Aila's gaze flickered between Silas and Clint; both of them watched only her while the rest of the hunters trained their guns on her small group. She knew without mind-linking them that they were observing their surroundings and every tiny movement of each hunter. But the closer they made it to Silas and the children, the more Aila's heart pounded and became too loud for her to bear.

Even the uncomfortable feeling of the forest floor, the bark, leaves, and twigs stabbing into the bottom of her feet didn't take her attention away from her living nightmare. Aila knew if they didn't come up with a plan soon, she would easily trade herself for theirs. Damon's chest rumbled the growl meant for her, but she kept her gaze ahead.

"We've got this. Our mate is with us this time and our friends. We don't have to do this alone," Malia spoke softly. Her soothing tone made Aila's muscles relax slightly. Yet, her wolf's words both had a calming and anxious effect on her. Yes, she was with her loved ones, but now Silas could easily use them against her.

"They are strong and made up their own choice to come down with you," Malia added.

"Was it their choice? OR because I am their future, Luna?" Aila asked her.

Her eyes hardened further when she saw Silas' lips curve into a sly smile.

"Don't question their loyalty. You don't need to be Luna for them to follow you," Damon's voice reverberated across her mind. Aila glanced at him, her lips slightly parted, but his burning gaze was dead ahead. She wanted to reach out for his hand but didn't want to show the hunters how important he was to her. With that thought, she turned her head back to the front.

"Will a distraction help get the children out of their hands?" Ajax spoke through her mind, pulling Finn into the mind-link as well.

"What are you suggesting?" Aila whispered back. She couldn't help it; even in her thoughts, she didn't want Silas to hear her. Aila also reached out in her mind to Damon, making sure he was still listening to her and hoping he could listen to their mind-link. If it didn't work, then she would only mind-link him the plan if it was a good one.

"I shift into something, maybe the falcon? It's the quickest animal. I can easily escape.. But while I distract them, you guys grab the kids?" Ajax replied.

Aila forced herself not to shake her head. It was hard enough showing that they weren't mind-linking, let alone showing they were talking to each other. "That won't work. The guns are pointed at the children. They won't hesitate to shoot. Plus, they have already seen you, so there's no surprise attack.." Aila's brows drew together as her eyes flickered slightly, trying to figure out what to do.

But suddenly, she was pulled into a pack mind-link. Damon's powerful presence already hushed the rising whimpers and cries of the pack. "Aila and I will go to the hunters as a trade off. Once the children are safe with the pack, we will attack," Damon's voice rumbled through their minds; his Alpha's voice surged through all of them, leaving no room for any arguments.

Aila nodded her head at this; she was happy with this plan but not happy that Damon was going with her. "Damon-"

"Hush. Like you've said before.. We're a team. If you go, like you've been 'secretly' planning to, then I go too," Damon interrupted, again leaving no room for complaint. Aila resisted sighing, she didn't want him in the line of fire, but she knew all too well that he also wanted her as far away from the hunters as possible. But with the children at stake, there was no choice; they needed to protect them and the pack.

Silas passed over the brown-haired boy to Clint, who held his gun to the boy's head, his gaze locked with Aila's. She couldn't help but let a snarl leave her lips, which in return caused Clint to tilt his head and scrutinise her half-naked body. She wished for anything, then and there, to be wearing her leggings and hoody, not shorts and a crop top. He looked like a psychotic scientist looking over a specimen he wished to open up so he could inspect her insides.

Aila swallowed past the lump in her throat and tilted her chin higher, regarding him just as coldly. She wanted to rip the child from his grasp and hide him from such a man.

"So," Silas clapped his hands together, gaining their attention now that they were not that far from them. "this is the infamous Alpha of the Silver Crescent pack. At last, we meet." Silas smiled and tipped his sunglasses down his nose slightly, so he could scrutinise the Alpha without shades over his eyes. "Not that impressive, really. I was expecting.. Well.. more."

His careless words caused the woods to erupt in barking, growls and any creature remaining in the woods to scatter. Silas chuckled, seemingly pleased with the pack's reaction, even though they were hidden behind the trees. However, his words didn't affect Damon, his face was impassive, but with a mask so cold, it even made a shiver pass through Aila.

But the bond bounced off her, and she could feel he felt in control, Silas' words rolling off him like he was nothing more than an annoying fly waiting to be squished. But the Alpha could see right through Silas; he was eliciting a reaction from the pack so he could see if they were still there.

"I hope you aren't so stupid as to bring the pack down here. Any wrong movement, Alpha.." He then glanced at Aila, "And … Luna", He mocked, "then they WILL be shot."

"If anyone is stupid, it is you. You are on OUR territory after all.." Aila's voice came out stronger than how she felt. Her words incited the pack to howl altogether, causing some of the hunters to glance around nervously.

Exactly how she wanted them to be. Nervous.

Because she was right, they were on their territory; the pack knew it inside and out. Once they make the trade, the hunters will be toast.

"They'll be ripped limb from limb," Damon growled through her mind, finishing her thoughts. She couldn't help but smirk, this lifestyle had drawn out an animalistic side she never knew she had, and after all that had happened, she was now allowing it into her being. As a werewolf, it wasn't just about having Malia, her wolf, inside of her. But to coincide with this wild, animalistic side of herself that she had unknowingly been battling.

Aila was not bothered at all by the deaths of many. And the many more after today.

"They just murdered a child in front of their parents. There is nothing wrong with wanting them all to burn," Malia interrupted her thoughts.

"I know," Aila replied with a deadly tone to her voice. One that made Malia smile.

Silas smiled at her response, "Oh, Aila, Aila, Aila.. Do we need a repeat of the other day?" He looked around, his arms outwards, pretending to look for something, "It doesn't look like you have a vampire here to save you this time.. Oh, but even if you did. The blood of these children, like the blood of that child now lying cold on the ground as the stones beneath him, would be on your hands," He said darkly.

"Enough of the chit chat," Damon voiced, silencing the woods and causing the hunters nearest to look at him with rounded eyes. "We will trade. Aila and me for the children."

Silas chuckled, "Silly boy. I do not want you. I just want Aila."

Before Damon could negotiate, another gunshot echoed through the woods. Aila gasped and felt her heart pinch so tightly, she expected it to burst. The wolves went into an uproar. Damon staggered back and held his hand to his left pec, gritting his teeth before growling. Another two shots resounded through the forest, and Aila felt the next wave of pain ripple through her.

A chilling scream stilled everything; Aila didn't register that it left her lips as her wolf howled in sync with her. All she could see was Damon, her mate, her love tumble to the ground. In a blur to others, she was on the floor in a second. Aila reached his head before it slammed to the ground.

Time slowed down around her. The sound of her heart echoed at a slow beat; the movement of her group surrounding them was blurred as she looked into the place she called home.

Tears blurred her eyes as she stared deep into the swirling molten silver orbs of her love. He moved his hand to her cheek and caressed it gently, his lips parting to utter words that never came. She shushed him and stroked his cheeks rhythmically. He needed his strength; he couldn't die. He was strong, so, so strong, stronger than her!

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Aila glanced down to his chest and could see the blood pouring out from his left pec, where three bullet holes were lodged into him. In those moments, the world could be burning, but she didn't care.

The only thing that mattered was her love, her Damon, her Alpha.