It was dark when Evangeline walked into Andrea's cabin. She smelled clean like she had just showered. She quickly walked to me and rubbed her cheek against mine then gave me a tight hug. "I am sorry that my brother has somehow lost his balls. I don't know how or when he will get them back, but I know he will."

I laughed as Andrea rolled her eyes and hugged Evangeline again. "It's ok, it just–" I sighed a and looked at her sympathetic eyes. "It just hurts, ya know?"

She nodded then looked at Andrea then back at me. "Well, what's going on?"

"Tell her Char," Andrea said with a tone that was firm, but gentle.

"Evangeline, remember the whispers?"

She nodded as Andrea handed her a glass of wine. "Ya, Evan told me what happened the other night. Ethan was freaked out. He literally checks all the windows and doors on both our cabins every night."

"Hold on what?" I felt my wolf's ears perk up.

Evangeline shrugged. "I thought you knew?" I shook my head as she let out an annoyed breath. "My damn brother," she grumbled. She looked back at me with a half-smile. "Ever since then before he goes to bed he checks all the doors and windows on both our cabins. I saw him doing it one day, but I don't think you were home. I asked him what he was doing and he said that ever since that night he just feels like he has to."

"I wonder why," Andrea mused out loud.

I felt my wolf whine. She was frustrated with our male, but hearing this from Evangeline made her miss him. I tried to relax her, I knew it was hard. It was hard on me too.

"Anyways, one day I followed the whispers," I said as Evangeline's brows rose. "Thomas stopped me before I touched it. They led me to the tree, the one all the alpha's swear a blood oath on."

"What?" she gasped out.

I nodded. "I went back with Evan and touched it."

"And?" Her eyes were big and searching desperately in mine.

I sighed and gave her a small half-smile. "It felt like I was seeing memories, they were memories. I saw at first Levi and Eve. Eve asked him to come with her and he said no. It was the day they came here, the day of the attack. He called her 'little red.'"

"What?" she breathed out as her eyes began to swirl with tendrils of pain.

"I saw Thomas, but it wasn't really anything, he was just talking to someone on the phone. Then I saw your mother." I paused as she bit her lip. "She was humming that dancing bears song from 'Anastasia' and making a sandwich. She was cutting the crust off when Ethan walked in. He had been sparring with Eli. She called him 'white hot.' God, he felt like it too, I could feel him even in the memory."

I stopped when I realized that Evangeline was stilled with shock as sadness started to swirl in her eyes. I quickly hugged her and nuzzled her cheek with mine. My beast didn't like paining her, or seeing her like this, but we knew we had to tell her

I pulled back as she sucked in a breath and nodded. She seemed to muster something that made the energy off of her start to buzz gently. "So you think it will show you more memories?"

I shrugged a little. "Maybe?"

"Let's go," she said firmly before she stood. I looked at Andrea who nodded and started to follow Evangeline out the door.

We were careful and made good time out to the tree. I could feel it pulling me as I got closer though. It was humming, calling to me to come to it. I couldn't explain it; it felt like it was singing a song to the blood in my veins–they felt alive with sparks of electricity.

I shifted to my skin as did the other girls as we got near the rocks. Evangeline looked at the tree then let out a long breath. "Let's do this."

I nodded and started to climb the rocks with the others when we heard them. The whispers.

"Come and see," they said.

"Come," another gently murmured.

"Charlotte come and see," it said so clearly that it sounded like it was next to my ear.

I shivered and looked over at Andrea whose mouth was hanging open in shock. She looked over at me and I could see her beast pacing nervously. "Holy shit."

I nodded and climbed onto the soft grass. Evangeline climbed up next to me followed by Andrea, who put her hand on my shoulder and gave me a reassuring squeeze.

"Evangeline, she needs to see," it called.

Evangeline stilled as I stepped forward. Andrea walked to her and wrapped her arms around her. I let out a shaky breath as I walked over to the crimson painted tree. The blood seemed to call to me. It was like a friend that I hadn't seen in a long time calling me to come see them.

"It's time to see," it whispered again as I got closer.

I raised my palm and let out another long breath. My wolf was nervous, but she knew we had to do this. She caressed my mind and reminded me that she was here for me, she would always be here for me. She nudged me, giving me the extra push I needed.

I touched it.

I touched it and again it felt like a hand wrapped around mine and pulled me forward. It was like it was pulling me through a tornado of water; spinning me round and round and round until I felt my feet hit a hard surface.

"Come on dad, is that all you got?!" blonde haired boy called out. His nose was bleeding and his torso was wet with sweat. He had various cuts and gashes on him, deep and angry; yet he just smiled.

Something growled out. A warning. "Still a pup."

I snapped my head to see Levi staring with dangerous eyes at the boy. He smiled at him wickedly then charged at him. The boy, well he was more like a young man, responded well but not well enough. He fought hard but soon Levi was throwing him across the circle and into the dirt. "Dirt looks good on you Lucas."

I stilled.

Lucas stood up again and smiled deviously at his father. It was then that I realized how much like him he looked like. He was practically the spitting image of Levi, and damn he was strong. I could feel his waves as if I was there, he felt almost identical to Levi.

"It's about to look real good on you too dad."

I was pulled again. I felt like it was yanking me hard. It felt frantic. Like there wasn't enough time to show me what it wanted.

"Margaret, I got your tea," Miranda called out.

My heart pained as Ethan's mother looked up with eyes just like Evangeline's. She smiled kindly and leaned back in an office chair. "Thank you, I am so tired of this damn paperwork."

Miranda handed her the tea with a polite smile and nodded. "You're telling me, it's all Thomas grumbles about."

I was pulled again. I felt like I was falling through the air without anything to catch me. My wolf cried out but soon we were standing on our feet again.

I looked around and knew exactly where I was. I was at the treehouse. I was at the treehouse and the deck looked older, it must have been before Ethan and Evan replaced it.

Ethan.

I heard what sounded like a hurt animal. I walked towards it and through the door of the house. What I saw made my wolf raise her hackles, it felt dangerous in there.

It was torn to shreds. I wondered how the hell they even managed to fix it up after the wreckage. The walls had gashes in them from claws raking them, the floor boards had been torn up, the tree trunk itself had angry claw marks on them, and different things were clawed out–words.

I could see what used to be 'Eli's damn couch' clawed out and then on another wall 'Lucas is a not just a shit, but the shit' clawed out as well. I hard to look so hard to see what it was that I didn't even notice the whimpering.

It sounded like a hurt animal. I turned and felt my heart drop. Ethan.

I could see him clear as day curled up in a corner. I walked slowly to him, I wasn't sure if he could see me, I doubted he could, but I had to get closer to him. My wolf wanted me to get closer to him.

His eyes were bloodshot, he hadn't slept for days–or at all, and he had to have been crying non-stop. He looked hungry. He hadn't been eating. I looked around and there were bones of little rodents and vermin scattered about. He had eaten, but barely anything to keep a wolf his age satisfied.

I could see his beast behind his eyes, his was torn into pieces and violently snapping in the air. It pained Ethan. I could feel his pain so strongly that it almost made me yelp. It clawed its way around me and made my beast howl out in pain; it took my breath away.

I got closer to him, almost within an arm's length, and squatted down so I could see him. He had claw marks on his skin and gashes on his torso that hadn't healed.

Self inflicted. They had to be. Those were claw marks and I remembered that he had been the only one out here. There was no way those would be this angry unless they just happened.

Shit.

I felt tears beat at the back of my eyes. My wolf was whining. She wanted to lick them then nuzzle her mate, but it was only a vision. A damn painful vision.

But the pain and sight of them twisted in my stomach. I wanted to hold him and tell him it would be ok. I wanted to nuzzle his cheek and lick at his gashes at he let sharp sobs out of his lips. I wanted to wipe the tears away and take him away from this place that felt heavy with dark memories.

"They should have killed me," he mumbled to himself. I felt my heart twist sharply. His pain was so much. It made my wolf whine and whimper; it almost took the damn air out of my lungs.

He looked so out of it. Almost feral, I wanted to reach out and pull him into my arms. He looked like he was almost day dreaming; looking into a place that wasn't really here or there.

It was then that I saw his hand start to form into a claw, a damn sharp claw. I held my breath a little. I held it as he raised it to his neck and mumbled again, "It should have been me."

I panicked. I tried to reach out to him but my hand went right through his. His claw was pressing into his neck and my wolf was crying out to him. I didn't know what to do, I felt so hopeless in that moment.

Fear.

Fear choked me as I watched him press his claw a little more firmly into his neck. He pressed a little harder and my wolf was lashing out. I was trying to grab his hand but I couldn't; my hand just went through his like I was a damn ghost.

I felt his pain increase and it made me gasp out as tears started to pool in my eyes. Suddenly all our arguments seemed so small in that moment, all I could think about was having him safe in my arms in that moment. My wolf was lashing out and barking wildly at his beast but nothing I did worked.

"Ethan please!" I yelled but he didn't hear me.

He pressed a little harder. The skin was about to break. He was murmuring to himself as his pain and sadnesses thickened the air so much that I thought the pressure of it would crush me.

Tears were spilling out of my eyes. My heart was twisting over and over and over as I hopelessly grasped at his hand. But it did nothing.

I almost screamed. I almost screamed as horror and pain rocked through me before I heard someone else. A tiny voice from outside that stilled his hand.

"Ethan!" It was a girl. A young girl. She sounded in trouble and in a panicked pain.

Ethan's eyes widened. It seemed to snap him out of it, I desperately hoped it snapped him at of it.

The tiny voice called again at him, a little more panicked this time. He quickly got up and ran out the door and I followed him then looked down to where he was staring. His eyes were wide and full of understanding, understanding that seemed to be bringing him back to reality.

Evangeline.

"Ethan!" she cried out. Her eyes were puffy and red as she clung onto the ladder. "Please, I can't do it on my own. I can't do it without you."

Ethan blinked hard opened his eyes. He let out a long breath before he nodded. "Ok, I'm coming just stay calm."

He lowered himself through the hole then climbed down to the little girl who was trembling like a leaf. She quickly climbed on his back when he met her halfway then carried her up the ladder. She was crying into his back, wetting the gashes with her salty tears.

He came back through the hole and let Evangeline climb on the deck before he pulled himself up. He just sat down across from her and stared at her like he was about to break apart right there.

She started crying some more and crawled over to him. Her red hair was coming loose from her braided pig-tails and her hands were shaking. She took his face in her hands and let out a sob. "Please don't leave me Ethan. Please come home," she sobbed out.

Ethan sighed and cocked his head a bit at her. His eyes were glassy but his beast seemed to settle at the sight of his sister. He held his arms out to her and pulled her into his chest.

It was then that his tears fell. They fell onto Evangeline's legs while her's fell down her cheeks. He stroked her hair and it was in that moment, in that very moment that I saw his heart break apart. It was like the fire within him was put out. Reality had set in and reminded him that the nightmare was real, that it was all real.

I felt my wolf howled out. The pull was twisting as my heart felt like someone was stabbing it. His pain was so strong that it shocked me that Evangeline wasn't affected by it. Maybe she was and she had already learned how to deal with it.

I shuddered. It was two much for the two of them to handle. Too much pain that just ate and ate and ate at you like a disease.

I could barely breathe, I felt like my heart was mirroring his own heart break. It was so much to handle; even this shadow of it was so much to handle.

"I'm here Evangeline, I'm not going anywhere," he murmured to her. It was the truth. The sad truth that he would have to go back and pick up the shattered pieces.

I let out a sob as I looked into his blue-green eyes and watched them tear up some more. He wasn't dazed anymore, but reality had crushed him. It crushed him and in his eyes I saw his soul fall apart.

I was being pulled again. I was being pulled more gently this time, it was like whatever was pulling me knew how much my heart hurt from what it showed me.

I was set gently down in an office and looked up. There was a man there, he looked just like Ethan but older. Recognition hit me, it had to be Christopher. It had to be his father.

He was writing furiously in a black journal. His brows were furrowed with frustration and he seemed tense. He looked up at someone coming in and let out a frustrated breath.

Even from here I could feel him. Levi was right, Chris was one strong ass wolf. His wolf stirred as whoever it was came into his office.

"Ready for the Thornes?" It was Thomas. He was leaning casually against the door frame of Chris' office.

He nodded and looked at his wrist watch. "Should be here soon." God, he even sounded like Ethan. I wondered if Ethan knew how much like his dad he was...

"Sounds good, we still on for the barbecue then?"

"Ya, ya I just need to finish up a few things," Chris replied tiredly as his eyes flickered back to the journal. My wolf stirred, he seemed unsettled.

"Need any help?" Thomas asked as he pushed off the doorframe.

Chris shook his head. "No, go on home. I'm good, I just need to finish a few things."

"Alright, see you tonight," Thomas replied before shutting the door behind him as he left.

Chris looked down at his journal and slammed his fist on the desk. His anger rolled off of him and almost suffocated me. "Dammit!"

I was being pulled. I was being pulled, pushed, tossed, turned, and flipped around that I felt like my brain was going to explode. Soon I was flying back through the cool summer night air.

My ass hit the ground with a hard thud that brought me back into reality. Evangeline and Andrea ran to me and quickly looked over me for any sign of injury. Evangeline's eyes were wild with shock and a little fear. "What the hell?"

I looked at the tree as the branches swayed in the wind. I felt like it was telling me to leave, it had shown me what it wanted. I sighed and looked back at her. "We need to leave, I'll tell you back at Andrea's."

Evangeline nodded stiffly then started to follow me with Andrea in tow. We ran hard back to Andrea's. I needed to run and sort it all out, all the pain.

The pain.

Dammit, I wondered if Ethan felt any of that? God, it was strong, he had to have felt it. Shit, I wondered how the hell I was going to explain this to him. Maybe I should have told him sooner...

Andrea ran in first and went back to her room then came out a big sweatshirt on and tossed two shirts to Evangeline and I. I caught it and pulled it one before walking over to the wine glass I had left and chugged a long ass sip of it.

I settled into the chair and pinched the bridge of my nose. Shit. It had to be all connected I just didn't know how.

Evangeline sat next to me and Andrea sat in front of me. Andrea filled our glasses quietly as I tried to sort through my thoughts. Evangeline gently took my hand in hers and ducked her head to look at me. "Char, please tell us what happened."

I leaned back in my chair and nodded. "Ok," I sighed out. "I saw Lucas sparring with Levi at first. There wasn't much there, they are just taunting each other. God, he was so much like Levi, he even felt almost identical to Levi," I chuckled out with a sad smile.

Evangeline nodded solemnly as she looked into her glass. "He was," she said softly.

"What else Char?" Andrea pressed more firmly.

I sighed and took a sip of my wine. "Miranda walked into an office that your mother was in and brought her some tea, that was it. They just complained about paperwork."

Evangeline chuckled as her eyes looked off into a happy memory. "She used to complain about it all the time," she said with a half smile.

I sighed and looked at Andrea who nodded at me. "I saw Ethan again, at the treehouse."

Evangeline's eyes snapped to mine as some sort of realization hit her. "You saw that?"

I nodded softly. "I walked in and saw him in the corner. The house was a mess, he was a mess. I could feel his pain, it was so strong it made my wolf go nuts. She was howling the whole time for him.

"He um, well he–"

"He what? What did he do?" Evangeline rushed out.

I sighed and pushed the pain aside, but it didn't really leave. It twisted my heart at the thought and made my wolf whine again. "He was muttering things, things like 'It should have been me,' or 'It should be me.' Then he–" I paused and blinked back at the small tears I felt. Just thinking of him doing such a thing, thinking of the pain he must have felt to want to, made my heart feel like it was being torn by sharp nails. "He lifted a claw to his neck, I think he was going to try and slit his own throat."

The room stilled. Andrea looked at me with an open mouth that she quickly covered while Evangeline leaned back in her chair as her horrified eyes turned to her glass. I let out a sharp breath and looked back at her, but I could see her pain. Her pain that made my wolf whine out to her.

"But then you came. I saw it. The only reason he stopped is because he heard you. He heard you and came."

She shook her head then sniffled a little. "He was such a mess that day. He scared me. I missed him so much. I didn't know where he was, Evan wouldn't tell me, and neither would my grandparents." She paused and sucked in a breath before she let her fingers that slightly shake traces the bottom of her wine glass. "I just missed him. I just wanted my brother to come home. I wanted him to be with us.

"I heard Evan talking to my grandpa with Ryder about Ethan. They said that he almost killed them when they went out to the treehouse. I cried myself to sleep that night because I thought I was going to loose another brother. I thought he was going to go rogue. I thought he was going to turn into the thing that ripped us apart.

"The next morning, I don't know, I don't know what came over me but I decided to go get him. It was a long walk. I couldn't shift yet so I had to hike all the way back there. I never had to before, he or Eli would always let me ride on their back's.

"I got lost too. I didn't know the way very well. At one point I remember that I just started crying on a log because I was so lost." She sighed and took a long sip of her wine before setting it down and wiping away tear that was starting to trail down her cheek. "I found it, though, I found and I was so scared. I never used to climb the ladder before, Eli always let me ride on his back, but I convinced myself that I had to for Ethan. I was so determined to go get him and bring him home.

"I got halfway up and looked down. I just got so scared and I missed Eli. I missed him so damn much. I think I cried for like five minutes before I yelled for Ethan. I didn't even know if he would come, but he did. He did and I don't know, he came and got me.

"All I remember is looking at him and knowing that he wasn't the same. He hugged me and I think we cried there for like an hour. He wouldn't let me go into the treehouse, he just let me crawl back on his back and took me home after. He promised me he wouldn't leave, that he would always look after me."

"Evangeline," I said softly. I wrapped my arms around her and blinked back my tears that wanted to come. It was unnerving to feel how broken he was back then.

She leaned her head against my shoulder and sniffled. I ran my fingers through her hair and let her sob on my shoulder. My wolf whined to her and nudged me to nuzzle her, I felt like I couldn't comfort her enough in that moment.

"I'm so sorry Evangeline," Andrea murmured out. Her eyes were heavy as she looked over at Evangeline who nodded to her. Andrea looked back at me and sighed out a sad breath. "Did you see anything else?"

I nodded. "I saw Chris." Evangeline pulled back a little and wiped at her eyes. She looked at me curiously as I nodded again. "He, he looks so much like Ethan," I thought out loud.

Evangeline blinked hard then looked down at her hands. "I know," she whispered out.

I sighed and grabbed my glass then took a long sip. "He was writing in this black journal. He seemed frustrated. I don't know what he was writing, I couldn't see. Thomas came in and asked him if he was ready for the Thorne's to come. Your dad was polite but there was something eating at him, he seemed unsettled.

"Thomas left and the last thing I saw was your dad punch his desk and yell 'dammit.' I don't know what it was but his anger was strong. He was damn strong."

"Chris was," Andrea added.

Evangeline looked at her glass and shook her head. "I don't remember dad being stressed out that day. That's weird. I came in his office not too long before he left and he seemed fine, like his normal self."

"What are you thinking?" Andrea prodded gently.

Evangeline swirled the wine in her glass a little as her eyes seemed to be churning with hundreds of different thoughts. "I don't know, something is off."

"You're telling me," Andrea grumbled.

"What do we do?" I breathed out.

Evangeline let out a hot breath. "Well first let's talk about my brother. I need to process this tree shit." She took a sip of her glass and then looked at me as a sad smile tugged at her lips. "You know he cares for you like insanely a lot right?"

I nodded. "I know. I mean, I–I care for him a lot too."

"Our dad was a strong man. I remember how he felt so well it's like he's almost there sometimes. He was kind though, dad always had a big heart, but he wasn't afraid to do what he thought was right, even if it meant pissing people off.

"Ethan is so much like our dad and he probably doesn't even realize it. The day I found him in that tree house, a part of him died. A part of him that I haven't seen come back until you came around.

"I felt him, I thought I felt dad, but it wasn't dad. I was in the house when Ethan came in angry about something, I think he just finished sparring with Billy and well, I guess it didn't go well because he was pretty pissed. But he felt like dad.

"He was like that the other day with you, it's like when he's around you that you bring it out in him. I miss that part of him, I miss it a lot."

I sucked in a breath while Andrea looked at Evangeline with eyes that seemed to see the storm ahead. "It's true Char," Andrea added. "Dad mentioned it the other day, I feel it too."

"But what does that mean?" I huffed out. I sipped my wine while Evangeline played with the rim of hers.

She sighed and looked over at me. "It means that you're waking something up. Shaking something up. I think Ethan knows, he's not stupid–ok well sometimes," she chuckled out, "but my brother is a sharp wolf."

"Derek thinks he's afraid," I added. "Thinks that I push him like Levi pushed me."

Andrea raised her brows and nodded. "I would have to strongly agree, you do. My dad pushes him hard, but you challenge a different side of him."

"I think we should talk to my grandparents," Evangeline thought out loud.

"They're back?" Andrea asked as she took a long drink of her wine.

She nodded. "Tomorrow. Not for long though, apparently, they are going on a cruise in the Mediterranean. They just come back to check on us." She sighed and little and shrugged. "I think they may be able to help."

"Ok," I breathed out. "Let's do it."

Andrea yawned which made me yawn with her. I looked at the clock on the wall and realized that it was late into the night and immediately wanted my bed. "I think I need to get to bed."

Evangeline nodded and stood with me. "Me too."

Andrea hugged us both goodbye. She wasn't sure if she could come tomorrow, but she did promise us a bottle of wine if she couldn't. Obviously, Evangeline and I were more than happy with that answer.

We started walking down the path from Andrea's cabin towards the one that led to ours. I could feel her sadness radiating off of her but I had no idea what to do. My heart was still breaking from what I saw.

I wanted to forget it, but I knew I couldn't. I knew the image of Ethan trying to slit his own throat would forever be burned into my memory. It made my wolf whine over and over and over.

"Char?"

I turned to Evangeline who seemed to have the same sad look in her eyes that she did in my memory. "Ya?"

"Can I stay with you tonight?"

I nodded to her and took her hand in mine. "Of course."

We walked into my cabin quietly. I assumed Derek and Elliot were already asleep or still out hunting. Evangeline locked the front door then followed me to my room.

I pulled out some clothes for her while I brushed my teeth then tossed some cold water on my face. My emotions felt like a sad hurricane that was going to hover over my heart all night. I splashed some more water on my face but it didn't help my heart. It didn't help it at all.

I walked back into my room and let Evangeline in the bathroom while I crawled under my sheets and bearskin. The scent of my skin, Levi, home, and Ethan seemed to help calm me down, but only a little. I could still feel my wolf howling out. She wanted me to check on Ethan. She wanted to see if he was alright.

I sighed and pushed her back. We needed to work things out with him first. I knew if I went over there that the argument would be over, and it was not an argument that I was going to let settle.

Evangeline walked out slowly and looked around. I lifted the blankets for her which made her smile. She crawled into bed then scooted next to me and let out a long breath.

It wasn't long though before her eyes changed. Before I saw the pain, the hurt, the fear, and the sorrow that she's carried with her for so long. She let out a sob and I immediately reached out to her and pulled her to me.

My wolf was breaking for her. For the little girl that saw too much, that had to deal with too much, that carried so much more than a child should. I nuzzled her cheek then let her sob.

She leaned against my shoulder as tears ran down her eyes and sobs rocked her body. It wasn't long before my tears joined her. I couldn't help it. The pain I had felt earlier, the fear of loosing Ethan and the feeling of his pain was overwhelming.

"Charlotte," He whispered into my mind which made me sob harder. I didn't know what to say. I didn't even know how to tell him about all of this. "Sunshine I can feel you. I've felt you all night, please tell me what's wrong?"

I sobbed some more and wiped at my tears. "It's nothing, It's fine."

"Is it something I did? Is it about earlier?"

I bit back a cry as images of him curled up in that corner with nasty gashes across his skin flashed into my mind. The feeling of his pain haunted me. I had no damn idea how he even handled all of this.

"Not really." It was the best answer I could give him because I had no idea what to even say. Evangeline just clung onto me and sobbed harder. I felt pain for hurting her with those memories but I knew we had to. The road to recovery was never one that was pleasant.

"Baby please tell me. I can't handle this, he can't either."

I didn't say anything back. I closed my eyes and tried to think of something else, but between Evangeline's sobs and my own I felt like I was drowning in painful memories of the past.

The words 'the truth hurts' never rang so true in my ears.

It wasn't long until I felt him. Until I heard rustling under my window. I sighed and looked up a little while Evangeline started to drift to a tearful sleep. He was in his fur under my window, whining out into the night. I blinked back tears and let out a sharp breath.

At least I knew he was alright. Or maybe he wasn't.

Tears.

Tears called me to sleep as Evangeline and I clung onto each other and sobbed while Ethan whined and howeld outside.

Tears.

Tears for a pain no one should have felt. Tears for a past that should never have happened. Tears for a man I cared about who almost took himself away from me.

Tears.

Tears pulled me to sleep that night.