The group of us was small. There was little who were able to help and less who could contact their wolf from being in the silver cage. Only Jazz was able to regain her full strength so soon after being in there. She was just dizzy from an injection they had given her yesterday.

"This doesn't make any sense," she rubbed her forehead," One minute, I'm at home, eating breakfast and the next my brother's crazy ass girlfriend is shoving a needle into my neck. I don't get it."

"Wrap your head around it, will you? In case you didn't notice, you're in a warzone."

She looked at me with more confusion than I thought was capable. We didn't have time for me to be timid or nice like the version of me she's accustomed to. My pack needs me now. I just can't.

"We need to get upstairs. Does anyone know what's up there?"

"I do," the pregnant wolf stood up," I lived up there before I told my mate I wouldn't fight for their cause and neither would our baby."

"Tell me."

"It's horrible up there. There are witches at nearly every turn with a few guarding Ryland's room," she looked up at me, biting her lip nervously before adding," He took over your room."

"That's not creepy at all; continue."

"To get up there you have to be invisible. They'll notice you by the sound of your footsteps, by the weight of your breath, by your every move. It's impossible."

"Nothing is impossible," I turned to Jazz," Can I trust you to help me?"

She stared at me, wide brown eyes like a deer in the headlights. She knew that she had no choice.

___

I crouched behind a group of wolves that all stood crowded in a circle around their Luna while a human shrieked and screamed at the door of the cell.

"Let me out of here! I want to see a lawyer! Let me out!"

The gentle sound of steps followed soon after, making Jazz quiet her screams until a red cloak stood in front of her, figure's head bent to hide their identity.

"What is it?"

"Where am I? Where is my brother?"

"I'm afraid Master Ryland is busy at the moment."

"I demand to see my brother. Take me to him."

The red cloak raised their head only slightly. I couldn't see their face because of everyone surrounding me but I noticed how a lock of brown hair fell out of their hood. She was quiet a moment.

"Very well. I'll bring you to him."

The sound of the key in the lock reminded me of my part in this plan. The door swung open and she told Jazz to step out. She stopped halfway through the doorway. I moved a little to make sure she followed through with the rest of the plan.

Her hand reached out and grabbed the red cloak by the shoulder, making them turn back towards the cell.

"I'm not really sorry about this," she said. Before they could reply at all, she punched them hard in the stomach, making them kneel over so she could knee them in the head. 

She was unconscious.

Some of the wolves locked her up while one took her cloak. They were to go upstairs and go get Mike for help. I would escort Jazz up to see her brother.

I pulled her medallion off her own cloak and hooked it onto mine. She was higher up than the others.

"I can't believe it," Jazz murmured, kneeling in front of her," This is Emma Nigel. She goes to the community college in the next town over with me. We went to a party together last week."

"Yeah, people have a lot of secrets," I told her. The smooth fabric ran under my fingertips as I pulled the hood over my hair.

"Like you. What are you?"

"A simple baker's daughter that has suffered a series of unfortunate events," I ducked my head and went for the stairs," Now, come on. We don't have time for questions. Mike is on his way."

"Who the hell is Mike?"

"My husband."

She looked confused so I went back and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the stairs manually. After a step or so she started to go up obediently and on her own. We went through the first floor like it was nothing. No one even turned to look at us. We weren't even there to them.

The feeling of nostalgia took over as my feet made contact with the first step. Catherine and Jack's old picture was still on the wall, though it was crooked. Pictures of Mike and Kian had fallen to the floor, Holly, Nova and Luke's photo were shattered but still up.

The wolf may have lied, or maybe they weren't as protected anymore, because there were only about 10 witches up there. I walked down the hall with Jazz next to me, stopping only in front of my room.

I don't like this, it's too easy.

That's bound to change when we get into the room.

If my wolf were in front of me, the hair would have been standing up on her back. She was tense and ready to pounce. I don't blame her.

"She wishes to speak with Master Ryland," I said in the lowest voice I could muster to the witches outside the doors.

They shared a glance before one nodded. The doors were opened. 

It was terrifying.

The room was kept as it was to the bed sheets. Not a scratch on the floor that hadn't already been there, not a stain on the curtains that I hadn't made. It was perfect. The only room in the household that wasn't destroyed. The only difference was the wedding photograph of Mike and I was gone. 

Nicole was sat on the bed, staring up at Ryland who was stood in front of her. She was wearing one of my dresses with her hair pinned in a low bun, like I would do. He just stood there smiling down at her while she looked up at him with a saddened expression. When he noticed we were there, he turned towards us. 

I kept my head down and he went straight for Jazz, pulling her in for a brotherly hug.

"Big sister, I see you've finally woken up."

"Ryland," she patted his back awkwardly," Where are we? What's going on?"

"I'll explain everything. You," he pointed at me. My heart stopped for hardly a second before he added," Close those doors, will you? We can't have everyone hearing our conversations."

I did as he told, taking to turning around and holding my hands in front of me. Nicole sat up straight and held Jazz's hand when Ryland had her sit down next to her. For the first time in all of this, I pitied Nicole. She was just trying to be with her mate. It's not her fault he's a psychopath.

"I'm trying to make the world better," he began, talking like an elementary school teacher," There are many, many things in this world that no one knows about. Werewolves, vampires, witches even.

"They live with us, eat with us. Sometimes they even," he added with a distasteful look at Nicole," Mate with us."

"I don't understand. Ryland, those are all fake. All of them. They don't exist."

"They do, though. I found this out when I met Nicole, here. She's one of them."

Jazz looked up at Nicole. Nicole nodded, her eyes wide so Jazz could clearly see when they flashed colors in front of her. Jazz screamed.

"What the hell!"

"My thoughts exactly. How dare these beings try to control us through fear! They think that because they are stronger they are better. The audacity! We have to stop them, big sister."

"How?"

"There is a prophecy, one of dark and light and all we have to do is combine them. Once that is done all supernatural beings will cease to exist. We have to do the right thing, though. We have to save as many as possible.

"There is a spell- a very, very powerful spell- that can change a werewolf or a vampire or such into a human. Just like that! Tell her, Nicole. Tell her how wonderful this is."

"It's wonderful."

"See? Even a beast like her can admit the beauty in this. We can all be free of these things. The people in the cellar you were with will all be turned soon, we just need to build up the power."

"How do you intend to do that?"

"By-," he stopped. A loud shout came from outside followed by howls and screams.

Ryland stood and went to the window, Jazz went to stand but Nicole held onto her hand and shook her head. You could see the fear in her eyes. I didn't need to look to know what was going on. The mark Mike had put on me last minute told me that my husband was coming.

"Stay here," he went to the door, about to storm out of the room with the silver bullets he was putting into an old pistol. I moved to block the exit, head still down.

"Move."

"Not," I lifted my head, finally. His eyes widened with realization as my eyes started to darken from their amber state," On your life."

"That's impossible," he backed away from the door, only a few steps," You are supposed to be in another country. How did you get into my compound?"

"It's my pack house, Ryland, and I'm here to take it back."

"That's not happening."

You could see the mix of disgust and admiration swirl in his eyes. An obsession even the goddess couldn't condone shone through as he both reached for his pistol and tried to put it down. My mind was on the dagger hidden under the thick cloak and the pocket knife I had given to Jazz ahead of time.

"You can't go through with your plan. The supernatural world is too extensive for your little rescue mission."

"Please-"

"Do you even know about hybrids? Lycans?  Dhampirs?"

"Doesn't matter. You can't save them all, or your precious mate."

"My husband," I reached for the knife, he pointed the gun at me and I stopped," is on his way and there isn't a damn thing you can do with it. He's going to be very excited to talk to you."

"I'm not afraid of a dog, Lacey. They all deserve to be put down."

"Even your own mate? Even me?"

"My mate? How can anyone," he shouted, pointing at Nicole who cowarded on the bed," Expect me to accept that thing? To love it? She's a monster! A demon sent straight from hell."

My heart broke for Nicole, remembering the things Mike had said to me in the beginning of our mating. He had been hurtful but this was straight out evil. I hadn't even been able to feel the full effect of his words at the time but she, she was a wolf. Everything he said hit it's mark. Her eyes were bright red with tears and she backed up against the headboard of my bed, shaking with a gun pointed at her.

"God meant to torment me with her, to test my faith. Sure, she was fun for a while but I was never meant to have a future with her. That's why we had our fun both ways, right Nic?"

"What do you mean," Jazz looked between the pair. Nicole was sobbing at this point but Ryland was smiling.

"You beat the child out of her," I looked between them, my hands going to my stomach where my own child had been taken from me," You got her pregnant and took her pup from her."

"I killed a monster before it was born!"

"The only monster in here is you," I screamed at him. My blood was boiling with fury. Nicole had lied to me, betrayed me and turned me but no one deserves to be used this way. No one.

My hands lunged at him, no weapon at all. I pushed him to the floor with all my might and he slammed into it with the heaviest thud. Jazz jumped away from him and went to the other side of the room. The gun slid across the floor.

"Nicole is of my pack," I told him in a low, threatening voice," She is a part of the Jade Forest pack and I swear to you, you will be punished for your crimes against her."

His foot flew at my leg, knocking me to the ground. My back hit it with a thud and my head slammed against it a bit too hard. I felt my wolf urging me to give up control, to show him what's for but I needed to do this on my own.

He kneeled over me and threw my cloak off my waist. I wanted to trow up when his hand touched my stomach, trailing along to the strap with the knife before he took it. 

"You really should have hidden this better, you know? It's a shame. I really, really liked you, Lucille Thomas," he pointed the tip of the dagger to my heart," Oh, well."

A shot rang.

His eyes went blank. 

He fell limply onto me.

I pushed him off and looked up at the girl holding the pistol, tears still streaming down her face.

"You saved my life," I whispered to Nicole. She was staring at her dead mate.

Jazz went over to her and took the gun from her hands, wiping it off with her shirt.

"Us girls gotta stick together," Jazzmyn told her, walking out of the room and taking care of the guards in the hall.

"We really do," I replied to no one in particular.

We really do.