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 I wasn't sure how to read Easton's expression right now. It was unreadable to me. I couldn't tell if he was annoyed, concerned, or confused about what Eli said. 

Everyone else in the room seemed to be doing exactly what I was which was sneaking a glance at Easton.

His blue eyes continued staring back at Eli---the thirteen-year-old still wearing that grin he'd inherited from his dad. Easton's brows furrowed while slowly tilting his head before turning his gaze onto me. I stared back in silence, still trying to read the way he was looking at.

"Should I be worried?" he asked. Something I wasn't expecting, to be honest.

I raised a brow, looking at the others---more particularly Thea and Dennison---but they all shrugged. 

Helpful...

I shook my head, grinning as I rubbed the back of my neck and shrugged a shoulder. I explained to Easton that Lincoln and I ended on good terms, so there was nothing to worry about. 

"For you..." Jonah snorted, reaching into Eli's Dorito bag. Eli's brown eyes widened, watching his uncle's hand slowly emerge with not one but a handful of chips. The teenager's mouth dropped open, his gaze following the handful of stolen chips. Then Eli's stunned look turned into a scowl and curled his lip to growl at Jonah.

I narrowed my eyes---temporarily ignoring the stink eye Jonah's nephew was giving him---and asked for clarification on what the older Dennison twin said.

"Well, yeah..." Jonah shrugged a shoulder, shoving the handful of chips into his mouth---something that made Eli suck in a breath and watch with horrified wide eyes. While chomping, Jonah muffled, "Ju might be good wiff him... but he might not wiff 'im!" he pointed at Easton while raising his brows.

Jonah's wife sighed, shaking her head at her husband's inability to chew with his mouth closed while Dennison mumbled a scolding at his brother that he was spitting chips everywhere. 

"You're wasting 'em!" Eli cried, slapping his hand at the air between him and his uncle who was attempting to steal more chips. 

The older Dennison twin scoffed with a grin, "Sharing is caring, Eli! Now give me the bag!" 

"No! Get your own!" 

"I would... But yours is closer."

"Mom!"

Thea sighed, frowning, "Eli! Jonah! Stop it!" she looked at her son and scolded him that he shouldn't be eating so many Doritos to begin with. That he was spoiling any room for dinner. Eli stopped, straightening while tilting his head and lowering a brow. It was a real 'You're not serious?' kind of look that Dennison seemed to support since he shrugged a shoulder and reminded his wife that their son's appetite was different than normal growing boys.

For a moment, Eli's brown eyes shifted to his dad who wasn't looking at him. I could see the way Eli stared up at Dennison like he was seeing him for the first time. His bottom lip stuck out in a slight pout before turning away to his mother who rolled her eyes and muttered that Dennison was always defending their boys. 

"Especially Eli," Thea grumbled, giving Dennison a look.

Her husband stared at her for a moment then shrugged before turning his attention elsewhere. I noticed this and apparently so did Eli who let his gaze drop to the floor. 

For months, Eli had been distant from Dennison. 

Since the return of Maddox, Eli couldn't get enough of him. He'd express how much he missed Maddox and that Maddox would appear in the middle of the night to warn Eli about his little brother's nightmares. Then he'd tell Maddox about Eli's and Maddie's newfound abilities to see flashes of people from touching certain objects, like the dirt from the supposed grave that was on me that one time.

It was realized for the thirteen-year-old though, that though his Uncle Maddox missed Eli too and loved to hear what he had to say... that there was someone who was the light of Maddox's newly restored life. 

With Langley in the picture---and the mutual feelings between her and Maddox---Maddox tried to spend every waking moment with her. He'd, of course, give attention to the others, but it wasn't the same as when he was so drawn to Langley. 

Langley was the same. Her Advanced Hunter boyfriend was always the first one her eyes sought when she walked into a room. And once she caught gazes with him, Langley's ice blue eyes sparkled in a way that brought this daze to Maddox's face. I should know since her twin brother does the same fucking thing to me. 

As for Eli, he'd feel a little disappointed when Maddox would put his hand on the boy's head and promised to finish their conversation later before Maddox chased after Langley to the guest bedroom. 

Eli's nose would scrunch, clearly understanding what the pair would be up to every time they disappeared. He'd sulk for a moment then wander down the hall to look for little Maddie. Except little Maddie was always with the one person Eli was avoiding. 

I remember watching Eli halt at the entrance of the living room where Dennison was lying on his stomach in the middle of the room with his youngest son lying the same way but facing his dad. Between them was a plate of cookies, along with a glass of milk for Dennison and a sippy cup for Maddie since he tends to spill everything. 

Dennison smiled when Maddie scrunched his nose in frustration from not being able to dunk his chocolate chip cookie into his sippy cup like Dennison was able to do in his own cup. 

"I can't do it, Daddy!" Maddie whined, his bottom lip trembling. His gray eyes tearing up.

"Easy..." Dennison cooed, reaching to place his cup in front of his son and nodded, "Now try."

Maddie looked unsure before slowly dunking the cookie into the milk. His dad warned him not to let it hover in there too long or it would break off and sink. When the cookie was pulled out of the cup, dripping with milk, Maddie beamed that he did it. Then chomped on the cookie. 

"Dis if goob, Baddy!" 

Dennison laughed, shaking his head and sighed, "I'm glad you like them. You're an excellent baker."

"Yes, I am!" Maddie cried excitedly when he swallowed what was in his mouth. "Are you proud of me, Daddy?"

"Very much," his dad nodded. 

Maddie then tilted his head to frown, "Daddy...?"

"Yeah?"

Maddie pursed his mouth to the side and had this contemplating look on his face. Dennison noticed and ducked his head to catch his son's gaze. 

"What's the matter?"

"Mmm..." Maddie scrunched his nose again, shrugging, "Are you happy now?"

Dennison frowned, asking what his son meant. His son sighed, shrugging a shoulder this time.

"Because you were sad, Daddy. I told Mommy that I don't like to see you sad. That I wanted to see you happy."

At this moment, I mentally snorted because when has Dennison ever looked happy? He was the kind of guy who you'd ask to smile and he'd look at you with this stoic expression and argue that he was smiling. Pft... Happy.

Dennison frowned, shaking his head to answer but Maddie kept talking. He kept telling his dad that he asked his mommy on what would make Dennison happy again which is why Thea suggested to Maddie that he should spend time with Dennison. 

"Mommy said you liked cookies! That---that when Eli was little like me, he shared cookies with you! And---and you were happy!" 

I saw the blank look now on Dennison's face. How he must be re-living deja vu.

Maddie raised his brows, looking down at the plate of cookies and twisted to the side a bit so his little arm could reach for a cookie on the plate. He extended it to his dad, nodding, "Here, Daddy! I'll share my cookies with you! Because they make you happy!" 

For a moment, all Dennison could do was stare at his son. I saw the hard swallow his Adam's apple made and he took a deep breath. He blinked his eyes repeatedly---a small tell that he was possibly blinking away his misty gaze---before smiling again. Dennison reached over and scooped Maddie up, much to the boy's surprise. 

Maddie squealed with glee when Dennison rolled over to hold Maddie up in the air. Maddie giggled into his hands, his hair flopping forward while gray eyes met gray eyes. Dennison then sighed, shaking his head that as much as he did like cookies, that wasn't what made him happy. 

Dennison beamed, "You make me happy, Sport." to which Maddie squealed with glee again when Dennison playfully bounced him up into the air. Their laughter---something I hadn't heard from Dennison in a few months---rang out of the living room. 

And I flicked my gaze to the thirteen-year-old peering from around the corner; watching with a painful look on his face. 

I knew why, too.

'Sport' was Eli's nickname. It was something that he and his dad shared since the moment Dennison found out about him. It was a special endearment that cemented the bonding between them from the start. And I could tell that Dennison using that particular nickname on Maddie was what stung for Eli.

It obviously was making Eli feel hurt. I could see it on his face as his brown eyes lingered on his dad now tickling Eli's younger brother. And when he felt me staring, Eli's gaze switched to me. He bit his lip, probably from seeing that he'd been caught, and I raised a brow at him. 

He and I have had our small spat of how he'd been treating his dad, but Eli was Dennison's son. And that meant stubbornness was innate. Which is why Eli couldn't bring himself to speak to his dad or apologize for the hurtful words he'd spoken to Dennison those months ago. 

Eli swallowed, sniffling slightly before being startled when he heard Maddie cry, "Eli!" and turned to the living room again. 

Maddie sat up when Dennison moved back a bit to allow him. The younger boy giggled, waving for his brother to come to play with him and his daddy. Eli slowly shifted his gaze to Dennison who was keeping his gaze on the plate of cookies. Eli frowned a bit, still staring at his dad as if the longer he stared then eventually Dennison would look at him. 

When the younger boy ran over to tug on his older brother's hand to come play with them, it was then that I saw Eli take a step forward---willing himself to follow through with the request, but then Dennison rose up, gathering his cup of milk. He walked over, stopping in front of his boys and sighed while looking down at Maddie whose pout appeared.

"Where you going, Daddy?" Maddie asked, still holding Eli's hand.

Dennison grimly grinned, shaking his head while answering that he had to help Grandpa with setting up the guest beds as they all did every night. 

"But Daddy!" Maddie whined, releasing his brother's hand and instead reached for his father's pant leg. "Daddy, you have to stay and play with me! And Eli!" 

He turned, desperately pleading with his brother, "Tell Daddy, Eli! Tell Daddy that we want him to stay!" 

When Eli stood frozen, eyes wide, Maddie turned away and a small choked sob escaped as he pleaded with Dennison to play with him. 

Dennison sighed, grinning, "I will play with you again soon, okay? But right now I have to go help Grandpa..." He managed to glance at Eli for a second then looked back down at Maddie. "Why don't you finish sharing your cookies with your brother... okay?"

Then Dennison left. Walking past me with that stoic look on his face though I once again caught the hard swallow. I looked back to the boys where Maddie was now asking Eli, "Why doesn't Daddy want to play anymore, Eli?"

Poor kid. He was so confused and clueless about the tension between his older brother and father. 

Eli swallowed, shaking his head and shrugged a shoulder before mumbling, "It's not your fault, Maddie..."

Maddie sighed, little shoulders sulking, then perked up when he asked, "Do you want to share the cookies, Eli!? Huh? You can half the bigger halves if you want!" 

The older Dennison boy silently nodded, allowing his brother to tug him over to the plate of cookies still lying on the living room floor. Eli laid where his dad had been earlier and took the half of the cookie Maddie offered. The older brother stared at the cookie, not really interested in snacking on it like Maddie was doing. Crumbs were smothered around his mouth now. 

Ever since I noticed that it was suffocating Eli that Dennison would avoid eye contact or any contact for that matter. Though he was being a little shit, I felt bad for Eli. I wanted to tell him that his dad wasn't ignoring him on purpose. Or ignoring him at all. I wanted to explain Dennison's distant behavior as the only way to give his son that space that was needed. Dennison was obviously still trying to mend the wound from Eli wishing that he was in a grave, and this seemed the easiest way to do it. 

Even with his supernatural ability... it wasn't able to heal Dennison as quickly as he'd liked.

So here we were again, where Dennison avoided eye contact and Eli was desperately seeking it. He eventually stared down at his bag of chips, pursing his mouth to the side before glancing up at his dad again. 

Thea seemed to catch this too since she reached over to brush back Eli's fringe off his forehead, but it fell back into place. Sort of. There were a few strands sticking out at awkward angles. She gave him a small smile, nodding silently in Eli's dad's direction that made Eli's eyes widen. Clearly, my cousin could see what I did, which was how desperately Eli was trying to mend what he broke with his dad. 

I turned to listen to the middle of Easton and Jonah arguing back and forth about Lincoln (they were still on that?) having it out for Easton because he stole me away. I rolled my eyes, using a hand to grab onto Easton's bicep and tug him backward. 

"Easy, Ease..." I warned, shooting Jonah a look over my shoulder when he huffed, "Yeah! Save that rampage for your showdown with Lincoln!" 

I clicked my tongue against the back of my teeth, snapping back, "Shut up, Jonah! He's working on his temper! And it doesn't help if you are purposely egging him on!" 

Cheryl raised a brow, giving her husband a look and nodded, "He's right, you know?"

"Woman... You're supposed to be on my side. Not his!" 

"Jonah..." Cheryl warned, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I'm only going to say this once." Jonah's eyes bulged, leaning back at the calm tone from his wife. "Behave yourself and leave Easton alone... Or I'll make sure to rip your lip ring right off."

There was a brief pause in the room before Jonah chuckled nervously at the rest of us then shrugged, "It's that time of the month..." to which Cheryl growled---pretty much confirming Jonah's words.

Rolling his eyes, Easton looked at me and sighed through a frown, "Is this really going to be a problem or what? I don't think my temper is completely under control right now and I can't get better if Mr. President pisses me off---or his high-fucking-ranking mother."

I blinked at the nickname given to Linc, me having to think about it for a second before it finally made sense, then I shook my head, telling Easton that I was going to be right there. That I was going to make sure that no one causes problems. 

"What happened between Linc and me---meaning the breakup--- is strictly between him and I. We both had an understanding of why we weren't going to be together anymore. Especially when he was the one who pointed out that I was still in love with you." 

The blond's brow rose, that curious look on his face, and I nodded, confirming that Linc wasn't a bad guy. That he was everything a guy could want in a boyfriend, but again, Linc had pointed out that he wasn't everything I wanted in a boyfriend. 

I placed my hand behind his neck, raising my brows and sighed, "You don't have to be friends with him. I won't ask that of you. And I won't ask that of him, either..." Easton sneered, a small growl rumbling out of him. "But I do need you to at least tolerate each other." 

I reminded Easton that what happened between us was difficult to deal with for me at the time and though I may have handled it like... well, Easton would have, Lincoln had helped me through it. He'd been able to push past that wall I'd put up because of my painful pining for Easton.

"We did share something, Ease," noting him sneering and growling a little. "But even if it wasn't as strong... or not as unbreakable as what I have with you... It was real. For that time it was real." 

Raising a brow, I tilted my head to catch his irritated gaze. He narrowed his eyes at me a bit and I nodded, "Can you at least... try?" 

Easton's narrowed gaze never left me and he was studying me a lot longer than expected which made me glance at the others watching and then I snapped at Easton to stop doing that. The Werewolf lowered his gaze to his hand that he slowly lifted between us, palm up. I stared at it for a moment, glancing up at him nod silently so that I sighed and placed my hand in his. 

"Fine, Red. I'll try. For you."

I grinned, glad that the "other" Easton we'd all been seeing the past years was disappearing. 

"Aw..." Jonah started his shit again which made Easton shoot a look his friend's way. "Look at you being such a big fucking softie, Easton! Welcome back, Plush Baby!"

"Listen, Fuck-Face---" Easton growled, turning on Jonah and I sighed heavily. 

Well... maybe the "other" Easton isn't disappearing quite as much as I thought. And I looked at the others who were giving me a look about Easton's outburst and I shrugged, nodding, "Believe it or not, it's progress. And you all know it."

They glanced at one another, silently agreeing with me. 

The argument between Jonah and Easton was drowned out from the sudden excitable and giggling sing-song voice that rang from the front of the house. 

"Eeeeeeeliiiii! I'm baaaaaack!" 

Wide-eyed, my thirteen-year-old cousin's shoulders went tense, rising up to his ears and the Dorito bag was crushed against his chest from the tight-gripped hold he now had on it. The teenager sucked in a breath when the skipping feet scurried into the room everyone was in and the person rammed themselves in his direction; their arms wrapping around the boy's torso. Eli squeezed his eyes shut, nose scrunching and a deep growl rumbled out of him.

I could see Easton standing beside me, frowning, and I grinned a bit when a curly, white-haired little face peered from behind Eli. The face was beaming as always when around Eli---since they first met, actually---and much to the boy's dismay. 

Eli growled, "Get off me, Ruby!" twisting about though I think he was only putting so much effort because pushing Ruby off meant that his poor Dorito bag would be unsalvagable than it was. He shot the girl a look who beamed up at him with her hazel eyes. 

"I missed you!" she cried, snuggling against the teenager. 

The tall boy leaned his head back and groaned, "Moooooomuh!" though it affected Ruby little. Not at all actually. 

She continued to hug Eli and express how much she missed him---while Eli still struggled---but then immediately dropped her arms when her father walked in and his gruff voice ordered, "Ruby. Let go of Eli."

That simple and Ruby turned to face her parent who shared the same white-hair and hazel eyes. He was of average height but was still lean at his age. And I suppose that with his rank in Azkar's sanctuary meant that the Third in Command, Keishan, would have to be of some form of fit. He had this stink face on all the time so it was difficult to tell if the guy knew how to smile. 

At least I'd seen Dennison smile a few times...

But Ruby didn't seem fazed by her father's stoic expression since she beamed up at him and hugged him with so much affection that she could only understand her father when he gently braced his arm around her in what was an apparent hug. He patted her back lightly then straightened to look at Dennison and Thea.

My cousin nodded once, smiling, "Welcome back, Keishan. I trust you returned with news from Azkar?"

The man nodded back, that serious look on his face, and informed us that this time around they returned with both news from their leader and it was decided that---because of this news---Azkar felt it necessary for his second in command to join the group this time around. 

My cousin and her husband looked at each other, that worrisome look on their faces. 

"Damn, Keishan. Can't even let everyone else settle in before spilling the bad news, huh?" Lincoln chuckled as he appeared at the entryway to the dining area.

Immediately, the air in the room tensed and everyone kept switching glances from Lincoln---whose smile dropped the moment he halted at seeing who was standing beside me--- and Easton--- whose ice blue eyes were flickering back and forth from the gold color of his wolf's eyes. To add to the tension, whether it was subconsciously or not, Easton shifted himself closer to my side.

I glanced at him watching Lincoln and his jaw muscles were contracting; clearly trying to keep himself in control.

Facing forward, I cleared my throat before greeting Lincoln. His eyes shifted to me after lingering a moment longer on Easton. Lincoln's gaze softened as he grinned, "Hey, Kale... Haven't seen you in over a week. Where've you been hiding?"

Looking upward, I felt my elbow discreetly elbow Easton, cutting him off mid-growl. Then I smiled back at Lincoln, shrugging a shoulder that I had been spending time with Easton as I looked at the blond grinning at me all of a sudden. I smiled back.

Lincoln's gaze held understanding when I looked back at him. He even grinned again, nodding, "I'm happy for you." then turned to Easton. "Both of you."

The silence between them was losing the tension, and I was surprised out of everyone when Easton took it upon himself to take a few steps forward and extend his hand out to Lincoln as his face remained stoic when admitting, "I might not have liked the idea of Red with anyone... ever. But... but even as short of a time it was and how much it hurt to see... I'm glad it was you. Someone who really did care about him. And I am grateful that even if you didn't have to... you let him go. Had you not... Red wouldn't have saved me all over again."

My ex-boyfriend blinked, staring at the hand held out before looking up at Easton again.

The blond Were sighed with a small grin, "Thank you. Really. I won't forget it."

Raising a brow to show how surprised he was as the rest of us to seekng a civil Easton, Lincoln looked down ay the extended hand to him again. Then he lifted his head, smiling as he shook Easton's hand.

"No problem, Easton. And I think Kale needed you just as much as you needed him. To be honest, it was painfully obvious that I needed him more than Kale needed me."

I blushed when Easton glanced over his shoulder at me with that smirk and I sneered back.

Lincoln shrugged when placing his hands into the pockets of his sweater and chuckled, "You guys are cuter together anyway."

As if Easton had not already wanted to not only stake his claim on me, he grinned at Lincoln with a raised brow and sniffed, "Obviously."

I rolled my eyes, elbowing Easton to shut up just as he shrugged and mumbled that I knew he was saying the truth. Narrowing my eyes, I huffed out a hard breath, shaking my head and mumbled, "Yeah... I know."

What I thought would have been the end of that clearly wasn't because then a tall female who looked the more feminine version of Lincoln strolled in with this miffed look on her face.

I raised a brow at the way her dark eyes skimmed over everyone, not saying a word. Her posture was the kind where her chin raised a bit with her shoulders pushed back. Someone definitely prided herself in her high rank. The woman's dark, completely braided hair was pulled up halfway on top of her head in a bun while the rest of her braids hung loosely down her back. From what I could see of the braids, there were gold and silver beading woven in between. That was actually kinda neat... 

I was curious if that miffed look was on her face for a reason or if that was just normal, ya know... kinda like Dennison?

To introduce the woman, Lincoln broke off from the quiet and grinned softly, "We talked about your social skills, Mom. You have to smile when greeting people, remember?"

Lincoln's mother blinked, frowning as she looked at her son to acknowledge that he'd spoken. Her son's brows rose, lowering his chin as he waited for her to respond... or something. Clearly this woman took a page out of Dennison's book somehow because I don't think 'smiling' was something she was used to---or perhaps didn't even like doing.

"Old habits die hard, Lincoln," the woman admitted with a tense tone. Her left brow rose as she glanced at the others while directing to her son, "Especially for an Advanced Hunter." 

Good Lord... This woman was definitely Second-in-Command for a reason. I could see that now. 

Lincoln rolled his eyes, grinning at his mother's stiff response and then sighed, "Everyone, this is Azkar's Second-in-Command, Vrable, and..." his mouth pursed to the side, shrugging a shoulder, "Well, my mom." 

Of course the person in our group to break off and be all welcoming to the new addition was, you guessed it, Thea. 

My cousin beamed as she walked forward and extended her hand as she greeted Vrable---I should mention that it now makes sense with her unusual name bestowed on her that she'd be an Advanced Hunter since, hello, I'm named after a smoothie essential.

"Pleased to meet  you, Vrable," Thea smiled who actually received what was a respectful nod---almost like a full-on bow on her part---and Thea frowned a bit until Vrable straightened to address her "bow". 

"To be able to finally meet the great Advanced Hunter to take down a whole society is my pleasure, Thea Dennison." 

My cousin weakly grinned, shrugging a shoulder that it wasn't necessary to call her that but Vrable raised a brow and nodded that indeed it was necessary when Vrable didn't have the pleasure all these years to meet Thea since the older Hunter was playing 'mercenary' in Europe for the last seven years. 

My dad and Aunt Emeel both glanced at one another---that weird twin shit that they do every now and then---and then addressed Vrable that if that was why Azkar decided to send her our way. 

Vrable switched her gaze to the pair at the table and stared for a moment before smirking, "Haven't see you two in quite a while... So much can change in such little time."

My aunt's lip curled, practically growling, "Answer the question, Vrable." There was a warning flash in her eyes making Mr. Dennison place a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. 

The woman at the entryway, sniffed, shaking her head as she mumbled that some things---or this case people---never changed. 

"Other than your being with a Werewolf now, Emeel, you still have that spark in you Pritchet Ray always enjoyed." 

Vrable didn't flinch when my aunt practically shoved her chair back to stand up and instead turned her attention to my cousin. She began eyeing Thea, a gleam in her eyes that were intrigued as she wondered out loud, "That is until Pritchet sought someone he could envy because of the fiery spirit she had instead."

Thea's brows furrowed slightly, tugging her hand out of Vrable's and her jaw clenched tight. I felt my lips reel in and brows shoot up, wondering if Vrable reeeeaaally wanted to see that side to Thea. 

"Whether or not Azkar whole-heartedly trusts you, Vrable," my cousin started, lowering her chin slightly. Her brown eyes narrowed a bit. "I don't have to. With that in the open, I will not ask after this that you will not disrespect my family---any of them, Were or Hunter---should you wish to continue to be at your rank." 

Vrable's brow shot up, her eyes widening a bit out of the narrowed state before and once again was eyeing Thea, but this time the intrigue switched to what I could only assume was... admiration? Possibly.

The taller woman nodded, humming to herself before sighing to my Aunt Emeel.

"She's your daughter alright."

My aunt sneered at her old Hunter companion.

Vrable then decided to finally answer the question from before. She nodded with a heavy sigh that Azkar got word to her to return home as soon as possible and then, once she'd arrived, was informed that she was needed in a small town called, Blood Moon Falls. 

"Azkar mentioned to me that there was a child, a boy, here who was in desperate protection. Albeit that he has a younger brother who would be in the same danger as the older, only this older boy was known to exist."

Thea and Dennison looked over at Eli standing by Maddox, Sr. and Langley. Maddox's frown was already in place, his hand immediately resting on the thirteen year old's shoulder. Eli's brown eyes widened a bit, blinking a few times before he finally turned to look at his parents. Just seeing the fear in their son's eyes made the two parents give Vrable a hard look---not technically at her but for this "danger" she'd acknowledged.

"What were you doing in Europe?" my dad asked.

Vrable looked at him, raising a brow, "Like I said. I was playing Mercenary. I took my background as an Advanced Hunter and was putting it to good use by doing what I do best. Hunt." 

Aunt Emeel narrowed her eyes, sneering, "And what exactly... were you hunting?" 

Sighing, the woman being questioned explained that she'd been sent overseas some years ago because of needing to seek out the whereabouts of a missing Councilwoman who had resigned that same year.

Thea looked up at her husband, a small pout on her face, and Dennison pulled her against him. 

Vrable, not noticing the worry on Thea's part, went on to say that Azkar wanted to find out where the Councilwoman was because she was one of the last of the council to have remained alive. The other councilmen---being that Councilwoman Estrada was the only female---were secretly disposed of by those residing in the Alliance. 

"You killed them?" Jonah blinked, looking at his brother to see if he knew of this. But from the frown on Dennison's face, he didn't. 

Vrable sighed, nodding, "Yes. The high ranking in the Alliance got word of the Hybrid child existing in this town and with the boy's move to the Alliance, Azkar felt it essential that the council was taken care of. To keep this boy's identity a secret for a moment longer."

I frowned, tilting my head a little. Narrowing my eyes, I stepped forward and questioned that small part of her explanation.

"What do you mean?" she asked, eyeing me before not-so-discreetly glancing in my dad's direction then back to me. 

"Yeah," I nodded, "You said 'for a moment longer'. Why do I get the feeling that you being sent here wasn't just to protect Eli." 

Vrable let out a huff, brows furrowing a bit. "You and Thea really are your parents' children..." 

My eyelids lowered half-mast and I nodded, "Yeah, we get that a lot. Now answer my question, would you?"

"Fine," Vrable grit her teeth, eyes wide. Her gaze relaxed when she looked at Eli who stared up at her with worry. "The European Council is here. And they know about this Hybrid child belonging to a Werewolf father and a Hunter mother."

She faced us and frowned, "With Councilwoman Estrada's resignation and then sudden disappearance shortly after, Azkar feared the worst---that the former Councilwoman would become the informant for those in Europe---which was why I was sent over. With my background, I was able to find the group more quietly. However... the European Council had been one step ahead all this time and I figured out why once I saw this one---"

Vrable pointed at Thorton whose face scrunched in confusion. He blinked once... twice... then looked at me with a shrug. 

I asked what Thorton had to do with any of this and the woman scoffed, raising a brow, "The European Council has been evading me every single time because they were fucking smart enough to hire their own mercenaries. For their protection." She looked back at Thorton, nodding at him, "And he looks just like the lead mercenary." 

The color in Thorton's face drained to a sickly pale and he whimpered as he squeaked, "Trent..." 

Vrable nodded, a frown on her face. "Yes. Trent Roman was recruited at a young age some years ago and was taken to Europe where he worked his way up the ranks to where he is now the lead mercenary. Of course, he lacks the skill to be a leader---both in combat and socially---but that didn't stop the Council from getting rid of him. They needed him because his quality in being sneaky was what got him so high up in status, therefore he managed to use that crap trait to get ahead of my hunt on their group."

"Jesus..." Dennison scowled. I could already see that he was strategizing plans in his mind. 

I swallowed, looking back at Vrable and asked her if us having seen Trent those months back meant that he didn't come alone. She looked down, confirming the worst, and then sighed, "Trent is still here. Hiding. But he is here because the Council is too. They are here for the boy---" she acknowledged Eli by nodding at him. "And you can probably imagine what they would want him for."

Thea's jaw tightened, her fists already curling at her sides. Dennison was right behind her, that snarling growl rumbling out of him. Even if he wasn't an alpha anymore... Dennison still had that something about him that just... drew people to him; passing on that adrenaline he'd have inside. Which explained why the Six all started standing, straightening their postures and their now-golden tense stares switched to their ringleader.

Dennison's famous scowl etched onto his face, his chest rising and falling as he growled, "I should have taken Trent Roman out the last time I saw him."

Vrable nodded, "Probably... But he's not the only problem you have to worry about." 

We all frowned, questioning her if there was another thing we had to worry about.

"We do. Especially when it won't be just these Werewolves we are going to be going up against."

Thea blinked and I felt my eyes widen. Our parents, including our Uncle Thatcher and Aunt Penny shot up to their feet, their faces scrunching in distate. Vrable could read all our faces as she nodded, sighing in acknowledgment, "Yeah... We have the European Advanced Hunters to worry about too."

Dennison growled, spinning around and growled, "FUCK!" as his arm instinctively swung around and shoved everything off the counter, making the dishes shatter onto the floor. Without another word, he stormed out the back door. 

My cousin gasped at the sudden reaction, looking from the mess on the floor to the door, "Auric!" before running out after him. The rest of us followed. 

Thea was in the middle of shaking her head, trying to reason with her husband that they would figure something out but that we couldn't lose our temper that quickly. Dennison turned on her, his wolf's eyes glowing as he grit his teeth and cried, "What do you think this means, Thea!? Huh!?"

He pointed in our direction---mainly Eli's---as he growled, "They are coming after him! They see him as a threat and they will do anything to make sure that they maintain normalcy. Do you not get that!? Do you not see that we could possibly lose our son because those fuck-heads know he's different! That he's going to amount to something more that threatens their way of life!?"

Dennison squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head and paced again. Thea watched him, his words sinking in and she bit her lip before looking over at us. We all stood silently until it was Eli who stepped off the porch. In slow steps, but he stepped off the porch and was heading towards his parents. 

He kept switching from his mother staring at him to his father pacing back and forth---not realizing his son was closing in. 

"Mom..." Eli pouted a little, his brown eyes tearing up. "I want to go home. But... but you have to come with me. Please. Please don't stay here to fight. I---I need you."

Eli swallowed, turning his brown eyes to the man still pacing. He then whimpered as he directed to his mother, "I need both of you." 

Dennison stopped, frowning at the ground at his son's words. He swallowed then slowly started to lift his gaze to Eli's. His teenage son pouted, his bottom lip quivering as he whimpered out again, "I know what you're going to do. And... and... and this is me begging you---begging you, Dad---to not do it! Please!" 

The father and son stared at one another; one scowling and the other ready to full on cry. 

I sighed, stepping forward as Dennison shook his head and promised Eli that he was going to be okay. He was going to stay alive. He looked in our direction, nodding that it was already agreed upon that Maddox, Sr. would be Eli's bodyguard if anything was to happen.

At that mention, Eli suddenly went into a panic. His already wide eyes went even wider and shook his head while rushing at his dad to grip onto the man's forearms.

"No! No, Dad! Please! You have to stay with me! You can't leave me!"

Dennison's brows furrowed, his gray eyes blinking repeatedly at his frantic son who was now letting his tears spill over. Even when Dennison tried to explain to Eli that he was going to be okay again, with Maddox---the one person Dennison thought Eli wouldn't mind--- who was going to make sure that nothing happened to Eli. And his younger brother.

"No!" Eli cried, shaking his head with a scowl. "Dad, please! Please, it has to be you! I don't want anyone else if it is not you!"

Before Dennison could try to comfort his son again, a long whistling noise swept through the air and those of us standing on the porch frowned, stepping off the porch to look around at what was the noise.

"Auric! Look out!" His father cried, wide-eyed.

Dennisom, the wolf instincts he had, wrapped his arms around Thea and his son to throw himself with them forward. They rolled; Thea somehow getting out of her husband's grasp and  rolled off on her own while Dennison still held Eli.

The moment they had moved out of the way, a heavy explosion hit where they'd been moments ago. Flames wisped into the air, the heat being felt even from where I was crouching on the porch.

Dennison's wide eyes stared at the fire, jumping into Dad Mode and grunted as he curled up and lifted Eli to his feet.

"Run! Run, Eli!"

Thea joined them, Dennison quickly giving her a look over before pushing her and their son ahead of him.

"Get them out, Thea! Now!"

Eli, again, halted, spinning around and in a panic shouted, "Dad! What about you!?"

The former alpha frowned, shaking his head, "Don't worry about me, Eli. Just go!" but even when his son still pleaded with his, Dennison growled, looking at Maddox, Sr.

"Hollow! Get him out of here! both of them! Now!"

Maddox jumped forward, following the order and the teenager struggled, shouting at Maddox to let him go. He kept trying to twist around, screaming for Dennison whose jaw clenched and shut his eyes before spinning around to block Eli out.

"Noooo! Dad! Dad! Maddie, please! My dad!"

"Eli! Eli, you can't stay here!" Maddox grunted with the teenager in his arms. He shouted for the rest of us to het moving. To fall in behind Dennison.

At that order, Langley had gone over to the large brown trunk sitting beside the porch with a dirty cloth over it. She tugged it off and opened the trunk, revealing all kinds of weaponry that we had been gathering the last months.

I looked one last time at Eli screaming while Alice was carrying little Maddie in her arms, he was crying, scared of what was going on. Frowning, I turned back around and shouted for everyone to get ready while I bent to grab one of the shot guns from the side.

Dennison growled---that powerful growl---and we all turned, seeing why he did. He stood tall and sneered in the intruders direction.

They marched through from the side of the road, armed... heavily armed... and right at the front was Trent.

Trent sneered, shaking his head as he chuckled, "Prepare yourself, Dennison, because you're the one we take out so by the end of this...you won't stand a chance to save your boy."

Dennison couldn't ask for more motivation to give into his wolf.

We all heard the snapping and cracking of his body as his shirt tore at the seams. His torso grew longer and his already muscular figure swelled into the rippling weapons. The intruders---some of them--- were stunned what was before them and the others scowled.

Dennison's facial structure morphed into the half wolfish face and his sharp teeth gnashed in the unwanted visitors direction. With his claws at his sides, Dennison's bare chest rose and dropped heavily... waiting.

Appearing beside him, was Thea. And she was already in Hunter Mode with one of the two long swords in her hand; glinting threateningly from the flames. Her brown eyes stared the others down, narrowing her eyes and she surprised Trent and his group when she did the unthinkable.

Turning to her husband, Thea's lip curled and her sharp tone snapped, "They are not getting our sons..."

And then Dennison hunched forward at Trent and his group, letting out a snarling, menacing roar just before charging with Thea right beside him.