We took turns to keep watch all night until Tobias woke Theodore and me up at the very first light of dawn.

"We need to go," he said filling his water up from the stream. "Now."

Theodore groaned before standing up and stretching.

"Do I at least have time to piss first?" he asked.

Tobias shot him a stare before Theodore sauntered off into the forest.

"Did you sleep?" I asked Tobias.

"Barely," he replied, "You?"

"Restlessly," I said.

"I just can't stop thinking about Rose," he replied, "The thought of anyone hurting her fills me with so much dread."

"Tell me about it," he said, "It makes me sick."

"But she's a tough woman. A survivor," I pointed out, "If what Theodore says it right and she's still alive, she'll be staying strong."

Tobias sighed, "I know. That's what I have to keep reminding myself of. But everybody has a breaking point."

"Then we better make sure we get there before she reaches it," I replied.

He nodded before taking a deep breath, "And Esme...about yesterday. I was angry and I reacted terribly to you accepting Alpha Rivers. I still don't like it but as long as you're happy."

I nodded and gave him a slight smile.

"You are happy, right?" he asked, refusing to look away as I had done.

I nodded again, "We're working towards it."

"Don't let him dampen your spirit," Tobias said, "Don't lose yourself."

"My spirit?" I asked, "I'm not sure I have one anymore."

"Everyone has a spirit," he replied.

I shrugged.

"You and Rose do," I said, "But I don't know about me."

Just then Theodore returned.

"Let's go," I said, turning my back on Tobias.

We walked all day pretty much nonstop. I alternated between talking to Tobias and talking to Theodore, never both at the same time. But when it began to get dark and Theodore warned we were getting close to the Northern border so we began to walk once again in silence.

For ages there were no signs of any of Alpha Kane's men until finally Theodore caught a revolting, pungent smell.

"Do you smell that, Brynn?" he asked, stepping closer to me and slowly withdrawing his knife.

Tobias nodded and stepped closer to me too so that I was surrounded on both sides.

I'd only heard a slight rustle when Tobias launched forward. He had grabbed the throat of one of two men and slammed him into a tree. Meanwhile, the other took one look at my brother and and Theodore before turning on his heel and running. I immediately strung back my bow and aimed straight for his leg.

A few seconds later, he collapsed to the floor clutching his knee in agony as Theodore marched over to him. When the soldier looked up to see a six and half foot angry Alpha marching towards him, he tried to drag himself along the floor and shuffled away. But of course Theodore was soon upon him and dragging him back to where Tobias still pinned the other.

"Where is she?" Tobias growled as he pressed his knife up against the whimpering soldier's throat.

"Who?!" he asked in desperation.

"Rose Brynn," Tobias snarled, "My mate."

"I don't know," he said as he looked cautiously down at the knife as he held his hands up in surrender.

"You're fucking lying," Tobias replied, "Tell me where my Luna is."

By this point, Theodore was back with the other soldier who he had thrown to the floor between the three of us.

"How about you?" Theodore asked, looking down at him, "Are you smarter than to lie to an Alpha about the whereabouts of his Luna?"

"We haven't seen her," he said, his voice hoarse and wobbly.

Theodore lips twitched in anger before he slowly crouched down to the injured man.

"Tell Alpha Brynn where she is or I will make you suffer," he warned, speaking slowly and deeply, "You know who I am, don't you?"

I couldn't help but watch Theodore. I knew he was on our side but I couldn't ignore the evil in his eyes as he glared deeply into the shaking soul of the soldier.

The man nodded, "Yes," he stuttered.

"Then you know not to waste my time," he said.

The man paused for a split second which was enough for Theodore to reach his hand forward to the arrow in his leg. He forcefully delved it in further causing a wretched howl of agony to erupt from his lips.

"How about we try a different technique," Theodore said, standing up and looking to the other soldier that Tobias still held.

Theodore paused and smiled, "Out of the two of you, whoever tells us where Luna Brynn is first, lives. The other dies. If neither of you have spoken after five seconds, you both die. Simple."

The men exchanged worried looks.

"Five," Theodore said.

I could see the storm of thoughts behind their eyes. They looked from Theodore to each other frantically, completely unsure of what to do.

"Four," Theodore continued, taking his knife out of his belt.

The injured man's face wrinkled once again, this time not from the physical pain my arrow had inflicted, but the mental agony Theodore was putting him through.

"Three."

Theodore polished his knife on his shirt as the sweat continued to accumulate on the man Tobias held's forehead. His fists were balled and his face now completely frozen as his eyes fixated on the blade that Theodore slowly and lightly ran his finger along.

"Two," he said nonchalantly.

I looked back down to the one on the floor. He was looked at the other, shaking his head, sobbing uncontrollably.

"And one-"

"She's in a camp in Old Oak Valley. Where the river forks."

Theodore finally took his dark eyes from the knife and looked down to the soldier who had blurted so abruptly.

He then plastered a sarcastic smile on his face before stepping over to him, his knife still in his hand.

"Thank you for cooperating," Theodore said, "But you are injured and of no use to us now."

He gripped the knife and I opened my mouth in surprise.

"No, no, no," the man pleaded, "I did what you asked. Please."

"If I let you live you'll only be killed by your own comrades when they learn of your treachery," Theodore said crouching down, "I'm doing you a favour."

He then grabbed the soldier and I instantly looked away as he cut his throat and the frantic begs stopped.

I then heard Theodore stand up and I turned back to see him looking at the other soldier.

"I hate that Alpha Kane has soldiers like you," Theodore said, "You're willing to die for your cause. But since loyalty is something I admire in a man, I will give you another chance to live. Lead us to Old Oak Valley and you will be spared."

The man let out a short laugh, "You're going to kill me either way, Alpha Rivers. Why would I help you?"

Theodore smiled, "Just testing. I already know where it is. Alpha Brynn, kill him."

Tobias, who had the expected level of rage on his face as any man holding a knife to the throat of another man who was partly responsible for harm to his mate, didn't hesitate to kill him.

He dropped to the floor, lifeless and still, as Tobias wiped his knife clean and stood up straight again.

"Well," I began, "Now that we have gone about finding out where she is in the most evil way possible, shall we go?" I asked, refusing to look down at either of the bodies.

"It's five kilometres away," Theodore said with a nod, "Follow me."