Aenes bit back a small chuckle and slowly nodded. He didn't say a word while he took the siblings to the waiting Warriors before he turned around and walked back over to us.

There was this sense of urgency that followed him while he did so, something that we didn't understand but also didn't like. It was as if he felt like he was running out of time from something, something big that could be dangerous to me and the rest of my siblings.

"Should we at least try to help Aenes get them out of the car?" Mel asked, her voice barely above a whisper when he walked away with two other younger siblings, and I instantly shook my head no. "Why not?"

"Because he didn't tell us to leave the safety of the car," I replied, my voice the same level as hers. I licked my lips and cleared my throat while I shifted in my seat. 'Talk like this,' I said through our mindlink, 'so that we don't scare our siblings.'

Mel bit back a small scoff but rolled her eyes. She didn't say a word and narrowed her eyes while she scowled, but her meaning was clear.

They were already scared...

I also held back an eye roll but sighed while I moved a hand through my hair. 'I know that they are already scared, Mel,' I said, 'but I don't want them to know that we are running out of time.'

"Is something wrong?" one of my sisters asked while she looked between the two of us with furrowed brows while Aenes made his way back to the van. "Why are you two so stiff?"

I bit back a small sigh and shook my head. "It's nothing to worry about, Lorrie," I said, trying to soothe her worries while I looked at her, biting back a small smile. "We are ok. There are only four of you left that need to be taken out besides Mel and I, and then we will be fine."

But why did it feel like we wouldn't be..?

Lorrie pressed her lips into a thin line and narrowed her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted when Aenes cleared his throat, she instantly looked at him with wide eyes.

"It's your turn, Lorrie," he said and bowed his head a little before he looked at one of my brothers, who was named Michael, beside her. "And yours," he added, "so if you two come over here, we will take you two out and then get the last two."

Lorrie pursed her lips in annoyance and looked at me. She wanted to stay and argue; I could tell, but thankfully, she didn't with a single look from me. "Ok," she said while she slowly nodded and started to make her way over to Aenes with Michael following her.

She got out of the car and instantly wrapped her legs around his waist and so did Michael, and I couldn't help but smirk while I watched Aenes struggle a little with those two siblings, especially since they were older and taller than the others he had dealt with before them.

'You warned him,' Mel said with a small chuckle while we watched them. 'They are at least five feet anyway.'

I bit back a small chuckle and slowly nodded. 'They're going to get taller before middle school ends,' I said, earning a snort from Mel.

"Why is it that you two get to walk out?" our last brother, Ethan, asked from inside the van, watching as Aenes finished getting Lorrie and Michael to safety. "And why are you snorting?"

"Because Lorrie and Michael are five feet, and Lorrie is just legs," I replied, "and I don't know why we are walking out, but I think one of the main reasons is that I would be a struggle to carry, especially since I am six feet and something inches, and Mel is close to six feet as well."

"I am not that close to being six feet, so shut up, TJ," Mel said while she scowled and narrowed her eyes at me, even though a small smile appeared on her lips. "I'm not five feet and eleven inches."

"But you are five feet and nine inches," I reminded her while she rolled her eyes and scowled, pressing her lips into a thin line. "That is two to three inches away from six feet, and you know it."

"Does that mean I have a shot at getting to six feet?" the last sister, Beverly, asked. "I mean, I am not at five feet and six inches, yet, but I am close."

"No, you aren't," Ethan said and rolled his eyes with a scowl on his face. "You are two inches away from five feet and six inches. I should know because I am five feet and six inches."

Beverly scoffed and rolled her eyes. "No, you a-"

Aenes interrupted them by clearing his throat, and they instantly looked at him with wide eyes. Amusement filled his eyes while he tucked his head closer to his chest, and he looked between the two of them before he looked at me and then looked at them again. "As much as I would enjoy listening to this argument between the two of you, I think it is for the best that we save it for later," he said. "Come here, you two, so that we can get you out of the car. Ok?"

"Yes, Sir," the other two said and nodded before they made their way to Aenes.

Aenes picked them up and looked at me. "You and Mel will have to wait a little while longer until I get back," he said. "After that, you all will be able to go home. Ok?"

I sighed and slowly nodded, moving a hand through my hair. "Ok," I said. "Help Mel out first before you help me out, though," I said.

"T-"

I held up my hand, silencing my sister, even though I knew that I was going to get an earful from her whenever we were alone and waiting for Aenes to arrive again so that we could escape this death trap. "If something happens, then I want her safe."

Aenes pressed his lips into a thin line and slowly nodded, and worry flashed through his eyes. "Of course," he said, ignoring the glare that my sister was sending his way. "Excuse me, and I will get them to safety before I get you two out."

And without another word, he did what he said he would do and took them to safety.

Oh, Goddess, protect them...

***

Mel turned to look at me and scowled as soon as Aenes's back was facing us, and I looked at her through the rearview mirror. "What was that?" she asked and narrowed her eyes further.

I cocked my head and furrowed my brows while I continued to tap on the steering wheel. "What was what?" I asked while I looked at her, not turning to look at her directly.

"What was the point of telling Aenes that you wanted me to get out first and for me to be safe?"

"Because you are my sister, and you are only sixteen?" I asked while I furrowed my brows and cocked my head before I turned to look at her. "Why else would I tell him to get you out first?"

"Because you are more important than me?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "I mean, you are the Alpha Chosen, and you are the next in line to take over the pack as Alpha, a-"

"That's what the Alpha Chosen means," I said, interrupting her, and she blinked and blinked again with her mouth hanging open.

Finally, she closed her mouth and cleared her throat. "Uhhhhh, what?" she asked and cocked her head while she furrowed her brows, pursing her lips in annoyance. "What do you mean?"

"Alpha Chosen means that I am the next in line to take over the pack as Alpha," I replied with a shake of my head. "You didn't have to say it twice, Mel."

Mel bit back an annoyed sigh and rolled her eyes, scowling. "My point is, you should be the next one to get out and not me. I'll be fine, T."

I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head. "I highly doubt that, Mel," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "And as the next in line to take over the pack as Alpha, my duty is to take care of my pack, a-"

"And that is exactly the main reason why you should go out first," Mel said, gesturing toward me with her hand. "Thank you for agreeing with me, T. I really appreciate it."

I rolled my eyes and scowled. "I did not agree with you, Mel," I said. "You forgot the part in which you are a member of my pack, so it is my duty to take care of you, which is why you are going first." I shrugged and grimaced. "Besides, Mom would kill me if something bad happens to you, and I had this feeling that something bad could happen."

Mel rolled her eyes and scowled, pressing her lips into a thin line. "But she would be mad at me if you don't," she said, defending herself with a shake of her head. "Sh-"

"She will not," I said and shook my head, interrupting her. "And you know that she will not. She knows that I am stubborn, and that Aenes will do what I tell him to do, so she will not be mad at you."

Mel pursed her lips in annoyance and narrowed her eyes. "So you will have Aenes use magic on me if I do not leave before you?"

"Absolutely," I said and nodded in confirmation. "So, you might as well just leave when Aenes comes to collect you."

"Which will be now," Aenes said after he cleared his throat, and we looked at him. There was a pained expression on his face while he held out his hand for Mel to take. "So, come on, Melody," he said. "Let's get you out of there."

"But..." She furrowed her brows and looked between the two of us, pressing her lips into a thin line.

But what about TJ..?

Her question hung in the air while I looked at her, tucking my head closer to my chest and giving her a grim smile.

"I will be fine, Mel," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "No matter what happens I will be fine. I promise. I still have to annoy you and get revenge against you and your mate when you meant him." I flashed her a small wink with a small smirk on my face, and my sister rolled her eyes and scowled, with her cheeks turning red.

"Very funny, TJ," she grumbled.

She took a deep breath and released it with a small shoosh before she slowly nodded and placed her hand in Aenes. "Ok," she said before she cleared her throat and shifted toward him. "I'll see you soon?" she asked and looked at me with wide yes.

I smiled and nodded, my heart breaking because I had no idea if that would be true or not. "I'll see you soon, Mel."

And with that, Aenes helped her out of the vehicle and started to lead her away to safety, leaving me in the vehicle all alone, my heart breaking while I waited in complete and total silence for whatever that was supposed to happen to happen without a care in the world.

Oh, Goddess keep my family safe...