A gentle hand shook me out of my reverie. "Kiara? Are you alright?" Ashton asked me worried.

I blinked back my tears which were not of sorrow, but rather anger, and smiled weakly.

"Tell me more about this... this GreyHound." I said the venom in words clearly showing.

"Ki, I.. I uh can't really..." He hesitated noticing the concealed fury behind my mask. I knew he did not want to fuel my anger any further.

"No, I need to know." I urged him. I was strong enough to handle this. And I would handle this for Arie's sake. "Isn't GreyHound the one who kidnapped my sister? Isn't he the sole reason behind Dad's death?" My anger was growing as I bombarded them with questions.

My eyes flickered between the two waiting impatiently for an answer.

Ashton took a deep breath, "Yes, Ki. He is the one," he answered quietly. I steadied myself and willed myself to calm down. "He is the one responsible for everything that happened."

Don't not lose control , Kiara...

"Okay," I said struggling to keep the emotion out of my voice, "So is there no way to defeat him at all?"

"Not that we know of." Elena said.

"What about the Guardians?" I asked. Couldn't they with all their 'Unsurpassable Wisdom' find a way out?

My voice had that noticeable trace of bitterness that even made Ashton, sitting next to me, flinch slightly.

"It is because of them, that we are alive and safe today." Elena answered, "If it hadn't been for the Guardians we wouldn't have survived these past three years at all. They are already doing their best, Kiara."

"So no one has been able to discover the secret behind his immortality, yet?"

Elena shook her head in defeat, "No one." she said despondently.

Not yet.

"Tell me about this wizard Tyrus then." I pressed on, "What happened to him? Surely, he must be regretting he ever created GreyHound now?"

Elena gave me a small smile more like a grimace. "He didn't get the chance to."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"GreyHound turned against his own master. It was too late by the time Tyrus realized creating GreyHound had been his biggest mistake. GreyHound had already killed him by then."

I gasped. "Tyrus must have been the only person who knew the secret of his immortality!"

She nodded sadly.

"GreyHound isn't even a proper Werewolf, which makes the matter much more complicated. He, like I said, is a hybrid. No one has ever heard of a species like him. He has powers much advanced than any Chosen Wolf. Unlike us, the beast is immortal."

"Perhaps he is like the Guardians?" I suggested.

She shook her head. "No. He is something else all together. We don't know how he looks like or even what are his powers. He is a complete mystery to all of us."

I sighed in frustration. None of the theories put fit him. Who is this GreyHound in reality? "So how come he has not attacked again since the last three years?" I asked.

"The Guardians keep him at bay." she answered. "However," she continued with a glance at Ashton, "we heard he is recruiting new followers. There are reports of him becoming stronger day by day. It won't be long before he's back again. Stronger."

I took a deep breath as my head processed all the new information. He would be back again. And this time I would fight back if he were to come. I would fight for the sake of Arie, for my Dad and my Mom -for everyone he snatched away from me.

A loud cry broke the solemn atmosphere around us.

I looked up to see a very red Nick march up to me. Behind him Max followed suit, looking equally annoyed.

"There she is! Let's get her, bro!" He growled at the first glimpse of me. His face looked thunderous and scary, but in a very comical way.

Giving not the slightest notice to Ashton and Elena, he strode towards me three long steps and shoved a tattered rag right under my nose. I backed away, retching slightly.

"Care to explain this??" He barked at me.

Behind him Max was busy scratching himself all over.

I bit my lip to stop chuckling. "What? I didn't even know you wore such ugly rags!!" I said feigning innocence.

"Don't lie, Ki! The wardrobe is stinking with your smell!!"

Stinking? Pfft.. no fucking way!

"Get your concepts clear, Nicky. Your stink is worse than mine."

His eyes narrowed. "No, I smell awesome. In fact you smell sickeningly sweet." He jabbed his finger at me to lay more emphasis. "God, all that estrogen made me gag in there!"

"I don't think so. I think she smells like honey and roses and I love that. In fact it smells loads better than yours. You stink like a skunk!!" Ashton said immediately in my defence.

All of us fell silent at his remark.

He actually loved my smell? A slight blush crept up my cheeks and I looked away hurriedly.

After all he was my best friend, wasn't he? He was just being a gentleman...

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him running his hand through his tousled hair with a very flustered look. Could he really...?

No, don't get your hopes too high, Ki.

But. . .but, what if-?

Don't even think about it.

Don't even think about not thinking about it.

My thoughts were rudely interrupted by Nick's continued ranting, "That still doesn't change the fact that you sneaked into my room and destroyed all my clothes," he said. "And especially my favourite Minnie Mouse one." he sniffed.

I rolled my eyes at his childishness. "Boo hoo, get over it. After what you did to my hair you should have been expecting worse!"

"Whatever," he muttered turning away. At least he knew when he had lost an argument.

"Hey, what about me? I itch all over!" Max protested. "Does no one care?"

"That wasn't me." I said. Half - truth, technically speaking.

"Who else could have done this? Elena?" He asked skeptically without thinking.

However, he flushed in mortification when he Elena glared with a stern expression.

I sniggered secretly. "It was Ashton," I said smirking, "I mean both of us. We were both damn pissed at the prank you played on us. And the only reason I'm telling you is because you can't do anything about it even if you wanted to." I crossed my arms over my chest and shared a proud look with Ashton.

Max's jaw dropped in horror. "Alpha? You? Y-you did this to us?"

Ashton arched an eyebrow. "Who else?"

Max gulped. "Don't get me wrong, Alpha Taylor, I had - had no idea.. the A-Alpha himself.. .th-the..."

Ashton rolled his eyes. "Call me Alpha one more time and I'll make you run thirty miles extra tomorrow." He snapped in annoyance. "Seriously boy, I can't for all my life figure out why you shit in your pants every time I even look at you.'

I cheered inwardly. Finally, I had shown the twins the true Ashton! At least now the would quit using the over formal title. I mean, yeah, he was an amazing Alpha, but unlike Alpha Jason, he wasn't a tyrant. People should respect him, be a little intimidated, but they needn't fear him.

Max shut his mouth in shock. "Alpha, you-" However he quickly changed the line when he saw the glare directed at him. "Sorry, sorry! I mean - you want me to call you er...er..Ashton?"

"Right. That's exactly what I want. It's a mercy you understood that so quickly." he said.

I looked at Max's retreating figure and turned to Ashton with a smirk, totally forgetting that Elena was still present. "So you love my smell, huh?"

Predictably, he turned scarlet.

"It's not what you think." He stuttered looking anywhere but at me. "I meant it in a very platonic way, Kiara."

"Oh, sure you did." I cooed, humoring his lie. "I believe you."

He looked so adorable with his face all red and tongue tied, it was hard to keep a straight face.

"It is!" He protested, his cheeks still red with embarrassment, "I mean, I didn't say that as a - a -" He pauses, before shaking his head. "Oh screw it, think whatever you want. I'm outta here."

He scowled at the growing smirk on my face and retreated before I could tease him any more. "This conversation never happened between us, okay?" He called out, once he was at the door.

"Sure, Taylor, whatever floats your boat."

I chuckled until I saw Elena smirk at me. That wiped all the humor off my face and I scampered out just as quick blushing like a cherry.

Jeez what would she think of me? I was basically flirting with her son!

The rest of the day passed pretty uneventfully and though I was wary of the twins at first, I realized gradually they had learnt their lesson. I made a mental note to thank Nora for her genius idea when I met her next.

I yawned loudly as I pulled the blanket up to my chin. The sumptuous dinner made me feel drowsy and I decided hit the bed without further ado. I was tired after the long day and couldn't wait to catch up on my sleep. I sighed contently and closed my eyes.

That's when the nightmare came to haunt me again.

"No!! " I cried. "Please don't do this to me!!Please!!!" I begged them as they dragged me along the stone staircase roughly.

However, my pleas fell on deaf ears as they paid no need to me. They pulled me up and threw me into the dungeon yet again and locked the door.

I mustered up all my remaining strength and hammered on the door. "Let me out!! Let me out! I won't let you do - "

The words stuck in my throat and I slid myself into sitting position hopelessly again.

It was not just the title - it was something else too. I had heard him while I tried to escape through the window overlooking the forest. Wish I could have paid a bit more attention to the guards coming, I could have succeeded in running away.

They wanted me for some purpose. It was definitely not just for power, it was something crucial, very essential.

What did I have in me that I had no clue about? What did they -

The door burst open with a bang cutting into my thoughts and I looked up in reflex.

Though I could not see his face beneath the hood, I could feel his cold stare boring into me.

"You have no choice. If you agree to my words, I will let you live. If not you face the gallows. You have less than a month to decide."

How many times would he come up with the same threat? I knew he wouldn't do that. He couldn't afford to. I would prefer the gallows, but would he let me?

They would force me to do what they desired. Death wasn't an option. I knew that well enough.

Perhaps, if I chose to submit they would let me live. I could at least retain a hope of escaping someday...

I felt his cold aura next to me before I could even see him.

A chill passed through my spine as he bent low and whispered into my ear. "Don't even think about it. You are mine and I'll never let you leave." His finger brushed my cheek and I shuddered visibly.

"What a waste!" He said softly as he bent closer. I backed away disgusted at his creepy touch. "You'd be perfect for me, if it weren't for the present circumstances. Do you know how long it's been since-?"

"I'd never be yours. Period."

"Darling," he smiled, an expression of pure evilness spread across his face. Love wasn't the driving factor here. It wasn't even lust. It was greed. Pure greed. "You don't really have a choice."

Somehow, he seemed to drain all the good memories in me when he touched me. He filled me with sense of hopelessness and despair, I never wished to feel.

He laughed at my actions and stood up straight again.

"All in good time, Darling." he said as he strode back towards the door. I simply grimaced at the words of endearment meant for me.

I wouldn't let him. Ever.

I would submit if that meant freedom.

But there is no way I would stop trying.