The Mayor smiled, trying, and failing, to look sad. "Well, of course – I had no choice. She attacked an officer."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I'm afraid I don't follow..." He ran a hand through his greying brown hair. "Are you accusing me of something, Rebecca?"

"It's Rae, actually." She hissed, her skin itching as she fought the urge to shift into her furry form and rip his throat out. "Now..." Her eyes bore into his with the hint of a promise. He wouldn't walk away unscathed. "Would you care to show me how many bullets are left in that nice gun of yours...?"

"What?"

"There were two shots fired." She smiled at the sliver of panic crossing his face. "Officers, and delightful Mayors, are required to go out with a full set of equipment. That includes bullets. So there should only be one bullet missing from your chamber if your story is actually what happened."

"If you think I'm going to give you my gun-"

"Just show me."

"My Lords, I apologise." He bowed, ignoring her completely. "I'm afraid the loss of her dear friend seems to have-"

"It's fine." The grey-eyed blonde waved a hand. "We can call the Dollmender if you're really that worried about the little antisocial doll... In fact, that's probably a good idea. Maybe he can work on the antisocial issue while he's at it."

Rae gritted her teeth, folding her arms as something inside her snapped after all the years of torment she and Icen had endured. The walls they'd built around themselves came crashing down around her, and she was left with the cold harsh truth. She could smell Icen's blood on his shirt, and there was no mistaking that scent. She'd smelt it before... far too many times before. Her gaze flickered to the ground, a strange acceptance overcoming her. It wasn't like she hadn't seen something like that coming. She'd been expecting it. Only she'd thought she'd be by Icen's side when it happened. She thought she'd have been able to protect the silver-haired girl. She hadn't. Her shoulders slumped, reality slapping her across the face. Icen was gone. Her one connection she had with the town had been shattered to pieces. It was time for her to leave... like she should've done all those years ago. "I'm done." She sighed, striding past the Mayor, watching as his gun twitched. "This town can burn in hell for all I care."

"Where are you going, doll?" Grey eyes narrowed. "You're going to the Dollhouse."

"Like hell."

"Finnik..." The brunette spoke cautiously. "Maybe we should get the Dollmaker... He'll know better than us whether she needs to be fixed or not."

"Good idea-" The Alpha Lord spun, freezing in the next second when he spotted the girl silently walking past him without a single word, a small blood-stained bullet hole in her dress the only evidence of what had happened.

Rae's eyes widened, tears dripping down her face as she caught sight of the silver-haired girl. "Icen."

"What necromancy is this?!" The Mayor hissed, lifting his gun, ready to shoot, but a sharp voice cut him off.

"Hold your fire." Finnik hissed, snatching the gun from his hands before he could do any more damage. "Honestly..." He sighed, pausing when he spotted the number of the bullets still in the cylinder of the gun. "Well, well..." He turned his gaze on the Mayor, eyes narrowed at the nervous expression on the man's weathered face. He didn't know what had possessed him to check. Instinct, perhaps? "Seems like the antisocial doll wasn't being paranoid..."

"Finn?" The brunette turned to him.

"Arrest him." He jerked his head at the Mayor. "Seems like he was attempting to murder that pretty little Ice Queen."

"Oy, Finnik!" The larger group of Alpha Lords strode towards them, a redhead calling the blonde out. "What's going on?"

Finnik turned, calling out rather nonchalantly. "Attempted murder."

"What?!" The redhead skidded to a stop next to him, amber eyes searching his in shock as the Mayor was dragged away by two officials.

"Someone tried to kill one of the last two dolls you've got to inspect."

"I see..."

The blonde turned, focusing his attention on the black-haired man standing silently behind the redhead. "Dollmaker," he nodded at the guy, "I was thinking that we might need to take a lovely little antisocial doll to your brother for some... attention..."

"Hmm?"

"The brunette." He said, casting his gaze over to where Rae stood, hugging her friend. "She hasn't been chosen in three years, and I think she'd make a very good doll."

"Praise from you, huh?" The Dollmaker grinned. "I guess she'll be going to the Dollhouse then..."

"She might be a little adverse to the idea, though."

"Noted." He said, striding towards the two girls.

Rae's eyes narrowed on the approaching figure. "Get behind me, Ice." She said, shielding the smaller girl from the one man who some of womankind loathed. Most women seemed to be more than happy to become dolls, much to Rae's disgust.

"You're going to the Dollhouse."

"Huh?" Rae blinked at the sudden declaration. "Like hell." She spat. "I haven't been chosen, so I'm not going anywhere."

"It's your attitude that's preventing you from being chosen."

"And?"

"My brother will correct that."

Rae's mouth dropped open, fuming inside at his words.

"She wouldn't be Rae without that attitude, swine." Icen stepped out from behind her friend, grabbing said friend by the hand. "So shut up and crawl back into the hole from which you came." She said, glaring at him out of the corner of her eye as she pulled Rae back towards the town.

At least she would've, had it not been for the bolts of lightning that crashed into both of them, sending her sprawling to the ground. Rae, however, remained on her feet, completely unaffected by the blast. Of course she would've been. Lightning was her element, and also the thing that made an uneasy silence fall on the group watching them. Rae cursed, knowing exactly who was walking towards her. The soft footsteps and the crackle of electrified air gave him away instantly.

It was him.

The Alpha Lord who held dominion over lightning.

The only man in the entire world who she'd be compatible with.

And she'd be damned if she let him touch her.

"Go." Icen choked out the words, struggling to regain control over her flailing limbs. "I'll catch... up..."

Rae bit her lip, making her decision in a split second. Her eyes turned a startling shade of grey, the pupil becoming thinner like a snake's eye. Lightning crackled around her, a set of pale grey eyes widening in realisation, before she vanished just like that.

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