"Shit," I cursed and looked around for somewhere he could hide. "The pantry," I decided and shoved him in that direction. This isn't going to end well, I can already sense it. Erin doesn't hesitate, he runs into the pantry and I lock it behind him. Seconds later, William stormed into the kitchen with his hands rolled into fists.

He looks around the kitchen, everywhere but where I was. When he finally got what he wanted, William's eyes landed on mine. "What happened?" He bluntly asked. My heart was racing, my head was aching with panicking thoughts. I saw how angry he was this morning, William will kill Erin.

"What do you mean? You scared me, that's all," I lied. William shook his head and took steps closer. He angles himself to make sure nothing was under the table and then he checked behind the counter. "You've heard that door shut like that a million times, there's no way it scared you," William argued.

"Oh no, it was unexpected. I'm fine, Will," I truthfully say. He rolls his eyes and stepped closer to me so that the tips of our shoes were touching. His warm hand wrapped around the base of my neck. "I can tell you were panicking before I came in here, Everest. What's going on?" William breathed out, his head dipping to press a heated kiss to my neck that made me shudder.

"Nothing," I repeated. William was so smooth with his actions that I never expected it. That was his plan. He hooked his hand around my waist and spun us around. William quickly opened the pantry door that I was protecting. "Did you think I wouldn't smell another man's scent on you, Ev?" He smirked and reached forward to grab Erin's collar.

He yanked him out and the fear was evident on his face. "Now who the fuck are you?" William spat at Erin. "My brother," I sighed and leaned against the counter in defeat. William eyed the scared looking Erin and dropped him, probably after noticing our similarities.

"Explain," William deadpanned and folded his arms across his chest. "Uh..." Erin kept looking between William and me. He looked terrified and if my calculations were correct, Erin is one year older than Will.

"I don't trust you," William bluntly said after Erin refused to talk. "Your parents did some fucked up shit to what's mine and I need to know if you had any connections with them. I won't hesitate to rip your head off if you don't start talking," William harshly threatened. Erin turns to me with a blank look.

"Are you seriously fucking a guy that talks to you like that? I thought you changed," Erin huffed. William rolls his eyes and punched him in the jaw. "What the fuck!" He groaned. "He doesn't speak to me like that. You're just a threat to him and you remind him of mom and dad," I defended with a sigh and walked between them so William couldn't hurt him. "William, Erin says that he was framed for the burning of the packhouse. He says that there's proof but he needs to hack into software to get the security tapes," I summarized.

My eyes were on William as I spoke. William is easy to read, I could tell he was confused and angry but at the same time, he was trying to calm the storm that told him to launch at Erin. "The computer room," I stated, hoping he would get what I was saying.

He glares at my brother, if looks could kill, Erin would be ten feet below. "Walk," he spat and pushed Erin in the direction of the exit. William walked behind Erin up the stairs as we made our way to the computer room. It was an impressive room that I've only seen once. Science and technology geeks like Erin would go mad.

"Shut your mouth and turn on the computer," William spat and pushed him onto the chair. I frowned and touched his shoulder," sorry, sorry," William apologized. Erin listens and turns on the computer. We observe as he typed away, getting the camera tapes. It was only ten minutes late when he recovered them.

"Play it," I tell Erin after noticing his hesitation. Erin right clicked on the mouse and leaned back on the chair. The video goes on. Three men walking at the side of the packhouse. The two in the back pulled out a rock they were holding onto and knocked the sides of his head. The victim drops on the ground knocked out cold and we finally see the face of my brother passed out. The other two guys drag him by the feet into the packhouse.

"Where's everyone when this was happening?" William asked. "The museum. It was the alpha's birthday and only six people didn't go. The three of us, two victims inside who will escape the fire, and the other was in one of the houses getting high," Erin explained.

Erin taps again and it takes us to another room where the man is stripping my brother. He took off all his clothes, left him in boxers only and then he took off his clothes and changed into my brother's. "Where's the other guy?" I spoke up. Erin sighed and changed the screen again. It shows us the other guy pouring gasoline from kegs all over the furniture and bookshelves.

Once satisfied he walked to where the other guy was in the bathroom. They both wiped the kegs clean before using my brother's hands to cover them in his fingerprints instead. Using tissues they threw the kegs outside, in front of the packhouse. For the rest of the video, it shows us one of the men dragging him back outside and the one who was in Erin's clothes lit the place on fire.

Worst part was that the man fit his body well. They were very similar physically wise. Their faces were different which is why he pulled the hood up to hide that. "This was what the alpha saw. Everything else what you just say they erased it, but you know, I'm a genius," Erin praised himself.

The cameras flicked and we see as the flames go up, they changed him back into the clothes and shoved the box of matches and lighter into his pockets. The man then brutally punched him and Erin jerked forward seconds later. "And that's where they find me and I bolted. Somewhere between all that the two escaped, I'm sure they did," Erin sighed, and the video cuts.

Erin spins on the chair to look at us, clearly satisfied. "You win. I'm sorry for the way I handled you but I can't blame you. I'll clear your name, you stay here," William finally revealed and yanked out the flash drive he just stored the footage onto. William kisses my cheek before running off.

"Victory," he sighs and flops on the floor with relief.

_♤_

"I'm sorry," William whispered and ran his nose up the side of my neck. He makes me feel very fuzzy. "For what?" I wondered and leaned into his touch. "I was harsh on your brother, I tricked you in the kitchen and I left so suddenly twice today," William points out. I rolled my eyes before tilting my head back to kiss his lips at a weird angle.

"You apologize for silly things, it's okay," I insisted. "You better not be fingering my sister," Erin warned across the other side of the living room. "I was thinking about it," William mumbled and he easily dodged a pillow thrown by Erin.

"I like it when you're loud. We can't be secretive here, so sadly we're gonna have to wait," William mind links me. I used the blanket to hide my flushed cheeks and attempted my best to forget that he ever said that. We snuggled closer on the sofa, his hands wrapped around me as we actually paid attention to the movie.

"They're coming, Everest, protect the little one," Alaska's voice echoed in my head. I barely have time to comprehend what she meant before someone started brutally knocking on the golden doors before the person yanked them open. We fled off the sofas and ran to the main room where Bradey Rohan stood.

I swear I was imagining him there for a split second.

"Bradey," I gasped and ran to him. His heart was pounding in his chest as he tightly hugged me. "I'm sorry, but we don't have much time," he blurts out as we pulled away from the hug. His lips parted to say more until his body stiffened. "Fucking shit," Bradey cursed. He stares wide eyed at my brother who was only a few feet away. They both stared at each other in a mesmerizing way mixed with a state of disbelief.

"Fucking finally!" Erin sobered up and ran to Bradey. He throws himself into Bradey's arms and Bradey doesn't hesitate to hug him back. It was only a couple of seconds before Bradey pulls away. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry but we don't have time for this. They're coming! I don't know how they did but all the guards are down and they're coming, William. You have to go stop them before they get to close," Bradey panicked and let go of my brother.

"What are you talking about?" William worriedly asked. "I don't know man! They're dressed in these black coats and they're sort of transparent? I have no idea but...they're here," Bradey rambled off. "I knew I felt it..." William mumbled to himself. He looks back and forth between me and the door.

They're coming, Everest, protect the little one.

No.

He cannot leave.

We don't know enough yet.

None of what Bradey said made any sense.

"Hold her back," William ordered Bradey and he nods his head before running off. I scream after him, Bradey holds me back and pushes me further and further away from William. This was all happening so soon. When I managed to push away Bradey, Erin tackled me back. "No, stop! What are you doing!" I scream, my nails clawed at Erin and Bradey as they held me back. Then it dawned on me that there's a benefit of William marking me.

A specific way I look at them while I speak makes their wolves weak and their humans must obey. "Let me the fuck go," I spat. William drops his hands immediately, the look in his eyes told me he regretted it but there was no way of stopping me. I ran out of the room, following the direction of William. Erin screamed for me, I had no control over him because he isn't part of this pack but he didn't stop me.

I ran out into the dark forest bare feet with only William's shirt covering my undergarments. I spot him in the middle. He was surrounded by fog between the trees. William shouts my name at the top of his lungs, the scared look in his eyes haunted me. It was too late. I was too late. I could barely get in a foot of him before his body disappeared into nothing. There wasn't a trace of him, he literally disappeared into thin air. None of this makes any sense. I ran around like I was insane, trying to find him and he was simply gone...

My heart was beating rapidly in my chest. My head hurt from trying to comprehend what I just witnessed. There's nothing simple about it though. William vanished while screaming my name as if he knew it was coming. Now I'm angry, it's flooding my veins and all I can do is blame Bradey. I march back into the house and immediately punched Bradey hard in the jaw. "Hey!" Erin snapped and with one glare his lips snapped shut.

My knuckles stung for a second before it healed. "What the fuck! You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? Do you know what the fuck you just did!? Explain this to me please! He's gone. How is it possible? Why didn't you let me go after him! Why, Bradey, Why!? I could've saved him! Bradey, why did you do that!?" I cried, my fists launching at any part of his body it could've landed. Bradey grabbed my hands and held them down in my eyes. There's a look in his eyes that told me it was hard for him to say. But he did anyway.

"I did it because there's two hearts beating inside of you, Everest."