When I opened my eyes, I was met with the smooth, hairless chest of Tiberius, who was still holding me against himself and breathing deeply. Smiling lightly, I slowly cocked my head to the clock on the table behind me. 11:32 am.

Just then, my stomach growled threateningly, and I remembered Haley saying she would bring me breakfast a few hours ago. Probably didn't want to wake me up, I figured. Seeing Tiberius' relaxed face, I made up my mind to go get something to eat and let him rest, before my stomach woke him. Sliding out of his loose grip, I landed on the balls of my feet and crept to the closed door, softly turning the handle before stepping out.

Pushing open the kitchen doors, I saw the room empty of people. Where's Lilly, Brenda, and Alesha? Shrugging, I opened the fridge to figure out what I wanted, finally deciding on a runny egg sandwich. Grabbing a small pan, 2 pieces of bread, and an egg, I cracked open the shell and began to cook. With my mouth already watering and my hand flipping the egg, I thought about Haley, and where she-along with everybody else-was. Sliding the egg on a piece of bread and popping the yolk, I sat at the bar and ate my breakfast.

I remember when I lived with my mom and brother I would cook a lot of the time. Yes, my mom was the best cook in the house, but sometimes I just wanted to give her a break from working so hard, working in the Villages all day then slaving in the garden afterwards. "Peanut butter fluff!" Isaac would yell to me childishly years ago, referring to the marshmallow cream and peanut butter sandwich he loved so dearly. Even now, it's still his favorite food.

Finishing up my sandwich, I cleaned the counter and pans back up, seeing I didn't want anyone to have to clean up my mess. Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, I decided to wander around and see if I could find anyone else.

Wandering the halls for at least 10 minutes seeing no signs of anyone, I started to get nervous. What if something happened to them while I was asleep? Attempting to mind link Haley, I was met with the mental wall she had put up to prevent herself from getting contacted. I knew that when she put this wall up, she was concentrating on something deeply, reminiscing a time when I tried to talk to her via mind link once in class when we were taking an important test. That was years ago, though, since werewolves only go to school until age 13.

Voting on whether or not to yell 'Hello?', I was interrupted by the noise of faint voices coming down a hallway I had already been down. Soundlessly fast walking down the corridor, I slowed to a stop infront of a solid wooden door, intricate patterns etched into its face. Pressing my ear to the crack where the door and frame meet, I strained to hear what the people were saying on the inside.

"But he's back! How are we supposed to send most of our army after him if we also need to keep this place and the Wolf Territories safe?" a voice cried out, sounding panicked. It sounded familiar, that shaky, nervous voice. Charlie? I thought.

"Yea! And if he can do this to Alpha Connall, who's to say he won't come after the rest of us next? What about the pups in the Wolf Territories? We're supposed to keep them safe, but how would we do that if more than half of our fighters are in one place trying to get Blade, somewhere he might not even be?" another voice added strongly, sounding a lot like Dean McNeeley. Murmurs of agreement vibrated through the door.

There's that name again. Blade? Who is he? Why are they so afraid of him?

"And what about Luna Burns? Blade started wreaking more havoc when she came, so he probably wants something with her. She can't fight off someone like him. Run, yes. Definitely. But fight? If we want to keep her safe, she needs to be trained." a different voice said, sounding gentler and higher than the rest, more caring. Haley.

"I agree, Luna Burns needs to be properly equip with the ability to defend herself, even fight for others if needed. Alpha Connall has made it clear that he will protect her from anything, but a Luna needs to be able to defend her people. I will discuss the training with Alpha when he heals." An authoritative voice sounded, leaving no room for discussion. Beta Gail.

"Now, Alpha Connall has also made it clear that he doesn't want Luna Burns to know about Blade yet, or what he did, meaning no one is to speak of him or answer any questions about him that she asks. Understood?" Yes Beta's echoed softly throughout the room, and chairs being scooted back and moved took its place.

Realizing the wolves inside were preparing to leave, I quickly turned and sprinted down the hallway towards the kitchen, planning to jump into a bar stool with my waterbottle in hand. My smooth skinny jeans, though, had other ideas, for I slid straight to the other side of the chair and fell off the edge, slamming my butt on the tile floor with a thud.

Groaning, I rolled on my back and rubbed my backside, still feeling the quivering of my abdomen. "Luna Burns? Do- do you need help?" a voice asked, and I heard a giggle trying to be held back. Looking behind me by turning my head up, I saw an upside-down Alesha trying to hide a smile. Chuckling breathily, I nodded and held my arms up as she came infront of me, pulling me to my feet.

Brushing the dust from my pants and gray hoodie, I thanked her with a giggle, and grabbed my water bottle that slipped from my grasp as I fell.

"What were you doing down there?" she asked, giggling and she tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. Sitting on the bar stool, I made an excuse.

"I dropped my waterbottle and tried to grab it before it hit the ground but I leaned a little too far out," I smiled shyly. She laughed, rubbing my arm and going into the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" she asked, opening the fridge and looking at me expectantly.

I shook my head. "No, I didn't see anyone so I made myself an egg sandwich." She nodded and smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry about that. The maids had to get together and discuss the foods that are going to be served at the feast in a few days." she said smoothly, almost as if she had rehearsed it.

Around the Wolf Territories on October 1st, wolves of all packs, ranks, and social status's celebrate the Moon Goddess' anniversary of when she created the 1st Werewolves. Back then, we were rabid, ferocious creatures, only able to turn on full moons. When we turned, there was no human side of us, no thoughts or conscious; just animal. Now, though, we are fully evolved machines, capable of what wolves back then would deem impossible, such as mind-linking and changing whenever we want. Everyone celebrated the day, called The Day of Black, including Rouges.

I nodded to Alesha, watching her open the cupboard and pull out a teabag.

"So, I keep hearing different people talk about someone named Blake," I started slowly, watching her reactions. "Who is he, exactly?" Alesha noticeably stiffened, the water pouring from the teapot she was holding slowing to a stop.

"He.."she stopped, choosing the right words. "He's a person nobody here cares for. He's the Big Bad Wolf in children's stories." She continued pouring hot water into a mug.

"But, what did he do to make people resent him?" I persisted, wanting to get the answers I needed. She sighed, obviously conflicted about telling me something.

"He did something bad-very bad- years ago here, and he was banished for it. Tiberius will tell you about him when he feels the time is right, but-" she took a deep breath. "He's keeping something from you. Something big. Ask him about it, Honey, not me. It's not my place." With that, she smiled a small, apologetic smile, then turned and walked out of the kitchen.

He's keeping something from me?

Spinning off of the chair, I strode out of the kitchen and down the hallway towards Tiberius' room, determined to find answers. Stopping infront of his room, I breathed deeply. I can do this.

Opening the door, I saw him leaning against the back of the bedframe looking down at his phone. Hearing the door open, he looked up and smiled at me, but it slipped his face when he saw my serious expression.

Marching to the foot of his bed, I stared at him firmly.

"Who's Blade, and what did he do?" I questioned strongly, my voice clear in the room.

He sighed tiredly, his face falling to his lap. After a few minutes, he looked up at me standing in the same position, my hip popped to one side and arms crossed defiantly.

"Ellie-" he began, sounding like he didn't want to talk about it right now.

"No, I don't want to hear excuses. Tell me who he is. Now." I growled lowly. I didn't mean for it to sound so threatening, or to even growl at all, but it just proved my point further as to show how bad I want answers. Surprised, he glanced up at me, a small and -proud?- smile on his face.

"You're starting to act like a Luna, Elenore. Did you feel the strength in your words? How it felt right to be so authoritative?" Now that he mentioned it, I did feel more powerful when I spoke just then, as if those words, or voice really, gave me a deeper meaning.

Shaking my head, I looked at him strongly again. "I'll ask you one more time. Who. Is. Blade." I growled, my jaws clenched.

The smile slipped from his lips once again, and he looked me dead in the eye before speaking.

"He's the one who did this to me, the one we banished years ago. He's..he's my brother."