Since the residential area of the base was the smallest, it meant that many were forced to share their rooms. Most were in pairs, but as my luck foretold it, I shared mine as a room of three.

Three identical beds, two against the wall and a third in the middle. We weren't permitted decorations, nor any form of our life before this one.

However, it made perfect sense that the ones that were able to get away with breaking such rules were Cora, Ti and I. Posters on the walls and water cracks in the ceilings. Then, of course, was the glass flower on my bedside table. It was nothing crazy, depicting the Nightstalker flower. Long, purple petals that curled at the edges with a vibrant yellow centre. Apparently, if Madame Beaudeline was to be believed, I was the first item I had ever stolen. A simple swipe off a shelf. It was on my way back to base, well, on my way to the base, since I had never been there before at that time.

I had stolen that glass flower when I had first been found.

And here it lay, on my bedside table.

Personally, I didn't believe that story. But it was the only thing I had to go off. It was my most prized item, and it didn't even originally belong to me.

Cora lay on her bed, staring at the empty ceiling, a glass of half-empty water hanging in her hand. It should have fallen out at the angle she was holding it at, but it hadn't, remaining in the glass as if it was frozen.

Ti was leaning against the wall, focusing on a spiral of light that was emitting from her palm.

Their heads turned in my direction, "The leaders have anything interesting to say?" Cora said, almost immediately.

I huffed as I collapsed on my bed, shoving off my boots, "Oh they had something to say alright."

Ti leaned forward, lying down to meet my gaze, "What, they sending you on a month-long scouting mission?"

I rolled my eyes, "No, it's worse than that."

Cora raised an eyebrow, "Really? Not too sure about that. You didn't stop complaining about that mission until about two weeks after you returned from it."

"And I'll stand by it, that mission was pointless," I argued, raising my finger. "No, I just genuinely think that they're trying to kill me."

Ti's eyes softened, "How long are they sending you away for?"

I pulled myself up. I was the only one that ever went on long missions. Sometimes Ti went out on a small resourcing trip with Circe, though that had only happened about twice. Cora's were a little longer, the most being a few days. Though, those felt like nothing compared to the months that I would be sent away for. "Three days for now, though it seems like a series of missions are going to take place, I've got a feeling they will all be around that long though."

Cora furrowed her brows, "So what's the issue? Three-day missions are nothing for you!"

"Yeah, except I'm robbing the Bloodlust pack, which feels like a death sentence. And it's embarrassing. Because of the pack's reputation, I'm essentially being tested to make sure I can carry it out." I rolled my eyes, picking at my nails as I spoke.

"Look, we both understand and trust me Cas if there is anyone in this building that understand the sheer amount of ability in this room, it's us. But have you considered turning down the mission?" Ti offered tentatively.

"What, you think I can't do it?"

"The opposite darling, we know you can do it. That doesn't mean we want you to. Everyone knows the Bloodlust pack, and this whole situation feels like a setup." Cora argued.

"I don't have a choice, I never have a choice. And when it comes to your missions you don't have a choice either. We know this. I'll just be careful, plan it out a little more." I retired, rubbing my hand over my face.

Cora blinked, "You're right. Sorry, I don't even know what I was saying,"

Ti's eyes went glassy, "Neither do I," She added in a dreamy voice.

"It's an honour," I reaffirmed, "Besides, I'm robbing a jewellery store, do you two want anything? Might pick myself up a tiara or something."

The tension in the air cleared, and just like that, everything was back to normal.

"Any sort of aquamarine would be appreciated, god your a lifesaver Cas, my last piece just cracked the other day," Cora squealed, "Gosh, the Leaders must have read my mind or something.

Ti paused for a moment, "Just some quartz if you could, I don't care what it's set in. But don't get it if it means you'll get caught."

"Oh please," I bragged, "Since when have I ever been caught?"

------------------------------------------

By the time I started planning, I most definitely should have been sleeping.

Ruby Pendant

Amethyst Earrings

Solid Gold Ring

Aquamarine (Bracelet?)

Quartz (Anything)

I flicked over to the next page. In an attachment with my mission details, a picture of the outside of the store, along with a brief of the inside. I couldn't see any jewellery, but I could see cases, staircases and large set windows that easily would display my every move. But most importantly, I could see the small outline of security cameras.

And the Leader's really thought I wouldn't be able to do this?

I logged into the images, pulling up a set displaying all the electrical wiring within the building. I traced my fingers along the red lines, obviously what powered the cameras. Next to the camera in the far left corner was a box. A power bank. If I was correct, all I would need to do would be disable that and then I would be clear. I quickly tapped into the notes.

*Guards on every entry, beside every window

Alright, perhaps slightly harder. I let out a winded breath and continued to scrawl all over the pages, building up a plan that in my head, was perfect. I threw the still-open notepad to the end of my bed and stood up, picking up my pyjamas in one swift motion as I headed towards the bathroom.

I stripped off my clothes, trading them for the loose pair of grey shorts and singlet. I undid my hair from the tight, messy braids that I had it tied up in. I let my dark brown, uneven hair cascade over my shoulders, running my fingers through it to relieve the tension. In the mirror, I saw the glint of the small stud I had resting in my nose, along with the countless piercings that ran over my ears. I started to slowly take them out. I didn't wear my piercings for missions like this, not when the light could catch the shiny platinum metal and reveal my presence. I learned from my mistakes. As I stared at my reflection, my brown eyes almost criticising me. I wasn't overall too concerned with my appearance, not caring about the mole above my thicker-than-average eyebrows, nor did I care about how my sharp cheekbones contrasted with my jutting chin. Hell, I didn't even care about my skin, and that had certainly earned me my fair share of nasty comments. What I did care about was the tattoo resting on my collarbone, an ugly, black monstrosity of fangs and wings, permanently etched into my skin.

It was the symbol of the organisation, and it was one that everyone seemed to recognise. As sad as it sounded, our world was split. The werewolves, the Fae and the Merpeople were on one side, while Vampires, Dragon shifters and Spirits were on the other with Witches stuck somewhere in the middle.

I never regretted being here, but this organisation was trying to take back control of the country from the opposing side and had been for longer than I could even think about. And this tattoo marked me as a traitor.

I readjusted my shirt, covering up the majority of it and stepping away from the mirror. I walked back over the room and curled up on my bed, covering my shivering body in the thick quilt. I turned off the lamp and slowly let myself drift off, trapping myself in a dreamless sleep.

-------------------------------------------

As Cora, Ti and I walked into the eating hub, it was as if every single other person stopped to stare. And I wasn't surprised.

We had our reputation, ones that carried through the entirety of the recruits. Some were in awe, some were jealous, and some would throw themselves out of a moving car and into a ditch to learn from us.

And our outfits certainly did us no favours.

I could feel every stretch of my muscles and every inch of my body hair as I walked in the full leather body-tight suit. My black boots clunked against the stone floor as I sat myself down at our usual table, starting immediately to shovel the porridge into my face. Cora ate a little more politely, careful not to spill anything on her shimmering blue dress or smudge her perfect red lipstick. She had woken up this morning to a new mission assignment. A luncheon that had a very important, potential investor attending.

"Now remember Cas," Ti warned, "You be careful. And do try not to get yourself killed, I fear I might miss you if you do."

I snorted, "Nice to know that I'll be inconveniencing you with my death. Maybe I'll get kidnapped just to piss you off."

She rolled her eyes, "You know what I mean."

I nudged her side playfully, "Course I do. Neither of you two worry. This mission won't be anything different, trust me."

Cora raised her arms in protest, "What? Do I not get a warning? Ti, darling, it's like you don't even care about me."

"Well perhaps if you had given me a second-"

"Excuse me Ms Nightstalker, may I speak to you?"

I turned my head, trying to identify the origin of the voice. I then looked down, a small boy was standing just behind me. He would only be about eleven, with a few more kids standing behind him in a clustered group. Once he realised that he had caught my attention, he puffed out his chest and raised his chin. I noticed his canines, just peeking out from under his mouth. I took a deep sniff, wolves.

"My friends and I heard a rumour that you were leaving on another mission, is that true?" He asked confidently, though I could hear the shake in his voice.

I raised an eyebrow, "Yes, that's true."

He quickly looked back at his friends before turning back to me. "Um, my friends and I would like to wish you good luck. I know you won't probably need it, but see, we're wolves too, and we thought that maybe if we said something, it might give you some more... um... confidence..." He started to ramble, his entire body shaking the more he spoke.

"What's your name?" I asked.

He gulped. "Oscar, Ms Nightstalker."

"And your friends?"

"Wilder, Yasmin and Auden."

I leaned forward slightly, my face softening. "Well, thank you, Oscar, Wilder, Yasmin and Auden. I really appreciate that. Besides, you know us wolves need to stick together, so you never need to be nervous when speaking to me."

Cora snorted, "Trust me, you wouldn't be scared if you heard how loud she snores."

I ignored her. Oscar beamed up at me, "Of course Ms Nightstalker."

An alarm shouted through the building, causing my ears to ring. "You and your friends better run off, you know that the youngest get their injection first."

Oscar nodded at me, and ran off, the rest of his friends giving me a quick wave before following him. I turned back around, trying to finish off my porridge before we would need to leave.

"You're so good with kids Cas," Cora stated, "I could never be that nice, I would probably end up smacking them in the head."

I shrugged, "Who knows maybe I was a mother or something like in a past life."

A guard banged his bat against the side of our table, "Injection time ladies, off you go."

"What, can't I finish my breakfast?" I replied angrily. The guard just glared. "Ugh fine, we'll go."

-------------------------------------

The moment my injection was over, I was out the door and on my way. It was about a day's run from here to Bloodlust, so I know the three days I had been given was a test in itself.

The moment that I had taken a few steps into the forest, I shifted. My wolf was a fairly average size, with a long sleek body and dark brown fur that seemed to stand up on its end.

Then I started to run.

I let myself lean back as my wolf took full control. I ran over every little detail of the plan in my head, almost as if it was a memory that I was recalling. I didn't even tire as the hours passed on, weaving my way from the mountainous terrain of the north to the open ground forests of the south. I had essentially memorised every boundary line of every pack in this whole damned country. Should I even put a toe over the line for just a split second, this whole show would be over. On top of that was avoiding the humans. They had cities everywhere, hell, some even in pack territory. Keeping out of sight of any hikers or explorers was relatively high on my concern list.

Finally, I reached the boundary line. I shifted back, my clothes completely untouched as I dug my hand into the small bag that is full of essentials for every mission. I pulled out a vial of a familiar, murky-grey liquid. I sighed and drank the entirety of it as quickly as I could. I silently gagged but threw the vial back in the bag. Brewed by Circe herself to ensure that I could pass over this line without anyone knowing. Inside the bag also was a few of my own essentials. I pulled out a mask, opaque and black as night. I dragged it over my head, the only thing that could be seen was my eyes, not even a hole to breathe.

I stepped over the boundary line and began to run.

There was never anything to prove whether or not the potion had worked, but considering the fact that I wasn't caught within five minutes of stepping over the border, I had to assume I was safe.

It was pitch black, and I could barely see anything. I stuck to the shadows, being careful not to reveal myself by stepping into the light.

I skulked across the pack until I found it. It was at the very end of the street, right in the middle of a bunch of other stores. I could see the guards, standing around dutifully, with not one faltering from their positions. Warriors. I lifted my view upwards, noticing a giant tree that hung over the top.

Perfect.

I crawled around to the back, scaling the tree with ease as I pulled myself up and onto the branch that hung over the ceiling. I stayed down low, my entire body flat as I slid onto the roof, not making a single sound. I pulled out my claws and ran my finger along the top of a glass panel, cutting through it with ease. As it fell, I grabbed it in a split second, snapped it in half, and placed it back on the roof.

Now the fun could begin.

The ceiling was decorated with wooden beams, making it so delightfully easy to get to the camera I needed. I tugged on it, hearing the quiet snap of the cords as I did. For good measure, I smashed the box between my hands. I watched as the little red light in the camera's turned off before making my next move.

There were no guards inside, yet there were beams of white light on certain displays. Otherwise, the room was completely black.

I noticed the Ruby section first.

Finding a pendant was easy, I just picked out the one with the largest stone and the most ornamental decoration surrounding it. I carefully gave the glass cabinet the same treatment as the roof and slid the pendant off the mannequin, dropping it into my bag. I saw the rings next, spending maybe twenty seconds in finding the right size, cracking the glass, and dropping it into my bag. Everything happened like clockwork. Large, decorative amethyst earrings, a bracelet studded with sapphires and large aquamarine charms hanging off it, an armband made completely out of snow quartz. Suddenly, I had something for everyone, and I still hadn't been caught.

But I still had nothing for myself.

I didn't need new earrings, goddess knows I have plenty, plus, none of these was my style.

The only thing that caught my eye was the Tiara, trapped away in a glass box in the centre of the room. It was stunning, a reddish-gold made up the frame, with large black diamonds as the main focal point. The large diamonds were then surrounded by smaller ones, following the curves of the metal. I wanted it, and I wanted it bad. It was almost as if it was mine, handcrafted to sit on my head. My hands itched for it.

But I couldn't.

For one, it was illuminated by the lights. And two, I thought back to the electrical diagram, there were about a million wires that connected to this very spot. I knew that if I tried to get this, the alarm would go off.

I looked at the time and swore silently. Pack warriors would start making their rounds of the boundary line, making it impossible for me to get out.

Unless something brought them from the boundary lines into the pack, some sort of an emergency.

A wicked smile took over my face. A robbery of a jewellery store sounded just about perfect.

I dropped a compacted ball of black powder on the floor, creating a giant, black mess. My signature. Then, Without thinking about it for another second, I smashed my fist through the glass box, and the alarm started ringing.

I had locked all the doors and windows, but I knew I only had seconds. I grabbed onto the tiara and Jumped, pulling myself up onto the beams and through the hole in the ceiling I had made just as wolves began to storm in.

I could see more wolves running in from every direction towards the store, and my heart began to race.

In a split moment, I started running across the tree branches. I was so quick that it felt as if I was weightless. I watched as the lights of houses began to turn on, dogs howling and babies screaming.

What a glorious mess I had created.

As the tree's started to come to an end, I started jumping over houses to get where I needed to be. While I still couldn't see the pack very well, through its light I was beginning to get glimpses.

I didn't waste time focusing on it, finally reaching the forest edge and running as fast as I could.

A breath of air escaped my heavy chest as I felt myself run over the boundary. I shoved both the tiara and the bag of jewellery into my even larger duffel bag that I had left here, shifted, and began to run.

In my wake, I could still hear the screams and shouts of the angry and confused back members, wondering what in the goddess's name had just happened.

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