I watched him, circling his opponent in the clearing, surrounded by an eager audience. Composed of mostly muscle, he appeared incredibly hard and invincible. His broad shoulders were stiff, connected to large arms, gloriously tight and cut. A flat stomach, his abdomen muscles tensing with each movement, teasing the women. His shorts hugged his powerful legs, heavy with muscle, and as he bounced on his feet, his calve muscles flexed. His long, lean body, reaching the height of 6'3, was memorizing and drool worthy. Curly, dark hair that curled around his ears and hazel eyes, narrowed at his opponent. He had harsh features - high cheekbones, an angular nose, and a sharp, scruffy jaw. His lips were swollen, his bottom bruised and bloody.

He charged at his opponent, a middle-aged man with tattooed arms, swinging his fist. His knuckles connected with his opponent's cheek, causing him to stumble backwards. The crowd cheered, a chaos of clapping hands and supportive shouts. His opponent came back, driving his fist into his side, making her inwardly flinch at the power in the punch. For some reason, I knew he was capable of handling it - in fact, when his opponent drove his fist forward again, he dodged it. He punched twice into his stomach, resulting in his opponent wheezing with his face turning red.

Grabbing the back of his opponent's head, he lurched his knee upwards, right into his face. She heard the crunch and his opponent shook loose out of his hold, his nose crooked and bloody. "Finish him! Finish him!" The crowd started chanting and disgusted, I watched him with patient eyes. He kicked his leg around, nailing his opponent in the side, causing him to lose his balance. Seeing the opportunity, he swung his fist forward, more powerful than before, into the side of his opponent's head. That was it - it wasn't possible for somebody to stay conscious after that blow. His opponent crumbled to the ground, bloody and broken, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. The crowd cheered louder and I gulped loudly.

Ethen flopped down behind the rock, taking a deep breath. Hesitantly, I dropped from my crouching position next to him. "What are we doing here?"

"I have to kill him," he answered, quietly. "That's him - the winner."

I shook my head. "No, you don't."

"You don't understand," he responded, distraught. "I promised someone a favor and he asked for me to kill him. I can't back out, Thea." He stared at me with pleading eyes, clearly torn. I listened to the cheering and happy shouts from over the rock, refusing to believe his situation. "Like I said before, he's the Alpha - it won't be too hard for me to kill him."

"I'm not letting you do this," I told him, seriously.

A sad grin came onto his face. "I have to."

"No, you don't," I repeated, shaking my head. "Please, don't do this." Slowly, he reached over and dragged the tips of his fingers along my cheekbone, brushing away a strand of my hair. Sparks overwhelmed me and I shivered, despite it being very humid outside. Pinching his lips together, he dropped his hand and peered over the rock, focused on the man. From what he told me, the Alpha's name was Ethan, ironically the same name as his, but spelled differently. He was the brother of his brother's mate, which made the situation difficult. He had expressed how angry his brother, Ryker, was going to be since his mate was going to be in hysterics after the horrible news. "Ethen, come on, you're better than this."

"No, I'm not," he argued, glancing at me. "I showed you my memories, Thea. I showed you all of the terrible things that I went through and did - why can't you believe that I'm capable of this? If I don't do this, all that I stand for will go down the drain. I'm the honest one; I've created morals and kept my promises. It's who I am."

"All that you stand for?" I came back, frowning. "By murdering him, it'll just show that you're everything the facility wants people to believe. That you're a monster. It'll also show that you're a horrible brother." His eyebrows knitted together and after a second, I continued. "I haven't known you for that long, but I know that you love your family. You'd do anything for them, yet right now, you're wanting to hurt them. Your brother will hate you; it might ruin your family, Ethen. Are you willing to risk losing your family over a favor you promised?"

He gritted his teeth together. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

"This is a big deal," I responded, narrowing my eyes. "You just escaped the facility and you have the chance to go back to your life. But, by killing him, you won't have a life. Not a happy one." He peered over the rock, fidgeting with a weed. "Don't do this. You'll regret it."

"I wish you could understand," he whispered, not looking at me. "I'll be ruined if I don't. For the last century, I've followed my morals a-and kept my promises. I can't just stop - I'll be lost. I won't know who I am anymore, Thea."

"I'll be here," I assured, forcing a grin. "I'll be right here for you."

He stared at me, hesitating. "I'm sorry that I've betrayed you." I frowned at him, feeling my stomach twist inside of me. "You really don't deserve it." I opened my mouth to speak, but I was stopped when he raised his hand, slightly twisting his fingers. Before I was able to comprehend what was happening, black spots started filling my vision. His sad eyes watched me, though his face was calm and collected. He had made his decision; I couldn't stop him. I gave him a disappointed look, collapsing against the dirt. "I'm sorry, Thea. I have to."

Then, I was enveloped by darkness.

* * *

Two Weeks Later

The town was swarming with people.

Following the man, I squeezed through the crowds, sweating tremendously from the hundred degree weather. The air was shimmering from the heat and humidity and the sun was hovering above, shooting its hot rays down on me. My cheeks were sun-burnt and my eyes were squinting against the bright light, straining on him. He was easily slipping around people, his hands darting into pockets, shoving whatever he managed to snatch into his own. Despite towering at an unknown height, he disappeared from my sight every once in awhile. Even though, he was stealing, I was amazed by how quick he was, so casual too. The people were too distracted, too busy shuffling around to places, to notice someone pick-pocketing them.

I witnessed him snatch an apple from a careless merchant, turning away with a chomp into the delicious fruit. At that moment, I caught a glimpse of his familiar face - high cheekbones, dark eyes, and an angular nose. He slipped through a throng of people, tossing his unfinished apple onto the cobbled road. An explosion of laughter and cheers came from my right and I whipped my head around, startled. A group of men were huddled together on the sidewalk, clinking their glasses together. Taking a deep breath, I returned my attention to him, only to notice that he was gone. I looked beyond the heads of people, even rose on my toes to peer over them. Swearing under my breath, I shoved my hands through my brown hair and rushed forward, helplessly.

He was just there, only five feet away from me.

From the corner of my eye, I saw his messy hair. At the last second, I witnessed him turn down an alleyway, disappearing from view. Without a second thought, I rushed after him, receiving a few angry shoves from those near me. The alleyway was small, cramped with dumpsters, but thankfully, there was shade from the sun. There were puddles from the previous storm, all swirling with oil and containing wrappers. I wandered, searching for him once again - where had he gone? Not only was he good at pick-pocketing people, but vanishing too. I listened to my heavy breathing and the dripping of water from some pipe, ignoring the chaos of people back on the street.

Suddenly, he charged out from behind a dumpster, pushing me into the brick wall. I stopped breathing when I felt a blade pressed against my throat, threateningly. His left arm was shoved against my chest, his elbow painfully jabbing me. A scowl rested on his face and up close, I noticed the scar above his left eyebrow, the freckles on his nose, and the specks of gold in his eyes. He tilted his head, inspecting my brown hair, childlike features, and wide eyes. A long minute passed between us, before it finally clicked in his head and he smirked. "Thea, it's been awhile."

As he lowered his blade, I pushed at his chest, propelling him backwards. Catching his balance, he returned his weapon back to his belt while I moved away from the wall. "I see you haven't changed much, Marcus," I commented, eyeing his appearance. "Still stealing, huh?"

"Still haven't been caught," he added, grinning. Marcus Ward was an old friend, once a hunter until the government learned of the existence of werewolves. Thus, he was forced to back down, too frustrated by their interference. He was also best friends with Temp, despite his position in the government. I watched as he reached into the chest pocket of his jacket, pulling out a cigarette and a lighter. With a disgusted expression, I stared as he lit the cigarette and took a long drag, releasing a puff of smoke. "You know, I didn't expect to see you around here."

I exhaled loudly. "Look, I know you know where Temp is."

"What makes you think Temp is with me?" he asked, chuckling. "Last time I checked, Temp was at the facility, killing those monsters."

"Well, there are cameras in the facility," I pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "Some show him clearly letting me and Eth - a werewolf escape. Either, he stuck around and got himself in some major trouble or he runaway and went to the first person he trusts." He blew out another cloud of smoke, his eyebrows knitting together. "You."

He scowled. "Look, you've been one of my good friends, Thea, but Temp is my best friend. Quite frankly, he's a little upset with you."

"So he's with you," I came, a pleased grin coming across my face. He opened his mouth to argue, but realizing his position, he closed it with a sigh. "I promise, I'm not going to fight with him, okay? I want his help."

"You actually sounded serious," he responded, sarcastically. I glared at him, shoving my hands into my pockets. "Why would you want Temp's help, huh? You two have always butted heads and he's complained about you constantly." That didn't shock me; honestly, I was happy that I had gotten underneath his skin. "I mean, it was obvious he cared about you, despite your bickering. Then, you betrayed him - man, the poor dude chose an awful one."

I took a deep breath. "Marcus, I don't have time for this." He continued smoking, debating in his head what to do. "Take me to him."

A long moment passed between us. "Fine, but he's on edge, just a warning." I nodded and relieved, I followed him out of the alleyway. I trailed after him throughout the town, squeezing through crowds of people. During the walk, Marcus explained to me that there was some parade coming through town later, explaining how busy it was. I wasn't surprised when he continued pick-pocketing people until his pockets were bulged with things, not capable of holding any more. As I struggled not to lose him, my mind traveled elsewhere.

Two weeks ago, I was with Ethen, desperately persuading him to not kill the Alpha, Ethan. Unfortunately, my pleading didn't work and he used his magic to make me unconscious for a few hours. When I awoke, Ethen wasn't around, neither was the other Ethan. The pack was frantic, searching for their Alpha in fear. Luckily, they hadn't discovered me and in disbelief, I hurried out of the forest. I walked and walked, hoping that somewhere, Ethen was going to appear and apologize. But, he didn't - he had left me. For some reason, it killed me inside and I found myself hurt, feeling alone. Each day that passed, it became harder and harder without him around.

Suddenly, Marcus stopped at a small, lopsided house on the outskirts of town. Dropping his cigarette onto the concrete, he jogged towards his house. Reluctantly, I followed after him, noticing the dead plants, rotten berries, and broken lawnmower in his yard. He opened the front door and hesitantly, headed inside. The smell of beer and cologne shot up my nose - his house was completely disgusting. The living room was scattered with wrappers, beer cans, and pizza remains. I noticed the figure situated on the rocking chair, slouching.

Temp.

His eyes were focused on the television, which was playing the History channel. He was gripping a beer in his hands and his raggedy clothes were stained. His hair was messy, uncombed, and judging by his expression, he was miserable. Marcus closed the door behind me and slowly, walked around the table beside us. "Uh, Temp - you can't be mad," he started, glancing towards me. "But, I brought someone who wants to see you, man."

I gulped loudly when Temp turned his head, his eyes filling with recognition. Then, he started laughing, enthusiastically. "Just great - I'm going to kill you, Marcus."

Marcus held up his hands. "Dude, she found me."

"Leave the room, Marcus," he ordered, threateningly. Marcus looked at me and gave me a pointed look, before heading into the cluttered kitchen. Fidgeting with the sleeve of my jacket, I approached Temp, standing beside the rocking chair. "What are you doing here, Blue? Here to ruin my life? Oh wait, you already did."

"You didn't have to let me escape," I told him, frowning. "You could've stopped me."

"They would've killed you," he argued, his eyes strained on the television. "Maybe I should've let them." I inhaled loudly, hearing the gunshots from the speakers. He raised his beer to his lips and took a sip, tiredly. "You know, the whole time at the facility, I was watching out for you. I made sure you had everything done on time and made sure you did what you were supposed to do. You have no idea how many times I saved your ass from getting fired or worse. Because of me, you survived that place. Literally."

"I know," I muttered, quietly. "You were also a dick, you know."

"Well, this dick has nothing now," he responded, shaking his head. "Did you know they're searching for me? They're searching for you too - have you paid attention to the news? We're wanted, Blue. They've convinced the entire world that we're some fugitives or something." At that moment, I noticed the slur of his words. "But, you know what? When we're caught, we aren't going to get a damn trial. Amanda will have us killed instantly."

"I-I didn't know," I stuttered, shocked. "I was on the news?"

He exhaled loudly, before slurring, "Yep, you were." I started processing the news, realizing how pissed off Amanda was. Temp took another sip of his beer and burped, then laughed to himself. "So, where is that boyfriend of yours, huh?"

"He left me," I answered, straightforwardly. "That's why I'm here. I need your help finding him."

He chuckled. "Wait, you want me to help you find the monster who helped you ruin my life? Who's the reason for everything turning to shit?" He waved his beer around, accidentally causing some of it to swoosh out of the can. "Sorry, Blue, but I'll pass."

"I made a mistake," I admitted, stepping in front of him and blocking his view of the television. "You were right about him - he's no good. I, uh, thought he was, but he's not." I looked down, avoiding his shocked eyes. "I should've listened to you, okay? But, I didn't and I've realized the mistake I've made - I need your help fixing it. I've released this powerful creature into the world a-and I'll be responsible for all those he'll kill."

He tilted his head. "Yeah, you should've listened to me."

"Just help me," I pleaded, tossing my hands into the air. "Honestly, you're the only one with nothing to lose and the only one who hates werewolves more than anything." I shrugged my shoulders, awaiting his response. He gazed at me for a long moment and I felt him poking around in my head with his ability, probably searching for any indication of lying. I knew that I had betrayed him and he had every right to be upset with me, maybe even kick me out of the house. He didn't need to help me, but considering his situation, I knew he wanted to. What else was he supposed to do? "Come on, you and me - hunting down the werewolf who ruined your life. Maybe even mine."

He squinted at me. "Alright." I exhaled loudly in relief and he rose to his feet, nearly toppling over. Then, he stepped towards me, face-to-face, his reeking breath blowing on me. "But, I still don't forgive you."

I swallowed. "I'm not asking you to forgive me."

He narrowed his eyes. "Good, because I won't." He tilted his head back and gulped down the last of his beer. "Just to clarify - I can kill the son of a bitch, right?"

Hesitantly, I nodded.

He smirked. "This'll be fun."