"Stop."

After hiking through the thick woods for about an hour, Ethen grabbed my upper arm, forcing me to a stop. According to him, everybody was taking sanctuary a couple miles ahead, preparing for the war. I looked over my shoulder, hearing Temp's heavy breathing - in his hands, he was gripping his gun, one similar to the one he had used when he worked at the facility. His eyes met mine, his solemn brows knitting together, and he gave me a silent nod. It was his way of telling me that he still had my back. Ethen noticed this silent interaction between us and looked away with a frown.

I squinted through the trees. "Why are we stopping?"

Ethen pressed a finger against his lips, signalling to remain silent, then pointed to his ear. I heard the choppers before I saw them - they were two black dots against the blue sky. I hadn't realized we were spotted until they circled back around, aiming at us through the branches. "Run!" In seconds, the three of us took off through the trees, leaping over treacherous roots sticking out of the ground and large branches that had fallen. Ethen, being inhumanly faster than us, slowed down and grabbed my hand, pulling me along with him.

My fingers locked between his, the warmth of our hands calming me.

I listened to the firing of bullets, but all of them missed me. I whipped my head around, relieved to see Temp sticking close, even firing a couple rounds back at the helicopters. Since running was never one of my strong suits, I started slowing down, heaving. Ethen tugged me closer encouragingly while Temp stuck right on my heels, but I found myself becoming tired, even with the adrenaline pumping through me.

The choppers thundered above and the thin branches whipped side-to-side, their leaves swirling to the ground in the chaos. Ethen squeezed my hand, shouting for me to speed up, but I couldn't hear him, not over the blades of the choppers and the firing of bullets. I watched his lips move as he spoke to me frantically and I remembered how my lips felt against his. I wasn't sure why I was thinking about that at the moment, maybe it was one of those 'last thoughts before possible death things'.

When we arrived at a clearing, Ethen jerked to a stop, thankfully. I started catching my breath when he lifted a hand, his emerald eyes narrowed. With a flick of his wrist, I watched as one of the choppers suddenly started falling sideways, before crashing into the trees a mile ahead. I heard the explosion and the ground trembled beneath us. In rage and fear, the other chopper began firing at us, mostly at Ethen, without holding back. Ethen quickly nudged me behind him, before lifting both arms.

Temp's jaw dropped in disbelief as all of the bullets stopped merely inches from our bodies, floating. He even reached out and touched the tip of one in fascination. I wasn't as shocked as him; I knew what Ethen was capable of. Then, the bullets all slowly turned around - then, shot off back to the helicopter. In a matter of minutes, the final helicopter crashed, the explosion just as loud and terrifying as the first one.

Ethen whirled around, assessing me. "Hey, are you hurt? Thea?"

"I'm fine."

Temp stepped forward. "Want to explain to me why there are choppers out here?"

"They must have located them," Ethen muttered, shaking his head. "Hopefully, the explosions warned everybody and they're evacuating. We need to turn around - we can't go there now. My brothers will notify me soon."

"We don't have anywhere else to go," Temp said, irritated. "Nowhere safe. Those choppers almost smoked our asses." I watched as he fumbled with his gun for a second, before adding, "And, I'm almost out of ammo."

I sighed. "What are we going to do?" Ethen closed his eyes, a frown forming on his face. Judging by his expression, he wasn't happy; he was confused and upset. Temp looked at me in question and I shrugged my shoulders, stepping forward. Hesitantly, I placed my hand on Ethen's shoulder, finding the right words. "It's going to be okay. We'll find somewhere to go and -"

"No, it's not that," he interrupted, gently. "They aren't evacuating."

Temp raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Because, they're fighting back," he answered, his eyes opening. "I sense my brother's anger and desperation. Both of them. They aren't going anywhere." I swallowed the lump in my throat, knowing what that meant. "The war has begun."

With those final four words, we took off.

* * *

The sanctuary was an abandoned bowling alley. There weren't any soldiers on the property, but it wasn't going to be long until they appeared. Outside, there were numerous - hundreds - of werewolves, some in their wolf-forms, waiting patiently for the government's arrival. As we approached the bowling alley, the majority of them stepped aside, bowing their heads as a sign of respect to Ethen. He was no longer a myth to them. Temp huffed, tightening his grip on his weapon, sticking close.

Inside the bowling alley, the smell of dust and insect decay shot up my nose. I spotted a few familiar faces from my former pack, including Pete, and I received looks of disappointment. We approached Ethen's brothers who were quietly arguing with each other. Caine noticed us first and when his eyes landed on me, he gave me a single nod, a sign of acknowledgement. When Ryker spotted us, his lips curled and he smacked a hand down on Ethen's shoulder, giving him a shake. "We're about to kill some sons-of-bitches, brother."

Caine pursed his lips. "There's going to be a lot of bloodshed."

"It's unavoidable," Ryker argued, shaking his head. "Come on, you've been looking forward to this war too. We can finally kill these motherfuckers. This is it, brothers." He looked back and forth between them, nodding. "This could be the end or the new beginning."

Ethen sighed. "Don't talk like that."

"It's the truth," Ryker said, bluntly. Then, his eyes shifted to me and Temp, eyeing us in curiosity. "Are you two fighting in the war?"

Temp straightened. "I am."

"So am I."

Ethen whirled around, facing me. "No, you're not."

"Yes, I am," I argued, eyes narrowed. "I'm on your side."

"Yes, I know," he responded, quickly. "But, that doesn't mean you have to fight. There are other ways to help us, Thea. I don't want you in danger." When I didn't respond, just kept a determined sneer on my face, he exhaled loudly and looked towards Caine. "Is Nora fighting?"

Caine hesitated. "She won the argument."

"See, Nora's fighting," I said, gesturing to Caine. "So can I."

Ryker stepped forward. "Emma's not fighting. She's sticking with Katie and Brody. They're not fighting either." His emerald eyes flickered around the bowling alley, before he continued, "The people who aren't participating in the fight will stay in here. We'd send them somewhere else, somewhere safe, but we're limited on safe places. Besides, it's risky with the government close, so in here will be the safest place. You could stay in here with the others; I'm sure Katie will feel safer with as many people as possible around her."

"Yes," Caine agreed, nodding. "And, we're going to try to draw the fight away from here."

I frowned. "I want to help."

"Help protect Katie and Brody and Emma," Ethen suggested, shrugging his shoulders. "Come on, protect the pregnant woman." He gestured towards Katie who was speaking to her brother a few feet away, clearly nervous. "If any soldiers come stomping in here, then you can fight them."

Temp cleared his throat. "For once, I agree with him."

"Unbelievable," I breathed, "Fine, but I better get a gun."

Ethen grinned. "I'd never deny you of weaponry."

"Emma will also have a gun," Ryker spoke up, looking at his brother. "You know, I was hoping to teach her how to fire one - then, I found out that she already knows how to." Judging by his expression, he was clearly proud and baffled by his mate. "She's full of surprises."

"Nora can handle herself," Caine said, before directing his attention to me. "That's why I'm not pushing her anymore on fighting in the war. Unfortunately, this isn't her first rodeo. Seeing as she was a hunter, she's trained and infuriatingly stubborn." He exhaled loudly, dragging a hand through his hair. "I'm not saying you wouldn't be able to handle yourself, Thea. I'm just saying, Nora has always been a fighter and I've known since the beginning that she wasn't going to sit this one out."

Temp tilted his head. "I heard she killed her father."

Caine gave him a skeptical look. "Yes, she did."

"Then, she was bitten and transitioned into a werewolf," Temp continued, ignoring my warning look. "How ironic. A hunter being mates with an Alpha, then becoming the very creature that she hunted for years."

"We all have pasts," Caine responded, coolly. "We should probably stick to our own though, huh?" Clearly, he wasn't happy that Temp was digging into Nora's past. I was slowly gathering that Caine was almost a fatherly figure himself to Nora. Then, all of a sudden, there was hollering - a lot of it. The brothers exchanged looks as several werewolves rushed outside, growling. "They're here."

"About time," Ryker grumbled, before stomping off. Caine hurried after his brother, hoping to create a quick plan. Ethen turned to me and grabbed my hand, pulling me away from Temp. I looked back at my best friend, not surprised to find a scowl on his face. Then, with a mutter, Temp stomped outside without saying goodbye. My chest became heavy and Ethen reached over onto one of the numerous tables, handing me a .45 handgun. It felt as heavy as my heart.

"You do what you have to do to survive," Ethen said, quietly. "This is life or death, Thea."

"Yeah, I know."

A long, awkward moment passed between us. When I looked down at the gun in my hands, he stepped forward, pressing his lips gently against my forehead. They lingered there for several seconds and when he breathed in the smell of my hair, he whispered, "I love you. Stay safe." My heart warmed and I blinked back the tears threatening to fall. I didn't watch him walk away. I couldn't. But, when he was gone, I felt as if I had just lost a part of me.

I glanced around, eyeing everybody who was sitting out of the fight. When the scary amount of gunfire, growls, and howls started, I stumbled over to Brody who was huddled with his sister. Emma walked over as soon as she was finished speaking with Ryker. Her auburn hair was braided back with a few wisps around her face. She was dressed in black from head-to-toe, making her seem a little more intimidating. When she approached, she gave me a small smile. "Hey." Then, noticing my weapon, she lifted her gun, the same as mine. "Nice gun."

"This baby is not dying," Katie said, breathing heavily. "I am not letting this baby die."

Emma placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be okay. Just breathe." Brody whimpered in fear, his eyes squeezed shut. "And pray."

Suddenly, the ceiling above us began cracking and I staggered backwards in fear. Terrifying roars and growls surrounded the building, rattling chairs, tables, and glasses. Bottles and other glassware started tumbling from the shelves, shattering against the floor. The pounding on the doors, trembling the barriers of tables and chairs, was louder and faster than my heart that was hammering in my chest. My eyes started burning from breathing in the rapid collection of dust forming in the air. It was as if an earthquake was occurring, slowly demolishing everything.

"The ceiling is going to collapse," Brody said, hugging Katie into his side. Without realizing it, all of us had maneuvered into a close circle, staring up at the ceiling above us. Emma was behind me, her hands curled around her gun as she braced himself for battle. A layer of sweat covered her skin, but I wasn't sure if it was because of the temperate in the bowling alley or because of the fear of what happened next. Beside her, there were a couple of others who were biting their fingernails, their eyes focused on the streams of dust falling from the ceiling.

I turned my head, looking at Katie who was next to me, breathing heavily. Her eyes were wild. Her whole stance was tense. A bead of sweat trailed down her temple. This was it - this was the big finale. There was a chance that this was the end for some of us and as I looked at each of their faces, I realized that I wasn't ready. Dying myself was one thing, but watching those who I had grown to know was another.

Then, the ceiling split straight down the middle, bowing. Emma quickly grabbed my upper arm, pulling me closer to her.

Brody whimpered. "We're going to die, aren't we?"

"Most likely," I answered, quietly. "But, at least we'll go down as fighters than cowards."

"I'm not ready to die," Brody said, his eyes welling with tears. "I-I haven't finished my bucket list and I -"

Katie moved forward, grabbing her brother's hand. "It's going to be okay. We are going to be okay." Everybody else remained quiet, emotionless to her words, because we had all already accepted the worst outcome: we all died, including me. Shakily, she pressed her lips against Brody's cheek, giving him a long peck. I looked away when I spotted the tear stream down his cheek, directing my attention to Emma who hadn't been watching them, but me in worry. Her eyes were swarming with doubt; we weren't fighters. Not like those out there.

I forced a grin. "Ready to kick some ass?"

A large amount of debris plummeted to the floor, knocking over chairs and tables.

"Thea, if you walk out of here alive and I don't, just tell Ryker -"

"We're all walking out of here," I interrupted her, seriously. "I'm not letting any of you die, okay?" She was still doubtful. I reached over and grabbed her warm hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. I was relieved when she squeezed mine back in understanding, nodding once. I glanced over at Brody again, before taking a deep breath and looking back up at the ceiling. There wasn't much else I could say to them; other than Brody, they all knew what the outcome was most likely going to be. There was no point in lying to them. There was no reason to assure them that things were going to be okay when nothing was going to be okay.

Moments later, the nearest door flew open, scooting the tables and chairs at us. Emma instantly fired at the two soldiers who crumbled to the ground, moaning.

Surprised, Brody looked at her. "Keep doing that!"

"Nice shot," I commented, eyeing the bleeding shoulders. "Ryker wasn't kidding when he said you knew how to shoot."

Emma released a shaky laugh. "I spent quite a bit of time with a pack of dickhead werewolves. I taught myself how to shoot to protect myself. They had their weapons on them at all times - their teeth and claws. So, I had my gun."

The crack suddenly stretched in the ceiling with a creeaaak!

Then, the entire ceiling collapsed.

Large debris fell and I wasn't sure who had all managed to avoid it, but I didn't. A huge chunk of plaster crumpled down on me, dropping me to my stomach. I heaved for air while coughing from the severe amount of dust. I heard a moan and turned my head, seeing Brody on the floor next to me, dust in his hair. When I looked up, I saw several soldiers and werewolves now fighting inside the bowling alley. Brody's warm eyes met mine and I forced out, "Get out of here."

He moaned and shoved the debris off of him, crawling to me. Using his strength, he lifted the debris off of me too, freeing me. It became easier to breathe, but the air wasn't clean. "Come on, lets all get out of here."

As I clambered to my feet, my eyes spotted a soldier a few feet away behind him. As he raised his weapon, I raised mine. Brody's eyes widened in confusion; for a second, he was convinced that I was going to shoot him. But, I shot right passed his ear, nailing the soldier in the chest. Brody whipped his head around in shock, then looked at me, thankful. "You just saved my life - oh my God, I could've just died and it hasn't even been five minutes into the war. I would never be able to survive a zombie apocalypse."

Emma appeared at my side. "Are you okay?"

I nodded once, seeing Katie holding her belly, coughing. There was an explosion outside and I jumped, startled. Brody whimpered again and Emma tightened her hold on her weapon.

I felt Death lurking and I was just praying that he didn't steal anybody away from me.