*BLAKE'S P.O.V*:

As I watch Mia run off, feelings of confusion and annoyance begin to bubble within me. I did this all for her - for us, but something appears to be more important to her. I don't understand. What could be more important than me risking my life to save our relationship?

I shake my head and turn around. I don't bother to chase after her. We'll talk about it when I see her again.

"Don't worry about her" Luna says as she places a hand on my shoulder. "You know she loves you. I'm sure it's just something really important."

I sigh and nod as we walk off to meet the rest of the pack. For the next couple of hours, we all talk and laugh at the stories we tell one another whilst sat around the massive campfire. As much as I'm smiling, I start to worry and wonder where Mia is. Where is she? What was so important that she needed to run off for hours?

I begin to think about her mom. This strange behavior only started happening when she randomly came back into her life. Every time I tried to read her thoughts, she had blocked them. I remember her looking at me. She knew that I was trying to read them. She was blocking them on purpose. Why? What was she hiding?

"Hey, you free right now?" Kim says as she comes up beside me.

I turn and look at her. "Yeah, what's up?" I ask confused.

She looks around and then looks at me. "We need to talk. Follow me" she says.

I get up and walk behind her as she takes me to a quiet part of the campsite. "What's going on Kim?" I ask. "You've never asked for a private chat before."

"It's your girlfriends mom. She's weird. I don't know how to explain it, but I know she isn't just here for Mia. She's got ulterior motives" she whispers.

"What do you mean?"

"Bro, how didn't you notice? She blocked her thoughts pretty much all the time. Whenever I was able to hear them, they were always about weapons" she says.

I raise my eyebrows in shock. "Weapons? What's going on? This doesn't sound right" I say.

"Relax, I don't think she plans on using them on Mia. But I think you need to watch your back" she says cautiously.

"Do you think Mia is with her now?" I ask. Kim shrugs.

"Probably. Where else would she have gone?"

My blood runs cold. Could Mia know about this? Is that why she didn't want to tell me where she was going?

I stand in silence for a few moments as I think about what I need to do. I don't know if Mia is in danger or is a part of this. Either way, I need to find her. Fast.

"Go gather everyone. Ask if any of them were able to read Mia's thoughts before she left. If anyone saw what direction she was going in and if anyone else was able to hear her mom's thoughts" I order.

"Oh, I don't think that's necessary" a deep voice says behind me. It's husky and sounds as if it came from a bronzed guy.

I turn around and I'm correct. He is bronzed.

"Who are you?" I ask angrily.

The bronzed man chuckles. "Ah that question. It's going to be hilarious to hear that again" he says.

I look him up and down. I don't recognize him.

"Kim, sweetie" he says before pulling out a thick envelope from his back pocket. "Here's your reward."

Kim takes it sheepishly. She avoids eye contact with me but I grab her arm.

"What did you do?" I ask menacingly.

"I had to. Your dad...when he stole the packs money and gave it to Chase's pack...my family still struggles. We waited for you to fix things, but you haven't...I'm sorry." Kim says meekly.

"So you betray me? Because of money? Because of something I didn't even do? Your ALPHA?" I roar. Kim flinches and doesn't reply.

"Let go of her Blakimus, you're dealing with me now" the bronzed man orders.

I let go of Kim and look at him. "Where's Mia?" I growl. I clench my fists.

"Don't worry about her. I mean, you won't need to any longer" the man winks.

I lunge at him, but he dodges me and I fall to the ground. Before I'm able to get up, he places his foot on my chest so I can't move.

"We should talk, but I want to do it like this" he smirks wickedly. "You see, Blakimus, you were right to suspect your girlfriends mother. She does have ulterior motives. She isn't just here for Mia, but for herself too" he begins.

I stay silent as I listen.

"Do you think she enjoyed having to run away from her kids? Never being able to see them? All because your father turned her into a werewolf? I doubt it. So, when she finally figured out a way to become human again, you can't really blame her for going for it."

"What do you mean..." I growl from underneath his Air Jordan 1 sneakers.

"You sweetie. You're her ticket to being human again. That's just something Mia is going to have to deal with" he says excitedly.

"I don't understand" I say.

He sighs and rolls his eyes. "You're not very quick, are you?" he says, annoyed. "No time to explain, you'll find out soon enough" he says before pulling something out of his pocket.

Before I'm able to do anything, I realise it's a syringe and then I'm injected. I slowly begin to fall asleep and weaken. I don't know what he's put inside of me, but it's made me incapable of doing anything.

Next, I feel him scoop me up into his big, strong arms and throw me over his shoulder. I hear the crunching of the leaves underneath his feet as he walks. I'm then thrown into the trunk of a car and have the lid shut on me. My eyes begin to shut. Before the world goes black, the last thing I remember hearing is the sound of the engine switching on and "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" by Panic At The Disco playing.

***

I'm suddenly awoken by water splashing onto my face. I sit up quickly, but my head hits the trunk hood which sends me back down.

The bronzed man laughs but the man standing next to him frowns.

"Be quiet Julian" he says. Julian obeys.

The man looks at me. "Young man - Blakimus, I apologize that you had to travel in such awful conditions and wake up...here" he begins. His hands motion towards his surroundings. I look around. It looks like I'm in a massive tent of some kind.

"What do you want?" I say angrily.

"It's not about what I want, but more about what you want" the man begins.

"Introductions first. My name is Soronsbo, and this young man over here is Julian. My apprentice" he says.

I don't reply.

"Anyway, we've taken up the cause of Mia's mother, Elizabeth. She wants to be human again, and that's reasonable. She hasn't led a normal life due to your father. There's only one way for that to happen you see. She has to inflict on someone she loves, the pain she inflicted upon others." Soronsbo explains.

"What's that got to do with me!?" I ask aggressively.

"She loves her daughter. You love her too. So, it would be fitting if...well...she hurt her through you" he trails off.

I jump out of the car boot I'd been sitting in. "WHAT?" I yell.

"Calm down" he says.

"You people are sick! What kind of cult is this?!" I yell.

"Not a cult young one, just something you don't understand" he replies calmly.

"Anyway" he continues, ignoring my outburst. "I've been researching you Blakimus. You're troubled, yes. But a good man."

"So?" I say.

"Well, that means you have options...you may not like them, but you get to choose how you end things" he says.

"It's the least we could do for a 'good' man" Julian chimes in, smirking. I give him a dirty look. Soronsbo does too.

"Would you like to hear them?" Soronsbo says to me gently

"You're asking me to choose how I di-" before I finish, Soronsbo interrupts me.

"I think maybe you'd want to hear the other options first before you finish that sentence" he says. "Like I said, would you like to hear them?"

I contemplate for a few moments. I don't understand what I've been pulled into or what's going to happen to me, but the best thing to do is listen. I nod and step closer to him as he begins to explain everything.

As I listen to the different options as to how to end things, my mind flashes to Mia and all of our memories. They then flash to my father and Mia's mother. My father took a mother away from her kids. He left them motherless and to raise themselves. I understand why she would be so desperate to be with her children again that she'd agree to this.

If this means Mia would get her mother back. If it means that she'd finally be able to enjoy the rest of her childhood...then I'd do it. I'd do it for her.

"So, what is it to be Blakimus?" Soronsbo asks.

I sigh and look at him. I've made up my mind. I know which option I'm going to pick. Even if I never get to see her again.

"I pick..."