That lone gunshot was followed by many more, and their echoing thundered through the air, so much so that suffocating fear crept up my throat, and my legs propelled myself forward.

Lilith had swung around at the noises, examining what was happening behind me. Her expression was one of concentration, not distress as she examined what I refused to look at.

Whilst Lilith broke off into a run towards the escalating violence, I jogged towards one of the many jeeps, heart pounding painfully until I saw the door swing open.

Yanneek stepped out of the vehicle, and I ran to him, my trembling fingers grasping and fisting the front of his shirt as my world wavered in and out of focus.

Yanneek held me close to him, large palms running up and down my back soothingly, in a similar manner which I had done to Alec when I had comforted him.

"Breathe," Yanneek murmured, shifting us so that my back faced the jeep; his height blocked me from seeing beyond him. "Step inside."

I nodded jerkily, uncurling my fingers from his shirt which had begun to crease from how tightly I'd held it.

Yanneek took some steps backwards, and I could feel his eyes travelling over my form as I rubbed at my forehead and chest, listening to the continuous sounds of a battle breaking out not so far away.

My eyes slowly lifted, and met Yanneek's. And then I glanced briefly behind him.

Understanding dawned. Yanneek nodded and moved forward to close the door, leaving me alone in the jeep only momentarily before he too got inside the jeep as well.

"My god," Yanneek spoke through clenched teeth, and the sound of his exhale seemed to burn my ears. "My god."

I raised my head from it's bent angle, and barely caught sight of him staring through the window of the jeep before I returned to bowing my head, eyes narrowing as I looked at my pants.

I was so tired of battles. Tired of being fearful.

I rubbed at my chest, feeling a familiar ache resting there as I suppressed my tears.

The battle went on, and any words that Yanneek muttered to himself or to me went unnoticed. I began to trace some of the white stitches in my pants with a finger, counting them, analyzing how straight or crooked they were.

And then, when I couldn't count any more, I turned my attention to the sleeves of my shirt, and began to examine the striped patterns on them.

Anything to distract me from what was happening outside.

I became consumed by the tasks I assigned to myself, until the door abruptly opened. Wind and snow kicked up into my face and I automatically slid backwards, attempting to seek warmth from the seats I sat upon, and I met Hannes' stern gaze.

A large gloved hand gripped the door as I steadily watched him, noticing that his attire was now a bit unkempt, and his face was twisted into a scowl.

Hannes pushed open the door further, and stepped aside, so that his large body did not block the entire exit.

"Step outside, Olivia."

I stiffened immediately and sucked in a deep breath as I began to protest. "The batt-"

"The battle is over." Hannes said tersely. And it was, I realized after a few promptings to exit the jeep.

Lycans were walking in the direction in which we stood, and there were no signs of the soldiers of Corozal, at a first glimpse. But then, I saw that Quinn's life had been spared.

Elijah, the Beta of Hannes' pack, held her by the back of her neck, and her size in comparison to his made it impossible for her to evade his grip, but nonetheless she struggled as she was practically carted along towards the parked vehicles.

Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I heard Hannes close the door behind me. I raised my arms and wrapped them around my waist as I waited for whatever he intended to tell me.

I wondered if the topic of his dead aunt would be taken up, and if hatred was what he felt towards me because of it.

"You look healthy." Hannes spoke finally, and his deep voice made my heart beat frantically as wariness fell over me. "They fed you well, it seems."

I stood still as as he neared me further, and the coldness brewing in his honey eyes didn't go unnoticed. "I suppose."

Hannes hummed lowly, his eyes searching my face as he towered over me before he spoke again, "Did you approve of what the Corozal soldiers did to the lycans of Woodsworth?"

"Do you think I did?"

Hannes' eyes narrowed and I saw a glimpse of red blood against his neck, contrasting against his brown skin. "Answer my question, Olivia."

I clenched my teeth at his growl. "No, Hannes. They didn't deserve death." I said finally and quietly. I raised my hand to rub viciously under my eyes, memories of the children's bodies being replayed in my mind. "They weren't like the majority."

Hannes took a step closer, head tilting downwards. "Do you think I am a part of the majority you speak of, little human?" He questioned.

Warm breath cascaded against my cheeks and I refused to break eye-contact with him. His unique scent washed over me, and I struggled to speak at his sudden nearness.

When I said nothing, Hannes pulled backwards, and I shuddered at the immediate cold that breezed across me.

"Of course you do. Isn't that why you left?" A bitter, angry note was held in his voice and I sighed, raising my eyes to the morning sky.

"I don't trust you or your pack, Alpha," I muttered eventually. "I had left in hopes that I could trust Helda's family and their community. I was painted a picture of Corozal that I now know not to be entirely true."

"You should not assume that all lycans are like those that you have encountered for most of your life," Hannes' eyes were soft, but his voice still betrayed his frustration and animosity. "And I understand that believing that they are lycans who are kind in nature may be difficult for you because of your experiences, but you need not fear me or my pack."

I pressed my lips tightly together. "Trust has to be earned, Hannes."

Hannes' expression hardened as he looked me over. "Indeed it does."

Immediately, the thought of his aunt came to mind, and I opened my mouth, to inquire what he thought of my actions, but then hesitated; perhaps I shouldn't speak of that as yet, and wait for him to initiate that conversation.

But that conversation never arose.

Instead, spitting, furious words reached our ears, and Hannes and I both turned to look towards the sudden commotion.

Lilith had switched places with Elijah, who had taken several steps backwards to simply observe, his hands behind his back and a look of almost boredom written across his face.

Quinn's face was plastered against the window of a jeep, and Lilith's face was near her's. Her hand held a fistful of the back of Quinn's shirt, which effectively kept her pinned to the vehicle.

I could not understand Lilith's words, but Hannes evidently could hear them clearly, as a slow, cruel smile lifted his lips. His eyes glimmered and I swallowed thickly at the malice seen in them.

I jerked in surprise when Lilith abruptly yanked Quinn backwards, a few inches away from the jeep when the green eyed woman began to speak. The slamming of her head back against the window silenced her, and Lilith held tight and continued speaking rapidly in a hushed voice until she released Quinn.

Elijah quickly handed the shocked, and possibly injured woman off to another lycan and I watched as Quinn entered a vehicle.

"What did you do with the other commanders?" I asked Hannes. I could feel his eyes on me even when I did not look at him and felt his arm brush my own.

"All of the other commanders except one are dead." Hannes moved from beside me, and opened the jeep's door instead. "Eric is his name." He said before I could inquire, and he gestured with a tilt of his head that I step inside the vehicle.

But I paused and turned so I faced him fully."Helda is in Corozal, and she wants to leave. Is there a way that you could possibly get her?"

Hannes didn't speak for several seconds, and I refused to move until he finally said, "I will see what I can do."

I lowered my body into the backseat, and Hannes slammed the door closed. Yanneek arched an eyebrow at me, and his hand went out of my sight as the engine of the jeep came to life.

I watched as he shifted into a gear, in preparation to drive the vehicle, but paused to speak briefly to Hannes, who had rounded the jeep until he stood by Yanneek's window.

Words were exchanged quietly, and despite my best efforts to listen and understand them, all I heard was the soft murmurings.

Eventually, when the conversation seemed to end, Hannes looked at me once more, lips set in a firm line and muscle ticking in his jaw. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, and I sunk into the seat when he stepped away and Yanneek began driving.

"Are you one of Hannes' soldiers now?" I questioned him after a few minutes of him driving. Yanneek cleared his throat, hearing the surprised and slightly sarcastic note in my voice.

"Hannes asked that I come with him today, and told me I'd be the one to drive you back to Wildeland," He paused, and one of his hands lifted to touch his beard. "I'm assuming that he knew you and I are friends, and that you'd probably be more comfortable with me driving you back."

I rocked backwards when the jeep slid against the icy road, and my fingers curled around the handle of the door. Yanneek gave a small, gruff chuckle.

"My apologies. I haven't driven in a while." Yanneek muttered. I nodded in understanding, but my fingers still tightly held the handle of the door.

Yanneek drummed his own fingers casually against the steering wheel. "It is going to be a long trip. Roughly three hours, and the others and I will be stopping to refill our tanks." He called to me.

I turned in my seat, and saw several jeeps behind us. I could see Lilith in a passenger seat of one, and an unfamiliar man was driving it.

"Hannes and some other warriors with him will be returning to the pack much later than when we will. There is some business he has to deal with first," Yanneek said, falsely taking me looking behind us as an indication that I was searching for Hannes to be in one of the vehicles.

Curious, I glanced at Yanneek. "Why will he be returning later?"

He shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly. "He didn't go into much detail, but I do suspect it has something to do with Quinn and the people of Corozal."