We hear a loud sound to the left and both turn our heads. A moving truck is pulling out of my parents driveway, my family no where in sight. Unconsciously I walk over to my yard. Lena follows slowly behind me. The front door swings open and I glance into the empty space.

The memories in this house filling my head. From the time I was young, Victoria and I playing together when she didn't dispise me. Memories of my family yelling at me for not being good enough, being the weak creature I am, or me simply being near them. But also the memory of Maddox kissing me for the first time on this porch, the dinner we had together, and the time he saw me in hardly anything through my window the day he got here. My heart races at the thought and I find it hard to hate this house.

I take one walk through the house, remembering and letting go...I deserve closure. I trail the steps up to my room, the place I found shelter and comfort. It's mostly empty. My bed is missing and some of my clothes have been moved to my parents house. I Guess Maddox is moving the rest in with him. The thought of my crazy family leaves my head as I think about the future. A future with Maddox. I don't let myself worry about telling him I'm a black wolf one day or him possibly not being my mate...I let myself dream of a simple life.

I walk out of the house to see Lena waiting for me. She smiles softly at me "you ok?" She asks and I nod

"I'm ok" I actually smile, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders

She hugs me and we lead off the porch and into the forrest; heading in the direction of my family's new home. We walk through the woods slowly and along with the rest of this day my head is filled with memories. My different experiences in the woods flow across my eyes. From my first shift, my mothers and fathers face in complete shock and horror...the shame and confusion I went through after their explanation. I think back to the times in the beginning where Maddox found me here. And just the many times I've run secretly and alone in the woods...thinking and being myself.

The worst memory of all comes to mind...Scars wolfs eyes staring deep into my soul after I changed. Her knowing what I am. I shiver at the memory which quickly shifts into that night she jumped out of my window...her terrible words echoing as my room fills with flames.

Suddenly I'm very glad to have Lena with me....every noise makes me jump at the thought of Scar coming back. The rest of the time we walk mostly in silence, a few words shared here and there but we both enjoy the beautiful weather and calming silence.

As we come upon the small and quaint cottage I want to laugh. My Mother probably hates the look of this. She would much rather prefer our old home, it was much bigger and more modern. But I love this. The moving truck is here and two men lift the couch down from the back and walk slowly into the house. My Father is outside telling them to be careful and watching their every move. I assume Victoria and my Mother are in the house...I suspect one to be crying.

I look over at Lena and she smiles reassuringly "you got this" she whispers and I nod, hoping I'll have some peace out of this and can get past the things they have done

My Father walks back in without seeing me. I take a deep breath and slowly walk the path up to the door. The movers come out and almost hit us, they leave the door open and I stand at the doorway. I hear my Mother and Father talking quietly somewhere. And I step in.

Footsteps lead out from a hallway to reveal Victoria. She looks shocked to see me. Her hair isn't in its usual perfect styling. Her face is makeup free and she's in lazy clothes. "What are you doing here?" She asks and for once her voice isn't full of malice.

"I wanted to talk" I tell her and she raises an eyebrow

A minute later my parents walk in and meet me at the door. There faces matching my sisters, my Mother has tear stained eyes "What are you doing here?" My Father asks

Before I can answer my Mother cuts in "probably to gloat" she scoffs and sniffles

I frown "no Mother... I wanted to talk" I repeat

Again she scoffs and rolls her eyes, but none the less all three of them move to the side to let me pass. I look back at Lena and she mouths 'I'll be out here if you need me' I respond with a thank you and a smile.

They lead me into the living room and my Mother throws herself dramatically on the couch. Victoria places herself on the side of a chair positioned incorrectly by the movers but she doesn't move to fix it. My Father stands by my Mother and all their eyes turn to me.

My heart quickens and I take a breath "I just wanted to say I forgive you" the air leaves my lungs "I forgive you for treating me differently, I forgive you for lying to the one person you should respect and for trying to take that happiness away from me...I don't have the capacity to feel hatred for you anymore. If we don't speak again I want to know that I at least tried to fix this" I finish and I meet all there eyes

They look at me with the same face. Shock. It's amazing that someone like me can come from a family like this. "We treated you differently because you deserved it" my Mother bursts into tears and now it's my turn to be shocked

"Deserved it? What did I ever do to not deserve your love?" My throats tightens and tears well up in my eyes. How could she say that?

"Because you-" she cuts off by my Father turning and hugging her

"Everly, this is a very stressful time for your Mother....maybe you should go" he says with surprisingly no hate

I sigh and almost turn to run away from the family who never loved me. Even now...I gave them one more chance and still I'm not enough. I catch Victoria's hazel eyes and she quickly looks away like she and the rest of my family are hiding something. I ignore it and turn away. Heading straight for the door.

I swing it open and run into the person outside. I expect it to be the movers but I'm surprised to see a familiar face. I quickly sniffle and try to mister a small smile "hi Fay, I haven't seen you in a while....how are you?" I ask hoping she won't ask about what just went on

She doesn't respond with a smile and she looks exhausted "are you alright?" I ask and reach out to pull her into the house, she follows without resistance.

My family comes around the corner and I wish I could just leave, but not without knowing why Fay is like this first. "Fay?" My Father says coming up to her and replacing my hold with his as he leads her into the room we were in moments ago.

I follow and my Mother runs to go get her a glass of water. Victoria sits next to her "are you alright?" She asks

"I just got the results" she says "I've been gone the past week. The clinic I sent our former alphas and lunas blood supposedly lost it. I had one sample left of their blood and wouldn't let anything happen to it-" she paused as my Mother comes back in the room, she doesn't meet her eye "I went to the clinic and forced them to let me test it myself....I know what happened" she looks away

I'm as still as a statue, trying to comprehend her words and what's to come next. From the way she looks it seems bad but it was just an accident...nothing happened but an accident. When your mate starts to die it's possible, especially an alpha and luna, to die together. My heart stops at the thought of it being anything else...I can't take anymore heartache.

"They were poisoned...wolfsbane"

All of us freeze. Nobody moves a single muscle. I don't even breath. That can't be true....someone in the pack killed our alpha. The first sound to be heard across the house is shattering glass. The glass my Mother was holding is now in pieces on the floor. My eyes turn to her and I see her knees give out. My Father soon sweeps in and catches her before she collapses. He brings her to the couch, next to Victoria who has yet to stop gawking in shock at Fay. My knees feel weak and I have to support myself against the couch.

I hear footsteps but I don't register where or who they belong to. Soon I felt two hands on me and my head slowly turns, my face blank. Lena looks at me worriedly and scans the rest of the area. She can tell something very bad is happening. "What happened?!" She asks turning me to her, she practically holds me on my feet after my hands loose the grip on the couch.

I don't respond. The memory of that day replays in my head. Uncle Lucian laying there coughing his lungs out, my sweet pregnant aunt May falling over and gasping for air. How could anyone do this.

"The Alpha and Luna were poisoned" Fay says quietly

"Oh my god Maddox" she gasps and then looks at me "are you ok? do you need help?"

I'm almost as shocked by this "not me and Maddox" I hear myself say

She begins to realise and her eyes widen in shock "oh my god" she instantly hugs me but I still can't move. My beloved aunt, unborn cousin, and uncle were murdered...what monster could have done this.

Tears well up in my eyes and everything goes blurry. The air in the room goes thin and the sound around me buzzes so loudly it vibrates my scull. The last thing I remember is staring into Lenas worried golden eyes and the feeling of slow motion falling, the rest is blank.

*

I wake up to the feeling of softness surrounding me. My head pounds and I squint my eyes as they open to the light streaming into the bedroom. Even though I'm surrounded by warm pillows and blankets my skin feels numb. I try to block out what I know was told to me however many hours ago. I stand slowly, hoping to find the one person I need to get through this. As I step into the doorway it's like I can see it all happening again. Me watching May fall on her knees, both of them coughing and me sprinting down the stairs to go get help. The screams echo in my ears at the memory of my Mom looking down at her dead brother. Tears blur my vision and I run down the stairs, needing him.

I trip on the last stair and I feel a pain explode in my knees. I hiss in pain and almost just want to stay laying there. I hear loud footsteps running to me. I look up through wet eyes to see Maddox, Peter, and Lena in from of me. Maddox bends down to hold me and Peter and Lena watch. The moment I feel his warmth I forget the pain in my knees but the pain erupting through my heart kills me. "They were murdered" I hear my broken voice say

Maddox cringes and his arms tighten around me "I'm so sorry my love" I feel the pain in his voice knowing how much this is hurting me

I cry into his chest. Not understanding how someone could kill the most innocent, kind, and loved people I have ever known. "I promise you Everly I will find out who did this and punish them" he tells me and I don't respond. I feel so weak, betrayed by just about everyone, my pack...someone did this.

Lena looks down at me with sorrowful eyes and tears prick at the corner of her eyelids. She turns to Peter and hugs him, hiding her face. "Do you have any clue who could have done this?" Maddox asks slowly and softly

I shake my head "none, I didn't think anyone could do this. Everyone loved Lucian and May" my throat burns as I speak

He seems uneasy and stiffens, I look up and him and Peter stare at each other. Peters eyes finally shift to mine "could Scar have done this" he asks slowly

For a moment I think but then shake my head "no she wouldn't even do this, it happened before the Logan situation"

He nods but doesn't seem convinced "we have to go see Fay, see what else she knows" Maddox says as he lifts me from the ground and brings us to stand "will you be alright?" He asks, brown eyes staring at mine, he almost breaks eye contact, I'm sure I look like a mess

"Yes I'll be fine" I nod not really believing myself but wanting him to find the person- animal, who did this.

For the rest of the day I stayed in the house, Lena comforted me while Maddox and Peter went on a mission. They questioned just about the entire pack. Got information from Fay. All they really know is it was an injection, a dose just enough to take slow effect but hardly be noticed in tests. Fay believes it was delivered a few days before they passed and as it ran through there blood stream it slowly killing them. Lucian got the larger dose so he had more symptoms. Maddox questioned everyone who had access to the alphas house, had meetings with him a week before he died, and basically everyone who could know anything.

By the time he returns I'm in bed, covers pulled up to my cold body. A frown permanently placed on my lips but as his warm boy slips next to mine I feel my lips turn up and busy relax against him. "Everly?" He whispers my name quietly against my cheek

"Yeah" I say softly

"I love you....and I'm so sorry" he kisses my cheek

I turn my body to face him, he leans up while I stay laid on the pillow, to drained to move anymore "did you find anything else?" I ask him

His brown eyes look away from mine in defeat and his lips pull into a thin line "no but I have a few more people lined up to talk to me tomorrow" he says quietly, hating himself for not finding them now

I reach my hand up and caress his stubbly cheek "it's not your fault...I love you, thank you for everything you've done" I feel my throat tighten "I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't come" I tell him honestly

I'd be completely alone. No Scar, no Logan, no family, no one to help me or love me...he has saved me. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me on top of his chest, but says nothing. He kisses my neck and together we curl up under the covers. With him holding me tight I'm able to fall asleep, dreams of my aunt and uncle are happy memories, not the terrible events that actually occured.