Hey guys!

I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Also, a little spoiler alert for people who haven't read Blue Flames yet.  

Happy reading!

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"Is it true? Will Arthur and his mate be coming to the pack?" Anna asked.

Lillian and Noah stopped. He was walking her to the field when Anna called out to them. Seeing as the teacher was almost waddling, Lillian and Noah went to her.

Anna's eyes were wide and bright, her face flushed. Lillian frowned. "Is it that big of a deal?"

Anna's eyes widened further. "Are you kidding me! He's one of the Five. They're like legends. I've never met them. And his mate is the very first fae who can be considered a hybrid between vampires and fae. They're like legends!"

"Okay," Lillian smiled, sharing a look with Noah.

"They'll be spending the night here," Noah said, much to Anna's squealing delight.

"Oh, can I meet him? Will you introduce us, Alpha? I have so many questions! He's a living record of our history! I'd love to have a chance to speak with him."

Noah's lips twitched. "I'll see what I can do."

Lillian's hands hovered as Anna jumped up and down. "My God, Anna! You're about to pop, stop jumping around."

"Oh, shut up, I'm fine!" Anna said, winded.

"But you should probably tell Johnson," Noah said. "He wouldn't want you anywhere near outsiders, especially ones as powerful as Arthur and his company."

"Oh, don't worry." Anna waved him off, her eyes twinkling. "I can be very convincing."

Anna skipped her way to school. Lillian shook her head. "I didn't know they were that much of a celebrity. By the way, what did she mean by hybrid?"

"A long story," Noah said. "You'll understand when you meet Elle. She's one of a kind."

Lillian hummed. Seeing as Noah had admitted to having had a crush on Elle, Lillian wasn't sure she wanted to meet the woman at all.

Stop being ridiculous.

She didn't even know Elle. She can't be bad if Amanda liked her. "Oh, is Amanda coming with them?"

Noah nodded. Lillian grinned, happy to see the female vampire again. Noah waved at Robert when they finally reached the fields.

"They'll arrive around lunch time. I'll come pick you up."

"I'll meet them?"

"Yes, I'd like to introduce you to them."

It seemed more than just being introduced. Lillian nodded. She was curious about them.

Noah dipped his head and caught her lips with his. Lillian melted against him, feeling safe and warm and loved. Her heart raced and skipped when they parted. With a kiss to her forehead, he walked off.

Lillian rocked back on her heels, her face flushed and her grin impossible to reign.

They had spoken the night before until Lillian fell asleep. She woke up tucked in her own bed, Noah nowhere to be seen. He appeared after they had breakfast, and the two of them saw the twins to their lesson before they bumped into Anna.

Pack mates no longer bothered hiding their grins, and their teasing remarks had grown in number and intensity. The bulk of that teasing was aimed at Lillian, since Noah was too serious to poke.

Lillian's heart almost burst with gratitude. To be accepted for what and who she was by pack members, human and vulnerable and powerless, meant the world to her. It sealed the cracks in her heart and trampled on memories of a painful past, reducing them to a mere speck of dust in her new life.

Robert was as excited as Anna was to see Arthur. He told her all about the vampire lord's rumored powers and ruthlessness. By the time lunch rolled around, a seed of worry sprouted in Lillian's mind.

What if Arthur saw her as a threat to their secrets? What if he saw her as an intruder? She shook her head, changing from her work clothes to a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt. There was no use worrying about him. Besides, Lillian was now a member of this pack, Arthur didn't have any say in what went on wolf land. At least, that was what she believed from her lessons with Anna and the books she read.

Noah's gaze ran over her body as she pounded down the steps of her porch. She had asked him to wait while she changed. Meeting someone for the first time with dirt stained clothes wasn't a good move. First impressions and all.

"Are they here yet?" Lillian asked, slipping her hand into Noah's.

"Yes. Sean and Eva accompanied them to their cabin. Did the twins have lunch?"

"Yes, they'll be eating at Jennifer's," Lillian said. "But they'll probably join the rest of the pups wreaking havoc around the pack as soon as their bellies are full."

A small smile graced Noah's features at the mention of pups. Lillian let go of his hand and pressed against his side, wrapping her arm around his waist. He put his around her shoulders and slowed his steps.

The weather was pleasantly warm. The sun sneaked through the giant greens and toasted the forest ground with its beams. Lillian sucked in deep breaths and kept her mind firmly on the present moment, on its peacefulness and joy. It was such a simple thing, strolling in the forest, warm and fuzzy, with a man she liked. Maybe more than liked.

She hoped it would last, but knew that life had a way of throwing curve balls at the most unexpected moments. Instead of ruining the moment by worrying about what she couldn't control, she decided to immerse herself in its simple joy.

They met vigilant warriors on the way. She wouldn't have spotted them if Noah hadn't pointed them out to her.

Sooner than she liked, Noah squeezed her shoulder as they broke through the cover of trees. They had well gone beyond Noah's cabin, closer to the border, if she remembered correctly.

A small cabin was tucked under a mammoth evergreen.

It looked empty at first glance. But as Lillian and Noah approached, a man opened the door and stepped outside.

Lillian's muscles locked, pulling Noah into a stop, too.

Darkness.

That was the word that came to Lillian's mind, and that was even before the man raised his eyes and met hers. Air suddenly thinned, and Lillian's heart slowed to a stop before racing like the hounds of hell chased it.

Lillian had met vampires, witches and werewolves so far. This person was... nothing. Her senses either didn't work on him, or they refused to even touch his presence.

Standing in front of a hurricane, waiting to be swallowed by its enormous power, must feel exactly like this.

Lillian broke eye contact first, and her lungs worked again. Noah squeezed her shoulder. His presence beside her was the only reason she didn't tuck her tail and run.

Even now, with her gaze firmly elsewhere, Lillian could feel the vortex of the man's power. Noah urged her forward, and she complied, chancing her gaze at the man again. She was relieved to find he was no longer looking their way. Now that Lillian could take his measure in relative peace, she was surprised to see he was impressively tall, perhaps taller than even Noah, which she'd thought was impossible.

Broad-shouldered, dark-haired and dark-eyed with handsome features, he should've been pleasant to look at. And he was, if you liked looking at natural disasters and weapons of mass distraction. Fascinating, yet deadly.

Lillian suddenly wondered about the woman who could call this man her mate. She must be impressive.

Arthur sat down in a chair on the porch. It should've made him less scary but it only made him look like a lion at rest. A feminine voice broke through the quiet of the woods.

"Is that Noah?"

A woman stepped out of the cabin.

Lillian blinked.

Out of everything she had expected, it was not this.

The woman who grinned at Noah stood at barely five-feet two, maybe a little taller. Her hair was a short blonde bob, the strands silky and feathery, dancing to an inexistent breeze.

Dressed in a black leather jacket and cargo pants, a sword hung at her hip and several sheaths strapped to her thighs and ankles. She looked ready to go to war.

But it was her face that took Lillian's breath away.

Immortals healed quickly. For a wound to leave scars, it had to be particularly grotesque and caused by silver. The woman's pale skin was marred with countless scars, old and new. The biggest one crossed her temple and her cheek, a pink line standing out sharply against her pale coloring.

And she was wearing a black eye patch, complete with a skull and bones drawing on the black material. Well, she definitely had a sense of humor. The other eye was a bright green. Lillian blinked. The eye almost seemed to give off its own light.

The woman, who must be Elle, grinned and skipped down the steps and towards them. She was fast. "Noah, you ass!" she said, punching Noah's shoulder. "Why didn't you come visit?"

Noah grunted. "I could say the same about you."

"Hey!" She put her hands on her hips. "You can't say that to someone who's still recovering."

"How is your eye?"

"It's almost there, but it's not fully healed yet so it's gross. I'm wearing this to spare you all the sight. Only Arthur gets to see the half-finished eyeball."

Arthur stood and padded down the steps. "My love, try not to scare off the human."

Elle's green eye swung Lillian's way as Arthur stopped beside his mate. Lillian had to work hard not to step back. "She's not scared," Elle said. "I keep telling you that humans are a lot tougher than you give them credit for."

Lillian blinked. It was the very first time someone had said such a thing. She remembered someone saying Elle had lived as a human. "Did you live with humans?" Lillian asked.

"Yep, for years," Elle said, her smile twinkling.

"Lillian!"

Lillian looked at the familiar blonde vampire waving at her from the cabin's door, a tray containing five mugs held in her other hand. Lillian smiled, if it wasn't for the mountain of a vampire lord standing between her and the cabin, Lillian would've ran to hug Amanda.

Fortunately, Arthur and Elle invited them to the porch, where three chairs sat unoccupied. By silent agreement, the women sat down, Amanda between Lillian and Elle. Noah leaned against the wall next to Lillian, while Arthur leaned against the railing.

"Arthur, please," Amanda said. The tray she'd been holding left her hands and floated in the air. Lillian's eyes widened. The tray made the round, each one of them taking a mug, before the tray floated into the cabin.

Well, then.

Lillian sipped the drink without even tasting it. She was still reeling from the sheer power of Arthur, the darkness that he seemed to barely reign in.

Even Elle, as smiling and small as she was, was a power in her own right. Her magic tasted of something unique. It held a small sprinkle of something vampiric, but other than that, it was a fiery beast.

Lillian remembered the fire in Maine in the news about a year ago, the massive blue flames and the crater it had left behind. To think that this slight woman was the source of it was mind-boggling.

"Where's Harvey?" Noah asked.

"Busy prepping for the Council," Amanda said. "Arthur has him doing the most enjoyable of tasks."

Her words dripped with sarcasm. Arthur smiled, and a chill ran down Lillian's spine. He raised his mug to Amanda. "Perks of being in charge."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "On another note, Noah, Harvey said you're interested in what Venus found about the hex in Santos' mind." Amanda turned to Lillian. "Six months ago, we captured someone whose mind was hexed, just like Galvin's mind was."

"You think the person who cast the hex might be the same."

"It is the same person," Elle said, standing up. "Venus confirmed as much, the patterns of the hex are too similar to indicate otherwise."

Elle let go of her mug. It floated next to her as she jumped to perch on the railing. Leaning her elbow on her mate's shoulder, she plucked her mug from the air.

"Venus has a name," Amanda said. "Blazius."

"Blazius..." Noah mumbled. Lillian looked up to find him frowning in thought.

"I didn't know if you'd remember," Elle told Noah. "You were basically passed out then. But when we were kidnapped, Rami came with a man called Blazius. Unfortunately, he was one of the people who'd managed to escape before help arrived back then.

"Anyway, I remembered Rami saying something about the guy's experiments. I have no idea what that means, but..."

"Elle's mother was a genius in magic and spells," Amanda said. "Her work was the basis on which the gate scheme was built."

"Mother?" Lillian asked, wide-eyed.

"Yep, my mother." Elle raised her mug in toast. "She died giving birth to me, but she definitely left us enough headaches to remember her."

Despite the flippant words, Lillian could see hints of pain in Elle's eyes.

"Anyway, Blazius used her work for his supposed experiments," Elle continued. "But she has so many theories and spell works that we could only guess what those experiments were. He did ask for unmated female wolves, though. So that narrows down the pool of research."

"We think it might have something to do with breeding. The kidnapped females all confirmed they'd been put under at some point, and there were traces of physical assault and drugs in their systems," Amanda said. "Until we find Blazius or more clues to point us to the right direction in her mother's work, we can only guess."

"Did Rami say anything? Does he know anything?" Noah asked.

"Rami is barely lucid these days," Arthur said. "But I did have Mariano look into his mind. Blazius must have been careful in sharing details of his work with others, because the witch knows very little."

"Are you going to share this with the Council?" Noah asked.

Elle snorted. "No way."

"Why?" Lillian asked. "I mean, isn't the Council responsible for running things and keeping order? Why not share information with them?"

"The High Council is nothing but a formality to keep the peace between different immortal races," Noah said. "But it's composed of power-hungry immortals, and we have no idea how they might use the information."

"Politics." Elle raised her mug in another toast. "Humans aren't the only ones who have them."

Arthur looked to the side and chuckled. Lillian blinked. It was an unexpectedly warm sound. "I believe we have little spies."

Noah sighed and straightened. "Pups," he explained to Lillian. "They must be curious."

Noah left the porch and approached the line of the woods. Lillian and Amanda stood up to get a better look. Near the shadows of the tree line, a swarm of pups surrounded a tall man. Lillian recognized the outline of a young warrior called Zack.

Lillian would bet her two little hellions were at the forefront of that gaggle. Noah reached the wolves and crouched down. It was too far for her hearing to catch anything, but the immortals with her didn't have the same handicap. They all chuckled as one.

"They're adorable," Amanda said, a smile warming her voice.

As she watched, Noah stood up and the band of trouble makers and their babysitter retreated.

Noah shook his head when he joined them back. "The warrior couldn't keep them in the pack. They were too curious."

"Was that Zack with them?" Lillian asked.

Noah nodded. Lillian snorted. "I bet he was curious, too."

Noah smiled. "Probably."

Elle gasped and pointed a dagger at Noah. Lillian's brows shot up. When in the world did she take it out. Her hand was empty a second ago. "Is that a smile?" Elle said. "Who are you and what have you done with Noah?"

Lillian chuckled. "He is grumpy."

"To say the very least," Elle said. She and Lillian exchanged a smile.

Noah growled. "You two shouldn't have met."

Amanda laughed. "Oh, I knew you two would get along. On another note, I would love to see the twins, Lillian. I did promise to come visit again, after all."

Lillian smiled. "Of course. They'd be happy to see you again."

"Hey, I want to see wolf pups, too," Elle said, jumping to the ground. "Can I come see your pack, Noah?"

"You're not going anywhere on your own," Arthur said.

Elle turned to her mate, her brow raised. She poked his side with the dagger, and Lillian could see the tip of the blade cutting through the vampire lord's clothes. "Excuse me, your lordship?"

Noah glanced at Arthur. Lillian knew he didn't want the vampire lord anywhere near the heart of the pack. It was mostly a matter of his instincts screaming at him to keep the bigger threat away from the pack's vulnerables.

Lillian raised her brows. Anna did want to meet Arthur, and the rest of the pack, too, were curious about them. It was only a matter of time before more members ventured closer. It was better to have them meet Arthur and Elle under their watch.

Noah must have come to the same conclusion, because he sighed. "Why don't you all come? A few pack members wanted to meet you anyway. Arthur is something of a celebrity."

Elle laughed, twirling the dagger dangerously. "Hey, your fan base extends to werewolves, your lordship."

Lillian didn't know how Elle didn't whither under Arthur's dark look. She actually laughed. Lillian suppressed a shudder. She definitely had great respect for Elle.

"Are you sure about this, Noah?" Arthur asked, fixing Noah with his dark gaze.

"Yes."

Arthur held out his hand. Noah clasped the vampire's forearm, Arthur did the same. It seemed to Lillian it was more than an odd handshake.

"Awe, look at you two, being best buddies and all," Elle said.

Arthur let go of Noah's forearm, reached over, and tugged a lock of Elle's golden hair. She turned her head to bite him, but he swiftly removed his hand.

Leaving the cabin empty, they made their way to the pack village.

"By the way, Noah. Harvey told me about the White Stag," Elle said. "That's why you want to see the Seer, right?"

Noah glanced over his shoulder at Lillian. He was walking in front with Arthur. "Yes."

"Hmm. Do you think that maybe the Seer's words six months ago were about you?"

Lillian frowned. "What words?"

"Shortly after we rescued her, the Seer said something about the wolf claiming the unborn woman," Elle said. "It could be about you two."

Lillian wrinkled her nose. She was pretty much born, otherwise she wouldn't be alive. "What does that even mean?"

Elle shrugged. "Who the hell knows? Maybe she misspoke? Though I don't see it happening."

"Asking the Seer would be the easiest way to tell," Amanda said. "Unfortunately, she's not well. Most days she doesn't even remember who she is."

Poor woman. Lillian wondered what the Seer had been through to lose herself that way.

"I was thinking," Elle said, looking around. "Maybe we should take her away from Arthur's island for a while."

"Someplace like this would do her some good," Amanda nodded. "Away from people and expectations."

"There are some cabins on the edge of my territory," Noah said. "She's welcome to stay there. It will be safe since it's inside the borders, but far enough away from the village that no one will bother her."

"You're a good man, Noah," Elle said, but her eyes were on her mate, whose growl was as threatening as a wolf's.

Elle's grin widened. She winked at Lillian, and the latter understood that Elle enjoyed needling her mate using Noah.

Any flicker of jealousy Lillian might have felt toward Elle vanished when faced with the other woman's charms. It was difficult not to like Elle.

They were within sight of the pack village when Elijah and Ezra sprinted their way. Lillian's eyes widened. Arthur was between her and the boys. She didn't think he'd actually hurt them, but she didn't feel good about it all the same. Lillian swallowed her fear when Noah plucked the twins from the ground and held them to his shoulders.

The twin's wide blue eyes were trained on Arthur. The vampire lord looked back, his gaze impassive.

Elle ran to her mate, her side pressing to his. A look passed between them.

"Mommy! A pirate!" Elijah said, pointing his small finger at Elle. She needed to have a conversation with them about pointing. Lillian stopped next to Noah and tweaked Elijah's nose.

Elle bared her teeth and growled, playfully. In a deep voice, she said, "Is it your first time meeting a pirate, wolf?"

She made claws with her hands and reached for them. Elijah and Ezra squealed and wiggled in Noah's grasp. He let them go and they came to hide behind Lillian's legs. That's when they noticed Amanda.

"Aunt Amanda!"

"Did you bring cookies?"

Amanda laughed and crouched down to pepper the twins with kisses. Lillian happened to glance at Arthur. Her breath caught. The darkness that yawned in his gaze pressed a heavy weight on Lillian's chest, restricting her breath in a painful way. How could someone stand so much sorrow?

Arthur looked at her and raised an imperial brow. Lillian looked away. With the twins' cheerful company, they continued their way inside the pack.

Noah stifled a sigh. It seemed all the pack members suddenly had something to do outside. The adults watched Arthur and Elle with gazes not so different from the pups'.

Noah led the way into the pack house and outside, in the outdoor dining area. As expected, the pups trained behind them.

It was unusual for one of the Five to be seen in the middle of a wolf pack. Wolf packs were one of the most insular communities in their world; some wolves could spend decades, if not centuries, without setting sight on one of the Five.

Even Arthur seemed to be taking in everything with a curiosity Noah never saw the other man display. Noah hoped he hadn't made a mistake by inviting Arthur into the heart of his pack. But he had to learn to trust. He was certain Arthur would never hurt a child. And he was a man of honor, he wouldn't use his stay in the pack to do anything ill-devised.

Also, Elle was fond of Noah, and Noah would take advantage of that fact in ensuring the vampire lord's alliance.

They all sat down around a bench table near the edge of the trees. Dinner was still hours away, but the dining area was suddenly busy.

Lillian next to him laughed softly. She leaned closer and whispered. "Is dinner going to be served early today?"

Noah smiled. Anna was the first brave soul to venture closer. Bright-eyed and determined, she plopped down next to Lillian who introduced her.

"A boy or a girl?" Amanda asked with a smile. "If you don't mind me asking."

"A boy." Anna smiled. "He's ready to pop any day now."

"Where's Johnson?" Lillian asked the question in Noah's mind.

"He's on patrol. Otherwise he would be standing over my shoulder."

Elle's eyes flickered to Anna's protruding belly. Arthur shifted in his seat, pressing his side to hers.

The couple's history made children a sensitive topic. Pups were the heart of every pack, they were the point around which everything revolved. Noah didn't know how anyone could live without the possibility of nurturing small lives. Even worse...

Noah shook his head and focused on his current company. Anna was pelting Arthur with questions about times long gone.

"I have an idea," Amanda piped in. "Why doesn't Arthur tell the story of the Origins to the pups. I'm sure they'll be glad to hear it from someone who'd been around back then."

Lillian choked on her breath. Elle laughed and patted Arthur's hand on the table. "Yes. He's an old man, I know."

"Oh, I didn't..." Lillian began, her cheeks coloring.

Arthur chuckled, tugging on a lock of Elle's hair. She swiped his hand away. "Stop, you cradle-robber."

Lillian bit back her laugh. Noah smiled. She'd need time to get used to the dynamics of the other couple's relationship.

Arthur agreed to Amanda's suggestion. And that's how they found themselves surrounding Arthur after the night fell.

A bonfire was lit in the village, and Arthur sat, cross-legged on the ground, wolves making a half circle around him. It wasn't just the pups who were interested. Some sat on chairs, others plopped on the ground. Noah felt a sense of rightness, his wolf at peace at the sight of his pack members nearby, safe and sound.

Noah sat to the side, leaning against a tree, Lillian pressed to his side and the twins on their laps. Rolland, the pack's cook, had juveniles distributing steaming coffee and hot chocolate drinks.

Fire licked the air with crackling orange tongues. Light and shadow battled for room on Arthur's face. Darkness won. He looked more like the mythical creature that he was in the minds of so many.

"So you never heard the Story of Origins," Elle asked Lillian. Elle was sitting nearby with Amanda, both on chairs.

"Not yet. The twins heard it before me, I'm afraid."

"That's a story we grow up hearing," Elle said. "But it always sounds more convincing coming from Arthur, since he was around back then."

Lillian glanced at Noah. "Aren't you going to tell me how old you are, yet?"

Amanda laughed. "He's probably waiting until it's too late for you to change your mind."

Noah decided to take pity on her. "I'm thirty five."

"Oh. Well, at least that's reasonable." She glanced at Elle with a smile. "No offense."

Elle grinned. "None taken. I know Arthur is an old fart."

A dagger cut the air, flying straight to Elle. It stopped inches from her cheek, hovering in the air. Lillian sucked in a sharp breath. Elle caught the dagger, sticking her tongue at her mate.

Lillian's brows shot up. She leaned towards him and whispered. "Are they always so..."

"Violent?" Noah offered with a small smile. Lillian made a face. "In a way, yes. It's their way of teasing each other."

"I understand where you're coming from, though," Elle said, replying to Lillian's query. She threw the dagger in the air and caught it. "It might be difficult to understand from a human's perspective, but immortals are often raised with very little concept of time and age, except when it relates to power."

The juveniles distributing the drinks finished their round and settled at the back of the small crowd.

Arthur took a sip of his drink and put the mug on the ground next to him. He took a deep breath, and magic seemed to suffuse every particle around them, drenching his words with power.

"It all started with a gate."

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M.B.