The potion settles, and Aphmau's eyes fade to an emerald green. Ein turns to us. "You!" He points to Zane. "Go down to the basement entrance, in case anyone goes down there to get inside. You---" He points to Lucinda. "Go make more potions. We must be prepared. And you---" He points to me. "You stay here. Guard me with your life."

We all nod. "Yes, brother!" Zane and Lucinda run off and I position myself next to Ein and Aphmau. Ein turns to Aph.

"Go outside, and stand where Aaron will be able to see you easily. When he comes, bring him here." Ein tells her.

"Yes, my love." She stares at him with horrible devotion before turning and leaving the cabin. Ein turns to me, his glee showing easily through his stupid silver eyes.

"You will not leave my side." He commands. "Aaron might go into Ultima rage, and I'll not risk my neck."

"It will be my honor, brother!" To let him kick your butt.

"Good. Stay here for a minute. I must get my last two potions for Aaron and Aphmau." He leaves the room.

"I" stay on the ground floor, examining the room. I walk the length, tracing my fingers along pictures of Aphmau from her high school days. I recognize a few, but I see that Ein has pasted werewolf ears and tails over all of them. When will it be enough for him? What did Aaron do to him that was so horrible? He was already Omega before he was beat!

Ein comes back down holding two glass vials, and with the black mask over his face once again. "I hear him coming. We must head upstairs."

I lead the way, checking for security stuff the real me would never notice as we close the doors behind us. I hear the door open up downstairs and Aaron and Aph speaking for a moment, and then Ein opens the door and goes downstairs, beckoning me to follow him.

"Oh honey!" Aph cries when he goes in front of her. "There you are!" She runs to him and hugs him, blushing as he hugs her back. I stand right where Ein wants me to be, on the bottom step of the stairs.

But nothing will ever make me forget the pain on Aaron's face as he watches Aphmau prove her love to another man.

"Good girl..." Ein purrs. "You've done just what I asked."

"Anything for you." Aphmau giggles.

Ein turns to a silent Aaron. "You... after all these years..."

"You MONSTER!" Aaron cries. He starts to charge Ein but I feel myself step forward menacingly and Aaron stops. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER??"

Ein gives off an evil laugh. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Answer me!" Aaron commands.

But Ein doesn't. All he does is laugh. And remove his mask, watching with more glee than ever before as Aaron's eyes widen in recognition.

"YOU!" He seethes.

"Remember?" Ein whispers. "I doubt you ever forgot."

"Ein." Aaron growls.

"Take a good look at her, Aaron." Ein coos. He looks to Aph, stroking her cheek affectionately. "She's mine now."

Aaron again steps forward and I again move to intercept him. He stops, looking from me to Aphmau in furious pain. "What have you done to her? To all of them!?" Aaron demands.

"I took back what should've been mine, Aaron." Ein says. "She's my fiance. And she's almost perfect..."

"YOU---"

"Temper now, Aaron." Ein says, not at all afraid like I would have assumed he'd be. He turns to Aphmau. "Darling... why don't you go to the bedroom and get dressed in something more... comfortable."

"Yes Ein!" Aphmau chirps, moving to go upstairs.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Aaron yells.

"Stop!" Ein commands. "You forget she is under my control. Make one wrong move, and you'll regret it."

Aaron ducks his head and growls, but doesn't protest when Ein turns to Aph again and purrs, "Come back when you're ready, darling." She nods and heads upstairs. I don't move from my spot.

Ein smiles. "Now..." He turns to an angry Aaron. "You and I need to talk. About old times."

"There is nothing to talk about!" Aaron yells.

Ein laughs. "Oh, yes there is! Do you remember... back in high school? I finally had everything I yearned for. The respect... the power. I let people walk all over me, ALL for the sake of getting what I wanted." Here, his tone turns snarly. "And then you took it all away from me. You and that---MONGREL Blaze!"

Aaron's eyes turn wide and scared. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Aaron, I love ya, and I know ya love Aph, BUT BECOME A BETTER LIAR!!

"Don't play dumb!" Ein shouts. "I found out, Aaron. You can't hide it anymore. I know it was you that day! You were the one who dethroned me as Alpha, when I RIGHTFULLY earned it!"

"You didn't EARN anything!" Aaron yells. "I gave you Alpha! You were the one who manipulated people, and tricked them into getting what you wanted! That's not something an Alpha would do!"

"I AM MY OWN ALPHA!" Ein roars. "I play by my rules. And as an Ultima... YOU have no place in this world."

And there it is again. That stupid, ugly, word that should never be used to describe someone like Aaron.

Aaron literally flinches. But he doesn't say a word.

"Suddenly nothing to say?" Ein grins. "You must've thought you were being so clever... That no one would ever find out about the Ultima... You always were so smug."

Aaron doesn't meet his eyes. "What do you know?" He asks quietly.

"More than you think. It's not just the fairytale most think it is. The Ultima werewolf... was the first werewolf. He turned normal humans into werewolves, and was shunned by humans and werewolves alike. His bloodline still lives on. And it lives... in you."

You weren't shunned, Aaron. I want to scream. You're my friend. You're Aph's best friend! She loves you!

"You don't know what you're talking about." Aaron swears.

"On the contrary!" Ein says smugly. "The man who had me hunt the emeralds used to talk about the story of the first werewolves. He knew the bloodline was real. He told me all about how he hunted down any information about the Ultima bloodline. A person with the ability to transform ANYONE into a werewolf must have unimaginable power. One day, my curiosity got the better of me. I had to know more. I snuck into that old man's room. Locked in his desk, was a journal of all his findings. Do you know what I found?"

Aaron doesn't answer, as if in a daze.

"The Ultima werewolf. It can all be traced back, to one family. The Lycan family." Ein pauses, leering at Aaron's stunned silence. "I never knew if that old man ever found out where the Lycan family was, but I did. I wasn't about to tell him I knew EXACTLY who the Ultima werewolf is. Isn't that right? Aaron. Lycan."

Aaron jerks backward, his eyes wide and terrified, confirming it all.

Ein cackles. "That look on your face! I'm right, aren't I? YOU are the Ultima werewolf. It was all so obvious! I knew that day years ago you dethroned me that something was different with your ears and tail. Something about you. Even though you were masked, screamed--- Monster!"

You are NOT a monster, Aaron. You never were... you tried to protect Aphmau that year, that's why you came to dethrone Ein... and in college---you wore that stupid bandana, even though Aphmau told me she thought you hated it... All to protect people from yourself.

"All of this was just to get back at me for something that happened in high school?" Aaron demands.

"This goes so much deeper than that," Ein says. And then motion above us makes my gaze draw towards some purple-headed Meif'wa that looks familiar on the ledge. "She's ready for you!" She says in an annoyingly high-pitched voice, and then it hits me---this is Michi! The girl who used to have such a creepy crush on Aaron, she disguised herself as Aph and got him to kiss her! 

"Perfect timing." Ein says. "Bring her to me." He turns to Aaron and stalks close to him. "Tell me Aaron. When were you planning on turning her into a werewolf?" My breath catches in my throat, but neither Ein or Aaron notice. "Was it in high school? Or were you waiting for something? OR! Were you never planning to even tell her what you really are?"

Aaron doesn't answer.

"That's it, isn't it?" Ein prods. "You were never going to tell her that you are a werewolf. Not even that---you were never going to tell ANYONE that you are the Ultima werewolf! And you know why? Because you chose... to live as a disgusting human!"

And yet, Aphmau is a human... odd.

"This entire time." Ein insists. "You hid it from EVERYONE! So you could be one of them! You're ashamed of who you are, aren't you Aaron? And you chose... to live a LIE! This entire time! Just like your father."

I hear something moving upstairs again and look up to see that Aphmau has joined Michi on the second floor landing. An involuntary squeak escapes my lips at her awful BLUE outfit and her green eyes flashing.

But, just like last time, the potion's effects close over me once again.

"Ahh..." Ein sighs. "The real reason I wanted you here. Oh, Aphmau darling! Come to me." Aphmau obediently comes down the stairs.

"You will make her a werewolf." Ein orders Aaron. A chill runs through me. Of course. That's why.

"I will not!" Aaron yells.

"Heh! Just use a potion to turn her into a werewolf!" Michi says. "Simple!"

"You idiot Meif'wa! Hold your tongue!" Ein snarls. "A potion werewolf. Is not. A pure one! She needs to be cleansed of her DISGUSTING humanity!!"

"NEVER!" Aaron shouts. "I will never make her a werewolf against her will!"

"I wasn't asking!" Ein throws a potion at Aaron's feet, but at the last second, Aaron doges and the potion shatters harmlessly against the floor.

Ein stares at it in shock. "You... broke my potion! How DARE you?! I only had two of them..."

"I won't be a pawn for your sick games!" Aaron snarls.

"Fine..." Ein says dangerously. Aph arrives at the bottom and stands next to me. "If you won't turn her... Then what's the most painful thing I can do to hurt you? Make you suffer."

Dread pools in my stomach. This is happening too fast. Aaron needs to run. HE NEEDS TO RUN!

"Aphmau."

"Yes?" Aph replies.

"What would you do for me?"

"Anything." She promises dreamily.

"Perfect."

"What are you doing...?" Aaron asks.

"Taking away the only good thing you'll ever have." Ein growls.

Then he pulls out his last glass vial.

And shatters it at Aphmau's feet.

"APH!" Aaron screams. Green mist gathers around Aphmau, her eyes flashing as the potion takes hold. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" Aaron demands.

Ein laughs loud and hard, and I feel my lips stretch in a grin I don't want. "The first potion was to make her love me forever! The second potion---to make her despise you from the bottom of her heart. Forever."

Ein crosses to Aphmau and me and holds out a knife, which Aphmau instantly takes. And then Ein murmurs two words I barely pick up.

"Kill him."

Aphmau's eyes flash bright and dangerous as she turns to Aaron. I almost feel the knife digging into my heart as I realize what is happening.

Aaron is going to die.

He would never hurt Aphmau, won't be able to stop her.

She's going to kill him.

And... if her potions are anything like mine...

She'll have to watch herself murder the person she loves most in the world.

I tear myself out of the potion, for what I can sense will be the final time before it becomes too strong. Aphmau's perfume fills my nose, Ein's hideous laugh rings in my ears, and the fear in the air stings my skin.

"RUN, AARON!" I scream, tearing at my skin in an attempt to stay active. He glances to me, terrified, but I can see it in his eyes.

He'll never leave Aphmau or any of us here. And I'm never breaking out of my potion again. It seals over me, breaking my thoughts, twisting my feelings so that I stop screaming and start laughing with Ein.

"Aph..." Aaron pleads.

Aphmau doesn't respond, just inching towards him.

"Aphmau... I know this isn't you... It's just a potion... you can beat this!" Aaron says.

"You don't even know me." Aphmau hisses.

"That's not true!" Aaron says. "Please remember!"

"Look at you, Aaron!" Aphmau laughs, her voice just as evil as Ein's. "Where are you now? No friends to help you! You never spent time making friends."

"I couldn't... I..." Aaron says, his voice tight and pained.

"Didn't you hear me?" Ein demands, his voice full of laughter he doesn't deserve. "She now hates you more than anything in the world."

"The perfect plan, brother," slips from my lips before I realize what I've said.

"I want his last thoughts to be of how miserable his life has become." Ein says.

A door opens from up above, and that strange girl from the first day at the lodge, the one clothed in red, comes racing down the stairs. I notice her eyes are a dark, beautiful brown now.

Oh my Irene. She must have been potioned as well! Does that mean the potion can be broken? Will my eyes turn purple again if I break free?

She races down the stairs and next to Ein. "Alpha! Please! Stop this!"

Ein turns to look at her angrily.

But I'm paying attention to Aaron, who now has his back against the door. "I know you can hear me." He whispers. "I know the woman I still love is in there. Somewhere---"

Aphmau kicks him in the stomach and he catapults out the door, landing hard on the snow.

"PLEASE! I'll do anything!" The wolf-girl pleads. "Just spare him! He's done nothing---" Ein smacks her hard across the face and she lands on her back.

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do!" Ein snarls. "You're lucky I haven't erased you and the rest of your pathetic little pack!"

"But you wouldn't..." The girl whispers. "You promised..."

"QUIET!" He smacks her again and motions for us to follow him outside. We all run out, watching Aaron struggle to get up, Aph still inching towards him with her knife.

"Aphmau, listen to me!" Aaron pleads.

"Listen to a coward?" Aphmau demands, laughing hysterically. If each word cuts through me, then I can only imagine what Aaron must be feeling. "You always think you know what's best for me..."

"AARON! APHMAU!" I hear my big brother's terrified voice and look to my right, seeing him lunging towards the pair heading for the cliff. "Hold on!"

"STOP HIM!" Ein commands. I run for him and tackle him, pinning him down in the snow. But he struggles, watching Aaron and Aphmau.

"Violet!" he pleads. "Stop this! Stop them!"

I CAN'T! I CAN'T!!! I scream inside, my heart breaking in pieces as fury and terror courses through my veins, pounding a fear I didn't know existed through my body.

"The only reason I ever talked to you is because I felt sorry for you!" Aphmau says, forcing Aaron to back closer and closer to the cliff. "Sad little boy with no friends."

"Aph..." Aaron says softly, no trace of blame or anger in his voice. "I will always love you." He promises.

I force my brother to stay down, but I still hear; "You NEVER made me happy."

"Please..." Aaron whispers.

"The best thing you could do for me? Is die." Aphmau tells him.

And then she throws the knife with all her strength. The metal blade plunges into his heart and pushes him back. He loses his footing.

And falls backward off the cliff.

__________________________________

Yeah... nobody's reading this book, but i honestly don't care because this episode was SO. FREAKING. EMOTIONAL!!!!! AGH! I LOVE EMERALD SECRET!!!