Maverick shifted back into his human form. Head bent, breathing hard, muscles tight and strained. Still staring at the dead wolf whose life he had just taken. There were cuts on his arms, bleeding.

My heart ached, even when I knew Colt had deserved nothing less.

No one moved.

The werewolves behind Colt were silent, taking in the scene in front of them.

Maverick lifted his head to stare at the pack of the dead Alpha. It was so quiet, an unnatural silence.

One walked forward to where the body of their leader lay. It stopped and lowered its head to Maverick. Submission.

One by one they all did the same. I watched in awe of the moment, I have never seen anything like it before. It felt monumental and rare.

I swayed slight trying to keep myself from passing out. The pain throbbed through me, the need to appear strong in the forefront of my mind. It would not be wise to show weakness amongst predators.

It was the sound of a metal click that made me look over my shoulder to look behind me. It was Marshall who held a gun to me. Aimed at my head.

“I only want my sister,” Marshall stated forcefully.

They would not stop.

Maverick turned to face us. Colt’s pack now all line up behind him. He had blood dripping from his shirt. He had been injured. My heart dropped. It felt like my worst fear touching my reality.

I stood up, shakily.

Don’t move. Maverick told me through the mind link. His eyes fixed past me.

I caught Kane as he shook his head lazily, unalarmed. He almost seemed bored of the whole thing. He never seemed to behave the way you expected him to.

I didn’t have it in me to look back again, I didn’t think I could handle anymore than I had already dealt with. My body was filled with pain, my senses overloaded.

It was the sound of a growl before I heard a gurgling sound. It took all my strength to turn around slowly.

Dominque stood horrified at what was happening, staring at his brother. Marshall stood. A wolf had it’s teeth deep in the side of his throat. His eyes froze as blood burst from the wound spraying into the air.

I hitched my breath. Shocked at the animalistic attack.

The gun dropped from my brother’s hand as he slumped to the floor. The wolf released its hold. My brother, Marshall, was dead.

I took a deep shuddering breath. It had been so quick and violent.

Dominique lifted his hands, surrendering. Fearing he would suffer the same fate.

“I told the fucker,” Kane commented, in the distance. Seemingly more far away.

The air seemed to rush from my lungs as I watched the blood pool at my feet.

There was so much violence it was hard to take in. I gasped as I looked to my hands to see my brother’s blood stained on my skin. The smell of death filled my lungs.

So much death and destruction. He had deserved his fate, there was no doubt about that.

I swayed. Strong hands turned me. I looked to Maverick, unable to form words.

Alexandria. He murmured to me. His eyes deep with concern, his hands deepened their hold on me.

I wanted to bury that name so far deep in the sand that I could erase all the pain and suffering that came with it.

I nodded slowly. He checked me over. The moment he touched my shoulder I cried out.

I wished I had made him suffer more. Maverick added darkly.

Maverick. I murmured, feeling so much I struggled to put it into words.

We have a problem. Sebastian said through the mind link, cutting across my moment with Maverick.

“Maverick,” Kane spoke, pulling our attention to the new werewolves that entered the clearing.

More trouble. More death and destruction. I could feel it in my bones. More would die.

Maverick moved me behind him protectively as he faced my father as he entered the clearing. His pack parting for their Alpha.

It felt like this would never end. I still could not understand people who would treat their family like mine was treating me. Using me from what they could gain from it.

Maverick had just defeated Colt only moments ago and now we were up against another enemy. One with a larger pack. There were too many to count. The growing number sent a shiver of fear up my spine.

“You killed my son,” my father’s voice boomed across the clearing.

He was so powerful, emotions so strong I could feel it in the air thick like smoke. The hairs on my arms stood up.

Kane and Sebastian flanked Maverick. I had no idea where Amy stood amongst the werewolves further back.

“I warned him. He was the one who didn’t heed the warning,” Kane retorted, refusing to be blamed for the actions of another.

“And you want to take my daughter. My flesh and blood.”

I wasn’t an object that could be possessed. I would not be used for whatever power hungry plans he came up with.

“She is mine,” Maverick growled, loudly. Refusing to back down and give me up.

I had never loved him more than I did in that moment.

When he spoke of possession over me, it felt warm and loving. Maybe it was because he didn’t treat me like an object to be used to gain power. He loved me, he cherished me, he made me feel alive. He was my someone in a lonely world and he meant more to me than the people who shared my blood.

No matter what the outcome, I would no regret the time we had shared. It had have given me a glimmer of hope in a cold brutal world world.

“She is not yours,” my father stated. His shoulders wide as he stood tall. His pack outnumbering all the werewolves we had on our side.

He would not give up. There would only be one way this would end that entailed ending my father’s life.

“I will not give her to you,” Maverick stated vehemently.

There was silence.

“Than you will die. Take her,” my father commanded.

His werewolves began to approach menacingly slowly.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Kane warned threateningly. His arms crossed, his stance open.

My father frowned and halted the advance of his army.

“You don’t want something to happen to junior, do you?” Kane looked back to Dominque who was surrounded by growling werewolves. “They look rather hungry, don’t they?” Kane faced my father.

We had a way out. My father’s eyes narrowed on my brother.

“Please,” Dominque whispered, looking at the dangerous werewolves that had him cornered.

My father shook his head slowly. “Alexandria is too important.”

Shocked my eyes widened. It was unbelievable.

“You sure about that?” Kane asked with a one armed shrug. “This is your last chance.”

Would he really set the his pack members on my brother if my father refused to back down?

My father’s gaze moved to my brother who was getting more alarmed. “Dominque. Your sacrifice will be for the greater good. You know this.”

“Are you crazy?” Dominique yelled. “I’m your son.”

He was desperately trying to sway my father but I could tell his pleas fell on deaf ears. My father wanted me, no matter the cost.

“Get her.” My father reissued the command, ignoring my brother’s urgent pleas.

“Father,” Dominique yelled.

He screamed. I could not look back. I wanted to close my eyes and cover my ears.

The cries of his son did nothing to sway our evil father from his task. His pack began to prowl toward us. Maverick stood his ground.

Sebastian keep Alexandria safe. He issued the command to his Beta.

I didn’t want to leave but I let Sebastian pull me back into the pack as they closed around us. I glanced at where my brother lay unmoving.

I could not feel sympathy for someone I barely knew but it was wrong that my father had shown my brother such little compassion.

It was going to be a blood bath. I wanted to stop it but I knew it was hopeless. I could already hear the growling and sounds of the fight starting.

Death hung in the air.

They were protecting me. I could not let this happen, I had to do something. Anything.

Tears stung but I refused to cry. Tears would not save us.