I walked inside to see the back doors open in the house, letting the sweet summer air breeze through the large living room that had a group of males setting up some kind of sound system. They stopped and looked over at us; brows raised and mouths slightly opened.

I cocked my head to them with a raised brow and let out a warning growl which seemed to scurry them back to work. Ethan's hand linked with mine and started to pull me up the stairs, the stairs that reeked of him, Thomas.

He was here.

I could feel Ethan's veins, the fire in them starting to burn brighter and brighter. My wolf stood up as well and shook her fur out, if our male wanted to fight then she would join him. I scolded her and reminded her of why we couldn't do that just yet, much to both of our displeasure.

"Ethan you have to calm down, you're about to burn the  stairs down."

He clenched his jaw and eyed me painfully before nodding. We walked down the long hall that seemed a little longer today until we came to a door that was Ethan's. He wasn't looking at it though, he was looking at the one a few doors down from him, Thomas'.

"Come on," I said as I opened his office door and pulled us through.

There was a large stack of papers already on his desk waiting for us, and what looked like an army of sticky notes on his lamp with notes from other wolves relaying messages they had taken for him.

Ethan shut the door and groaned as he looked at his desk. "I'm going to open a window."

I walked to his desk while he walked to a big window by the old green wingback chair next to it. We had so much work to do. Inwardly I groaned as well as I looked at everything before the breeze started to graze my neck.

Ethan walked behind me and slid his arms around my belly. He rested his head on my shoulder and eyed the same stack of papers that I had been eyeing. "Coffee?"

"I'll get it," I offered. His veins needed to calm down before he could move around in the pack house a little more. "Just calm down and I'll be right back."

Ethan eyed me warily as I started to pull away from him. "Babe–"

"Ethan I'll be fine it's just coffee, I promise I will let you know if something happens." I walked to him as he leaned against his desk and looked down at his feet covered in broken in leather sandals. "You're going to have to see them eventually, just think about what I said, ok? I know it's hard, I want it as much as you do, but we have to learn to deal with it until we can handle it."

My hands slid up his chest, calming him a tad. He took a hand in his and kissed the back of it and nodded. "Alright, go get us some coffee then."

I turned and walked to the door before looking at him half over my shoulder. "Black right?"

"Like my soul babe," he called out as he walked to his chair.

I rolled my eyes and stepped out of the office, closing the door behind me. Shit, even from here I could smell his anger; I prayed inwardly that he would both calm down and open another window.

My feet carried me quickly down the stairs where a group of three wolves were chatting. Tall men, strong and toned; warriors and hunters.

"Hey, Char!" Martin called out from the group.

Relief washed over me as I smiled and walked to him. "Hey, what are you up to."

"Oh, we're going on a hunt with Ryder. We're getting kind of low on meat," he said while the other men eyed me curiously.

"We're going with Ryder to look at a few more spots he thinks are interesting. You don't need to worry about these wolves, we are with you, Char."

Martin smiled while I tried to relax, but it was almost impossible in this damn pack house. "By the way, this is Murphy and Drew. I think you met their girls this morning?"

I nodded. Murphy dipped his head, as did Drew respectfully. "Heard you girls are having a girls night?" Murphy asked. He had dirty blonde hair cut close to his head and dark brown eyes. He looked rugged like he lived more as a wolf than a man. I smiled back as I thought of how opposite that was to Mary, the moon does have a method to her madness I guess.

"Yes, we're sending you three to Evan's. He's having 'man night,'" I replied while they chuckled.

Drew shook his head then eyed me. "Guess I ought to bring Ev his beer, I do owe him," his husky voice said as he smiled a little boyishly. He had dark hair, almost black, pulled up into a man bun, and a serious beard growing.

"Bro, you ought to just open up a cooler you can stock at Evan's, you owe him at least a case a week," Martin replied with a knowing smile.

Drew rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Nessa is seriously going to kill me one of these days."

"She mentioned that this morning," I stated with a raised brow. "Well, I need some coffee guys, but I guess I'll see you maybe tonight?"

They nodded. "Yup, see ya later Char!" Martin replied as I walked away with a wink.

"You're doing good Char, just keep a hold on Ethan, we're all working hard."

"Thanks, Martin, tell them I said thank you like a million times as well."

"Will do, call us if you ever need us and we'll be there with enough wolves to do some damage."

"Noted," I replied before popping out of the link.

The coffee pot in the pack house still had coffee in it, but it looked old and felt a little lukewarm when I poured some out. I eyed it for a bit before I decided to settle on making a new pot.

As I began to scoop the grounds into the thin paper filter I had just placed into the machine, I felt him. Thomas. The hair on the back of my neck raised and my fangs were aching to elongate.

I reached out and calmed my wolf, we had to learn to deal with this. We could deal with this; this wasn't the first time I had to handle being around liars, cheaters, and rotten people. They're all the same no matter where you go, rotten to the core.

But he got closer, his scent grew more predominant. I found myself scooping faster until I had to calm my own hand, I wasn't going to run. I too would have to be around them, and I too had to learn.

I was filling the coffee pot up with water to the last line when I felt him behind me. It was everything I had not to turn and rip his throat out; I wanted his neck that I could feel pulsing in my teeth.

Long term. I had to think long-term, and remind myself of that over and over again.

"Thorne?" I let out a sigh and turned around to see Thomas eying me warily. His beast was stirring, curious, assessing me as I faced him. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Well, I can't really function without coffee," I quickly replied, causing Thomas and I to both chuckle a little nervously.

He eyed me curiously and tugged at his hair. "Thorne listen, I uh, well, this is awkward isn't it?"

His beast was eyeing me curiously, waiting for me to give something away. This male was still onto me. He tried to hide it, but his beast couldn't lie, not even if he wanted to. Those were instincts we couldn't hide, our animal instincts.

"As awkward as a middle school dance."

Thomas laughed a little more while I shut the lid and turned the coffee pot on, causing it to gurgle as it brewed. I looked back at him and thought of every way this situation could play out, but regardless, I had to start damage control now. I had to get ahead of him and help to get him off our trail.

He leaned against the wall and cross one leg over the other. His beast seemed to pace around in his mind. His beast was on edge, curious, as was mine.

Mine started to pace as well, licking her teeth as she walked so they would be perfectly clean when she sank them into his neck. The thought was tempting.

I needed to control myself. I couldn't have Ethan feeling my discomfort; I wasn't too sure that if he came down here, that he would actually be able to control himself.

Thomas sighed a little then looked up at me, it was tense and surprisingly nervous. "Listen, Thorne, I, well I–"

"Thomas," I interjected while holding my hand gently up. My hand that so badly wanted to reach out and strangle him. My hand was slightly shaking. My hand wanted to grab the ice pick close by and ram it into his skull. "We've both made mistakes and I'm sorry for them," I said the words before I even realized what I said; word vomit at its finest.

His brows raised while my wolf perked up, wondering how I was going to get myself out of this one and I couldn't help but wonder too because I had really paddled myself up a creek. My heart was starting to race slightly and I knew that panicking right now was not going to help.

"It's just, I just–" I sighed and tried to pull from a time when I was vulnerable, scared, and constantly apologizing for something I didn't do. I needed to channel that girl now, even now, she could help me in ways I wouldn't have expected.

"Thorne," Thomas interjected, cocking his head a bit as a familiar emotion of anger started to pool into his eyes. "We've all made mistakes, me included. You and Ethan both know I did what I had to do to protect the pack–"

My beast was pacing hard, blood starting to warm up, while Ethan stirred over our bond. I needed to calm down, I needed to calm my beast down because the last thing I needed was Ethan storming down here.

"It may have been to protect the pack, but that doesn't make what happened wrong Thomas. All we wanted to do was protect the pack from the rogues. We just want to keep the pack safe, that's all we want." The truth rolled off my tongue so easily, that I didn't realize that even in situations like these how powerful it could be.

Thomas' beast stirred a little more, he wasn't fully convinced yet of my act. "It's a common enemy, Thorne, we're on the same team."

So many lies that it was everything I had not to break out of my skin there. I looked up at him and saw the face that killed Ethan's family. Levi's family. The face that smiled when he slit their throats. The face that was willing to frame Ethan, even as a sixteen-year-old boy. The face that was not giving me a soft smile like we could repair this damage.

I almost felt sick. I almost felt sick when I remember Lucas, Lydia, and Eve. Before I knew it, tears were pooling at my eyes, much to my surprise. When I looked back at him I just thought of them; the ones that haunted my dreams and the emotions were so powerful that my control was struggling to keep hold of them. I sniffled a little, which made Thomas' eyes grow wide.

"Thorne?"

"I'm sorry," I practically choked as I tried to push the tears back. "It's just so much, you know? I just," I sighed and caught my breath a little, calmed my tears while my beast watched with an open jaw. His beast sat back and cocked his head at me like I was eating worms, I damn sure felt like I was.

God this was a mess. I was a damn mess. I was so angry, so hurt, so upset, so scared, and so livid that it all came out in hot tears while my tongue scrambled to dig me out of the hole I fell into. Fuck me this was not going well. 

"Charlotte"

"I'm fine, just stay there."

"I just–," I sighed. "I was just so scared of them, and this is so much, and I just want to help and help the pack, and Ethan. I just can't handle the thought of rogues near him, or hurting him, I was just trying to do the right thing and I was so frustrated as hell because no one listened.

"Maybe I was out of line, and I am sure I was in some form. You were right about the pull," I said, it felt like swallowing acid. "God that pull. I didn't realize it, I didn't realize how much it was screwing we me and I was so just frustrated and confused. Half the time I feel normal and the other half I remember that I used to live in Malibu, California not too long ago and every I think of rogues I think of that night when I was bitten and they almost raped me."

"Thorne," Thomas interjected again. His eyes softened a hair as his beast seemed to relax again. Maybe he was buying my bullshit. God I hoped he was. "Girl," he sighed out a little tiredly. Listen, we've both done some screwed-up shit. If anyone feels like they let this pack down it's me. You've done good girl, real good for someone has shifted, you don't need to feel like that. We've both made mistakes but what's important is that we put them behind us and move on. We're on the same team, and I know what happened has been screwed up, but you have to know I was doing what I thought was best at the time."

I nodded even though I wanted to tear his face off. God, how did he do this? Lie through his teeth when we both knew the truth.

"I agree."

The minute I said it, was the minute he seemed to visibly relax. His beast sat back almost lazily; not on guard, but still watching me. Was he threatened? Maybe, but he certainly wasn't ready to attack, which was more than a good thing.

He smiled a little and nodded. "I'm going to get to the bottom of those rogues, no rogues get's on our border anymore. I'm not going to let my pack be put in danger again," he said which just made me growl, it wasn't soft either, it was vicious.

His eyes widened and my heart raced at my slip up. I panic for a second before my beast had an idea that she nudged forward. I let out a sharp breath and shook my head. Shit, I really needed to get a hold of myself. This was so much easier when I practiced it in my mind."Sorry, it's just. She is not a fan of them, even the word pisses her the hell off."

Thomas nodded deeply in understanding. His beast perked up again and cocked its head at me; eying me curiously and pushing forward a little. Testing me. My beast wanted to push back harder, but I pushed her to a safe place of my mind where she wouldn't get us in trouble. When he found that I wasn't going to fight him, he relaxed some more, like a kid who got away stealing cookies. "I get it, it's more than understandable."

"Hey babe," a voice called out that made me grow stiff. Thomas looked up at Miranda who stopped in her steps when she eyed me; teary-eyed, flushed, with a tiny smile tugging at my lips as I prayed to the moon that she would buy it. "What's going on in here?"

"Babe, Thorne and I—"

"We're just working everything out. I was just telling Thomas how sorry I am for everything," I said as a sob pushed its way through. Talking about seeing them is one thing, but seeing is another. Because when I looked at her, I saw the faces of a mother and sister I never had, I saw their necks bleeding, I saw their backs without flesh.

The tears started to trickle while Miranda flickered her eyes to Thomas then to me a little uncomfortably. She didn't deal well with criers, amongst other things.

Damn, this word vomit. I just wanted to shove it all back in my mouth.

"I just," I sighed and looked at her as my voice broke because all I wanted to do is bash her brains in while I thought of red hair laying in a crimson pool. "I just, the rogues and it was so terrifying. And the pull, of my God the pull, and I don't know," I choked out as my words rambled while the sight of Margaret flashed in my mind, laying in a pool of her own blood with a sad smile still on her lips. "I just–"

"Ok," Miranda breathed out. She set a binder down then grabbed a napkin and walked to me. "Can I?"

Dear God Charlotte, you are an idiot... I thought to myself. 

I nodded. I nodded even though my beast was furious with me. I knew I had to, I had to play this part for now.

Miranda gave me a tight smile and dabbed at the drops on my cheeks while her beast eyed me curiously. "Now none of that."

"Thank you," I breathed out. I looked at her and caught sight of her eyelashes. Her false lashes. An idea popped into my brain. "I love your eyelashes, by the way, they're so thick. Are they natural?"

Women like her couldn't resist a compliment, especially on something that pertained to their actual physical body. It was the fuel to their fire and also their Achilles heel.

She slightly raised her brows and stepped back with a tiny coy smile. Her beast eyed me a bit and sat back, watching. She wasn't as laid back as Thomas, but she wasn't acting aggressive, she seemed almost pleased at my response to her, my compliment. She wasn't totally bought in all the way, she was just watching, observing; but I didn't need her to be, I just needed her to be enough to get off our asses. "Well, I have false lashes."

"You can't tell," I sniffled out as I wiped at my eyes some more.

"I told Thorne here that we're going to find the rogues and move on. She's got nothing to cry about."

Miranda eyed me a little more then nodded stiffly. "It's ok to make mistakes, I mean you were a human not long ago."

I wanted to growl but this time, my beast grasped at it and pulled it back. Protecting me. She always only every wanted to protect me.

"Ya, I just, it's still a lot, you know?"

Miranda nodded as if I confirmed something she already knew. "I know Char, it can't be easy."

I shook my head because it wasn't easy at all being around something so evil. "No, not at all."

"Don't worry girl, we care about our pack and about you and Ethan. Boy's like family to me anyways," Thomas added with a tiny smile as Miranda sat on his thigh. He seemed a little more relaxed now, a little more pleased; he looked like he thought he had control of this, like he was still running this show. Good. Let his arrogant ass think that.

Arrogance. I thanked the moon that this man was an arrogant piece of shit. It took everything I had to nod. To nod and think of something that would get the conversation moving. Moving in a direction that would give them more of a false sense of power over us. Moving in a direction away from the icepick that my fingers were aching to grab.

"How about dinner?" I asked then kicked myself hard in the ass for doing so.

"Baby?"

"I'll be there soon, just please stay there."

Ethan stirred a little nervously but seemed to agree. I let out a sigh of relief and looked back up at Thomas and Miranda; Miranda raised her brows while Thomas mused then nodded. "I think that would be good for us, besides, I got some good steaks that I need to grill."

"I'm sure Ethan would love that," I added with a smile so forced it almost pulled a muscle. God. Ethan was going to kill me. 

"Now about the rogues Thorne," Thomas said as I pushed a growl back, letting him see it so he would but into my lie from before. "We're looking into it, hardly gotten any sleep because of it, but there's also Larissa–"

I growled harshly at that vile creature's name. Blinking hard I pushed back another before looking to them. "Sorry, it's just–this is all her fault. She forced both of us into a corner." I muttered out bitterly, channeling a version of myself that I had killed a long time ago.

"Don't be, what she did was a serious crime against the pack and you," Thomas replied honestly as his beast seemed to nod in approval, buying into my lie that gave him a little more confidence. "Did Ethan tell you how that all works?"

I shook my head, playing the naive human seemed to be working well and I needed to keep it up.

"Well, we have the initiation ceremony here pretty soon–"

"Which I really need help setting up," Miranda added as if it was the most stressful thing in her life.

I nodded to her then looked back at Thomas who smiled like he was trying to reassure me that everything was going to be ok. God that icepick was looking really good right about now. "We'll have a pack meeting there too. Crimes this serious get handled in front of the pack, so during the meeting is when we do them. Because of the circumstances around the issues, it would be your decision on what to do with her."

I raised my brows and sighed out like it was the hardest decision I would have to make. "What," I breathed out again. "What are my options?"

"Well there are a number of things," Miranda said. "You could have her celled, collared too, lashed which I would suggest."

I shivered at her words. The word 'lashed' seemed to stir some kind of joy in her that made me sick; her damn lips almost twitched into a smile as her eyes stared off dreamily while she said it. "I don't know..."

"You don't need to decide now," Thomas replied almost received; relieved that I was putting the focus on Larissa, and not him. "Just talk to Ethan and think on it, but I will need to know before the ceremony."

"Ok," I sighed out as the coffee pot dinged, singling it was done. "I just want us all to be happy. I just, I never really had a family before and I finally feel like I do. I don't want to ruin that."

Thomas smiled again and nodded; he nodded as if he was cheering me on, like I was falling into whatever trap of lies he wanted. His beast was still watching me, but from behind his eyes, I could almost see him smiling. "None of us are perfect, Miranda and I included, well–I don't know babe, you are pretty damn perfect."

Miranda rolled her eyes then looked back at his with a thin line of lips that were unamused. Thomas shrugged innocently before looking back at me. "Talk to Ethan about dinner. I think after the ceremony, we have way too much before then."

"I know, I saw the stack of paperwork on his desk."

Thomas gave me a tiny coy smile. "You two going to actually get it done this time?"

I felt a blush rise to my cheeks as I thought of that time in the office. "We'll get it done, don't worry about us."

"Charlotte, I do need help with the ceremony. I know Ethan can explain to you some of the things I'll need you to do, but I will need your help later," Miranda said with a smile about as forced as mine.

"I can do that," I replied and let my lips have a damn break.

"Actually babe, why don't get see if Amber can help her. Since Evangeline's gone and Ethan is slammed, it would be good for both of them." Thomas looked back at me with eyes that softened a little more while his beast seemed to relax a hair more. "Never thanked you for saving Amber. That lion could have tore her up if you didn't save her."

Miranda let out a sharp breath and nodded. She looked at me and for the first time, she looked like a mother. A mother who was at one point scared to lose her pup. "Thank you," she said softly.

I nodded again then gave them both the best smile I could. "Well, I better get some coffee and get back at it," Thomas said as he stood and reached for his empty mug.

I grabbed two out of a cabinet and set them next to the pot then turned to Miranda. "Want one?"

"No thank you, I prefer tea." I stilled slightly as a memory flooded into my brain. "I'll send Amber for you, ok?"

I nodded as she kissed Thomas quickly then left. Thomas let out a tired breath then reached towards me. He reached towards me and for a minute I was ready to lay his ass out here, but the action almost pained me as much as a stab to my heart would.

He hugged me. He gave me a side hug that I somehow found myself returning. My beast nuzzled me and nudged me; she knew how hard this was for both of us, but she knew that if I slipped up, that it could get us all killed.

He pulled away and reached for the coffee, then started to pour it into my two mugs and his. "You're a good girl Thorne, Levi, and Ethan are lucky to have you."

"Thank you," I said while I watched him carefully as I pulled out some cream and sugar for myself.

"Baby? I am two seconds away from coming down there."

"Do not! I am fine, I am about to head back. I will tell you when I get there. Just please for the love of God stay up there."

Ethan growled a little but seemed to comply. I let out a hot breath and thanked the moon that he was cooperating. If he saw me like this, teary eyed and in pain, Thomas would not live another day–that was for certain.

"Is he in today? Ethan?"

I nodded. "He was real happy to see how much he had to do."

"I'll let him get settled then swing by later," Thomas thought out loud.

He picked up his cup and nudged me playfully. "Don't cause any more trouble Thorne."

I laughed a little nervously and nodded. "Same to you."

When he left I felt all the air escape out of my lungs and tears pull at my eyes. My beast nuzzled me some more as I reached out to bond with Ethan. My beast was proud of me, she knew how hard it was, but we did it.

I could only hope that he believe me. I could only hope that he was sincere. That what he was saying was true.

But I had a feeling it was.

"Baby?"

"Just stay there I'll be up soon..." 

I shook my head and closed my eyes hard. It was so much harder than I thought; I may have made the biggest mistake of my life by talking to them, but I had no idea what to do.

My beast reached out to me and nudged me gently, comforting me. She reminded me that their beasts did not act threatened if anything, they seemed to buy our shit as well. If they were threatened by us, it wouldn't have been easy for them to hide, considering everything that we have seen before.

Ethan was going to kill me. He wasn't going to like any of it, but I felt like I didn't have a choice.

For now, it seemed that I got lucky and it worked. I hope it worked. I prayed to the moon it worked.

Ethan was flipping through some papers when I walked in. I closed the door with my foot and let out a long tense breath that I had been holding. "Baby?"

My beast felt calmer but we were still in turmoil, still in weeds that were starting to thin out.

I felt hands take the coffee out of mine before I blinked to see Ethan coming back to me with his brows furrowed in a mix of worry and anger. He lifted my chin up gently and looked over my face for any damages before scooping me up and carrying me to the wingback green chair sitting next to a window that the warm sun was pouring through.

"What happened? Please tell me, baby, what happened?" Ethan asked, his voice was a forced softness of the tension that it held. His beast was standing up and shaking his fur off at the feeling of my pain over the bond; I let out a hot breath and tried to compose myself. It wasn't helping and it was only getting us both worked up.

"I'm sorry, I screwed up. It was so hard Ethan. I tried, I really tried. I mean, I think they bought it, but all I saw were their  faces when I looked at them–"

"Char," Ethan interjected, stopping my rambling with fingers gently under my chin, forcing me to look up at his blue-green eyes. "Just let me see, ok?"

I sighed and nodded. He pulled me against his chest as I opened my mind to him and poured the situation out over the bond. At times I could feel his pain for me; he would growl a bit every now and then as images poured through, pulling the tendrils of his anger over the bond.

It wasn't until the last part that he let out a stressed breath with a disgruntled growl. "Baby..."

I sucked in a sharp breath and nuzzled his chest, trying to calm my heart that felt like it was twisting over and over and over again as someone tried to wring the water that were my tears soaked in it. "I'm sorry."

He let out a hot breath and buried his nose in my hair while pulling me closer to his chest. "Dinner–really?!"

I shook my head against his chest as the memory of my slight panic invaded my brain. Ethan seemed to sense this and pulled me closer into him. I let out a sharp breath and shrugged my shoulders as he started to stroke my hair. "I just was trying to diffuse the situation, it was word vomit at it's finest. God, I am such an idiot."

"No, you're not," he said softly. He let out a little tension on a long breath before dipping his head slightly to look at me. "You did better than I would have, their beasts weren't even on edge. Maybe there in the beginning, but it looks like you got them to where they needed to be."

"I guess they thought that we just bought into their lies? Right?"

"You would have either seen it on their beasts, or not because they pushed them back so far. I think you putting the 'common enemy' spin on it was good and focusing things on Larissa as also good," he said, his voice was still a little stressed but it seemed to be slowly dripping out of his system.

"I feel like they should be though, I mean it was everything I had to not kill them. Why collar someone you're not threatened of?"

Ethan looked down at me as he furrowed his brows as he chewed on his plump bottom lip. He wiggled his head back and forth then shook his head. "He could have just been really pissed. You can be angry at someone and not threatened by them."

"But Larissa? Babe, he set that up, why set that up unless he was threatened and wanted me gone."

"Unless that's not why he did it. What if it was a completely different reason?"

I snapped my eyes to Ethan's as they widened a bit. "Ethan?"

"I don't want anyone to hear us," he whispered over our link. He stood up, letting me have his seat before he walked back to his desk and clicked around until a Pandora station of nineties rock came on.

"Interesting music you got there."

"The nineties were the shit babe."

I rolled my eyes as he cracked a smile before he started to pace as he thought. He would chew on his lip then stop, like a thought had finally come to mind before he shook it away and kept pacing.

Finally, he stopped and looked at me, still unsure of the thought he was holding. "What is one of the things that you and I have had to work on since we decided to start our own little coup?"

I searched his eyes before it clicked. "The pack. Oh my God, the pack. You think he wanted to see how much of the pack was on his side?"

Ethan shook his head. "I think they did."

"That doesn't make sense Ethan. I mean, you think he didn't work with Larissa at all? Come on, that's bullshit and you know it."

"I think he knows babe, I don't think he knew then." He sighed then looked back up at me. "Why collar me? I mean, for his benefit? The pack was already feeling a challenge, it's a ballsy as hell move. Collar his beta? What does he gain? He either did it because he wanted to, out of rage, or because he felt like his hand was forced.

"The pack that day was furious. Honestly, Char, it was bad. If I hadn't had done that, and tried to fight, it would have been bad.

"Everyone there was with Thomas because they saw the situation at face value and went with it, so what if that's it? What if that's why? Because he thinks, for now, that the pack is with him?"

I chewed on my lip. "He is arrogant as hell. That could be it, he felt the challenge coming and wanted to see where the pack would fall, like we did with Arron."

Ethan walked over to me and kneeled at my feet; he laid his chin on my knees a little tiredly, turning his head to the side while I mindlessly began to play with his hair.

"The pack is pissed about all of it now, but he could think that they are all pissed at Larissa, which is mostly true. A lot of people on the fence are furious with Larissa more than they are  with Thomas. That and, well what you said to him downstairs probably just confirmed it, so he thinks he got away with it. He thinks that the pack will sway on his side with the right incentive."

"While I don't necessarily disagree with you, I think there's more. He's smart, but not that smart. He couldn't have done all this by himself. I just have a feeling in my gut on it."

Ethan nodded. "I know baby, I think I'm beginning to understand that Thorne itch."