So, out of curiosity, who's your favorite character? Nora, Emma, or Thea? ;)

~Lissa

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"I have a bad feeling about this guy," Temp muttered, hiking next to me. "He could be leading us into a trap, Blue." The next day, all of us left in the afternoon, trampling through the humid forest. I was trailing after Tyler, staring at the back of his bobbing head in caution. Of course, I didn't trust the werewolf - after all, he had threatened to kill me and take my new power over the pack several times. Temp remained at my side, his eyes skimming the trees, and every once in awhile, he complained in my ear. On my other side, Kolton was stomping, his evil eyes narrowed, also focused on our surroundings. Surprisingly, he hadn't been as hateful towards me; I hadn't quite earned his respect, but I was getting somewhere. Pete lingered behind me, carrying a bag packed with medical supplies, and the rest of the pack followed after him. "Look at him, just the way he walks looks evil."

I rolled my eyes. "Believe me, I don't trust him."

"I say we kill him," Temp whispered, glaring at Tyler's back.

"We need him," I reminded him, taking a deep breath. "Unless he pulls something, his head remains attached to his body." I glanced over at Kolton who was sweating and breathing heavily, a blade poking out of the waistband of his pants. "I guarantee Kolton wouldn't mind decapitating someone." Hearing his name, Kolton turned his head, cocking an eyebrow.

"Who am I decapitating?"

I grinned. "No one yet."

"You know, I'm starting to like the way you're thinking," Kolton commented, stepping over a fallen branch. Temp frowned, pinching his lips together at his words. Obviously, he wasn't happy that I was working with an unpredictable, cruel werewolf - two of them, actually. I was slowly winning Kolton over, mainly because I was allowing him to have a little fun, but I still didn't trust him. I knew that if he could, he would've killed me and returned to his position as leader of the pack, just like Tyler wanted. Speaking of him, he kept looking at me with a devious expression, making me question his intentions. "I'd be happy to kill this werewolf - no way in hell is he taking control over us after this."

"He won't," I said, getting a look of confusion from Temp and a smirk from Kolton. "He'll never gain control over this pack."

Kolton nodded. "How so?"

"Well, I'll need to deal with Ethen Volkov," I told him, calmly. "When I've succeeded against him, I'll have no use, no care, for this pack." Temp swore under his breath and scratched his jaw, not enjoying my words. "But, I won't leave this pack to be lead by a tyrant." I gestured towards the untrustworthy man ahead of me, before looking at Kolton with a shrug. "That includes you - you're a tyrant, just like him. This pack deserves a true leader, an Alpha who is only cruel when necessary."

He scowled. "Then, who the fuck is going to take over?"

"Leave that up to me," I said, pointing my nose in the air. He huffed in response and looked away, muttering something under his breath. When Temp tapped my shoulder, he stumbled next to me, narrowing his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?" he hissed, quietly. "I'm reading your thoughts, Blue. This isn't you."

Frustrated, I looked away. "Stay out of my head."

"You're so stupid," he grumbled, running his fingers through his hair. "Look, I think you're letting this power get to - "

"It's only a couple more hours," Tyler announced, loudly. "Stick close." I took a deep breath, getting more worried with each second that passed. What if he was leading us into a trap? If anything happened to Temp, to the pack, it would've been all my fault. We hiked and hiked - every once in awhile, we stopped for water and food breaks. I learned that Tyler was an impatient person; he kept trying to rush us, making me even more suspicious of him. Thankfully, throughout the forest, we hadn't encountered any other supernatural creature; I was relieved that Torments weren't anywhere to be seen. I listened to my surroundings, which consisted mostly of grumbles from the pack and complaints from Temp. Nearly two hours later, my feet were aching and Tyler stopped at the edge of the treeline. "Here we are."

I moved forward, peering at the unfamiliar, old cabin. "You're kidding."

"I'm not," Tyler said, frowning. "This is where they're staying."

"They?" I repeated, eyebrows shooting up. "Please tell me that his brothers aren't here too." He gave me a look and shrugged his shoulders, carelessly. "You were supposed to lead us to Ethen - not his brothers. That was the deal."

"I can't help it that he's with his brothers," he argued, quietly. "Besides, there's a chance that not everyone is here."

Temp stepped forward. "Who is everyone?"

"You'll see," he muttered, before darting out of the treeline towards the cabin. I lunged after him, but Temp snatched my shoulder, holding me back. What the hell had I gotten myself into? Running my fingers through my hair, I released a quiet groan and whirled around, looking at my worried pack. All of them were staring at me, waiting for an order, waiting for something. Kolton moved forward, licking his lips and wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Change of plans?" he asked, coldly.

I glanced over my shoulder at the cabin. "Not sure."

"Can I decapitate him?"

"Not yet."

Before he was able to respond, Pete moved forward, breathing heavily. He opened his mouth to speak, probably to explain that he wasn't moving any farther, but I spoke first. "Don't say it - you're not going anywhere. We need to figure things out before anyone moves, understand?" I peered back at the cabin, noticing the flickering of a light inside. "That's an order." Hesitantly, he nodded and backed away, appearing upset and concerned. Temp tapped my shoulder, grabbing my attention.

"Are you serious?" he asked, shaking his head. "You need to be careful with ordering these werewolves around, Blue."

"I'm their Luna."

"You're also human," he pointed out, cocking an eyebrow. "All it takes is for one to snap and kill you with ease."

I took a deep breath. "Stop worrying."

"Come on, we should move in," he blurted, surprising me. "Maybe he hasn't warned him yet - we could still have the element of surprise."

"All of the brothers could be in there," I responded, frowning. "Oh, and whoever else." I watched the cabin for a long moment, noticing the moving of figures beyond the windows. "I think it's too dangerous; we should turn around and leave while we still have the chance."

Kolton growled. "Too late."

Suddenly, people emerged from the cabin from different exits, all wearing scowls. I knew it was coming - Tyler had warned them. My eyes skimmed the variety of hair colors and eye colors of the people. I searched for the familiar face of Ethen, but I didn't see him, only two men who resembled him, most likely the two other brothers. Panic seized in my chest and I took a deep breath, eyeing the threats in front of me. The tallest Volkov brother lingered near a redhead with green eyes, one who was flanked by a bulky man with brown hair and ocean-blue eyes and another man with chestnut-colored hair and the same eyes as her.

The other Volkov brother was standing near the porch, guarding a young woman, his hands curled into fists. Other werewolves scattered the property, shoulders squared and chins raised in the air. Kolton swore under his breath and Temp moved closer to me, whispering in my ear. "Order to attack, Blue."

"Hand me a gun," I commanded, holding out my hand. Temp hesitated, before reaching for one of the guns in the waistband of his pants. He slapped the weapon into my hand and I shoved it into the back of mine, quickly. I listened to the snarls and growls from all around me - Kolton bent forward, preparing to shift on my command. The pack dropped all of their belongings and spread out, bracing themselves. I wasn't sure what I was thinking, maybe I wasn't thinking at all. Hesitantly, I glanced behind me at my pack, before shouting, "Attack!"

The sounds of bones popping and cracking filled my ears, followed by numerous wolves charging forward from behind me. Kolton, in his wolf form, released a howl, before lunging forward with his teeth snapping. For a few minutes, I watched the battle before me, unfazed. Temp grabbed the other gun from the back of his pants, keeping it in his hands. "I'm going to try to move into the cabin - I'll see if Ethen's in there."

"Be careful," I blurted, worriedly. "Just, uh, be careful."

Slowly, he nodded and hurried forward, not sparing another glance at me. I took a deep breath, noticing how my pack members were avoiding the Volkov brothers - a couple times, I had witnessed their claimed dark magic. This was unbelievable; I knew Tyler was going to warn them. Speaking of him, I was suddenly knocked to the ground from behind, smacking the muddy earth. With a yelp, I whipped around onto my back, peering up at Tyler who was situated above me. His canines were extended, along with his claws. "I want my power, Babydoll," he growled, drool dripping onto my clothes.

His hand came towards my face, his claws aiming for my throat. Quickly, I snatched his wrist, using the little strength I had to stop him, but he was incredibly strong. His hand, his claws, inched and inched closer to me and my muscles protested. "Get off me!" I screamed, before taking the risk of using one of my busy hands to punch him in the nose. He grunted, his weight wavering above me; taking the opportunity, I kicked him off me and staggered to my feet. I watched as he growled again and rose to his feet, angry.

"You think you can defeat me?" he said, harshly. "I'm a werewolf - you're a pathetic human. You should know better."

"I can defeat you," I told him, whipping out my gun. He flinched when he heard the click of when I turned the safety off. "I warned you that if you tried anything, I'd kill you."

He laughed, enthusiastically. "So, you're going to kill me, huh?" He tossed his hands into the hair, before grinning at me and pointing an accusing finger. "I don't think you will because I don't think you have it in you. You're trying to pull off this tough girl act, but it's obvious you're just weak. You don't have a stomach; you don't have a brain, judging on your poor decision-making." I tightened my grip on the gun when he stepped closer to me, bravely. "I've been around for a long time; I've survived Hell, Babydoll. I'll survive now, but I can't say the same about you."

I licked my lips. "Don't come any closer."

He stepped towards me, again. "Do you want to know something?" He looked around and squinted at me when I stumbled backwards. "I remember you - I remember seeing you at the facility, Babydoll." My stomach twisted inside of me; this wasn't good. "You see, I was barely conscious; I was highly drugged and all my surroundings were pretty much a blur. But, there was this one time, this one second, when I was being dragged down a corridor and I saw a scientist walk by me." He pointed a finger at me, moving closer. "That was you. I remember you, so do you remember me?"

"I-I don't know what you're t-talking - "

"Don't play dumb," he interrupted, rolling his eyes. "I was going to expose you to the entire pack, but where's the fun in that? When I can just kill you? Make up a bunch of shit about you afterwards?" He released a harsh laugh again, stepping towards me. "All of you scientists put me through hell. Tell me, did your boyfriend work there too?" I knew he was speaking of Temp and I pinched my lips together, gulping loudly. "You think I'm the monster, but really, you are."

"Don't come any closer."

He took another steps towards me. "Whoops."

"Stay back," I warned, shaking my head. "I'll shoot." Next thing I knew, he was charging at me, his claws raised. Closing my eyes, I reluctantly pulled the trigger, hearing and feeling the firing of the bullet. Shakily, I opened my eyes, seeing Tyler wobbling back and forth on his feet, looking down at the bullet wound right below his chest. Blood started pouring from the wound and as he was trying to produce words, he dropped to his knees in front of me. "I-I told you - I would kill you if you tried anything."

I watched as he fell over onto his side, his lips bloody. Taking a deep breath, I whipped around, skimming the battle in front of me. Temp, I thought, wondering if he was okay. I'm coming. Tightening my hold on the gun, I hesitantly charged through the battle, ignoring the cries of pain from all around me. I stumbled up the creaky wooden steps and into the cabin, breathing heavily. Listening, I wandered throughout the place, desperately searching for him. The kitchen was empty. The dining area was empty. I rushed down the hallway and turned into the last room, which happened to be a bedroom, one that contained Temp and Ethen.

For a brief second, I was frozen, shocked. We had found him. He was standing there, hovering above an unconscious Temp. When he reached towards Temp's body, I raised the gun and spoke one word. "Don't."

Slowly, he straightened and turned, facing me. When his emerald eyes found me, they widened slightly, swarming with emotions. His dark hair was messy and he was dressed head-to-toe in black; he still looked the same. A weird feeling overwhelmed me and I tightened my hold on the gun, reminding myself how dangerous he was. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was lost with words. To be honest, I was a little lost too; the memory of him leaving me kept replaying in my head. The gun started feeling heavy in my hands and I took a deep breath. "Don't touch him."

"Thea?" he breathed, frowning. "I don't - what are you doing here?"

"What does it look like?" I countered, shrugging. The gun started to tremble in my hands and desperately, I tried to stop it by changing my stance. His eyes flickered towards the gun, pausing for a long second, before looking me in the eyes. I didn't realize that a tear had slipped from my eye until they started burning, uncontrollably. I mentally scolded myself for crying; why was I? "I'm here to kill you, Ethen."

There was a sharp intake. "Okay."

"Okay?" I repeated, frowning. "That's it? I'm about to kill you and that's all you have to say for yourself?" Another hot tear escaped my eye and I stepped farther into the room, keeping the gun raised. "I helped you and you betrayed me. You left me in that forest, all alone, and killed that Alpha after everything." He looked down at his feet, refusing to look me in the eyes as I spoke. "I've been searching for you for weeks and here I am. I came all this way - I've literally fought for my life, so I can stand here and look you in the eyes when I pull this trigger." He glanced at Temp's motionless body, before looking at me. "And, I was hoping for an explanation, for some ridiculous plead for me not to."

"Back at the facility, I expressed that dying wasn't a worry for me," he responded, quietly. "I've been tired of this world for the last century, Thea." He squared his shoulders and his emerald eyes stared at the gun in my hands. "And, when I accepted that I was ready to leave, I found a reason to stay." More tears started streaming down my cheeks and honestly, I didn't understand why. "But, clearly, I've lost you. I love my family, but they're no longer my anchor. There's nothing keeping me here and if anybody should kill me, it should be you."

"All I need to do is shoot you in the head," I told him, nodding. "I think you'll stay dead if the bullet remains there."

"I believe it," he said, licking his bottom lip. "Do it."

I shook my head. "Not until I get answers." I moved closer to him, keeping the barrel pointed at his forehead. "Why'd you do it?"

"It's my nature."

Frantically, I blinked. "Your nature? To leave a girl out in the forest after she helped you? Believed in you? Saved you?" He made a sound and started tapping his foot, remorsefully. "After everything you said and I saw, I didn't believe you were a monster up until that point. But, you are, aren't you? Like you said, it's your nature. . ."

"It sounds like you're trying to convince yourself to pull the trigger," he spoke, calmly. "It's not easy, believe me." I stared at him for a long moment, knowing there was a bigger meaning behind those words, such as it wasn't easy leaving me in the forest. "You should know, I didn't kill the Alpha. Currently, he's on the outskirts of town; I broke his connection to Tyler, so he wouldn't have to follow orders from him nor would Tyler be able to sense his presence." I frowned at him in disbelief; after all this time and all this searching? "I left you in the forest because for the briefest moment, I wanted to kill him. It proved I'm a monster and you don't deserve to be around someone like me."

"I could've died," I told him, trembling. "I almost did."

He nodded, slowly. "I knew you were strong."

"Wow, so that's it, huh?" I responded, shrugging. "That's all you have to say?" He nodded again in response, remaining silent. I took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes - this was it. After all this searching, I finally had the moment I was waiting for. I tightened my hold on the gun, allowing my finger to hesitate on the trigger. He didn't bother closing his eyes, instead he stared into mine, patiently. But, I needed to close mine, which is what I did when I pulled the trigger. There was a sharp pain in my chest when I heard the firing of the bullet and my arms went numb, followed by the gun dropping from my hands. I sniffled and hesitantly, peeled my eyes opened, both shocked and relieved when the bullet was hovering in front of him.

He glanced at me, debating whether or not to let the bullet drop or fly forward. Tears were pooling in my eyes and noticing my expression, the bullet clattered to the ground. A moment of silence passed between us and I looked towards the gun on the ground. I glanced towards Temp who was still unconscious, his chest slowly rising, then falling. Ethen hesitated, before moving towards me, his strides quiet and swift. I cleared my throat and held up a hand, before speaking, "Don't c-come close to me."

"I'm not going to hurt you," he assured, moving closer. I was a little shocked when his arms wrapped around me and sparks fled throughout my body. I was crushed against his warm, large body, but I didn't wrap my arms around him; I couldn't. "Thank you, Thea."

I frowned. "For what?"

"Pulling the trigger," he answered, quietly. "All this time, I've been bracing myself for death - and I found myself in a situation where my life was on the line. I thought that I could leave this world, but when I saw the bullet flying towards me, there was the split second that I realized I wasn't ready. I don't want to leave." His arms tightened around me as I listened, collecting myself. "So, thank you; you really are strong if you could pull that trigger. You have no idea."