Another chapter! I have to admit, I had a lot of trouble writing this one! I'm not sure how I feel about it yet! We are getting closer to the war! :O Who are you hoping doesn't die - I already have the list of names who does ;)

~Lissa

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In the morning, I was reminded as to why I didn't drink.

Crouching on the tiled floor, I wheezed at the burning bile in the back of my throat. I wiped the dots of sweat on my forehead away, swallowing it down. A massive headache was forming, slowly beginning to feel as if somebody was repeatedly smashing my head against the wall. I was pathetically hunched over the toilet, listening to the dripping of water from the faucet and overwhelmed with the smells of my vomit and lavender soap. I ran my fingers through my damp hair, feeling tired. I flushed the toilet and collapsed against the nearest wall, pulling my legs to my chest and pressing my forehead to my knees. A moaning Temp was situated against the cabinet beneath the sink, looking paler than ever.

A few minutes had passed until a groan came and he lurched forward, shoving his face back over the toilet. He started couching up some more, gripping the edge of the toilet, shakily. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling disgusted and aggravated with myself. As he flushed, I started rummaging through my memories - I knew what had happened while under the influence of alcohol. Surprisingly, I remembered it all, but did he? I glanced at him, watching as he leaned back, grumbling. "Blue, this is your fault."

I frowned. "No one forced you to drink with me."

"A man never lets a woman drink alone."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," I responded, rolling my eyes. "You're responsible for your own actions." The tingling feeling in my stomach returned and I returned to the toilet, puking once again. As I shakily spit into the rippling water below, Temp crawled forward and nudged me away, coughing up some more. Never in a million years did I think that I would've ever been puking my guts up with Temp. As he continued to cough, my stomach churned and I slapped a hand over my mouth, taking a deep breath. "Temp, I-I - you need to move."

He moaned. "I'm not done, Blue."

"I'm going to -" Then, the last of the contents in my stomach came up, covering the back of his head. As soon as I was finished, a long moment of silence fell between us. I felt the anger radiating off of him. I swallowed, cringing at the disgusting taste in my mouth. "I'm so sorry! I told you to move!" He turned his head and drops of my vomit dripped into the toilet. "I-I think you should take a shower. Yeah, you should definitely take a shower."

His narrowed eyes met mine. "You think?"

"That's disgusting," I moaned, eyeing the puke on his head. "I think that may be corn, but I'm not sure."

"Blue, if I wasn't feeling so weak and tired right now, I would strangle you," he said, rather calmly. I watched as he slowly rose to his feet, keeping his head tilted to prevent the vomit from falling onto the floor. "I can't believe you fucking puked on me."

I staggered to my feet. "You can use my shampoo - I'd probably use my conditioner too because that corn looks like it's tangling in your hair."

His hands curled into fists at his sides. "How nice of you to offer." He whirled away from me and reached into the shower, turning the handle. Hot water started shooting down, already creating steam. When he faced me, his dark eyes met mine, still filled with anger. I felt horrible for puking on him, but I couldn't hold it down any longer. I had warned him. "Are you going to leave or are you going to join me? I should make you scrub your puke out of my hair."

My cheeks flamed. "I'm going to leave."

"Good idea."

"And, I'm going to run to Walgreens for some aspirin for our hangovers," I continued, pointing towards the door. "If you think of anything else you need, just give me a call."

"I think I'll be too occupied with washing your puke out of my hair," he responded, dryly. I pinched my lips together and awkwardly hurried out of the bathroom, leaving him to shower. I walked out into the drafty living room, snatching my bag. I shoved a piece of minty gum into my mouth and grabbed my sunglasses from the shelf, shoving them onto my face. Then, after slipping on some shoes, I left the apartment and headed to Walgreens down the street. I looked horrible and after Temp took his shower, I planned on taking one.

In Walgreens, I strolled down the aisles, searching for aspirin. My head was pounding and my mysterious sunglasses were a lifesaver. Eventually, I had managed to find the cheapest box of aspirin and grabbed a Snickers bar from the candy aisle for Temp - a lame apology or gift for puking on his head. Maybe the candy would cheer him up. I paid for my items and the checker dropped them into a sack, handing it across the counter to me. I gave him a small smile and left the store, heading back to the apartment.

As I turned the corner, I was suddenly grabbed by the upper arm and yanked into the nearest alleyway. I released a frightful screech, nearly toppling over. In a matter of seconds, I was pressed against the brick wall, a hand covering my mouth, with another pressed against my stomach. I screamed into the hand, but my scream was muffled - I looked into the eyes staring into mine through my sunglasses and froze. A beautiful, emerald color. My shoulders dropped as I processed who was standing in front of me.

Ethen.

There was thick tension between us. With a small grin, he slowly removed his hand from my mouth. We stared at each other for a long minute, soaking in the presence of one another. When he took a step backwards, I moved away from the wall, sputtering for a moment. "What a-are you doing here? How d-did you find me? Ethen?"

"I'm sorry to drop in like this," he apologized, beginning to pace. I swallowed the lump in my throat and eyed him up and down. He was wearing a tailored suit with a maroon tie, one that made him appear very professional. His dark hair was combed back and the misery and pain for me that once stole his features was gone. "But, I needed to find you. I wanted to see you - how are you doing, Thea?"

"I'm fine," I told him, shaking my head. "You came to see how I was doing?"

"Not entirely," he admitted, avoiding my gaze. "The government is closing in. We were forced to leave our home because we spotted soldiers. We're living elsewhere right now." I folded my arms across my chest, keeping the Walgreens sack dangling from my forearm. "Several packs have joined forces with us. They're staying nearby and preparing themselves. Everybody is okay, but the war is happening this weekend."

I stiffened. "You know that for sure?"

"We decided that we are going to attack the government," Ethen informed me, coolly. "No more waiting around for them to make a move."

I started chewing on my bottom lip. "Are sure that's a good idea?" He shrugged his broad shoulders and stopped pacing, facing me. I hated myself for thinking how handsome he looked in his suit. Things were different now. I couldn't be anything with him, not with the war literally a couple days away. I needed to wait. "Um, how is my - Kolton's pack? Are they still with you? Preparing for war?"

"Yes, they are," he answered, nodding once. "They weren't too happy that their Luna abandoned them, but I convinced them that you are seeking help. You were having problems and needed a break."

"Well, that's not technically a lie," I responded, releasing a nervous laugh. A small smile came from him and I took a deep breath, scratching the back of my head. "I'm doing good, Ethen. I really did need a break, but I don't understand what you're doing here. When we went separate ways, I wasn't expecting to see you for at least a couple months. This - you shouldn't be here. I'm just getting myself together."

"We're planning an attack and I'm worried that they'll retaliate and come for you," he said, watching me. "I'm surprised they haven't found you already because it was quite easy for me, though I had our little connection."

"Connection?"

"I have a warm feeling when I'm near you," he muttered, looking down. I awkwardly glanced both ways down the alleyway, hoping Temp wasn't worrying too much about me. "This might be a lot to ask, but I want you to come with me. I want to get you somewhere safe, much safer than this place. I won't be able to think and focus in the war if you're not safe."

I stepped away from him. "I'm fine here, Ethen."

"This isn't a negotiation," he responded, quietly. I froze at his words, nearly choking on air. He wasn't asking me. He was ordering me, like he was in control of me. Like I was a werewolf and he was my Alpha. Apparently, I didn't have a choice. "I'm only concerned for you, Thea. I want you safe. Just until the war is over with."

"I-I don't need this right now," I stuttered, running my fingers through my hair. "I'm starting to feel like myself again, Ethen. I'm getting better! I can't go back to the way things were. It was too much on me."

"I'm sorry," he apologized again, dropping his gaze. "For both our sakes, I need you to come with me."

I straightened my shoulders. "No."

"No?"

"My life is good here," I told him, seriously. "I'm not getting dragged back into the facility a-and werewolf crap. None of that is who I am anymore."

"That's ridiculous," he argued, his tone darkening. He took a step towards me, his shoulders tense and his eyes narrowed. "You never left that 'crap', Thea. All of that is what made you who you are. The facility made you smart and independent. Werewolves made you strong and puissant. You saved me from the government, literally escaped the facility with me. You won against a werewolf and took control of a pack. You found me after I abandoned you." He took another step towards me and my eyes started burning. "Everything that has happened, has defined you. Made you who you are. You can't pretend to be someone you're not."

"No, all of that turned me into someone I'm not," I blurted, frustrated. "I experimented on werewolves, innocent ones too. I killed a werewolf and won a pack for my own selfish, impulsive reasons. I wanted to kill you at one point - I really did." He licked his bottom lip, looking upwards with a sigh. "And, I-I killed Tyler. I suffocated him and I had to look his brother in the eyes. His brother who wanted to help me with the Torment. Do you have any idea how hard that was for me? That wasn't me, Ethen. I don't know who that girl was."

"She's my mate," he said, quietly. "That girl is my mate. You are my mate, Thea. Any side of you, any personality, any change of you is mine." I held my breath when he stopped in front of me, looking down with a torn expression. "You are mine. Just let me protect you. I've failed several times, but I won't this time."

A tear rolled down my cheek. "You can't say that. Not after everything."

"We went through a lot," he responded, shaking his head. "We had a lot of problems, but that doesn't change the fact that you're my mate and I will always protect you. I will always put your safety first."

"Things are different now."

"Things will be different," he corrected, seriously. "After the war, I promise you, I will let you have anything you want. If you want me to leave you alone, I will do that. But, for now, I just need to keep you safe." I started debating in my head about what to do. When I didn't respond, too occupied with my thoughts, he released a deep breath. "There are not many people that I care about in this world, Thea. But, you - I think I love you and that's not good. Not now. I refuse to have you ripped away from me, so you're going to come with me and let me keep you safe."

I stared at him in disbelief. "You - Ethen, I-I don't know."

He reached forward and slowly pulled the sunglasses from my face. "There are the eyes that I missed." I pinched my lips together, noticing that I was trembling in front of him. "Temp can come. Anything to have you safe."

I cleared my throat. "Where is this safe place?"

"A couple hours from here," he answered, twisting my sunglasses in his hands. "When the war is over with, you are free to leave."

I hesitated. "You promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay then," I mumbled, slowly nodding. "But, you're going to have to convince Temp. He isn't going to be as easy." He nodded once in expectation and gestured behind me, beckoning for me to continue back to the apartment with him. I bit my bottom lip and held out my hand, snapping my fingers. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion and with reddening cheeks, I explained, "I have a hangover. I'm going to need those glasses back."

He handed over my sunglasses. "I didn't know you drank."

"I don't," I told him, placing my sunglasses back on my face. "Just got a little carried away, I guess." Not wanting to be questioned on the topic, I whirled around and headed out of the alleyway with a suspicious Ethen following me.

* * *

"Ah, hell no!" Temp shouted, tightening his hold on his gun, the barrel directly pointed at Ethen. "Give me a reason not to shoot you."

Ethen frowned. "Because, I can stop a bullet with my mind."

Temp pinched his lips together in frustration, but kept the gun pointed at Ethen. I wasn't surprised by his reaction of Ethen, my mate, standing in the living room after he left the bathroom from his shower. Of course, being Temp, he instantly snatched his gun and raised it without question. I ran my fingers through my hair and stepped between them - when Temp noticed that the barrel of the gun was now pointed at me, he slowly lowered his weapon. I looked back and forth between the two of them for a minute, before placing my hands on my hips and speaking to Temp. "Will you just hear us out?"

"Why are you using the word 'us'?" Temp asked, coldly. "The only 'us' there is, is you and me." Ethen's jaw tightened and I suddenly felt very uncomfortable. "We're doing fine on our own, Blue. We don't need him. What the hell is he doing here?"

"Look, the war is happening this weekend," I told him, quickly. "Werewolves are attacking the government and it's not safe here. Ethen wants to take us - you and me - to a safe place until the war is over with. That's it. Then, we can leave."

Temp sneered. "No. Not happening."

"I was able to track you down easily," Ethen spoke, coolly. "It won't be long until the government finds you and when we attack, they're going to be furious. They're going to retaliate. They're going to tie up loose ends." I bit my bottom lip, dropping my head. Amanda wasn't going to stop. She was devoted to her job. "You and Thea are loose ends, Temp. This isn't a trick - I want Thea safe and unfortunately, the only way she agreed to come willingly was if you could come along." I looked over my shoulder, giving him a pointed look.

"Oh, is that so?" Temp retorted, venom dripping from his words. "We don't need you - she doesn't need you protecting her. She's safe with me. We'll keep running; we'll find somewhere else to hideout, instead of your stupid place."

I exhaled loudly. "Temp, please."

"No, you are not falling back into his toxic arms," he snapped, his eyes narrowed at me. "He nearly broke you, Thea. I was there for you - I had to help you through everything. I hated seeing you like that and if we go with him, it'll happen all over again, so no. We're not going with him." Temp started pacing back and forth, still holding his weapon. "I suggest he leaves before I start firing."

"A war is going to happen," I told him, struggling to remain calm. "It's not going to be some small battle, Temp. This war is going to change everything. It's going to stretch across America - thousands of people are going to die." I waved my arms in the air, hoping to get the seriousness of the situation across to him. "If we stay here or if we go somewhere else, the war is going to be there too. It's going to be chaotic. Unpredictable. Dangerous. Everyone is going to be fighting. The safest place for us is with - "

"Don't you say him," Temp interrupted, jabbing a finger at Ethen. "Do you not remember the hell he put you through? He made you help him escape the facility, ruining your job and mine when I was protecting your ass - he ruined our damn lives. Then, when you rescued him, he left you for dead in the forest. You had to literally fight for your life during our search because of this bastard." Spit flew from his mouth and veins popped out in his neck. He was furious. "He brought a Torment to you, knowing the suffering one of them put you through."

"The Torment was going to help her," Ethen blurted, defending his actions. "And, I know abandoning her in the forest was a mistake. I will never forgive myself."

"Yeah, damn right it was a mistake," Temp said, shaking his head. "You are the reason for all of this." He gestured around, his eyes skimming our drafty apartment. "If you hadn't come along, she would've never involved herself with you. We'd still be working at the facility. We wouldn't be here right now. We wouldn't be spending the rest of our lives hiding from the government." My eyes were burning at this point; I knew it wasn't going to be easy convincing him. "You caused more harm than good to her."

Ethen raised his chin. "Is that what you think?"

"You ruined her," he responded, a scowl on his face. "I had to keep the pieces of her together, so she wouldn't break. Bringing that Torment along was the last straw. That was too much for her - you are too much for her, don't you see?"

"I'm just trying to protect her," Ethen spoke, seriously. "And, I'm willing to protect you too, Temp."

"I don't want your damn protection!" Temp shouted, nearly dropping his gun. "I want you to leave! I want you to never come back! I want you to leave us the hell alone!" I flinched at his tone and hesitantly, stepped towards him. He stopped pacing, freezing when he spotted me approaching, and kept his gun pointed downwards at the ground. There was frustration, pain, and confusion in his eyes. I didn't want him thinking that I was betraying him again. That wasn't the case. I just wanted what was safest for us.

I bit my bottom lip. "Temp, I care about you, okay? And, I want the best thing for you, which I believe is going with him. I want you to be safe. This isn't about me or my feelings o-or my problems. Not right now. This is about survival. You were a soldier once - you know all about survival. You know that sometimes you have to take things into your own hands, do things you don't want to do, make tough choices, to survive."

"Soldiers are taught to watch out each other," he responded, quietly. "You always put the man next to you before yourself. I'm putting you first, Blue. I'm just watching out for you."

"Yeah, I know," I mumbled, forcing a grin. "You always have, but you need to trust me, Temp. I'm watching out for you too. I've never been a soldier, just a silly scientist, but I'll do anything to keep the ones that I care about safe." I glanced over my shoulder at Ethen, not surprised to find him staring down at the ground in silence. "Please, after the war, we can leave."

"We have no idea how long the war is going to last," Temp said, his voice hardening. "It could be years, Blue."

I shrugged. "I guess we should start praying then."

Temp exhaled loudly and dragged a hand down his face with a moan. Silence stretched between us and I started feeling the thick tension in the room. I swallowed the lump in my throat when Temp faced Ethen, a scowl still on his face. "Where is this safe place?"

"Not far from here."

Temp looked down at me. "Fine, I'll go, but for you. I'm not letting you leave alone with him. But, just remember this moment, if things go wrong." He looked back and forth between us, before stomping off to his bedroom. I didn't realize that I was holding my breath until I faced Ethen, blowing out. I stepped towards him, picking at the tips of my fingers. It was a little easier than I had expected with Temp. I was expecting more shouting, maybe a physical fight, but I should've known that Temp wasn't going to leave my side. No matter what.

His emerald eyes met mine. "We're good to go then."

"Yeah, I guess," I said, slowly nodding. "This doesn't change anything, Ethen." His eyebrows knitted together at my words and I licked my bottom lip, nervously. "I still need some time and we need to focus on staying alive." After a moment, he nodded in understanding. I looked over my shoulder at the hallway where Temp had disappeared down. "You will protect him as much as you protect me. Promise me."

"He doesn't want my protection."

I narrowed my eyes. "Promise me."

Reluctantly, he sighed. "I promise you. . . I'll do anything for you." I nodded once, struggling not to let his words affect me. Survival was the main concern right now. Not a relationship - or anything of the sort. But, as I stared into his emerald eyes, I knew that he was willing to die for me because he loved me and that nearly broke my heart.