"Logan?" I looked to see Asher approaching me. His forehead creased with worried.

"Yeah man, what's up?" My voice broke with the emotions I struggled to contain. Asher let out a deep sigh as he took a seat next to me. Neither of us spoke for a while. What could either of us say after all of this? I knew what I wanted to say. I wanted to apologize for letting this all happen, for not trying to do more to stop it. Mostly, I wanted to apologize for not being the alpha my father was and his father before him. I was weaker and allowed my emotions to get the best of me.

"Griffin's stable now," he finally said. "He has a concussion, three broken ribs and a pretty nasty bite on his neck, but he'll live. Havers did a pretty bang up job fixing him up." Not even looking at him, I gave a slight nod. "Look, Logan, this wasn't your fault man. What happened today wasn't anyone's fault. Sometimes shit goes bad, and no matter what we do to try and stop it, it still goes bad."

"I should have just agreed to let his son have the pack. None of this would have happened if I had. He would have never thought I took his son," I said defeated becoming angrier at myself.

"Maybe, but you would have never met Izzy, and Eric would have still gone missing." His words stopped me cold. "Everything hap-"

"Wait, what did you just say?" Asher's eyebrows knitted together.

"What, you would have never met Izzy?" He asked.

"No, Eric. Eric would still have gone missing," I half yelled at him. "I had been so caught up with finding Eric and him dying, I never once considered why Eric went missing in the first place." By the time I was done speaking, I was on my feet running down the path.

"Logan, where are you going?" Asher asked jogging behind me. I was sure he probably thought I had lost my mind, but for the first time in a long time, I was thinking clearly.

"Midnight Creek," I said.

"Midnight Creek? But why?" I didn't bother to answer him this time. Shifting, I took off towards Midnight Creek. "Logan, wait!" I could hear him yell after me but didn't bother to stop. I needed to do this. Phillips wasn't going just to let it rest. I needed to make sure this wouldn't happen again.

Running on a broken leg wasn't my best decision, but I refused to waste any more time. The sharp pain that shot through me each time my front paw made contact with the ground slowed me down quite a bit. It wasn't until the next morning that I arrived exhausted, my leg in dire need of medical attention. By the time I reached the border my run had become a slow agonizing limp.

"Stop, right there!" The voice was demanding and powerful, one that must have to belong to one of Midnight Creek's guards. Immediately I stopped, glad for the chance to take the weight of my injured leg.

The guard stepped from behind a large tree about ten feet from where I stood. He wasn't a sizable man, but the unwavering look of determination on his face made it very clear that he was a formidable opponent. The man reached behind the tree and tossed me a pair of shorts.

"What are you doing here?" He had demanded before I was even able to shift entirely. I threw on the shorts awkwardly with one hand and tucked my broken arm against me.

"I'm Alpha Blackwell of Silent River. I apologize for coming without notice, but I need to speak of one of my pack members currently staying here," I said standing straight and trying to appear as professional as I could manage at the moment.

"Hold on one moment." I stood there waiting as he linked with one of his pack member, presumably Alpha Grey. "Alpha Grey is waiting to speak with you in his office," he said with a curt nod in the direction of their house.

"Thanks." Jogging toward the gates, I noticed a large number of wolves within the forest. I wasn't sure if this was normal or if my presence was to blame. Either way, a twinge of sadness ran through me at the number of pack members Alpha Grey had, something I had once had.

"Alpha Blackwell, I wasn't expecting your visit. How are you?" Though Grey's greeting was respectful, I couldn't help but notice the agitation in his voice. He was not happy with my unscheduled visit.

"Alpha Grey, I apologize for the intrusion, but I really must speak to one of my pack members, you so graciously allowed to stay here." His eyes seemed to search mine for a moment.

"And you couldn't just speak to this individual through your pack link? You had to come over here?" He asked incredulously. What was I supposed to tell him? The truth? No, that would only make me look weak and possibly put my pack in danger, but then again this guy had been my friend.

"It is something better-discussed face to face. It is a sensitive matter," I said trying not to lie to him. "It has to do with the reason Crescent Moon attacked us."

"I don't know what has happened between Silent River and Crescent Moon, and as I told your third in command before, I don't want to. You coming here like this when Alpha Phillips has made it quite clear he will not stop until you are dead, it puts my pack in danger. Something I can't allow." Grey let out a deep sigh and slumped into his chair.

"Is that why you had all those wolves out there, because of Phillips?" I asked. Of course, that had to be why.

"I had all my men out there because of you, but yes, Phillips is a concern." His words felt like a sucker punch to my gut. Did he not trust me?

"You know that I wouldn't do anything to hurt your pack?" I hadn't meant it as a question, but that was exactly how it came out like I was pleading for him to say 'Yeah man, I know.'

"Look, we use to be close, and I know that the Logan, the one I called my friend would never do anything to hurt my pack. With that being said, you are not that man anymore." Opening my mouth to protest, he cut me off. He ran his hand through his hair and looked at me. What was that look? Pity, anger, disappointment, or maybe a mixture of all three?

"I get it, okay. Losing Olivia was a terrible blow, but you shutting everyone out, refusing to handle even your alpha responsibilities, that is not the Logan I knew." I stood there held in place by his words. The mere mention of her had sucked all the air out of my lungs, sent my heart pounding wildly in my chest. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath I tried to calm myself. Once I felt in control again, I opened them and looked up at my once dear friend. He was right. I wasn't the same guy he had once known.