my hands trembled as I took one step back.Dry leaves heaved below my boots as the cold cut through my skin, straight into my wolf. My torso, face included felt tightened and numb, my hands crossed over my rapidly beating chest. Shielding me from my animalistic reflexes to scratch at all the itches I knew were illusional but felt all the same. I swallowed the lump in my throat as sense of my exposed sin washed over me and settled in my joints and stomach.

My eyes welled up instantly.

My gaze fell to the ground as humiliation washed over my spirit and I couldn't bear to look up and read the judgement in everyone's eyes. It was clear enough in their rough snarls, murmurs and slow rising wimps of varying amounts of warbling and cursing. My parents attention burned through my skin but I couldn't bare to look at them. Dani's sobs were the only thing that could be heard and yet I couldn't bear to look at her either.

"Malik." My mother's was a serene, heartbroken sound of disappointed melody, Dani's music producer would have loved. "Are you his mate?"

I swirled around ready to turn and make a run for...anywhere away really when I was surrounded by the army that circled me with oleander flower ashes. The ashes temporarily binded my abilities to read open mind links or even form shift. This is what they did to criminals and captured rogues, I'd officially become both. The feeling was surprisingly saddening and horrifying to say the least.

Jaws dropped and the crowd's gasps carried even louder with their disgruntled cries growing thicker. I faced the council choking on my own dry mouth. "I can explain." There wasn't much to explain that would be understood by his fan club, which was just about the entire pack. They all pointed acting holier than thou and widened their eyes taking in every word I was bound to say with their sight as if it was the sense in charge of hearing.

Someone from the section where girls were huddled yelled "What a coward."

Another voice from the boys' section, agreed. "He should be punished right away."

Noise was ignited with people agreeing with them and murmuring more about my less than stellar behaviour. Ahead of me, Dani knelt, her back hunched in a complete bow crying a flood of tears into the ground. I looked to the council members and they all seemed unfazed by her dishonour. But on a closer inspection, I could smell the disappointment off of them. Clouds darkened and a thickened wind sprang by. I'd lost my natural abilities but I still had my human sense of sight which allowed me to see the spiritual chair fall on her knees dramatically with a thud.

That did it to silence every single sound as we all watched in anticipatory shock. Her eyes were bloody red and watered down. She wailed a high pitched noise to the gods in anguished surrender. The woman fell harder to the ground bleeding from her nose. Her claws clutched desperately at the hard floor beneath her as she wiggled helplessly in what seemed to be nothing but pain. That was usually a sign of her receiving dangerous premonitions, which usually resulted in bloodshed.

And I would probably be the cause of it this time, so to speak.

My gaze trailed to my father who had his head buried in his hands massaging his temples and mom had since moved closer to him standing just an inch behind him. Her small hand sitting on dad's broad shoulder and when we made contact. Her irises clotted a dying honey yellow and deep brown that was almost red. She shook her head at me, in disapproval and my eyes felt heavy, hooded with unexplainable shame and tears.

My vision much like my hearing was spotted behind a wet fog but I could still make out the sound of Brady's angry growling. Out of nowhere, I saw his figure appear in front of me. He grabbed me harshly by the neck of my shirt and through gritted teeth demanded, "Why would you do this to me?" His eyes were still cast over, to show his sight wasn't back. Yet he'd clearly strained hard enough to trace me by his sense of smell.

Tears involuntarily ran free and wild down my cheeks as it thundered tiny droplets of the first rains, since four years ago.

He closed his eyes, roughly pulling me into his space. The crowd gasped but approved of this surprisingly both Tyler and Greg hurried to his side. Preventing their Alpha and best friend from hurting me any further. Evan came beside me, as though to protect me. Tyler let go of him as Brady came back, closer to roughly sniff my neck. His eyes glistened back to a blue before going back to the blind dark grey then he lamented to his friends. "It's really him, I was right all along. I told you!"

Tyler pulled Sir Isaac closer to Brady and me by the neck of his shirt. The medic patted down Brady's working legs, seeming lost and dazed, he faced the stunned council and gave a defeated shrug. "I can't explain it."

The council grumbled amongst itself, I could already guess the conspiracies from the crowd. I suppose the pack doctor too because he started to massage his temples. Thinking of all the ways he could help Brady when I was still so clearly reluctant to save him and I wouldn't either. I wouldn't allow my sin to go in vain.

A light must've lit over the top of his head because he made a startled, "Aha" noise and focused his attention back on Brady. The doctor gave him a finger test and gently prodded at his eyes in exam focus. He seemed happy with his discovery when he finally pulled back and drew me in by the hand to stand closer to Brady, "You know what will bring back your sight right?" he was talking to Brady but his gaze was uncomfortably fixed on me.

l pursed my lips and pulled back my hand, hugging myself in fear. Brady's gaze was still clouded but it had a little life in it. That showed when he let it roam my features. As if on cue the rain poured down rebelliously wild against the oddly strong wind.

Brady and I both looked up to the sky and locked eyes when we came down. His silvery grey eyes bore into mine as if he was reading me and seeing through me. But they hadn't changed their deep darkened shade back yet, even after the contact. So I knew he had not gotten his sight back yet. I also knew what Sir Isaac had come to realize, in order to bring it back I had to give and allow for skin-to-skin contact. A kiss would be most ideal to bring him back to normal.

That's why he'd drawn me closer to Brady and said what he'd said.

Everyone watched, waiting for me to give myself to him or for him to steal the seal from me. I felt bad and so small under everyone's judgmental gaze. But I continued to purse my lips. Which made me feel bad but it was to hell with regretting any choice I made. He deserved everything and for his wayward ways I was gonna die too but it'd be worth it. Brady took a step forward and tilted my chin up. I panicked and shoved him away. If he stole that kiss from me, he'd be sealing our bond. I hadn't gone through all of this just to lose it all. He took another step forward and pulled me into his arms to scent my neck.

"Don't touch me!!" I yelped out of his grasp and wiped any remnant feeling of his from my face and neck.

The crowd expressed their dissatisfaction with me but the Alpha's Beta rose to his feet and silenced them all. "Take a step back, Brady."

Brady abided.

"The kiss has to be given to you," The Beta advised.

"You belong to me," Brady answered with cruel confidence. "I will have it."

Dread pinched the inside of my stomach. "Over my dead body." I countered for his ears only.

The estate's security came to arrest me right as his friends helped him up. With crossed spears behind me, they led us both away from the garden. Away from the blood thirsty crowd and into the house up the stairs straight to the council's room at Alpha Victrolli's command.

We walked through crowds of people who seemed ready to have my neck at any moment. If it wasn't for my breath being directly linked to their precious Alpha, I'm sure one of them would have already found a way to strike me dead. They were screaming obscenities, most were growling and the chant they were moving to call for my best friend's blood.

Hate filled their eyes, their loyalty to the Alpha blood made them blind and stupid.

I hated them all, especially when a stone was cast to the back of my head just before we walked through the large doors.

The doors were pushed close and the noise from the protests outside died.