"True reconciliation does not consist in merely forgetting the past."
~Nelson Mandela
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Caleb

An unwarranted amount of jealousy rushed through me when Lily received word Elsa wanted to see her. I thought, being her brother, Elsa would've spoken to me first, but that turned out not to be the case. And then, the more I thought about it, her request made sense. Elsa didn't have a history with Lily, she wasn't betrayed by her, but she did with me. So, biting my tongue, I pushed down my jealousy and focused on being with Anna and the other members of her pack that used to be part of mine. I had them tell me everything they went through since their 'deaths,' and I found my amazement increasing with each step. Certain parts of the story they seemed to gloss over and move past before I could even begin to ask more about it, so I figured it was a difficult topic to discuss. Spencer, Dom, and Anna drove that conversation, and the others took cues from them. When Jace started mentioning something about the 'Kids,' Spencer shot him a look that instantly shut Jace down.

Hours passed before Elsa and Lily returned, and I think they only did so because Anna informed them dinner was ready. The pack sat at the dining room table and dug in. I wanted to sit between the twins to be near them and have the physical reminder that they were truly alive but settled for sitting next to Anna. Elsa still didn't want me around her. Otherwise, she surely would've said something to me by now.

Conversation flowed throughout dinner, and although I hardly spoke, I couldn't stop smiling. Everyone acted so naturally with each other, like we'd never been parted or had an impending war on the horizon. I think what surprised me most was hearing Elsa laughing and engaging with not only her pack but Lily too. My sister had been so cold to mine and Lily's arrival that I thought she'd be on the quieter side, but no. She reminded me of the Elsa I used to know - the young, carefree sister who always wore a smile around her family. This pack was her family now, not me and mine, and the truth hurt as much as I understood why she felt that way.

As the meal winded down, everyone split up for different things. Anna, Dom, Rey, and Finn took over cleaning the kitchen and doing the dishes. The others set to work prepping for the trip and going to pack. Strangely, Elsa moved toward the front door, and Spencer joined her. They put on their coats and snow boots and talked so low, even with my superhearing, I couldn't make out a thing. I glanced over at Lily to see if she noticed, but she was too busy sticking next to Dom.

"Caleb, Lily," Spencer called out, garnering our attention. "Elsa and I are going on patrol. You want to join?"

"Sure!" Lily replied cheerfully, hurrying over to her younger brother. I followed her quietly, unsure of the ulterior motive behind the offer. Were they genuine in wanting us to tag along? Or were they leading us far away only to ambush and interrogate us?

"Awesome. Our territory isn't huge, but it's rocky and slightly treacherous in places, so it'll take about three hours for the whole loop," Spencer explained, moving aside so Lily and I could get our boots and coats. Once we were ready, the four of us stepped outside into the freezing air.

Elsa stopped at the top of the porch stairs and said, "Spencer, you start on the north with Lily. I'll take Caleb and start in the south. Howl if you need us."

"Same goes for you." Spencer pecked my sister on the lips, then jogged down the steps with his sister eagerly at his side. Meanwhile, Elsa shifted into a white wolf without a word and went in the opposite direction. I followed her, changing into a wolf that matched hers. We silently made our way into the woods, the moonlight illuminating our path. I stayed slightly behind her, letting my sister lead me through the unfamiliar territory.

Be on alert. Elsa warned, turning her head to check over her shoulder. We've smelled a mountain lion hanging out around here recently.

Noted. Have you seen it? I asked, looking up into the trees.

No, just caught the scent the past few nights. Not sure if it's passing through or planning on staying. Hopefully, it's the former.

Yeah, mountain lions are never fun to deal with. Elsa didn't respond, and a few minutes of silence passed between us. A certain tension fell over us. I could feel it radiating off her, and I could only presume she picked up the same thing from me. In an attempt to break it, I said: Hey, thanks for taking me with you on patrol. I know I wasn't your first choice.

Elsa briefly glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. Spencer wanted to spend time with Lily, and I wasn't going to come between that, even if he did offer to take you instead of her. Besides, I figured you and I needed to talk sooner or later.

We do, but it'll only work if you're ready to. I pointed out, picking up my pace slightly to fall in line with her.

I've been dead to you and the pack for three years and in hiding even longer because of my traitor status. There will never be such a thing as 'ready' when it comes to talking to any of you, whether you're on my side or not.

Despite my actions, I was never against you, Elsa.

Even when you showed up to the church to murder us? She asked sharply.

I was praying to hell and back that you weren't there, that you'd outsmarted the Controllers and us, and you did in a way I could never have predicted. I'm sorry for not helping you earlier.

Elsa didn't respond for a few seconds, leading me to believe the conversation was over. But then: I'm sorry too. For all of it. I never wanted to hurt any of you.

I know you didn't. Spencer's your mate, Elsa. You can't fight that, no matter how hard you try. You two will be the downfall of the Controllers, and I want to help this time. So do Hunter and Josie and Lily.

I could hear Elsa's appreciation in her response. Thank you. Hearing you say that and knowing you're sincere in the offer means the world to me. Back when all this first started, I would've jumped at the assistance, but knowing what I do now and how dangerous this all is, and with how many lives I've risked already, don't put yourself in more danger than you have on our behalf. If the Controllers don't suspect you're on our side or seeing Lily, then stay with the Laroches as long as you can. There's strength in numbers, and while my pack is decent for where Spencer and I started out, it's nothing compared to the Laroches or Starks.

You shouldn't have to live your life in hiding for the rest of your years. You deserve freedom, Elsa. Your entire pack does. I didn't help you before, and I've regretted it every day since. I understand words aren't enough, and I'll need to back them up with action. I halted and shifted into a human. Elsa did likewise, albeit confused. "So if you're going into battle, I'll be there too, not against you, but beside you."

The corners of Elsa's lips tugged upward hesitantly, almost like she had trouble believing my words. Then, in the blink of an eye, my little sister threw her arms around my neck, hugging me so tightly I couldn't breathe, but I couldn't care less. I returned the embrace with the same amount of love and gratefulness.

"I missed you," she breathed. "So much."

"I missed you too, Ice Princess. More than you'll ever know," I replied, a few tears escaping down my cheeks. "And this goes without saying, but I'm really glad you're alive."

Elsa chuckled and pulled away, wiping away tears of her own. "Me too, especially because I'll get to see the shocked faces of the Controllers when I come back from the dead."

"And I get to see the shock on their faces when they see me by your side."

"What about mom and dad? If you join us-"

"They don't hate you, Elsa. I know what they said to you, but they didn't mean it. You didn't see them after they hung up on you and Spencer. It wasn't the anger you heard on the phone. It was despair."

She shifted on her feet, glancing down at the ground. "They'll disown you. They've already lost me and Anna. I don't want them to lose you and Hunter, too."

"They won't. They'll be on our side."

"You don't know that. Look, Caleb, if the Controllers don't suspect anything about you and Lily, then you two should return to Estes. It'd be good for us to have ears directly in the compound."

"But that would mean leaving you," I said dejectedly. "I don't want to do that."

"You want to help us, though, right?"

"Of course."

"Then, if you're able to go back, do it. You'll be a huge help there to us, and I promise I'm not just telling you this so you'll leave the compound. I'd much rather have you here, but we have to make sacrifices in war and-"

"I'll drive somewhere far away tomorrow and call Hunter to see what the news is; that way, if the phone is tracked, it won't be to your place."

"Or, I can have the Kids triangulate the call, so it makes it look like you're somewhere else instead of here. Might be a little easier for you."

I blinked, her words processing in my brain. Narrowing my eyes at Elsa, I asked, "Who are the Kids again?"

"Former Shadows. They saved my life while I was imprisoned, and in return, I helped save theirs with my pack. They're scattered all over the globe, and while we're closest to the American ones, we check in regularly with the international ones."

"Are you telling me you essentially have an international ring of little kids working for you?"

"Not for me, with me. The ones helping us all offered, and they hate the Controllers almost as much as we do. I'll tell you how we became allied with them another time. For now, we should pick up the pace with the patrol. I'd like to get back before midnight because we're supposed to get a nasty storm hitting right around then."

"Lead the way," I said, motioning forward. We both shifted and trotted through the woods in silence, but this time, there was no tension or uneasiness. No, it was like before everything went to hell when we were just Elsa and Caleb, little sister and big brother, not two people who had temporarily been forced onto different sides of a war, and I was going to enjoy every second I had of it.