Breakfast was tasteless for me. Matthew did what he could to make me smile, and he didn't exactly fail, but there was a dark cloud hanging over me.

The brothers were supposed to be sentenced today, and it pained me. I wasn't allowed to be there to support them since the council felt if the boys were to lose, which was likely, I didn't need to hear it. Nate had expressed to me that I should leave before they announce the sentencing, but I refused to leave until I knew.

Nick and Matthew supported my decision since they were worried about the boys just as I was. I spent about an hour pacing before Matthew finally tried to convince me to sit. "Stressing too hard won't help you Lyra," he said, pulling me into a hug. "We just have to be patient, alright? The brothers said someone was coming to help, so all we can do is wait and pray."

I pressed up against my brother, hiding my face in his shoulder. "I can't lose them, Matt. We've gone through so much."

"I know," he replied softly, rubbing my back gently. "We just have to be patient okay?"

I nodded, holding him tighter than before. Aside from Matt, Nick was in the living room with us, sitting on a couch that was closest to the largest living room window as he stared outside. He had a tired look on his face, one that was soon replaced with surprise.

Unable to help myself, I asked, "Hey, is everything alright?"

Nick stood and scraped his fingers through his curly black hair. "Yeah, I think. There are some newcomers though, and they don't look friendly."

Curious, I approached the window and looked outside. The pack's guards were standing in front of four individuals; all men. "I wonder why..." My words left me when I looked closer. "Wait, I think I know them!" Before anyone could react, I grabbed my coat and ran to slip my shoes on.

"Lyra, hold on!" I could hear my brother and Nick following me but I didn't slow down for them. I barely had my coat or boots on correctly as I slipped and ran down the snowy steps.

I was breathless when I reached the bottom but I didn't stop running, calling out to him when I got close enough. "Justin!"

The familiar pale-faced werewolf turned to me, allowing me to enwrap him in a hug. I didn't know what he was doing here, but I was overjoyed to see a familiar face. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and whispered, "Hey, human."

I giggled and loosened up my grip to look up at him. "You're here? How? And why?"

"I'll explain in a minute," he assured me, stiffening before holding me to him. Confused, I turned my head to see Nate approaching us. I noticed Matthew and Nick standing at the stairs, stopping once catching sight of the chief.

"Who are you?" he demanded, already sizing Justin up as he stopped a few feet before us. He then glanced at me and raised an eyebrow. "Lyra?"

"He's a friend," I assured Nate, wiggling my way out of Justin's grip before glancing at the other three members. I then brightened and said, "They all are. Jean, you came!" The werewolf in mention simply nodded his head, a ghost of a smile appearing on his face for a moment.

The other two were faces I hadn't seen in a long time, but before I could say their names, Nate did it for me. The alpha approached the two and said, "Kai...and Bruce." He placed his hands on their shoulders, gripping them as he smiled. "It's been a long time."

Kai glanced at me but it was Bruce who spoke up. "It's nice to see you again, Little Sister," he said with a bright smile, bowing at me.

I blushed and giggled, curtsying as I said, "Likewise Bruce. But why are you here?"

"This used to be our pack," Kai replied, shrugging. "I hoped to have never glanced at this place again but...I'm afraid we're needed."

"For what?" Nate asked, looking among the younger wolves.

Justin placed his hand on my shoulder, staring Nate down. "I believe you're holding our wolves," he replied.

Nate stared at him for a moment before turning a little and waving away the guards. "I have this handled. You five need to leave for the guest house before we cause a scene." He turned back to look at us, and then at me, sighing softly. "How you come across these werewolves, I will never understand."

I smiled sheepishly, following Justin and the others as they approached Nick and Matthew. Nick grinned and said, "Sup, boys!"

"...To think you brought the cat here," Kai muttered icily, brushing past Nick. He thought nothing of it, motioning for us to come back upstairs.

We all gathered in the living room, waiting on Nate it seemed. Kai looked visibly uncomfortable while Bruce almost looked gleeful as he sat beside his friend. Jean and Justin were as silent as ever, but Justin continued to glance my way with a worried expression.

I felt bad for Matthew; he seemed really out of place and uncomfortable, so I sat beside him and rubbed his back. Nick seemed content to stand as we waited.

We didn't have to sit around for long it seemed, as Nate appeared about ten minutes later. He looked exhausted but kept a wary smile on his face. "I'm aware you're here for the brothers, but I'm inclined to believe you're here for more than them. Tell me, Miles did not send you, did he?"

"Miles can rot," Justin said simply, "I'm not here on his behalf; I'm here for the brothers and the brothers alone."

"I hope you're aware of how little you can do to help the situation," Nate spoke in a low tone. "The Council has already decided that they're to be judged and without the chief here, your hands are just as tied as ours."

"Not as much as you think," Jean replied, leaning forward from the chair he sat on. "See, while Miles was dealing with the guards, his mistress came to us with a locked up and dusty box. We opened it and..." Jean glanced at Justin, who pulled out a rolled-up paper from the satchel he wore. He then tossed it to Nate, who tilted his head.

"It was the last will and testament of Simon's, a will that Miles had hidden away," Justin explained, causing Nate's eyebrows to lower. "I always knew there was something amiss about Miles showing up years ago and just suddenly taking charge."

Nathaniel unrolled the paper and read slowly, his expression looking grimmer as he continued to read. "When Miles first arrived at the gates with the terrible news, he didn't seem too choked up about it. This is his handwriting, that old bastard..." Nate looked misty-eyed before wiping his eyes and rolling the parchment up. "If this is true, then the council is about to commit a horrible crime. We must go."

I felt confused but it looked like I didn't have time to ask any questions. Everyone but Nick and Matthew stood and started walking toward the front door. I got up and said, "Wait, what's going on!" I stepped in front of Nate and Justin, holding my hands out as I asked, "Where are you going? What did the letter say?"

Justin looked irritated with me but it was Nate who spoke up. "There's little time, Lyra, but if you must know then please follow us." There was a light in his eyes that I couldn't quite place. "We may save your mates yet."

My eyes widened but I was quick to react. "Then we should go!"

"Lyra, wait!"

Ignoring my brother's protests, I shoved the door open, a gust of wind blowing my hair back. The weather was getting worse! "Matthew, please stay here!" I didn't trust things to go well, not with whatever Nate knew, and the last thing I wanted was my brother to get hurt!

"But-!"

"Matthew, hold on." I overheard Nick speaking to Matthew, but I didn't hear much else, finally stepping outside as the wind blew into my face. My legs were already stumbling in the harsh weather, but not for long, as a strong arm wrapped around mine to keep me upright. I looked up and smiled gratefully at Justin.

"Thank you!"

"Hang on," he instructed, holding me close. I obeyed him, wrapping my arms around him as we trudged through the snow. I peeked over his shoulder and saw the rest of the werewolves following us, with Nate trudging forward ahead of the rest.

Justin slowed down, forcing me to stop so I could properly cover myself. I nodded my thanks as my body shivered from so much exposure to the cold, buttoning and tying my outerwear as quickly as I could.

The quiet werewolf placed a hand on my back as he urged me forward to follow the others. Nate wasn't taking us back to the cells anymore, but downhill to a semi-large courthouse. I gulped and held Justin's hand nervously, feeling small as we got closer to this large building.

My fingers held mine in reassurance, glancing down at me worriedly as his posture tensed up. I wasn't sure what to expect when we crossed the double doors, but I noticed Jean's claws growing out and Bruce bristling from getting so close to the doors.

The alpha himself looked tense as he placed his hands on the doors, pushing them open and asserting his arrival just by stepping past the threshold. A faint bitter smell invaded my nose; copper, thick and horrible.

Shortly after, a cry of pain hit my ears, one that made my stomach flop in fear. I quickly glanced around Nate's body and almost cried out. One of the werewolves had shifted, gripping Xain's head so tight I feared they'd tear his head off.

Both brothers were on their knees in a far worse state than I left them, trembling in pain as gashes and cuts adorned their bareback bodies. There was another with a terrifying-looking whip in hand, in human form, and absolutely uncaring of the men he was hurting.

"Enough," Nate hissed, stepping forward.

"Chief," the male spoke in a monotone voice, stark white eyes glancing at me and the following of werewolves before looking up at Nate. "You shouldn't be here."

"No, you shouldn't," another hissed, stepping forward. He was aged, looking at how a man would look in his fifties; his skin was pale with wrinkles, and he was dressed in a white shirt, black vest, and black pants. His hair was black and raked back, eyes bloody red, and the werewolf bore his fangs at me.

I gasped and stepped back, bumping into Bruce who had swiftly nudged me behind him.

"I smell them all over her," he snarled, glaring at Nate and stepping toe to toe with his alpha. Despite Nate having a few inches over this werewolf, there was something about this elder male that set all my nerves afire. "You are forbidden to be here, Nate. Remove yourself."

"I'm afraid I can't, Counselor," Nate stated calmly, his lips twitching at the man's clear distaste in hearing this. "You're whipping another chief."

Another...what?

The male, "Counselor" as Nate had called him, almost smiled, eyes studying Nate. "That's a rather bold statement to make about two men who ran from their position. Which one, since we both know only one of them was chosen." The other who was holding the whip glanced at Nate curiously but said nothing.

Nate flashed a knowing smile, pulling out the parchment and dropping it in his hands. Not liking the sly smirk he was being given, the man hoisted the whip over a hook on his belt, opening it up with surprisingly clean black gloves. The more he read, the redder his face became, until he was vividly growling.

I hid behind Bruce further, reassured when I felt Justin's hand on my shoulder; Kai and Jean had gotten closer as well, not touching but hovering nearby in assurance. What did this mean? He was whipping chiefs? Was Connor or Xain a chief? The pregnant silence around us was killing me until it was disrupted by a snarl.

"These men should not be allowed to roam free!" He barked, now inches away from Nate's face. His claws were beginning to pop out as he tried to seize Nate up. Nate, however, stood firm like a wall.

"It is by law that you let them go, Counselor," Nate spoke calmly, rugged features threatening to stretch into a smile. "They have a man to dethrone. You know the laws; they will pay for their dues in time."

The Counselor snarled again, shoving the paper against Nate's chest before turning to the werewolf holding Xain's head up. "Let him go." The werewolf did as instructed, and Xain's body leaned forward as Xain took a deep, shaky gasp of air. The Counselor bared his teeth at Nate again, wiggling his finger. "They will not get away with what they did to my daughter, Nate."

"Of course," Nate replied flatly, motioning for us to step to the side. We did so, Bruce firmly keeping me behind him as the man with the whites eyes whip and the werewolf walked past us. It didn't escape me that the old man was glaring daggers at me as he followed, reminding me just how out of the element I was in.

Only when they pass through the door did I try and rush to my wolves.

"Lyra wait!"

I almost didn't listen, breathless as I ran to my wolves. Connor looked up, but there was something different about his gaze. Hunger. He shakily tried to get up, baring his canines at me before groaning and falling back down to his knees. I meeped and stumbled back, eyes wide as I came to terms with what just happened.

Justin's arms wrapped around me as he pulled me back. "Wait," he demanded, silver eyes narrowing at the brothers. "They aren't well, Lyra. He's done something to them."

This didn't help my urge to come to them, but I could sense it now that I was close enough, terrified that I could barely sense anything. Connor stared right through us, body shaking in untamed rage as he growled in pain. Xain was no better, golden eyes pinning me to my spot.

Hunger. 'They hunger, hunger, tear apart, rip, rip me, hurt me, hurt-!'

I shut my eyes tight and looked away from them, shivering almost wildly. "What's wrong with them?"

"I don't know," Nate muttered, brushing past Justin and me, and I opened my eyes just enough to watch his back. It was so painful to look at them and I didn't know why. It-It felt like I was dying. What was going on?

The chief swore and took a step back, his skin considerably pale. "Shit. Bruce, grab the medic, quickly!"

Bruce's footsteps hastened as he ran out of the building as Nate took a shaky breath, taking a step closer. What was going on?! "Nate?" My voice felt broken, detached almost.

"Their blood," he muttered in disbelief, "it's poisoned with silver."

-

Oops

~Aneth