Walker's pace was just as fast as the Rager's and he kept up with them even through the storm. He jumped as high as Evans and climbed the trees to get a better look down into the valley.

All he could see was her face pleading for him to return. Who would take care of her if he didn't come back? Would they finally kill her? Whoever "they" were? Would she pine for him? Was he really her mate?

It didn't matter—she wouldn't be blessed and she'd go on without him, but she wouldn't be happy.

That shredded his heart to pieces—he wouldn't be able to live without her,either.

And she'd forgiven him. How could she be so merciful? So gracious?

When they finally reached the valley, it was pure carnage.

"Fucking hell," Evans panted when he shifted back, "What the fuck happened here?"

Surrounded by wolves and knowing the signature bite barks and kill techniques from his kind, Waller sure he'd make it out alive, but he stood tall when they sniffed him and growled.

The bodies of their kin were torn to bits and strewn every which way to Sunday. Women, children...it didn't matter. His stomach turned when he focused on a little girl with auburn hair—she couldn't have been more than six.

"There's no one alive," Metgar said, "Not one was spared."

Walker knelt down next to the little girl and took her hand in his. He watched their healers do the same to others—they had to try something—anything to save them.

"There's no use. They're gone."

Walker held the little girl in his arms and felt her warmth against him.

She looked like a miniature Roxie—and he felt this child could have easily been a replica of what his beloved looked like when she was a little girl.

"She's dead, asshole," Evans snarled, "You'll help us with them."

But he breathed into her—somehow there was a light thud in her neck and as a vampire, he could see right through her to the vein.

"She's alive..."

"What?" Evans rushed over to him.

"I've got to get her to Jenny," Walker said as he held on to the little girl, racing back to the village.

It reminded him of the first time he ever held his mouse on the track at school:

"Ow, fuck.."

Watching her fall to the ground didn't bring him the pleasure he thought it would. Walker stepped closer on the track and sighed, "You always this fucking clumsy?"

"Shut up.." Roxie mumbled as she sat on her bottom, a pain shooting through her foot.

"Are you hurt?"

"Do you care?"

"Not really," Walker shrugged, as he inched closer, "Did you twist your ankle?"

Roxie looked up at him as he crouched down, "I think so."

"Then you need to hobble to the nurse, I suppose."

"Yeah," Roxie mumbled, "I suppose.." She tried to get up, but the pain was too much.

Walker huffed and leaned into her, scooping her up in one swift motion.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Roxie yelped, instinctively wrapped her around his shoulders, "Walker.."

Walker didn't talk—he didn't look at her when he walked her to the nurse's station and he left her there before the nurse answered the door. He held a finger up to her lips before she could thank him.

"Shut it. This is between you and me."

And then he was gone.

Cradling the young girl to him, Walker eventually made it to the infirmary where Jenny was waiting with Roxie to administer healing.

Roxie's eyes lit up when she saw her lover, but she gasped at the sight of the little girl.

"Marlena?!" Jenny shrieked, "Bring her to the table!"

Walker took Marlena to the triage table and placed her on it gently. He watched in awe as Roxie and Jenny took care of the little girl—a healing he couldn't perform.

"You do have some cleric in you," Jenny told Roxie, "It hasn't awakened yet, but it will."

Walker lingered in the doorway, watching as they worked miracles on little Marlena.

"Are they all..." Jenny began, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Waning Moon pack is gone—save for little Marlena."

Jenny sobbed, but she continued healing. What else could she do?

"I will be right back," Roxie said, motioning for Walker to follow her into the hallway.

"Don't ask, mouse. I don't know.."

"It was us, though, wasn't it?"

"I don't know who else it could be, but I don't think they counted on Marlena to survive," Walker said as Roxie embraced him, "I have to go back. I gotta help them..."

"Can we trace the steps? Is there any way for us to,-"

"They've hidden themselves. Bound us somehow...I'll call Niles in to see if he can read Marlena. I am sure they've sent out trackers."

"We have," Corey said, appearing behind them, "Let's go, pretty boy."

Walker gritted his teeth. He guessed he deserved to be talked down to with how he treated the mutts all those years.

"Stop it," Roxie whispered, "All of us need to calm down and learn to live together in peace."

"And now who's spying?" Walker leaned in and kissed her, pulling away before he decided against going.

Roxie watched as he and Corey rushed off—the rising sun was creeping up over the mountains and she could see some of the fires starting up outside on the hilltops looming in the distance.

"The witches will soon be here."

"I don't know why you just can't tell us," Roxie said, walking with Jenny back into the room and tending to Marlena, "Would they know who did this?"

"The witches won't get involved."

"They seem shady to me."

"Yet you've sold to them?"

"You worked with them?"

"Touche..." Jenny cleaned Marlena with a sponge on the fleshy parts that were exposed, making sure to cut off her dress and place a small nightgown on her, "I hate this for her."

"Who were her parents?"

"Alpha Ben and Luna Lori," Jenny said, "This is the work of vampires, but what the hell were the Waning Moon pack doing in the valley?"

"Were they coming this way?"

"Yes," a voice boomed behind them. Metgar stood there in all his glory, looming in the doorway and glaring at Roxie, "It appears as though they were, but were caught off guard."

"Go to the witches then," Roxie scowled, "They have the high ground. They must have seen something."

Jenny smiled, "She's right, ya know. Maybe the,-"

"We're tracking ourselves," Metgar snarled, "I just wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about in the camp. You?"

Roxie raised her eyebrows, "Me?"

"Two vampires in my camp? Like I need this bullshit."

Jenny shook her head, "We brought them here. The next few weeks are vital."

"Vital?" Roxie frowned, "For who?"

"For your survival."

Walker watched as the men began carrying bodies back to the camp.

"We burn them and scatter them to the winds," Evans said as they loaded bodies into the back of a few pick up trucks, "You'll be first in line to watch."

"I didn't do this," Walker snapped as he placed another small child into the truck bed, "I would never slaughter innocent people."

"Oh?"

"Don't even. You want to start talking about innocent people than we can talk about Steven Reynolds."

"He was on our turf, starting shit."

"He didn't even drink..he wasn't fucking one of your women..he was there to help with the construction of a home..to get an estimate and you killed him. You and your nasty ass mutts killed my mate's father for no reason. You'd better be glad you're still alive."

Evans growled, but he thought about Jenny. There was no reason to fight the bloodsucker when he was the only blood she had left.

"I wasn't even there," Evans confided, "Neither was Corey or any of us..."

"Who the hell was then?"

"Get moving! Storm's rolling in again!" Someone called.

Walker smirked, "You assholes sure do like to cover shit up."

"You'll be eating your words soon," Evans said, "Get in the fucking truck."

Silence enveloped as they piled into the cab, Walker glancing up one last time at a mountain ledge where some witches stood.

"Don't even acknowledge them," Corey said as Walker looked away, "It's better that way."

"For who you or me?"

"Yes."

Back at the camp, Walker found Roxie again, still sitting with Marlena as Jenny and the other villagers gathered around the pile of bodies, ready to be read their last rites from the village shaman and bound to the other world.

"I can't believe this happened," Roxie whispered as Marlena still lie in a deep sleep, "Who would do this? It can't be us."

Walker sat down next to her and sighed, placing a hand on hers.

"I can't say for sure," Walker said, "I know what it looks like when.."

Roxie squeezed his hand, "I know..."

They sat in silence for a while, both thinking about their future, Marlena's future and the secrets that would come out sooner or later. What would happen to them then?

"You saved her," Roxie said, softly.

"She looks like you—she looks like..." Walker stopped himself.

"I know..." Roxie said, smiling.

"She looks like our daughter."