White.

It was the first thing I saw when I woke up, my eyes squinting from the sudden rush of light entering my sights. Instinctively I groaned, moving my right hand to cover my eyes from the light-- I felt blinded.

"Holly?" I heard from beside me, my hand blocking my view. I slowly turned my head in the direction, moving my hand from my sights and letting my eyes fall on to the man in front of me.

Theo.

I could visually see relief spread from his face as he let out a sigh, reaching to grab my hand. "You're awake," He spoke smoothly, his hand immediately capturing mine, using his thumb to gently rub my knuckle.

I could feel groggy, however, the sparks from Theo's touch had managed to awaken me further as I widened my eyes slightly at Theo.

Theo.

He saved me from Kara, hadn't he? I faintly remembered seeing both Theo and Grey seconds after Kara tried to behead me with a chain. I managed to survive-- but did she?

"Kara," I instantly blurted at him, my head lifting up. I quickly surveyed the room, realising that I was back in our bedroom. For a moment, I felt warm inside as I thought of being back in a safe environment.

I never liked that attic.

Theo's brows furrowed and he tilted his head slightly. "No hello for me then?" He joked.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his words, lifting my hand-- the one that wasn't in his-- and gently caressing his face. He automatically relaxed in my hands, nuzzling his nose in my palm before placing a soft kiss on the inside of my hand.

"Hello," I smiled softly at my mate, immediately feeling safe in his hands. He showed me his teeth as he smiled back at him, his eyes instinctively closing at my touch. "Now, where's Kara." I changed my tone, speaking hard as I raised an eyebrow at my mate.

I wanted to exactly where that woman was-- was she dead? Did she escape?

My heart clenched at the thought of her having escaped, if that was true she would have truly made her way to my mother. I couldn't let that happen.

Theo sighed, involuntarily pulling himself from my hand before speaking. "Grey captured her when we found the both of you in the attic, she's currently in a holding cell in the attic."

"Alive?"

Theo's face in disgust. "Yes alive, why would we leave a rotting corpse in a cell?" He rolled his eyes for a second, leaning back on his chair as he let his eyes scan me over. "Are you going to tell me what happened?" He spoke softly again, gently squeezing my hand as he spoke.

I sighed, sitting up on the bed. Theo went to stop me but I gave me a hard glare, insisting that I wasn't a weak child-- my burns were already healed, they must have healed while I slept.

I looked down at my lap and I recalled what had happened with the twins-- spilling everything they had told me to Theo. He was left gobsmacked when I finished, his mouth falling ajar.

"Nadine had children?" He gaped, his eyes wide as he registered everything I had said. I nodded in response, giving his hand a squeeze of own as I watched his reactions. He shrugged, shock still evident on his face. "I mean, that would example when she would disappear for months for no reason."

Guess there was a reason after all; to birth the evil spawns.

There was a moment of silence between Theo and I, I knew he was still processing everything I had told him-- there was a lot after all.

"What are you going to do with Kara?" Theo broke from his thoughts, looking up at me again. For once, I couldn't read the expression on his face.

"That's up to you," My eyes widened at his words.

"Huh?" I couldn't help but give him such an unintelligent response.

They were his cousins after all, did that not mean a thing to him?

A small chuckle came from him before he nodded at him.

"Yes, you are in charge of her punishment. She did attack you after all." I noticed as a flash of rage spread of Theo's face for a matter of seconds when he spoke of the attack. He was furious that Kara and Kai laid hands on me or even thought of doing so.

Theo believed that he should have been here, that I shouldn't have been in that position for the first time, but I quickly dismissed him. He wasn't at fault.

If anyone was at fault, it was the twins' father-- who, Theo had told me, vanished from the pack years ago. He had most likely been eaten by rogues almost immediately, apparently, he wasn't in the right mindset when he ran.

"So," Theo spoke up again, breaking the silence that fell between us as my mind wondered. "Have you thought of your punishment for Kara?" He spat out her name, almost as if saying it was burning his tongue.

I knew exactly what I wanted to do. It was the only thing I could do to ensure that she made no moves against my mother.

I took a deep breath before speaking, my voice clear and strong.

"I want to kill her."

I sighed, leaning my head on the tree beside as I watched the ceremony from afar.

I felt a tear fell on my cheek while watching the group of Golden Redemption members set alight my father's body.

It was customary for a Were's 'funeral' that their body is burned and their ashes spread into their woods' clearing.

I felt hot breath near my ear as Theo stepped closer to me, his body almost pressed against my own. "We can get closer if you want," He said, reassuringly rubbing my arm up and down and placing a lingering kiss on my shoulder.

All I did was shake my head, I didn't have the strength to speak.

I stood far from the ceremony, I wasn't apart of it. I watched both my brother and mother right in front of the ceremony, I could see that my brother was attempting to hold it together for both his mother and his crying mate.

My mother, on the other side, she looked worse for wear. She looked ill and she could barely hold it together. After all, this was the man she loved with all her heart-- her mate, her other half.

It's been said that losing your mate was just like your heart snapping in half. It's one of the worst pains a Were could ever feel.

I couldn't even imagine how this was affecting my mother, I didn't know whether she was crying from losing the love of her life, or crying from the pain of her mate bond being shattered.

What my father did had ruined my mother.

My heart broke as I watched her hold onto my brother for support. I wanted to be here, I wanted to hold her and cry with her-- but I couldn't.

I couldn't go to the ceremony. I would almost be like facing my father one last time. I wasn't there when he died, I didn't even cry when I was told.

Part of me thought he deserved what he got, but he was my father at the end of the day.

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, letting the tears that had built to free fall on my cheeks. The wind chilled my matted face as I leaned my head on the tree beside me.

Theo simply stood behind me silently, his hand resting on my back.

Even though I hadn't cried when Theo first told me that my father was dead, watching the ceremony made it all too real for me.

He was a monster, and now he's gone.

He was my father, but now he's gone. It was as if part of my life died with him.

Instinctively, I spun on my heel and fall in the arms of Theo, letting a sob of my own as my father's funeral continued behind me.

Immediately, Theo's arms surrounded me. He tightened his arms around him, holding me close to him as I cried into his chest. This was too much for me, I shouldn't have come.

After a while I pushed myself off of Theo's chest, his chest matted with my tears and stained with my black mascara.

"Holly," He trailed off softly, grabbing my face with both his hands and leaning down to press our foreheads together, kissing my nose beforehand. His voice was kind and his face softened as he looked upon my broken self. It hurt him to see me like this, I knew that much by the sounds of his wolf whimpering to mine own, comforting her also.

I sighed shakily, my arms still wrapped around his torso. "Let's go home," I told him.

He pulled away, placed a kiss on the top of my hair before nodding.

"Let's go home," He repeated before gently grabbing my hand and leading further into the woods.

After all, my home was with Theo.

It is always with Theo.