“I found an anomaly in his brain that was affecting his memories but other that he was in health physical condition.” I expected nothing less than what I had read from his file. “What do you wish to do with the body?”

I looked down at Dan, his skull broken, though stitched up along with his chest. The blood had been cleaned away and he was as I remembered him, save for the ugly thick black stiches marring his body. I could still remember the light that came into his eyes as he remembered me and it was hard not to punch something. I get y brother back only to kill him.

“Burn his body and spread the ashes over the lake.” I couldn’t give Dan an honourable burial, in fact I should have had his body thrown to the dogs and his head mounted on a stake but I just couldn’t do it. Dan had always loved swimming, especially in lakes and I knew that it would be a final resting place that he would’ve been grateful for.

“I shall to see it luna.” He said.

Giving him a sharp nod I left the medical bay and practically ran towards the mess hall; I was starving and tired. Grabbing a tray I sat alone, eating as much as I physically could.

“Rory!” My head jerked up at the panicked voice of Marti who was waddling towards me with Matthias watching her with eagle eyes. “Jenna’s gone!”

“So? I told you I don’t want anything to do with the brat.” Hiding my smile I shrugged and kept eating. Hunter had actually listened to me and I felt like a load was lifted now that I knew Jenna was out of harm’s way. It hurt, it hurt so bad that I’d never see her again, but at least she was safe and she’d be a happy baby growing up with love and hopefully both her fathers.

Marti’s face contorted in disgust and disappointment. “I thought that there was a chance you said those things in panic, but obviously I was wrong. I thought after a bit of time to think about it you would want to see her, panic that she was gone, but obviously I was wrong. You’re one cold hearted bitch Aurora Tannin. I thought that you were getting better with Nick and Alex but obviously I was wrong.” She hissed. Matthias lay a hand on her arm and whispered calming words to her. I guess he was making sure that Marti didn’t go into labour from the stress I was putting her under. I felt bad, but it was necessary.

I growled and threw down my fork but my fist tightened around the knife. I would never hurt Marti, but it was a warning because I would hurt Matthias. “Getting better?” I hissed. “Getting soft doesn’t make me better; getting soft gets people like me killed.”

“No getting better means that you were becoming more like the old Rory, before Rieker broke you.” She said sadly.

I stood, knocking my chair over and looking her in the eyes with a glare that would make a grown man cry. “Rieker did not break me and he never will. He took away my freedom, my dignity, my innocence, my family but he has never broken my spirit.” I growled. “You may not say such things because you do not know what it is like. You’ve never had to see the light drain from a woman’s eyes as she died, you have never had to orphan a child, kill a child, you’ve never had to tear families apart. You don’t have the blood of innocents on your hands. You don’t live every day in regret and guilt. You have no idea what it is like to know that you’re going to die. You have no right to judge or condemn me because you know nothing.” I spat.

Tears trickled down Marti’s face as she chocked on sobs. I stood tall and looked at Matthias. “I believe that it’s time for Marti to leave. Put her on the same plane as Nightingale.” I ordered, leaving no room for argument. Although she hated me, I wanted Marti safe, far away from here. If I could order Nick and Alex out I would, but they would never leave or back down from a fight. “Put as many children on that flight as possible with them, I want all the children out of here and in Alaska by tomorrow midday.”

He nodded and walked off slowly with Marti. Looking around the room the enforcers who were silently sitting and watching me I gave them a dry stare. “Tell your mates to help your children pack. Spread the word to the other enforcers and say your final farewells to your kids.” Because you may never see them again.  I left the words unsaid but I knew that’s what they were all thinking.

They all nodded and filed out the door, leaving me completely and utterly alone in the mess hall. I took the opportunity to check the kitchens for stock to make sure that we could all survive if the hunters trapped us underground and enough water stored in the large tanks to make sure that the water wasn’t poisoned.  I had checked the medical wing when I stopped to oversee Dan’s body and it was fully stocked. I would have to make sure that there were capable nurses in the medical wing once the battle started though. I needed to check the weaponry and make sure that every woman had a weapon to defend herself if need be. Although I couldn’t get the women out because we didn’t have enough jets, I could arm them to the teeth and make sure that they weren’t defenceless. I also had to find a strong hold with an escape route for if the hunters do breech the compound and I need to strengthen security and step- up training.

-

Standing, my arms crossed over my chest I watched as hundreds of children boarded the largest jet we had, the only jet we had. I sighed as I saw Hunter’s pleading face watch me from the windows. I hardened my gaze and looked away, to the guards standing to my left, the men who would be escorting the children to Alaska. I wasn’t taking any chances and I had screened the guards myself.

‘Don’t do this Rory, come with us.’

I blocked Hunter the moment he pushed into my mind and glared at him; he knew I couldn’t, that I wouldn’t even if I had the choice. Rieker wouldn’t just stop here if he came out victorious. He would travel around the world; wipe out every supernatural until there were none left. He would never stop until he was stopped.

Shaking my head I walked out of the hangar and towards the field. I was going to train these men until they drop and then some. I was going to train harder than I ever have before.

-

I forced my tried to limbs to move faster as the sun set. I could see many men sitting on the sidelines, propped against trees, sprawled on the ground as they watched. Sweat trickled down my back and I savagely grinned at Matthias. My muscles rippled as I moved with feline grace when he took a swipe at me, claws extended and eyes filled with malice. I’d been taunting him for the past hour and I’d finally gotten to him using Marti and their unborn baby.

‘Come on Matthias; imagine those hunters sinking into Marti, marking her body with cuts as she screamed.’ I said pushing him.

He growled fiercely but held himself back. He knows not to let his emotions control him, that’s when you get stupid. Instead, you harness your emotions, they are what drive you.

My body began to tingle and my hair felt infused with electricity, I knew that one of my mates, most likely Alex, was watching me. I narrowed my eyes at Matthias as he slowly began circling me. I watched him wearily, knowing that though he was tired from hours of fighting, Matthias was not someone to be underestimated.

We circled each other for what seemed like eternity until the slight shift in his muscles made me grin, a terrifying thing to see on a giant black wolf. Instead of jumping over my back, he slid under my legs and clawed my belly, the most vulnerable part of a wolf’s body.

I growled and jumped over him, twisting my body so that in a split second I had my long, sharp canines wrapped around Matthias’s russet neck. He began struggling but I tightened my hold and growled. I would rip his throat out if he kept moving. These men had clearly forgotten just how ruthless I am, despite the incident with Dan.

‘Be still or I will rip out your throat.’ I hissed in his mind, making him still instantly. ‘And it would be such a shame too.’ There was no love lost between Matthias and I; it was and always had been clear that we hated each other.

‘Rory, we have news. Marti says it’s urgent.’

I released Matthias and shifted as Alex held out a robe. I began walking towards the compound complex with Alex beside me as I slipped it over my sweat, sore and tired body. I blocked his presence, when all I really wanted to do was throw him down and rub myself all over him like a bitch in heat.

“Did she say what she wants?” I asked my voice far too husky.

“No, she looked very distressed though, and confused, very confused.”

I felt a twinge of fear in my gut. Marti was usually cool and collected in the face of disaster or danger. I marched into Nightingale’s office where Marti sat behind the desk, running her hands through her bright red hair. She was as pale as a sheet and looked like she was about to burst into tears at any second.

Her belly bulged in front of her and I watched a tear sliding down her cheek. I made sure to keep my distance and let Matthias deal with her tears.

“What’s got your pregnant panties in a twist?” I asked, faking disinterest and squishing down the panic that bubbled to the surface. “I was in the middle of kickingyour mate’s ass.”

She took a shaky breath, completely ignoring everything I’d said and pointed to a black and white image. On the screen was the image of the one man I hated with every fibre of my being. Rieker. His face was hidden and he was surrounded by people but I knew that it was him. “The hunters are coming. They’re in Greece, boarding boats as we speak. ” I watched as her face contorted in pain and she let out a shaky breath, clutching her stomach. “And I just went into labour.”