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"I can play chess perfectly fine." The son said, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

Konrad hummed, shaking his head. "Not really, son."

They sat on opposite sides of a glass chessboard, their chairs almost throne like. The lights were turned off in Konrad's manor, only the fireplace illuminated their faces.

Two people sat next to each other in a hard chair in front a piano, laughing as they took turns bragging about their skills. One of those people was his half-brother, Becker Reinheart. They had different last names, and the son swore he would never consider Becker family. He'd never admit it out loud. The other was a girl with raven black hair with a bright smile and an evil glint. The son snorted, at least he wasn't related to her.

The son ran a hand through his hair, gulping. He looked so much more like his mother than he did his father. He was glad. He wouldn't have gotten this far if he was a spitting resemblance of Konrad.

"You gave me the girl. Thank you for that." Konrad moved a Rook and captured his son's Queen.

The son stood up and glared at Konrad. "You have Becker now, and Constance. Give the girl back to me." At their names, the two people at the piano looked up, watching the conversation with mild intent.

Konrad stood up too, barely taller than his only blood child. Becker was much taller than Konrad however, taking after Kasparov Dawn. "Hmmm... that's not a good chess move, son." He shook his head. "I could still need her. I gave up the children for Becker, now I can't have my Hunter army like I wanted."

The son rolled his eyes heavily. "And who's fault is that!? Give me my—"

"No. She's fine. She's being treated like a Queen here, a Princess." Konrad smiled. "You call her that, don't you, son? Princess."

He clenched his fists. "Leave her alone. She's a little girl!"

Konrad ran at his son, grabbing his son's throat. "Do you know what she's capable of? Marvelous things! She's a Salem Of The Old Witch, my blood and Polyphema's runs through her veins!" His son would have fought back, but Konrad hadn't risen yet. He was still only partly here. His chains were broken but his he still wasn't fully risen from Hell.

The piano began playing again, a morbid and deeper tune to Fur Elise.

The son was not a witch. He changed into a vampire when he was younger, back when he ran around with Terrance and Kasparov Dawn. "As does mine! I have done everything you asked for."

"Clay, you do not understand chess! You do not see what I'm doing here. I'm pathing a new world. A better world. The humans and mutts and filthy fae will be GONE!" Konrad yelled, narrowing his eyes. "You could have been a Salem. You could have joined me in my—"

"I don't care about power!" Clay Gold screamed. "I don't care about you, or my wife, or the stupid fools I'm in Quebec with! I care about my children. Colin may not see it, but I care about him too."

"If you cared about him, you would have let him turn Salem instead of Hunted trash." Konrad reasoned.

Clay snarled. He hated that term, Hunted. It was a slur, a terrible name. "I didn't want him to be used by you."

Konrad widened his eyes. "Salem children are... the most impressive. You should have seen Becker. God that boy, when he'd cry I felt the Earth shatter. Colin could have had that!"

Clay shook his head at his father, taking a deep breath. "My daughter will no longer be a part of this. I'm taking her home. I've done my job."

"How's the war coming along?" Konrad asked, taking a step to Clay, his frame blocking out the fire light.

Clay shrugged. "Ask my son. Ask Arlis. I don't know." He hated his son being with that girl. The girl who he would've killed already, but then there'd be no war and there'd only be pain to him and his family. He could never get away with killing a Dawn.

Konrad smiled. "You can tell Kasparov now. You understand that? You can tell him that his niece is dallying in the likes of the Vampires. We need that war to start."

Clay could've punched him in the face. "I can't protect Colin from the Dawns, you know I can't do that." Even the Barrons might have a hard time defending themselves from that family.

"Well... if my plans works out, Colin will be with me, us, and Arlis's mate and him will be the ones to ruin themselves." Kasparov said, laughing. "It's perfect. Everly's family will hate the Vampires even more-so."

"Turning her into a hybrid is a terrible idea. Arlis will shred me." Clay said, closing his eyes. Clay Gold was a strong Vampire, the leader of them all at the moment. But, he didn't really believe he could kill Arlis if it came to a fight.

Konrad smiled. "That's why your wife is with me. That's why she's doing it. By January second, Arlis's mate will be a hybrid. A human, and a werewolf. It's not even that bad."

But it was enough. Clay looked at the ground. "How will you win without your army of children-turned-Hunters?" He didn't want to fight for a cause that would ultimately lose.

Konrad scratched the back of his neck. "The Salem Of The Old Witches vowed to kill themselves and never have children because they were too powerful. There were only ten. Me, Becker, and your daughter can take care of ourselves. Plus I have Constance which entails that I'll have the rest of the Dawn family. If I have you and your son, then I have Everly Dawn also. If I promise to fix Arlis's mate, I guarantee I'll have Arlis and his pack bowing at my feet. My game plan is there, son. Trust in that." Konrad set a hand on Clay's shoulder. "Even my fake Prophesy is setting itself into their minds and stirring them, causing a war in itself. Thanks to Leslie, of course. It's much easier to wipe a Species out when they're all killing each other." Konrad laughed. "This is a vital part in the plan."

Clay nodded and backed up, out of the cold room and walked away. He'd play Konrad's game until the very end. He wanted his family safe. He wanted to be safe. He was sick of people stepping on him. And today was almost his last straw, but he just had to push a little harder. Just a little longer.

The piano played louder, the siblings were just seeing who could make the more horrid tune, the notes were now ugly and harsh.

"CAN YOU PLEASE STOP!" Clay spun around and glared at them, clenching his fists.

Constance flipped him off and continued pounding along on the piano, pushing Becker as they wrestled for keys.

"Oh they'll stop once they hear this." Konrad snapped his fingers and both Constance and Becker looked at Konrad. Constance looked at him like he was God and Becker looked at him like he was Lucifer. 

Clay hated Konrad, his own father, and his dead mother. His mother who died to protect Becker, completely forgetting Clay.

But Clay was working for Konrad and Kasparov, a double agent. He wanted to be safe no matter who won the war. Konrad thinks Clay is working for him, and in ways he is. He's helping him win. But... he's also "helping" Terrance and Kasparov, improving his relationship with them, just in case Konrad couldn't win. Either way, he was safe.

He thought maybe Constance was doing the same thing, maybe she was as smart as him. But it became very clear very fast that she was only working for Konrad. Kasparov had stated multiple times that if he ever saw Constance again, family be damned, that he was going to kill her.

So Clay stopped worrying about her.

And Becker? Becker was just saving the kids. He had to admire a part of Becker. Just a small part. Becker had some shred of humanity in him, something rarely any supernaturals had. But he also hated just how weak he was. All that power and he did nothing but suffer. He wished Becker could take out Konrad right now. But he knew he couldn't, not with Konrad in this form.

Sure, Konrad was weaker in this form. Sure, Konrad can't actually kill anything (the dead can't kill). And to top it off, he can't actually be seen by everyone; just people who had once helped to kill him or are related to those who had once tried to kill him. But the living can't touch the dead so Becker can't even kill him yet.

Clay took a sip of what looked like red wine, but this was thicker and sweeter. This stuck to his teeth and dripped from his mouth no matter how careful he was. He looked at the glass. He guessed this was a make people suffer or suffer yourself world. Who knew whose blood this was? Who knew where this body was?

"Becker, raise me. Right now. I'm ready." Konrad laughed, popping his fingers. While this could have been a disadvantage, that's why he was holding back, this also was a major upside. He could finally do what he wanted to do, do his own things, and stop hiding.

Becker stood up at the same time as Constance. Both looked appalled.

Clay tilted his head. Why was Constance looking so scared? "Shouldn't you be happy?" Clay asked, hoping to catch her in her double-agent lie. Then, he'd have a good reason to kill her. Clay could handle that.

She looked at Becker. "Because he's my brother, and he could die from that spell."

Konrad shrugged. "So? Becker knows what I'll do if he doesn't listen to me."

Clay watched as Becker gulped. "I need... I don't know if I can even do it." Becker said finally, looking down at the ground.

Konrad gave Becker a dumbfounded look. "Of course you can. Why couldn't you?"

Becker shook his head. "I can't tell you that. I promised my mom I wouldn't tell you that."

Clay scoffed. There's his first mistake, telling Konrad that he had a secret that he couldn't tell. Clay knew how Konrad was with information, he had to have it all.

Konrad narrowed his eyes as he walked to Becker. "Your mom's dead so you might as well tell me."

Becker shook his head. "I can't." He responded, shaking his head. "It's too dangerous for even you."

And there was his second mistake. Underestimating Konrad. Clay learned very fast to never underestimate Konrad. Don't ever let him slip. He was like Moriarty or Sherlock Holmes, smart and cunning and always one step ahead.

Konrad tilted his head. "What is it!?" He screamed.

Becker looked from Constance to Konrad quickly, fearfully, begging her for help.

"Tell him, Becker. Tell him or I will." She said sternly, a warning.

Becker gulped. "It's not so much a spell as it is a life hack." Becker started, taking a seat on the piano stool. "You can do the compelling spell, right?"

"Obviously. That's how I got Constance to kill your human uncle is it not?" Konrad smiled at Constance, a moment of pain flashed in her eyes but she covered it up quickly.

There was a story to that. Clay didn't know the full context, but he suspected something bad had happened the first time Konrad was rising to power .

Becker fiddled with his thumbs, biting his lip. "You can order... compel... the Salem Of The Old Witches. Ask for their help. It's dangerous and—"

"I don't believe you." Konrad said, throwing his hands up. "I don't believe a single word you just said. We're not necromancers or witch doctors, Becker! We cannot call to the dead."

Becker shrugged. "Well then how did I do it!?" Becker yelled back, his voice raising higher than I had ever heard it before. "They hate me for it but I do it all the time because I get to see mom!" He was breathing heavily, his shoulders visibly moving up and down.

Konrad blinked at him. "Prove it. Raise me."

"They were fine with helping me send you to hell. That's how I lived through that spell. But raising you up? They'll fight me and I'll die!" He shook his head. "I— I can't even attempt it!"

Constance squeezed his hand. A silent moment of understanding passed between them before Becker sighed.

"I'll do it, but if I die... I'm going to be upsetti spaghetti." Becker said and Clay groaned. What. A. Child.

But this was it. Konrad was finally going to be 100% here. Skin, bones, and all.

EVERLY
Konrad walked forward, wolves circled into the clearing. He didn't look intimidated for a single second.

Chleo shifted, easily the biggest wolf there. His white wolf almost blended with the snow as he walked, his blonde stomach wasn't the only thing giving him away though. His eyes were practically glowing gold as he stalked around Konrad.

I tried to stand but screamed and fell back down into the snow, something in my back was definitely snapped.

Chleo lunged at Konrad, looking like a straight shot for his neck. Konrad swiped his hand and, in an attempt that would have bounced off if he was any other person, knocked Chleo to the side. I don't know why Chleo even tried, a ripped throat wouldn't kill Konrad.

Konrad continued walking to me, Chleo's limp body laid bloody in the snow. He smiled when he reached me, his teeth perfectly straight and white. "Look who we have here. Everly Dawn. Where's your cousin?" He asked mockingly.

I spit in his face, probably my favorite thing to do besides kiss Colin.

He laughed and wiped it off. "So small and cute. No wonder the boy likes you."

I wished I could have moved, wished I could have attacked him, done something. But my back was broken and it was healing too slow.

"I must admire your reflexes however. You didn't even turn around and aim before you hit me." Konrad ran his hand through my hair. "Yet... you must know that you can't kill me."

Someone tackled him from the side, an attack he didn't see coming.

He fell down as a wolf as big as Chleo, perhaps a little larger, tackled him.

The wolf tore at his throat, ripping off a big chunk.

The wolf flew backwards and rolled in the snow, shaking his bloody fur. Was this Arlis? This blonde and white wolf? No, couldn't be. The way I heard it, Arlis was bigger than this. But, could those just have been rumors?

Konrad coughed and blood fled from his mouth. Another wolf, a look-a-like of the other one that just attacked Konrad, came by and ripped a shred from Konrad's thigh.

Konrad chuckled darkly. "You can't kill me."

The wolf that ripped at Konrad's neck shifted and a guy a little shorter than I expected stood there, naked in the snow. "Actually. I can." No, definitely not Arlis. Arlis wasn't blonde.

Konrad tilted his head.

"We both can." A blonde girl walked around Konrad as he laid in the snow. "You see, do you know who my parents are?"

Konrad narrowed his eyes. "I don't care who your parents are!" His wounds healed up and the girl took a giant step back. Konrad stood. "Only two people on this planet can kill me. I would know—"

"Dalia Barron." The girl hissed. "Is my grandma, my namesake."

Konrad froze and looked between both her and the blonde boy who looked too much like her. Now, fear spread through his body. And then... he was at ease again. A peaceful look stretched across his face. "Can you kill... him."

Becker snapped into the clearing, Constance by his side. He... he wasn't the normal Becker though.

Crows sat on his shoulder as he wore a black robe. His eyes were black and black ink traveled through his skin. His hands were on fire, the flames providing no light though. Light seemed to be sucked from the area where he stood.

"Becker?" I muttered out.

It was a moment that froze, a moment that didn't help us.

Becker closed his eyes as he muttered something. All the birds in the trees flew away, cawing loudly.

Suddenly, the birds stopped and dove down, towards us as fast as they could. There must have been hundreds, all screeching with their claws out. The wolves ran when they realized the birds weren't going to stop.

But I... I couldn't move. I couldn't walk.

"BECKER!" I yelled out, crying. "Becker please!"

The birds nailed into me definitely bruising and cutting my skin, their claws raked across my body like thorns. Cool liquid poured down my skin in pools, drenching the white ground in red.

"Constance!" I yelled as a bird ripped at my neck, scratching it and peeling away skin.

I tried to open my eyes but all I saw was black birds with flashes of white. It was as if my life was flashing in front of me, the light too much for my eyes.

I covered my ears and dug my face in the snow, screaming out to whoever could listen, but nobody would hear. And if they did, would it be any one who cared?

Gashes and tears continue to spread through my skin, a pain comparable to nothing. Not to death, not to bones snapping, not to Lotus poison. I didn't understand what was happening. Why did this hurt so much? Through all the things I've been through, why was this so painful?

"STOP!" I cried out and finally the birds ceased their attack, leaving me to die in the snow. I felt like I was dying. It was an odd feeling, I felt... human again.

I looked up and saw Constance standing over me, a wicked gleam in her eye. "It's not too late, Everly. Join us."

I took a deep breath and cried silently. "I'd rather die." I flipped onto my back, the pain suffocating me. "He killed your mom, Constance. He killed—"

"And I understand why he did it now. He killed her because of Becker. Because my father and Becker's mom are lying, cheating, scum bags. He only killed her to hurt Kasparov. It's understandable." She hissed, her voice filled with venom. "You wouldn't understand."

"But Becker is the product of that!" I screamed out. "Shouldn't you hate him! If Becker had never been born than your mom would have never died." That is the conclusion Kasparov hoped Constance would never come too, right?

Constance shrugged, not caring as much as Kasparov thought she would. "I'll make the world beg at my feet. Becker included. You think Konrad is going to live in a world where someone can over-power him?" She smirked at me. "Poor Poor Everly. Living in the Dawn's shadow. You'll never go anywhere. You should've escaped while you could."

She lifted her foot up and slammed it down, my head taking all the impact. My body went limp, and I felt like I was falling into an endless depth.

***

I was still laying on the ground, snow covering most of my body, when I woke up. All I could do was scream because I lived through all the pain, cursed to be awake. My skin was split open in different cuts. I think it was my screams that finally alerted someone that I needed help.

And it was finally who I was looking for. Arlis slid next to me, his dark hair and eyes just as I remembered them. "Everly... what happened?" He said and tried to help me up. He didn't get very far before it was too much for me.

"Konrad. He's back. Becker rose him." I said and cried again. "I can't heal why can't I heal." I was starting to panic. I should've been okay by now.

"He did this too you? He was here?" I looked up as a decently familiar girl stood there. Maybe her name was Kate? I remember her being with Constance a month ago, and I went to school with her last year.

"Who, who was here?" A boy with brilliant blonde hair and dashing blue eyes asked but I ignored him. I already said who was here, was he not listening!?

"Konrad was here but..." I repeated anyways. "Becker did this." I whined, remembering the awful look in his eyes. "My family was right. Becker turned and he... he's going to get us killed." I tried to stand on my own, but I was too weak. Maybe my family was right, I was still weak. I almost wish I was dead, I should've been dead. But I had someone to live for. Zachariah and Colin and my parents. I couldn't leave them. Dallas either. Or Fiona. I had to hang on for them.

Kate's expression looked like how I felt. "Becker? He did this?"

"And my cousin is working for Konrad too. Constance. And— I came here to make sure you weren't working for him." I explained, looking to Arlis. He'd understand, know what to do. Hopefully he wasn't working for Konrad too.

"You're not healing." Arlis notes instead of bringing up Constance and Beck.

"OF COURSE SHE'S NOT HEALING!" The blonde guy screamed. "We need to get her to a hospital!" Was he a human? The Hunter part noted that and I needed to take care of him but... he was the least of my problems at the moment.

"I've already said that, Arlis!" I ignored the other guy again because if he was a human I was in neither in the state nor position to explain to him things.

"I can carry her." The blonde guy offered. "Let's take her to a hospital!" He really should have learned that nobody was listening to him.

I shuddered as a cool breeze whipped past us. Why did I start feeling the cold? "I felt the breeze." I uttered and shivered against the snow. "Why is it so cold?" I almost liked feeling the cold. But the pain... that pain was too much.

"It's Winter in Montana." Kate gave the answer that, to a human, would sound obvious. "You're not healing... you feel the cold... are you... human again?" She thought out loud.

I widened my eyes as realization dawned on me. "I can't be. That's... Becker wouldn't do that me." He wouldn't ever. Change me to a human? My family would disown me and I'd be killed. I know too much.

Arlis looked down at me, his eyes sad. "Becker is doing a lot of things I said he wouldn't do." He closed his eyes and looked to the blonde guy as his statement boiled in my mind. "You're confused, but I hope this steadies things out." Arlis's bones crackled and popped until his clothes ripped and he was standing on all four, calico fur covering his body.

The guy began screaming and looking wildly around for an exit, he grabbed Kate's hand and started to run but she pulled back, not letting him take her even though I could tell he was so much stronger.

"No no no, this isn't happening. I thought I was crazy. I'd rather be crazy!" He yelled and pulled Kate until Arlis growled at him, ready to attack.

She looked at the guy with wide eyes. My vision started failing and my hearing started to leave as she said, "Werewolves are real. I sound crazy, and I know it's a lot to take in, but trust me. They won't hurt you."

"I know they're real!" He screamed, his body shaking and his eyes nearly glowing. "I just didn't think there was a whole society of them out there!"

She took a confused step back and closed her eyes. "What do you mean you know!?" She asked surprisingly.

He licked his lips nervously and tousled his blonde hair with his left hand. "Because I've been turning into one since the night of the party."

Arlis stood next to her suddenly, naked but there as a human. "How?"

The guy looked down ashamedly. "I got bit that night at the attack." He explained. "I thought I was one of the few ones in the world but... apparently not!"

I found it hard to focus, my head was dizzy and the earth was spinning a million directions. Kate asked him something but my mind was too far gone from the conversation to really hear the question.

He shook his head. "No I didn't go to the hospital! I went looking for you. I saw you run off and I went looking for you. I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD, KATE!" He began crying, tears running down his face like landslides. I didn't see crying people very often, I noted in my head. "I know Arlis is a werewolf, that's why I was so suspicious when he brought you." He wipes his eyes and kneeled in the snow. "I don't know what to do." He wept, his fists clenching so tight his knuckles mirrored the ground. "I was afraid I'd kill mom and dad and I'm so hungry... I... I." He was crying to hard to even speak. "I'm sorry sis."

She leaned down to his level as Arlis walked to me and shifted again, sniffing around me and trying to help me walk. He could only do so much and it pained me that in order to help myself I had to hurt myself. Snow fell once again, softly landing around us soundlessly. The sky was cloudy and grey.

He leaned down and whined at me, his beautiful wolf telling me to help myself crawl into him. Was I strong enough to do that?

"Chance... why are you sorry?" Kate's voice was shaking. She was completely ignoring the fact that I was basically dead. "How did you know Arlis was a werewolf?"

He blinked back tears. "Because they told me."

I crawled onto Arlis back, his soft fur was almost like a warm blanket against my freezing back with blood ice soaked on my skin.

I closed my eyes but kept my ears open, focusing on Kate's conversation with... apparently her brother.

"Who?" She questioned.

He took a deep breath. "The people who took me in to help find you. I didn't have to stay with them long because you came home, but they told me Arlis kidnapped you." Why would Arlis kidnap his own mate? How was he a human and her be a werewolf! Half siblings, perhaps?

She shook her head. "No, no he didn't. He saved me."

"And I owe him my life for that." He sighed and stood up, his legs wobbly. "Alpha Rylee is looking for you. At least he was a month ago."

"We need to have a long conversation." She laughed in a relieved way and brought him into a hug.

He held her tightly and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry because I left you alone. I should've ran with you instead of hiding."

"Your leg—"

"Shouldn't of kept me from protecting you. You're my sister, Kate, and I... I let you go."

She scoffed softly at him. "Well we're together again. That's what matters. I guess I'm following you." She pointed to Arlis who nodded, and even that moment drew a cry from my lips.

We trudged forward, the mood dark and dreary as shadows warped in the light. Oh what a time to be alive.

***

I woke up to a comfortable couch beneath me and a guy staring at me like I was an angel, that or some weird alien thing. He seemed very confused about what to think.

I slammed up from the couch, looking around wildly. "Where am I?" I stuttered out. "Konrad He— He was here. I— who are you?"

The guy gulped and took a seat on the opposite couch. "New to this."

I narrowed my eyes as footsteps came down the stairs, light and airy. "Arlis! She's awake." She had long, light, brown hair and matching eyes. She smiled gently at me. "Hey, Everly." Ah. Kate.

I winced as I stood up, stumbling forward. I sucked in a deep breath and clutched the bookshelf next to the couch. I remembered what happened, the memories flooding through my head. Arlis brought me here.

I looked down at the blue carpet, and around the living room. So fancy. I wanted to leave. I wanted to go home, see Colin. Do something besides be here.

I looked back to the girl. "Kate, right?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. Kate."

Arlis came down the stairs and if I wasn't totally in love wth Colin I would have lost my composure.

He was tall, but not really lengthy. He held himself like a Greek God, high and mighty. He had dark brown hair and pretty brown eyes. Power radiated over him like a blanket, showering him with a glow. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and a pair of grey sweats hung loosely on his hips.

He growled at me and I snapped my eyes up to his.

"Eyes up here, I have a mate and I do not need a fight right now." He said.

I looked to Kate. "Are you— you're... lucky you."

I looked back to Arlis. "Where's Konrad? Did you get him?"

Arlis shook his head. "I wasn't here when he attacked. Thank the moon actually, because he came to kill me."

I looked up at the ceiling and rubbed my temple. "I think he did kill me, at least it feels like he did."

I looked down at my arms. Most of the gashes had already healed, but they were still painful. Becker did that. He sent a swarm of birds to kill me. And it wasn't just a physical pain, the heartbreak so much outweighed the cuts.

I closed my eyes. "Becker did this. And Constance. And— are you working for him?"

Arlis growled and shook his head. "I would never."

I looked at Kate. "What if he used Kate?" I said, looking her up and down.

She didn't look like much, just a scraggly little teenage girl. But if she was paired with Alpha Arlis than something about her must have been special.

"I'd go find him and kill him." He said straightforward. "Not work for him. Plus, he won't take her. Because I can track her and feel her and she can mind-link me. It's a downside for Konrad."

She gave him with a questioning look but never elaborated on what she was confused about. Something about her seemed off. I didn't like it.

"How's Chleo?" I asked, remembering that he too got hurt pretty bad.

Arlis cleared his throat and widened his eyes. "Not healing as fast as you, thats for sure. You Dawns heal faster than even me. I'm and I almost literally died from wounds just the other day."

"Oh hey, me too!" I chuckled. "Watch out for an Atrax Vampire too." I warned. "And actually... I must have been laying on that ground for hours. This is the slowest I've ever healed."

He was suddenly suspicious. He looked me up and down, studying me. "You used the word "Atrax."" He said and put Kate behind him. "Hunters don't associate with that word, they think it's cursed. You shouldn't even know what that word means."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm an educated Hunter, Arlis. I know what some silly little cursed word means." I played it off and walked around the Living Room, his home felt like a home. Pictures were everywhere, artifacts littered the place. Movies and other homely items were on the TV stand. My family didn't have this much stuff, we moved around too much.

He followed me around, never taking his eyes off of me. I was intimidated at first, but then I realized he wouldn't do anything to me.

"So what do you know of Becker?" Arlis asked. "Considering your... familial bonds."

I shrugged and huffed out, looking at an old book on the shelf, amazed by the good quality still held in the book.

"I know he'd only do this if there was a good reason. I know Konrad made a deal with him. And I know something big is going down on Christmas." I figured there was no use in hiding information from Arlis, not if we wanted to drag Konrad into the dirt.

Arlis went to speak, say something, but nothing came out. He was interrupted by very loud screaming.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU BE HERE!" Someone screamed, a blonde man walked in with a pretty girl behind him. This was the guy that ripped out Konrad's throat.

The girl looked like she was about to punch him. "I am not a porcelain doll! I'm not leaving the Pack because Konrad didn't die from some wolf bite." She argued back, glaring at him. She was short, much shorter than even a human. She had smooth caramel skin and dark hair.

He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him, his blue eyes the exact opposite of Arlis's. "Melloni, it wasn't just a bite. I ripped his throat out. And he laughed." He was scared, worried, terrified of what was to come. "You're going home. To your pack."

She let out a long breath. She was giving in. She nodded and he closed his eyes in relief. "I'm not going. I'm staying here."

He snapped his eyes open and turned to stomp his foot, and yelled. "I'm not arguing with you on this! Either you go back to Damarion or I will get your father to come here and pick you up."

"He's Rylee's best friend!" She yelled. "He's not safe! It's not safer there. I'm staying. Here. With you." She didn't sound like she would argue any longer.

"Melloni please. I can't lose you." The blonde guy shuddered and his eyes softened. He got onto his knees and looked up at her like she was angel, a priceless piece of art. "Please. Please just leave this place. I can't— I can't lose you."

She shook her head once more. "I can't leave, Jonah."

I frowned and looked down, remembering Colin. I missed him. I wanted him. But the situation I was in now... I didn't want him here either. He could get hurt. Or worse.

"I say we finally come up with a steady plan." Arlis said, taking a deep breath and looking worriedly at Kate.

I nodded. "I agree. We need to take Konrad down."

Konrad

Everyone

Everyone when they try to kill Konrad and it doesn't work

Konrad