Hannes' wrath was rapidly growing with each reluctant step that was taken by Bronwyn. More than once she paused, hesitance crossing her features, but she'd then carry on walking eventually, the staff she held assisting her with her pace.

"What a surprise." Bronwyn's voice was cold, and she sounded almost irritated as she finally stopped before my quietly seething son, who had yet to look away from the woman who he'd once considered a dear friend.

Who I had once considered a dear friend.

The warriors by Hannes' side circled both the Alpha and Bronwyn when given the silent command to do so and Bronwyn's eyes followed their quick actions.

Fear flashed in her eyes, and when she looked once more at Hannes, the displeasure that had captured her expression slithered away, and became one of carefully controlled neutrality.

She sighed, and her eyes skipped upwards, towards the morning sky when Hannes spoke,

"Skylar told me what you asked of her."

My fingers tightened around the handle of my tea-cup at Bronwyn's lack of reaction at Hannes' words.

She'd more than likely realized, upon seeing him and the warriors, that her actions had been discovered.

Bronwyn's gaze lowered to the snow and then her eyes locked with Hannes' now dark ones.

"Why would you want Anabelle to live once more?" Hannes' voice was quiet, so much so that I had to step away from the house, tea cup in hand, to hear him clearly. The warriors exchanged confused looks at Hannes' inquiry, but at my sharp gaze they halted.

I then looked over Hannes as he lowly demanded answers, all which Bronwyn refused to give.

The quietude of his voice as he questioned her was not to be taken as a lack of anger from him, and I sensed that Bronwyn did not understand this. Instead, she silently looked at him after each question, with a look of almost boredom beginning to plaster her face.

So when Hannes grasped her by the neck abruptly, lifting her off of the ground, her startled scream did not surprise me.

The tightening of his fingers around her neck strengthened as he held her, fangs on display as he snarled before turning, walking away and dragging the elderly woman roughly along with him.

Bronywn's choked and sputtered protests cracked through the morning air, and with one last glance towards the house, where I could see a sullen-faced Olivia by the window upstairs, I followed Hannes and the struggling woman in his grip.

Elijah was in one of the small buildings that we entered, and the warriors who'd followed us were gruffly told by Hannes told to stay by the door of the building.

Elijah noisily ate a mint as he watched Hannes shove the woman into a room, and slide the door closed once everyone was inside.

The room was empty, and a single, barred, small window allowed some wind to flow through. I stood by it, eyeing Hannes as he released Bronwyn without looking towards her.

The staff which she once held was now gone, and she struggled to stand properly without it.

The tension in the room thickened as Hannes' fury soared and Bronwyn pressed herself up against the wall of the room, as it was the only way she could stand without falling.

"You tried to kill my woman," Hannes finally spoke, but he wasn't facing her. "You made a cake that was created with a toxic potion and tried to kill her, did you not?"

Bronwyn's lips twitched, as if suppressing the urge to smile or frown. Elijah, early this morning, had told me that Stewart had been given the cake by Bronwyn.

It had to be the cake, as Hannes had eaten the meatloaf that Stewart had prepared and had not become ill.

Bronwyn's silence pretty much confirmed that she had created the cake with the toxic potion, but we all nonetheless waited for her to speak.

I grimaced and sighed, knowing that the longer Bronwyn refused to speak, the more Hannes' anger would viciously grow.

I had raised my teacup to my lips to blow at the steam gently when Bronwyn finally hissed bitterly,

"And it didn't work, I'm assuming."

I sighed again, not bothering to look at Hannes when he snarled loudly at her words.

Feeble protests and the sound of a struggle ensued, but I continued to stare at the brown liquid in my cup. It was sad, really. I'd been somewhat close to Bronwyn for many years, and had held deep respect towards her, but now all I felt was disappointment regarding the Elder.

Bronwyn's voice sounded pained as she attempted to speak, and when I looked up again, I noticed the redness around her neck, and the way she'd been brought to be on her knees.

Hannes' claws were in view, and it was clear he was fighting the need to shift into his lycan form completely.

Elijah stepped forward from where he'd been watching beside me as he drawled, boredom and annoyance coating his voice,

"Let me guess. You disapproved of Anabelle's murder and wanted to avenge her death or some shit like that."

Bronwyn's face darkened and she gave a pained exhale. "She was like a sister to me." Her voice was quiet and so soft. "She didn't deserve to die. I don't approve of what Anabelle thought of humans, and what she did, but she shouldn't have been killed. I needed to try something to make her live again, but the potion Skylar gave me did nothing."

Absolute disgust was on Hannes' face as he looked down at her, listening to her words. More talks of Anabelle being a misunderstood woman was spewed by Bronwyn, until Hannes interrupted her,

"Your personal opinions regarding whether or not Anabelle should have lived does not matter. She's dead now and she deserved her fate. She allowed two innocent humans to be murdered and knew they had not been involved in my father's death. She allowed Olivia to be taken to a pack known for imprisoning humans unjustly and for their horrible treatment of them. Anabelle was a disgusting woman."

Bronwyn's upper lip curled, and she attempted to stand. But Hannes strode forward, gripping her long grey hair and knelt down so he could look into her eyes. "You tried to poison my mate, and the Luna of this pack." His narrowed dark eyes searched her face, and his voice was guttural. "And you shall die because of it."

Bronwyn's face darkened further and her eyes watered. "It doesn't matter if I die, Alpha," She hissed. "Olivia shall be killed, whether I live or not."

I sipped at my warm tea when Hannes abruptly brought Bronwyn to her feet, his claws sliding over the skin of her neck and drawing blood when he pushed her back against the wall.

"Is there someone else in this pack who is a threat to Olivia's life?" Hannes' voice had altered and had deepened significantly. His attempts to resist shifting were becoming difficult and bone-chilling hatred glowed in Hannes' eyes. Bronwyn flinched, jerking her gaze from his own.

And then, Bronwyn's lips twisted in a humourless smile. "Indeed there is, Alpha." She attempted to lean forward, but the pressure of Hannes' hand on her neck did not allow her to do so. She went on to spit, eyes clouded with anger and extreme stubborness, "But you might as well kill me, for I shall not say who it is."

Her lips remained in that odd, strained smile after she'd quieted, and I saw it then as I watched her.

She didn't really believe Hannes would kill her.

Perhaps it was because Hannes and herself had once been close, or maybe it was because she didn't believe that he had completely lost respect of her as an Elder.

"You fool." I muttered over the rim of my cup, my voice echoing in the room. Bronwyn's eyes went to my own, and they slowly glazed over as her anger multiplied.

Her lips parted, as if to speak, but Hannes lifted his free hand, long, thick claws directed towards her.

Hannes abruptly yanked Bronwyn forward and his claws swiftly pierced and jerked through Bronwyn's neck until the tips of them broke through the skin at the back of her neck.

The action was so fast that it startled Elijah and myself, and I scowled at the sight of Brownyn's dark blood trickling down to her chest, and then at some of my tea which had spilled when I'd jolted in surprise.

The liquid stained the blouse I'd recently made, and I rubbed a finger at it before raising my eyes at Bronwyn.

Her eyes were wide for a long while, and when they slowly closed, her body slackened. Hannes withdrew his claws from her neck and she collapsed, dropping noisily to the floor.

Blood stained Hannes' claws, but he paid that little attention as he inhaled deeply, eyes fixated on the woman on the cold floor, his heavy breathing the only sounds other than the occasional noises of wind drifting through the window.

The scent of blood and death filled the room, overwhelmingly so, and I looked between Bronwyn's body and then my son. When I cleared my throat, Hannes' head slowly lifted and I stared into his darkened eyes as I asked,

"What now?"

*************

I rested in bed throughout most of the morning, and both Willow and Jeremiah would occasionally enter the bedroom for light conversation or to ask if there was anything I needed, which, for the most part, had been nothing.

As I laid in bed however, I could not help but notice that there were many voices that echoed from outside, and when my curiosity got the best of me, I managed to stand steadily on my feet, despite the wave of dizziness that occurred when I'd straightened abruptly.

I walked to the closed window and looked outside, eyebrows raising high once I saw that many, many pack members were passing by the house, being guided by some towards a specific building in the distance.

The bedroom door opened, and I glanced over my shoulder to Jeremiah as he entered. He looked between me and the window before coming by my side, and looked through it as well.

"A pack meeting has been called." Jeremiah revealed to me before I could ask him anything. "Willow has left to attend it as well."

My fingers pulled at the cotton shirt I wore, the feeling of it against my skin suddenly irritating. "Do you know what will be spoken of in the meeting?" I asked.

Jeremiah frowned deeply as he shook his head, and he took one long last look throughout the window, watching persons walk by, and then grasped my forearm.

"I'm sure either Willow or the Alpha will fill us in on any information we missed." He directed me back to the bed, and I went, albeit reluctantly.

He left the room and I stayed on the bed for several seconds before tilting my head high and raising my body partially off of the body so that I could see a glimpse of what was still occurring outside.

Just as I was about to settle down once more against the bed, I stiffened at the sight two pack members carrying what looked to be a body bag.

My mouth dried and I pulled myself up further, watching as they each held one end of the black bag, walking hurriedly until they were both out of sight.

"Good morning Olivia." Athena's voice came from the doorway of the bedroom and I snapped my head towards her. Her gaze went to the window and then back to me, and she slowly entered, a hand lifting to play and twist the golden locket around her neck.

"Bronwyn is dead."

I flinched at the lack of emotion in her voice as she said this, and I glanced once more towards the window before pressing down against the bed.

Athena walked further into the room, and lifted a chair to carry it to my bedside. I noticed a wet stain that she fussed over on her light blue blouse as she sat, and she sighed in frustration before shaking her head and focusing on me.

Athena then went on to speak, shortly, of what had happened after Bronwyn had returned to the pack. My stomach tightened when she explained that Bronwyn had confirmed there was another person in the pack who wanted me dead.

"It's very troubling," Athena said, her fingers raising to tug at her locket unconsciously. "Trying to find this person that Bronwyn referred to could be very difficult."

"Do you think Bronwyn would have eventually confessed about who the person was if she was still alive?"

Athena hesitated and she lifted her free hand to rub at her forehead. "No. Bronwyn and her vehement stubbornness at times astonished me. However, she'd practically confessed the making of that toxic potion, and I don't believe she thought Hannes would have actually killed her when she admitted it." She released the locket to rub at her neck and her eyes averted away from mine as she appeared to recall something.

I watched her for a long while as she became lost in her thoughts, and it didn't take long for me to do so as well with my own worried ones.