3rd Person POV

Cassius brushed past Desmond and exited the packhouse. His dad was mostly healed, courtesy of the warlock he was leaning on heavily. Azriel looked drained but still supported his father and lead him over to a chair that Michel must have pulled out.

Once he got settled, the Alpha spoke.

"By the laws that govern the challenge made to determine the Alpha of a werewolf pack, my son has failed. Therefore, I'm still your leader," his dad stated clearly.

Cassius' heart sunk in his chest. He'd tried but in the one moment that had counted, he hadn't been able to bring himself to see it through. Even if he'd gotten the chance to fix what he'd done before, killed his father when he should have, he wouldn't have had the willpower to do it anyway.

"The laws that govern these challenges may seem primal and backwards, considering all my son said. However, these laws have governed werewolf packs for centuries. One heated speech cannot uproot the laws that held our ancestors together," his father said.

There were a few shouts of support for that.

"One of the most important demands of an Alpha is that he will always place the pack above all else. It's what's ensured the survival of our species in a supernatural world dominated by immortal beings. We do not participate in a fight that isn't ours because the pack's protection comes first. It is my duty as an Alpha to ensure that and I've always upheld it, even when my son was in mortal danger," his father continued.

Whatever fragments of hope Cassius had held on to foolishly faded to mist.

"While Cassius has shown many of the qualities of an Alpha, he has much to learn if he truly wishes to take my place," his father finished.

Cassius tried not to show how broken he felt as his father brushed past him to head to his office. Green eyes clashed and Cassius could barely digest the sickening triumph in his father's gaze. He didn't say a word as he walked past him, and Michel followed, giving Cassius a look full of disappointment.

He'd been on the receiving end of that look numerous times but for once, he didn't think he deserved it.

"You were incredible love. These things just take time," Azriel pressed.

Cassius felt Azriel's fingers against his cheekbones and heard his soothing voice. He was however too upset to register the words that Azriel was saying. He shook him off roughly, angry with himself for putting the people he cared about through so much worry for nothing.

"I need some time. Just find me when we have to leave for the academy," Cassius requested softly.

"But dad told us not to go," Raphael said hesitantly.

"I tried doing this the right way and I failed. If I have to forsake the pack to fight for what's right then so be it," Cassius said solemnly.

He couldn't hold back his tears as he turned away from his friends and ran into the building.

Cassius was curled up on the floor, back against his dresser with his head in hands when he heard the door open. The floorboards creaked as someone made their way over to sit before him. Cassius slowly looked up to find Desmond crouched before him.

Cassius didn't think he had enough energy for whatever conversation Desmond was bringing him.

"Look. I'm deserting this pack, the only family I've known, in a couple hours. I was almost killed by my own dad just hours ago and I've come to the depressing realization that I've put the people I care about through a lot of worry for absolutely no reason. So if you want to say something that's adding on to my misery, please save it for later," Cassius said firmly.

Cassius could see Desmond's internal debate before he dismissed whatever conversation he'd come into the room to start.

"Fine. I won't add to your misery," Desmond said.

He pulled himself to sit beside Cassius. Their shoulders didn't brush and their gazes didn't meet. For a moment, there was just silence as they stared at the wall before them.

"If you don't want to desert your pack you don't have to. No one is going to judge you for that," Desmond said.

"If you really think I'm not going to come fight at the academy then you don't know me at all," Cassius replied.

"I know you're coming with us. I just want to make sure that you realize that that's a choice that you're making," Desmond clarified.

Cassius turned to him then, brow furrowed.

"I have to do the right thing," Cassius emphasized.

"You're making the right choice," Desmond retorted.

"What's the difference," Cassius snapped.

Cassius was about to turn away but Desmond put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Doing the right thing when it's the only thing you can do is a lot easier than doing the right thing when you can do something else, something easier. It shows character," Desmond explained.

"Yeah that character got me far in my fight to be Alpha," Cassius scoffed.

Cassius scrambled off the floor and began to pace the room. Desmond didn't follow. Cassius felt sharp eyes tracking his movement, back and forth, but he ignored it.

Cassius stopped pacing though when he heard Desmond's defeated sigh.

"That day I got drunk and worried you all, I was aware of every single time you, Azriel or Catherine called and I let it go to voicemail every single time. The right thing for me to do was to call you and explain. The easier thing to do, the choice I made, was to ignore you," Desmond said.

Any other night and Cassius would have assured Desmond that that night was in the past and their relationship had changed since then. But tonight, Cassius was too depressed to help others who were feeling vulnerable. He didn't even bother softening his voice when he finally found the words.

"Why are you telling me this," he asked.

"Because you showed great character tonight, character that deserves the position of Alpha, and character that I've never had. So consider that my way of apologizing to you, and telling you not to feel so shitty about yourself because trust me when I say that this night wasn't a failure even though it might seem like one in more practical terms," Desmond said.

Desmond wasn't getting away with just lofty words tonight. Cassius crossed the distance between them and crouched before the vampire so they were at the same level. Desmond didn't flinch at the sudden movement but his eyes grew more wary.

"Stop trying to make me feel better by putting yourself down and stop trying to twist this conversation into an apology. I don't have it in me to make you feel better about yourself tonight as well," Cassius said.

Desmond just looked shocked, and a bit lost. Cassius realize how out of depth Desmond was when trying to comfort people. He really had no idea what to do.

It made Cassius want to laugh and scream at the same time.

"Do you want me to leave," Desmond asked.

"No for the love of god Desmond, I don't need an apology right now. Hell with everything that's happened, I'm not even mad at you. I'm asking you to be here for me and make me feel better without lecturing me about character or putting yourself down. Is that so hard," Cassius pressed.

Desmond squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze. They stayed like that; Cassius crouched before Desmond, for almost a whole minute. Still, Desmond didn't say a word.

And it was then that Cassius actually started to feel irrationally angry with the vampire before him.

"Just leave," Cassius said lowly.

He backed away and Desmond scrambled off the floor. Cassius slowly stood up but kept his back to Desmond, frustrated and more upset than he'd been before. This night just kept getting worse and worse.

He'd thought Desmond had left and almost jumped out his skin when a hand came down on his shoulder.

"I thought I told you that you could leave," Cassius said softly.

Desmond turned him around slowly. He looked so unsure, so nervous, so unlike his usual confident self. He opened and closed his mouth several times before he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry tonight didn't go the way you wanted it to," Desmond said softly.

Desmond moved forward and put his arms around him. It might have actually been the first time that Desmond had initiated a hug with anyone. It certainly felt like it, awkward and stiff, but Cassius still hugged him back.

"It took you all this time to come up with that," Cassius snapped.

His words held no bite though as he held Desmond more firmly, burying his head into the vampire's shoulder. The tears he'd been holding in spilled out, staining Desmond's black shirt. Desmond's arms only tightened around him.

And they stood like that until Cassius finally ran out of tears and actually felt just a little bit better.

1st Person POV

I'd been about to find Cassius and try to make him feel better when I saw Desmond go after him. We shared a look as he stood at Cassius' doorway. I didn't want to make this night worse for Cassius than it already was, and Desmond wasn't exactly known for making people feel better.

But for once Desmond was being patient. He was actually waiting for my approval. That alone was enough for me to give him a subtle nod.

He actually smiled at me before entering Cassius' room.

I was still basking in the warm, fuzzy feeling that that unexpected smile had given me when I headed back to Azriel's room with a plate of food. He looked tired as he flipped through the TV channels lazily. He raised a questioning brow when I walked in.

I planted the plate of food on his lap before clambering into bed next to him.

"Desmond went after Cassius," I said in greeting.

Azriel nodded before he began eating. I flipped through the channels before landing on the news. The woman was giving a rundown of the weather before switching to a more pressing news story.

"A young woman was found murdered in an alleyway near Hunter's Bar at noon, adding to the four other bodies that have been found around the area," the woman started.

Both of us straightened up at that.

"You think they are victims of the operation," Azriel asked.

I nodded slowly, feeling sick to the stomach. Hunter's Bar was where we'd first met. Clearly the operation was closing in on the Academy and had failed to contain some of their experiments.

It shouldn't have bothered me that much that it was Hunter's Bar but it did.

"The woman appears to have been killed by a wild animal of sorts. Police have identified the victim as Tara James, a part-time bartender at Hunter's Bar and," the woman trailed

My heart squeezed impossibly tight in my chest when the name registered. Tara James, the girl that had lived in the dorm room across from mine. I felt like I was about to retch as the woman began detailing the atrocity of the attack.

"Oh god I think I'm going to be sick," I muttered faintly.

I ran off the bed and into the nearest bathroom, bending over the toilet bowl. My whole head spun, eyes watering as I retched into the bowl. Azriel's hands held my hair up gently and he didn't say a word until I'd sat back.

I leaned back against the cool tiled wall of the bathroom floor trying and failing to get myself together.

"Tara was the girl who came to tell you that your room was trashed right," Azriel confirmed.

I nodded slowly. It seemed so surreal. I was doing dangerous work and people were dying all around me. But when it was someone I knew in a place so close to home, it was so much more terrifying.

I hadn't even known her well but my heart ached for her like I'd known her all my life.

"We didn't know each other well. She was just someone I knew," I explained.

I didn't know if I was telling that to Azriel or myself. Azriel moved himself closer to me, snapping his fingers to summon a glass of water. He put it in my hands but I didn't really feel like drinking it.

It didn't make sense that I was thinking about her more now than I had in all the time she'd actually been alive.

"It's okay to mourn, no matter how well you knew the person," Azriel assured.

A sudden thought hit me then and I almost dropped the glass of water in my hand.

"What if the attack was a warning," I pressed.

Azriel just looked confused.

"Warning us about the attack? Why would they do that," he asked.

I stood up then, planting the glass of water on the ground. My body felt weak, stomach hollow. My mind was racing though as I paced the length of the tiny bathroom.

And the idea finally came to the forefront of my consciousness.

"Fear," I said.

"Inspires chaos," Azriel asked questioningly.

"Well yes but fear also makes people surrender. They're going to try to win this before it even starts," I said with growing alarm.

Finally the realization dawned on Azriel's face. They were going to use the climate of fear that they'd now created, and would no doubt heighten with more attacks near the Academy, until students began to surrender to save themselves from a gruesome death. Either that or the operation was going to make some kind of ultimatum to cease the mindless murders if students handed themselves over.

It was never going to be a straightforward battle in which the operation just invaded the Academy guns blazing, and I was an idiot for not realizing that sooner.

"We need to get to the Academy. Now," Azriel said.

I followed him out the door to find Cassius and Desmond. 

Another chapter is up! Cassius and Desmond have a heart-to-heart, while Azriel and Catherine discover something crucial. What do you think is going to happen next? The story is slowly building up. 

If you liked this chapter, don't forget to vote and comment down below. Let me know what your favorite part of this chapter was! The next chapter will be posted soon. Until then, 

LOVE, 

ASH