Oops! I cannot believe I forgot to mention the update day in the last chapter.

Anyway, here is chapter 17 which is dedicated to @llabellle :)

Pic on the side is of>>>>

****

“Vengeance is sweet. Vengeance

taken when the vengee isn’t

sure who the venger is, is

sweeter still.”

-Gary D. Schmidt, The

Wednesday Wars.

EVERETT P.O.V

No.

No, it can’t be.

Templar wouldn’t do such a thing.

Then why has half the chain turned black? The left side of the chain not just lost its shine but it got tarnished. What was happening? Is Templar really doing all this?

My wolf growled ferociously and started pacing repeatedly.

No. Not Templar. She isn’t like this. Something is wrong. Something is terribly wrong.

I recalled her crying today morning when Terence and January were taken to prison. She wasn’t faking those tears. They were genuine and heartfelt.

Then I recalled the panicked look Templar shot at me when she came to know I had installed CCTV cameras around the pack. What had she to be afraid of?

Sweating was coating the corner of my forehead and I wiped it with my fingers. Raking a hand through my hair, I shook my head and tried to think again.

Why would she be afraid? Why? Why?

Templar seemed nervous… petrified too, Myron had said. Dull, uninterested, Very unlike Templar. She used to be lively and strong.

Holy Goddess!

This was not Templar. This was someone else. Why else would she not enter the temple?

The temple is a holy place and since they are involved in dark practices, they cannot enter the temple. Just like a devil cannot enter a church.

This was not my Templar. The woman who just stopped me from entering the temple was not Templar.

All fear faded away and rage filled inside me, the very same moment my wolf snapped his teeth. This woman did something to my Templar. She is a fake.

Soon my claws and fangs were out. I was about to go and attack that bitch when all of a sudden someone held my shoulders and stopped me.

“Don’t” Myron snarled from behind. “Don’t do anything stupid now” Myron warned and I turned to face him.

“She is not my Templar” I spat through gritted teeth.

“She is your Templar” Myron stated and I blinked. What is he saying? “Only half the necklace got tarnished” he announced. My wolf retreated immediately and I looked shot him a perplexed look. “She is your Templar” Myron said and soon my claws and fangs were gone.

“No she is not” I denied shaking my head. That’s not my Templar at all. That was some phony.

“That’s your mate” Genessa said and I turned to face her. She was standing right at the first stair, all this time, and watching the entire episode.

“How do you know?”

“Only half the silver has tarnished. Which means the other half was still pure” she explained and I gulped.

She was right! The other half of the necklace was still pure silver. I had just not paid any attention to the other half. I would have done something stupid in anger.

“What’s happened to her?” I asked in a whisper.

“I think she is possessed.” Genessa announced and I felt the ground collapsing beneath my feet.

“Possessed?” Cam asked and I just realized that he and Sveta were with us too. Both looked shaken just like me.

“By some evil” Genessa said carefully.

“How did you find out?” I questioned in a barely audible voice.

“Her eyes. I can never forget those unique blood red eyes.” Genessa said with a genuine smile. “Something I said earlier, made her angry and she glared at me, but her eyes weren’t red. It was black. I realized something was wrong and then I saw her chain….” She trailed off and I nodded.

“How can it happen to Templar? She is the Goddess’s daughter” Cam said in disbelief. “How can she be possessed by something-”

“Is Luka sleeping?” Genessa questioned in a shrilly voice, cutting Cam off and I frowned at her. What happened to her now?

“Yes. I wanted to play with him” Myron joined and I shot him a puzzled look. “It was lovely watching him sneak unexpectedly behind you” Myron stressed the last word and I got the message so did Cam and Sveta.

“Yes, uh… he is. He is sleeping. He had a… a very long day” Sveta said faking a smile. “Oh, hi Templar” she said nervously.

“Everett” Templar called me. Myron smiled and then quietly signaled me to face her. Taking a deep breath and unclenching my fist, I turned to face Templar.

The first thing I did was stare at her chain and yes, the other half of the chain was pure silver which means, my Templar was still there.

“Let’s go?” she asked and I nodded with a growl. My Templar was there but this was not her and I was sure of it. Her eyes widened at my growl and Myron coughed from behind me.

“Come on, I will walk you towards your car” Genessa said and then holding Templar’s arm, she literally dragged her away from us.

“We are coming tomorrow to your pack. Let’s talk there until then behave normally. Whatever it is, it doesn’t know that we know the truth.” Myron said and I nodded.

“Just act normal” I said through gritted teeth. “Besides, I will know from now whenever Templar is possessed because my mate isn’t evil at all” I said with a smirk.

Game on!

I closed the driver’s door and buckled my seat belt. “What were you talking about?” the possessed Templar asked me.

“Just stuff” I muttered without looking at her. I felt disgusted at myself that I tried to kiss her earlier today. Gross! Who is it there instead of Templar?

“Stuff like?” she probed.

“How the ceremony was and all” I lied smoothly. The possessed Templar didn’t bother asking any questions after that.

None of us spoke a word until we reached home.

I watched her climbing up the stairs and going to our room. “Rett” she called and I cocked an eyebrow. “The cameras are they installed everywhere?” she demanded to know and I narrowed my eyes.

Honestly, I would have told everything to Templar without any hesitation but this was not Templar.

“Yes. In fact there is one in every house” I lied with a smirk. “I don’t want the culprit attacking our house” I said and the possessed Templar paled. Without uttering another word, she walked into our room and closed the door shut.

My wolf growled as he saw the closed door. Just to scare the possessed Templar, I added, “I have some work to do and it might take all night. You go sleep; I will be in the living room”

“Okay” she whispered weakly from the other side and I smirked. I knew she wouldn’t step out of her room until next morning.

Sitting in the couch in the living room, I toyed with my wedding ring. Templar. I closed my eyes and my wolf whimpered.

What has happened to her? Who did this to her?

Jonathan? Or someone else?

I recalled all her odd behaviors these few days. Sleeping at six in the evening, making breakfast and lunch but asking me to order dinner from outside, every night. Templar never did that before. She mostly liked to eat home cooked food. Locking herself in the dark room, restraining my touch at night.

Wait a minute… Night.

Sleeping at six- right during the sunset. Not cooking dinner- At night. Dark room- likes darkness. Asking me to sleep in a separate room- night.

It means, Templar isn’t herself after sunset and immediately I remembered that Ryker’s could shift after sunset.

Holy shit!

Her body was possessed by Ryker and I think it’s the uncle- Drew Ryker. The one who died the same week Templar left the pack.

Oh Dear Goddess!

He is indeed an evil wolf.

Stepping inside the prison, I made my way towards Terence’s cell. I found January and Terence, sitting and sleeping. Gulping, I unlocked and opened the gate.

The noise woke them up and they blinked repeatedly. Slowly both of them stood up and shot me a bewildered look.

“It’s Templar” I whispered in a barely audible voice.

“No” January gasped. “No” she said shaking her head.

“Possessed” I said quietly and January gasped.

“Release Edward” I ordered one of the guards. Edward had been telling the truth that day but I had called him drunk. Everyone had called him a drunk!

Around ten that morning, I, Terence, January, Cam, Myron, Ben and Genessa were in the living room of Terence’s house. Molly and Sveta were assigned the task of keeping Templar busy in the morning. Like I expected, Templar was her usual bubbly self in the morning. In fact, she doesn’t remember anything that happened last night.

I lied to her that she fell sick on the way and that I had to bring her back to the pack without attending the function.

My God! Why didn’t I see this before? Why didn’t I see that Templar behaved normal the next morning after she fought with me during our dinner in a restaurant?

“So, you think it’s Drew’s spirit” Keith asked and I nodded.

“But how can a spirit possess Templar? She is Goddess’s daughter and so powerful” Ben argued.

“There is this concept called body different from soul” Keith said to Ben.

“You have read the book” Genessa said in surprise and Keith nodded.

“Whenever Templar meditates, her soul gets separated from her body” I said softly.

“Which means she is basically dead to the world when she talks to her mother” Keith explained. “I think Templar is more vulnerable than us in that matter and that is how the spirit could easily possess her” he came to his own conclusion, which I doubted to be true.

“But why the hoopla of rogues attacking packs?” Cam questioned.

“Simple. They wanted Templar away from Everett” January said through gritted teeth.

“My God! What a plan? Every single detail” Ben said in disbelief and then growled in anger. “So that’s how the spirit of Drew was able to possess Templar?” he questioned.

“I don’t know how, but it has happened and I am sure it has happened. There are many changes in Templar’s behavior after sunset” I said through gritted teeth.

“Edward told me that he saw Templar near the temple that night and she told him to put the blame on her” Terence imparted and I closed my eyes.

“The spirit knew no one would blame Templar” Came concluded.

“It has taken over her for vengeance. When and how I have no clue, but I am sure this is all happening to avenge Glen’s death” I said bitterly.

“Who else is involved?” January queried.

“I suppose Jonathan is” Myron answered guiltily and I glared at him. He was the one who had stopped me from attacking Jonathan the other day. I had doubted that creepy cat eyed creature, the minute I saw him.

“Who the fuck is Jonathan?” Keith demanded.

“The doctor who ‘treated’ Templar’ Terence said using quotes on the word treated.

“But his name is nowhere in the Ryker family’s file” Keith protested picking up the file and flipping through the pages.

“Do you have any photos?” January asked but Keith was busy flipping page after page.

“I will deal with that shithead later, but I want to know how to help Templar. Get that thing out of her” I asked staring at Genessa who was surprisingly quiet.

‘You think she will be of help?’ January asked through the link.

‘She might be.’

“Genessa” I called her and she looked up.

Letting out a sigh, she finally spoke, “I don’t know who and what we are dealing with here. You don’t know who your enemy is. You don’t know how the white wolf got possessed in the first place and most importantly, you don’t know if Templar’s life is in the risk” she said and I turned an ashen shade because all she said was one hundred percent truth.

I couldn’t put Templar’s life in risk. I cannot lose her.

“Exactly, if they had to do so much planning to put it inside her, then just imagine how difficult it must be for us to take it out of her” Myron said.

“I think we do know who our enemy is” Keith snarled earning every ones attention.

“Who?” I demanded.

“Randall J Hecker” he said and my eyes widened.

“J” January asked.

“Jonathan” I said through gnashed teeth and Keith nodded. I knew it. I should have killed that cat-like eyed creature that very day. “I am going to kill that bastard” I spat in rage. I am going to tear him apart until there is nothing left of him. My wolf affirmed with a growl and picking up my car keys, I made my way towards my car.

But I stopped mid-way because I knew he wouldn’t be where I had last seen him. “Keith” I called. “Call Arthur and tell him to find if there are any wolves still residing in Rose-Bud.” In my heart, I knew that Randall wouldn’t be in the same area.

“What are we going to do?” January questioned looking at me with curious eyes.

“First, I am going to confront Randall and learn exactly what he did to Templar” I said in a growl.

“You think he will tell us?” Cam asked cocking an eyebrow.

“He might not reveal everything. But if we have a way with our words then we will definitely find something” Myron said looking at me with a smirk. Only an Alpha can understand other Alpha’s calculative mind.

“Until then?” January asked.

“Until then, let’s pretend we know nothing” Keith stated.

“Especially after sunset” I concluded.

Templar came rushing towards me and wrapped her arm around my waist as soon as I stepped inside the house. My wolf purred softly and I closed my eyes.

This is my Templar.

“Where were you all morning?” she asked, craning her neck to look at me. “Also, I am so glad you released Jan and Terence” She said grinning, her brown eyes bright with happiness.

Smiling, I bent my head and pecked her delicate nose. “I have been at Keith’s place discussing about pack stuff and why wouldn’t I release Terence and his mate? They are innocent.”

“So, did you find the real culprit?” she asked pulling away and I nodded. “Who?” she asked, her brown eyes now showing anger.

“It’s a rogue”

“Where is he now?”

“Escaped” I said sincerely. Randall had escaped and I was expecting Arthur to confirm it.

“Oh” she said with a scowl. “What’s his name?” she demanded.

“Randall”

“I have not heard of him. Do you have any idea where he might be?” she asked sitting beside me on the couch. I shook my head as a reply and Templar frowned. I watched her staring at space; she seemed lost in her thoughts. She had lines on her forehead and her expression was calculative. All of a sudden, the lines disappeared and Templar looked at me. “Uh… do you know anyone who might know Randall?” she asked running a hand through her hair. I pursed my lips and began to think. “How did you come to know its Randall in the first place?”

“Had proofs and a guard saw him” I lied because I didn’t know how to tell the truth.

“Then how did Terence’s watch come there?”

When you got possessed, you took it from there while you went to take magazines, was the actual answer but I chose to say, “He had lost it while on a run.”

“Oh” she said sadly.

“Don’t worry. January is out now but she said she’ll come here later to talk and apologize” I murmured truthfully, gently tucking a strand of her dark brown hair behind her ears. Templar smiled and I kissed her forehead and inhaled her wonderful scent.

“She already apologized through the link” Templar mumbled and I bobbed my head. “Okay, back to the main topic, do you know where Randall lived before?” she queried.

“Yes. But I am sure it’s vacant now”

“Who gave you the address?” Templar questioned and I immediately sat up straight. She is right! That’s the way you have to go. “Well?” Templar demanded.

“Genessa”

“Myron’s mate?” she said in disbelief and I nodded. Templar never really spoke to Genessa, who seemed to be a huge fan of Templar. “She knows Randall?” Templar asked her eyes as wide as saucers.

“No. She got it from Zander” I said calmly and immediately I gasped. That is it! Cupping Templar’s face, I planted a sloppy kiss on her lips, “You are a genius” I said with a grin.

“Thank-you” Templar muttered startled. “But how I am a genius and who is Zander?” she inquired interestedly.

“A former rogue” I said pulling out my cellphone and calling my dad, who was friends with Zander.

My dad picked it after some six to seven rings, “Rett?” he asked in disbelief.

“Yep, dad, I need a favor from you.”

“Go ahead”

“First forward Zander’s number to me and then I need you to pay a visit to your friend and ask him if he knows anything about Randall Hecker” I said but paused and added, “No. Just forward me the number, I will do the rest.”

Placing the phone on the coffee table, I smirked. I got you Randall. I got you now.

“Your dad knows Zander?” Templar asked in incredulity.

“They are friends” I said. I don’t know how that friendship even began. Last I heard, my dad hated rogues and I don’t know why he trusts Zander. However after personally meeting Zander, I think he is a better person now than he once was. At least that’s what conclusion I came to after seeing all the scars in his body.

My cellphone beeped and I immediately called Zander.

He picked the call after third ring, “Zander?” I asked while Templar looked at me peculiarly.

“Who is this?” he countered.

“Everett Green”

“Mr. Green. May I ask what made you call me?”

“Randall Hecker”

“He was the one who hired Klaus” I was impressed because it didn’t take long for Zander to put two and two together.

“Yes. You know anything more about him other than the address you gave?”

“It seems I was tricked into giving you that address” Zander muttered and I furrowed my brows. “Just a day before you came asking for your mate-” Templar gasped and I shifted in my seat, “one of my boys told me that Randall had changed his location.”

“Seems like that boy of yours is greedy” I said and there was no response from Zander for a long time. Sighing, I continued, “Wring something good for me from that boy” I spat.

“I don’t need to. I know the complete history and geography of Randall Hecker” Zander said and Templar raised her eyebrows in an impressed gesture.

“Care to share”

“Born 16TH January. Originally belonged to Gold-Dust and was banished from the pack after the Alpha learnt that for few amount of cash, he let the rogues into the te-”

“No No No No, No. The recent history” I incised. “Say from the past seven years.”

“Okay. He has been living in and around BlackRaven. He doesn’t live in a place longer than three month-” There was a pause and I knew Zander realized something, “But he was in LockWood for around eight months last year with his brother-in-law, Sim-”

“I know the name” I said cutting him off because I didn’t want Templar hearing about the Ryker’s. She is not ready to deal with that yet. “Do you know where he is now?” I demanded.

“That I think only the greedy boy will know” Zander replied.

“Then find it out and inform me” I was about to cut the call but stopped after hearing Zander’s voice.

“How is the WhiteWolf?” he asked.

“Why is he asking about me?” Templar questioned.

“Oh! She is beside you” Zander said with a chuckle. “I am glad she is fine-” At the very moment Templar snatched the phone.

“Templar Green here” she said and my heart swelled in pride when she addressed herself as a Green, even though being Wayne is what is more important in her life.

“Zander Roach here Mrs. Green” Zander murmured smoothly.

“Roach?” Templar said with a smile and I narrowed my eyes. How does she know about Zander? “Are you the one who gives shelter to the wolves who leave their packs?”

“The very same one” Zander confirmed and I was pretty sure he was smiling on the other side.

“You are doing a good job” Templar said with a genuine smile. “Helping our kind when they don’t know which way to go…” Both were silent for a few seconds before Templar said, “Thank-you.”

I could actually here Zander swallowing from the other side. There was another long pause before he spoke quietly, “I don’t want them going through what I went.”

Templar curved her lips to form a sincere smile, before saying, “I am sure if she was here, she would have been very proud of you.”

Zander’s mate!

His mate is dead and I am sure, after that, Zander turned into a new leaf.

“Thank-you” he whispered. “It felt good to hear that from you” he added after some time.

Templar smiled and then said, “Find Randall, will you?”

“Yes” he said with determination before cutting the call.

“How do you know about Zander?” I asked Templar while she handed me my phone back.

“Heard about him in the passing” she said. “He is good. Born leader kind” she said and I cocked an eyebrow. “He knows the difference between right and wrong. He was a WhiteField pack member. Their former beta actually. Because of some differences with the Alpha’s decision, he left the pack” Templar filled in.

Oh! So that’s how my dad knows him.

Ten minutes later, while I was sketching, I got a call from Zander. I answered it immediately because I knew why he was calling me.

“Black Raven. That’s where Randall is hiding.”

****

NOTE: ZANDER FIRST APPEARS IN CHAPTER 7 AND HE IS ALSO GENESSA’S MENTOR.

So, what’s your view about this kind of story line? The good turning bad? But to those who miss kickass Templar… she will be back once she gets her wolf back :)

In the next chapter, Everett will confront Randall and it will be posted on 17th.

Don’t forget to vote, comment and follow!

Thank-you :D