The downward spiral of fear and anxiety has begun, and my heavy breathing won't cease even with Grayson's hand on my back. My mom's too busy freaking out herself to see my reaction to Evie's disappearance, but I bet I'm even more distraught than her.

A mother always worries about her children, but as Evie's older sister, I may be worrying more about her because I know exactly who took her. I was so in my own head about the coven coming after me, that I wasn't even thinking about them coming for my loved ones. I put too much trust in Eli and Elle. I should have listened to Grayson. He's my mate, he's grown up in this supernatural world his entire life, so he knows better than anyone what they would be capable of.

Why did I let my friendship with Eli blind me so much? I believed him. I trusted him. And now my sister's life hangs in the balance. If she dies...

"Thea, take a deep breath for me," Grayson places his hands on my cheeks and breaths through his nose, coaxing me to follow his example. I do, but a sob catches in my throat and I begin sniffling once again.

"Baby, we don't know for sure that the coven took her." He acts so confident, so sure that Evie's safe, but I can feel his emotions. I've gotten good at digging deep through the complex jumble of feelings laid before me. It was confusing at first, to feel things that aren't stemming from my own brain. I've learned how to understand it, so that's the only inkling that Mr. Alpha isn't completely sure of what he's telling me.

My anxiety goes through the roof when my mom picks up the landline and begins muttering words too low and mushed together for me to understand. However, I get the gist- she's dialing 911. I can't let her do that.

"Mom, you can't call the police," I say quickly, yanking the phone away from her trembling hands. She glares at me through glassy eyes.

"Give me the phone, Theadora." I barely even blink at the use of my full name. I hate it, that's why I shortened it. I know she's extremely confused and angry by my actions, and hell, I would be too if I didn't understand why the police would be no help in this situation. Even through my tears, I have to somehow convince my mom that me and Grayson have it handled- well, as handled as a missing 6-year-old can be.

"I can't, Mom."

All throughout this exchange, Grayson has been pacing the living room, no doubt mindlinking several members of the pack to see if anyone knows Evie's whereabouts. I know he's mentioned that he has wolves keeping watch outside of my house at all times, so maybe he has people watching my mom and Evie. I don't know half of the things he does, but I'm grateful that he's here right now to figure out this mess.

My mom begins yelling at me, attempting to grab the phone from my hand. She has this aggressive look in her eyes that resembles a mother bear defending her young. In a rash decision, I throw the phone against the wall, hearing the crack of the plastic as it breaks apart before it even hits the ground.

"What the actual hell, Thea? What on Earth has gotten into you! Your sister is missing, and you won't even let me call the police?" She frantically runs past me as she searches for her cellphone. I assume she's running to her purse by the front door, but in her panic she doesn't realize that it's right on the kitchen counter behind her. That should buy me a few minutes to talk to Grayson.

He saw the whole scene with my mother, but he seems distracted. And frustrated.

"Does anyone-"

"No," he says, not even needing to hear the rest of my question. "The pack guards I had assigned to Evie were knocked out. They just came to, but they have no leads as to what happened or who took her."

The ever-present tears escape my eyes with a new vigor. He immediately wraps his arms around me. I'm sure all kinds of tears and snot particles end up on his nice button down shirt, but he doesn't seem to care as he runs his fingers through my hair in a soothing manner. Any other time it would have made me feel better.

"Cooper and Axel are on their way here along with a few of my top warriors. We still don't know if-"

He stiffens against me, and it shocks me so much that I pull away from him. He doesn't have that far-off look in his eyes like he normally does when he's mindlinking someone- no, he's instead staring at the wall. More specifically, Evie's play area where all her toys and drawings are- the colorful drawings are taped against the walls. I remember that she told me once that it made her feel like she had her own art gallery.

Grayson storms across the room and rips off one of her drawings. I'm confused for all of two seconds until I see what Evie drew. It brings me back to an afternoon a few weeks ago when Evie originally showed me the drawing.

After the three of us eat dinner, I finally get to see Evie's drawings. The pony has rainbow hair and is lavender while the fairy woman has long black hair and a red dress. Not gonna lie, maybe Evie should be a fashion designer when she's older. Even though the drawing was obviously done by a six year old, the dress looked like something I would buy with a low v-neck and a slit up the right leg. I'd buy it.

The fairy was in a blue bubble, and Evie vividly explained how she floated through the air. I agreed that she must have flown down in a blue bubble like Glinda did from the Wizard of Oz. There's no point in my pointing out her imagination isn't real. I can't crush her dreams.

I think back to that day when Evie drew this picture, and it suddenly clicks. Evie didn't actually make up the encounter with the "fairy"- she just picked the wrong fictional creature to relate it to. Now that I'm looking at the picture, the blue bubble surrounding the black-haired woman has the same hue as the portals Eli and Elle make. This is the same color as their magic.

I cover my mouth with the palm of my hand as I cry. I should have seen this coming. I should have known! She showed me this picture weeks ago! How did I not know?

"Fucking Elina," Grayson growls as he crumbles the picture in his large-clawed hand.

"Who?" I sob, barely able to speak at this point. My mom comes back into the room with two large men behind her. It takes me a moment to clear my blurry eyes to make out that it's Cooper and Axel. Cooper comes straight for me, hugging me as he promises that we're going to find Evie and get her home safe and sound. Meanwhile, Axel goes straight for Grayson, who just grumbles out responses and points to the wrinkly children's drawing.

"Who's Elina?" I ask Cooper, hoping that he'll fill me in. I assume she's the woman in the drawing, but she must be pretty freaking important if Grayson can identify her from a crayon rendition of her.

Cooper widens his eyes and looks towards the Alpha and Beta who are discussing plans as we speak. He looks back to me and swallows.

"If they mentioned her, then that definitely means that it's the witches. Elina is the leader of Eli and Elle's coven. She's the one who killed Grayson's father and caused his mother to become so heartbroken that she had to move away from Redwood. It's why he's such a young Alpha."

I look to Grayson who looks like he's seconds away from shifting. I want to go to him, but even though I desperately need his comfort I know that seeing me like this could quite possibly send him over the edge. I need him clear-headed when searching for my sister.

I can't believe he never told me what happened to his parents- and all at the hands of this coven! No wonder why he harbors so much hatred for the twins! I wish he had told me. I would have been more cautious with them if I knew. I tried to give him the space to tell me things without pushing him, but look where that's gotten us now. He got mad at me for not "trusting" him, but then he doesn't trust me!

I push that matter aside, saving it for another day. Now, all of my energy needs to go towards finding Evie. My relationship issues can wait.

In the middle of all of this chaos, my mother stands bewildered in the living room.

"Why is Cooper and this other guy over here? Thea, this is a serious family matter! I have no idea where your sister is. I-" She stops talking when she spots her cellphone. I run over to the counter and snatch it up before she can reach it.

At this point, my tears have stopped. I need to clear my head and think logically about this. How can I convince my mother that we have a better chance at finding Evie through a group of college-aged students rather than the police?

"Give me the goddamned phone, Theadora."

My mom reaches for her cellphone, but I try to back up out of her way. She ends up grabbing my wrist in her haste and dragging it towards her. I know she's absolutely freaking out at this point. She's confused and angry and scared. Fear makes people do crazy things. That's why I don't blame her when she twists my wrist too hard as she tries to get the phone.

I let out a small cry of pain as I feel the ligaments in my left wrist stretch and strain. The phone falls to the floor, cracked but most likely still working.

I cradle my wrist to my chest. It's already slightly red. My mom looks bewildered at her own actions, but she's so blinded by worry for Evie that she pushes it away and reaches for the phone anyway.

She freezes in place as a loud growl resonates through the house. Her eyes widen as she stares at something behind me- no doubt my furious werewolf boyfriend. I turn just in time to see his clothing tear. His fingers curl into paws, his nose lengthens into a snout, and his canines grow longer. The whole transformation happens in a few seconds, but watching it happen is so mesmerizing.

I sometimes forget how powerful he is. He could rip someone apart with one clench of his jaws, one scratch from his claws. And right now, his extreme anger is projected onto my mom.

Axel understands the intense overprotectiveness Grayson must be feeling, and he rushes in front of him, still in his human form, as he grabs around his furry neck to hold him back from maiming my mother.

Meanwhile, my mom completely forgets about the phone and focuses on Grayson- who was a man a few seconds ago and is now a raging beast. She screams and grabs my upper arm and drags me back. She puts me behind her as she grabs a kitchen knife that she previously used to make lasagna with and holds it up to defend us. Her motherly instincts kick in as she forgets what happened between us moments ago.

Grayson continues to thrash around, clawing at Axel and now Cooper who are attempting to restrain him. He looks straight at me and growls. This growl translates to "I'm coming for you," I assume.

"Grayson! Calm down. She's fine!" Axel tries to talk some sense into him, but I know that I'm the only one who can calm him.

"Mom, let me go."

"Hell no! Did you see that? He's a monster! Stay behind me, Thea." My mom holds the knife out, and in a calmer situation it could be almost laughable- her holding up a knife to a werewolf wouldn't stop them in the slightest.

"Mom, he won't hurt me. He's just angry because you were hurting me and he's frustrated and feels like Evie being missing is his fault," I explain. My mom's expression changes from one of fear to one of betrayal. "You mean... You knew he was...?"

I nod and instruct her to stay back, but she quickly grabs my hand to keep me "safe" with her. Unfortunately, she grabs the hand she most likely sprained which makes me wince. It also enrages Grayson even more. Wolf-Grayson thrashes around even more, and he ends up getting out of Axel's grip for a moment before Cooper pins him down again. The two of them are piled on top of him, and the only reason they're alive is because Gray recognizes them as pack. I can see gashes and claw marks on both Axel and Cooper, and I know they won't be able to hold for much longer.

My mom shakes from the wolf at the opposite side of the room.

"We can't hold him forever, Thea!" Axel yells, then grunts as Grayson knocks his head to the side with his own.

"Take your sweet fucking time, Thee!" Cooper adds.

I turn to my mom.

"Please, Mom. I know you don't understand what's happening, but I'm asking you to trust me. There's a lot that you don't understand, but please," I beg, "please let me go to him."

She looks very unsure of herself, but something in her resolve breaks as she nods and hands me the knife. I shake my head and leave it in her hand. She watches me walk across the room, not saying a word, letting silent tears trail down her face. I understand how she's feeling- I went through the same thing when I discovered what Grayson was. Good to know my reaction was fairly normal.

When I reach Grayson, he instantly stops thrashing. He's about my height standing on all fours, and he immediately begins gently licking my injured wrist. I let him do his wolf-thing. Axel and Cooper let go of him and stand back, strategically in between Grayson and my mom in case he gets angry again. He whines and sniffs my hair. I pet him with my right hand, then hug him tightly.

"Gray, I need you to not attack my mom. It was an accident. I need you to help me find my sister."

He growls, but not at me- more at the situation. I know he feels guilty and angry with himself.

"It's not your fault, so don't go there," I say.

I turn to my Mom, and Grayson huffs at her, obviously not happy with her still.

"Mom, I know this is all very confusing. When I first found out, I was freaked out, too. As soon as we find Evie, I'll explain everything to you. But what you need to understand is that the police can't help us find Evie, and the more time we spend here, the more time she's out there alone. A group of witches and warlocks took her, and Grayson and his pack are our only chance of getting her back. So please let us handle this."

My mom shakes where she stands, still cautiously staring at the large wolf behind me. I sigh, then turn to Gray.

"Can you please shift back? It's easier to do this with you as a human."

Remembering that he shifts naked, I groan and head up the stairs.

"Please don't do anything rash." I run upstairs and shuffle through my drawers. I change into sweats and a t-shirt, ridding myself of the cute yet too-fancy dress I was previously wearing. I grab a pair of shorts that Grayson left here for this exact predicament and rush down the stairs. The whole thing took way longer than I wanted it to because it hurt to move my wrist too much.

When I return, everyone's standing in the exact same positions. Gray quickly shifts and throws on the shorts. He gently holds my wrist, prodding at it to see the damage. When I wince, he apologizes and sends an evil glare to my mother. Well, they were on good terms but I guess that's over. My mom does look guilty, but she's mainly just scared.

"Thea, six guards are on their way to protect you and your mom." Grayson growls out the word "mom" like it personally offended him. "I'm taking a group of warriors over to the coven's base where I assume they took Evie. We already had wolves infiltrating their communications and private security, so it should be easy to get in. We'll do whatever we have to to get your sister back. I promise you, I'll find her."

I wipe my tears and nod. A few seconds later I begin processing everything that he said.

"Wait," I mumble. "I'm not just going to sit here while you go out there and risk your life for my sister's. I'm coming with you."

"Absolutely not."

"It's not a request, Grayson! They took Evie because they want me! If I go with you, then maybe they'll let her go and take me instead and-"

"Fuck no. You're staying here where you're safe! Don't fight me on this. You won't win." He does the Alpha thing where he clenches his jaw and turns his dilated eyes to me in a stare-down. I don't back down like he expects.

"The best way is for me to go with you!" He goes to interrupt me but I speak over him. "I won't be actually turning myself in, but if I go in alone, the pack can secretly infiltrate and get Evie out of there safely while their guard is down. If we pretend like you guys can't get past their defenses, they won't expect an attack. While I'm distracting them, you go in and surround them."

He closes his eyes as he thinks. His emotions are all over the place and it's hard to pinpoint exactly what he's thinking.

"It's the best plan we have and you know it," Axel says. I almost forget he was still here.

Grayson growls and glares at him.

"I know what it's like to have your mate put in danger," Axel reminds him. "Remember all of the shit I had to deal with to have Cooper safe by my side?"

Cooper nods and a sheepish grin spreads across his face. I know nothing of Cooper's life before he met Axel. Another story I need to hear when we have more time.

"I understand this, Gray. This is the best plan to avoid casualties and you know it. They'll be distracted. We'll have eyes and ears on the place the whole time. When she 'surrenders,'" he air-quotes, "it will be exactly what they expect. They won't be ready for a full-blown battle. We will be."

Grayson grunts, then holds me close to him. I know this is hard for him, but knowing what I do about the coven, they like to make a spectacle of things. Eli has told me stories of his coven and what it was like to grow up there, and as much as I hate him right now for betraying me, I still believe all of those horrible stories- now I just believe that he enjoyed all of those things he pretended to despise so much.

A thundering of footsteps echo through the house and my mom and I both flinch.

"It's just the warriors," Grayson mumbles. I instantly relax, now knowing that we're not under attack.

He begins barking orders at them, his exterior instantly hardening to the proud Alpha of the Dark Wood pack.

His orders cease when the wind blows my hair back. I stiffen when I realize that since we're inside, there shouldn't be a breeze. That can only mean one thing.

I turn and see Eli, the blue shine of his portal disappearing in seconds. His eyes find mine instantly.

"We need to talk."