I started the car and the engine roared loudly. The sudden voice forced a shiver out of me. Since I didn't have a car with me, King let me borrow one of his cars and it was one of the loudest ones I had ever driven.

I bit the inside of my cheek the entire time driving the car as I was too afraid of hitting it. It was a new car and I wasn't used to driving it. The most I had ever driven around was when Aunt Carol used to give me her car so I could go to high school. It didn't last long as I preferred busses and walking barefoot rather than driving a car.

Today morning, I had no energy for walking or waiting and King persisted I drove one of his cars as there was a tracker within the vehicle that would inform him about my whereabouts if anything were to happen.

I dreaded any loud, sudden sounds. Anything uncertain and suspicious forced me to turn my head around and look if there was any danger lurking around me. The events from yesterday left another wound in my mind that I wasn't going to heal from any time soon.

"How are you?!" Beatrice asked as she opened the door of her hotel room for me. She was now living in a hotel with her parents. They were going to stay for a while longer before leaving the town and returning to their homes.

I just wanted to say my goodbyes.

"Better. Can I come in?"

"Of course!" She struck her hand against my arm and forced a confusing expression over her face before opening the door wider and letting me in.

"How are you feeling? I hope you're better. You seem better!" I said, my tone soft and quiet.

Beatrice was standing straight on her legs, she didn't seem to have any discomfort while walking but she walked slowly across the hotel room, careful enough to not cause any more damage.

"I'm okay. Mom took me to the hospital in the morning and they checked everything. I have to get a few stitches removed by the end of the week but asides from that, I'm feeling well!" She explained, cheer in her voice.

I gave her a nod and sat down on one of the comfortable couches in the hotel room. She took a seat beside me and took her time to get down on the couch. The discomfort became clear in her face when she crouched as she winced in pain.

I gasped and lengthened my hands quickly to offer her support but she shook her head and smacked them away.

"I'll handle me," She stated. Once she sat down comfortably, she continued, "How are you doing? I wanted to see you after the funeral but you weren't there. I'm so sorry, Eos." She held my hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

"Yes, I left to get some things from my home." I slowed down a bit as I remembered the house, my Aunt's house. She lived in it since was twenty-three years old.

I called it my home as well.

But now...I didn't know.

"Oh. But how are you doing now? I know it's been just a day but I want you to know that I'm here for you, for anything. You need someone to cry with, I'll cry with you, you need someone to share memories, I'll listen. Anything." Beatrice offered with a murky smile.

"Thank you. I am—so far—I am doing okay. The funeral was hard but—" I tried to come up with words but it seemed like there was nothing left to say, just tears that needed to flee from my eyes.

"Hey, it's okay." She rubbed my hand. "You don't have to explain to anyone. I know you loved your Aunt, dearly and I know she loved you as well. She's in a better place now and she would want you to be happy."

"I know." I nodded my head and agreed with her.

After the entire attack and gunshots, I didn't think much about Aunt Carol until later when I woke in the middle of the night.

I didn't tell Beatrice about the attack or what had happened with King as it was something I didn't want her to know or be worried about. As much as I wanted to share everything with her, I couldn't.

She wouldn't understand and telling her the truth about myself and this town would terrify her and it would endanger her life. I didn't want any of that.

She was one of my oldest best-friend and I wanted her to leave town, safely return home and enjoy the rest of her life farther away from me or any troubles I had bought.

"When do you plan on leaving?" I asked her.

"By a day or two. I'm trying to delay it but Mom doesn't agree, she just wants to take me home and put me on bed rest for the rest of the month." Beatrice rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I really want to stay for you."

"No, no," I quickly disagreed, "You shouldn't do that. I'll visit you some time but for now, go home and be safe. Plus, you need to get better!" I eyed her from the top to the bottom. She was still injured and bruised.

"But—"

"No buts," I dragged her hand away from me as she tried to convince me to stay. I knew she would want to but I couldn't let her. "Go home. It was great having you here and it was fun," I smiled a little while remembering the past few weeks. "And I'll miss you tons when you leave."

"Awe, I'll miss you too!" She grabbed me into a hug and I returned a tight one.

"I'll miss more."

Pulling away, she still remained concerned for me. "Are you sure you'll be okay here, all alone? You can come with us if you feel like."

I had King with me. I wasn't alone. Blood rushed up to my cheeks as my thoughts drifted to him and the morning session we had today. I truly, only wanted him, forever and I was sure he wanted me as well.

"I'll be fine." I smiled and waved at Beatrice.

"Mhm, of course, you'll be. You have a hottie up your sleeves." She teased before poking my right shoulder. "And that other oldie beside him. They both sure can protect you." She continued, calling Arnold an oldie.

I chuckled and placed my hand over my mouth to hold myself together, "You have no shame, Beatrice. Literally, none!"

As soon as I stopped laughing, I asked Beatrice if she would come with me to my home and if we could pick some things together. I didn't want to disturb King and pull him out of his work but at the same time, I wanted someone to be there with me when I went home.

Beatrice didn't hesitate, she quickly accepted my offer and escaped into the washroom to change her clothes. She had been in bed all day and night since her parents arrived and she couldn't wait to leave the hotel.

I suppose this could our last day out before she would get on a flight and leave for a few good years.

Whilst I drove the car to my home, Beatrice asked me a couple of questions about Aunt Carol.

"Did anyone find out what happened to her?"

I shook my head before turning to see the rear mirror. I had to be cautious about everything since last night. "Someone shot her, someone from around her—I think so." It had to be.

"Do you know who would do that?"

I shrugged, "Carol didn't have any enemies. She loved and everyone loved her. It had to be the same people that killed my parents." I answered her back while taking the turn into my street.

There was an hour left before it was going to get dark and I intended on finishing everything and going to King's house before the night arrived.

I was too scared to be out alone...in the dark.

"You'll know." She rubbed my shoulder as I parked the car outside of my home.

It took a lot of courage to go inside but once I was inside, I didn't want to leave. I remembered all the memories I had in the house with Aunt Carol. She slept downstairs while I slept upstairs. There were two extra bedrooms that no one used. It was just the both of us, for a very long time. She had tons of girl friends that came over and she threw some good parties but in midst of the parties, I would leave as they would boring.

After looking through the entire house, I found her stash of family pictures we made through the years and all the birthday letters she had given to me. Anything sentimental, I took it along with me as I didn't know when I was going to live in the house again.

I kept most of the things as they were, moving barely anything. I wanted to preserve her memory for as long as I could. I wanted to remember her every time I visited the house.

She was always going to be in my thoughts, just like my parents.

After an hour, just before the sunset, I left the house and got back inside the car. Slowly, the sky began changing colors and the crowds became lesser across the town. I feared another night—another attack. Everything replayed in my head like a broken record player. I just didn't how I was ever going to forget all of this.

I returned Beatrice back to the hotel and dropped her off to her room. Just a few minutes later, her parents arrived and spoke to them for a bit before leaving the hotel and giving them my goodbyes.

Beatrice was going to fly out of Frostford by tomorrow morning. Everything was booked. She was leaving.

With a heavy heart, I took the elevator downstairs and entered the lobby of the hotel. Tons of guests passed by, went on with their world while I mourned, thinking about my life, my past.

Was there any happiness for me?

The golden door of the hotel rolled automatically before I stepped out in the cold. The night was still young but it was here. The sky was dark with thick, heavy clouds floating by. The wind was cold and dangerous.

But I sniffed something else in the air.

I wiped my wet cheeks before burying my hands into the pocket of my coat and walking to my left.

"Arnold?" I smiled at him mischievously and then remembered Beatrice's words about him. Oldie. "Are you following me?" I asked as I went near him.

He stood just by the hotel, hands tucked in his black pockets as he waited for me. With a little shake of his head, he replied, "No—I think so. But, he asked me to stay around you until you'd get free from your friend."

I walked alongside him, heading to the parking lot. "Why? Where is King?" I questioned out of curiosity.

"He wants you to join him for a special ceremony."

I looked at him from the corner of my eyes and then stopped, "What?"

"If you'd allow me, I'll take you to him." Arnold offered, stopping near his car.

"What ceremony?" I furrowed my brows.

Ceremony?

Right after we woke up, King told me he was going to get some things done and ensure safety was in place. There were too many threats, he—the Alpha, had gotten shot by the hunters. He wanted to hunt down whoever did it and kill them.

For me.

For his parents.

For mine.

For Carol.

But when Arnold mentioned a ceremony I grew doubtful about King and his plans.

"Xypnima the Lycanthropus."

My confusion just grew, "English, please."

"The Awakening of the Werewolves." He responded.