Norman Smith was not at all what Aidan imagined Tyler's father to be. The rough portrait he had painted in his mind of the wolf was a tougher, bigger Tyler, all calm smiles and gentle gestures. The real picture was as different as a Rembrandt artwork was to a child's stick figure drawing.

Both father and son shared the same dark eyes full of cheer, deep skin tone and neatly styled hair but that was where the similarities ended. The older Smith was a tad shorter than Tyler, closer to Aidan's height, with narrow shoulders and an overall slim athletic build. When Aidan had first teleported the group into what appeared to be the basement, Norman had come bursting in on them in wolf form, teeth bared and fur ruffled in a show of fearsome dominance, but all Aidan could think of was how small he'd looked. What was eye-catching was the vibrant teal of his fur and eyes, a truly out of this world colour unlike any other furry creature on Earth.

Tyler had quickly explained the situation to the befuddled wolf, who immediately turned around and scurried back up the stairs to make his home more vampire friendly. Once done, he returned, no longer in wolf form and now wearing a bright orange shirt and tie-dyed pants, profusely apologising for his earlier aggressive behaviour. Then it was Aidan and Lannetta's turn to apologise for their unannounced arrival, and a friendly back-and forth of apologies and gratitude played on until an amused Tyler brought it to a close by loudly inviting everyone upstairs.

To say that Norman loved colour was an understatement. The walls were painted a yellow so bright, it felt like the sun had risen indoors. Additionally, not one piece of wooden furniture was left unpainted, adding bursts of colour throughout the place. Oddly enough, even with so much going on, nothing looked garish or ugly, something Aidan found thoroughly impressive.

Unlike the painful awkwardness between mother and son, Tyler and Norman's relationship couldn't be better. Aidan watched as the two first fist bumped, then slapped each other on the back, before moving to a bear hug. It felt more like watching two brothers joking around, their laughter adding another layer of warmth to the brightness of the home.

While everyone made themselves comfy in the kitchen-dining area, Aidan stood standing off to one side, unable to take his eyes off Norman. There was just something about him that gnawed at Aidan's spidey senses, although what it was, he couldn't say for sure.

Tyler's father seemed genuinely nice, if a little on the emotional side, based on his reaction to the updates Tyler and the other wolves were giving. Eyes narrowed in thought, Aidan continued observing the new wolf when a jab in the ribs jerked his attention away. Lannetta whispered into his ear,"What's up? You've been staring oddly at Norman for a while."

"He just seems familiar, in a dissimilar kind of way. Does that make sense?"

Lanneta huffed before whispering sharply, "Nope, but could you be a little discreet about it?"

Aidan immediately felt like an idiot. "Yeah, sorry." He moved to sit beside Emilia before resting his head on her shoulder. She reached up to stroke his messy blond waves, lulling him into a peaceful calm. He was just about to doze off when Tyler called everyone's attention.

He began by saying, "First off, welcome to the Smith family home. I'm glad to see everyone's here in one piece." Tyler then laid eyes on Aidan, "Now, for the tough questions. Your initial plan is a bust, what's plan B?"

Aidan drew a deep breath before standing to address the room, "I want to try opening a portal back to Riogven, the capital city of Tilrigen." "If it's safe, we'll get all vampires back to our homeworld." Aidan paused, then met Tyler's gaze, "I'm willing to offer the same to the wolves and witches, if they're interested."

Byron muttered to Charlie, "Gotta point out, plan B seems a whole lot better than plan A," earning a nonchalant shrug from the wolf.

Frowning, Tyler said, "You got a time in mind?"

Aidan nodded, "Tonight." Sharing glances with his sister, he added, "Lannetta and I will go."

The impromptu meeting ended not long after, and Tyler left to stand on the front porch for some fresh air. Unexpectedly, Andy and Brandon approached, looking a little nervous. "Tyler, we need to talk," said Andy. "In private," Brandon added while glancing back at the door.

The three wolves headed further away from the house before Tyler levelled a look at both wolves, "Okay, we're far enough for anyone to eavesdrop. What's this about?" He could feel the nervous energy pouring from the two.

Reaching into his jeans pocket, Andy pulled out the portable drive with the data from Vegas, offering nothing but a cryptic reply, "It's about your uncle."

***

If Clan Head Cedric thought his day could not get any worse, he was wrong. One of his most trusted subordinates, Benji, was on the line, his tone grim.

"Sir, we tracked Gavin to an Enlighteners hideout."

Although it didn't show on his cold, hard features, Cedric's heart rate quickened. 'Enlighteners. How are witches involved in this mess?' First, his wolves start interacting with blood dealers, and now witches from a banned secret society too? What in wolves teeth was going on?!

"We sent every available member of the White Oak Clan's elite force on the hunt for those rogues but when our squads made a move to infiltrate the building the witches put up a fight." There was a haunting pause, "And then the hunters joined in."

The Clan Head let out a growl so terrifying, Benji couldn't contain a whimper. In a deep voice comparable to thunder, Cedric demanded, "How did they know our people would be there?!"

Benji stammered a reply, "I don't think they did, sir. They seemed to be targeting the hideout and we were in the way."

Collateral. His people were at the wrong place at the wrong time. His rage simmered further. Barely holding it in, he said through gritted teeth, "Casualties?"

"Sir... we've lost almost our entire elite security force to the humans. We can't be sure but they are likely still alive although captured and incapacitated. And we don't know where they are."

Cedric hung up without another word. For the first time in centuries, he felt like the rug had been pulled from beneath his feet. Not only did he have to deal with the data breach, but the humans had access to some of his most loyal wolves. If even one of them broke under interrogation, the White Oak Clan was in danger of being annihilated by human hunters.

Why? Why was all this happening now? A gut feeling told the veteran werewolf this was no coincidence. The Clan Head moved to stand before the office floor to ceiling window, staring with unseeing eyes at the night city view. There was something else at play here, something Cedric couldn't yet deduce, but his intuition told him it was no insignificant matter.

Andy and Brandon were model youngsters, well on their way to become leaders of the future. Why would they behave so uncharacteristically? And Gavin, the half-breed. The boy had been on his best behaviour ever since turning. For someone brought up as a human, he had adapted surprisingly well to his new surroundings. His only misstep had been in going in search of his brother.

Cedric's eyes widened as sudden realisation hit.

The brother! Aidan Summers, the human that Committee Leader Paul Feronia was disgruntled about. He was the missing puzzle piece. It was only after his arrival that such disastrous events had been set in motion. Cedric was certain without a doubt he would find the answers he'd been looking for if he focused all resources on the human. And if it was all the Summers boy's fault, he would pay.

Cedric turned and stomped back to his desk, about to pick up the phone to call Emerie, when a series of explosions sent him stumbling to the ground. Quick to recover, he immediately rushed out of his office to a scene of utter chaos: broken glass panes, overturned office furniture, injured werewolves on the ground. And in the middle of it all, a bunch of strangers with guns and swords. They moved about the space, spraying bullets and throwing firebombs in all directions.

Forced into a crouch behind an overturned table, Cedric furtively studied the intruders. Judging from their speed, they were unquestionably vampires. In all the chaos, a couple more vampires entered from the broken windows, releasing their parachutes upon touchdown.

'That explains how they made it this far up,' Cedric sneered as he began transitioning into wolf form.

One of the newcomers cackled while throwing a Molotov cocktail and with a deranged look on his face, started yelling, "For the queen! And the king that returns! All hail the Bloodreigns!"

The vampire's maddening cry was cut short when rows of sharp teeth clamped down onto his neck and separated his head from the rest of his body. The Clan Head was a monstrous sight, raised hackles making him look even larger than he already was, his forest green fur coated in blood splatters. Cedric spat out flesh and blood before unleashing a rage-filled howl, receiving multiple responses as more wolves, now more coordinated, joined the fray.

If he heard them, Cedric showed no reaction, for the wrathful werewolf continued to tear his enemies into pieces even as the Bloodreign name echoed amongst the burning flames.