“Yuri!” I called, while Marc thrashed around. “Bring the garden hose, yeah? Someone needs to cool his head.” I felt Yuri obey through our bond and so I let Marc throw me from his back with his next jerk. I easily managed to punch him in the face as he got up, a twisted satisfaction filling me up. He lunged at me, throwing me on my back, but I managed to push a knee between us, sending him flying over my head. He rolled through the snow stopping right in front of Yuri. I had to smile when I felt a deep satisfaction inside Yuri as he pointed the hose at Marc and hit him with a blast of ice-cold water.

Marc whimpered and back paddled trying desperately to shield himself from the water. I turned to make sure Jack wouldn’t join the fight but he was being held down by Colwyn. Good.

“You calm now?” I asked when Yuri turned off the hose. Marc was shaking probably with both rage and cold. But he was glaring at me and Yuri, not at Jack so mission accomplished.

“Fuckin faggot,” he whispered under his breath. Yuri turned the hose back on. Oh, the startled yelp Marc let out. Like a scared kitten. I tried to swallow the laugh but some muffled sounds still escaped.

“Yuri...” I said scoldingly even though I was snickering.

He turned it off with a wicked smile. “Sorry, he looked like he could cool it.” Marc shook off the water from his hair, burning through Yuri’s soul with his angry glare.

“What about Jack? Does he need to cool it?” I asked looking back at them.

“No, I’m fine,” Jack said immediately with a bit of a lisp since his lip was split pretty bad.

There were a lot more people here now, brought out by the commotion. Including Nikolai, Holly, Father, Sina, Trystan, and Akira.

“Holly, Jack needs healing, Trystan... your Shield needs some serious talking to, don’t you think?” I said. Trystan frowned at me, not pleased that I suggested he should do something.

But in the end, attacking a pack member was wrong so Trystan called: “Marc,” in a cold cold voice. Marc actually shuddered as he followed him inside. Holly took Jack inside too, sobbing Nadia not far behind them. Honestly what a fucking mess.

“Your sister really needs to choose one or they will end up killing each other,” I said to Yuri as he put the hose back into the box by the wall.

“You tell her that, she won’t listen to me.” He sighed, shaking his head. “You alright? Did he get you?” he asked, looking me over.

“No. I’m fine. I’ve been winning fights against him since I was a child.” I smiled. He chuckled, bumping my shoulder.

I turned to find Father staring at me and Nikolai glaring right by his side. I thought about saying something to Father but in the end, I just left. I went into the house aiming for the thing I came here for in the first place. I swallowed hard as I found myself in front of the dark wood door with the golden placket saying ‘Bran’.

Deep ache hit my heart as I let my fingers brush over the placket. I used to spend days in his room when I was hiding from Father or my siblings. It was always filled with books and Bran didn’t mind me being there even when he worked.

I grabbed the handle and… it was locked. The door was locked. Why was it locked? Bran’s door was never locked. It was always wide open ready to hide you from the world outside. I found myself pulling over and over again feeling like this was some bad dream.

“You’re going to break it,” Nicolai said behind me.

“Why is it locked?” I asked, frowning at the door.

“Your father locked it. I guess he’s grieving.” He shrugged, giving the door a wistful gaze.

“By ignoring Bran’s existence?” Like he ignored mine? Like he ignored mother’s makeup table still in their bedroom?

“Oh? And you’re doing what? ‘Cause it looks to me like you’re doing your own share of ignoring Bran’s death.”

That wasn’t true! I wasn’t ignoring it. “I need to find his killer. The one who paid the mercenaries.” How could I sit around and grieve while his killer walked away scot-free?

“Ask your father for the key then,” he said and left.

Now for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to do so. Father was acting weird. Fighting me instead of explaining what was really going on. But that was the way of our family it seemed…

“Reid?” Yuri appeared by my side.

“Let’s go, we’re leaving.” I’d figure this out, no matter what.