I awoke with an immense pain in my neck and pain pulsating through my head. My eyelids felt like lead and I could hear what sounded like crying. I slowly peeled open my eyes, the simple action making me tired enough to want to close them again, but I forced them to stay open so I could take in my surroundings.

It was dark, but I knew that I was in Greyson and I's bedroom, the moon's light abundantly spilling into the room. The sound of quiet sobs filling my ears again, causing my eyes to travel to my right where Greyson was sitting, his head buried in one hand while his other was tightly gripping mine. His shaking shoulders and uneven breathing told me that he was the one crying. And even though I couldn't see his face, it felt strangely intimate to see him cry.

"Greyson," I called out, my voice weak and scratchy. His head instantly snapped up, revealing his tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes that were framed with dark bags.

"Avery," he breathed and in the blink of an eye his arms were around me in a tight hug, his head buried in the crook of my neck. "Thank Goddess, I was so worried about you," he whispered into my neck, his words soft and passionate.

I fruitlessly tried to search my mind for what happened and how I ended up here, but it was useless. The last thing remembered doing was going out on a run and then...nothing. What happened? Had Greyson attacked me again while I was out? No, if that were the case he wouldn't be allowed to be in the same territory as me, let alone hugging me and crying into my shoulder. It was something else. Something big enough to break someone as hard as Greyson down to the point of tears.

Despite my lack of memory and the conflict raging within me in regards to how I felt about him, I found myself wrapping my arms around him and holding him close. I had to admit that I missed this. After a few moments, Greyson pulled himself from my chest and cupped both of my cheeks, his face mere inches from mine as red-brimmed eyes looked right into mine. My heart leapt as my mind raced. "It's crazy how you're the one who got the short end of the stick, yet you're still conforming me," he said with a small chuckle as he used his thumbs to caress my cheeks. He smiled. "I'm just so glad that you're okay."

"Greyson, what happened to me?" I asked, finally voicing my confusion. His smile dropped and all joy vacated his eyes as he tensed up, his jaw clenching.

"You don't remember?" I shook my head. He took a deep breath and let his hands fall from my face to take my hands in his own instead. "It was Phoenix." As if that name were a key, the lock that held my memories hostage fell away and they flooded my mind. The pull to the border. Phoenix. His words. His threats. The violent way he snapped my neck.

I sucked in a pained breath as tears instantly pooled in my eyes. And Greyson's arms were instantly around me in a tight hug. I sobbed into his chest, holding him tight and close. I wasn't ready to forgive him for what he'd done, but this...this was different. I needed him. We needed each other.

"It's okay, Avery, let it all out," Greyson gently whispered as he stroked my hair and pressed a gentle kiss behind my ear. I sobbed harder. All the horrible memories of Phoenix I'd tried so hard to bury resurfaced, making it all worse. No, no, no. This was all supposed to be behind me. He was supposed to be behind me, but it seems like the Moon Goddess doesn't love me enough to allow me even one moment of peace.

I found myself completely climbing on top of Greyson so that I was straddling him and holding him as close to me as I could. He continued whispering sweet nothings in my ear as I slowly wore myself out, his heart beat putting me in a trance and his scent as intoxicating as ever. After a few minutes, my sobs were nothing but a series of uneven breaths and small whimpers as memories flashed through my head.

"I'm so sorry, Avery," Greyson whispered as he ran his fingers through my hair in a relaxing pattern. "I was so scared when I found your neck broken so violently outside the border, and I was scared you'd never wake up."

"How long was I out?" I softly asked, pressing my cheek on his shoulder.

"Five days." I sucked in a breath. That was a very long time for something as simple as a broken neck. "I felt something wrong through the bond and then Terri Linked me telling me you'd left the territory and didn't seem like yourself so I instantly became worried and then I saw you..." he trailed, holding me tighter. "I should've been looking out for you. If I hadn't been such an idiot in the first place, we wouldn't be so broken and you wouldn't have tried to run away-"

I instantly pulled away so that I was looking him in the eyes, eyebrows furrowed. "I wasn't trying to run away, Greyson," I said, my voice weak and soft from crying.

His eyebrows furrowed as well as something that mirrored relief flashed in his eyes, but it was instantly replaced with confusion. "Then why were you outside the territory?"

"I..." I sighed, shaking my head. "I don't know. River was just so restless to get out, like something was pulling at her. At both of us, and all I wanted to do was run toward it. But then Phoenix was there and...and he said this was a declaration of war."

Greyson scuffed. "That's an understatement. When I'm done with him he'll wish he were dead." His voice was cold and hard as his eyes slowly shifted from black to his natural color. He pressed his forehead to mine to calm himself down.

"That's just the thing, Grey," I whispered, my hands finding themselves on his cheeks. "He...he threatened us. All of us. He said he wanted to avenge Abigail by destroying everything we have and killing everyone we love. And before he broke my neck he told me to tell you..." My throat became tight as tears filled my eyes and spilled over onto my cheeks, his poisonous words filling my mind.

"What, Avery? What did he say?" He softly asked as he put his hands on top of mine on his cheeks.

I looked up and stared him in the eyes and took a deep breath before saying, "He wanted me to tell you he won't stop until everything you love is dead...including me." My voice cracked at the end before I burst into tears. I'd always known that Phoenix hated me and could easily kill me in the blink of an eye, but he'd never sounded so certain. So determined that he'd kill me.

I was instantly in Greyson's chest again as I sobbed louder, unable to stop myself. "I won't let that bastard take another look at you, Avery," he lowly growled, causing me to sob harder as I gripped his impossibly harder. I found myself chuckling, causing Greyson to slightly pull away. "What funny, Avery?"

I tried to come up with an excuse, but that just prompted more laughs to escape from my lips. I covered my face with my hands and shook my head, unable to contain myself. "I don't know Greyson it's just...I never thought my life would suck so much..." I shook my head once more and removed my hands from my face, rubbing my excess tears away. "I don't know. I just...I need you to distract me, Grey. I-I can't keep thinking about this, I can't or I fear I'll-"

"Shh, Avery, I'll distract you. I've got you." Greyson softly said as he gathered me in his lap once more and laid down so that I was on top of him. He was careful touching me, like I was fragile, which I was. And I hated it.

"I want to know about it, Greyson," I softly whispered into his chest, my focus out the window and into the night sky. "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" He hesitantly asked and I nodded.

"It can't be worse than what's happening right now and...and I really need a friend in you, Greyson," I quietly admitted. "I made a promise and I want to slowly start healing what's broken between us, at least one last time. But first I have to be able to trust you. No more lying. No more secrets. Everything out in the open."

I felt Greyson nod beneath me as he held me tighter. He understood that this was his final, final chance. "Where do you want me to start?"

My fingers traced his tattooed arm, causing him to shiver beneath me. My finger outlined the half-filled moon that decorated his right wrist. "The beginning."