"She's got no one," Jenny said as the next morning rolled around and Marlena was still in her healing slumber.

"No family anywhere?" Roxie asked, "Was the Waning pack small?"

"Yes, it was," Jenny frowned, "I don't have a clue why'd they be coming this way. This wouldn't even be the way to another home for them. They were nomadic—going from place to place."

"Maybe they needed shelter?"

"Maybe..but there are packs all over the place and they would have passed them..."

Evans came in, followed by Walker who'd been out tracking all morning.

"She'll stay with us," Evans told Jenny, "We can care for her."

Jenny smiled, "I thought you'd say that so I already brought her some clothes and toys. I don't know how to tell her about her parents..."

Metgar barged in behind Evans and Walker, "You get that child up now. We need to know what she knows."

"I will not," Jenny shook her head, "She's healing."

"As your Alpha.."

Jenny narrowed her eyes, "As your healer, I will not let you bully me. I know how you feel about me and my barely one percent of vampiric blood, but I will heal this girl completely before you take a stab at her. Can you even imagine what she's been through?"

Roxie looked to Walker who waved her over to him and out into the hall.

"Don't go far," Evans muttered, "We have a lot to do."

Roxie and Walker paced the halls for a while, talking about what would happen if they found out who murdered off the Waning Pack. There were heavy repercussions, but it depended on who it was and why.

"They're taking her in?" Walker asked, "That's kind of them."

Roxie smiled, "They don't have children and Marlena needs a home now...a loving home. I think she'll get it with Evans and Jenny."

"Evans? Loving?"

"Walker..."

"I'm sorry. I don't see him as the fatherly type."

"You didn't see yourself as the fatherly type until you saw our future."

"She's waking up," Jenny said, peeking her head out the door.

Roxie smiled, "Listen, we'll be right out here. The two of you need to be there with her—not us."

Jenny nodded as Evans stood protectively behind her, glaring at Walker.

Metgar joined Walker and Roxie in the hallway. He was half-tempted to kick them out of the village, but Jenny was too attached to the idea that she'd have a brother in Walker.

"The two of you need to understand that this doesn't look good—not good at all."

Walker narrowed her eyes, "You think we want to be here, Metgar? I'd gladly leave with my girl if I knew what the fuck was happening. You know, though. Why aren't you saying anything? I swear if this is a trap, I'll take this pack out and,-"

"Walker.." Roxie stood between the two men who'd stepped closer to one another, "We need to stop this. Maybe Marlena can tell us something when she wakes up. Did the pack have any enemies?"

Metgar frowned, "I don't think so. I mean, they were peaceful—nomadic and giving."

"Could this be because of me?" Roxie asked, softly, "Please tell me why this is happening. If someone was hurting me and then hurting them...?"

Evans stood behind Metgar now and nodded, "It could be connected."

"You said you had nothing to do with the death of Steven," Walker intercepted, "What did you mean?"

Metgar shot Evans a look and the young wolf lowered his gaze.

"Fuck!" Walker threw his hands up in the air, "How are we supposed to know what the hell is going on if we aren't told?!"

"We don't know all of it, either," Metgar told them, "The witches are more involved than even we knew. Your father was just an unlucky bastard who got in the middle of something he shouldn't have."

"Like what?" Roxie asked, "Was he doing something wrong at work?"

Metgar glanced at Walker and back at her, "Archibald Wells...that son of a bitch is behind a lot of things in that town, my dear. Maybe you should ask your mate if he thinks anything suspicious orbits his father."

Roxie turned to Walker, "Walker?"

Walker glared at Metgar, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You've got some ideas."

"Ideas and knowing are totally different."

Evans smiled, "So? Wanna fill your woman in on those ideas?"

Roxie's eyes begged for Walker to at least give her something to go on.

"I don't know...I don't think Steven was...We don't.."

"Go on! Tell her!" Evens growled, "Tell her why the battle lasted less than ten minutes. Tell her why you didn't fight that hard for the life of Steven Reynolds!"

"Fuck you, Evans."

"Fuck me?" Evans smiled, "Oh, I think you need to tell our little miss sunshine here what her father was up to at your house most days of the week."

Roxie trembled. She turned to face Walker, her hands cupping his face.

"Tell me what is happening here."

Walker gazed down at her, his heart breaking, his mind not at all understanding what he had to do for his father at 16 or why.

"Steven was sleeping with my stepmother."

Roxie's face fell, her eyebrows furrowed and her fangs protruded, "What are you talking about?"

Walker pulled away from her as Evans and Metgar lingered a few feet behind.

"Your father was having an affair with my stepmother."

"You're lying. My parents were mated. He wouldn't have done that.."

"Well, he was sleeping with her, Roxie," Walker said, "I know because I caught them."

"What?" Roxie shuddered, "When?"

"About six months after you moved to Myrtle."

"What does this have to do with his death?" Roxie was feeling sick. This couldn't be happening. He was mated to her mother—your mate didn't cheat on you.

"I don't know...My father sent him to these mutts and then he was killed."

"But two years later?"

"He didn't know..."

"I don't get it."

"I didn't tell him!" Walker whirled around, his body now flush with hers, "I didn't want him hurt—or you—or your mother."

"Then...how? Did your father find out?"

"If he did, he's never told me," Walker shrugged, "All I know is that Steven was supposed to be drunk and hitting on the mates of the Rager men which set off all sorts of arguing and push came to shove."

"Lies...that's a lie!" Roxie screamed, turning to face Metgar, "And what's your play in this?"

"Archibald said a man was coming over to Echo and to watch out for him."

"He was called into work!" Roxie said, turning back to Walker, "By your father!"

Her eyes turned amethyst and her nostrils flared.

"Did you know that?" Roxie sobbed, "Did your father send my father to his death?"

Metgar sighed, "The Ragers who had a hand in your father's death are long gone—fled the town two years ago. We haven't even been able to track them."

"That makes no sense!" Roxie's heart was pounding wildly in her chest, "None of this makes sense! My father would never betray my mother, but you...Walker, you needed to tell me this!"

"I didn't know how. I wasn't sure if my dad was involved or not...Maybe I didn't want to believe he was, but I promise you that Steven was having relations with Maddy and I never even told her that I saw them. I didn't want them hurt, I swear to the gods!"

"Why doesn't your father get rid of Maddy then?"

"Prospects. She's got the title, the money, the family line...he can't lose that."

"But he could get rid of my dad..." Roxie's tears welled up in her hazel eyes as Jenny stepped out of the room where Marlena was no wide awake, "I have to go..."

"No," Metgar grabbed her arm, but Walker pushed him off.

"Don't fucking touch her—ever!"

Evans held up his hands, "Let's go see what Marlena knows—Roxie, you go get some air. You need it."

Walker was about to walk away with his woman when Evans blocked him, "Not you."

"Get out of my way, asshole."

"Your family's done enough damage, don't you think?" Evans tilted his head, "In the room. Now."

Walker watched as Roxie rushed off and out into the open air of the courtyard. He begrudgingly entered Marlena's room, desperate to find out what she knew, but also needing to be with Roxie.

Roxie paced the village for a few minutes, not understanding anything Walker told her. Did her mother know? Why did Walker not tell her? Who else knew? Was Archibald really to blame? Was he trying to kill her? Was Walker really in love with her or stringing her along?

It took her by surprise when she found herself deep in the woods before realizing that it was getting late and she needed to turn back.

"Leaving so soon, Roxie?"

"Huh?" Roxie turned around, but saw no one.

"Kinda out of your little wolf village, but then again, you're a long ways away from your den..."

"Where are you? Who are you?"

She heard the cackling surrounding her and her eyes focused on one shadow, but she couldn't make out the figure.

"What do you want?" Roxie asked, "Are you going to show yourselves?"

"In due time," another voice announced, "We just wanted to come see you for ourselves."

"W-why?"

"Oh, darling, if you only knew how much power you have inside of you..."

"Well, let me know!"Roxie yelled, "The run around is killing me! I need answers! I need to know who I am and what happened to my father!"

The larger shadow stepped out from behind the tree and smiled her brightest smile.

"Witches.."

"In the flesh..." The woman said, "Now, what is it you want to know? The demise of your father? The power you have? The mate ball?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes! All of it!" Roxie sobbed, "I..."

"Then come with us," Another voice said, "We'll share all that you need to know."

"But I thought you weren't coming for a few weeks..."

"Oh, we witches can change our minds, dearie..."

"ROXIE!!" Walker called from a distance, "ROXIE!!!!

"Take me with you!" Roxie begged, "I need to know everything."

"ROXIE! WHERE ARE YOU?" Walker's voice grew closer, "ROXIE!!!"

"ROXIE!!" Evans voice boomed, "COME ON OUT NOW!!"

"ROXIE!" Jenny was running with them, "ROXIE! STAY WHERE YOU ARE!!"

Walker, Jenny and Evans made it to the spot where Roxie's scent stopped.

"Shit.." Walker sighed, "Come on, little mouse, don't hide from me."

Sniffing the air, Jenny scowled, "She's not hiding from you, Walker. They took her."

"What?" Walker whirled around, "Who the fuck took her? The witches?"

Evans shifted back into human form before glancing at the markings on the ground and on the trees—ritual amulets hanging on the limbs.

"Not witches...." Evans sniffed, "Shapeshifters."

"What? What the hell are you talking about?" Walker reared up on Evans who took a step back, looking mildly defeated.

"Demons, Walker. That's who took her."