Daniel growled as he ripped the head off the body of a creature with his bare teeth.

These reanimated corpses were so annoying, the more he killed, the more they appeared ; how many had Lawrence actually created.

Suddenly his ears perked up as he picked up incoming footsteps, Amala and the rest of her people were coming.

Daniel wondered if Asher had rescued their mate,but he decided to go check things out and lend support just in case.

He at once with his weight and momentum tossed creatures blocking his path to the sides and ran deeper into the cemetery, Amala and her crew should take care of the rest.

Daniel didn't run for long before he heard a howl that rippled through him and made him grasp his heart in pain.

It was a great and emotional howl, one filled with raw distress and anger yet sounded oddly familiar.

Suddenly Daniel felt it, like the way a cold shower cools the body after a long day at work, he knew the matebond was opened and he could feel his mate at last but there was something else.

Lia was not okay, she was being overwhelmed with guilt and it was tearing her apart.

He ran faster and faster and in time arrived near the stone altar. That place had once been used as some sort of temple - the witches should know more about that - before it was demolished and used as a graveyard but the stage and altar still remained.

But he was shocked when he saw Lawrence doubled over and covering his face while screaming.

He then jerked his head back giving Daniel an ample view of what's happening. Then, Lawrence surprisingly dug his hand into the skin of his face and began to stretch.

What happened next, Daniel could not understand it but it definitely made the hairs on his body stand.

All he saw was that the boy stretched the skin of his face to an unbelievable elastic length and suddenly pulled out a porcelain mask from his face.

The mask clattered to the ground and he passed out. What just happened?

Daniel was puzzled but he had a feeling since evil Lawrence was passed out on the ground, things just took a good turn.

But wait a minute, where was his mate?

Though the fire lit around the stony altar table illuminated some parts of the cemetery but it was already late hence the poor visibility.

Thankfully he was a werewolf so the darkness was not a problem for him since he could see well in the dark.

He scanned his environment and found Trevor on the floor but still couldn't find his mate aside a white wolf sprawled on the floor beside Asher's body - wait, what?!

Daniel was dumbfounded, there was no way that wolf was lia, right? Impossible! she could only partially shift how did she… .Lawrence!

He curled his fist, anger burning through his system; he must have forced her to shift.

Just like the hormones prepare the body for pregnancy in females, the body has to be ready both mentally and physically before the first moon phase transformation comes.

Transformation for the first time is highly painful and sometimes brutal but being compelled to shift? That's brutality on a higher level.

It's like forcing a five-year old to begin puberty.

Daniel winced while conjuring images of the tortures and pains she must have gone through. If she wasn't an odd hybrid, he bet she would have died just from the pain alone.

He shifted back into his human form and put on the clothes he stole during the intense battle with those creatures.

Suddenly Asher awoke with a gasp and coughed, his wounds were gone but not the venom.

Daniel glanced over his shoulder when he heard approaching footsteps, the falcon coven were catching up to them.

Asher released a pained moan, his nails digging into the soil while his fangs extended out; the venom had finally kicked in.

" Take her out of here! " he boomed at Daniel.

"What about you? You've been poisoned for Christ sake! "

"Take her out first, the falcon coven is slowly gaining on us and I can't… have all my efforts go to waste " He spoke through his agony.

"Alright " Daniel reluctantly agreed and picked the white wolf up in his arms, cradling her gently.

Asher informed him "I-I don't know how much… but she suffered some damages in my hands

"I'll keep that in mind " Daniel assured him just as a voice asked from behind,

" How is my dear brother doing? "

Raphael.

Daniel was torn between anger and relief. He still disliked him notwithstanding his outstanding performance this past hours but he was relieved Asher would get help.

Asher might be his love rival but it was cowardly for him to die this way, they still had to win her love fair and square.

Asher gritted through his teeth "If you've come to ridicule me then knock yourself out "

Raphael approached him and squatted down beside him while Asher lay on the bare ground with fist clenched.

He was biting his lips until it drew blood - a clear sign he was stopping himself from screaming out the pains.

"You can leave him to me, I'll take care of my little brother " Raphael glanced up and told Daniel who gave him a doubtful look.

"Why? You don't trust me? You think I'll hurt him?" He snorted, then fixed his derisory gaze back on Asher

"You didn't tell you had such a loyal Dog ? "

Daniel snarled at him, " Dog" was a derogatory term used on werewolves.

If his mate wasn't in his arms right now, Daniel was sure to have ripped out his tongue or die trying.

Werewolves don't take it kindly when referred to as "dogs" especially with an insultive tone

"I can hear Amala's heartbeat, she should be here soon- tick tock-your time is running out " Raphael mounted pressure on the werewolf who only compiled when Asher told him

"Go, I'll be fine "

Left with no choice Daniel sighed and left with his mate, albeit giving Raphael the "I've got my eyes on you " sign before leaving.

"And finally it's just the two of us " Raphael breathed, giving his brother a look over before he reached out, grabbed a fistful of Asher's hair and forced him into a sitting position.

"Life is quite funny, isn't it? Just a few days ago, I was the one in this situation " he tightened his grip and Asher stifled a pained moan.

"But now you're the one " he cackled maniacally "Isn't this funny? I guess the world is really round since what comes around, goes around " Raphael then let go and he collapsed to the ground.

"Trust me brother, we have a long night ahead of us and we are going to have so much fun together " He promised Asher with a smile that spoke volumes.

Raphael then grabbed his brother, tossed him over his shoulder like a bag of rice and vamp-sped out of sight, just as Amala and her coven arrived.

Amala was furious, though she didn't lose any of her coven members but most of them were seriously injured. It was not in her plan, she had never expected the attack at all.

Once the mission was handed over to her coven, she had drafted a battle plan and it looked perfect until now.

She had studied the plan over and over and could almost guarantee a hundred percent success but everything went downhill in a twinkle of an eye.

Someone had dared to sabotage her plans? Who dared it? Was it Sabrina?

But it couldn't be Sabrina, she had taken away her powers. Unless she had planned it before coming to meet her but there was no evidence.

Moreover Sabrina wouldn't dare sabotage the plans of cleaning up the mess she created at the very beginning….unless she was trying to hide something

But what could she be hiding? Well it doesn't matter anymore, Sabrina was now powerless ; a witch who can't practice magic.

"There were so many versions of the boy " One of her people said to her the moment they reached the stone altar " We couldn't tell which was who and he was so fast, almost like a vampire "

"I know, it was a distraction by whosoever planned these, " Amala replied to her, eyes focused on the boy sprawled on the stage floor .

A smile tugged the corners of her lips "But this is definitely our target " she stared at the sleeping boy and picked up the porcelain Venetian mask lying beside him.

There was a puzzled expression on her face, they cleared the place and didn't take the mask as she thought they would.

Maybe the mask was not their target afterall?

"Lady Amala, You've got to see this " one of her clan members called her over.

"Who is he? " She asked as soon as she spotted another figure on the ground.

" I don't know "

"He must be one of the compelled humans " Amala said but then her brows furrowed together when she thought of something.

Why did Lawrence keep this one for the last? There must be a concrete reason..

"Find out everything you know about this boy, his siblings, parents , everything ! after returning him to his family "

"Yes lady Amala "