"Little wolf," Greyson's voice gently called as I was softly nudged. I groaned as I opened my eyes to see him standing over me. "We're here."

I rubbed my eyes and sat up in my seat. Greyson and I had been driving for hours, and by the time displayed on the car's clock, a bit over a day. Yet, despite all the sleep I got, I was exhausted and my body felt like it weighed tons. As if he could read my mind, he chuckled as he unbuckled my seatbelt and picked me up bridal style. I didn't complain. He shut and locked the door behind us and began to walk. We were in the middle of some kind of woodland. There were dozens of trees around us that reached toward the sky and tangled with each other and partially blocked out the sun's light. It was oddly silent: no sound of animals or anything.

"Where are we?" I softly asked as Greyson stepped over a fallen tree.

"Visiting an old friend," he vaguely answered.

He continued carrying me, a comfortable silence lingering over us until we approached a small cabin. It was modest and made of logs, though there was no scent coming from it like a normal cabin would. My eyebrows furrowed and I felt a bit uneasy.

Greyson gently set me down before he snaked his arms around my waist and led me toward the front door. "Grey, I don't like this," I softly whispered as we stopped before the door. I still didn't smell anything. "I'm not catching any scent and it's making me nervous."

He gave me a small smile before he leaned down so that his mouth was right next to my ear and whispered, "Do you trust me, little wolf?"

I nodded.

His smile grew before he placed a kiss behind my ear then knocked on the door. My ears picked up on the faint sound of feet shuffling from inside the cabin before the low sound of the door unlocking filled my ears. As the door opened, a girl that looked no older than me was revealed. She looked absolutely breathtaking with flawless dark skin, piercing gray eyes, and long flowing black hair. Freckles covered the bridge of her nose and she radiated an energy that I couldn't quite describe. Did I mention she was breathtakingly gorgeous?

She crossed her arms once she saw Greyson. "Why are you here?"

"Ouch, Atonya. Nice to see you too," he said causing me to quietly gasp. This was the witch that helped him with Gavin all those years ago, or at least tried to.

"I'd be warmer if you hadn't left me high and dry for what, four years now?" She said with an eye roll before she looked at me and offered me a warm smile. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Greyson's grip on my waist tightened as he pulled me a bit closer. "Atonya, this is Avery, my mate."

"Oh my goddess," Atonya gasped as she looked me up and down, but not in a rude or judgmental way, but she genuinely seemed enamored and curious as if she weren't the most gorgeous being on planet earth. "You were given a Second Chance? She's gorgeous."

Greyson smiled as I blushed and looked down. "She is," he agreed before he kissed my forehead. I blushed even more.

"Thank you," I softly said.

"But since you're here, I'm guessing there's something wrong," Atonya said.

Greyson scuffed."That's a massive understatement."

Atonya frowned before she stepped aside and used her arm to motion for us to come in. "Come in and tell me what's going on."

"Thanks, Atonya," Greyson graciously thanked before he led me inside her home. It was simple yet cozy and smelled of herbs and teas. The structure was made of trees and most of her furniture was too. It looked homey, like it held a lot of precious memories. I liked it.

We sat on the couch as Atonya went into her kitchen and started grabbing a kettle and two cups, likely about to make tea.

"What's going on? Is Gavin acting up again?" She asked as she turned on her oven.

"Yeah but that's not it," Greyson said before he sighed. "I mean, he's gotten restless and strong. Not the way he was with Katherine, though. It's almost like he's...like he's hungry for lack of a better word. For Avery." As he spoke, his eyebrows furrowed deeper and deeper as his eyes darted around almost as fast as his thoughts were. "I thought I could keep him at bay by keeping him a secret and strictly controlling Avery but-"

"It was a huge mistake," Atonya said, filling in his words.

He sighed and nodded. " Colossal. I just ended up hurting her and driving her away." He pauses and gently kissed the back of my hand before he rubbed my knuckles with his thumb. "I tried opening up, but that just left me vulnerable. He attacked her. He Hunted her. And I remember all of it. The screams and blood and pain...I was just so weak and helpless. I tried to fight to get back to her but then he tore into her and..." he trailed as moisture began gathering in his eyes and my heart dropped not only at the sight of seeing him like this, but also at the pain the memory brought back.

"He almost killed her, Atonya. He was this close but luckily Matthew was there and momentarily stopped him. But I had to put her into Convergence for a while so he couldn't track her. The whole time I could feel her pain and suffering through the bond but there was nothing I could do about it and it crushed me. Then she was terrified of me after I reigned him back in, and rightfully so. And we just started over but...I can't let go of it. I don't think I ever will. Just knowing that I did that to her so easily...it's terrifying."

I gently rubbed his back. "Hey, Grey. You know I don't blame you for what Gavin did. Don't beat yourself up about it. There was nothing you could do."

"I could've been stronger for you," he softly said, defeat and guilt flowing in his voice. "Instead I lied and hurt you."

"And I forgave you, remember?" I asked as I cupped his cheek and gently wiped away some of his falling tears. "These are proof that you're not that beast," I said. "This is proof that you care. That you want to make this work as badly as I do. That's all I need, Grey. I trust you."

Within moments he had his arms wrapped around me in a tight, intimate hug. He didn't need to speak in order for me to know what he was saying.

After a few moments, we pulled away just as Atonya was pouring the tea into the cups. "That sounds awful. I'm so sorry for you both," she genuinely said, a focused look in her eye as she flipped over the new information in her head. "Was he instantly aggressive when you first met her or did he gradually get stronger and stronger?"

Greyson sighed and cursed under his breath. My eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong, Grey?"

"This is that part where I admit that this is all probably my fault." Atonya and I gave him worried looks. His jaw became tight and he firmly gripped my hand, worrying me even more. "The day I met Avery, she had all these scents on her of other men in women. I didn't understand until my former Beta at the time Andrew, who has led the attack on Avery's former pack, came and I realized that his scent was on her as well. And when I saw the scared look on her face...the pieces just fell into place. They'd taken advantage of her. I just remember seeing red and feeling my own anger mixed with his bloodlust coursing through me.

"So I Hunted every single bastard who dared to even look at her in that way and I channeled into Gavin so I could rip them to shreds. I-I just wasn't thinking clearly. I was so caught up in the rage and hatred thy I just wanted them dead. I wanted to feel them die as I ripped out their throats and watch the life drain from their eyes as I bit out their hearts. I wasn't thinking about the consequences and I ended up hurting her." As he spoke he looked at me. "The very person I was trying to protect."

I ran my thumb over his knuckles and silently reassured him that I didn't blame him. Like he said, he was only trying to protect me. He didn't know it was going to lead to this.

Atonya hummed in response as she thought as she approached us with the tea in hand. "How often did Gavin try to get at Avery?"

"Daily," Greyson instantly said. "I tried to weaken him with the mix of wolfsbane and silver that you showed me to make, but it didn't work for long. Then I had to move onto extreme pain for me to shift back and keep him for her. Matthew almost shattered my hip to keep him down. But it was enough to give me back control."

"And Avery, when were you made aware of Gavin?"

"Now it's my turn to confess," I sighed. "One of the days when I was alone and I guess Matthew and Greyson we're dealing with Gavin or whatever, I was home alone and decided to explore the house since I was still relatively new and I ended up in Greyson's office. I found Gavin's file but I didn't really know who he was until the day he Hunted me. It was the same night I found out about Greyson's first mate, Katherine, and I was so upset that he was keeping all these secrets from me so I confronted him and slapped him. That's what set everything into motion.

"He'd warned me about his wolf when he was emotional, but that's all he told me. I found out everything else from the file and the conversation Greyson and I had where we put everything out in the open."

Atonya sighed. "Grey, I say this with love I really do, but you have to stop being so stupid." She bluntly stated.

Greyson's jaw clenched but he made no move to speak.

"I know you've learned from your mistakes by now, but from now on you can't try to fix everything on your own. You have to start asking for help. It doesn't make you weak or any less of an alpha, man, or mate. It just shows that you're strong enough to realize that you can't take on the world alone. That's how people get hurt. But the fact that you're here with her and the fact that she's still by your side after all of this tells me two things: one, you're starting to realize that, and two: she really loves you." Heat ran to my cheeks as I looked down. I saw her smile out of the corner of my eye. "That blush proves it too."

Greyson brushed his nose against my cheek. "Is that true, little wolf?" He softly asked, a playful tone to his voice.

"Shut up," I mumbled, causing him to chuckle before he kissed my cheek.

"It's fine. You'll say it one day, but you already know I love you."

Atonya smiled. "You two are so adorable," she sighed as she set the tea in front of us. "Don't drink this yet." She instructed. "Look, I'm going to be blunt here: I don't like this at all. Gavin is extremely dangerous and the fact that he's gotten to you multiple times concerns me. It's honestly surprising that you two are sitting as close as you are right now. And it seems like Gavin is only half of the problem, am I right?"

"My murderous ex Alpha is coming after us with a witch on his side powerful enough to nearly kill us from hundreds of miles away."

Atonya sucked in a breath. "Yep, I definitely don't like this." She sighed before she took a hair tie off her wrist and pulled her hair back. "Ok, so here's what's going to happen: Greyson, I'm going to channel Gavin through you. I'll be able to see and feel everything that happened the night of the Hunt and try to pinpoint where exactly he's hiding in you and why he wants Avery. As for Avery, she'll be an anchor for us both, an emotional one for you and an energetic one for me. Greyson, you have to stay connected to her. I can't have Gavin taking over while I'm in there or bad things happen in there," she said pointing to Greyson's head, "and out here. Understood?"

Greyson nodded. "How long will this take? You know as soon as he senses you in there, he'll go after you."

"Don't worry about that. I know how to neutralize him, or at least slow him down, but I'm hoping that I won't have to. I need a clear signal for me to reach him. Kind of like a radio in a sense, you know?"

"Not at all," Greyson honestly said but Atonya waved him off.

"All that you need to worry about is staying focused on Avery. As long as I'm with him in there, you don't have to worry about anything out here. But, if for any reason you feel him coming out...well, I'll give Avery something and you let her know as soon as you feel him, alright?"

Greyson swallowed and nodded.

"Wait, wait, wait. What exactly am I doing? I mean, I know you said that I'm an anchor, but how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

Atonya stood up. "Grab the tea and follow me. I'll show you."

I looked at Greyson, concern likely evident in my features and he placed a hand on my lower back. "It's okay, little wolf. Atonya knows what she's doing, okay?" He assured in a soft manner. "She always gives us a 'back door' in case things go south. But she's powerful and wise. I trust her. Can you?"

I looked between him and her then finally resting on him. "I can trust you," I softly stated. "So if you're in, I am too."

He grinned before he placed a gentle quick kiss on my lips before he grabbed his tea and extended his hand for me to take. I copied his actions and we followed Antonya to her basement. As soon as we were there, we were greeted by various ingredients, scrolls, various ritualistic instruments, and so much more, along with a hall that led to another section of the basement that probably held more artifacts.

"Come," she said as she led us to a pentagram-esque marking on the floor, though it wasn't exactly a pentagram. It had various symbols and pictures, though I had no idea what they meant. "This is powerful magic that can turn very dark very quickly. This just ensures that the ancestors can reach me in case I can't get out on my own. It also ensures that the magic is contained here in case I can't contain it on my own," she explained as she positioned us on the markings on the floor.

I held Greyson's hand tighter. I had to be honest, I was scared.

"So what's going to happen is that I'm going to enter Greyson's subconscious, as I said," she said as she grabbed two bowls and started putting various ingredients in each. "That tea is going to open your subconsciousnesses to me so I can channel you and these balms I'm making will anchor you to each other for a short period of time."

Once she got everything she needed, she started grinding and mixing them together until they were to her liking. "Greyson, I need your blood," she said as she approached him with one bowl that had an icky looking brownish-Black paste in it. Without hesitating, Greyson's canine's extended and he savagely bit into his hand, causing it to instantly start slipping blood which he let drip into the bowl. "Good, that's enough," Antonya said, and he instantly healed.

She approached me with the second bowl with a greenish-blue paste, silently instructing me to do the same. I looked at Greyson who gave me a silent nod. I took a deep breath before I copied his actions, a sharp pain cutting through me as my teeth broke my sensitive flesh. The familiar stench of my blood hung in the air as it spilled into the colorful concoction until Atonya told me it was enough. She mixed it some more before she handed us the bowls, me with the one Greyson bled into and he with mine.

"Drink," was all she said before she went back to get some more things.

"All of it?" I asked.

"All of it," she said with a sympathetic look. "If it helps, pinch your nose and throw it all down in one go. It's better that way."

"Agreed," Greyson said before he did just that, cringing as it went down. I looked down at the textured mess I was holding before I sighed, plugged my nose, and tried to down it in one go.

I had to resist the urge to throw up.

The texture of the mess and my tongue were not agreeing with each other. However, I managed to get it down without immediately throwing it back up, so that was a plus.

"Good," Atonya said as she approached us with a long, twisted knife in one hand and a carved stick in the other. "Greyson, kneel. I'm marking you as my destination."

Greyson knelt as Atonya cut the palm of her hand with the blade. "This is going to sting," she warned before she carved a symbol into Greyson's forehead as she started muttering something in another language, causing him to let out huffs of discomfort as he squeezed my hand tighter with his free hand. His eyes even shifted due to the pain until it was over, causing them to shift back.

"Don't touch it," she instructed as she walked over to me, Greyson taking labored breaths as if he'd just gotten back from a hunt against some pretty determined game. And it wasn't healing. The blood was just running down his face freely. "Are you ready?" She gently asked, likely seeing the fear in my eyes.

I looked at Greyson. He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "It's going to be okay, little wolf," he assured. "You're strong. You can handle this."

I gave him a nod before I kneeled in front of Atonya. She cut her palm again and looked at me. "I know this is going to hurt, but just trust me, okay? I'm on your side. I'm not trying to hurt you," she gently reminded. I nodded.

"I'm ready."

As soon as the tip of the blade touched my skin, a fire moved through my body and lava replaced the marrow in my bones. I let out whimpers of pain as I felt my eyes shift and River push to the surface in an effort to take some of my pain, but it didn't help much. Tears welled up in my eyes and I held Greyson as tightly as I could as he said things like "you're doing good, little wolf" or "it's almost over. I'm so proud of you" among other things but my screams were too loud. Luckily, it only lasted about fifteen second before the tip of the blade was removed from my body and Atonya quickly took the tea from me due to my excessive shaking.

"Little wolf, are you alright?" Greyson gently asked right before I collapsed into his arms, my body still shaking uncontrollably from the pain and shock.

"Let her compose herself while I get some other things," Atonya said before she went about her business leaving me shaking in Greyson's arms.

"Can I heal her or just take the pain away?" Greyson desperately asked as he held me.

"No," she instantly said. "The magic is trying to root itself in her. If you do that, you might interfere and I'll have to do it all over again."

Greyson sighed and looked down at me apologicaly. "I'm sorry, little wolf. But I was the same way the first time Atonya did something like this to me. But I got used to it. It'll never not hurt though. But hey, I'm proud of you, okay?" I nodded and he kissed my cheek. "Just relax and focus on regaining your strength, okay?"

I nodded again and curled deeper into him, feeling my blood running off the sides of my face.

After a few moments, Atonya was back.

"Alright, are you good Avery?" She asked. I nodded and made my way to my feet.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine."