Lillian saw the glimmer of hope in Noah's eyes. His face lit up. How was it possible that she, a small vulnerable human, had that much power over him?

"We'll talk to Arthur about it," Noah replied, his hand on her waist. "Usually, the process of applying takes a long time, with several proceedings and screenings. But Arthur owes me a favor, so we'll go directly through him."

Lillian gave him a skeptical look. "I don't know about going directly to Arthur."

"Don't worry. He's a scary bastard, but his honor will make him repay the favor." Noah smiled. "Besides, Elle likes you."

And Arthur wouldn't do anything to make Elle upset. Lillian nodded.

Sean strode through the door then. He gave them a look, seeing their position. Lillian was sitting on her stool, Noah's long legs on either side of her and his hand on her waist.

"Take it to your room," he said, walking to the kitchen.

Lillian turned away from Noah and covered her face. How mortifying.

"I smell pancakes," Sean said.

"Lillian left you a plate in the oven," Noah said. "Not that you deserve it."

There was a pause. Lillian peeked through her fingers to find Sean taking his plate out of the oven with a grin.

"Of course I do. I'm her favorite brother." He peered at his brother. "You're in a good mood."

"Yes."

"Good. Then you'll be glad to know the alphas are in a meeting with the witches about the punishment. Your presence was requested."

Noah growled. "Benjamin is supposed to deal with that crap."

"Most of the other alphas are there, and Benjamin keeps trying to rip out Taro's throat," Sean said. "You're the only one who can reason with him."

"Hot-headed asshole," Noah mumbled, standing up. He kissed Lillian's temple before heading out.

Sean leaned on the counter, the plate in one hand and a fork in the other. He'd drenched the pancakes in chocolate. Lillian liked him a little bit more. He knew how to eat pancakes.

He cut through the stack with his fork and stabbed the pieces. "You guys are getting chummy."

Lillian chuckled. "Aren't we supposed to be getting chummy?"

"Hmm." Sean chewed on the massive bite thoughtfully before he replied. "You're good for him."

Surprised at the sincerity in his voice, Lillian took a while to form her own words. "I'm glad you think so. He's good for me, too."

"He always had to be strong for us, you know. Somewhere along the way, he became this unimpressionable rock the entire pack leans on," Sean said, looking out of the glass wall. "He had to harden himself to be a buffer between our father and the pack after..."

"After your mother died."

He cocked his head her way. "He told you."

Lillian nodded. Sean shook his head. "He never talks about it, about what happened." He smiled, and his eyes held a warmth Lillian wasn't used to seeing directed at her. "I'm glad he decided not to kill you."

Lillian was surprised into laughter. "Yeah, me too."

Sean frowned. Then his head whipped to the glass wall. Lillian felt a shiver run down her spine. Her heart started beating faster. The dense trees in the backyard revealed nothing but darkness to her human eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked Sean.

Sean put the plate and the fork on the island. Before he could take a step, the glass walls exploded.

Instinctively, Lillian covered her head with her arms, shards of glass raining over her. It took her a second to realize they were no longer alone in the house.

Sean was in front of her in a blink, throwing off a massive gray wolf who'd been heading straight for her. Lillian staggered back from the stool. Her mind blanked, all of Kate's lessons forgotten under the barrage of fear and shock as wolf after wolf jumped through the broken glass wall into the house. There were at least six of them.

Sean tried his best to stay between her and the werewolves, but there were too many even for him. Her shock broke when Sean let out a pained growl, his blood spraying the white island, the color so vivid it broke through Lillian's daze.

Her surroundings came into sharp focus again, sounds assaulting her ears. She picked up the knife she'd been eating with. It was a paltry defense against rogues, because that was what the wolves were. Sean kept her pressed between him and the island.

"Help is coming. Stay behind me!" Sean growled, his hands flashing with punches and jabs too fast for her human eyes to track.

But then he was gone in a blur.

Lillian looked to the side, where he'd been dragged by teeth. Four wolves were tearing into Sean like he was a rag doll. Sean shifted to his wolf in a crack of bones and growls.

Lillian had no time to see whether he was okay or not. The two other wolves were on her.

Pain.

She screamed at the stab of sharp teeth piercing her arm.

Lillian turned and dug her knife into the wolf's eye. It found its aim with a sickening wet sound. The wolf growled and flung her aside. Lillian hit the door, intolerable pain in her back and head, and dropped to the floor. Crack. Her lungs struggled to draw breath. Shapes and colors melded in her blurry vision.

Everything seemed to slow down. Something warm and sticky drenched her side. Her vision filled with fur and amber eyes. Jaws clamped on her leg and pulled. Another bit her shoulder. Dizzy, her vision dimming at the edges, she punched and kicked, but her movements were sluggish, pain dulling her senses.

Snarls, growls, gasps filtered through the ringing in her ears.

Lillian felt another searing pain in her middle, it blended with the agony taking over her body. Wolves filled her darkening sight. She could no longer control her body. She was being tossed and pulled like a piece of cloth. Her arms, her legs, her middle, her head. Everything hurt. God, it hurt so much.

Her heart beat a sluggish rhythm in her ears. Lillian was in a dream. It must be. She wished she could just wake up so the pain would stop.

It all happened so quickly. The entire attack took two minutes, maybe three. But by the time the wolves were pulled off her, darkness swallowed her whole. Lured by the promise of no pain, Lillian surrendered and let herself drown.

*** **** ***

Noah pulled Benjamin back for the third time since he joined the meeting. It was more of a gathering in the lobby of one of the buildings. Dark wood beams and walls and gleaming floorboards, the art pieces hung on the walls and wooden sculptures in the corners were wasted on the crowd of immortals standing around.

Most of the witches and the alphas were present. Benjamin was ready to tear into Taro's throat after the witch refused the second proposal of punishment the alphas had come up with.

Noah pulled him aside.

"You need to cool down," Noah told him, his voice pitched low.

Benjamin's eyes were a glowing amber fixed on Taro in a way that didn't bode well for the witch.

"That bastard is full of crap," Benjamin said. "You think with the amount of shit the witches were involved in over the last few years, Taro wouldn't be aware of anything? Come on."

"Look, as much as I would love the old days' justice to come back, the laws we have now worked for a reason. We must follow through with the system no matter how crappy we think it is," Noah said, glancing back at the witches. Taro was standing tall and proud, his chin tilted up, and he looked down upon the wolves as if they were lesser beings. He was the most self-righteous bastard Noah ever met. "But if you do decide to rip Taro to shreds, tell me and I'll help you."

Benjamin grinned, his eyes set on his prey. Taro glanced at him then. His features flickered with something akin to fear before he looked sharply away.

"Look, I-"

Noah didn't hear the last of Benjamin's words. His brother's mind link had him running out.

"We're under attack. Six rogues in the house!"

"Noah?!"

"Rogues!" Noah called back. Benjamin's steps followed him as he barreled through the gardens. His condo was at the opposite side of the compound. Noah ran like his life depended on it, because it did.

An echo of pain laced his arms, then exploded all over his body. His blood chilled. No. It couldn't be Lillian. She couldn't be hurt.

Buzzing in his pocket. His phone. Noah didn't have time to see who it was. The sound of growling and fighting reached his ears before he reached the building.

A group of immortals stood nearby. Noah barreled through the door and up the few steps to his condo. Vampires and witches stood outside his condo door. The scent of blood burned his nose.

"Move!" He growled, pushing through.

His heart dropped to his knees. Sean lay broken on the floor, a flurry of vampires surrounding him. He was in wolf form, limp near the shattered wall, yet his chest moved with labored breaths. Several other wolves were either dead or unconscious around the place. Rogues.

"The wolf will survive," a vampire strode from Sean toward Noah, his face set in grim lines. His eyes flickered to the side where four vampires surrounded a prone body on the ground.

No.

Noah was down on his knees beside Lillian in a blink. His heart pounded in his ears. He strangled back a cry at the sight of her broken body. Everything else disappeared. The vampires were saying something, but his senses were attuned to her.

Her body was set in a pool of blood, her arms and legs broken and bleeding. Crimson matted her brown hair and tainted her face. A dark stain plastered her shredded top to her midriff. Her pulse skittered in her neck, sluggish and barely there.

Growling, snapping. Red consumed his vision and his mind. A beast burst forward and his mind blanked.

Someone was calling him from far away. Noah was underwater. The voice was persistent. Slowly, his senses connected with his brain. Black threatened to drown him again. He resisted. He had something important to do. He had to come back to himself.

Lillian.

Her beautiful face flashed in his brain. Smiling blue eyes.

Noah came to with a snarl. His wolf raged inside him, reason threatening to slip between his fingers like sand.

Arthur's face filled his vision.

Pressed to the wall, Noah hovered inches over the ground, immobilized by an invisible hold.

Arthur was mere feet from him, his eyes ruthlessly dark. "Are you sane?"

Noah took a deep breath, the scent of blood coating his tongue. Still, he nodded. He needed to be sane. Lillian and his brother needed him to be sane.

Arthur's magic loosened his hold, and Noah dropped to his feet. His body felt all wrong, and he realized he was partly shifting. He pushed his wolf back. It was like trying to push a mountain.

We need to be sane. For her. For Lillian.

The thought helped. Noah's body returned to normal, his claws still present, his fangs still sharp and elongated, and fur still poking out of his skin. But it was the best he could do.

He was glad to notice it was only him, Arthur, Harvey, Amanda and a vampire he didn't recognize, in the house. And Lillian, still motionless.

"Sean?" Noah asked as he rushed to kneel by Lillian's side.

"Safe," Harvey said. "He's being treated. He'll live."

"She's unstable," the vampire Noah didn't recognize said, inspecting Lillian. The look he gave Arthur was a sucker punch to Noah's chest. "If you want, sire. Now is the time. She might not last longer."

"Noah?" Arthur asked.

Noah's clawed hands hovered over Lillian. Her chest barely rose with her breath. Lost. He felt lost. But he clung to reason and her stubborn heartbeat like a lifeline. He knew what must be done. He looked at Arthur. "Do it."

Arthur nodded and lowered himself to the ground. His teeth closed over Lillian's pulse and Noah had to fight the urge to pull him away. His chest shook with furious growls he could not control.

The scent of rogues made his brain work again. "Amanda," he said. "Can you please check on the twins."

She took her phone out and left the house.

Lillian's pulse quickened. Her eyes cracked open, slits of unfocused blue, and her breathing labored.

Arthur pulled back, a frown on his face.

"What is it?" Noah asked. "What's wrong?"

Arthur didn't reply. He took Lillian's hand and bit her wrist, his fangs sinking into the already bloodied skin. Noah held his breath. What was going on?

Amanda came back. "Safe," she said, putting Noah's mind at ease.

After several tense seconds, Arthur pulled back and shook his head, gently putting Lillian's hand aside. "It will not take."

"What do you mean, it will not take?"

"Her blood reacts like a shapeshifter's blood would to the venom," Arthur explained, his brows furrowed. "it doesn't have an effect on her."

"So she can't be turned?" Amanda asked, her voice catching. "But she's not a shapeshifter, she's human."

"Let me try," Harvey said and moved to Lillian's neck. Noah closed his eyes tightly. He couldn't bear to see this anymore. The helplessness was driving him insane.

"Nothing. Arthur's right," Harvey said, shattering Noah's hopes.

"Benjamin, you try," Arthur said.

Noah sucked in a sharp breath. He opened his eyes to meet Arthur's. Turning into a werewolf might kill her.

"She might die," Noah said, his voice barely recognizable.

"She will die if you don't do anything," the vampire, who must be a medic, said. He was pressing a thick gauze, already dripping with blood, to Lillian's thigh. "They cut her arteries. She has minutes. Less."

Noah stood up when Benjamin lowered himself next to Lillian. The vampire shredded Lillian's pant sleeve. Benjamin's jaws closed on Lillian's thigh, sharp canines spearing her skin.

Noah shut his eyes and growled, feeling his insides shred to pieces with every second that passed.

"Again," Arthur ordered. He sat down next to her again. If she could go through it, then so would he. Noah took Lillian's fragile hand and closed his eyes. Benjamin's snapping jaws and Arthur's orders as he guided the young alpha through the process twisted his gut.

He'd failed her. She was hurt and he could do nothing about it. He shouldn't have left her, even though Sean was with her.

Sean... the thought of his brother broken and motionless poured fire over his wounded heart. But Sean was a werewolf, he would survive. Lillian was human. A vulnerable human who could bleed to death in minutes.

A whisper of a sound.

Noah's eyes shot open, his face hovering over Lillian's a second before she blinked those blue eyes open. Benjamin was holding his wrist over Lillian's wound, bleeding into it and whispering words under his breath.

"Lillian?" Noah whispered.

"Noah." It was a croak of a sound, barely audible, but it sent Noah's heart into overdrive. "The... the twins."

"They're safe."

A tear escaped the corner of her eye and slid down her temple, turning pink with the blood on her face. She opened her mouth and struggled to get the next words out. "It hurts."

Someone slid a serrated knife along Noah's heart. He forced the words out. "You'll be fine. You'll live."

A whine escaped her throat, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Noah held her head. "Lillian? Lillian!"

Her eyes fluttered open. "I.. I'm..."

Her eyes were unfocused, and Noah noticed the way her body was heating up. He looked at Arthur. Arthur bent his head to Lillian's bleeding neck and took a deep whiff. He straightened and nodded, taking off the drenched gauze on her thigh. "Her body accepted the shift."

Amanda crumpled on the floor, hiding her face in her hands, and sobbed tears of relief. Noah had the urge to do the same. Harvey wrapped his arms around Amanda and whispered in her ear.

Benjamin wiped his mouth from Lillian's blood, his eyes a glowing amber.

"It's going to get difficult from this point onward," Arthur said, standing up. "The shift will happen over the next few hours."

Noah's eyes never left Lillian. He wiped a hand on her forehead. The gash on it slowly knitted itself.

She was going to shift. She was going to be a werewolf.

Noah didn't care if she would become an alien, as long as she lived.

Lillian was transferred to the backyard of the house. Amanda had laid a thick blanket on the grass with a pillow, and Noah deposited Lillian's frail body on it. The area had been cleared and the perimeter secured. The medic had bandaged her arms and legs so the bones would heal properly.

Noah knelt next to her and brushed his hand over her hair over and over again. Elle walked through the shattered glass wall and crouched next to him, her green eye on Lillian.

"She'll be fine," she said.

"Yes, she will." She was alive. As long as her heart beat, everything else could be sorted afterward.

Benjamin joined them, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. Amanda came with a rag and a pitcher of water. "I'll clean up the blood, if you don't mind."

Noah forced a nod. His wolf didn't want anyone close to her. But Noah had to force reason into the forefront of his brain. He couldn't lose control again.

She was alive.

Noah stuck close to Lillian while Amanda wiped off the blood as much as she could, then covered her up with a sheet.

She looked peaceful, as if she was merely asleep. She was still unusually pale, but her color looked slightly better than the death shade she'd been minutes before. A cool breeze whispered through the trees, the long firs and the building shading them from the sun's heat.

"How does the shift work?" Elle asked, sitting on the steps of the porch. Amanda came back from getting rid of the bloody rags and sat next to Elle.

"Just as a normal shapeshifter's," Arthur said, coming to stand behind Elle. "But slower."

"Slower means more pain," Noah mumbled.

"Are all first shifts painful, then?" Elle asked. "You guys shift for the first time as kids, right?"

"Around two years old," Noah replied. "But shapeshifter kids have more malleable bones compared to others. It helps the first shift be relatively painless."

"Half the humans whose bodies accept the Shift die during their first shift," Arthur said and Noah couldn't help his growl.

Elle looked up at Arthur with a glare. "You're not helping, your lordship."

"I'm simply stating facts." Arthur's eyes fixed on Lillian. "But I have a feeling she'll survive. There was something quite intriguing about her blood."

Noah rubbed his forehead. He had to get the fact that Lillian was about to endure a painful shift out of his head. Sean linked him right then, as if sensing his turmoil.

"Is she alright?"

Noah staggered from his relief. His brother was fine. "Yes. Are you?"

"I'm fine. I'll have to stay in the infirmary for a few hours. Doctor's orders." He hesitated. "I'm sorry. I couldn't protect her."

"Don't," Noah said. "You're both alive. That's all that matters. Rest."

"What about the rogues?" Elle asked.

"They attacked the house directly," Arthur said. Sitting down next to his mate, he stretched his long legs in front of him. "They sneaked through the main gate during the night. We got the recording. We found traces of blood magic on them. Something that helps with keeping their scents from being detected."

"But I could smell them," Noah said. "I still can."

"Whatever the magic does, it fades," Arthur said.

"It's safe to assume it's related to Galvin's mess," Elle said.

Noah frowned. "Do you remember the rogue attack on Lillian? We thought it was a distraction, that she'd been targeted by accident. What if she wasn't."

"It would make sense," Benjamin said. "Galvin had no idea about the attack on her. Considering the use of blood magic, it's safe to assume that the person Galvin is working with is the one who ordered the attack on her."

"Blazius," Elle said.

"Most likely," Arthur said. "The question is why?"

"What would a rogue attack achieve?" Noah thought out loud. "Death?"

"There are much easier and less messy ways to kill a human," Arthur said. "Whatever they wanted, it was not death."

"If not death, then..." Elle trailed off.

Amanda narrowed her eyes. "Shifting. They were trying to turn her. The pattern of the attack fits. They didn't go for the kill immediately. They bit her until she bled and kept attacking."

"So they were trying to turn her into a shapeshifter?" Benjamin asked. "Why? Why her, anyway? If they just wanted a human, there are a dime a dozen out there. Ones who aren't under the protection of a pack."

There were missing puzzle pieces. Elle and Arthur shared a look.

Noah focused on them. "What is it?"

"We'll talk afterward," Elle said. "Once she's up and about."

Noah's senses had been attuned to Lillian, so when her scent began changing, he noticed immediately. The fire and spring of her scent gained a sharp edge. He could almost smell the wolf in her. Almost.

"What about the rogues?" Benjamin asked. "The fact that they can work in such an organized manner? It doesn't make sense."

"Nothing about this makes sense. We're missing something."

After a few minutes, her pulse quickened. Noah hovered over her. Sweat beaded her forehead.

"It is beginning," Arthur whispered.

Lillian stirred, her breathing quickened. She opened her eyes, a blue so startling it seemed to glow in the shade.

"Noah," she croaked, looking confused.

"Yes. I'm here."

She reached for him, and paused, looking at her arm. "I-I feel weird."

Noah inched closer and slid her head on his lap, brushing her hair. She gave a small sigh and closed her eyes for a moment. Everyone watched with bated breaths.

"Are you in pain?" Noah asked.

"No, just uncomfortable." Her eyes shot open. "I remember... There were wolves. Sean? Is Sean okay?"

"Shh." He gently stilled her head when she moved as if to raise it. "Sean is fine. A little wounded, but he's okay."

"Okay." She swallowed, her eyes flickering around the others. They were still slightly bleary. "I'm thirsty. Can I have some water?"

Amanda rushed inside and came back seconds later. She handed him a cold tumbler with a straw. Lillian sucked in the water eagerly, her eyes turning more lucid.

"Okay," she said once she quenched her thirst. "Tell me what's happening?"

"You were badly injured. You were losing too much blood."

Blue eyes met his. "Am I turning into a vampire? Because blood still smells pretty disgusting right now."

Noah smiled and the other chuckled. He bent his head and kissed her cheek. "No, not a vampire."

"Oh." She blinked.

"The shift will start in a few hours," Arthur said, coming to crouch closer. "You'll feel it coming. You need to fight to stay alive."

Noah's hand tightened on her shoulder. Lillian met Arthur's gaze. "I'll fight. I want to live."

Arthur nodded and stood. "Then you'll live."

Arthur turned and left. Elle shook her head. "He's very comforting. You can see why I fell in love with him."

Lillian grinned. "Totally."

"Do you want to talk to the twins?" Noah asked.

After a second's hesitation, she shook her head. "No. I'll talk to them after I shift."

"After you shift."

Lillian grew hotter over the following few hours, and her scent grew sharper, more potent. He never thought she could smell any better. He'd been wrong.

She sat up, curled between his raised knees, her head on his chest. She drank water and devoured Amanda's sandwiches. Harvey came and went. Benjamin left. Elle stayed close by, along with Amanda. They all sat on the blanket, looking as if they were having a picnic with the drinks and plates of food nearby.

A perimeter of vampires surrounded the house and the backyard, out of sight. Far enough for privacy but close enough to intervene.

"Arthur is going through people left and right to find out how they got in," Elle said, stealing a grape from Lillian's plate and popping it in her mouth. "He's going to make the Council regret convening."

Noah rubbed Lillian's back. If it wasn't for Lillian, he would be out there joining him. He would very much like to rip someone to shreds.

Lillian was breathing more deeply, Noah noticed. He didn't say anything, but when she suddenly gagged, he pushed the plate of food away.

She buried her face in his chest. "How can you live with that strong a nose?"

"It'll take some time getting used to," Elle said. "But it's hella useful."

Lillian nodded, taking shallow breaths. It wasn't the only change in her over the following hours. As the sun rose higher and then traveled down toward the horizon, they stayed shaded by the building and the trees on the edge of the backyard. And Lillian grew more restless, tugging at her clothes.

"It's just us, if you want to strip."

Lillian glanced at him. "Um- no. I'm okay."

"I can leave if-"

"No!" she clutched his arm. "No, I'm fine. Don't go anywhere."

Noah kissed her hair and breathed out a sigh of relief. If she'd asked him to leave, he would've gone insane.

Amanda rambled on about the perks of having a good nose, trying to distract Lillian. Amanda herself looked like she needed comforting. She was very fond of Lillian, and Noah could see her fear of what was to come. Lillian listened, her face lighting up.

Then she frowned, shifting, restless. Amanda noticed. "What is it?"

Lillian shook her head. "Something is... something is inside of me."

--- ---- ---

Hello guys!

Sorry I'm a bit late today! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Also, Lillian as a werewolf! Yay!

Comment your thoughts, and don't forget to vote. I appreciate it.

Much love <3 <3 <3

M.B.