t w e n t y - f i v e
n e f a r i o u s
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dedicated to lucksless ❤️ - from here on, most comments get dedications ;)

AFTER HAILING A taxi, Eretria and Connor sat in silence for the duration of the fifteen minute journey, eyes trailing across the surface of the moon as it hung by a thread in the ominous night sky. Electricity fizzed through Tia's veins, her fingers yearning to touch Connor in ways she had only ever imagined. Yet, for the sake of the driver, she kept her hands tucked into her lap and distracted herself my chewing her gums with her canines.

Conversation only sparked as the drab grey Toyota Auris pulled onto the circular gravel drive outside the magnificent front doors of Daniel's mansion. Although the mansion was considered to have never been owned, with its resident vampire dead Tia felt a flock of butterlies swirl in her stomach glancing at the magnificent building.

"Thank you," Tia smiled as she clambered out of the taxi, nodding to Connor to pay the man. As a response, Connor quirked his lips and ran inside before returning with fifteen dollars to pay the driver. His top half was still bare, and the sweat made his abdominal muscles appear luminescent.

As the taxi rolled away, smoke sputtering out of its ancient exhaust, Tia stepped forward to pull Connor's lips against hers gently. "About tonight," The woman spoke quietly, before pulling away and seductively biting her lip. "I-"

Connor waved a hand to stop Tia's effortless words. "Ti, I don't want to take things too quickly."

The male's ocean eyes flickered over Eretria's figure as she wound her hands behind his head, playing with the delicate strands of his brown hair. She held onto him as though she was afraid that letting him go - that this would be the last time she ever got the opportunity to touch him.

"That's ok," she muttered, heart pulsating against her ear drums like thunder. She could smell the smoke on Connor; the obnoxious and pungent aroma of wet pelt and blood that caked his fingernails. "I've never really been one for relationships before."

Connor raised an arched brow. "You're calling this a relationship?"

"Well, when you put it like that it sounds like kindergarten where the kids don't even talk to each other and call each other boyfriend and girlfriend," The woman chuckled, all thoughts of Jasper - of the world - vanishing as Connor's electric touch held her, captivated. "But yes. Although I hate labels."

A melodic laugh left the confines of Connor's mouth. "I just don't want to ruin this by going too quickly."

Tia smiled at the comment, but guilt began to well up in her stomach and threatened to explode. She felt sick that she had kept it a secret for so long - the secret that had been the derivative of all of her trust issues.

"You won't," Eretria encouraged with a quirk of her ruby-coated lips. "But Connor," she gazed at the man as though he would dissipate as soon as she told him, "I need to tell you something. Something I should've told you ages ago."

The Mexican she-wolf waited patiently to see her partner push her away in disgust, but instead Connor removed Tia's hands from around her neck and clasped them between his own.

"Whatever it is, Tia, it's not going to change this," He murmured, giving her tanned hands a squeeze for reassurance.

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"It won't, ok?" Connor continued, smiling as he kissed Tia's forehead and lead her towards the door. "Tia, it won't change anything. And you can tell me somewhere more private, if you want to?"

Eretria nodded quickly, hands retracting from Connor's as they fastened around the glacial handle of the mansion door and pried it open. A rush of warm air greeted them, and the pair effortlessly stepped into the marble confines of the grand house, relishing the heat from the roaring fire Tia could hear using her heightened sense. The lack of Daniel's presence made the whole house feel empty, despite the numerous voices Tia could hear in the other rooms of the extensive dwelling. A dwelling that she would, perhaps, now call home. After all, she could get used to the open-plan design of the kitchen, and other people to keep her company. She had lost her pack, but as a result, she had gained a new one. They would never be the same - hell, most weren't even the same species as her - but it felt right.

"I only want you to know," Tia continued once the door slammed behind them. "I don't trust anyone else."

Connor nodded slowly, bringing his arm around the small of Tia's back and melding to her curved body.

From the sound of it, and the glistening lights illuminating every nook and cranny of the house, the survivors had arrived back from the battle at Connor's old pack house. Out of curiosity, Tia followed the voices, which emanated from the kitchen, and dragged Connor along behind her. She sighed in relief as Colton emerged from the kitchen, rubbing the back of his head with a shadow hanging over his features as though he had seen a ghost.

"Colton," Tia uttered, running up to her best friend before slamming into him and almost knocking him off his feet. Taken aback, Colton attempted to steady himself from the sudden embrace, but instead his legs gave way, with his body cushioning Tia's fall as his figure smacked against the marble floor.

"Ow," Colton groaned, rubbing his arm as though it would diminish the pain. "Tia, I love you, but that hurt."

Tia ignored Colton's comment, and rapped her arms around him as tightly as she would allow. "You don't know how happy I am to see you."

"And I would say the same if my arm wasn't broken," Colton hissed as he tried to move the limb, which had already begun to heal. Tia quickly picked herself off the floor whilst Connor offered the man a hand, which he hesitantly took. "But shit, for the love of god, don't run off like that again, please."

Tia embraced Colton once more as the stench of wet blood hit her nostrils like a wrecking ball. Her best friend's clothes were torn, the exposed skin of his scratched chest pressing against the soft material of her black top. "I won't," she whispered and pulled away in a second, falling back into Connor's warm presence. "And I mean it this time."

"You better," Colton muttered accompanied by a laugh. "I mean, you broke my fucking arm."

"Suck it up, Coco. You're a werewolf; it'll be as good as new in two days."

The nickname made Colton freeze in his stride. "Coco? Do I look like a Coco to you?"

Eretria shrugged her shoulders as casually as she could, despite the protest from every joint and muscle fibre in her body. "I've always envied your eyebrows."

"And?"

"And I love you and I know how much you hate that name," Tia winked. "How is everyone?"

"Alive, mostly. A few of us made it out, but some – they weren't so lucky," Colton sighed, itching the back of his neck as though he was nervous.

For the first time in a minute, Connor decided it was his turn to speak. "Is Sofia alright?" He enquired with a livid expression. Tia felt her stomach drop, but she had grown out of her jealously for the extremely beautiful blonde vampire.

"Yeah, she made it out," Colton replied, but refused to give Connor any eye contact. Eretria knew of Colton's distaste towards the other man – after all, he had only ever wanted the best for her, as she did for him – but she ignored it as best she could, and broke the ice by striding towards the entrance to the dining room.

But before she could enter through the archway, Colton caught the woman's wrist and held her back firmly. "Tia, I wouldn't."

Eretria angrily yanked her hand away, glancing in disgust at her blood caked nails. A trip to the toilet was well needed, but that would come after checking that everyone who had supported her was alive and well. She acted as though she didn't have a heart – like it no longer beat within the confines of her chest – but she cared immensely about the people who stood beside her when they barely knew her.

"Colton, you know better than everyone that I don't let people tell me what to do," She growled, not even blinking as she walked past Connor, who's jaw was pulsating at a sheer glance into the dining room. Finding her courage, Tia tucked her hair behind her ears and pushed her shoulders back. Yet what was beyond was something she had never anticipated.

Holding her breath, Tia's eyes fell on the seat where Ethan had been sat merely a couple of nights ago. But unlike her ruthless adoptive brother, this man was bound tightly to the chair with thick rope, ensuring his inability to escape. The male was barely conscious, with his black hair wet from sweat. His amber orbs fell on Tia in an instant, and narrowed as his sculpted lips parted to let out a short breath of air. 

In that moment, a rush of emotions conflicted in Eretria's skull, deciding whether to kill the man sat before her, or wait until the group of vampires gathered around the mahogany furniture set explained what was going on. Eventually, Tia decided on the latter, biting her tongue to keep her thoughts from becoming even more jumbled.

"What the hell is he still doing alive?" The woman hissed, stalking up to the end of the table so that she was standing directly in front of the captive male. She wanted to wrap her hands around his neck and squeeze until he choked on his own breath; it was what he deserved after murdering countless of his own kind.

The group of vampires - which barely amounted to twenty people - stared at the confident woman, too afraid to voice the situation. Eventually, Sofia stepped forward as Ethan emerged from the shadows. Tia's adoptive brother carefully stepped behind Jared, placing a pastel hand on his head before yanking it upright until his eyes were level with Tia's scorching-cold orbs.

"We're having a vote," Sofia explained. "To decide whether he lives or not."

Eretria defiantly crossed her arms over her chest, shrinking away from Connor's hand as she felt it linger on the small of her back. "Is that even up for debate?"

"See?" Ethan snarled, "I say we kill him before he causes anyone else more harm." On cue, Ethan's nail clicked with an excruciating crunch, before the ivory elongated into an ebony claw. It snaked around Jared's pulsing throat, threatening to cut deep into the skin before it could be healed.

Sofia frantically waved a hand to stop Ethan's finger. "I know what he's done, but listen," She spoke out clearly, as though she was a natural leader. "We need him. Jasper's got an army, and we don't have the man power to take him on. At least with Jared, we have another skilled person to add to the cause. We need him to fight for us."

"And what makes you think that he'll even be on our side?" Tia stated blatantly.

"Because he wants Jasper dead as badly as the rest of us."

At the mention of the brute's name, Jared's head nodded upwards as his eyes slowly began to pry themselves open. Dust that had collated around the corners of his eyes partially fell away, leaving an intense amber blustering across the room from his illuminated irises. A chuckle vibrated from his throat, sticking to his mouth as he rasped.

"Great," he laughed, the lack of seriousness on his face making Tia bite her tongue even harder. "We get to be one big, dysfunctional family again."

Eretria immediately shook her head. "Nope. Nu-uh. Not happening."

"Tia, we've all voted-" Sofia piped up, but the woman glared at her with a bit more heat than originally intended.

"Then I vote he dies."

Connor stepped forward. "Me too."

The pair expected the captive to slump back in his chair, Ethan's hands still placed threateningly at the base of his neck, but instead a smile grew on his lips. "Oh, but sweetheart, you need me."

"Call me that again, and I'll shove wolf's bane so far up your ars-"

"Tia," Sofia spoke softly, her voice much too light for the void situation. "We need him alive. He has wolves that can help us, and right now, we're in no state to turn down help. And sadly, the majority voted for him to live. After losing Daniel, we don't want to have to face more death."

Tia's mouth dropped open, and Connor's expression fell like a stone through water. The woman tensed her muscles, feeling nothing but numb pain every time she glanced in Jared's general direction. She hated the man - perhaps not as much as Jasper - but it was a feeling she couldn't control as it tingled through her fingers, urging her to kill.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," she growled, taking a step back until her body pressed against Connor's bare chest. Eretria effortlessly wove her arm around Connor's tugging him away to stop her from committing to an act that would ultimately turn the others against her. "I'm sorry, I just can't."

But the Mexican froze in her step as Jared raised his voice to a dangerous level, sending a hush over the crowd of vampires. "Seeing as you need all the help you can get, Sofia," Jared muttered, "Why don't you tell them, Tia?" A hidden emotion lined his voice, something the she-wolf could only pin-down as glee.

"What?" She demanded. Tia turned on her heel, leaving the locks of her thick black hair to fall across her field of vision.

Jared's lips twitched upwards, hovering like a ghost. "Why don't you tell them that you can shift?"

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WOOOO

SORRY FOR THE CLIFF HANGER ;)

What does everyone make of what Jared just said? Do you believe him? How do you think Connor will react? Drop a comment and let me know what you think!!

Sorry for the shitty as hell and boring chapter, but everything is wrapping up and that means lots of romance, and lots of action 😏😉 there are probably 8 chapters left which is sad but also super exciting!

What does everyone think will happen in the end? What will happen to Jasper? And Jared? And everyone else?

Thank you for reading!! Lotte xxx