I awoke in front of a vaguely familiar cottage. I had no idea how I'd gotten there nor did I know where exactly I was. Panic surged through me as I tried to take in my surroundings but it was nothing but a dense canopy of trees in each direction I turned to, my neck tingled as I moved as well as my leg. In confusion, I looked down at my leg only to see a huge, ugly bite mark that was slowly healing. That's when everything came back. Andrew still being alive. Me clawing Greyson. Greyson Hunting me. Matthew snapping my neck. The memory caused tears to jump to my eyes as a loud howl was heard in the distance. "No, no, no..." I quietly begged as I ran as fast as I could to the cottage, the bite mark on my leg only delivering small tingles instead of the excruciating pain I'd felt when I initially got it, which I was grateful for because it only would've slowed me down.

I didn't waste time knocking on the door or risking Greyson hearing it due to his enhanced hearing. Instead, I simply threw open the door, ran in, and closed it behind me, being sure to lock all of the locks. Once I turned back around, I noticed that the cottage looked eerily familiar, though I couldn't pinpoint how exactly I knew it. I slowly moved through it, its pinewood scent relaxing me and making me feel safe though I had no idea where I was.

I allowed my legs to lead me through the house, my eyes zeroing in on pictures every now and then just to see the faces of the family I presumed lived here smudged out like someone tried to erase them, but couldn't quite get the job done.

"John, who's at the door?" a gentle female voice called from somewhere close by, causing me to freeze. "I heard it open and-" she continued before she rounded the corner in front of me, stopping mid-sentence once she saw me. My heart stopped as I looked at the familiar woman I hadn't seen in over a decade. Her long brown hair was down and tucked behind her ears and her green eyes that matched mine looked back at me. Her skin was delicate and soft without a blemish to be seen. She looked exactly the way she had before they'd left for their dangerous mission that I was far too young to fully understand.

Tears jumped to my eyes as the word "Mom?" pressed passed my lips. Without saying another word, she wrapped her arms around me and held me tight, her vanilla scent that I'd missed so much rushing into my nose as she did so.

"My sweet girl," she whispered and I could hear the weight of tears in her voice as well. "I'm so sorry we left you. We didn't mean to. Oh my precious little girl, I love you so much." I continued sobbing into her shoulder, unable to believe that the woman I was holding was my mother and we were in my childhood home where I grew up and shared memories with her and my father.

"Where's Papa?" I asked as I pulled away from her and feverishly wiped away my tears, causing her to smile as she took my hands before yelling, "John! Come down here quick!"

"What is it, Persephone?" my father's deep voice replied, his heavy footsteps quickly approaching. "Is everything alri-" Just like my mother, his words died on his lips once he saw me. His black hair was just as rugged as I remembered as well as his beard. His brown eyes held surprise and disbelief as well as tears that were quickly pooling.

"Hi, Papa," I softly said as a new wave of tears moved over me. Without saying a single word, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into the tightest hug I'd ever been in before he began sobbing as he planted multiple kisses into my hair and saying incoherent things. I hugged him as tight as I could and cried with him, all of our tears happy.

"I've missed you so much," I whispered as the hug broke. "Both of you. Life has been so hard without you guys here and...it's just so good to have you again." I wrapped my arms around both of them and held them close.

"We know," my father softly said. "We've seen every moment of your life since we died. You are so strong, my little Munk. So strong." My mother hummed in agreement.

"We're so sorry we left you in such a cruel world that takes advantage of sweet, pure girls like you," my mother gently said into my hair before kissing my forehead. "We're so so sorry..."

"It's not your fault," I quickly assured. "I'm strong like you said. I've gotten through worse and I'll get through this, I promise."

"That's my little girl," my mom softly said as she gently cupped my cheek. I smiled as I put my hand on top of hers, before a grueling pain moved through me, causing my throat and lungs to burn. I instantly went into a deep coughing fit, causing a dark powder-like substance to flow from my mouth and land in my hand. Wolfsbane. I quickly got it off of my hand, though it didn't burn my hand as intensely as it should've.

My father cursed. "Come on, we don't have a lot of time left." He said as he led me through the house and into the family room where we'd watch bad TV and share bountiful laughs once upon a time.

"What's happening to me?" I asked as we sat down on the couch, looking at the Wolfsbane residue on my hand.

"Your body is slowly waking up," my mother said as she took my hand and covered it with her own. I should've known better. Of course I'm dreaming. I was foolish to think otherwise or to think I'd be given the mercy of death.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "No! I refuse to go back there. I want to stay here with you and Papa instead of going back to someone who lies to me and hates me and wants to kill me and-"

"Greyson does not hate you, Avery," my mother simply stated. "I...I know it's hard to understand, but he doesn't hate you. He hates himself, even more so since he let Gavin get a hold of you."

Gavin. That one name sent more fear through me than both Greyson and Alpha Phoenix combined.

I shook my head. "Yet another reason why I can't go back. Greyson is bad but Gavin is so much worse," I said before displaying my leg. "He did this to me. Greyson allowed Gavin to do this to me."

"It's more complicated than that I'm afraid," my father said, his attention not going to my wound most likely because he already knew what it was. Maybe it pained him to see me in this state. "As hard as I know it is, you just need to trust him and give him another chance, Avery. He was going to explain everything to you when he felt it was the right time and he had Gavin under control-"

"Then explain it to me now," I begged. "Tell me why I should put my life on the line again? I've trusted him once before and look where it's gotten me! Papa, do you see me? Do you see everything that that man has put me through? Do you even care?"

"Of course I care, Avery," he said, the look of hurt in his eyes instantly making me regret my outburst. "And as much as I hate to say it, you need to trust him, or at least trust that we wouldn't put you in harm's way." I looked at my mother and she merely nodded in agreement.

"He's really trying to change for you, honey, and you have no idea how hard it is for him to change, some of it is no fault of his own. I know this might be hard for you, but you need to be there for him and have faith in him, to listen to him at least, and then you can make your decision on whether or not you want to trust him, okay?"

I sighed as I looked around my childhood home knowing that this is their Haven,the main spot where their souls rest surrounded by memories of myself and each other before life came crashing down on us and tore us apart in the most brutal way possible. I looked back at my mother then my father. "Why can't I just die and stay here with you?" I softly asked as I rested my head on his shoulder like I used to when I was a young pup.

"You will one day, but your time's not now, Munk," my dad softly said as he pressed a kiss into my hair once more. "Not for a long time. You need to fight, okay? If not for yourself, do it for us. You've gone through too much just to give up now." I nodded in response before the burn returned to my respiratory system and I fell into a series of coughs once more, this time Wolfsbane not only coming from my mouth but from my nose as well, burning my throat and nostrils.

"It's time for you to go, my sweet sweet girl," my mother said as she wrapped her arms around me before pressing a lingering kiss on my forehead. "You will get through this, I promise you. I love you so much" she softly said, tears in her eyes before she got up and left the room, strangled sobs escaping her mouth as she did so.

"We're always with you, okay Munk?" my dad said with a woeful grin. "Never forget that. I love you." He pressed one more kiss on my forehead before he too disappeared. Then I was all alone, the house that held everyone that I loved slowly fading to white and my mother's sobs becoming quieter and quieter until they ceased to exist and I was completely surrounded by white. My body was on the verge of waking up.

Suddenly, I felt pain envelope my body as I went into another coughing fit that took me to my knees. An intense pain tore through my neck as fire moved through my wound. "M-Mom!" I cried as tears blurred my vision not only out of sadness but pain as well. "Dad!" No one answered. A supernova of pain erupted through my skull, causing me to scream before I was swallowed in darkness.

I found myself shooting awake with nothing but darkness surrounding me, a small whimper escaping my mouth due to the pain that was pulsating throughout my neck. "Mom! Dad!," I barely made out before the familiar burning filled my mouth and throat, causing me to go into a coughing fit before the burn filled my nose as well. My eyes watered as I coughed and choked on the airborne poison that was attacking me from all sides: Wolfsbane. "M-Matthew!" I hoarsely called out once more. "Please." Almost as soon as that simple, yet desperate word left my lips, a light suddenly came from above. I covered my eyes with my hand as I looked up to see a flashlight being pointed down at me, revealing that I was in a deep hole that was about the size of a bathroom with the walls covered in Wolfsbane plants, still bare from shifting and my fight with Greyson. Tears jumped to my eyes as the memories flooded my brain once more. I looked at my leg where he'd bit me to see that it looked like it had looked in my dream with my parents and I knew that if I made one move, it'd hurt worse than hell.

"You're awake," Matthew's familiar voice softly called down, "I was getting worried. You were out for longer than usual."

"How long was I out? What am I doing down here?" I quickly asked in order to avoid the burn.

"Three days," he softly said, causing my heart to drop. "You're in Convergence, don't you remember?" Suddenly, a loud howl cut through the air, sending a shiver down my spine just like it had in my dream and pulling curses from Matthew's lips as his attention left me. "He picked up your scent again," he muttered as he looked down at me once more. "I'm sorry, Avery, but I got to close you in again or else he'll find you."

"No, Matthew, please don't-" I begged, but he cut me off.

"I have to do this or he'll find you, okay? You're strong, Avery. I know you can do this, just stay calm and quiet and this will all be over soon," he said before I was swallowed by darkness once more. That's exactly what my parents said. I let out a strangled sob before I pulled my good leg to my chest and sobbed, not caring about the pain in my neck nor the excruciating pain that moved through my body due to the Wolfsbane constantly flowing in through my nose and mouth. I cried. I cried for me. I cried for my parents. I cried out of anger toward myself for trusting Greyson to not be the monster I knew he was. I even cried for Greyson because he really made me believe that we had a chance. He made me believe that we could work through this. He made me believe that he loved me.

But look where that'd gotten us.

And as my sobs became heavier, the burn got more intense and my body became heavier and heavier until I found myself laying on my back staring up at darkness. My breathing came out as wheezes and my body felt like five hundred pounds. My head was pounding with an intensity I'd never felt and my heartbeat was loud in my ears. I silently prayed to the Moon Goddess that she'll watch over me and keep me strong. I'm trying, mom and dad. I silently promised. For you. Then I closed my eyes silently hoping I'd see my parents again when I slid into the world of sleep though I knew I wouldn't. But all I wanted was a distraction from this purgatory I was living and if that release was a silent, painless black void, if only for a few minutes, then I welcomed it with open arms.

***

I couldn't believe I let him hurt her. I couldn't believe he'd gotten so strong that I can't control him. I have to control him. The look on her face after Matthew tackled me and I shifted back. She saw me as a monster. No, Gavin's the monster. But Avery didn't know much about that other than the files in my office, but they didn't even scratch the surface of Gavin. But I doubt she'd give me the chance to explain everything. She probably hated me. I didn't blame her. I hated myself. I broke not only her trust but her heart as well the moment I decided to let Andrew live and make his life worse than death. I should've confided in her. I should've told her about Katherine. I should've, should've, should've...

Suddenly her scent filled my nose, causing me to instantly perk up. No, my body wasn't mine anymore. It's Gavin's. He let out a loud growl before he made a beeline to where the scent was coming from, and no matter how hard I tried to fight him, he was far stronger than me. I just hoped Matthew had the precautions prepared because Gavin was on a mission that's far more than a simple Hunt, and it was going to take a lot to keep him from accomplishing it.

Goddess have mercy on us all.

***

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