Samuel hesitated and paused so that both Isen and I could make it up to him, and a look of nervousness flashed through his eyes and across his face. He didn't say a word, but I could tell that he was nervous about seeing my sister even in a ghostly state.

My sister cocked her head to the side and smiled while she watched my guard stop and wait for us, studying him. "Are you scared of seeing a ghost, Samuel?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question while she studied me. "Is that why you stopped going up the hill?"

Amusement filled her voice, and I could tell that she did not mean anything by it, especially since she understood that he was nervous because the living and the dead didn't normally react with each other at all.

Samuel was about to bow but stopped and stood, looking toward the area that my sister stood. His cheeks instantly turned red, and I couldn't help but become amused at his behavior, too. "It's not that, Y- Alexia, but I am nervous about stuff that I do not understand."

I scoffed a laugh and rolled my eyes, pressing my lips into a thin line. "You are a fucking wolf, though, Samuel," I said and bared my teeth in warning while I narrowed my eyes and scowled, and he looked at me. "So do not give me that."

Samuel slowly blinked and looked unamused. "I am not giving you anything, Titi," he said and slowly shook his head. "All I am doing is telling the truth about why I am nervous about stuff that I don't understand. I understand stuff that deals with Werewolves and Foxes."

"You also understand stuff that deals with Dryads," Isen said and tucked his head closer to his chest, biting back a small smile while he tucked his head closer to his chest. "Or are you afraid of me, too?" He raised an eyebrow in question while he stared at the warrior, studying him to see what the male had to say, and amusement flashed through his eyes while he did so.

"Deathly," Samuel said and nodded in confirmation, and I couldn't help but snort while Isen gasped in shock and surprise. "The only reason you won't do anything to me is because of her." He gestured toward me, and Isen looked at me before he looked at the male.

Isen scoffed a laugh and rolled his eyes while he scowled, pressing his lips into a thin line. "I do not," he said. "I do not do stuff because of her."

"Are you sure?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied him. "Are you sure that there is stuff that you do not do because I told you not to do it?"

"Or because you know it would make her mad," Samuel added, and I nodded in agreement. "I mean, I know that there are instances in which you wanted to do something but didn't because you didn't want to upset her." He gestured toward me, and Isen set his jaw and grabbed my hand tighter as if he was again that I would disappear, especially since we were slowly but surely getting closer to the top of the cliff with Alexia leading us.

"I do not know what you mean, Samuel," he said coldly while he scowled and narrowed his eyes. "I do not do stuff because I do not want to do it and not because I do not want to hurt her or get mad at me." He grabbed my hand tighter but did not do it enough to hurt me.

"Mmmhmmm." Samuel slowly blinked and looked unamused. "So you don't want to hurt Carter even with the shit that he put her through?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Or whatever her so called "Master" when he was alive and had her under his control."

The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention, and I paused but continued up the cliff with the others. My heart skipped a beat before it started to pound hard and fast in my chest, and I couldn't help but feel as if the air was getting harder to breathe with Samuel's question hanging in the air around us.

"I wouldn't talk about that here," Alexia interjected before Isen could say a word to his comment. She looked at me, and a look of worry and understanding flashed through her eyes before she looked at the two men. "There are some things that shouldn't be said with magic filling the air around us, and unfortunately, talking about him is one of those things that you can't talk about."

Samuel looked toward her and pressed his lips into a thin line. There was a blank look on his face, and I could tell that he still couldn't see her. "Are you saying he could come back from the dead?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

I stopped completely when he said that, and my whole body grew tense and a shiver went down my spine while the hair on my arms stood at attention.

Oh Goddess please... no...

Say that it wouldn't be so...

Please say that he wouldn't be able to come back to the dead if we talk about him here.

My heart skipped a beat before it started to pound hard and fast in my chest, and a lump appeared in my throat. Tears pricked the corner of my eyes, and I would have run in the opposite direction if it were for Isen pulling me to him and into a giant hug, trying but failing to keep a panic attack at bay.

"Way to fucking go, you stupid asshole," Isen seethed and narrowed his eyes at the male before us. He scowled and pursed his lips in annoyance, narrowing his eyes further. "Why must you bring him up when you know that she is still afraid of him?"

Samuel paused and slowly blinked. He didn't say a word and looked between the two of us before he looked at me, looking to see that I was panicking, no matter how hard I was trying not to.

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth together. Tears streamed down my face, and I couldn't help but start to fall to my knees with Isen kneeling down next to me. I didn't say a word, and my whole body continued to shake while I cried.

"Shhhh," Isen said and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "You are ok. He isn't going to come back, and we will protect you if he does."

I didn't say a word and shook my head, and I closed my eyes. I grabbed hold of my best friend and continued to cry and panic with both Samuel and Alexia watching us, not knowing what to do or what to say.

"You're ok, Ans," Isen said and kissed the side of my forehead while he rubbed my back and continued to rock me back and forth. "Shhhh. Take deep breaths. You are ok. No one is going to hurt you, not under my watch. I promise."

But what if I wasn't..?