"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." - Flannery O'Connor

There was no way Josh and I could journey back to our pack safely considering our weakened, wolfless states and that too paired with our lack of awareness about our surroundings.

After contemplating for a while, we decided that it was in our best interest to stay. Our lives were threatened in both situations so might as well risk it to get some answers while we're at it.

Outside, the sun had broken forth triumphantly, illuminating the entire sky with its golden rays which meant that it had been a few hours since Braden left us to ourselves.

Josh was currently sleeping soundly on the couch, his light snores filling the entire place. The speed at which his body was recovering was slow but he was, nonetheless, healing and right then, there was nothing in the world that could make me happier.

Thank Goddess.

It was also getting increasingly hard for me to wait around for Braden while not knowing what kind of threats lurked outside.

I couldn't even sit because the moment I did, the unsettling feeling in my stomach and my intrusive thoughts would have me in a chokehold.

The best I could do was pace around the small area and keep my thoughts concerned with Josh's health while ignoring everything else at the same time.

I couldn't risk resting my eyes either as I had to keep watch. My entire body ached and my eyes burned in protest.

In an attempt to distract myself from the pain, my thoughts trailed back to my family.

How were they faring in my absence?

I knew that without my wolf I couldn't mind-link but I tried anyways and failed several times.

Beta Jonathan must be blaming himself for listening to me and letting me venture out all alone without guards when he knew the risks. I could only pray that my kidnapping hadn't taken a devastating toll on my father, not when he just came back to us.

And Ethan, he must be-

Before I could complete my thought, a sickening amount of pain overtook my entire abdomen. A groan escaped my lips as I doubled over, bracing myself against the wall. This pain was intense, a spasm that took over and left me unable to think let alone stand until it went away.

Everything hurt. Every damn thing.

I was positive that the bastard James must have broken a rib or two.

Somehow, I managed to wobble my way towards the bathroom even when my legs didn't felt like my own.

After taking a few deep breaths to calm myself down, I washed my face with cold water then looked up at the mirror.

For an instant, my mind refused to recognize the haunted and hollow eyes that stared back at them. My right cheek was swollen, and my nose was definitely broken. Raising my shirt up, I was greeted with the sight of a plethora of hideous, purple-black bruises.

Closing my eyes, I rested my forehead against the mirror and muttered out a plea to my wolf, "Come on, Your Highness, come back to me... I need you."

A few more hours passed but there was no sign of Braden, my wolf or anyone else.

Josh had woken up an hour ago and had his wounds redressed by me. At present, I was trying to force him to eat.

There wasn't anything in the cabins which had not yet passed its expiry date except for a can of tomato soup so that was the only thing on the menu for him.

Josh moved his mouth away from the spoon when I brought it towards him, "Do you really expect me to eat when you'll have to remain hungry?"

"I'm not hungry. I'll be fine." A lie. But he needed the strength more than I did. Especially because I had promised his father that I would bring his son back safely. "But you won't be unless your body gets something inside. So, open up and finish this before it goes cold."

"Vivian..." he looked at me with pleading eyes.

It was damn hard to resist his puppy dog eyes, "I promise I'm fine, Josh. I'll be even better if you eat."

He sighed but didn't reject me this time. No sooner was he done, a sound from outside alerted us of someone's presence. My heart leaped into my throat. I immediately grabbed the knife Braden gave to me and stood behind the door, ready to attack anyone who entered.

The door opened and I had our visitor in a headlock, a knife against their throat, within three seconds.

"A very good morning to you, Vivian."

It was Braden.

He was alone.

"Glad to see you both are still here and alive." He rubbed a hand to massage his neck and with his other hand, reached into his pocket. I raised the knife again. "Relax, if I wanted to kill you, you both would've already been dead."

He had a point.

Hesitantly, I lowered my knife as he took out two vials out of his pocket. It was the counteractive, the same as the one he gave us yesterday.

He walked past me to Josh on the sofa who was surprisingly sitting upright now.

Deep down I knew his body would be in an extrenous amount of pain because of the strain on his back but his usually cerulean, playful eyes were cold and calculating as they eagerly assessed Braden, showing no sign of weakness.

Defintely Alpha blooded, if anyone had any doubts before.

Just like before, but this time without me asking him, Braden opened the vials and took a sip from each, his eyes catching mine in the process.

I knew he was silently asking for permission. I nodded at both him and Josh, the latter who was a bit reluctant to drink the suspicious looking concoction but caved in once I took my own dose.

With my arms crossed, I leaned against the door, "Are you going to tell us what is going on now or do we have to do some more waiting?"

"Tell you?" A lazy smile spread across his face, "How about I show you?"

----

Three hours later, we were walking in the same forest. By 'we', I meant Braden and I.

It only took Braden fifteen minutes of hearing Josh's groans before he picked him up against his wishes and carried him for the rest of our journey.

Josh complained for an entire hour and only stopped when I threatened to leave him in the cabin and go with Braden alone.

As we navigated our way towards our destination, my eyes took a second to bask in nature's beauty - the tall and proud trees, the daffodils swaying in the gentle breeze. The deeper we went into the forest, the more fragrant it became. I lifted my face and let the light and shadow dance across my skin.

It felt like a decade had passed since the last time I was out even though it had been just a day.

Along the way, Braden had to cut through lush branches and grasses to clear a path for us as we walked into an endless abyss of trees.

A complete day had passed due to our countless stops in between to catch our breaths.

I knew Braden didnt need most of the breaks and could've easily made the journey in a span of a few hours with Josh on his shoulders if it was not for me stopping him after every twenty minutes. The lack of wolf had taken a toll on my stamina.

Along the way, we drank two more doses of the counteractive which turned out to be extremely effective. I was regaining my strength as well as my stamina and could walk more than an hour before asking for a break.

Even Josh was walking on his own two feet now, albeit with a slight limp.

We made another stop to feast on a hare which Braden hunted and cooked for us. I almost passed out in joy when the food passed my throat.

We didn't make any uneccessary stops after that.

An hour later, I was helping Josh cross over a fallen branch when I noticed Braden had stopped.

Now looking right at us, he pushed away a canopy of leaves which had been obstructing our view, "Welcome to the Blood-Moon Pack."

There wasn't much to see.

The entire pack was sprawled across an open, green field. There were about twenty small houses, ten on each side, all identical and aligned symmetrically. Right in the center was a house that could be considered big if compared to the other houses. The pack house was my guess.

The Blood-Moon Pack was not what I had pictured in my mind.

My gaze scanned the area, mentally marking paths and areas Josh and I could run towards or hide in if the need arose.

"Let's go," Braden spoke and began to walk, not bothering to look back at us to see if we were following or not.

Josh and I shared a look but followed him forward, nonetheless. As we walked further, a prickling sensation ran down my spine as I realised why the pack seemed out of place.

There was absolutely no one.

Not even a single person.

When we walked inside the house, which looked like the pack house, fear began to grip me.

What if all of this was a trap?

Turning towards Braden, I voiced out my concern. "Where is everyone?"

"You do ask a lot of questions, don't you?" I knew he wasn't annoyed but amused at my question by the tone of his voice.

"And you never give a straight answer to any of them, do you?" I mimicked his tone.

He laughed, "All in good time, Vivian. All in good time."

Braden stopped in the middle of what looked like a living room. There were a few sofas, a coffee table and a television mounted on the wall.

He knelt down and pushed away the coffee table and then knocked a rhythmic pattern on the hardwood floor. Almost instantly, two panels from the floor moved and dropped down as if someone had opened a door.

It was a secret hideway.

Braden got up and our view became clearer.

There were stairs which led downstairs - to complete and total darkness.

"I'd say ladies first but I'm sure you wont go unless I do, right?" A lazy, vicious grin spread across Braden's face.

Better safe than sorry.

"Glad to know you're a fast learner, Alpha Braden."

His grin widened as he turned around to descend down the stairs. Before I followed in his wake, Josh grabbed my hand from behind and gave it a squeeze as if to say 'be careful'. I squeezed his hand back.

I tried to suppress a shiver and the terror that mounted with every step I took down towards my future.

My hands grew cold and clammy and I was positive that Josh could hear my heart hammering against my chest.

Without my wolf, everything was unsafe and dangerous.

When the darkness faded away and we entered a well-lit area, the sight in front of me made me stumble back in shock and bump against Josh.

As my eyes darted from left to right, the only thing I could see or hear was the clashing of swords.

Around three hundred people, men and women, all dressed in heavy leather armour, were training. Some slammed their bodies into the thick, armours of their opponents, some clashed their swords against the thick, metal shields.

Each and every movement was precise and lethal.

My eyes settled on a woman whose fist slammed into the jaw of a bulky, broad shouldered opponent with such force, I could almost taste the surge of coppery blood in my mouth.

My head whipped towards the other side and was met with the sight of a man whipping his head forward and smashing it straight on his opponent's face.

Ouch.

I scanned the area and observed countless of weapons rack stationed throughout the training area. Adrenaline pumped through my body and I couldn't stop myself from gawking.

I had never seen anybody train the way they did.

If my wolf was here, she would've forced me to enlist ourself here.

And I would've agreed.

This was not normal training. This was something else entirely.

But the fight, the clashes, the grunts - all of it came to a stop when some of the trainers caught sight of us three.

Rest of the eyes followed and a few gasps echoed the area. As if under some magical trance, everyone fell down on their knees - their heads bowed in our direction.

"It feels like we are going to be initiated in some demonic, satan worshipping cult," Josh whispered from behind me. "Are you sure we made the right decision to follow him because the only cult I'd be willing to join would be the one I create."

Glad to hear his sense of humour was returning.

"You have quite the loyal following, Alpha Braden," I gulped. "But even I have to admit that this greeting is quite excessive."

He chuckled in response, his dark eyes finding mine. "And that's where you're wrong, Alpha Vivian."

Then right before my eyes, he sank to his knees.

"It's you who has quite the loyal following."

And then bowed his head.

A curse left Josh's mouth but I couldn't concentrate, not when my heart had stopped beating.

"What?" My eyes fell on the hundreds of people who still had their heads bowed in my direction - in complete submission. "I-I don't understand..."

Braden stood back up. "You, Vivian, are our salvation."

----

Instead of offering an explanation, Braden took us to get our wounds checked, claiming that we had plenty of time to talk.

I didn't argue back partly because I was still having a hard time processing what just transpired and partly because Josh's wounds actually did need immediate care.

Everyone had busied themselves with training as we walked towards wherever Braden was once again leading us, but I didn't miss the side glances of awe and surprise that I received from almost each and every person along the way.

We stopped once we entered a room which resembled an infirmary.

They had an entire hospital in the basement.

A few injured patients were getting treated for minor injuries like wounds and scratches, some had gruesome gashes with blood pooling out of them - most probably the result of their vigorous training.

"Brianna, I have brought some guests who need your help." Braden called out a woman who had her back towards us and was tending to a nearby patient.

Brianna.

I mentally racked my brain to remember where I had heard that name before.

Brianna. Brianna. Brian-

Ah, yes! Brianna was her second cousin who Braden adopted as a younger sister when her parents passed away.

"Vivian, Josh, I would like you to meet my lovely sister, Brianna."

Brianna had a heart-shaped face, almond shaped amber eyes which appeared wise beyond her years, high cheekbones and bright red hair which were tied back in a neat bun. But the most striking feature on his face was the scar that started from the top of her right eyebrow and ran across the bottom of her left cheek, just barely missing her right eye.

The way she stood, with her back straight and poised, gave me the feeling that she wasn't someone who got easily afraid of things. She appeared brave. Someone you couldn't trick or manipulate.

Her nose flared as she scanned us from head to toe and then it scrunched as if she smelled something bad. I could swear something dark swirled in her eyes.

I hope it wasn't because of the stench of our bodies. Being kidnapped for a few days could do wonders to your body odour and hygiene.

I would definitely not recommend getting kidnapped.

Brianna shook her head, her amber eyes blazing as she smiled at us.

"It is an honor to meet you," She gave a little bow of the head, her eyes lingering on me for a tad bit longer. "You both can freshen up and then we can tend to your wounds. After that, Janice here will find you both something to eat." She gestured towards a middle-aged lady who nodded and was trying her best to sneak a glance at us while simultaneously bowing her head.

The warm bath was exactly what I had needed. It relaxed and managed to soothe the aching of my muscles.

Once we were out, Brianna tended to my wounds whereas Janice and most of the other healers busied themselves with looking after Josh who was now basking in the attention of the five female nurses and the one male nurse.

All of them were supporting a tinge of pink in their cheeks. Only Goddess knows what sort of a remark Josh had managed to say to make them all blush.

As Brianna tended to the wounds on my stomach and abdomen after fixing my nose, my eyes fell on her left arm which had a horrifying burn.

A burn like that could only be caused by a fire but I decided not to ask her about it. It wasn't any of my business.

Braden returned once we were done with eating our food and medicine.

"I'm sure I've tested enough of your patience for one day," Braden sat on the sofa opposite Josh and I. He signaled and the others around us left to give us some privacy.

"As you already know, my name is Braden but I am not an Alpha of the Blood-Moon pack or any pack, in fact." He started, "I am the leader of the Shadow Warriors."

"Shadow Warriors?" Josh questioned and I was glad he did because my brain was still processing the fact that he was not an Alpha.

Braden gestured a hand towards a window which gave us the view of outside where hundreds of people were training in the main area.

"The female Alpha Eira belonged to my pack, the Red-Moon Pack. My grandfather Silas was the Chief Warrior of the said pack. Alpha Eira found her mate Val, who was also an Alpha of a nearby small pack called Crescent-Moon Pack. After a few months, they held a huge celebration to not only announce their engagement but to also merge both their packs. But unfortunately, Randy found out about her and the mating bond. He believed it was a threat to his own rule.

"On the night of the celebration, when everyone was heavily intoxicated and busy with the festivities, Randy ordered both of the packs to be set on fire. He wanted to get rid of any threats to his claim and authority as the Lycan King and he also didn't want any pack members trying to seek vengeance in the future for their dead Alphas.

"When the fire stopped, he personally came over to check there was nothing left and to make sure no one got out alive. He even went as far as to take Alpha Eira's engagement ring given to her by Val right off her finger and he still wears it to this day as a sign of his victory."

My mind went back to the day I caught Braden eyeing the black ring on Randy's middle finger when we were saying our farewell. It must have been Eira's engagement ring.

"But what he failed to realize was that some of us managed to escape the fire and hide in a safe house. You both are currently in it," He raised a hand and gestured towards our surrounding.

We weren't in a secret hideaway or underground training pit. This was a safe house. A safe house which had proved its worth and had saved the lives of people.

"My parents were two of the people who managed to escape and hide in the safe house. The next day when our pack members returned, they were shocked to see that there was nothing left of our packs. I lost my grandparents in the fire. There was a mix of emotions they all were feeling - shock, anger, fury. However, one thing that was common between them all was the thirst for revenge. They all wanted vengeance.

"It took them all those years to build their packs and within a single night, they had lost absolutely everything..." he choked, his eyes darkening. "But they all knew that one day they would have their revenge. But for that, they had to wait. Not only were they few in numbers, there were twenty of them to be exact, majority of them were young and untrained.