Saying goodbye to my mom wasn't easy. She cried and begged me to stay with her. She said she didn't want to lose two daughters and wished there was another way to get Evie back. With a quick shake of my head, she knew the decision was made. Also, it's not like she could have stopped me- I'm surrounded by werewolves who do what I say.

The pack shifts to their wolf forms, and I ride on Grayson's back as he leads our pack to the borders of the coven's main house. This gives me a lot of time to reflect on my past mistakes. It seems like so long ago that I discovered Grayson's true form, and even longer since we met. It's so ridiculous thinking back to when I was afraid of him- he could never hurt me or anyone that he loves.

He has made so many sacrifices for me, and once we get Evie back, it's time that I really begin to make sacrifices for him. The moment I have Evie back in my arms, I'll begin to study what it means to be a Luna. I can do schoolwork and be leader of one of the strongest werewolf packs in North America. Easy peasy.

Okay, not easy peasy, but I want to be closer to the pack. To Grayson. They treat each other like a family and do whatever is necessary to protect one another. Without a second thought, they followed Gray's orders to help rescue my little sister. They didn't do it because he's their Alpha, they did it because they respect and love him.

The closer we get to the main house, the more fear fills my veins. Will we get there in time? Will Eli be powerful enough to undo the wards? Will we be enough?

A short snuff sounds from Gray's snout. He turns his head for a moment, his blue-gray eyes briefly locking onto mine. A signal of comfort. He tells me without words that Evie will be fine, that we will defeat the threat and be safe from harm. Somehow I find this hard to believe.

The house comes into view and Grayson stumbles to a halt. The wolves behind us follow suit until we are twenty wolves strong standing before the house. We wait for Eli's signal.

I slide off of Gray's back and watch as he and two other wolves sidle off into the clearing behind him. The clothes tied to their hind legs drag along the grass as they find a place to quickly change. Moments later, Grayson comes back with Cooper and Axel trailing behind him. They are the only wolves in the pack who will enter the house in their human form. Everyone else will be fighting the witches and warlocks as wolves.

Once Eli signals that the wards are down, his coven will instantly know. This will lead to all of the coven members with defensive powers to face off against the wolves. They will form their own protective wards that the wolves will attempt to disarm by attacking swiftly. If the wolves can get to the witches and warlocks in time, the coven members will be too injured to create wards of protection. However, no wards will be as powerful as the original one Eli takes down. He claims that they aren't strong enough to recreate the ward Elina had previously created.

This will act as a distraction as the four of us sneak through the back and run straight to the room Evie is being held in. In case we run into trouble, I will be used as "leverage." That's plan B which we hopefully won't have to use. However, I'm willing to risk it.

Grayson is still uneasy about using me to get to Evie. His grip on my waist is fairly telling.

"Are you sure I can't convince you to stay back here?"

I grin at him as I push back a piece of dark hair that fell in front of his eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure. With you, Axel and Cooper, I'm gonna be safe. I need to do this in case things don't go our way."

He growls lightly.

"We're getting your sister back. Then you can finally open the present I bought for you."

With all of the chaos of Evie being taken and my mom discovering that my boyfriend is a werewolf, I completely forgot about how the evening had an innocent beginning. I am really excited to see what he got me, but I don't linger on thoughts of a happy future while Evie is still in the hands of Elina.

I nod my head slowly, some lightness draining from my face. Right at that moment, Cooper skips over to me and wraps me in a snug hug.

"Don't worry. I'm a badass. If any witch comes at me, I'll beat the shit out of them."

Axel smirks at his boyfriend, then gives me a nod telling me that he'll be there to protect me as well.

"Thank you guys," I say. "As a reminder, I'm human, not an invalid."

Gray hugs me from behind as he rests his chin on the top of my head.

"We know, baby."

By the tone of his voice, it kind of seems like he, in fact, does not think I'm capable of holding my own.

It doesn't matter anyways because a flicker of blue magic burns brighter and brighter in the distance until it begins crackling and spreading fissures along a previously invisible barrier that covered the coven's main house. All at once, a blue shimmer explodes around the house and falls harmlessly to the grass below.

That must be the cue for the wolves to begin attacking because with a series of howls that sound distinctly like battle cries, they tear at the dirt and grass below them with their elongated claws as they run forward into danger.

I'm ushered along the side of the house while the fighting breaks out. A group of about twenty witches and warlocks storm out- all of them shooting blue magic out of their palms. My heart stops for a moment with the fear that Eli was lying about them not having very many offensive magic-users.

The magic knocks back a few wolves, but they get up again and continue running through cracks in the new defensive wards being created.

I breathe out a huge sigh of relief. I could almost cry from happiness that my pack won't be hurt. Now, the coven will be preoccupied with keeping wards up instead of looking for the four of us coming from the back entrance. Eli will meet us inside and help to break Evie out of the room she's being kept in.

We get in easily enough, and it all seems a bit too easy. Not a single coven member tries to stop us. The further into the house we get, the more looks I share with Grayson. He seems just as wary as I am that no one has stopped us. Where are Elle and Elina? And Eli?

The stairs creak with each step we take, and I cringe at the noise that seems to echo throughout the house. I can barely hear anything from outside except for the occasional howl or burst of magic. Gray has that far-off look in his eyes as he keeps in touch with the pack.

Even though we've only been inside the house for about a minute, it still feels like too long. The sooner we get Evie, the sooner we can get out of here and ensure everyone's safety. The coven could still manage to injure our pack...

"Everyone's unharmed," Axel whispers. I'm surprised that he picked up on my worry. It must be hard for them to remember that I'm not connected via mind link to the pack. I don't have access to wolf-radio.

I meekly nod my appreciation.

We make it to the top of the stairs where we have an option- left or right. Before any one of us can decide, the choice is made for us when I hear Evie's cry from our right. I instantly panic at the sound of her fear, but Grayson grips my arm.

"Let us go first, Thea."

I barely have time to nod before he and Axel walk over to the right and kick down the door, the two of them perfectly in sync. Without speaking they are able to communicate with a warlike grace that I've only seen replicated in movies. Like avenging angels, they storm into the room with their claws and canines out- prepared to fight.

I stay back out in the surprisingly large hallway as I anxiously tilt my head to look into the room. I heard Evie's voice sounding from this room, so why haven't they found her already?

One moment Cooper is standing next to me and the next his body is hitting the wall with a force that cracks the drywall all the way up to where it meets with the ceiling. I scream when I see the blood.

So. Much. Blood. When Eli was injured it didn't look anything like this. Cooper's blood spreads from a single dot on his shirt to a circle that grows and grows in diameter. I lower myself onto my knees and immediately look for what caused the wound. There isn't any weapon, which can only mean...

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Thea."

I turn my head to find who I can only assume is Elina, the leader of the coven. Elle trails behind with her arms crossed and an unreadable expression on her face.

I tune out the aggressive snarling coming from Grayson and Axel as I solely focus on Cooper. He's breathing heavily as his face becomes paler by the second. I place my hands on his abdomen and apply pressure to his wound.

"I at least expected a 'hello.' Eli spoke so highly of you," she pouts, although the gleam in her brown almost-black demon eyes gives her away. Her black-as-ebony hair falls over one shoulder as her blood red gown flows to the marble floors. She looks to be wearing the same outfit Evie drew all those weeks ago. Whether it's coincidence or her way of taunting me, I'm not sure.

Grayson and Axel keep growling with rage, and I spare a glance at them and see a light blue ward keeping them trapped in the room. It was all a set-up. Elina knew we were sneaking in and waited to set a trap where Cooper and I were separated from our more powerful mates.

I don't know what type of magic could have caused the same wound as a dagger would, but Elina hit Cooper with a powerful strain of magic and she doesn't even look winded.

Axel is currently in wolf form as he watches his mate bleed out before him. My eyes fill with tears at the thought of my best friend dying in this situation.

"Why are you doing this?" I yell at them.

I can't help but be upset. However, I have to think logically. Everybody wants something, so as soon as I figure out what Elina wants, I can try to leverage what I can offer in any way possible. I know that she wants me dead, but there must be something else she desires. Power? More territory? Freedom?

If the pack kills off her so-called army, she'll have no one to rule over. That seems like the only bargaining chip I have, so I have to be the Luna I was always meant to be. It is time to be brave.

"What do you want in exchange? Give me my sister and heal Cooper and I'll do anything you say."

"Don't fucking do it, Thea! She's a liar like the rest of her kind!" Grayson's eyes are completely black as he attempts to hold onto the last of his humanity. He hasn't shifted yet. Axel continues jamming his lupine body into the forcefield- to no avail. He looks completely rabid as he snarls and claws at the unwavering magic.

They won't be coming to my rescue this time.

Elina smiles at my offer.

"You're not really in the position to be making requests, now are you?" She walks closer to us and I instantly shield Cooper's body with my own. Elina only laughs at me.

"It is quite noble of you, a weak, defenseless human, to attempt to protect a supernatural. I'm amused that you think you have something to offer me."

"I'm the Luna of the Dark Wood pack. I have the pack at my disposal. They may not be able to kill you, but how will you fare without a coven?" Her eyes flare for an instant, and I know that I've hit a weak spot. I continue. "With one order from me, they will aim to kill. You won't have anybody left to follow your orders. I'd hear me out."

Blue magic spills from her hands, but it looks like uncontrolled magic. It has no form or shape, it just glows from her palms and remains close to her.

"You wouldn't kill innocent people," Elina says. "You're a morally sound breed. You don't hurt innocents."

"Good thing you're not innocent," a voice adds.

The shock on Elina and Elle's faces is priceless. Eli stands before them, his magic glowing from his palms in response to his coven leader's magic.

"Did you really think that three witches was enough to keep me trapped, Mother?"

That I did not see coming. Eli and Elle's mom is the coven leader? Elina looks nothing like them. While her hair is completely black, Eli and Elle have platinum blonde hair that resembles the color of snow. Their facial features are also different- Elina has a long and narrow face while the twins have more filled-out cheeks. The only physical similarity is in their eyes. They all have the same dark brown eyes that hold so many emotions whether it be pain or grief or fear.

The fact that Elina is their mom just makes this whole situation worse. That means that Eli's own mother gave the order to harm him and force him into staying loyal to her. She's a monster.

"No, I didn't. I though they could keep you busy for a little longer, though."

"Eli, go downstairs," Elle orders.

Eli scoffs and casually walks over to where I'm kneeling in front of Cooper. He's thankfully still alive, but there's way too much blood for this to be a normal wound. There must be something magical about it. If he were human, he would already be dead from this much blood loss.

Eli begins healing Cooper, who takes deeper breaths as soon as some of the initial pain disappears.

"Stop healing him at once!" Elina screams, but Eli continues muttering the latin spells to heal Cooper. He ignores his mother's orders. He only looks at me apologetically- as if this entire situation was his fault.

I don't blame him for the decisions his family makes- how can I? He's helping to save Cooper's life now. He's stepping up when it matters.

"I'll give you one more chance, Eli. Get over here, now!"

Eli ignores his mom and focuses all of his energy on saving Cooper. He's losing a lot of energy at this point and he only seems to have closed the wound a little bit. Cooper must have been close to death if it's taking this much out of Eli.

"Please, Eli, you don't understand-"

"I've heard enough from you!" Eli screams at Elle. "You betrayed me! You put a child in danger, and all for what? So that our bitch of a mother could continue to use magic freely? Fuck that shit. Sorry I have a conscience. You're dead to me."

The words seem to sting Elle, leaving her paralyzed. She doesn't make a move to stop Eli anymore. She instead chooses to shrink more into herself.

"It's a shame about that conscience. I'm sorry, my son. I must do what is necessary for this coven."

Before Elina can even finish her words, Elle is screaming. I don't hear what Elina whispers, but it's clear enough with the dangerous flare of blue magic spiraling straight for Eli.

He doesn't show any signs of pain. He doesn't bleed, or scream, or do anything. His hands slowly cease their flow of magic as he sways to the side. His eyes remain open, glossy and staring at the ceiling.

He's dead.