"I think I want Taylor and I to sleep in the pack house tonight," Adrianna said as she didn't dare to look me in my eyes as she held Taylor close to her in her arms against her chest.

"Why?" I questioned.

We were sitting in the pack house common area where I forbade anyone from disturbing us as I tried to calm Adrianna and get her back home.

"I don't feel safe with you right now Kaiden, I walk into the bathroom and I see you covered in blood with Vial's body at your feet and your eyes had a twinkle of gold in them, I don't know who you are anymore," Adrianna said as she slightly shook, caressing Taylor's head but keeping her from staring at me.

"Mommy I want to be with daddy," Taylor whispered up to her mother but Adrianna quickly shut her down.

"I need to protect you from Isis, I don't know what she's planning but-"

"I don't want you to protect me anymore, you'll only get us killed and you've done a good job at sealing our fate," She cut me off, not wanting to hear anymore.

"What are you saying?" I questioned, crossing my arms across my chest even though I knew exactly what she was saying.

"I don't want to be your Luna anymore, I don't want to be a part of this pack anymore, I don't want to know that wolves exist I just want to be a normal human again," Silent tears began to flow down her face as she continued staring at the ground.

You can't abandon your position as Luna Adrianna and you know this, you bare my mark and that will make you a part of me and this pack for as long as you live, I explained what you were getting yourself into didn't I?" I said.

"I bare your mark to be a target, I am a part of you until Ms. Isis seals my death and that part you did not explain to me, your true mate wanting to kill me was not part of the agreement!" She raised her shaking voice, trembling with fear as she held onto Taylor tighter.

There was silence between us for a moment. I was unsure of what to say or even sure if anything I said would make things better. It seemed as though the façade that Adrianna and I had up to protect me was shattering before me and it was all my fault.

"You and Taylor will live in the pack house from now on with around the clock protection, you WILL allow me to see my daughter but I understand if you do not wish to see me and I will find a way to remove the mark from you so that hopefully Isis may spare you," I stated before turning around and sighing.

"I hope she breaks you and makes you feel like how I've always felt around you, powerless, weak, a pet by your side who knows nothing of the dangers ahead," I heard her say behind my back.

To say that didn't feel like a knife stabbing through my chest would be a complete lie because that is exactly how I felt. I grew to love Adrianna, spending these few years with her were something special but now it was all shattering and I was unsure of the future ahead of us for anyone really.

To make matters worse my only healer of he pack has been murdered which if word got out could hurt our pack greatly.

"Why are you doing this?" Is all you want me? If I give over myself willingly will you just leave my pack and my family alone?" I called out even though I was trying to speak to Isis in my mind but as I guessed, there was no answer from her.

If it takes for a fucking war to get her attention then it looks like that's what I'll be giving her.

'Meeting in my office immediately,' I sent the mind link out to Nicholas and Marco, we needed to attack Isis before she made the first move on us and my pack. I made my way up the stairs towards my office, thoughts swirling through my mind rapidly causing a growing headache to form in the front of my head, images that were unrecognizable to me, zooming around in my head.

As I reached my office I quickly closed the door and sat down behind my desk as I leaned my head back and shut my eyes.

I was standing in water that rose to my ankles, the sun was shining bright but yet the sun was nowhere to be found in the sky. In front of me stood Alpha Isis but her back was facing me, she was in a long white gown that covered her shoulders. Her curly black hair was no longer in her high bun but instead let free as most pooled at her shoulders, stray strands stood up in different directions not wishing to be tamed like the others.

"When my mother broke free to this world the first thing she did was see the ocean. The Underworld is a dry and sparse land, stragglers from this world wishing to go back home and others only knowing that as their home, my mother was one of those beings created in the Underworld and all she knew was there and nothing more. She heard stories of the world above her and how she could be something more than what she was down there and she yearned to be free. She learned what she could, she researched as much as possible and talked to anyone willing to talk to her," Isis explained as she continued looking out into nothingness.

"You being sentimental with me doesn't change my mind about you being a monster," I said as I stood right behind her, desperately wanting her to turn around and look at me.

"Forgive me for wanting to share something personal with the one that is supposed to be my mate, maybe I'll share my sentiment with your human during her last dying breath," She sighed, her shoulders slumped.

"You're cruel,"

"And you are? Manipulative, self centered, hypocritical, narcissistic, misogynist, blinded, and pathetic. How am I supposed to react to my mate marking and impregnating someone other than me? Sharing a bond that was supposed to be between us, not being able to have what we are supposed to have, if she were a full breed wolf I would want to kill her nonetheless. Your denial makes me sick and makes you unattractive,"   She listed.

"Why do you keep doing to me? Coming into my head and torturing me?" I pleaded, wanting her to just look at me.

"You entered my head and disturbed my thoughts, you're to blame for this incident,"

"I don't want a war,"

"Well war is already at your doorstep and at this point peace is no longer an option, I will take what's mine forcefully," She turned around this time to face me as a smile crept up on her face, she had a distant look in her golden pupils as if she wasn't fully here with me.

"I will always be steps ahead of you, I know the outcome of your little games and it won't work, but if you insist then let the games begin and may the best Alpha win," She laughed as she blew hard in my face causing me to close my eyes from the gust of win and before I knew it I felt as though I was falling.

"ALPHA!" A loud voiced jolted me from my sleep as I was faced with Nicholas and Marco in front of me.

"You seem a bit pale faced Alpha, are you alright?" Nicholas said as he hovered over me, staring me deep into my eyes.

I quickly sat up and straightened myself out as they both backed away from me.

"I just dozed off and had a bad dream that's all," I mumbled to myself as I stood up and walked around to the front of my desk to address them both.

"As we are approaching  a period where war is upon us I believe we shouldn't fight this battle in quiet on our own. The Blood Supreme Deity pack now has numbers larger than us since conquering two packs from right under us it would be a smart decision to seek help in these times," I cleared my throat, speaking directly to Marco and Nicholas. 

"Are you saying we should go to the counsel with this? I think this is the smartest decision," Marco smiled slightly, a glimmer hope hope in his eyes that maybe, just maybe I wasn't completely lost to the madness in my mind. 

"What do you think this will achieve Alpha?" Nicholas spoke out abruptly. 

Both Marco and I looked at him with surprise clearly written on our faces, something we weren't expecting from someone like him. 

"What do you mean? It would be dumb to proceed by ourselves and we would clearly be going in blind, we barely know this Alpha and all we know is that this pack is clearly dangerous so we'll need reinforcements," Marco said in a confused tone. 

"Who says the council will believe us? We have gone so long without help from anyone else, all of this is being done under the noses of everyone including the council so what makes us think we will be believed. They might investigate into it but because they have no hard evidence then it looks like much won't be done," Nicholas shrugged his shoulders.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! There is clear evidence because the Golden Light pack is nothing but ashes!" Marco said, now shouting in the direction of Nicholas. 

"And there is no evidence that the Supreme Blood Deity pack is responsible for said ashes. I want to make sure my Alpha is doing the best thing for this pack and right now there is a lot on his hands, in the beginning of a war the Alpha's most trusted healer is dead which could take a toll on all of us and the Alpha is having marital problems. So many of these things can put stress on him and cause him to do irrational things and I just want to make sure he's doing the right thing for him and this pack," Nicholas said calmly. 

He was always the one that thought rationally, always looking for what benefits the pack, never thought with this emotions but always with reason. 

"Kaiden this is fucking bullshit and honestly I don't know what's going on with Nicholas but you are right, we have to go to the council with this for protection!" Marco continued to shout. 

"If they do realize what the Blood Supreme Deity pack is doing then they will be murdered, that outcome will result in their death," Nicholas said, leaving me speechless. 

He approached me so that we were inches away as he leaned forward and whispered something into my ear that caused me to get choked up. 

"You wouldn't want her to die now would you Alpha?" Nicholas whispered before stepping away from me which his same neutral look in his eyes. 

Did Nicholas know about Isis and I? Did he know that she was my true mate? How was this possible? Before any of that, he was indeed correct, if the council were to find out about Isis they would have her murdered which would have me murdered and my pack to fall regardless. Everything my family worked for would fall to ashes. 

"There's no other way," I said quietly, staring in between both Marco and Nicholas.