that Mercy and Elijah returned to Mary's cabin, the sun had set, and darkness overwhelmed the bayou's landscape. They had been relatively quiet on the walk back, and Mercy took this silence as a way to think about Noah even more than she already was.

She blushed when thinking about the kiss, knowing that she knew nothing of love in this situation, but following the feeling anyway. She didn't think that what she felt was love, but she knew it was more than a fleeting friendship. There was already such a strong connection between them that she couldn't help but savor these new emotions. Whether or not they were defined didn't matter to her; she just enjoyed his company.

When they approached the cabin, Mercy opened the door without hesitation. Elijah waited outside, having not been invited in, and Mercy looked around the room to see that her twin sat in a rocking chair, fast asleep. Mercy suspected nothing less; Hope had always been more of a morning person anyway, and with everything that's been going on with the Hollow, Mercy couldn't blame her need for sleep.

Mercy noticed her mom standing on the back porch, near the water's shore. Hayley turned to her daughter at the sound of the door opening, a small smile appearing in place of the pensive expression she held before.

"Hey baby," she greeted, walking in her daughter's direction. "Did you have fun with Noah?"

Mercy nodded, a wide grin on her face. "Yea, I did," she replied excitedly, and Hayley beamed.

"That's good," she said, looking over her shoulder where Mary sat in a second rocking chair. Mercy watched the exchange in interest, her smile fading as she noticed the tense atmosphere. Hayley turned back to the girl with a tight smile. "Let's get you to bed, okay?"

Mercy agreed, following her mom down the hall and into the room she was staying in. Mercy looked at the familiar surroundings, seeing that her clothes already sat folded on the bed's covers.

Hayley leaned against the doorframe as Mercy changed; the girl was feeling tired already. It had been a long day after all, and she couldn't wait to lay down in the blankets and pillows.

Once she had finished changing into her pajamas, the little girl climbed under the covers, getting comfortable. Hayley approached the bed, sitting where Mercy's feet were. The mother set a hand on Mercy's ankle, rubbing soft circles into the quilt.

"Hey, I have to do something with your Aunt Freya tomorrow," Hayley began gently. "So you and Hope are gonna stay here with Mary for the day, okay?"

Mercy nodded her head. "Okay," she said, before her voice grew quieter, more concerned. "Is everything alright?"

Hayley smiled a real smile then, shaking her head. "You don't need to worry about it sweetie. Just get some rest," she explained, and Mercy deflated slightly at the answer. She could tell that there was something her mom wasn't telling her, but she could also tell that it seemed extremely personal. She had never seen her mother so closed off before, and her immediate reaction was to comfort her, to give back all of the comforting her mother had shown her. It was obvious that Hayley wanted to be the adult though, and Mercy understood that, even if she was put off by the lack of answers.

Hayley stood, placing a kiss on Mercy's forehead. The girl half-closed her eyes at the action. "Goodnight," she whispered.

"Goodnight," Mercy responded in the middle of a yawn, snuggling into the pillows further. Her eyes had already closed, and by the time Hayley switched off the light for the room, the little girl was fast asleep.

Her dreams were filled with nothing, an expansive black void that her subconscious floated around in. But then, a few minutes past midnight, her dreams suddenly exploded with color.

Mercy was not too surprised when she found herself standing amidst the trees of the bayou, seeing as her dreams always seemed to bring her here. She looked around in curiosity, sensing that this was not a nightmare and letting her muscles relax. She couldn't feel the Hollow here, which meant that she was safe, but she was confused as to what the meaning of the dream was.

"Mercy," a voice called out, and the little girl whirled around to see a woman standing before her. She noticed that it was the same woman she had met when she first arrived in New Orleans; it was the same woman who had explained what being the lou gèrye would entail.

"Akela," Mercy gasped, remembering the name that the woman had introduced herself as. In response, Akela smiled gently, the animal skins she wore shifting as she walked forward to the little girl. "What's going on?"

Akela looked much more real than she ever had before. When Mercy first met her, she had been tinted in the green aura that all of her wolf ancestors possessed, but now, her skin held life. Mercy could see the browns and beiges of the animal skins clearer, and her long dark hair that was settled in a braid looked soft to the touch. She looked like a breath of fresh air.

"My child," Akela said softly, squatting low to the ground so that she was at the same height as the girl. Mercy could see the multiple silver rings she wore on her hand, as well as the jewelry wrapped around her ankles. The woman looked ethereal in Mercy's opinion, and she hoped that one day, she would look just as beautiful and graceful.

Akela's dark eyes bore into Mercy's. "Due to new events, the Council has decided that you must begin your training as soon as possible," she explained.

"Training?" Mercy asked in confusion, shaking her head. "I don't understand. What kind of training?"

"You must begin learning the ways of the wolf if you are to ever be prepared for your destiny," Akela replied vaguely, which made Mercy furrow her eyebrows together in frustration. At the look, Akela let out a laugh, and despite her worries, Mercy felt herself smiling along with the sound. "I understand your annoyance, but the threat is near, and you must be ready."

"Okay," Mercy said warily, remembering that she had told her this exact thing the first time they met. She remembered the wolves explaining that she needed to learn everything she could to protect them, but she thought she had more time. She wasn't prepared to learn everything so quickly. "Well what's first?"

"That's the spirit," Akela softly said with a smile as she stood up, towering over the girl. She held out a hand, and Mercy took it, following her through the trees. Mercy noticed that she was barefoot, but when she saw that Akela was as well, she relaxed.

Akela led them to a clearing not too far from where they had stood before. When they reached the opening in the trees, Akela released Mercy's hand, nodding toward the clearing. Mercy followed the line of her gaze.

She found that there were children in the clearing, all silent and standing in a half circle, the opposite half of the circle open to where Mercy stood. They were dressed similarly to Akela, with animal skins covering their bodies and silver jewelry highlighting their status. Mercy was puzzled by their presence though, and turned to look at Akela.

The woman nodded her head to the children. "You must begin with physical strength," she explained. "While you learn of your wolf ancestry and history, you must give power to your body. This training will help you enhance your abilities, and when you awake, your training will remain with you."

"I'm supposed to fight them?" Mercy asked, her eyes wide. She felt strange knowing that she had to attack somebody her own age, especially when they were her own people.

Akela nodded reassuringly. "Do not worry, young warrior," she explained with a sly smile. "They will not feel the pain. I assumed you would prefer to train with warriors similar in age."

Mercy nodded her head, swallowing tightly, before she let out the air in her lungs. Sending one more look to Akela, she began walking further in the clearing. She didn't know what to expect, but she knew that she didn't want to let Akela down.

So she headed into this fake battle, unaware that soon, the war would become real.

>

The sun woke her up, the brightness filtering in through the blinds and across her eyelids. She shifted, a frown forming on her lips when the movement brought her pain.

She groaned, forcing herself to open her eyes as she sat up slowly. Her entire body was sore from the training she had experienced in her dream. She wasn't aware that she would feel it so intensely, but she tried pushing the pain away, knowing that there would be much more to come. Akela had told her to expect training to be a regular thing, so Mercy knew that it would eventually get easier.

She looked around the room, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. Her hair was tangled all around her face, sticking out at odd angles and very obviously creating a nest for some sort of animal to call home. She sighed heavily, pushing the covers down from her chest. She swung her feet over the bed, and when she stood up, she could hear her bones popping.

"Ugh," Mercy said, running a hand through her hair and then giving up halfway when her hair refused to let go of her fingers. "I feel like an old man."

"You look like one too," a voice said from the door, and Mercy sent a glare to her twin. Hope stood smirking, looking as put together as ever, and Mercy slightly envied her ability to wake up as if she were in a Disney movie.

"Oh, shut it," Mercy replied and Hope opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Mary spoke up from the hall.

"Quit your arguing and come out for breakfast!" She called, and Mercy sent a look to her sister. Hope rolled her eyes before turning and leaving the threshold.

Mercy turned to the mirror and sighed, gazing at the hairbrush with a look akin to fear.

The next hour was filled with Mercy desperately trying to get the knots out of her hair, needing to get her grandma's help halfway through. Then, after her hair was finally smooth and braided down her back, she was able to change into jean shorts and a brown, loose shirt. She tied the shirt in the front so that her shorts were in clear view and then slipped on her brown combat boots.

When she entered the living space of the cabin, she saw that the table was set with a plate of food. There was only one setting, and Mary answered Mercy's questioning gaze with a simple, "Hope and I ate already, darlin'."

Mercy nodded silently and started digging into the food, slurping up the pancakes and basically chugging the orange juice. Mary came to sit next to her, a cup of tea in her hand, and she gave Mercy an unidentifiable look.

"Slow down there, tiger," she chuckled, and Mercy wiped her chin with a sheepish look.

"Sorry Grandma," she replied before shoving another forkful in. "I'm starving!"

Mary's look remained unidentifiable to the little girl, who was currently emerged into her meal. She wasn't lying when she said she was starving; after the training, it felt like she hadn't eaten for an entire day.

Hope walked over to the table, leaning against a chair and looking toward Mercy. "So, what do you wanna do today?" She asked as her face twitched into a smirk. "Or are you gonna ditch me for your boyfriend again."

Mercy choked on the food in her mouth, coughing harshly as a result. Hope started laughing, and even Mary smiled, but Mercy's face was bright red.

She pat her chest a few times to try and help before speaking. "We are not dating," she said.

"But ya wanna be," Hope replied, and Mercy rolled her eyes with a huff. Mary looked between the two with bemusement.

"You know you could come with me if you want?" Mercy reminded her older twin, who frowned at the words.

"Yea, I don't know about that," she mumbled, and Mercy shook her head as she stood up from the table.

Mercy grabbed Hope's hands in her own, knowing that Hope was becoming a little too shy and she needed to meet somebody new too. "Come on! It'll be fun!"

Hope sighed, but finally, after a very long moment in Mercy's opinion, she nodded. The younger twin smiled brightly and jumped up and down a few times.

"Awesome!" She exclaimed, excited that she could introduce her sister to Noah. She turned to look at Mary, who was watching them with amusement. "Can we please go, Grandma Mary?"

The older woman looked hesitant, but after both of the twin girls began using their secret puppy dog eyes, she eventually caved. "Oh fine," she sighed, making the girls smile at each other. "But only for an hour! I don't want you there long if you are going alone."

"We aren't going alone!" Mercy looked appalled by the statement. She linked her arm with Hope's, smiling in mischief. "We have each other!"

Mary laughed but before the conversation could continue, Mercy dragged Hope outside. She didn't want the older woman to change her mind.

"You'll love Noah!" Mercy told Hope as they walked through the bayou. The older twin sent Mercy a raised eyebrow. "He's really nice, I swear."

"We'll see," is all Hope said, and Mercy rolled her eyes. The words didn't damper her mood though; she was still excited to see the boy again. Unconsciously, she touched the necklace at her throat.

They walked in a comfortable silence, and soon enough Mercy recognized the house up ahead. She turned to Hope with a smile. "We're here," she told her excitedly, grabbing her hand and rushing to the front door.

However, as they approached, the two girls heard incoherent shouting coming from inside. There were two new voices that Mercy didn't recognize, and she frowned, sharing a look with Hope. Her sister had the same expression on her face, and the twins held each other's hands tighter.

Just as Mercy raised her other hand to knock, the door swung open, and both girls jumped in surprise.

Mercy gazed up at the unfamiliar man standing there. He was tall, much taller than Parker, who stood a little bit behind him. He had shaggy dark hair and intense blue eyes that looked down at Mercy with an interested expression. Then, his lips turned up into a smirk and Mercy felt an unwanted shiver run up her spine.

"Noah, you have visitors," he spoke with a gravel in his voice, as if he wasn't used to speaking much. However, there was sarcasm in his words that both Mercy and Hope caught on to.

"Oh, how cute!" Another voice piped up, and there was a woman stepping in front of the man, a large smile on her face. She bent down to Mercy and Hope's height, and Mercy could smell the rancid perfume she wore. "You must be Noah's friends!"

The girl tried to be polite by nodding her head. "Yes, I'm Mercy, and this is my twin sister, Hope," she introduced, and she noticed as a look passed over the woman's eyes, almost like she recognized them. Mercy felt an unwanted pit forming at her stomach, and she wondered if Hope felt as uneasy as she did.

"Lucy," a voice warned, and Mercy averted her eyes to see Parker with a stern expression on his face. His easygoing attitude from yesterday was long gone, and Mercy could feel the tension between the three adults. She watched as Lucy sighed, standing up fully and grabbing onto the other man's hand.

"Come now, Caesar," she said as they walked past the two girls. "We'll return when they've talked with each other."

As they passed by, Mercy couldn't help but watch them closely. She met eyes with the man, Caesar, and felt that same unwanted coldness run through her body. She couldn't help but feel that the chill was familiar, but before she knew it, they were walking into the distance, disappearing in the trees.

"Mercy," a voice cut through her thoughts and she turned back around to see Parker standing in the doorway. Behind him on the couch, she could finally see Noah, but he looked distraught. He was looking into his hands, which were placed lifelessly in his lap, and it almost looked like he had been crying.

"I'm sorry if we came at a bad time," she apologized quickly. She had no idea what had happened, but she felt as if they were intruding nonetheless.

Parker waved her off, but he looked stressed as he ran a hand through his hair. "It's alright," he told her. "It's just... That was Noah's parents."

Mercy's eyes widened, and she distantly noticed that Hope gave her a confused glance. "They came back?" She asked. She didn't know much about the situation, but Noah had told her that they left when he was much younger, and that he hadn't seen or heard from them in years. She felt her heart go out to him, knowing that this must be a shock.

"Yes, they did," Parker replied, sounding like he was a decade older than he was. "And while I'm sure Noah appreciates you coming over here...I think we're going to take some time just between us for today."

Mercy nodded immediately. "No, I get it," she reassured him, her eyes flickering over to Noah again. This time, he was looking up at her, and she could clearly see that he had, in fact, been crying earlier. Her heart ached at the sight, and she wished she could do or say something to make him feel better, but her mind was blank. She looked back to Parker with a sad smile. "Just tell him I said hi," she said quietly, and he nodded his head.

"I will," he told her, and Mercy and Hope looked at each other before turning around and descending the porch of the house.

Mercy and Hope finally released each other's hands, and the older of the twins turned to the younger. "That was really weird," Hope said, and Mercy couldn't help but agree. "What's the deal with his parents?"

Mercy shrugged. "I don't know," she said before stopping and placing a hand on Hope's arm, causing the other girl to stop walking as well. "Did you feel...weird about them?"

Hope furrowed her eyebrows together, shaking her head. "Weird how?" She asked, and Mercy sighed, letting her hand drop from her sister's arm.

"Trust me, you would've known if you felt it," she said, deep in thought. Why was it that only she felt strange about Noah's parents? Usually, when one of them felt something as off as what she felt around the adults, the other twin felt the same thing, but it didn't happen this time. Mercy wondered if she had imagined the entire thing, but something deep inside of her told her that she was right feeling this way.

They got back to Mary's cabin quickly, and Hope explained to their grandma what had happened as Mercy slowly went to the bedroom, still deep in thought. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong with Noah's parents.

Sighing deeply, she sat on the bed when she caught sight of the werewolf books on the dresser. Her eyes narrowed, wondering if she could find answers there.