I knew it would happen somewhere. If you're reading The Wolf And The Natural at the same time you're reading this, I recommend reading all through chapter 33 of that book before reading this chapter due to spoilers, unless you don't care about spoilers... then carry on. However, if you're not reading The Wolf And The Natural then 1. Go read it!? And 2. Carry on.

I pulled into the driveway and ran into the house, seeing Zach with bags packed sitting on the couch. It was almost shocking that Dallas was true to his word on wanting to run, considering that Dallas was about as Dawn as you could get. He fell in line nearly completely with all the Dawns traditions and unsaid rules. Running... wasn't something Dawns did.

Colin was quick behind me, running up to my room. He came back down with a suitcase only seconds later, not enough time to figure out exactly all that happened while I was... gone.

"Sis, thank God you're okay!" Dallas ran up to me and hugged me, the familial embrace of brotherly protection was much needed by this point. "Someone blew up mom and dad's safe, the notebook is missing." He said, gulping. He was nervous, fidgeting and worried.

I shook my head. "I have it. I grabbed it to call your exes and get help. I've had it." I held it up, pride in my stomach. I did something right without trying.

Dallas sighed out in consolation. "Any luck finding the dagger? Felix's?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, not meeting Dallas's eyes. "Didn't look for it."

"Did you contact Arlis at least?" He asked, biting his bottom lip.

I paused and tapped my foot a couple times. "No. But I'll call him right now." I offered.

"Do it NOW!" Dallas yelled. "The Supernatural Court is being taken down one by one and he is on that court. Call him!"

I pulled out my phone and flipped through the notebook, searching through the Alpha's numbers until I found Arlis's. Every Alpha and their pack, Beta, and number were in this book.

I dialed the number and the phone rang. And it rang. And it rang. Each silent space between the sounds made my heart beat change. From quick to slow, fast... to crawling. Was he going to answer this time? Was the silence from their end or just another break between rings? And then... "The number you have dialed does not currently have—" I hung up.

"If I have it right, the only phone is in the pack office, he might not be able to pick it up." Dallas explained.

And he didn't. Nobody answered. Nobody answered the first time I called.

Or the second.

And when I finally called it the third time, a familiar voice answered.

"Hello?" Chleo, Arlis's friend, practically second in command, asked.

I looked up and silently thanked the Gods. "Chleo! It's Everly Dawn. Is Arlis there?"

"You of all people should know he's not here." And that was that. He hung up and when I attempted to call back, it didn't even ring.

I looked up at Dallas with fearful eyes. "Do you think..."

Dallas nodded. "We need to go, now, Everly. He has Arlis and Constance and Becker and Sophia and the Hunters."

"Where do we go?" I ask. "We can't just give up."

"Sis, we're not giving up. We're leaving." Zach said, opening the front door and walking outside. I heard the car door slam shut.

I looked at the suitcase next to me. "But—"

"No. No buts."

"Where are we going to go!?" I shouted. "If he failed at getting our notebook he probably got someone else's and he knows all the safe houses."

He haltered for a second, and sat on the floor. "I don't know."

I rolled my eyes. "Do you think he won't find us? What if mom comes back. What if someone needs us?"

"I DONT KNOW!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. I jumped back, my heart aching out. He never screamed at me like that. "I don't know. I just know that it's only me, you, and Zach now. Constance is gone, mom and dad are gone, Fiona is gone, the Hunters are gone, Arlis is gone. We're FUCKED! Do you understand that?"

I did understand. I hated that I did, but I did. I understood how helpless we were. "But Becker is back and—"

"I don't trust him. He's smart but he's reckless. He's switching sides too often. Something is wrong there." He said.

God why was he always right? Why was he always... right. "You run. I'm staying."

He shook his head, grabbing my arm. "No. I'm not loosing you too." He was almost crying as he tried to pull me to the front door.

I punched at his arm but his grip was made of steel, unbreaking.

"Dallas let me go!" I shouted.

"No!" He forced me to face him, his eyes bloodshot and tears falling down from his perfect glass like eyes. "You're all I have left."

"But Za—"

"You're the only one who's broken like I am. Zach is smart and he'll get over this. You and I? We won't. We're the weak ones Everly." He never removed his gaze from my eyes. He never let go of my arm. "We're going to be left to pick up the pieces. If there are any left."

I closed my eyes. I should stay. In case mom came back. Or incase someone needs me. "I'll go if Colin comes with us."

"I shouldn't go with you." Colin said, face downcast and sad.

The corner of Dallas's lip lifted upward before going back into a straight line. "My Dad told you to watch her. You going to betray a man's last wish?"

Colin nodded. "Konrad can find me easier. We share the same blood."

"But he's not your family. We're your family now. Zach is our little brother. Everly is our responsibility. You're one of us now." Dallas pointed out. "Come with us."

Colin shook his head. "I'll get us killed."

"You act as if we have a good chance of living." Dallas pointed out. He set a hand on Colin's shoulder and took a deep breath. "I'll feel safer with you with us. Right now, we need all the help we can get. Konrad will come for us no matter what. You understand that?"

Colin nodded and then backed out of Dallas's grasp. "I don't want to be responsible for anyone else's disappearance or death."

"So we won't disappear or die." Dallas assured but in his voice he didn't sound so sure.

Colin didn't seem to notice the falter, if he did, he didn't say anything. He clasped his hand around Dallas's arm. "Don't be wrong."

We all walked outside and I, for once, was traumatized by the human world. Our neighbors' kids played in the snow, the mailman continued his job, shivering. A dog nearby barked at a piece of trash blowing past the other side of the short fence.

Everything was normal for them, but for me the world was ending. I crushed my hand into a fist and jogged to the car, getting inside and slamming the door. Zach and Colin took backseat while Dallas had drivers and me in shotgun.

Zach looked Colin up and down and then turned forward. "I'm sure your sister is okay." Zach didn't seem to only be talking about Sophia, but also about our own sister.

Of course Fiona was okay. She was Fiona.

***

We had been driving for nearly six hours. We had barely said anything. We stopped only once, at a small gas station, to eat. A gas station in which the cashier's memory was slightly damaged due to Colin and his own eating habits.

We weren't in Montana anymore, but instead somewhere in Idaho rubbing against the Canadian border, mountains covering all four sides of us. We pulled to a stop and when I looked up from the book I was reading, some lame one about two star crossed lovers, I saw a man in a glass box.

"Passports?" He asked.

"Really Rob? This is what you're doing?" Dallas asked, apparently familiar with the guy.

The guy widened his eyes. "Oh shit! Hey Dallas, whats up."

Dallas nodded. "Trying to get into Canada, you?"

"Trying to live life. Man are you on supernatural duties or..." the guy trailed off. Who and what was he?

Dallas nodded. "Yeah. Running. From Konrad."

The guy's eyes flashed red and then returned back to brown. Fae. "Go on in. But if you're looking to get away from him... go talk to King Anaforo."

Dallas shook his head. "His wife is being held captive right now. The last thing he's doing is running."

The fae's eyes flashed blue. "I'll be sure to send him my apologies. Go on in." The guy pressed a button and the gate in front of us lifted up, allowing us to cross into the Canadian country without problem and without magic.

I flipped on the radio and started to bite my nails. How many supernaturals out there weren't running? That guy seemed perfectly content behind flimsy glass in the middle of nowhere. Altbough, maybe the fae we're safe from Konrad's plans. Maybe that guy didn't need to worry about anything.

***

I took a deep breath as someone with a deep voice spoke on the radio. I didn't care to listen, it was just weather or something stupid. I could've joined the conversation going on between Colin and Zach in the backseat, but they were bonding and I figured I'd let them have this. They were both nerds. I wasn't surprised that of all my family, Colin best got along with Zach.

Instead, I looked out to the sunset. It was glorious with hues of pinks and purples. I smiled at it. This is what I'm living for. Tomorrow. Everything beautiful in life like love and sunsets.

I yawned and leaned against the window as Dallas turned up the radio.

"Shut up you two, I wanna listen to this." He started to drive a little slower.

"—racing from Quebec across Canada and over Northern United States. This is quite possibly one of the worst storms I have ever seen. With 60mph winds and -21 degrees Celsius weather, combined with near zero visibility, we advise that everyone stay inside, get off the roads, and wait for further notice. A blizzard has began racing from Quebec across Canada and over Northern United States. This—" My brother cut the radio off.

Clouds started to cover the sunset. "Where are we, exactly?" I asked.

Dallas shrugged. "Somewhere in British Columbia. A long way away from that blizzard, sis."

I snuck a glance back out to the sunset, biting my lip. Clouds were gathering in the distance, the white ground was near blinding.

"The ground is brighter than my future." Colin laughed, and I couldn't help but smile a tad.

"Do you think Konrad... is making that storm? Can he make storms? How does magic even... work?" I asked, praying to every god out there that the blizzard was just... just that. A natural blizzard. It was winter, we were in Canada... blizzards happen.

Dallas's silence gave me all I needed. That storm was probably from Konrad.

Dallas sped up, pushing the car to go faster. My nails dug into the seat, slightly scared of crashing. Not so much for myself but for Zach. He's an underage, a crash could kill him.

Dallas slowed and took a turn. "There's one place nobody can find us." He said, the road thinning and turning bumpy. A dirt road.

I didn't have any idea what place he was talking about, it could've been a wide range of houses or cabins. It could've been a tent in the middle of the woods for all I knew. Or a mobile home abandoned years ago.

I looked forward just as a tree came toward us. "Dallas!" I cried out, but he didn't stop in time.

The tree went through the car. Literally. No crash, no burn. No smoke. It disappeared and the car went through it, revealing a cabin the size of a small two bedroom apartment.

He stopped and pulled out the keys.

I opened my door and stepped outside into the air, feeling bristling wind hit my arms. I fell and shuddered, moving back against the car. This was the feeling I had when Becker made me human for that small second.

Colin ran to me, shivering and cold himself.

"What the hell, Dallas!? Where are we!?" Colin yelled, picking me up and holding me to his chest.

Dallas took a deep breath and nodded his head to the house. "A safe place."

I closed my eyes. "Where, Dallas?" I asked.

"Its a long story." He replied and then walked to the door, opening it.

I looked to Colin and then to Zach who was already running inside. I couldn't feel my fingers anymore and my ears were starting to hurt.

Colin and I walked forward, took three steps up onto an old rickety porch, and walked inside. Dallas shut the door against the wind and locked it.

I turned on my phone flashlight and covered my nose. It smelled like...

"Blood." Colin said. "I smell blood. Dallas we need to leave."

Dallas must have found a light-switch because the room dimmed up, brightening just a bit.

I gasped and fell back into Colin's arms as a corpse lay on the ground, all bones. A circle of strange symbols was painted underneath it. All in red.

I turned my eyes away and shivered again.

Dallas ignored the body and walked to the fireplace instead, lighting it up. More light illuminated the room. Drawings laid across the room, the furniture was old and when I say old I mean old. It was all handmade with animal skin blankets and there didn't seem to be any nails. Everything was tied together.

"Something is wrong." Dallas said, eyeing the pictures and the furniture. "Last time I was here, the furniture was covered in tarp and there were no... drawings."

"Someone's here?" Zach asked. Zach pulled out his blade and I cursed myself once again for not having mine. Stupid stupid stupid.

Colin geared up for a fight.

I put my fists forward alongside him.

"You'll have to excuse the mess." A low, rough voice said. I tilted my head as an old man came into view from one of the bedrooms. Who was this guy? "I'm sure you don't remember me."

"I do." Dallas said. "You're Seymour, right? A werewolf? Part of Arlis's pack?"

Seymour nodded his head. "Well, not anymore." He glared at the ground. "I was kicked out."

Dallas put his dagger away. "Why? And how do you know about this place?" He was still defensive.

I was definitely still on my toes, I didn't know who this guy was. But if Arlis booted him from his pack, I don't think I cared who he was.

Seymour took a deep breath and looked at the body on the body on the ground with sadness. "She was my mate, Angelica." He sniffed and began crying. "I never should have trusted him."

I took a step back as he took a seat on the couch. I thought it would break but it surprisingly held steady.

"Who? What happened?" Dallas asked.

"You all know how Angelica saved the world. Killing herself, offering herself to the Salem Witches. POLYPHEMA WAS HER BEST FRIEND!" Seymour yelled. "And Polyphema let her do it, let her die." Seymour began shedding more tears than any one person could count. His wise old eyes were on the brink of insanity.

I looked at the body on the floor. It was rare for werewolves to live after their mate died. It was even rarer for one to live normally after their mate died. It wasn't something that happened... ever really. To see him back where his mate died and semi being semi normal was boggling my mind.

"I trusted Konrad to talk Polyphema out of it, but he didn't. Konrad was my best friend and he talked Polyphema into letting Angelica kill herself for those STUPID SALEM WITCHES!" Seymour yelled. And then he was silent again, closing his eyes. "I knew Konrad was bad news. And nobody believed me. I didn't even believe me. I had necromancers tell me he would end my world and I... I didn't believe them."

I narrowed my eyes.

Zach was the first person to speak, his little voice so loud in the emptiness of the room. "Best friend?"

He nodded. "We even had this stupid quote together. It's not wise to be a fool. We thought we were Socrates."

I made eye contact with Dallas and sent him a sibling message with my eyes saying, "This dude is psycho."

Dallas nodded his head. "How did you get kicked from Arlis's pack?"

He began sobbing again. "Trying to protect him."

I tilted my head. "What?"

"He doesn't understand who his mate is. He doesn't understand who he is. He doesn't understand Konrad like I do." He was rocking back and forth, shaking his head. "I bit her, bit his mate."

Kate? "You bit his mate? Isn't that a for sure way to die in the werewolf world? Attack another man's mate."

Seymour looked up at me. "She's her. She looks just like her."

"Just like who!?" I hated fortune cookie answers. Vague, metaphorical, could describe anything or anyone and made just enough sense.

"POLYPHEMA! She looks just like Polyphema." Seymour looked like he was falling into himself, digging deeper and deeper into a black hole.

I remembered back to the peeling painting on the ceiling of Becker's mansion. Of Polyphema. The one that looked familiar not because it was Polyphema (a woman I had never met) but because it looked like Kate, Arlis's mate.

"I bit her to see if I could taste magic, to see if she was Polyphema pulling some... trick. If she didn't actually die just like Konrad." He said.

And now I was curious. He had me intrigued. "And?"

I don't know what I wanted to hear. That she was actually Polyphema roaming around again, or that Polyphema was actually dead and we didn't have a fourth Salem Of The Old Witch in the game.

He was silent, looking at the body. He smiled and looked up at the sky. "She ended up being a boring human with werewolf blood running through her from Arlis."

I sighed in relief. Thank God there was no fourth witch. Three was enough to drive me wild. Becker, Sophia, and... Konrad. I wasn't sure if he exactly classified as a Salem. The way I understood by magical terms he was powerful like one, but by personal terms he wasn't exactly a Salem.

"So? Why does she look like Polyphema?" I asked.

Seymour didn't seem to know the answer to that despite his seemingly knowledgeable self.

"Because she's probably related to Poly. Becker didn't have kids but... Poly's sister did." Zach offered, the brightest mind in the room.

Seymour looked at him with respect. "You're right. Sisca isn't Salem so her kids wouldn't be, but she is still related to Poly."

I widened my eyes. Well look at that. "She has a brother who's my age, wouldn't he have known if he was a witch?"

Seymour shrugged. "I don't know." He leaned back. "I knew Konrad was going after leaders... so... I thought maybe if I became Alpha, he'd take me. Do you know if Arlis is planning an attack?"

I bit my lip. "Arlis is gone. We don't know where he is."

Seymour rolled off the couch and looked up at the ceiling, laying on the dirty floor. "You don't know where he is?"

I took steps back to Dallas, looking between him and Colin and Zach.

I shook my head. "No."

"Good." Seymour turned and smiled at us, his eyes glowing yellow and his teeth sharp and jagged. "Konrad is happy to hear that."

I widened my eyes as his face began melting, revealing grey skin underneath it.

"Run!" Zach yelled, just as an impish creature jumped out of Seymour's skin at us. I dodged left and Colin dodged right, headed toward the door. I headed toward the kitchen with knives.

The Imp thing followed me of course. Was I the lucky one or the unlucky one? "What is that!" I yelled.

"An Atrax Fae!" Colin said at the same time Zach yelled, "Goblin!" They were the same thing.

I ducked as it jumped over my head. "What do I do!?"

Dallas tried to pick up a chair and ran forward, falling onto his ass. "Fuck! I forgot there's no supernatural abilities or magic in this stupid house."

"Then how did the Goblin do that!" I pointed to Seymour's melted skin.

I picked up the box of knives and threw them one by one at the advancing goblin. One hit him in the eye and black goop poured from it's grey and wrinkly face.

It cowered and ran up stairs.

We ran to the door but when we tried to open it, we realized it was locked shut from the outside.

Colin banged his shoulder against it and cringed, pulling back. "Ah Hell, my shoulder."

"Idiot! We're humans in this stupid house." Dallas said.

"Then how is there a goblin! How did he transfer from Seymour to that." I asked again, daring to not to look at the skin fallen to the floor.

"That's it's natural state, that's one of its natural abilities." Colin said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Then shouldn't our strength work!?" I screamed. "Shouldn't we be able to kill it!"

Colin shook his head. "No. We're not natural supernaturals. Fae and goblins are connected to earth, same as werewolves. They're natural state is to be a monster. It infected Seymour with itself, almost possessing him, and receded into the back of Seymour's head. Who we were talking too, that was Seymour. And then the Goblin came forth, finished eating the inside of Seymour, and now wants to do the same to us!" Colin smacked the door. "That's his natural state! He's a monster. Our natural state is human because we're more human than we are monster!"

Colin's information terrified me at the same time it impressed. He was right when he said all those months ago that I needed to get out more.

Dallas ran to the chair and looked at me. "Help me lift this." He said.

Colin and I ran to the chair and picked it up while Zach watched the stairs. "Throw it at the window."

And so we did. And it bounced back off the window and hit the ground in a crash, splintering wood everywhere.

"What the hell!" Dallas pulled the curtains back and looked outside. We both froze as we saw Konrad standing there, smiling at us.

I shook my head and turned around. "We're dead. We're dead."

"If we get Konrad in the house is he human?" Zach asked, already using strategy above strength. He was the genius of the family.

Colin regretfully shook his head. "Not since he has Salem in him. This is the house where the Hunter's were made. Only Salem's can perform magic here."

I threw my arms up. "Oh come on! I am a Hunter! I'm a Dawn at that, first Hunter bloodline to be made. Is there some special rule for me!?" I felt so cheated against. God, it was like some evil God was looking down at me and laughing while they made my life miserable.

"Yeah. You're human again while we're in here." Colin growled. Thanks evil God controlling my life.

The Goblin came back downstairs, it's eye healed and a knife in its bony, webbed, grey hand. He threw it and Colin pulled me out of the way.

The knife went into the wall next to my head. I grabbed it and threw it back. "How do you kill a Goblin, Dallas!?" He should know. He's probably killed one before.

Was it silver like a werewolf? Diamond like a mermaid? I didn't have any lotus on me, so what was the other thing that specifically killed them.

"Do I look like I know!?" Dallas yelled and threw his dagger. It missed the Goblin by inches.

"Iron?" Colin offered, not too sure in his answer.

I ran to the iron fire pokers and held one in two hands. I felt like a badass chick from a horror movie.

The Goblin came my way, running full speed on two harry legs. It's dong was hanging out and I smirked. I hit him right where it hurt.

He jumped on me, not phased by the attack.

I screamed as he clawed at my arm. He started gnawing on my collarbone, and I felt warm liquid run down me.

The thing was ripped away, tearing flesh with it.

I screamed much louder than I ever had before as Zach pushed down on the wound, sobbing. "Dont die, don't you die." He cried.

Dallas and Colin were wrestling with the Goblin, I guess Dallas had gotten his dagger back. Dallas and Colin won, eventually, and stabbed the Goblin with the dagger in the head.

The Goblin withered away, melting into nothing.

Dallas ran over to me and Zach. "Help me lift her, Col." He grabbed my side, putting his arm underneath me.

Colin grabbed my legs and on three they both lifted me up and set me on the old, uncomfortable couch. Colin kicked aside the melted body of Seymour.

Dallas walked to the door and opened it, thankfully finding nobody outside of it.

"Let's carry her out of here." Dallas said and nodded to the car.

Zach wiped his face. "Where'd Konrad go?"

"It hurts!" I screamed.

Dallas and Zach lifted me up, sending flaring fire through my veins as they moved me outside, the cold slightly numbing my body. The blood was probably freezing.

They half ran to the car and when we finally got to it, I felt a little better. The wound was already starting to fix itself. It was a slow process, but it was process.

Dallas started the car and turned the heater up all the way for Zach. He peeled out of the driveway, fast and furious style.

"Where did Konrad go?" Zach repeated.

I relaxed as my shoulder continued to heal. It was like I was placed in mint, I was cold and comfortable. Still burning slightly, but it was a good burn.

Dallas looked in the rear view mirror at me. "I don't know."

And from there the storm only got worse.

Here's a good. Nice. Long. Chapter. To make up for the short one I posted a couple days ago. *wink wink* I love you guys, hope you all have a nice day. And night. Or whatever. Also... I've ever asked/said this before but... I love your guys' comments!!! Do it more often my peeps. I respond most of time. SPAM ME. Also drop a vote or something. Or a correction. Critique me (nicely though, I'm still human). Just give FEEDBACK, Y'ALL. ❤️😂