It was just past two a.m. and I had already passed through the moderately-sized town of Three Rivers, Oregon. After asking a gas station clerk where the thickest cluster of trees and the least used trails into the forest were located, I managed to pinpoint where Leo could be hiding. My body was rigid with alertness as adrenaline pumped through my veins. I had just merged onto Central Oregon highway, US-20 West, and was nearing my designated left turn. My fingers tightened around the steering wheel as I drove pass a sign for my upcoming turn.

14 miles.

I was only fourteen miles away from my little brother. Goosebumps traveled down my arms, chilling my heated skin. My mental brick wall held strong, but I distantly felt the pressure building behind it. Gabriel will find a way to penetrate my mental barrier, and I couldn't have him in my mind when I confronted Leo. He was too much of a distraction for me.

With my lead foot and some skilled driving I didn't know I was capable of, I managed to shave an hour off my driving time. I didn't bother with the radio, so the silence looming in the vehicle gave me an awful sense of foreboding, and it forced me to question myself for the past eight hours.

What am I doing?

"I'm saving my brother. Leo will only give him up if he has me," I reminded myself sharply several times.

I should have told Gabriel what Cassie told me.

"He wouldn't have let me go!" I shouted in frustration to the vacant SUV.

But he would have done something.

"Something that most likely would have gotten Tommy kill!" My voice had a slight tremor in it.

What if Leo kills you?

"He won't," I said strongly and, surprisingly, I actually believed that. "He won't because he needs me."

"Only you can bring Gabriel Alexander to his knees." That's what Cassie had told me when she first came for me in the high school over a month ago.

"He doesn't kneel to anyone," is what I had said back to her.

"He will if it meant saving your life."

Leo needed me alive if he intended to make Gabriel submit to him. I had to believe that my plan will work; I had to trust that I knew what I was doing. I took a breath as the sign for my turn approached. I slowed the SUV and crept onto the dirt road that would dead end at the foot of a trail that had been closed off for months. From there, I would most likely have to hike until someone in Leo's pack sniffed me out.

This will work. I told myself. This has to work.

I parked the SUV and turned off the engine. I didn't bother taking the keys or even locking the doors. I only took my bottle of water and a flashlight from the glovebox before re-strapping the gun holster around my torso, under my hoodie, and ditching the SUV. I climbed over the barriers that warned hikers not to enter for their own safety, which was just ironic considering why I was there in the first place. I dropped to the ground on the other side of the fencing and started making my way into the forest, my determination to save my brother overriding my fear.

After an hour of hiking, when my feet started to dully throb in pain and the water bottle I filled at the gas station was completely empty, I felt a tingle of alertness on the back of my neck. I stopped walking up the slight incline I was currently on. My body instinctively turned to the left and I stared at thick cluster of trees.

I lifted the flash light to point in the direction I felt the threat coming from. "No need to be shy," I said calmly, despite the rattle of nerves that were coursing through my body.

Leaves rustled and three wolves emerged from the thicket. They were smaller than some of the wolves I had seen on the training yard the past month, but they looked just as vicious. Their hackles were lifted and all their teeth were bared in a dangerous snarl. Only one wolf looked at me with slightly less venom than the other two. Its head was titled to the side, as if curious at the sight of me. It made a sound from the back of its throat, a cross between a growl and a wolfish chuckle, as though he was laughing at my own stupidity for coming alone.

I dropped my arm, pointing the flashlight at the ground. "Take me to Leo."

The wolves didn't show any sign of response. They only stared at me.

I raised an eyebrow. "I will not ask again."

The curious wolf huffed at me rudely before slowly turning and walking back into the thicket. The other two wolves backed away slowly, allowing me to pass between them before closing in behind me. I was uncomfortable with them at my back, but I knew I couldn't avoid it, and that they were not going to harm me. I kept my own pace, which the wolves were forced to keep with me. The one in the lead twice tried to force me to move more quickly through the trees, but I didn't bother trying. I was their golden ticket—if they brought me to their rogue Alpha, they would be rewarded and favored by Leo. I was also a queen, even if I wasn't theirs, and an instinct I had learned to wholly and undoubtedly trust told me to hold on to the superior attitude and to use it to my advantage, hence me setting my own pace and forcing the wolves escorting me to follow it.

After another hour and a half, which could have been cut in half if I wasn't human and I didn't need a flashlight to maneuver roots and rocks and other natural debris scattered on the forest floor, we finally reached an open area. Tree stumps were scattered over the grass, as though they were cut down recently in order to make more room. Tents and makeshift wooden houses were placed along the outer edge of the large field, backing against the forest that surrounded the area. A rather large cabin stood at the opposite side of the field from where I stood, which is where my wolfish escort started to walk toward. I followed behind him, the two other wolves on either side of me. Few people lingered in front of their houses, only a handful were already training on the field, carefully dodging tree stumps as they spared. Everyone stopped their early morning activities to turn and stare at me. I felt their gazes burn against my cheeks.

Someone seethed to my right, "Is that her?"

"The queen bitch herself," someone else sneered.

I swallowed the ball of anger energizing in my chest. I harnessed it, focused on channeling it toward one person, who I would no doubt meet very soon. Curious people emerged from their houses as commotion rose across the field. Others chimed in their own opinions and snarky remarks as I passed them.

"She's not as pretty as they say."

"She's human. What did you expect?"

"That's the girl Gabe fell for? Poor taste."

"She's weak, just like her pathetic mate."

I paused, which forced the wolves escorting me to stop, too. I slowly turned to my right, where I heard the last comment originate from. I locked eyes with a girl who looked like she just turned fourteen, maybe fifteen. She was pretty, with light red hair and eyes the color of the Mediterranean. Her face was smug, but her eyes told a different story. This girl was too young to be here and her age showed in the sliver of fear in her eyes. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest and she wore a tight black sports bra and even tighter black leggings. Her features were strikingly familiar and I found my lips lifting in a cruel smile as I said calmly, "Cassie sends her love."

The girl's smug smile instantly disappeared. "What have you done to her?" she shrieked. She stepped forward, but a man standing on her left gripped her arm tightly, holding her back. She lashed out, trying to claw at me, but the man's hold was unrelenting. "What have you done to my sister?" she cried.

"Nothing she didn't deserve," I said with as much venom as I could muster.

The girl screamed. It was full of pain and was more difficult to listen to than I would have imagined possible. I felt a tinge of guilt eat at my heart, but I refused to pity the girl thrashing around in front of me. I will not allow my own humanity to interfere with my plans. I could feel guilty about being heartless tomorrow. Today, right now, I needed to see my plan succeed. I needed to save my brother, my mate, my pack . . . my people. This war could be stopped before any more blood is spilled. I could be the one to stop it.

The girl was dragged away from me and toward a tent that stood behind her. She never looked away from me and I didn't break eye contact until the man pulled her into the tent and I couldn't hear her screams anymore. The wolf behind me huffed impatiently. I moved forward once more, toward the imposing wooden house. We reached the rickety front porch. The wolves made no move to enter the house, but the leader of the three motioned with his head for me to enter. I stepped onto the porch and confidently strode into the house, closing the door behind me.

It was a two-story cabin, and like the outside, everything inside was made of wood—the flooring, the staircase, the walls. The second story looked to be only a hallway with two or three bedrooms. The main floor was open, with a makeshift kitchen attached to an open space that was solely occupied by a wide table which was covered in papers. The wall behind it was completely covered with a large map that was riddled with pins and red marker. Standing at the table, palms flat on top of all the papers, was a man. He was tall with light features and tanned skin. His soft brown hair hung low over his shoulders and his eye color was nearly black rather than a deep chocolate brown. He was strikingly handsome, but his presence only brought me nausea. The thudding against my mental wall increased, but I maintained my straight posture, refusing to let Gabriel flood my mind.

The man watched me enter the room, his lips lifting in a smirk. "Well, aren't you a pretty one," he said, his voice a rich baritone. "No wonder he wanted to keep you to himself."

I leaned against the doorframe, assuming a relax posture despite the rollercoaster of fear and anticipation that coursed through me. "Leo."

He nodded at me in mock respect. "Your Majesty."

I dismissed the blatant disrespect, even though the instinct I held on to told me to remind him of his place. "Where is my brother, Leo?'

A shuffling came from the staircase behind me and a small voice called out sleepily, "Fee?"

___

Author's Note:

HI FRIENDZ! Leave a comment and give me a vote if you want me to update! I read all your comments and I appreciate the feedback!

Super quick side note: I know a lot of you are surprisingly upset that Phoebe doesn't call her mate by his first name, Gabriel. This is done on purpose and will be kinda, sorta explained a little later.

Sooo, yeah.

Vote and comment.

Mad love for all of you!

xo -Willow

P.S. Highest ranking is now #57 in Werewolf. SO FUN! Stay awesome, friends.