"So how does this work again?"

"You just throw it down and think of where you most want to be."

"That's it?"

"Yes Ethan, that's it. Clear you mind and think of the place."

Ethan was holding the dust in his hands that his eyes were currently trained on. His jeans riding low on his hips shifted their weight while he looked at the shiny dust in his palm a little more.

"You're sure this will work?"

"Ethan," I sighed out as I pinched the bridge of my nose. He was standing next to the furnace and I was sitting on the bed.

I told him we had to practice, he had to practice. He needed to practice poofing so he could help us fetch the others today. So, I had him stand across the room from me and told him to poof over to me. He had been standing there with the dust in his hands for around three minutes; he wasn't super convinced that it would work.

"Babe just try it. If something happens, then I will come get you, but you have to practice. We're going to have to go to my parents soon and you need to practice."

"Ok," he replied, eying the dust in his palm that he shook around a bit. "If I end up on some beach, well, you should just leave me there. Well, I take that back, you should come for me and we should just stay there."

"Ethan..."

"Right," he replied with a nod. "Where I most want to be right?"

"Right."

Ethan let out a long breath and closed his eyes, concentrating hard while I toyed with the ends of his shirt. He clenched his hands around the dust then through it down, a loud crack sounding in the room and a cloud drifting away from where he was once standing until another crack boomed out. Another crack that was followed by a collision–a collision when he landed on top of me and knocked me back onto the bed.

I groaned while he caught his breath, pushing himself up with his elbows to look at me with wide eyes. "It worked!"

"Ethan, you were supposed to land beside me..."

"But that's not where I most wanted to be sunshine."

"What?" I asked as I cocked my head at him.

"You said to think of where I most wanted to be, so I did."

"But you're on top–oh, really?"

He chuckled and nodded at me with a sly smile. "Really baby."

"Alright, I think you're ready. You're already better than Lizzie," I told him while I pushed myself up and tried to scoot out of bed.

Ethan's hand caught my waist and pulled me back under him before his legs straddled the sides of me. Trapping me.

"Where do you think you're going sunshine?"

"We have to go to my parents, it's going to be sundown soon and your brother–"

"Baby, how many times do I have to tell you to leave my brother out of the bedroom?"

I rolled my eyes. "Do you want to try again?"

"Why? I'm exactly where I want to be."

"You're incorrigible."

"No," he replied before he dipped down and kissed at my collarbone through his shirt I was wearing. "You're incorrigible in this shirt"

"This is your shirt, Ethan."

"First my socks and now my shirts? Sunshine get your own damn clothes," he playfully growled against my skin as he pulled my collar down so he could access a little more skin.

"What is that saying? What's your's is mine?" I asked with a coy smile.

"You're a little shit, you know that?"

"Yes but I'm your little shit," I replied, biting back a smile while he growled against my skin.

"You are mine sunshine," he murmured as he moved up towards my ear and nipped at my earlobe. "Like this shirt," he said as he tugged on my earlobe with his teeth while his hand tugged on the shirt.

He kissed the shell of my ear sweetly, his hand sliding up the planes of my belly and over my breath as I sighed, a familiar warmth spreading over me while he kissed below my ear. "And these are mine," he said as he moved his hand back down my breast, over my belly, and to the core of me that even in its soreness–a delicious soreness, trembled with need as he cupped me and rubbed his hand over me. "And this is definitely mine sunshine–"

There was a knock on the door. A knock that made Ethan hiss under his breath. He tilted his chin up and smelled the air then groaned as he looked down at me, his hand that was once cupping me moving to lay on the other side of me. "Levi."

I leaned my head back and shrugged. "Better answer it."

"Sunshine–" he started to say when there was another loud knock on the door.

"Get your asses out of bed!" Levi barked out until the sound of a female's voice hushed him.

Ethan groaned then got up, dipping down to kiss me quickly before I pushed myself up to a sitting position. He padded over to the door and opened it, revealing Levi and Eve bickering like children.

Eve was scolding Levi, while Levi just rolled his eyes until he eyed Ethan. "We have shit to do Ethan."

Ethan groaned as Eve smacked Levi's arm. "Behave."

"Little red, I am very well behaved right now."

"Oh spare me Levi, you and I both know–"

"Ok," I injected as I walked to stand next to Ethan who was more or less amused with the situation. "We just need to get dressed and we'll be out."

"We'll wait," Levi replied, eying Ethan again–causing Ethan to groan as he walked back into the house.

"Levi!" Eve hissed out.

"What? Just looking out for my pup, there's nothing wrong with that," he replied innocently while Ethan muttered a string of curses under his breath. "Hadrian agrees."

"Agrees with what?!" Ethan called out.

"I'm sure you'll find out one day son," Levi chuckled out darkly as I looked to Eve for help.

She shook her head then turned to Levi. "Levi Alexander Thorne, I am not in the mood. Behave."

"Or what?" he asked as he threw his hands up.

Eve chuckled darkly then turned to head down the footpath that fed into the main path back to the pack. "Hope you like the floor asshole!"

I laughed under my breath as Levi just groaned before he turned to march after Eve. "That is amazing," I said as I shut the down.

"Aunt Eve always had a way with him, more or less she always knew how to yank his balls around," Ethan said as he looked at me, well, more like the shirt I was wearing that was his. "I'm going to need my shirt baby."

I cocked a side smile and made a 'come here' motion with my forefinger. He growled lowly, his iris' widening in hunger as he prowled towards me. Stopping in front of me, his hands reached out with a feather light touch and started to slowly pull the shirt off of me while shivers covered the skin that the shirt had left.

Ethan tossed it on the bed and ran his hands down my sides until they rested on my hips. "What do you say we piss Levi off a little more?"

"And how do you plan on doing that Everette?"

Ethan smirked; leaning down he pulled me to him and placed feather light kisses along my jaw until he kissed the shell of my ear–tugging at it with his teeth and drawing a breathy moan from my lips as the shivers on my skin started to light up like static electricity kissing my skin. "By bending you over that bed baby," he breathed against the skin of my neck before he placed a hot kiss to my mark.

A purr vibrated off of me as his searing lips slowly crashed into mine like a piece of an iceberg breaks off and crashes into the cold water–shaking it up from its calm state and causing ripples that lead to something more.

Needless to say, Levi was pretty irritated when we finally did emerge, but Eve was just amused. Levi may have threatened to beat Ethan's more than Ethan cared for, but neither of us cared. We didn't care because while Levi was bitching at Ethan for what seemed like the hundredth time, Ethan just looked down at me while he moved his arm around my waist held me tight next to him and smiled. A smile with tired eyes that were joyous from their lack of sleep–satisfied with themselves and more than satisfied with what they were looking out. Love pooling in them while the rest of the world seemed to wash away around us like water being poured over chalk on a sidewalk.

"Ethan?"

"Yes, Uncle?" Ethan snapped his head around to look at Levi while Eve chuckled under her breath.

"Boy, did you hear a word I just said?"

"There was something about beating my ass, skinning my hide, and I think another ass beating? Did I miss anything else?"

Levi growled lowly while Eve just rolled her eyes. "God you're such a drama queen."

"Really little red?"

"Really asshole," she replied with an arched brow.

"You're wearing me thin, woman."

Eve barked out a laugh. "I'll show you 'wearing me thin,' later Levi," she said lowly, and for the first time as I watched Levi's reaction I could have sworn that I saw a blush in his cheeks.

Ethan's eyes widened while he turned his dipped his head in my neck, hiding the smug smile against my skin that Levi would definitely beat his ass for. I smirked as we continued walking, Levi and Eve bantering back and forth in a way that just made me smile more.

Lucas was chopping wood outside my parent's house, a sigh that made Levi bark out a laugh as we approached. Inside, Jane was helping my mother make a fresh pot of coffee while Dad napped on the couch. I smiled deviously and pulled away from Ethan, creeping quietly towards my father as my beast chuckled inwardly.

"Baby girl, you're going to have to do better than that," he breathed out, not opening his eyes as I closed the distance between us.

I groaned as Ethan laughed. He walked over to my mother who hugged him to her. "Hadrian, don't be cranky."

"I'm not cranky love," he simply replied. "Just alert," he finished as he flickered his eyes open, playful storms of blue looking back at me.

"You're no fun dad." I sat down on the coffee table across from him as he sat up while Jane hugged Levi and Eve.

My father yawned out a laugh. "Lucas would agree to that as well. Willa, do we have coffee?"

"No, would you like some?"

"Yes love," he replied.

"Then get your ass up and make it Hadrian," she shot back with a smirk.

My dad sighed then looked at me. "There's no arguing with her."

"I know the feeling," Levi breathed out.

Eve just rolled her eyes as my father stood while Ethan walked to him, clasping his hand before he pulled Ethan into a hug. "Did Jake find you?"

"He did," Ethan replied with a nod as my father walked into the kitchen. He playfully pinched the skin at my mother's sides before he nipped at her neck as he walked over to the coffee pot. "Did they talk to you?"

"Jake filled me in, what did you tell your brother?" my father asked while he started to make a fresh pot of coffee.

I walked over to Ethan, letting him pull me to his side while my father scooped some fresh grounds into the pot. "That we would find him tonight and fill him in. He knows to keep his mouth shut. She thinks we're all elk hunting."

"Good," my father replied with a nod as he finished scooping coffee into the pot. "We can wait for the others, before we get started. It will get hectic here in the next few hours."

"Dad, where are Derek and the vamps?" I asked as I looked around.

"In Anchorage," my father replied while he filled some water into the glass pot. "From talking to Jake it sounds like they did what they needed too. Barrett and Evie stopped back by on their way in, I told them to let the others know that they could rest until later when we needed them. We have to poof a lot of people, we'll need everyone we can use."

"Who all are we getting again?" I asked.

"Well the core direct line alphas and their mates, Evan and Lyanna, Caden, Aiden, the three non-core alphas, David, Bowie, Ryder, Remi, Lander, and Claire," Jane stated.

"We need to get Penelope and Lyle," I added. "We can't just take their parents without them, it will look suspicious."

"You and Ethan handle that then," my father said. "Get his brother and mate first or have someone grab them when they grab their parents."

"We can get them," Eve told him as Levi pulled her down to sit next to him. "They will most likely be together anyways."

"Sounds good," my father replied with a smile. "Jake said that Evan was sure it could have been the vampires?"

"He did," Ethan answered as he rubbed my side. "He kept asking if I knew, which I told him I didn't. I mean. I didn't."

"Would love to see that damn witch get her panties all in a twist over this," Levi mused. "Dammit, I'm pretty pissed we're missing that."

"Wood's chopped," Lucas stated as he walked into the house.

"Took you long enough," my father teased while Levi chuckled under his breath.

"You know little red, I think that Lucas may need to come visit Hadrian up here every now and then."

"I think so too," she mused with a sly smile as Lucas walked over to Jane as Levi and my father exchanged approving nods with each other.

Jane kissed Lucas then pushed him away when he tried to kiss her again. "Shower, you smell horrible."

"Jane!"

"I put some fresh towels in your room, Lucas," my mother said with a soft smile.

"Thanks, momma Willa," Lucas replied before he stuck his tongue out at Jane and trotted off.

I rolled my eyes and looked over at my mother. "So, this house seems like it fits you two well?"

"Your father and I were talking about it last night, we were thinking about making it permanent."

"It's a cozy little setup," Levi added as he looked around while Eve leaned on his shoulder.

My father clicked the coffee pot on then headed over to my mother while Jane walked to sit on the other side of Levi. "I think so too. We don't need anything big. That's not us anyways."

"I like it," I breathed out as I looked around, the fire crackling in the background.

Ethan eyed it then kissed my temple. "I'll grab some logs, good thing Lucas chopped some."

I nodded then headed over to sit in front of the fire while my mother checked the oven for something, for the some that smelled like cinnamon and vanilla I hoped. "So what's the plan dad?"

"Well, the vampires should be back soon along with the witches–"

"All the vampires?" I asked with a curious brow.

My father's jaw slightly clenched. "Not all, some are still not welcome on this mountains. They can wait until we give them orders."

Levi rumbled in agreement and nodded. "Good. Bastard needs to learn some manners."

"Agreed," my father breathed out. "The witches will be coming back soon–both of them have been going over things again with their covens. They'll come back and we'll go get everyone. We can use the hall here. I think Derek had started cooking something with Frieda earlier."

"Yes," I said, my stomach growling at the thought of Derek's cooking as we heard the sound of the shower click on in the background. "Mom, what are you making?"

"Snickerdoodles," she replies as she slipped on some oven mitts. "I found a mix. Hopefully, it's good."

Ethan walked in with a few logs in his arms. I scooted out of the way as he set them one by one on a pile that had been stacked on the side, saving two pieces so he could throw them into the fire together. My father eyed him, a ghost smile on his lips while the fire crackled louder with the new wood feeding it.

"Micah should be over soon," he told us.

Ethan sat down next to me, pulling me back so I could lean my back against his chest. "How are the rogues?" I asked as I snuggle into my mate, letting his arms wrap around me with his scent.

"Good," my mother replied. "We need to bowl-call Caleb dear. We need to tell them to open it up again so we can get those wolves back over."

"Agreed. After this mess is over though, I don't want any more chances taken. She doesn't need to know about that portal."

"No, she does not," Eve added. "She needs to die, that's what she needs to do."

"I could not agree more," Jane added.

"So Charlie girl said you're the alpha up here now?" Levi asked.

My father nodded. "It seems it's worked out that way now."

"How are you planning on organizing it?" Levi added, eying my father as he got out some coffee cups.

"Keep everything more or less the same. The wolves that are alphas will just be what they should be by rank which is betas. I won't change the pack structure too much, they work well for the packs and I don't want to harm that system. There are two packs Micah and I need to go to, Abram and Enoch's–I guess last time Ethan was up here the alphas were killed?"

"They were," Ethan stated, his eyes swirling with a storm of bad memories. "They were dishonorable and deplorable men."

"Sounds like Xander," my mother mused. "He had fifty women collared up without food for days."

Ethan bit back a growl turned so he could look at my mother. "That's how the other packs were. They were all working for her. They had omegas more or less doing grunt work while they sat on their asses, drank, and had whatever women they liked."

My father let out a long breath as he started to pour some coffee into some cups. "Well, it sounds like Xander inherited those two packs when your group killed the alphas off, giving him more power than he needed. The pack, well, the mess of a pack he was running is really a hodge-podge of three that are not getting along well."

"How's that?" Jane asked as the bathroom door opened, steam filling the hall and seeping out into the kitchen.

"I hope you didn't use all the hot water, Lucas?" my father asked, a slight teasing tone in his voice which just made Levi chuckle some more.

Lucas looked at my father and waved him off as he pulled his shirt down, his gray sweatpants dragging slightly on the ground. "No Hadrian, that was just me."

My father rolled his eyes while my mother bit back a laugh as Levi shook his head. Jane sighed with an unamused brow before Lucas dipped down to kiss her.

"So what's this about the packs?" Levi asked.

"Just some dumb young males, being dumb young males," my father answered before he flickered his eyes to me. "Baby girl, your's is here."

"I got it sunshine," Ethan told me before he kissed my shoulder.

I scooted forward and let Ethan stand to walk over to the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room, a stained piece of polished cedar making it up. "Sounds like they need an ass beating," Ethan mused, my father chuckling slightly.

"They wouldn't be the only males," my father replied with a sly smile as he pushed the coffees towards Ethan, whose eyes slightly widened as his wolf stood up.

Levi laughed a little more. "You ought to let Hadrian beat your ass around Ethan, you and Lucas both, it would probably be good for you."

"Or you could let him beat your ass around uncle," Ethan replied back, eyeing Levi as he carried our coffees over as Lucas just muttered a string of curses under his breath.

My mother laughed while she scooped the cookies off of the cookie sheet with a spatula, my father kissing her cheek–distracting her, so he could steal one. "Hadrian!"

"What?" he asked innocently as he picked up his coffee cup and walked around to sit on the open couch.

"I think it's time I beat your ass around Hadrian," my mother said as her eyes swirled while Eve chuckled lowly, winking at my mother who walked with the plate of cookies over to us.

Ethan thanked her and took a couple for us; she handed us some more, saying that we needed the sugar up here and the leaves–she had baked them into the cookies as well. My father just shook his head while he watched her, a soft smile on his lips as she passed cookies out to everyone. He got up and got her coffee then eventually made her come sit down and relax.

"These are good, mom," I said as I gobbled one down.

"Thank you, sweetheart," she replied as my father ate what had to be his tenth cookie. She shook her head at him then wiped some crumbs off of his mouth as I leaned back against Ethan as the warmth of the fire started to coat my skin like a blanket.

"How's the pack house Levi?" I asked.

Levi shrugged. "We've made some repairs. It was pretty blown to hell. Remi and Lucas have done real good. Lyle and Penelope actually painted a lot of the walls last week."

"Did they shift?" I had forgotten how close they were to shifting when I had left.

Levi nodded with a soft smile on his lips. "Damn Lyle. He had an episode almost every day three days before he shifted. Took him a little longer than it took Lucas, a little more than four hours–"

"Solid three hours," Lucas added with a smug grin while Jane slapped his chest. "What!?"

"And Pen?" I asked.

"Damn girl is fine, she shifted about a month after Lyle. It was about a week after her birthday when the next full moon came. Took her about five hours and of course, Lyle was worked the hell up about it. Lander had to beat him back, boy was about to piss his pants," Levi breathed out, shaking his head before he looked up at me. "They're fine. David's relieved now–he and Lander both are. They were tired of those two riding around on their backs."

"What?! Come on dad you loved that!"

"I did until you were like a damn sack of cement on me. You had to be like five four and a hundred and twenty pounds at that age. Heavy as hell."

"Dad, are you saying I'm fat?" Lucas asked in a mock hurt.

Eve just laughed while Levi rolled his eyes. "No, we're saying that it was a pain in the ass to carry you and Lydia around like we were horses."

"Anyways they're fine," Levi sighed out. "Pen hates the snakes everywhere. I think she kills at least one a day. I think Lyle killed one and brought it to her which she thought was the sweetest thing. David loved it.... He definitely loved tossing that thing out into his fire pit."

"How's Lusa Jane?" I asked.

"Fine, Caden just driving Jaxon crazy with Andrea as usual. I'm sure she'll fill you in. They're fine. Jaxon apparently used some of Cooper's–Caden's pup's, legos to build a miniature pack house–the one Aurelia built, just so he and Cooper could smash it down."

"Oh my God," I laughed out while the rest of the room broke into a light laughter. "That's amazing."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Jaxon always liked his Legos."

Suddenly, there was a crack in the room. Four cracks to be exact. Dagny, Vincent who was holding Alice, Susie, and Bernard had all poofed in. Bernard wiped off his dark jeans that he had a white crisp button down tucked into with a navy blazer over. Ethan eyed him with wide eyes while Susannah smoothed out her long flowing ivy green maxi dress.

"Oh hello everyone!" Dagny said with a wave. "What did we miss?"

"Nothing, we just got here not too long ago," Ethan replied as Alice jumped out of Vincent's palm and over to Jane.

Lucas eyed the little bunny as she hopped around in between their laps until she laid down in Lucas'. "Friendly little thing."

"Oh, she likes you. Alice, you're so sweet," Dagny cooed.

"Hello little wolf," Bernard greeted me with a smile, a smile that was still weird to see.

"Hey big witch and Susie," I replied with a smile as Ethan nodded to him. "How were the covens?"

Bernard sat down in the wingback chair next to the fireplace and pulled Susie into his lap. "Well, Callista is more or less ecstatic. Our coven, is more or less thrilled. It was a good day. Everyone knows the plan and is ready. How did the vampires fair?"

"Good," my father breathed out. "Very good. The warehouses made the paper with the fires. Evan called for Ethan this morning on Jake's satellite phone. I guess she more or less has her ass on fire with it all. The vampires have all been coming into town, stalking the area and waiting for our cue–playing their part well. She thinks it's the vampires according to Evan, and went to Anchorage to see about it. I guess they've all heard rumors that the covens were attacking–retaliating."

"Perfect," Susie breathed out. "That's brilliant."

"It is," Vincent added. "I visited some dreams of her guards closest to her last night. Idiots," he scoffed out as he walked with Dagny to sit over by the fire with us. "They think it's the vampires. Alex and Alister must have purposely walked in front of street cameras because they caught pictures of them strolling down the bloody street!"

"What?!" my mother let out a sharp laugh before laughter tumbled out of her lips.

Vincent nodded with a wide smile. "They had a hunch that the covens were retaliating for their losses. I may have bent their dreams around a little to just, encourage that thinking as well."

Dagny kissed his cheek then smiled, pride in her eyes. "Yes, Vincent's been trying to make sure that those around her more or less heavily suspect the vampires."

"The flatlands wolves?" Susie asked.

"Ready for our call," my mother answered. "Cookie dear?"

"Oh no, thank you, though," Susie replied with a soft smile. "Bernard made us all these fantastic crepes for lunch and I am so full still."

"You make crepes?" I asked with raised brows.

"There's a lot I can do that you don't know about little wolf," Bernard replied with a coy smile.

Susie blushed slightly before she looked back at my father. "Should we bowl Caleb before things get hectic?"

"Good idea, you have the stones?"

"Yes," she replied quickly as she jumped up. She strolled over to the kitchen and pulled out a bowl then started to fill it with some water.

Carefully, she brought it back to us and set it on the coffee table. Bernard reached into her bag and pulled out a clear stone then tossed it to her; Susie caught it then placed it in the center of the water and stepped back.

"Water?" Lucas asked.

Susie nodded with a soft smile. "It is the only substance that travels through all the realms. Never being created or destroyed, just moved. It's a material that cleanses, transcends, and connects us all."

"Yes, so next time you flush a shit down just think of that," Vincent said, eying Lucas playfully. "You literally could just be sending a shit to your grandfather."

"Vincent!" Dagny smacked his chest as Alice perked up.

"Bernard, do you have a familiar?" I asked as I eyed Alice. "Do you or Susie?"

"Bernard, go get them. I am sure they're tired of being away from us," Susie whined. "We'll wait."

Bernard sighed then smiled at her. "Alright love, just wait," he said as he threw some dust down.

"Why did you leave them?" Ethan asked.

"It's just dangerous, and we wanted them to keep an eye on things while we are away," Susie said. "But I miss Leopold and I know Zara misses Bernard."

"Leopold and Zara?" Lucas asked as another cracked sounded.

Bernard sighed and put two red foxes on the ground. One fox, the male had black on all of his paws with a little green bowtie around his neck, while the female had only two front paws that were black and a cream knitted sweater on.

Alice jumped up then hopped over to them as they looked around. They looked at the rabbit and yipped at her, nuzzling her while they did a slow circle around the room. Bernard sighed as he leaned his hand on his palm as his elbow rested on the arm of the chair. "Come here Zara. Leopold you too."

"Oh Bernard, let them explore," Susie playfully scolded. "They've been cooped up in that flat of your's for far too long."

"I was just keeping them safe love," Bernard replied as the foxes eyed Ethan and I.

"Which one is your's?" I asked Bernard.

"Zara is mine and Leopold is Susie's," he replied as Zara walked over to me. She cocked her head then yipped at me as Leopold nuzzled my knee.

Carefully I reached out and scratched behind Zara's ears while Leopold climbed onto Ethan's leg, then stood on his back paws while his front one's pawed at Ethan's chest as he eyed him. Ethan chuckled and scratched at the fox's neck. "Well hey there Leopold, it's nice to meet you."

Alice was jumping in excited circles, panting from her little mouth until Zara turned around to yip at her. Alice playfully jumped around then hopped quickly away as Zara chased after her.

Leopold looked at them then sighed. He stood off of Ethan's shoulder then walked to lay next to Ethan and my legs. Susie eyed them then looked back at Bernard. "That is so cute. They love them."

"Leopold loves everyone dear."

"He does not!" Susie replied as Leopold yipped in agreement. "I agree, dear, he is being rude," she said as Leopold winked at her.

"How did you two end up with the same ones?" Jane asked.

"Oh your light always has the same familiar as you do if they are another witch," Dagny answered.

"Lucky for you Alice, you are an only child love," Vincent said as he winked at the little rabbit.

"How do you know?" Ethan asked. "How do you know they're your light?"

Susie smiled and walked over to Bernard, her palm up as magic crackled in it. Bernard held his hand over hers, hovering a bit until what looked like fireflies in golden and soft yellow hues flew between their hands, their magic crackling like a soft fire as both their foxes seemed to be smiling while the looked on.

"Your magic knows," she said. "It always knows who it's supposed to sing to, like your soul."