"How did you pull me out of the Oasis?" I question as I lean against the bars with my hands in my pockets.

"The Oasis is a place of limitless energy. Think of it as a gift from the universe where in order to access it, your mind has to be free of everything that can block it from the universal mind. That means anything negative like fear, anger, resentment, sadness, loneliness etc."

"That didn't answer her question." Says Clementine in a bored tone from her cell as she examines her chipped black nails.

"So you mean to say that it exists in a different dimension or something?" I question, ignoring her completely.

"Something like that." He says "Since the beginning of time, this place has been highly sought after for its power. Many believed that they could somehow harness its power but none could. Because it's a place of pure raw energy meant only for blissful peace. Throughout the centuries, information about The Oasis grew scarce and practically nonexistent. Unless you're a hunter." He smirks "We have the original notebook of the first creature to ever tap into its energy."

"Jesse." Warns one of his companions. "You mustn't say anything more on the matter. You swore an oath."

"Silence." Jesse snaps before locking eyes with me "Her name is Rose. Rose Umbridge. Your father spent years searching for her notebook in hopes of finding out how to tap into the Oasis's energy. He even got as close as to almost discovering the cave in which she lies. We know he never found her, much less her journal, but her powers are great even as she lies dormant. She has remained untraceable until the time comes when The Flame releases her."

"Wait." I say holding a hand up as I try to make sense of the information "So this Umbridge girl is what is in the cave? The one that you tortured me to try to get her location?"

"Guilty." He grins as he presses his hands against the bars.

"Now will you tell me why you're so incessant on finding her?"

He shrugs "I told you. I want you and your freaks dead. Even among the supernatural you're freaks. Too strong for any of us to kill. That was proven the night they came to set you free. They killed us so fast, like swatting a fly. We need the Umbridge girl to help us kill the hybrids."

"I'm sorry about your friends." I say in earnest.

He sniffs roughly and continues, disregarding my sympathy. "She is so powerful she knew what would happen to your family. She knew that all of the anger and resentment after they died would stop you from entering. So she found you a loophole to get access into the Oasis. The potion that you drank removed the purest part of your soul while leaving the rest inside your body. All I had to do was torture the part of you that was still inside and it called the rest of your soul back to protect you."

"Who is she? What is she?" I ask as I try to fathom why everyone in the world is after her.

"You mean to tell me you let me go on and on about her and you don't even know what she is?" He says in exasperation. When I say nothing he groans before sighing "Okay. Obviously riddles are not your forte. She literally is telling you who she is. 'I am the Key but also the Lock. I am bound to nature while others are not. Strong and fearless, endlessly divine. Evil and wicked as portrayed through time.'"

"Yes yes, I know. I've heard it a million times." I say in irritation "How the hell is that meant to tell me who she is or where she is? That's all she told me. I couldn't tell you her location even if I wanted to."

"You daft wolf!" He all but shouts "She's a witch!"

"But why is she involved? How did she know to help my dad and my pack?" I say as I rub my temples, a migraine beginning to form. "Why does she even care?"

"Because you are The Flame." He answers simply "She created you centuries ago, wrote your fate. You are her failsafe."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I spit out in aggravation. "Failsafe for what?"

"When your ancestor wreaked havoc on the Earth it was a time of great horror and tragedy with millions of lives lost. Something had to be done. So Rose and her sisters all came together to end him once and for all. Only they couldn't. He was much too strong and appeared to have no weakness. So, they tapped into the Oasis's energy as well as the power of the full moon and created the only thing that they could think of that would contain him. The Kynda. A prison world where Emerson would spend the rest of his life stuck on an endless loop. Doomed to live in the shadows, to never again see the light of day."

"He didn't seem that tortured to me." I comment as I process the information.

"Yes it appears anyone who shares his atrocious gene and blood ends up in the Kynda. Which means that he is not suffering alone. That must have Rose tossing in her sleep." He chuckles.

"You said I was her failsafe. Why does she even need one if she is so powerful?"

"Come on princess. You can connect the dots from here can't you?" He taunts mischievously "Okay okay, I'll give you a hint. 'The blood moon will ascend and that shall be the beginning of the end. Evil will escape, make no mistake. He will leave destruction in his wake. In 1,300 moons from now, The Flame shall rise. She will save us from our collective demise. Should she stray from fate, she will fall at the hands of her mate.'" He quotes and then whistles lowly "Seems like your mate is a bit of a prick. He's the bad guy which means you obviously can't side with him. That's bound to cause a lover's tiff. On the other hand, if you do side with him, he'll be the reason you die. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Decisions decisions."

I lean back against the wall and replay his words over and over. When the hell did my life get so complicated?

I slide back down to the floor and prop my arms around my knees again. Jesse grins wickedly before taking a seat next to the other hunters.

I stare at the ground for what feels like hours before we hear the clank of the metal door opening. I see Reece come in and open the cell where Lucinda is in and pull her out. She screams and pleads for him to let her go but he simply injects her with the aconitum and her body slumps as the paralytic sets in. He tosses her over his shoulder, gives me a wink, and takes her away.

"Where is he taking her?" I ask and Clementine rolls her eyes.

"Every hour they take one of us and torture the living hell out of us until we agree to devote ourselves to bring back that ex-husband of mine. After the third round of torture if we still refuse, they kill us. Your friend there? This is her third round." She explains with a sadistic smile as she crosses her arms "She's a coward. She'll give in."

"So you don't want Emerson to be released?" I quirk a brow as I lean against the bars with arms crossed.

"I never said that." She grins as she focuses her black eyes on me.

"No, but your body did." I say and she cocks her head to the side as she studies me. "You have your arms crossed and shoulders slightly hunched over indicating that you are stressed and it's not because you're locked in here. No. You're stressed that the clock is ticking down and Emerson is coming. My guess, and tell me if I'm wrong here. You had your son try to steal away the Kynda to buy you some time until you could figure out a way to stop this. There's also the fact that you are here of your own free will as you seem to be too clever to get caught by the League unless it was your intention all along." I smirk as her poker face falters "What's your plan Clementine?"

Jesse whistles beside me as he comes to stand in front of the bars while looking between me and Clementine. "Damn princess, color me impressed. Maybe I should start calling you Sherlock instead?"

Clementine stares me down and her vampires take menacing stances, their covers blown. She lightly purses her lips. "You're smart. I'll give you that, but I work solo."

I nod and shrug my shoulders "Suit yourself."

The doors clank open once more and three men I haven't seen before come inside while hauling in a body.

"There's no more space in the other cells. Just throw him in with the hunters." Suggests one.

"No. He'll break through the bars." Says another.

"Just throw him in this one." Demands the last one as he nods his head towards me "I don't know why the hell Lucius gave her her own cell."

"He won't like that." Says the first nervously.

"I don't care. We have more important things to do." Argues the third while quickly shooting me with three darts and I drop to the ground as my veins cement and my lungs freeze.

The doors to my cell whiz open and they toss the body inside before locking it shut and leaving the cellar. Anger takes over and I close my eyes as I feel the familiar burn in them. My body tingles and the fire inside my veins burns away the effects of the aconitum. Once my blood softens and begins to flow freely again I gasp out and feel exhaustion take over. This stuff is some seriously potent shit.

"Hey." Says Jesse as he points at the body next to me "I know you."

I feel my heart freeze as I take in his brown hair and immediately rush to his side and flip him over. He's trying to suck in air and I can see his veins have hardened. His brown eyes land on me and in the midst of his pain, I see a flicker of relief as he sees me.

"Nick." I whisper as I caress his face "Hey. Look at me. You're okay. I've got you Nick. Try to relax. It only gets stronger the more you freak out." I soothe and he gasps. I pull his head onto my lap and hold his hand with one hand while the other caresses his hair "Do not give up. Come on Nick squeeze my hand. You can do it. Break free from it."

His heart begins to slow and I panic. Not again, please not again. Jesse shakes his head. "They shot him with too many darts. A regular wolf can barely overcome one, this dude came in with three. He must've put up quite the fight."

His eyes start to close and I shake my head "Nick... Nick don't you dare quit on me. We've been through too much for it to end now. Nick!" I shout as his eyes close. My heart squeezes painfully in my chest as I clutch him close "Please... you're my best friend." I whisper as silence washes over the cellar. My hands begin to shake as the last shred of sanity I have left begins to fade.

"And you're mine." He croaks out after a few moments and I pull away to see his face begin to regain color.

"Oh my Goddess." I choke out as a sob escapes my throat. "You asshole I thought you died." I all but yell as I lightly punch his stomach.

He grins and I help him sit up. He rests his forehead on mine while caressing my face. "I'd never leave you."

"Good." I sigh before kissing his forehead "Now stop scaring me like that, in the past day and a half you've almost died twice. Don't make it a habit."

He chuckles and caresses my face, amusement clear in his eyes. "I might just make it a habit, you don't show feelings for me otherwise."

Rolling my eyes I push his hand away "How is the pack? I tried to contact you but I'm a bit out of range at the moment."

His smile falls and instantly I'm on alert "Calm down." He says. "The pack is fine. It's just... when you didn't make it back in time for the meeting Jocelyn took it upon herself to lead the meeting. She called for an open reset ballot."

"What." I say through gritted teeth as anger begins to course through me. How dare she suggest something so traitorous. A reset ballot would remove us all from leadership. A true disaster. Democracy at its finest. It's ludicrous. My eyes begin to burn and Clementine chuckles.

"I would calm her down wolf boy, before she burns us all to a crisp." She advises in a singsong voice.

Nick quickly grabs my face and forces me to look into his warm chocolate brown eyes "Calm down L. It's okay. I had her locked away in the cellar. As for the pack? They were shocked to say the least. They had lots of questions. Some of them were concerned about your recent disappearances and began to question where your loyalties now lie. I told them not to worry, that no matter what new magic runs in your blood you will always be their alpha. They calmed down after that."

A million thoughts run through my mind as I think of all the ways I would inflict pain to that treacherous snake.

"Alora. Relax." Nick soothes my tense shoulders "I dealt with her. She didn't get what she wanted. They refused to participate. The pack is still loyal to you and only you."

"Who did you leave in charge?"

"Julian." He answers and I nod while my shoulders sag in relief.

"Good." I sigh before shaking my head "Why did you even come here? I gave border patrol strict orders not to let anyone in or out of the territory."

He gave me a look "Come on now, like they are going to refuse the Beta. I had to make sure you were okay. I was worried about you."

"When are you not?" I question rhetorically and he smiles.

"It's my job." He whispers before bringing his lips to meet mine in a passionate kiss. My toes curl as all the tenderness in the world is transmitted through his kiss. Our last kiss.

He looks at me with a bit of confusion as I shake my head.

"Nick. I'm sorry." I whisper and his confusion becomes more prominent. "We can't do this anymore."

His eyes widen a bit and he shakes his head "Listen if it's about what happened back at the mansion I'm sorry. I'll pull back a bit."

My heart tightens painfully at the slight desperation in his voice "It's not about that Nick. I found my mate."

His face falls and the light in his eyes dim.

"Nick. We both knew that this would happen at some point. That's why we made it a point not to involve deep feelings into this. We both have our mates out there somewhere. I found mine." I whisper. He comes to stand and I follow. "Nick?"

"How do you expect me to react Alora?" He says as his voice thickens with deep emotion "I have been completely in love with you since the second grade. I remember praying to the Moon Goddess to bless me with you as my mate. And yes, I knew that we weren't mates the second we came of age but that never mattered to me. I've only ever wanted you."

A knot begins to form in my throat at his confession. I grab hold of his arms and meet his light brown eyes. "Nick... I.."

"Well. Isn't this cozy?" Says a deep voice causing us to turn. My eyes widen and I release Nick immediately.

"Lucius." I whisper as I stare into his vibrant green eyes.