I woke up to a cooing voice as it blubbered next to me.

My heart was immediately filled with joy as Willow lay next to me in her fathers arms as Kieran held her above him in the air as she giggled down at him.

Kieran was dressed already and was in a daze as he held his daughter.

"Oh hi LoLo!" I said in her direction.

I watched as her eyes immediately shifted towards me, her face lighting up as she saw me, her startling blue eyes shining with glee as she spotted me.

I sat up, pulling the sheets up with me as I took her in my arms.

"Mama missed you. Did you have fun with your grandparents?" I said as I changed my facial expression dramatically as I stared at her.

She chuckled and I handed her to Kieran so I could shower.

I came out after a few minutes, the steam from my hot shower drafting into our room as I opened the door.

I got dressed in a simple tee and shorts and slid on my burks on and propped her on my hip as Kieran and I walked downstairs, Willow laughing as Kieran made faces at her the whole way down.

I grinned as I saw Pierre and Giselle eating breakfast with James and Elise, alongside my mother and father as they sat amongst a spread of scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, and freshly made hash browns, the delicious smell of Elise's cooking eminent to my senses as I suddenly realized how hungry I was and how delicious it all looked.

Giselle's eyes lit up as she saw me, her movements a blur of speed as I was suddenly in her embrace.

She pulled away, looking at Willow who was completely enthralled with Giselle, caught up in her aura of mystery I assume. I grinned as Giselle held her arms out and Willow smiled as she let her lift her.

I turned when Alina's unmistakable loud voice ripped through the territory, yelling for help.

Giselle nodded immediately as she clutched Willow to her chest and ran up the stairs, Elise trailing her to make sure Willow was safe.

I was leaping off the porch the next second, not shifting yet as I spotted a frantic Daniel.

For some reason not a single one of us could pinpoint Alina's scent due to a sickly one in the air.

I immediately recognized the scent as sulfur, the chemical element often used in fireworks.

My senses were clouded with the overwhelming stench and my ears began ringing as the picked up loud whistling of fireworks that began going off in various directions.

Daniel ran toward me, eyes looking around with fear as he approached.

"I-I can't smell her Charlotte! What if they've hurt her? I could never live without her!" He yelled.

"Danny, calm down. We're going to have to split up." I said bracing my hands on either side of his face so that he could focus and absorb my words.

He nodded quickly and immediately shifted, dashing towards the trees without a second thought.

Kieran gave me a curt nod as he ran off behind him and I took off in the opposite direction, James following me in efforts to help find his daughter.

Shortly after we were in the dense forest, James shifted and took a sharp right, telling me to yell if I needed help.

I had been running for almost ten minutes when Alina's scent was suddenly everywhere. I froze as I took in her aroma of jasmine and the slight sweet twinge of pineapple, but there were other scents mixed with it. They were familiar. As if I'd smelled them before or met who they belonged to.

I listens carefully, trying my best to hear past the constant howl of the fireworks.

I heard a low growl and I whipped around, freezing at the sight of two huge wolves in front of me, their fur the color of rust and one of them held Alina in his mouth by her thigh, her body half on and off the ground.

I could could hear her heart beat, but I knew she wouldn't have one for long if he didn't get his bloodied muzzle from around her thigh from where she was bleeding out.

"Let her go." I growled, letting my canines extend and claws elongate.

I watched as he tossed her to the side, her body flailing like a rag doll until it hit the ground almost twenty yards from where I stood.

I made to move towards her ,both wolves growling as I moved a few feet.

The message was clear.

I would have to fight for her, or die trying.

I sprinted forward without a second thought, shifting just before I reached the wolf on the left.

I came down onto his throughly as I landed, ripping into him with my teeth, a metallic smell invading my senses as his warm blood gushed into my mouth and I cringed internally.

I yelped as I felt powerful jaws clamp down around my hind leg. I spun, shifting human as I did so and managed to slide my lower leg from out the wolf's jaws, kicking him as hard as I could in the snout.

He growled as he shook his head and began to walk toward me slowly.

I clawed my hand as an idea began forming in my head.

"Come on!" I said, edging him forward.

I smirked as the wolf lunged.

I flattened myself immediately, jabbing my hand up as the wolf's torso was in my sight. I felt the bones in my hand breaking as I tore into his chest,struggling to get past the flesh and bones of the huge beast.

I growled as I mustered up the strength I desperately needed as the howling beast made desperate last attempts to scratch and snap at my face as I yanked out his heart.

I drew out my hand, his instantly lifeless body landing half on me and half on the dirt ground above my head as I laid there, trying my best to steady my breathing and calm my erratic heartbeat.

I let out a shaky breath in disbelief, looking down at the heart in my head, it still warm and beating as it spurted crimson liquid.

I dropped it, watching as it clattered to the ground, my hand shaking with pain and bruises already forming.

I backed away quickly, struggling to compose myself at what I had just done and how I felt.

I felt good.

Like he deserved it. I knew he did, but the way I did it. It was so savage and my wolf relished in it.

I gathered my senses as I heard Alina's strangled voice as she fought to find words.

I went to run to her, gasping as pain blossomed throughout my calf.

I got to her, her eyes fluttering as she fought to stay conscious.

" I got you Lina. It's gonna be okay, you're going to be okay." I said as I lifted her.

I walked quickly, yelling as I ran despite the pain, praying they could hear me over the still ongoing fireworks.

Pierre found me first, taking Alina into his arms as we hustled towards the house, his speed much greater as I trailed behind.

I fell back onto the porch, just as Kieran, James, and Daniel appeared in my line of sight.

I gripped my hand to my chest as Kieran lifted me, James running inside as Elise shouted from inside the house.

I sighed out in relief as I heard Alina's voice. She was screaming. She was in pain, but she was alive.

"Kieran." I said gripping his forearm as he was examining my calf.

"The scent. It wasn't the ones I killed, I think it was someone they've been with though. It was familiar. I can't believe I didn't notice before." I said.

I cringed in pain as my father set my hand and began bandaging it up, listening carefully as I spoke.

"Charlotte, who?" Kieran asked as he gripped my cheeks, smoothing his thumb over my cheeks.

"It was there when I found Ezra. It was there when I was kid napped. And it was here again." I said.

"Who?!" Kieran yelled.

"That red head woman, the one from my birthday. I clawed her brothers face. It was her scent." I said.