(Anna's POV)

I looked into Tate's eyes, terrified, scared, and curious. He may be my friend, but I was unsure of his intentions or condition. From what I could sense, he was in an unfavorable state of mind. I could feel his overwhelming pain, unfathomable rage, and burdening regret. Everything.

He grew weaker after holding me against the wall with such force. Although I'm not sure if it was with force or if he leaned in entirely to support himself. His grip loosened, and we both fell to the floor. Just then my bedroom door flung open, and out came Alex, who was half asleep. He raised his eyebrows in confusion. I looked up at him and held out my hand. He helped me up before we carried Tate down the hall to the spare bedroom.

Alex helped situate Tate on the bed, while I checked on Ali, who was still asleep. I closed my bedroom door, before walking down the hall to join Tate and Alex. Tate bled profusely on the bed he lies on, but his blood didn't smell appealing. If anything it nauseated me.

"Should I call Ceciellia?" I asked him.

"No, please don't, because she'll make me quit looking for Alice," Tate said weakly. "That's why I came here."

While my eyes were fixed on his blood-soaked clothing, I asked, "What happened to you?".

"What did Kane do to you?" Alex asked.

Alex could smell Kane's lingering scent. I knew that smell from anywhere, so it was no surprise that Alex figured it out as well.

"I... I was looking for Alice, and traveled all the way to Colorado," Tate said slowly.

Alex inspects Tate's wounds, making him flinch and hiss at the stinging pain. Whatever or whoever did this to him wasn't normal.

"I was in a bar, one of the hot spots known for creatures to hide away in," Tate stopped talking when Alex touched a sensitive area. "I was sitting next to a girl who appeared mixed between Indian and African American."

"I'm sorry to interrupt your story, but your shirt will have to come off for me to assess your wounds," Alex said apologetically. "Anna, can you grab some towels and a first aid kit?"

Tate bit down on his lower lip, as Alex helped him remove his bloody shirt. I looked away from them, before exiting the room and walking to the bathroom. In the cupboard under the sink was the first aid kit. I heard a scream from the spare room, causing my hands to shake so severely that I dropped the first aid kit.

"Shit!" I said under my breath.

I kneeled down to the ground and quickly picked up everything that had fallen out of the box. When I returned to the room, Tate, who was now shirtless, continued with his story.

"She was smoking a joint, and sipping moonshine," Tate said. "I could tell she wasn't human, and so I struck up a conversation with her..."

"Was she cute?" Alex asked with a smirk.

I nudged him after seeing Tate squint his eyes at him. He was not laughing, nor was he in the mood for jokes.

"It would be easier if I could just show you what happened," Tate said with a sigh.

"Are you strong enough for that?" Alex asked. "I saw Sophia do it before, but she was really weak afterwards."

"That's because she is not a pure witch," Tate replied as he sat up. "I come from a pure bloodline, but I'm not sure how well my magic will work after enduring so much blood loss."

"Don't risk it, Tate," I said as I shook my head.

"It could be the only way to know, for sure, what happened tonight," Alex informed me after pulling me aside. "What if he saw Alice and had forgotten?"

"Don't act like I'm not right here," Tate said with a groan. "I never said I wouldn't do it."

Alex and I look back at Tate, who holds out both of his hands. We both sit on opposite sides of Tate, before taking his hand in ours. He closes his eyes and instructs us to do the same. After doing so, he tells the story from the beginning. His voice slowly fades away, and I can visualize it as if I were there.

The girl sitting next to Tate definitely wasn't a human. I could tell when she tucked her hair behind her pointed ear, that she's a werewolf. She smiled to herself, before looking at Tate.

"Was that what you were looking for, warlock?" she asked him

"I... How did you...?" Tate asked with a confused expression.

"I can read minds, and yours was fixed on figuring out what I am," she answered. "So, what's your name?"

"Tate, you?" I asked.

"Luna," she said with a smile. "Like the moon goddess."

I could see her canine teeth when she smiled. She is someone I wouldn't want to mess with. Even my vampire teeth aren't that sharp and jagged.

"Admiring my teeth?" Luna asked before giggling.

For a moment I thought she was talking to me, but then I noticed Tate staring at them too. He shook his head while laughing nervously, returning from the intrusive thoughts that had invaded his mind.

"Yeah, I haven't seen too many werewolves out in the open, much less this close in person," Tate explained. "Especially since hunting season is near."

"They don't scare me," Luna said as she took a long drag from her joint. "I'm facing worse monsters."

She offered it to Tate, but he shook his head. When he declined it, she blew smoke at his face. The rich smell filled my nostrils. Luna waved the joint in front of his face while giggling. She wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Come on, it's just an herb. You should be used to this kind of stuff, witch boy," she said in an attempt to persuade Tate. "I also heard it improves and enhances your powers."

He hesitantly takes it from her hand, while smiling and shaking his head.

"Is that so?" Tate asked before taking a long drag.

She smiled and nodded.

"There you go," she said as she patted his back.

"Smooth," Tate said as he exhaled.

"So, Tate, what brings you here?" Luna asked.

"I'm looking for a girl," Tate said.

Alice's face popped into my head, and he must be thinking of her too.

"Who's Alice?" she asked curiously.

"My mate... She was taken from me, and I want her back," Tate said.

"She chose someone else over you?" She asked.

"No, it wasn't like that," Tate said as he looked away.

"What happened then?" Luna asked.

"We were on a mission to save her friend, and we did, but Alice took her place," Tate said with a sigh. "It's been five years, and I've been searching for her every day since."

"She must be some girl," Luna said. "Is that why you're here?"

"I've been to almost all eastern states," Tate replied. "Now I'm heading west."

"Why this bar?" she asked before taking another drag.

"Because drunk people and creatures who know information tend to slip up and give me hints," I said. "Just like the one I tortured that gave me the name of this bar."

"Hey, you're pretty smart," she said while exhaling. "And a badass."

"I learned from the master, my grandmother, who was known as The Slayer back then," Tate explained. "She gave up that life to care for my mother, who was a baby at the time."

"So, because of your grandmother's retirement, they returned to training specialized hunters in order to hunt and kill specific types of creatures?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess that's one way to put it," Tate said as he stared at the empty shot glass in front of him.

"So, what kind of being is your mate?" Luna asked.

"She was a banshee, but now... I don't even know," he said as he looked up at Luna. "Last time I saw her she was turned into a vampire, but knowing Kane he probably turned her into a hybrid."

All of a sudden Luna put her finger against his lips. She looked at him with worry and concern in her eyes. I shared a glance with Alex, who must be thinking the same thing as me.

"You shouldn't say his name. There's a lot of people in here that work for him, and they will kill you," Luna said quietly. "Please tell me that's not who took Alice."

Tate hung his head low.

"Listen, don't lose hope. You will get your girl back. I can help you, just take this," she said as she handed Tate a joint wrapper with a phone number on it.

"What is this?" he asked, with her hand still touching mine.

"This is your hope," she said.

Just then she was pulled away from her seat. Tate stood up to face this tall, muscular Indian man, another werewolf. Their eyes met and I could see the Indian man's eyes turn golden with flecks of red. He wasn't a normal werewolf.

"Let go of me Ty-Ohni, you're hurting me," Luna said as she tried to pull away from him.

I wanted to intervene, but it was a memory, and there was nothing I could do to change the past.

"You're coming with me, Luna," Ty-Ohni said as he pulled her closer.

"Why? I'm not doing anything wrong?" She struggled to break away from his grip.

"He needs us," Ty-Ohni said with a growl.

"Why do I have to leave?" she asked. "He wants you."

"Well I'm definitely not leaving you here," he said while looking down at Tate. "Let's go!"

As he pulled her along, she looked back at Tate with pleading eyes. It reminded me of Alice. Something raged inside me, or maybe I felt the same way Tate felt at that moment. He followed them out of the bar, and into the alley. Alex and I quickly followed him. As soon as I entered the alley, I knew he had made a mistake pursuing them outside. Waiting in the alley were Kane, Sophia, Ty-Ohni, Luna, and a few of Kane's clan members. The only person missing was Alice.

"I should've known you were behind all these hybrids," Tate said.

"It's been five years since our last encounter, and that's what you say?" Kane asked with a grin. "I'm surprised you didn't ask about your beloved Alice."

"Where is she, Kane?" Tate asked angrily through gritted teeth.

"She is no longer with us," Kane replied.

"What do you mean?" he asked worriedly.

"When I found out she was no longer a banshee, I found no use for her, so I killed her," he said with a chuckle. "It gave me so much joy to snap her delicate neck as she cried for you."

I could feel rage boiling within my veins, making me want to tear into Kane's neck. If he really killed Alice, I would destroy everything he loved before taking his life.

"You son of a bitch, I'll kill you!" Tate yelled as he ran towards Kane.

Ty-Ohni stepped forward, and lunged at me, pinning me to the ground. His claws grew out of his fingertips. All I could do was watch as Tate tried to push him off, but he struggled under the hybrid's unmatchable strength. He kicked him off, making Ty-Ohni hit the wall. That only angered him more.

Alex tried to comfort me as I stared in fear. Tate attempted to crawl away but Ty-Ohni caught him by digging his claws into Tate's ribcage. He screamed in pain. I could tell how deep the cuts were, by how much blood squirted out of his wounds.

Tate tried to get up, but Ty-Ohni kicked him. He rolled onto his stomach, but before he could lift himself off the ground, Kane placed his foot on his back. His foot was right on one of the scratches, and he pushed down hard, forcing Tate to lower himself to the ground. When Tate looked back to see whose foot it was, he saw Kane had his hand on Ty-Ohni's chest. He held him in place, as Tate laid his head back down.

Tate slipped in and out of consciousness, before Kane removed his foot. After the pressure on his back was released, his head sank to the side in a puddle of his own blood. With weak eyes, he managed to watch them walk away, but Kane wasn't finished. He turned around with a smile on his face.

"She was only useful for one thing before I killed her, and that was screwing," Kane said with an evil grin.

I could tell that Tate wanted to get up, but his weakened body wouldn't let him. A tear dripped down my face, as I watched his head slump back down. He was surrounded by blood and eventually lost consciousness. I watched as they left, while Tate's life slowly faded away.

I blinked my eyes, as more tears gathered and burned my eyelids. When I opened them, I was back inside my home. Tate looked over at me, and I pulled him into a hug. He hissed at the pain, and I quickly released him before apologizing.

"How did you survive that?" I asked him.

"I honestly thought I had died, or at least that's what it felt like. Everything after that was a blur," Tate said with a defeated sigh. "I don't know what happened next. All I know is that I ended up here."

Alex paced, thinking deeply. I was numb while thinking about how I had lost my best friend forever. All because she decided to be a hero and save me. I felt so enraged. All I wanted, that very moment, was to rip Kane's head off. I ran out of the room and into the kitchen. Quickly cleaning up all the blood, so that if Ali woke up, she wouldn't see it.

I was cleaning a spot on the floor where there was a crack in the board. His blood seeped into the crack. So, I extended my fingernails and stuck them between the floorboard and pulled up to open it. I couldn't believe what I found. I wasn't surprised. My mother had many secrets, and this was one of them.

It was a stash of alcohol, weed, and cigarettes. I always knew she had a stash, but I could never find it. Not that I wanted to do any of it, but because I wanted to destroy them so she couldn't use them. I despised how she was when she was an addict.

Seeing these things brought forth emotions I never wanted to feel. It made me hate my mom, but also miss her at the same time. She is dead, Alice's mom is dead... And now Alice is too... Everything I had as a family was taken away. I no longer have a mother figure, which included Alice's mom as well as my own mother, even though she wasn't always a good mother. I always thought that if I lost it all, I would still have Alice. I've never felt more alone, even while surrounded by newly made friends and family.

Being an adult, but still a teen at heart for eternity, with a hybrid daughter, was already a struggle. I know I have Alex, and he always made me feel like we could survive this. However, I wasn't sure if this was something he could fix. We also have Tate and Ceciellia, but I rarely talk to her and Tate is rarely home due to searching for Alice.... Which I guess will stop now that she is dead.

All these thoughts ran through my head, as I reached for the cigarette pack. Did I really want one? I opened the pack. The menthol smell was strong, even after five years had passed. Almost a full pack was in there, along with my mother's Zippo lighter. Her initials, as well as my father's, were engraved on it, with a heart made of two roses wrapped around their initials.

I took the lighter and cigarettes, and stuffed them into my pocket. After cleaning all the blood up, I placed the floorboard back in its place. Then quietly, I snuck out the front door, and crept onto the steps of Alice's old house that had remained vacant all this time.

I could still hear her voice in my head, though it was very faint. I miss her so much. I knew that if she was here right now, she would break my fingers for picking up a cigarette. Even though I'm a vampire and it won't hurt me, it's still wrong for me to smoke. Oh well... Who's there to stop me?

I placed the unlit cigarette in my mouth, and opened the Zippo lighter. After lighting the flame, I lifted it up to the cigarette, but a gust of wind flew past and blew the flame out. In frustration, I tried to relight it, but two hands came from behind me. I knew exactly who it was. He took the cigarette from my mouth and ripped the lighter from my hands. I crossed my arms, and waited for the lecture, as a single tear ran down my cold cheek.

"Now if I ran past you, and blew out the flame once, why would you try to light it again?" Alex asked.

"I didn't know it was you," I said in a shaky voice.

"Will you tell me why you decided to do this?" Alex asked before wrapping his arms around me. "Talk to me, Anna."

"I miss them so much. My mother, Alice's mother, and Alice. They're all dead and I will never see them again," I said as my eyes met his. "I'm so lost, Alex."

"You have me, Tate, Ceciellia, and our lovely daughter," he said while shaking his head. "We all love you, and we're not going anywhere. Not now, not ever."

"I know that, and I'm thankful for what I have," I said before crying. "It just eats me up inside, knowing they're dead because of me."

"Their deaths are not your fault, Anna," Alex said as he kissed my forehead. "Right now, I need you to be strong and put this aside, because we have bigger fish to fry."

I looked up at him, worried about what he might say next.

"I have some good and bad news," he said as he looked back at our home.

He returned his attention to me, before wiping my tears away. I stayed silent, waiting for him to share the news.

"I really don't believe my brother killed Alice because he still needs her," Alex said as he moved the hair out of my face. "He's waiting for us, all of us. So, there's a reasonable chance Alice is still alive, and she is the bait."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked as I shook my head.

"My brother always had a terrible poker face," Alex said as he chuckled to himself before clearing his throat. "He doesn't want me, or anyone else getting in his way."

"If that's the good news, what's the bad news?" I asked in confusion.

"I think it's best if I just show you," he said as he held onto my hand, gently pulling me along.

We returned to our home, where I followed Alex back to the guest bedroom. He looked at me with worried eyes and sighed, before opening the door. The sight I saw before me was not what I expected. I now understand what he meant by bad news.