When I wake up, something dark covers my face. I scream, jumping up from out of my... chair? The thing flutters off my face. Oh, it was my homework. Why am I so dumb sometimes? The paper lands on my desk, where all my other homework is spread out, thankfully complete.

I pack it all up, and put into my bag. Today's Friday, meaning the weekend is just around the corner!

"Sera? You okay?" Jace calls from downstairs.

"Uh, yeah," I holler, embarrassed that I screamed at my homework.

I go to shower, afterwards putting on some jeans and a band shirt. My hair is so messed up from sleeping on my desk last night, I have to leave it out, but not before managing to tame most of it. It covers my ears, making my face hot. Oh, how I wish my hair was straight.

I run downstairs, going to the kitchen. Jace is at the table, eating cereal.

"Hey, Sera. Quinn's coming to take you to school," he says.

"Okay?"

Why's Quinn being so friendly? After what happened before I didn't expect him to be so kind.

Jace left out the cereal, so I go and make some for myself, putting it away when I'm done.

As soon as I finish eating, someone honks outside.

"Oh, that's Quinn. Bye, Jace!" I shout, before walking over to the door.

"Bye, Sera! Be careful!" He hollers.

I nod, opening the door. Quinn waits in front of my house. I walk over to his car, shyly getting into the passenger side.

"Thanks, by the way," I mumble, going to look out the window.

"No problem, Angel."

We drive to school in silence, when suddenly, Quinn turns to me.

"Sera? Have you seen anyone strange lately?" He asks.

My eyebrows scrunch in confusion.

"Strange? How?"

"Just, not right."

"No. Why?"

He shakes his head, parking in a space at school.

"Nothing. So, tell me, what's your favorite color?"

"Huh?"

"What's your favorite color?" He repeats.

"Uh, black," I answer slowly.

Like my soul, I mentally joke, quoting one of my friends from my old home.

He beams, nodding.

"Interesting. Favorite food?"

"If marshmallows were a real food, then those. I love marshmallows!"

He chuckles.

"Hobbies?"

"I love to draw, walk out into the woods, and listen to music," I say, motioning to my band shirt.

He smiles, nodding.

"I noticed. Which do you prefer: cats or dogs?" He asks, his blue eyes sparkling with a secret joke.

"Dogs. I love the cute little teacup ones especially! So fragile and adorable!"

He frowns for a second.

"Though, I do like big dogs too. I honestly like them all. But my favorite animals are wolves."

Then his frown disappears a gleam enters his eyes.

"Wolves? Really?" He asks slyly.

"Yup. They're so beautiful! And powerful!" I rant.

I then begin to rattle off facts about wolves. Quinn looks amused by my delight, but I could care less. Then I hear the faint ring of the bell.

"Oh no! We're going to be late!" I shout, hopping out of the car.

"Come on, Quinn!" I shout, running to the school.

By the time I get to class, my face is red and I can hardly breathe. People give me strange looks, but I ignore them and go to my seat. Luckily, the teacher is running late. She immediately begins class, but Quinn doesn't come in.

What is he doing?

Quinn

As soon as Sera runs out of the car, my face goes hard and I rev up my car. My father told me we need to interrogate Astraea. I haven't seen her since we were kids. I haven't seen her brother either.

I drive to the pack house, heading down to the cells. Jace; my other soon-to-be Beta, Tyler; and my father are already there.

"How's Sera?" Jace asks.

"She's okay. Might be a little late, but okay."

He sighs in relief.

"Quinn, when will I meet your mate?" My father pipes in.

"When she finds out about us. She's not ready yet. We don't want a repeat of Violet."

He nods, while Tyler sheepishly chuckles. It was his fault anything happened, after all.

"Anyways, has she talked yet?" I ask Tyler and my father, referring to our prisoner.

"She won't say anything, just that Atlas won't be very happy when he comes for her," Tyler reports.

Hunter growls in my head at the mention of Atlas.

"Well, let's get some answers then," my father says, opening the cell door.

Inside, it's dark and damp. A girl with a ripped, black cloak and red dress sits, tied to a chair. She looks up at us with clear, blue eyes.

"Well, look who it is! My old friend, Quinny! Come to watch me suffer, I see?" She beams, her eyes aflame.

"Why are your kind here, Astraea?" I growl, my wolf now in control.

"Why would I tell you anything?" She sneers, her nice exterior gone.

Jace growls, but I put a hand on his shoulder. Calm down, Jace, I tell him through the mind-link. He nods, but doesn't stop glaring at Astraea. My wolf moves our body to a table filled with mercury-tipped blades. He grabs a knife, twirling it in my fingers. He walks us over to Astraea, and slowly drags the knife across her cheek. She screeches, her hands turning white from the strain against her bonds.

"Tell me! Why are your kind here?!" Hunter roars.

She smiles, her dark, black blood dripping down her face, making her look sinister.

"You'll have to kill me before you get so much as a name from me," she growls.

Hunter growls, taking the knife and plunging it into her arm. She screams, and Hunter yanks out the knife. Her skin is boiling now where the mercury touched it.

"Will you talk now?"

"Never," she spits.

Hunter roars in frustration, as Astraea continues to scream. Her veins are now prominent in her skin, her blood slowly turning silver like the mercury. A little longer and she'll die. I realize this, and I push Hunter back into our mind. He growls, but I keep him there.

"Astra," I whisper, using her childhood nickname, "please, just tell me. You came here to kill us, didn't you?"

She nods slightly, her breath coming out in pants.

"It . . . it wasn't me, originally. My brother. . . "

"What did Atlas tell you to do?" My father asks this time.

She looks up at him, her skin turning a sickly white.

"There's. . .spell . . . separates . . . "

No, no. She's asphyxiating. I panic, turning to Tyler.

"Tyler! Get her some jasper tonic!"

He nods, running out to get it. Astra's eyes begin to close.

"Astra! Continue! What is he planning?"

"Separation . . . body . . . spirit . . ."

"Separation of what?" Jace asks softly.

She tries to respond, but only chokes. Tyler comes running in, a flask of liquid in his hand. I take it from him, and pour some into her mouth. She gasps, choking on air for a second. Her color slowly returns to normal, though her wounds are still blistered, but it will go away after a bit.

"Astra, please continue. What is he trying to separate?" I ask her softly.

"He's being helped; we're not in this alone."

"Is it one of my pack members?"

Hunter growls in my head at the thought. She shakes her head, though.

"It's . .. them. The vamps."

"The vampires? Why?"

"They want something from you."

"What?"

"Your mate."

So, the music is 1) one of my MANY favorite songs from Twenty One Pilots and 2) somewhat represents Astraea and Quinn with the whole torture thing. Hehe...yeah...

(Literally me when I dance. Wait... I should be on the floor by now. And that surprised Phil represents my friends who probably think I'm mental! Hi! And again, I don't own this. I most likely won't even try to put up anything I own other than my own writing, so just know that ahead of time!)

Comment, vote, and share plz!

-Mel