack of anything in me worth loving? What if deep down, I knew it too? I didn¡¯t notice when the familiar light blue van pulled up in front of me, till Kirstin had touched my shoulder, only to recoil with a hiss of pain. ¡°Alpha? You¡¯re practically on fire, what¡¯s wrong? Did they do something to you?¡± I shook my head and looked up at her. The soft concern in her eyes told me she hadn¡¯t seen Harry yet. I wondered how she¡¯d look at me if she knew what I¡¯d done to him. It was certainly more than she¡¯d likely intended, but what choice did I have? He¡¯d threatened me first, with a horror I never wanted to experience, one she¡¯d been a victim of herself. ¡°I dropped them off at the pack house.¡± She informed me, ¡°Nobody was around, they must still be at the training grounds. We should hurry, Hailey and Tim have already secured him in his basement.¡± The very suggestion of him sent my blood rushing in my ears, forcing all my emotions and uncertainty aside for a singular, murderous intent. Everything I¡¯d done would come down to this final act of retribution. This was it. I got to my feet and climbed into the van with Kirstin. She drove as inconspicuously as she could and parked some yards away from his home. We left the van and made our way to the house, unseen from the effects of the necklaces we wore. The closer we got, the more my heart felt like it would burst out of my chest. We took our necklaces off when we reached the basement steps and shared a look. The unasked question passed between us, to which we both nodded. My legs carried me down first. As I descended and walked to join them, Timothy¡¯s voice carried to my ears, in both a warning and a promise, ¡°And you were right earlier, I won¡¯t hurt you¡­ but she will.¡± The moment my eyes landed on him, my world was a riot. Fire raged against my skin, begging to be released with the swell of emotion that accompanied the host of memories that flooded my mind. His brown hair was peppered with more grey than I remembered, and his puke-green eyes narrowed at me, pronouncing the lines around them. He was strapped to a chair and held in place by thick, sturdy tendrils of wood. He looked just like my nightmares. ¡°You couldn¡¯t even die right.¡± He spat, looking at me like I was the one held captive. Even with the position he was in, he saw me as nothing, as barely a threat. The realisation sent another wave of fire rolling through me, and I caught the others shifting uncomfortably in the heat. But the tables had turned now, and for once, he¡¯d be the one to fear me. ¡°Sorry to disappoint.¡± His leery eyes ran over me, sending a shiver down my spine, ¡°You look so much like your mother, you probably took after her in more ways than one. I¡¯m sure you make the same face too.¡± Bile rose in my throat. Memories of the stories of my forced, violent conception surfaced in my mind, both those told by him in taunts and the ones told in reluctance to sate a small girl¡¯s horrified curiosity. Kirstin emerged from behind the three of us, her whole body stiff as she took determined steps towards him. When she was close enough, he simply raised his head to look at her and licked his lips. The action snapped the tenuous restraint she¡¯d been holding on to. She grabbed the nearest sharp object off the table near him and hacked away at his crotch. Their screams bounced off the walls and filled the space, hers full of manic rage and his ¨C agonized pain. She didn¡¯t stop, repeatedly raising the knife over her head and bringing it down with a squelch and a metallic ping, not even noticing the blood splattering on her face. After nearly a full minute, Timothy stepped in, carefully coming up behind her to wrap his arm around her in a tight hold. She screamed against him briefly, before deflating in exhausted seething tears. He carried the wailing, blood-splattered Kirstin upstairs and, with a nod from me, Hailey followed up after them. Then it was just the two of us. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. He was trembling, the sound of his teeth gritting against the pain ringing low. His crotch area and legs were a bloody, fleshy mess, and the blood was already dripping from the chair to the floor in a small but steady stream. When going over our plans yesterday, I¡¯d informed them for the final time that I would be the one to deliver the killing strike to Clark, but they were welcome to take out any frustration they had before then. Timothy had declined, maintaining his earlier stance of simply wanting to witness his end with his own two eyes. ¡°I want to take away the thing he used to violate me.¡± Kirstin had said in a low voice. We all shared a look but said nothing. Castration was a more than appropriate response to the vile thing he¡¯d done to her. Granted, what I¡¯d had in mind involved more taunting and precision but from the looks of it, I suppose she still got the job done all the same. With the illusion of his unscathed survival of this shattered, his eyes held much more caution as he regarded me. Wordlessly, I approached the table and scanned it. I recognised a few of them as instruments he¡¯d used to extract the cries of my own pain, but the very fact that he had so many in his basement, along with a bed and chains, left me sick to my stomach. My first thought was to use everything on him as he begged for his life, but I feared we didn¡¯t have that much time left before someone would get the idea to investigate his absence. My hand found the instrument I was most acquainted with ¨C his silver hunting knife. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re going to do with that?¡± He tried to demand, but his voice betrayed the panic creeping up on him. I looked over my shoulder at him, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you.¡± I deadpanned. His face flushed red, the veins in his forehead thumping, ¡°You ungrateful bitch! I could have just killed you after your mother left but I gave you a roof to live under, food to eat and clothes to wear. After everything I did for you this-¡± I rounded on him, my lips pulled back in a snarl, ¡°After everything you did to me!¡± Laughter bubbled in my belly and trickled out of me in giggles, ¡°You know exactly what you did to me and you think I¡¯d let you live for it? Are you fucking stupid?¡± His eyes locked on the knife in my hand and he swallowed. Then he switched gears. ¡°Even if you want to, you won¡¯t. Killing me would make you a bigger monster than I am.¡± I threw my head back in a laugh so hard that I had to hold my stomach. He watched me with increasing unease till I finished with a sigh, wiping the beads of tears in the corners of my eyes. My smile dropped, ¡°I burned and maimed your chosen children, I brutalized your new Luna knowing she¡¯s pregnant, I¡¯m not even sure if my old mate is still alive after I finished with him¡­¡± I placed the tip of the knife at his throat then dragged it up to raise his chin, a thin line of red blooming on its path, ¡°Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t sleep like a baby after slitting your throat.¡± ¡°If you do that, you¡¯ll never know what happened to your mother.¡± I froze. ¡°What did you say¡­?¡± My voice came out in a whisper as I blinked, the back of my eyes starting to prickle. Satisfied he¡¯d found his way out of this alive, he smirked, ¡°I said, if you kill me, you¡¯ll never find out what happened to your mother.¡± He¡¯d told me that mom had abandoned me in the dead of the night, that she couldn¡¯t stand to have to keep caring for me and had left. While I¡¯d refused to believe him, the abruptness of her disappearance had left part of me scared that his words were the truth. And here he was, confirming that they weren¡¯t. My eyes narrowed and my grip on the knife tightened, ¡°How do I know you aren¡¯t lying to save your skin?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t, but the note and key she left you will confirm it.¡± My hand flew to my mouth as a choked sob escaped me, ¡°She left me something and you kept it from me?!¡± He scoffed, ¡°She said to give them to you when you turned sixteen, but you went and ran away. Not that I would have given them to you anyway. I would have gotten rid of them, but Tiffany begged me not to.¡± My heart sped up in my chest. ¡°Where are they?¡± I demanded. He shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s not how this works. Let me go, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°You must think I¡¯m a fool.¡± I laughed, ¡°Tell me everything, then I¡¯ll let you go so you can get the letter and key.¡± Seconds passed as he regarded me. I held his contemplative gaze with an unmoving one of my own till he saw he wouldn¡¯t get his way. ¡°Fine.¡± He snapped, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you and you¡¯ll let me go.¡± I stepped back and placed the knife on the table. ¡®My mom left me a letter and a key before she disappeared.¡¯ I announced through our link, ¡®I need you guys to find them. Try asking Tiffany if possible.¡¯ I didn¡¯t stop to listen to their response, shifting every ounce of attention I had to him. ¡°A week before she left, some members noticed a few vampires snooping around here. We thought it was strange since vampires always avoid werewolf territories, but before we could do anything about it, a group of them turned up at my house one night. They said they were looking for your mother and wouldn¡¯t leave without her, so we could either hand her over or they¡¯d go through us to get her.¡± He paused and gave me a lewd smile that had me clenching my fists and teeth to keep from hitting him, ¡°She was a great fuck, and was more than ready to give it up if it meant I¡¯d leave you alone. But I had no interest in starting another two-century war. They gave us a day to decide so, as soon as they left, I called her over to have her one more time before telling her what was going to happen. She agreed to go with them but wanted to see you one last time for your birthday or whatever. I couldn¡¯t have her running off with you, so I locked her down here. She begged and cried till Tiffany gave her a pen and some paper to write you a letter. As for the key, I don¡¯t know where she was hiding it, but she gave it and the letter to Tiffany to give to you when you turned sixteen. I handed her over the next day and was wired some money the following week. Easiest hundred grand I ever made.¡± He finished the story with a smug look, but I barely noticed through the tornado of thoughts and emotions reeling through me. My breath quickened and I reached out to steady myself on the table as cold buckets of shock doused me. Vampires had taken my mother. I understood that they were dangerous in theory, but they¡¯d always felt like the Syren equivalent of a bogeyman, never like a real, tangible threat. But this was real. Somehow, they¡¯d found her and despite the fear she must have felt she¡¯d, gone willingly. All to protect me. And despite everything, all she¡¯d wanted on her last day was to see me, to have one last birthday with me, but he¡¯d stopped her. She hadn¡¯t even known what would happen when he¡¯d called for her, only expecting another vile, degrading meeting with him. The lump forming in my throat grew larger as I thought of how she¡¯d spent years subjecting herself to his violation for my sake. My heart filled with more grief than I thought possible for a person to feel. I fought a losing battle to keep the sobs from escaping, ending up hyperventilating in the process. The longer I thought about it, the more my lungs burned as I struggled to breathe through the anguish. I heard a snort and my eyes focused on Clark watching me with amusement. In an instant, the overwhelming mass of pain in me transmuted into wrath. Every cell of my body wanted to torch him alive, but I didn¡¯t have the letter or key yet. My skin prickled and quaked with the effort of containing myself, to the point of pain. My body was a crumbling dam as I watched his eyes widen as trickles of fire leaked from my hands and the corners of my eyes. If I so much as twitched, I would erupt. ¡®We found them.¡¯ Hailey¡¯s voice suddenly echoed in my head, ¡®But you have to hurry, Ari. A member came to the house and we had to knock him out but we don¡¯t know if he was able to call someone before he lost consciousness.¡¯ My lips pulled back in a cross between a grin and a snarl. We were out of time, but I only needed a minute. I stretched a hand out to his legs. Taking a breath, I gathered everything raging within me and directed it to that single point. Then I let it out. Fire roared and he howled with pain, bucking against the chair that held him in a futile attempt to escape the inferno ravaging the lower half of his body. The smell of ash and burning flesh filled the air, nearly choking me as I burnt the source of my pain. When his legs were nothing more than black, charred stumps and the wood around him was reduced to ash, I stopped. Picking up the knife, I stepped over the small flames lingering on the ground to approach him. ¡°The Royals gave an order to arrest you and your future leaders and disband your pack.¡± I informed him, ¡°By the end of tomorrow, all your years of scheming will be reduced to nothing.¡± He gaped at me, his head shaking with the barest of movements. I leaned forward with the knife trained over his heart, inclining my head as if to share a secret, ¡°I need you to die knowing that you are nothing.¡± ¡°You said¡­ you¡¯d let me go¡­¡± He murmured, his voice already weak and defeated. ¡°I lied.¡± I buried the knife in his heart and watched the life drain from his eyes. Epilogue Six Months Later The grand doors of the ball drew open. A hush fell over the ballroom as every eye, some fearful, some lustful, some simply in awe, turned to look at the woman gliding through the doors and down the steps. Her brown hair fell in curls down her back and she wore a deep red and orange gown befitting of her moniker: The Flame Alpha. Months prior, the Royal Guards had arrived on the territory of the Lightwood Pack with an order for the arrest of several members, including the acting and former higher-ups, as well as the disbandment of the pack. What they¡¯d found had stupefied them. Of the members to be arrested, two had been badly injured, one with half of her face disfigured in a mass of burns and charred flesh and the other with multiple wolvesbane-treated burns, cuts and bruises on every part of her body save for her midsection. The recently deposed Beta was found lying unconscious only a few feet from an exploded storage space, missing his fangs and with a gaping wound in his side, as well as bearing scars and burns from the explosion. The Alpha had been left in a state of shock, burned and tailless from a challenge that transpired only hours prior, per the members¡¯ testimonies. Finally, when they¡¯d gone to look for Clark Lightwood, the former Alpha, mastermind of the convicted crimes and heaviest offender on their arrest sheet, they¡¯d found his charred remains beneath the rubble and ash that had once been his home. All of this, from an unexpected visit from Alpha Ari, or as they¡¯d come to learn ¨C Alpha Avarielle Lightwood, of the Vengar Sanguine Pack. Without the severe crimes committed by the Lightwood Pack, her actions would have been grounds for the stripping of her title at best, and an arrest at worst. But the personalities in question didn¡¯t warrant the removal of a promising young Alpha. This dismissal of liability was only supported by the obvious justification that presented itself when some of the members confessed to the horrors they¡¯d witnessed her endure as the former omega and illegitimate child of the now-dead Clark. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. After all, the child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth. In addition, they¡¯d discovered that the Lightwood Pack had been underreporting their income and hiding money to avoid dues. After the Palace had taken what they were owed, the remaining funds had been sent to Alpha Ari as the assumed inheritor who, in turn, had given it to Hailey Sight, now known as Hailey Lightwood to the Werewolf world. With the incredible brutality of the story, news travelled fast. Soon, every pack in the country had at least heard the whisperings of the Alpha that reduced her enemies to ash. And now, the bloodthirsty, vengeful Flame Alpha stood among them in the Winter Mate Ball. She mingled with her attending members and engaged with some of her allies but, in stark contrast to the previous year¡¯s ball, none dared to approach her for a dance. She swirled the champagne flute in her hand with gloved fingers and took a sip. Her skin prickled with the antsy stares darting over her like flies across the wide berth they gave her, but it did little to faze her. Today, she would ignore the past. Watching Hailey and Timothy spin around the dance floor, she was content for the moment. She scanned the room for Kirstin, finding her shyly conversing with a man in a corner. For weeks in the aftermath, after finding out how badly she¡¯d hurt Harry, Kirstin had looked at her with conflicted feelings. Her instincts to care for him made her abrasive, but after a long, quiet conversation over every detail of that fateful, she¡¯d eased into an understanding of the outcome. A familiar scent crept up on her, sending shivers up her spine. Her eyes found him immediately, walking to her through the crowd that seemed to part for him like the Red Sea. He was wearing the same three-piece suit as last time, with the red tie that serendipitously still matched the red of her dress. Now standing before her, she looked up at his shaded eyes, her heart fluttering in a strange, foreign skip. ¡°Why is the most gorgeous woman in this room standing in a corner all by her lonesome?¡± Her heart skipped again and she felt a blush creep up her neck. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard the rumours?¡± She said into her glass in a bid to hide her expression, looking up at him through her lashes, ¡°If you come too close, I¡¯ll burn you alive.¡± His lips quirked and he offered his hand with a flourish, ¡°I think I¡¯ll take my chances.¡±