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Tristan's head felt heavy when he finally woke up. He opened his eyes to the smell of dirt and smoke reaching his nose. He blinked and stared at the ground for a moment before craning his neck and looking upwards.

In front of him was a fire and slowly, he began to comprehend the situation. He attempted to sit up as his predicament became clearer to him.

Upon turning his head to the side, he saw Jennifer laying motionless and propped up against a tree. And eventually, his eyes met Freya's who looked hopeless as she sat idly, restrained like him.

Her eyes were wide, transparent with fear but soon his eyes travelled to her cheek where a red scar, which wasn't there before, now showed itself.

More gunshots echoed past the trees and Tristan began to pull away from the restraints. He looked down at his feet which were clasped securely in metal.

"Fuck," he muttered as he felt the metal digging into his skin.

Tristan yelled in pain as he pushed his hands against the metal, wilting it as one of them broke free. He managed to take the other one off before starting with the ones around his ankles.

"Fuck," he growled again, finally freeing his feet as well. Blood fell from one of his palms but he covered it with the fabric of his clothes until it stopped.

He stood up and staggered back, holding himself up against the tree.

"Where is he?" he asked Freya, walking over to her.

He got down to his knees and started with the restraints around her wrists when suddenly, he heard a shuffling sound from behind him.

"Look out!" Freya yelled as Tristan rolled on to his side.

It was one of the creatures. Its face was blotted with blood from unhealed wounds and had a disfigured leg that was sluggish as it moved closer to Freya.

Finding no time to change into his wolf, he lunged forwards and bit into its neck, tearing out its carotid artery. Falling on to it, he slashed his claws into its chest before finally decapitating the beast with all that he had left.

Tristan felt the thick blood on his lips and chin, dripping down his jaw.

He staggered away from the creature, his heart thumping with adrenaline.

"Help my mum," Freya said, her eyes closed. "Help her."

Tristan looked at Jennifer who seemed to be awake, struggling to breathe. He walked to her and looked at the strange encryption on her chains.

"I can't do anything, not with these things on me," she coughed.

"Okay, okay," Tristan said, starting with her chains when he heard something above him.

He looked up and was surprised to see Billy hanging from one of the tree branches.

"Billy?" Tristan said.

"Hey Alpha," he replied.

"What the fuck are you doing up there?"

"Oh you know, just hanging around," he smirked before climbing down.

Tristan resisted a chuckle, "Who else is here?"

"Everyone, the fire was going to reach the pack house. What's going on here?"

"Go help Freya, there's a maniac here and-"

"I know, I saw him back there," Billy interrupted.

Freya watched as Billy broke the chains with his bare hands. She couldn't feel half of her face as she stood up, holding on to the tree as she steadied herself.

Tristan attempted to help her but she held out her hand for him not to touch her. Instead he watched as she painfully walked to her mother.

"Greg's here," Jennifer said, looking out at the trees. "I can feel him."

Billy turned to Tristan, "We need to get out of here."

"Not yet we can't," Tristan said, his hands slightly bruised from breaking the chains.

Billy glanced at Freya and her mother who were standing at a distance from them and then back at Tristan. "We can find the bastard later. The night gives him an advantage. Our people are confused and there's no plan."

Tristan shook his head, "Where are the others?"

"Would you fucking listen to me?" Billy suddenly yelled causing Tristan to narrow his eyes at him.

"The bastard's got a fucking army of those things out here. The pack house is probably burnt to the ground by now. Now, is not the time."

Tristan watched him intently. "If we don't get this done now, we'll never be able to. Now pull up your fucking panties and help me."

Billy clenched his jaw and stared back at him before finally giving him a nod. It was the chain of command after all. And Tristan was the alpha, not him.

Suddenly, Freya was thrown across the field and Billy pulled out his gun, instinctively. She fell and hit her head against a stump, instantly blacking out.

Ace staggered into view, Jade held between his arm and chest. His nose was bleeding and a look of hatred was on his face.

Jennifer was about to do something when he waved his hand and she was thrown up against a tree. The sound of breaking bones reached Tristan's ears and he saw her limp body hanging over the branch.

She didn't move after that.

"Don't even think about it," Ace spat blood from his mouth.

"You wolves think that you can defeat me? That you can destroy what I'm doing here?" Ace roared.

"Let her go," Billy said in a low voice, his finger on the trigger.

"Shoot me. I dare you to, dog," Ace said through gritted teeth.

"You've killed my creatures, you think I'll let you live?" he shouted.

Suddenly there was a sound of crunching leaves and Greg appeared. His eyes flickered to Freya and then at Jennifer's body. He couldn't hear her heart beat while his own heart began to accelerate.

Tristan dragged his eyes away from his sister to Greg who was standing in an oversized hoodie and trousers that weren't his own.

The next thing he knew was Greg struck his hand forward, towards Ace who pushed Jade on to the ground, deflecting Greg's attack immediately.

"What the fuck?" Billy muttered under his breath, watching Greg reveal what he really was.

Greg struck again and again as Ace continued to defend himself. Greg was persistent, not taking a second to recover as he kept plummeting attacks towards Ace.

"What did you do? What did you do?" Greg shouted, his whole body shaking with rage.

Something had snapped in him. He wasn't sure what he was doing anymore but it didn't matter. He couldn't hear his mother's heartbeat while Freya's was now quieter and slower. Ace had hurt his family and Greg wanted him to pay for it.

"Greg-"

"What did you do?" he shouted again, feeling his wolf stir within him as he threw random attacks.

"I don't want to hurt you," Ace said, staggering backwards as Greg advanced towards him. "But I am not the enemy here!"

Suddenly, Greg lifted his foot and struck it against the ground, sending a force rippling under his feet and towards Ace. The earth moved under him and Ace fell over, losing his balance and too surprised to see Greg perform magic like that.

Ace found that he couldn't move a limb, his body frozen into place. He looked up at Greg whose eyes were gleaming gold.

"Vara nu tah," he whispered and Ace yelled in pain before blood began pouring from his mouth and seeping into the soil under him.

"How?" Ace choked out. He looked horrified as he quickly realised what Greg had stolen from him.

"Vara nu tah," he said again, sending a wave of agonising pain through him.

Ace could only think of how Greg had learnt the spells because he had been a guest in his house. A guest that he invited. The light finally left Ace's eyes and his body suddenly stopped moving.

Behind him, Billy held Jade in embrace, watching the little wizaed in shock. Tristan took the opportunity to run over to Freya and help her.

"Stay away from my sister," Greg said, turning around.

Tristan stopped near Freya, his eyebrows furrowed. "She needs help," he reminded him, slowly.

"She doesn't need anything from you," he said with his clenched jaw.

"Greg- you need to listen to me right now-"

"No," Greg shouted. "You. Listen. To. Me. What you need to do is to leave."

Tristan glanced at Billy before looking back at Greg.

Greg's eyes were a fierce gold. It was like Greg had a supernatural passenger within him.

"You will stay away from my sister and I, like you should have done ages ago. Ace is dead. Go home, Alpha. You have no business here anymore."

Tristan felt protective, too stubborn to move aside. Billy studied his Alpha's expressions before speaking.

"Tristan, leave her."

"She needs help."

"She's his sister, get away," Billy urged.

Tristan backed away from Freya as Greg walked closer to her, getting down on his knees. He pressed his palm against her forehead and whispered something. The wolves watched as a dull light faded across Freya's face before she suddenly sucked in a deep breath.

"Greg?" she said, trying to sit up.

She pulled Greg into a hug and his eyes returned to their normal colour. Tristan watched Freya cry into her brother's embrace and felt his heart sink. Their mother's dead body lay motionless near them while Ace lay in a pool of his own blood.

Jade touched Tristan's arm and gave him a look. He nodded and walked away with her by his side and Billy following after. The family was now mourning and needed space. Tristan wished he was there beside his mate, consoling her but he hadn't earned his place. Not yet.

The sun ascended slowly, sending light through the forest. The trees looked less menacing and the leaves looked scarce. They were rejoined by the others and the smoke was gone.

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