The Phoenix inhales sharply then sighs. She might as well just say something to get the game moving.

'Forgive me.' she murmurs.

She glances down and frowns as she watches Blade flinch. 'Was that you?' he replies.

'I'm the voice you were talking to. Good to know you never figured it out.' Harper snaps.

He closes his eyes for a second. 'Can you please get the game moving?' he mumbles.

"Right. Um, one; I am a werewolf. Two; I'm on a hunt for something and, three; I have a crush." the redhead grins.

"Is the lie the first one? Or is it the middle? I'm not sure." Alina says.

Blade opens his eyes. "The lie's the first one." he blurts outs then turns a hue of red as he realizes Harper's staring at him now.

"I...uh...heh." he stumbles with a response. "Gee, would you look at the time! I must go and feed my uh, cat!"

He jumps to his feet then makes a mad dash out of the room. Alina smirks as Nana snorts.

"He's acting like you did when you were crushing on me, Zane." Nana remarks. "He has to have a crush. How else do you explain that!"

"Blade having a crush? No! I forbid it! Aphmau marrying Aaron was one thing but her son crushing on a girl is a big no! You too, Alina! You're not allowed to crush on anyone without my approval!" Zane shouts as he catches Alina's chocolate eyes watching him.

She huffs and pouts. "You're not my Dad." she growls.

"You're right. I'm not. But I am your mother's best friend! And as her best friend, it is my job to make sure my best friend's daughter and son don't go crushing on people they barely know!" the Ro'Meave fires back at the werewolf.

"Like I said, you are not my father so stop acting like it! Aaron is my father, not you! Get that valid fact through your thick skull, Uncle Zane!" Alina snaps.

(BLADE - TWENTY MINUTES LATER)

He frantically turns around, hearing the spoken truth of tree branches snapping.

"Whoever you are, stop. I just want to be alone." Blade mutters. "Please."

The person steps closer to him. "Well, that's too bad. I have one last quest for the famed Ultima werewolf. Turn the human coming. Or else, we shall kill you."nhe says in a quick and serious tone of voice.

"I will not do your dirty work. I refuse to turn anyone!" Blade shouts back.

"Time to kill you then." the person smiles at him before brandishing a small dagger.

Blade bolts awake, sitting up on the forest floor. Did I fall asleep here? I must have.

He glances down at the small pond at his feet; his eyes flickering between red and gold. The werewolf merely sighs as footsteps approach him.

Judging from the scent of cake and ponies, he can immediately guess who it is.

"Uncle Zane, what do you want?" Blade mumbles.

Zane takes a seat beside him. "I want to apologize for getting ahead of myself and saying that you having a crush is not allowed. You're allowed to have one just as long as this crush doesn't break your heart." he says and smiles softly.

"I don't think she will break my heart, Zane." Blade whispers. "She's too badass to do that."

"Look at me, Blade." Zane orders. "Please."

Blade shakes his head. "No. I can't." he replies. "Not if you want to die."

The emo Ro'Meave frowns. "Are you eyes red, kiddo?" he asks the teenaged werewolf.

"You tell me!" Blade snaps and glances up at Zane.

Zane inhales sharply as sudden heartbreaking pain races through his body. He collapses backwards and all Blade can do is watch with guilt.

"AUNT NANA! KIM! SOMEONE HELP!" Blade shouts.

Kim comes racing out the lodge with Garroth behind her. She freezes in her tracks as she catches Zane's downed body and a traumatized werewolf rocking himself back and forth a few inches away from Zane.

His eyes are clenched closed as he takes shaky breaths. Garroth quickly jogs over to Blade and slowly tries to ease the teen up on his feet.

"What happened?" Kim whispers. "We need to know to help Zane."

(UNKNOWN — ONE HOUR LATER)

"Oh, Lari, dear. What on Earth are you wearing? You don't seriously expect your father to allow you to wear that, do you?" a dirty blonde haired woman comments as her youngest daughter walks down the hallway.

The girl tucks her werewolf ears under her beanie then frowns. "He won't but you know what, I don't care. You aren't his mate, Mom." she snaps.

"Since when does that have to do anything with how my daughter dresses?!" her mother shrieks.

"It means everything! Me and Candice may be his biological daughters but you are known as his mistress or his current wife." Lari whispers. "You won't ever be his mate."

"Of course I'm his mate! I'm married to him. Last I checked, when you marry a werewolf you immediately become their mate." her mother retorts.

"That's not how mating works, Mom." Lari mumbles then sighs. "Whatever."

"Lady Melia! Lady Lari! The Grand Alpha will you now." a guardsman suddenly tells the duo.

Melia turns to face the guard. "Thank you, sir. Lari, come daughter." she orders.

Lari reluctantly follows behind her mother as the guardsman leads them into a fairly large room. The Grand Alpha stands at the base of a throne with Gerald at his side and a brunette on his other side.

Melia frowns. His ex-wife is here. I wonder what she is doing here. "My liege. My Luna." she says as she bows to her husband and the brunette.

"You may stand, Lady Melia." the Grand Alpha says.

"Father, what is she doing here?" Lari butts in and points to the brunette.

"Our son has done something bad and we must cover it or the manhunt will all over him in a heartbeat." the Alpha states.

Son?! HE HAS A SON WITH THAT BITCH?! Melia glares at the brunette. "Son, you say? Since when did you have a son, babe?" she asks.

Her pale green eyes glance up at her husband. "Since fifteen years ago. Isabelle and I asked a couple to be a surrogate for him. In return, we granted them permission to raise him and protect him as he is my heir." her husband replies.

"He is the future Grand Alpha?" Melia whispers as Isabelle nods.

"He is. That is his birthright; yet it will ultimately be up to him should he take the throne or not." Isabelle says. "But that is beside the matter."

"Yes. According to his adoptive parents, he has unfortunately turned a human with his eyes." David mutters.

"What?" Melia asks. Does he know something I don't?

"You never told her, David?" Gerald gapes. "I thought by now you would've."

"Tell me what?" Melia demands.

"Why, the fact that your husband is a Lycan-Ultima Werewolf. His and the Luna's eldest son, is of the same race." Gerald explains.

(BLADE)

He sits in silence on the couch as Nico, Max, and Zianna are upstairs with Zane. Kim and Garroth are up there as well but the never ending guilt keeps warming his body.

"What if he dies?! Hmm, what then!" he hears Nico shout.

"Your father is strong, Nico. I'm positive he'll be okay." Nana replies.

"It's all his fault! If Dad didn't walk out to find Blade, then this wouldn't have happened! You know what, something needs to be done." Nico snarls.