Smoke hovered above the villa like ominous, celestial bodies sailing and contorting against the night wind. The roars of the fire that have ravaged their once beautiful and peaceful villa finally stifle the howls and screams.

Aidan cradled the limp body in his arms, his hand interlocking with one of her own. His body flinched, as his fingers were no longer warm in hers anymore. It hurt to look at her. Had he not known the truth, he'd think her asleep. About to wake up any moment and scorn him for pitying her when he should be out fighting.

Aidan stared at her, waiting.

Nothing. Silence.

His eyes closed, envisioning her as she had always been to him. Stubborn. Beautiful. Alive.

His mother.

Aidan tensed as he saw Cameron run towards him. As if Cameron's heart stopped cold, he skid to a halt when he saw whom Aidan was cradling.

Her battered, crimson-clad body laid quietly in Aidan's careful grip.

"Arista's hand, Aidan," Cameron kneeled down facing a very silent Aidan. "No, not her."

Gritting his teeth, Aidan stared down at his mother. His foster that made him live was dead.

Ninon was dead.

Aidan's tongue tasted the metallic flavor of blood. His blood. His fangs had grown.

Not now. I won't fall apart. No, not ever. Fall apart...

"Where are the others? Who all are down?" Aidan's somber tone reflected more of a general than a heartbroken son. It could've fooled anyone.

If only Cameron could be fooled so easily.

Cameron stood up and ran his bloodied fingers through his white blond hair. His face was pale against the moon and the faint orange shadows of dying flames. " Jaks, Chase and Aaron are working to put the fire out with some other Shadow Shifters, I just left Phillip and Jason who are guarding the children east of the lake."

Aidan looked up at Cameron. "And Gage?"

Cameron looked away and sucked in an ominous breath. "We found him behind Ninon's quarters. Looks like he fought a hell of a fight."

But not nearly enough. Or else Ninon would be alive.

It's time to let her go, he thought as he eased her to the grass. He gripped the medallion she gave him tight in his hand. When he released his grip and opened it, his hand was imprinted with the same elaborate and mystic prints from the Aristan compass he held. Ninon's blood stained the markings, making it a dismal symbol of the fate of their race. From the moment the Goddess Arista breathed life into the very first Shadow Shifters, her twin sister Goddess Thesia vowed to destroy them all. After thousands of years of hiding from humans and Thesians alike only to have only a few clans survive—perhaps Thesia is making good on her vow.

Thesians.

His "brother" had help. The stench of it was unmistakable.

To even call Kieran a brother was enough to make Aidan retch. No "brother" would spit on his family. No son would hurt his mother.

"Where is that piece of shit!" Aidan yelled through clenched teeth to Cameron. For a brief moment his own outburst shocked him, that familiar sting of anger he tried to bury was starting to claw its way out.

Cameron didn't flinch or move. He was quite used to Aidan letting his anger lash out at his comrades. The other Azans respected Aidan, but kept their distance socially. No one understood his rough demeanor except Cameron. He was one of the few who knew Aidan's grotesque past—and didn't judge him for it. In his eyes, Aidan has every reason to let himself go into the dark and he had a lot of respect for the wolf. But even he could agree Aidan isn't the chummiest guy around. "Fled. The others try to get a track on him, but he used the fire to distract everyone."

"What about the others who helped him?"

"Others?" Cameron's expression puzzled. "Shadow Shifters?"

Aidan growled. "You don't catch that in the air? Thesians were here. I can't tell how many. Maybe one. Maybe more, but one was in this area."

"I agree."

Aidan and Cameron both turned to the jet-black timber wolf approaching them. It's bright silver eyes were somber as the wolf focused on the dead older woman at their feet.

The wolf paused and bent its back as if to stretch, and suddenly his body became that of a man. His lithe body rising to its feet walking meticulously towards them.

"I'm very sorry about Ninon, Lukos," Onyx said quietly. His eyes, now an unnaturally bright gray, still reflected sincerity.

Aidan didn't respond to the sympathetic gesture.

Onyx looked to Cameron. "Who is responsible for this?"

Cameron stepped forward. "The Thesians couldn't have done this alone."

"You damn right they didn't." Aidan growled. "Kieran's scent is on Ninon's body."

Onyx shook his head. "Of course, she was his mother."

Aidan looked down at the cold, lifeless woman laid at his feet and wanted to scream to the heavens.

She was my mother too.

"Did you think that mattered to Kieran, Onyx? We have reprimanded him before about cavorting with Thesians. He kept fraternizing with them."

"It's true, Onyx." Cameron interjected. "If anyone had access to bring Thesians into this, it would be Kieran."

"We have no proof, Azans. We can't just accuse our own, without him speaking for himself. Where's Kieran?" Onyx said with a frown.

"He fled."

A deep voice boomed behind them. They turned to see a slender, gray-haired man staring at Aidan. Aidan couldn't tell if the elder was smiling or squinting from the smoke in the air. It was always hard to tell anything concrete about Alabastian.

"Some are tracking him."

"I declare Kieran solely responsible for the deaths and carnage involved here." Aidan said with his back against them. Both Onyx, Alabastian and Cameron went silent as Aidan spoke the ceremonial request for an order. "He is to face the Rite of Judgment."

"First, we have to apprehend him, alpha." Onyx looked out to the torn villa that was the pack's home. Here, they had lived in peace. Many working and having quiet lives, with the children being safe from harm. After the loss of Tiberius, the pack wanted to heal and grow, nested in the dark rich forests of seclusion to own land away from humans.

Aidan's face was stern with anger. "Well let's do that."

Onyx sighed. He began to wish that someone other than Ninon was harmed. Why her? Aidan was always a wolf of anger and vengeance. He was a born leader, sure, but his quick temper and stubbornness has been proven potent and lethal many times before. 

"So be it. I will structure the meeting."

"Meeting!?" Aidan scoffed. "You can't be serious, Onyx."

There was no humor in Onyx's expression. "I am. You know the rules, Aidan. You may be alpha, but the council needs to sort this mess out. Alabastian and I will structure the meeting with the others. We will get to the bottom of this and assign orders where need be, okay?"

"Not to worry, Aidan." Alabastian patted Aidan on the back solemnly as he walked away. "You will have justice."

"And what of Ninon's justice?" Aidan glared bitterly. Alabastian froze and turned around. "Vengeance is ugly, Aidan."

"So is murder."

Alabastian frowned at Aidan's cold retort and walked towards him. He eyed him throughly, a low growl in his throat. "You wish to quarrel with me, alpha?"

Aidan looked levelly into his eyes, silent. His face stern as the orange color of the fires started to die down off the planes of his face. "No."

"He's not quarreling 'Bastian, " Onyx interjected as he moved between them. "Now let's go and prepare. Aidan, I presume the Azans will handle getting things in—"

"We'll handle everything. Including my mother's burial." Aidan did not take his eyes off Alabastian even as he answered Onyx.

Though Alabastian was his elder, he never cared much for the old wolf. Tiberius thought the world of him, but there was always something about the wolf that bothered Aidan. What drove him crazy was that he didn't know what it was. Nevertheless, he didn't dismiss his hunches. His past had taught him that nothing had more anger and treachery behind it than a smiling face. He recalled the last time he trusted a smiling, kind face...

All he could taste was dirt and blood as he kneeled naked before them.

"Why do you think he has no idea what he is?"

The other wolf looked down at him and smiled. Aidan looked up at the wolf's hands that were covered in blood. Aidan's blood. He appeared mammoth sized from Aidan's kneeling angle. He feared he'd never forget the wolf's amber eyes that began to sneer at him. "Oh, he'll know once we're finally done with him. He'll be well informed of how filthy, weak Aristans are not welcomed in our territory..."

Oh yes. The past has taught him very well.

Alabastian turned to join Onyx. They both ran until they're bodies turned again to fur amongst the woods.

Cameron sighed as he caught a scent. "Leigh."

"I know." Aidan walked towards the opening of the brush. No sooner than his movements quickened, a blond woman came running through.

"Mamyn!? Mamyn!" She sobbed as Aidan caught her, preventing her from going to her mother's body. She clawed and pushed but Aidan held her still.

"No, Leigh! She's gone." He said to her, staring into her dark, obsidian eyes. "Ninon's gone."

With tears in her eyes, Leigh growled deep in her throat, baring her canines in anger. "No! She can't! Let me by!" She tried to keep her face strong in anger, but as she kept repeating her demand to Aidan, she felt her lips tremble. Finally, she stopped struggling and pushed herself from him. "Who did this! All of this!"

"We're going to find out." Cameron said coming to her side.

She looked into Aidan's eyes and frown. "I think you already know who did this, don't you?" Aidan found out a long time ago that he was a bad liar to his sister. Her face resembled that of Ninon and her tenacity more so. "Was it Kieran? Aidan tell me."

"I have no proof Leigh—"

"But is it what your gut tells you?" She looked in Aidan's eyes, searching. "The truth."

He answered with a solemn nod. "I have no doubt that Kieran is involved in this." An ominous air rose around them and Aidan found himself ashamed to see Leigh lose all of her family. And for the salty wound, her own brother being the destroyer of it all.

She straightened herself up and swallowed the rest of her pain. "Then I have no doubt that you will avenge for our mother."

"I will." Aidan said, his body already rigid with anger at what has transpired this night. Leigh walked away as the night was filled with the unified howling of wolves. Their strong calling haunted the night, but not giving way to the agony behind it. It was time for council. He only hoped that the old hounds of the council will leave him be to issue his own justice.

###