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Standing by the entrance to the living room, I leaned my shoulder against the side, crossing my arms as I looked around at everyone just sitting so quietly. I had stopped counting how long they'd all been sitting there, trying to sink in the number of revelations discovered earlier.

One: Eli and Maddox were proving they truly had gifts that were stronger than those given to my Aunt Emeel and my dad. 

The boys were not twins, yet they both shared a gift that my aunt and dad could not even fathom developing. What exactly to call that ability they had, I had no idea, but it was already astounding they both could see something---rather someone---from when I touched them. 

Albeit the fact that the dirt I had on me allowed the boys' ability to push through, it proved that what they were was now more dangerous than we'd thought. 

Second: Maddox, Sr. was alive. 

How the fuck did that fucker manage to come back to life after we all saw his lifeless body on that battlefield?

I remember seeing Maddox lying there, his eyes staring off at nothing and there was blood---so much of it. It couldn't be possible that Maddox just managed to find a way to wake up and walk away. 

If he was alive... then why isn't he here with us? Why didn't he tell us? Why let us all suffer for so long?

Third: What if Maddox wasn't the only one alive?

It was in the back of my mind now for some time, and I can't stop wondering if it is possible that Maddox had escaped that battlefield alone. My mind then went to a particular blue-eyed, blond-haired Werewolf whose sister had died that very same day. 

What if only Maddox was alive? Would that set Easton off more? 

The guy was a ticking time bomb so I am just thinking that if only Maddox is alive and Easton has to continue living knowing that his sister is really gone... that's just going to be disastrous. I could already see Easton cursing the universe for allowing Maddox to live and not his sister. 

I groaned, running a hand over my face before settling my gaze over at the boys sitting on the floor in front of their parents. Maddie was playing with his one-eyed stuffed animal and would lift it up to wiggle it in front of Eli who laughed lightly. 

The older of the boys suddenly met my gaze and I could see that he was studying me, something in his head that he wanted to say. I was guessing he wasn't saying anything because his parents and everyone else was here so I raised a brow tilting my head at him. 

Eli raised a brow back at me, tilting his head in the same direction as I had. 

He glanced at his parents talking quietly with one another; my cousin sniffling as she would try saying something to Dennison who would frown at her, shaking his head while caressing the side of her face. Thea shut her eyes, shaking her head back at him before Dennison pulled her against him. 

Eli cleared his throat, gaining his parents' attention, then asked if he could go get a glass of orange juice. Thea sniffled, smiling weakly at her son as she nodded. The pre-teen stood up, lifting his eyes to the man sitting beside his mother whose gray eyes were watching him in a way that made Eli halt a second. 

The boy's brown eyes stared back at his father's, both in this silent stare down that made me wonder how the hell did Eli manage to do that as long as he was doing. But then I remembered whose son he was and it made sense. The only thing is that Dennison's hard gaze worked on anyone---everyone---even his own kids, but right now... 

I think I was starting to see a part of Eli that was only going to get stronger. Stronger than his father. 

And I wasn't sure if that'd be a good thing or not. 

Eli's eyes narrowed slightly, straightening before he looked away from his father---not out of cowardice but more of a challenge---and turned to walk past me into the kitchen. I remained where I was, flicking my gaze back to Dennison whose hard stare was now on me. 

I winced a little from that stare---even though I should be used to it by now---and cleared my throat while shifting uncomfortably. After a few minutes, still feeling Dennison's gaze, I slowly turned away from the room and entered the kitchen. 

Eli was seated on the counter when I walked in. He had the cup of orange juice that he said he wanted between his hands as he leaned over his knees a little. When I walked in, he looked up and sat up. 

I stuffed my hands into my sweater's pockets, taking a deep breath before shrugging a shoulder, "You alright, Eli?"

The boy's brows furrowed, his eyes staring back at mine and I could see again that he was contemplating something. Probably trying to word whatever he wanted to say right. 

"We're not crazy," he finally said. 

I raised a brow, tilting my head. "I know that. So does everyone else." 

Eli frowned more, looking off to the side and huffed, "Then why is everyone so strung up? I feel like I am some experiment that needs to be kept watch over." 

"We're just worried, Eli... With these strangers supposedly coming for you, and then with earlier when you and your brother both confirming that you've seen a man who was supposed to be dead is making us all unsure of what to do. So forgive us if we are trying to figure out how to comprehend all of this."

The guilt on his face showed, him looking down at his cup of juice before lifting it to take a sip from it. When it was wedged back between both hands, Eli looked up at me.

"Can you take me?"

Frowning, I lowered my chin a little and squinted at the kid. 

"Take you where?"

"The cemetery."

My eyes widened and I scrunched my nose, scoffing, "Okay... Now I think you're crazy."

Eli rolled his eyes, shaking his head and sighed out of frustration. He set the cup off beside him a little more forcefully than he should have which made some of the juice spill out over the rim. He jumped off the counter, narrowing his eyes as he demanded for me to take him to the cemetery. 

"I have to know for sure too, Kale!" He motioned to my dirt-covered self and snapped, "You started digging because you needed to know! Now let me help finish digging so that I can see! I have to see that coffin!" 

I looked over my shoulder, nervous that Eli was being heard from the others in the living room. I turned back to face him, frowning as I bent down a little to meet him eye to eye. Eli's scowl deepened when I shook my head and whispered for him to keep calm. I explained that these newfound gifts for him and his brother might not be honed in yet and that I didn't want to the see the disappointment on Eli's face if a decaying Maddox, Sr. was really in that coffin.  

A low growl came tumbling out from behind Eli's closed lips and I looked upward trying to find the patience to deal with everything plus Eli's stubbornness. He had both his father's and his mother's, so I'm sure you can understand why I feel like I am talking to a wall. 

"If you won't go with me then I will just go alone," Eli warned. 

Frowning as I straightened, I replied with annoyance, "Listen Eli, I get it that you are confused and desperate to know if what you saw was real or not... but don't fucking start threatening me because you think I'm a push over. I don't mind being the one you talk to more when you need it, but don't think that I am just going to let you do whatever you want either. I'm still your family which means I have a responsibility to watch over you as everyone else does."

Eli looked away, shaking his head slowly and I saw that his fists curled at his sides. 

Sighing, I lowered, waiting for him to glance at me. 

"There's no doubt in my mind that you are strong, Eli. I've seen it when you were four and I see it now that you are standing in front of me." I could see that there was some lead way in what I said since his scowl started to fade. I shook my head a little, grinning, "But when you start acting like your mom and wanting to do reckless things... it calls for someone to pull you back to reality. Besides... I have my tendency to be like your mom, so if you fall through those cracks too then we've lost all hope for little Maddie." 

Eli sighed, frowning as his shoulders sagged. "But Kale..."

I lowered a brow, tilting my head a little as his face contorted in trying to get something out. 

"What is it, pal?"

Eli winced, shaking his head, "I really want to know though."

A sigh escaped me, knowing that it couldn't be helped that his stubbornness wasn't budging very much. Before I could open my mouth to respond, someone else made their presence known. 

"If you think I'll let you traumatize my other son, Kale, you're fucking mistaken."

I frowned, standing up and turning around to snap back at Dennison that I wasn't even going to take Eli to the cemetery, but that I also didn't traumatize Maddox. 

"He's perfectly fine," I motioned to the child sitting in the living room from my view. 

Dennison's brow lowered, the other raised as he deadpanned, "In time we'll see."

I narrowed my eyes, sneering at the man before looking down at Eli who walked past me to beg his dad to give into his request. He begged that he needed to know, that he had to know that what he saw was real. 

Dennison frowned at his son looking up at him and I could see that the man was having a hard time deciding his final word. His nose scrunched, muttering, "I know you are eager to know if Maddox made it out that day, Eli... But you can't just go grave-digging! Your mom will skin me alive if I let you."

"Well..." Eli swallowed, eyes large as he asked, "Can you do it then? Go dig it up? Please?"

Dennison's nose scrunched and Eli walked forward, taking his dad's hand and begged, "Please, Dad! Please!" 

"Sigh... I'm sorry Eli. I can't do that." 

His son scowled, narrowing his eyes as he stepped back and growled, "You just don't want me to see Maddie again!"

"That's not true---" Dennison frowned, but Eli spoke over him, shouting, "Yes it is! Yes it is, Dad! I remember! I remember how you always hated him! So now you want to make sure that I never see him again!"

"That's enough, Eli!" Dennison snapped. "Now I said we are not going and that's final!" 

I wasn't sure if he could see the others by the entrance of the kitchen. If they did, neither son or father made note of it. 

Eli shook his head, eyes tearing up as he stepped further away from Dennison reaching for him. His jaw clenched tightly, swallowing hard before growling, "It should have been you!" which my eyes widened to. I looked up at Dennison's blank stare, the way his gray eyes looked so void of any emotion was so unlike him. 

"Eli!" Thea scolded, stepping into the room trying to catch her son when he ran around Dennison and the others. I could hear a door slam and Thea looked at her mother and Mr. Dennison who both nodded that they'd go check on Eli. 

My cousin swallowed, slowly turning to stare at the back of her husband's head. Dennison was still standing where Eli left him. He was staring off at nothing, his posture slumped a little. I watched Thea walk beside him, tilting her head to stare up at Dennison.

"Auric?"

He didn't respond; vocally or physically. He just continued to stare off before my cousin had to stand in front of him and lift her hands to take hold of his face. When she called his name again, Dennison finally lowered his gaze to hers. 

Shaking her head, Thea softly mended, "He didn't mean it... He's just upset. Everyone is... But he didn't mean it, Auric. He loves you." 

Dennison didn't say anything, his brows just furrowed a little. 

I could see though that his son's words affected him greatly. Dennison has always been one who was stoic to whatever was said to him except for when it involved Thea or was from Thea. So I know for damn sure that his own son wanting his father to have taken the place of Maddox, Sr. was hitting him hard. 

Swallowing hard, Dennison let out a slow breath and raised his hands to gently take hold of his wife's hands to pull them from where she held him. 

"I made it seem like I didn't care, Thea... I can understand why Eli is so angry at me. I just think..." He paused, taking a deep breath, then frowned, "Think that I'm going to go for a walk." 

He bent to kiss my cousin on the forehead before muttering that he'd be back late, so for her to not wait up for him. Even with Thea protesting him to stay, Dennison made his way to the back door and left. Shutting the door quietly behind him. 

Thea closed her eyes, placing her hands over her face. The hard breath she let out was a sign of the stress today brought on and I walked over to her, asking if she wanted me to tail Dennison. Thea lowered her hands, glancing in the direction of the back door before shaking her head. She looked up at me with her teary brown eyes. 

She sniffled, "No, it's okay... Auric really needs time. He usually asks for a walk when he needs time for something. He'll know you're following him and make a big stink about it later." 

Thea shrugged a shoulder, muttering that for us to let Dennison calm down. She then frowned, eyes narrowing before growling under her breath that she had a son to talk sense into anyway. She turned away, quickly exiting the kitchen and made her way up the stairs. 

I followed her, trying to ease her. "Thea... I know what he said wasn't right but he's---"

"Shut up, Kale!" 

I winced, following the order. She made her way to the bathroom door that my aunt and Mr. Dennison were trying to talk to Eli through. They both turned when they saw the fired up mother storming closer. They parted away so that Thea could stand at the door and used a fist to pound on it.

"Eli Dennison! You open this door right now!" 

There was silence on the other side of the door but then Thea hit the door again and warned her son that if he didn't open the door in the next five seconds that she'd break the door down herself. 

"You can't do that!" Eli's muffled voice responded, sounding a bit unsure as to whether his mother was truly capable of knowing the door down. 

Thea snapped back, "Try me, Eli! I dare you!" 

It was a few moments later that the door was unlocked and it slowly was pried open. A guilt-ridden Eli peered through the crack and Thea's hard glare made her son pout. 

Stepping back, Thea pointed at the floor, "Get out here. Right. Now." 

Eli did as told, slowly stepping out of the comfort of the bathroom and looked up at his mother. My cousin took a deep breath, letting herself calm down before she frowned, "That was completely uncalled for, Eli." 

"But Mom---"

"I am still talking!" Thea snapped back.

Eli immediately hushed, his shoulders raised and his face reddening from the scolding. 

"I understand that you are upset about Maddox. That you want him to be alive just as much as I do, but you do not---and I mean do not---talk to your father the way you did!" 

Thea frowned, "Are you out of your mind!? How could you say something like to your dad, Eli? Why would you even think it okay to say such a thing!?"

Eli's eyes teared up, looking down at his sneakers and began to sniffle. His mother watched him do this, pausing from her scolding. She closed her eyes, and I could see how tired she was. Instead of getting upset with Eli again, Thea bent to meet at his eye-level. 

"I don't want you saying things like that again, Eli... Do you understand me?"

Her son swallowed, sniffling before nodding. "Yes, Mom." 

Thea nodded, straightening and reached over to brush her son's hair out of his face---though it fell right back into place over his forehead. 

"Okay. I'm going to get your brother ready for bed. I expect you to do the same. You and him will be staying in my old room." 

Eli nodded silently, his brows furrowing as he watched his mother start to walk away. 

"Mom...?" he called, and Thea looked over her shoulder as she was already walking down the stairs. 

"Are..." Eli winced, raising his shoulders, "Is Dad okay?"

Thea's face softened, a small smile on her lips. She shrugged a shoulder before replying, "He will be. He just needed to go for a walk for a while."

Eli bit his lip, glancing away then asked, "You didn't scold me about saying 'sorry' to him..." 

His mother nodded, "I know." 

"Why not?"

Thea shrugged, reeling in her lips. She raked her fingers through the front of her hair and sighed, "Because that's up to you, Eli. I'm not going to force you to do what you don't want. What you don't mean. All I ask is for you to give your dad a couple of days to himself, okay?"

Eli blinked a few times. Swallowing hard, he slowly nodded before his mother disappeared downstairs. He continued to stare at the empty stairs, not seeing me motion to Mr. Dennison and my Aunt Emeel to go downstairs. Once they made their way out of sight, I took that opportunity to walk over to where my young cousin was. 

Eli's teary eyes looked up at me, his bottom lip quivering as he whimpered, "I didn't mean it..." 

I knew what he was referring to and I offered a grim smile, nodding as I placed my hand on top of his head. 

"I know, Eli. And your dad knows that too. It just hurts to hear though, so just know it might take some time for him to get over. But he doesn't love you any less."

"I don't either! I love my dad. I do! I just..." Eli swallowed, scrunching his nose as he looked down at his sneakers. He shook his head, shrugging a shoulder that he didn't know what he was thinking. That he wasn't when those words came out. 

The kid's brown eyes looked to be begging me to tell him something that would comfort him and I didn't know what I could say that would give him that desperate need. I looked up when Thea was coming up the stairs with a chattering-away Maddox going on about the one-eyed bear that his mother had promised to fix for him. 

Thea nodded, smiling at her son before sighing, "Yes, Maddie. Tomorrow. I promise."

"But you said that last time!" Maddox frowned, shaking his bear at his mother again. "Please, Mommy! Fix my bear!" 

"Alright, Maddox," Thea sighed, taking the bear from him as she walked towards her old bedroom. She glanced our way and reminded Eli that he should be getting ready for bed. 

The preteen frowned at her, asking, "But what about dad? We can't leave him outside!"

Thea didn't look at her son as she was walking away, replying, "He's going to be fine, Eli. Nothing bad will happen to him. Now get ready for bed. I won't say it again."

Eli sighed, glancing at the stairs then glanced at me before muttering, "G'night, Kale." 

"Night, Eli..." 

I watched him walk away, his steps slow until he disappeared into the room that the door closed to. 

Talk about a heavy-drama day... 

My fingers ran through the front of my hair, letting my arm drop to my side after a bit. Pursing my mouth to the side, I looked myself over at the dirt I was still covered with. Scrunching my nose, I knew a shower was needed immediately. It was probably best for me to head home anyway since everyone else was settling in for the night. 

Making my way downstairs there wasn't much sound. Other than the low mumbles coming from the living room. When I walked in, my dad was already putting on his jacket as he glanced my way. 

"Titan is a bit worried of where Auric's gone, Kale. Do you want to join us in finding him?"

I glanced at Mr. Dennison who was nodding to something to my aunt was saying. From the looks of it she was going to be staying here with my Aunt Penny and Alice while Thatcher joined the search. Thatcher was returning to the room, walking past me, with flashlights for himself and my dad. Obvisouly Mr. Dennison wouldn't need one...

Frowning, I mentioned that Thea said this was normal for her husband to take walks when he needed time to think. 

"He's not going to like us tailing him."

"When has my son ever liked being watched over? All growing up he was being raised to be the next alpha, and so that required a lot of watching over from our part of the pack."

Mr. Dennison grunted, shaking his head. "Knowing Auric, he's going to stay out all night and I am too old for him to be worrying me---even as grown as he is. If I could, I'd put a tracker on that boy."

I looked at my dad who shrugged that I didn't have to join them. That I looked tired anyway. 

Shaking my head, I swallowed, "No, it's okay. I'll help. Dennison is a beast. So if he fights you all, you're gonna need all the manpower you can get."

"Got that damn right," Thatcher grumbled, making it a point to shoot Mr. Dennison a look. "Should I recall how fun it was to watch him almost kill Thea seven years ago?"

Mr. Dennison rolled his eyes, grumbling back, "Shut up." then led the way to the back door in the kitchen. I could hear my Aunt Penny tell Thatcher to be careful while their daughter asked her dad, "Are you sure I can't help? I'd be another pair of eyes, Dad." 

Thacher smiled, kissing his daughter's head and assured her that the group that was going was enough. 

"I need you to stay here and watch your mom and the others. Especially Thea after she finds out that we went out for her husband." 

Alice looked disappointed, but nodded, smiling a little at my Aunt Penny when she wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders. She tucked Alice into her side, reminding us all to be careful again since the news of the strangers coming to Blood Moon Falls could happen at any time. 

We nodded, exiting the house one by one. 

The dirt crunched underneath my shoes, so I knew we were still on the property. That is until the gravel sounded much softer and I knew we were in the dirt path leading into the woods. I looked around, waving the flashlight's beam to scan my surroundings. 

"You sure he's in here?" I asked, noting the light breeze making the leaves shiver. 

I could hear Mr. Dennison from up ahead confirm that Dennison was in the woods. 

"My son has always found comfort in the woods. He'd always enjoyed running through them regardless of the danger I'd warn him about. Kind of like when Thea first found him in the woods that night he was injured."

He paused, letting our footsteps step against the dirt underneath them. 

"Besides... I can smell him."

I rolled my eyes, grumbling, "Could have just said that in the first place..."

I didn't expect him to hear me and if he did he didn't acknowledge it. 

We walked for awhile on the dirt path and Thatcher called up front to Mr. Dennison, pointing out, "Hey! Up ahead! Do you see that dim lighting?"

My feet quickened once Mr. Dennison agreed that he could see that light. It was very dim but clear enough to be a light of some sort. We started picking up the pace, the wind seeming to pick up too and I squinted, scrunching my nose as I looked up at the dark sky. 

The moon had been bright before the gray clouds started rolling in front of it and I winced from the few drops of rain that began to sprinkle down. 

We came to a halt once Mr. Dennison pointed at the wooden, worn sign that I'd read earlier in the day. 

"The light's coming from the cemetery!" He looked over his shoulder at us, nodding, "C'mon!" 

As we ran closer, we saw that the light that we'd seen was coming from a PODLight Illumenator that was kept in the shed with the other tools to tend to the cemetery. It was why we could see the light so far. It was being used to stand at one end of the gravesite that illuminated the area enough for the figure near the end of the cemetery to be digging away.

We saw the waves of dirt being tossed over the figure's shoulder and finally it was registering to us that it was Dennison. He was standing in the now pouring rain digging away. 

"Auric!" Mr. Dennison shouted, being the first to run ahead. We followed after breaking from our stupor. 

Despite his father shouting for him to stop, Dennison was choosing to ignore the protests. He just kept shoveling into the ground, tossing the dirt over his shoulder that began forming into a pile on the edge of the hole he was in.

Once we reached the grave, Thatcher shouted, "Auric! Get out of there!"

"Go away!" he grunted, not looking at us. 

Mr. Dennison frowned, swallowing as he tried to reason with his son that it was late and that it wasn't right for him to be digging up a grave.

"Let's get you home, Auric. We can talk to Thea---"

"I said, 'no'!" He growled, turning to look over his shoulder and his wolf's eyes glowed brightly. That scowl of his in place as he responded, "If anyone should know if Maddox really is alive or not it is my son and Thea! So back the fuck off so that I can finish!" 

He turned away, shoveling again. 

Mr. Dennison frowned, glancing at the rest of us before trying to get through to his son again. 

"Auric... I know you're doing this because of what Eli said---"

"I don't care!" Dennison shot back, not turning. "This isn't about getting in his good graces! Or about making it up to Eli that I'm here and Maddox isn't! I'm just wanting to settle this once and for all!" 

"But Auric---"

"Look!" Dennison spun around and told us all that he wasn't going to stop. That we all either let him finish what was being done or they could leave. Either way he didn't give a shit. 

When we stood there, silent, Dennison growled under his breath turning away. I looked at the others, now soaked from the rain pouring down, and I could see their indecisivness of what to do. No one seemed to make a move so I decided to be the one to make it for us. 

Tossing the flashlight aside, I walked around the grave and ignored my dad's protesting, "Kale..." so that I could jump into the grave with Dennison. I just used my hands to drag away at the dirt now clumping into mud from the moisture it soaked in. Glancing up I met Dennison's gaze and saw a bit of gratefulness shared and I silently nodded before continuing to help him pull the dirt aside. 

Not long after, Thatcher and my dad jumped in. Mr. Dennison still looked hesitant, looking around him then back to us. He swallowed, shaking his head before bending down to join us. The grave was now more cramped but with all of us pushing away the dirt we were making progress faster. 

It wasn't until Dennison's shovel hit something that we all froze. We stared at the dirt in front of us and I looked up at Dennison whose brows furrowed more. His jaw clenched tight. 

After a second, he tossed the shovel aside and muttered, "Help me carry it out."

We all wedged ourselves against the dirt wall behind us so that we could pry out hands just enough to grab the edge of the coffin. I winced from my skin being pinched in the tight space but ignored it as we all grunted from trying to wedge up the heavy coffin. 

"Kale," Thatcher grunted, panting out, "Jump back out of the hole so we can tilt the coffin towards you. You grab onto the edge of it and one of us will jump up to join you."

I nodded, looking upward and using my hands to reach upward as I pushed off my feet to catch the dirt edge. I winced from the dirt falling in my face but then used my upper body to curl myself upward and flip myself above ground. 

"Okay!" I shouted, reaching in to prepare to grab onto the coffin. 

The others grunted, struggling to lift the coffin towards me until I reached further and grabbed onto the dirt covered handle. 

"I got it!" 

I started tugging, shouting for one of them to help me. Someone's hands joined mine and I glanced to the side to see my dad. He nodded for us to tug at the same time once the others below pushed. Nodding, I turned back to the coffin and waited for Thatcher to shout out his countdown.

With the help of the three pushing, my dad and I were able to tug out the heavy box. We pulled it with us as we backed away. 

I fell backwards once the coffin was completely out of the ground and rested for a second. I opened my eyes, staring up at the dark sky, the rain drops coming down in small bursts from the lighting. 

Sitting back up, I watched the other three pull themselves out of the grave before Dennison walked over to grab the shovel he'd been using. He made his way to the side of the coffin, glancing at his dad when Mr. Dennison shared this look with him. Dennison looked away, bracing the shovel with his hands and wielded his arm downward until breaking off the lock that had been placed to seal the cover from ever opening. 

Now that I think about it... I never understood why a lock would have to be placed on a coffin to begin with. That was totally unnecessary.

Tossing the shovel aside, Dennison bent to place his hands on the edge of the cover while the rest of us stood our ground. My heart was beating fast, going in rhythm with the rain pouring down on us. 

After a moment of hesitation, Dennison finally yanked up the cover and looked down. I saw him step away, his gray eyes staring into the coffin. Mr. Dennison swallowed, muttering, "Fuck..." and that made the rest of us look at one another before moving towards the other two men. 

The moment we stood beside them, my heart dropped. All of us stood there, silent... cold... soaked... and stunned. 

"I don't fucking believe it," I muttered, stepping closer and looked into the completely empty space. 

There was nobody nor any sign of a body at all. Nothing.

I turned, frowning at the others whom all looked just as confused as I was. "If this coffin has been empty all this time..."

I stared at the empty coffin again. My mind reeling with questions. 

"What the fuck happened seven years ago?"

    ❦ღ❦ 

Sitting at my kitchen table with a towel in my hand, I felt so numb. I could still feel the drops of water falling from my hair and skin, but I didn't bother using the towel dad had gotten for us as well as Thatcher, Dennison, and his dad. 

We decided to return to my house instead of Aunt Penny's because we agreed we weren't up to explaining an empty coffin to Thea and the others.  

Now that I'm sitting here, soaking wet and with my mind going a hundred miles per hour trying to figure out where Maddox was, I didn't know if everything that has been happening was on purpose. Everything that we'd been finding out was just snow-balling and I wasn't sure if I was going to be prepared for the avalanche. 

Thatcher had called Aunt Penny once we got to my house to tell her that we all were going to stay here for the night and we'd stop by tomorrow morning. Now Thatcher, my dad, and Mr. Dennison were in the living room setting up the air mattress dad kept for when we got more than one visitor that wouldn't get to sleep in our guest room. 

Dennison volunteered to sleep in the living room, mentioning something about feeling a little claustrophic at the moment. There wasn't really any argument from anyone, not when we all were trying to let what happened at the cemetery sink in. 

I was startled when I looked at the towel dropped onto the table. When I looked up at its owner, Dennison's scowl was on his face---in a more contemplative kind of way. He didn't look at me yet as he pulled a chair out to sit down. For a moment, I thought we were just going to sit there in silence, but then Dennison's gray eyes met mine and he said something that made my body tense.

"You're not fucking serious, are you?" I asked, my voice tight as I frowned at him. 

Dennison's eyes narrowed, stone-faced as usual. 

"I'm fucking dead serious." 

I sat up, tossing aside the towel and scoffed, "I can't do that, Auric! Do you know what you are asking of me!? I can't just---"

"You can. And you will." Dennison interrupted, his voice low and steady. 

The look on his face was more serious than I was used to and yet I couldn't understand why he would think his order was anything but okay. 

"But---"

Dennison nodded, "I know... I know, okay? And I will take the blame for it when the truth is revealed but until then you are to say nothing, Kale." 

My lips parted, blinking repeatedly before looking away. I shook my head, swallowing the lump in my throat. 

"I can't do it. I won't."

Without turning, I heard Dennison sit forward in his seat to lean towards me. 

"Look at me, Kale." 

I tried to ignore the demand, tried to keep from meeting his gaze that would hold that Alpha side Dennison gave up so long ago. But I gave in. I had to. I needed to understand how Dennison could think I'd be able to do what he was asking.

Frowning at him, I waited as he stared me down. 

Dennison let out a long breath through his nose, nodding, "There are so many unanswered questions right now. And I can't let that cause panic or havoc amongst all of us. Especially if that means hiding the truth a little longer---whatever that truth is."

He studied me, waiting after telling me to keep what we found out a secret. 

I felt my jaw clench, eyes narrow and a tightness in my chest.

"He's going to hate me," I pointed out through clenched teeth. 

Dennison continued to stare, seeing my struggle to agree to what he wanted. His gaze dropped a moment.

"I cannot keep this from him, Auric." I leaned forward, lowering my voice as I bit back, "You're asking me to continue to see him go downhill. The guy's a walking time bomb and you're just going to continue to let it happen!?" 

"I know how Easton is," Dennison snapped. His gray eyes hard. "I know how hard it was for his sister to die in front of him! I know how hard of a time he was having trying to cope of never seeing her again!"

I winced from his harsh tone. I sat back a little as Dennison finished off, "Which is why I am asking you to make sure that Easton doesn't know. That he doesn't find out until I tell him. I will be the one to tell him about it and make sure that you had no idea about it either." 

Dennison closed his eyes, running his hands down his face. He sat back, shaking his head. 

"Like I said, Kale... There's a lot of shit we still don't know. Which is why, until we find out answers, Easton and the others have to be kept out of the loop."

I fell silent, shaking my head and looked upward. 

I swallowed, muttering, "I told Easton to trust me, Auric... And keeping this from him is going make him hate me. Me out of everyone." 

He said nothing, frowning before shaking his head and assuring me that he would take the fault. That I was his family too and I was someone he would look out for. 

"Easton needs you right now, Kale. He's been improving---everyone can see that---because of you. Because of---" he waved his hand in the air, "---whatever it is you two have between one another."

I glared at him but Dennison sighed, "I don't want to see my best friend hurt again, Kale. So please... Just do what I ask and make sure he doesn't know until I tell him."

I stared back, frowning deeply before closing my eyes and nodded. 

"Okay. I won't tell him."

Dennison nodded after I opened my eyes and he stood up, muttering for me to get some sleep after today's events. I nodded silently watching him leave into the living room and I sat there still---frightened to go to my room where a blond, blue-eyed Werewolf could be waiting because of an open window that he found a right to climbing in through. 

Leaning my head back against the chair, staring up at the ceiling, I listened to the rain hitting the roof and the windows. It was all the sound I could hear---or focused on anyway---and I knew that I was going to have to try hard to be as normal as possible around Easton. I was going to have to pretend like tonight didn't happen. Like I wasn't harboring a secret that could definitely make that short-tempered Werewolf hate me all over again. 

Finding Maddox's coffin empty was one thing... but what was worse? 

Digging up the grave next to Maddox, Sr.'s and finding out that Langley was missing too.