Alpha Gage's anger falters for only a second at my words, the fire in his eyes dimming before it's ignited again, they darken and watch me intently.

"That story was real? Your mother really is a nephilim and your father is..." Zeke's voice trails off, he can't even bare to say the name. His eyes burning into mine as he ignores his fathers angry expression.

"Lucifer?" I finish for him, cocking an eyebrow.

The room, once again, falls into a tense silence. Time seems to stand still the moment that horrid name rolls off of my tongue. Even the trees outside the window stop swaying, as if the wind itself didn't dare to break the eerie stillness we've created. Gabriel stands beside me protectively and tensely. His rigid muscles and stiff wings show that he's prepared for a fight to break out any second.

My eyes flicker to the others and then wander over their grim expressions which makes me let out a disappointed scoff. I knew that we shouldn't have given them any trust so easily, yet a flicker of hope swayed my opinion and made me believe that they would be different. That maybe, once they found out, they wouldn't look at me like I'm a soulless monster. But, of course, I was wrong.

Hope is such a dangerous thing. It's makes you believe that there's a light at the end of a very dark tunnel. We always want it to be true, we want to put our faith into it and jump in wholeheartedly. But, more often than not, that flicker of hope disappears, leaving us broken hearted. And after repeatedly being left broken hearted, trust does not come easily to me.

"Do you see the way they're looking at me now, Gabriel?" I ask without sparing him a glance. "We never should have told them."

Zeke's eyes soften at my words, in contrast to his father's that only sharpen, glaring at me suspiciously. Zeke takes a step toward me, as if he somehow wants to comfort me, making my eyes shoot to his. I raise my hand to stop him and shake my head.

"Don't," I say sternly, my voice low and cold.

He stills, his eyes swirling with a hurricane of intense emotions. Alpha Gage watches our interaction with a crease between his brows.

A small sigh escapes my lips and I let my power reel back to me, drawing my aura close again. I feel it wrapping and settling tight around me, like a blanket of pure energy that I've grown dangerously familiar too.

"How are we supposed to trust you or anything you say?" Alpha Gabriel questions, his voice slicing through the still air, eyes flickering between me and Gabriel. His tone is harsh and angry.

A wave of dizziness hits me and I blink rapidly trying to clear it. Why does this keep happening?

A ringing suddenly starts in my ears. I can see Gabriel's lips moving, answering Alpha Gage, but his voice is muffled as if i'm listening from underwater. The incessant ringing intensifies, the loud sound seeming to echo and bounce around the inside of my skull. My head pounds and throbs, the room starting to spin while black spots appear and dance across my vision. I wince slightly, my half lidded eyes snapping haphazardly through the blurred room that suddenly feels unbearably cold. Shivers rack through me and a chill runs down my spine. Goosebumps rise on my skin while my veins start to burn, and suddenly, pain erupts in my head.

A broken groan leaves my lips and the muffled talking comes to a halt. I can feel myself falling toward the ground, but everything is happening so fast and I don't have the strength to stop it. I fall into a warm body and arms wind themselves around my torso, gently laying me on the ground and settling my head in their lap. Initially, I think it's Gabriel, but when I look up and and my blurred vision catches the sight of two worried green eyes looking down at me, I realize its not.

Incoherent shouts and yells sound through the room and I feel another pair of hands on me. This time, I know for sure that it's Gabriel.

Another wave of pain crashes through me, making my hands curl into fists and a loud groan pass through my clenched teeth. It's an unbearable, searing pain that radiates throughout my whole body, making it nearly impossible to focus on anything else. My eyes squeeze shut and my hands shake uncontrollably, my chest heaving with erratic breaths.

This pain is unlike anything I've ever felt before and it makes death sound like a relief. If I could, I would drive that damn dagger into my heart just to make this stop.

Maybe, I won't even need the dagger. This in itself might be what kills me.

A warm hand cups my cheek, grounding me, pulling me back to reality and momentarily providing relief from the pain. But, another wave of agonizing torment crashes through me again, washing away any temporary comfort. I gasp, my face twisting into a tortured expression and another groan sounding from deep within my throat. My eyelids feel incredibly heavy, I couldn't open them even if I wanted to. I fight hard to stay conscious, but it's a loosing battle. My grip around Gabriel's hand loosens and, quickly, I fade into the welcoming darkness, waiting with an open embrace.