"Hey, are you okay?" Verena's voice halts the compulsion that nearly consumed me. She closes the far gap between us until she's now only a few feet from me.

"Did you hear her?" I ask, but glimpsing back to where I had seen the figure, she's vanished. From all that I have seen, it's not just me who should be able to hear the whispers, yet no one seems to have noticed that she was here. Why was it only me?

"Her who?" Verena flicks her eyes over to the treeline where I'm still inspecting, looking for any indication where she went. "Serelia?"

"Her. I think it was her," I say before Verena's eyes fill with understanding. "I think-" I hesitate, "I'm sure of it."

"How is it that she could have gotten past the patrol? Someone would have alerted us of any Crimson Children nearby," her eyes land back onto mine and I'm sure she can sense the panic within them. "I'll send out some of the others to go check to make sure everything is okay. That's where you saw her?" Her head tips up toward the treeline uphill and I nod in response.

She calls out a few of the Lupi in the training area, two of them who had traveled back to the camp with us, Balor and Lycus. They assure me that we're safe, that I'm safe, and that everything will be okay. Though, I somehow have a hard time believing that.

"How is everything?" I turn back to Verena after Balor and Lycus leave us. "Where's Caesar?"

"He's...recovering. Very slowly recovering. He's been in and out of consciousness for a while, but they're hopefully for a full recovery."

"And Lowell?"

"His condition hasn't improved as much. They are saying his wounds are deep and are worried if the bite got too far into his bloodstream. We're worried there's not much that can be done for him, at this point only time will tell."

"Can I see him?" My words spill out soft as I think about both Caesar and Lowell.

Making our way to the recovery complex, my gaze immediately falls to Caesar lying on one of the beds. His skin drenched in sweat, drips beading along his forehead. His eyes remain closed, but his breathing appears more steady than before. A thin sheet rests at his feet, black sweatpants covering his legs while his abdomen is bare. Cuts and bruises line along his chest, his arms, his neck. Healing wounds, but still very visible.

I can't ignore the wrenching that pulls in my heart as the sun's light shines onto Caesar's wounds—a spotlight that highlights my doing. What has happened because of me, because he came to me for help, and that is exactly what I failed to do.

Sitting at the foot of the bed beside him, a faint groan emits past his lips.

"Caesar," Verena's pained voice hints with relief as Caesar's eyes flutter open. Placing her hand upon his forehead, she says. "Your fever's breaking. Also gross, why are you so sweaty?" She rubs her palm against the bed sheet, damping the thin fabric.

"Don't tell me you're freaked out by a bit of sweat, Pawlus," he responds with a sluggish rasp. "We've all had our fair share on these beds, you know how it is." His eyes draw down towards me, his gaze meeting mine. "I'm a survivor, Doll. No need to worry about a couple of scratches."

A thin smile rises on my lips, but deep down there's a solace in seeing him talk with normality. Before I can respond, Balor and Lycus enter the room. They walk with a tense, soldier-like stature, both boys standing tall with a face of no emotion, still as soon as they come in, I know something is wrong.

"Alpha, you should see this. Your father is already on sight waiting for us to meet him."

There's a brief dismay as they look at me, but there is no way I will know how to handle a situation like this. I barely found out I'm supposed to be an alpha, but I'm still trying to figure out what that even means.

"I'll go," Verena interferes. "Take me to Aryce," the boys lead her out while discreetly talking to her on their way out.

"What was that about?" He readjusts himself on the bed to where he's now sitting up, his back leaning against the wall to hold him steady.

"I saw her, Caesar. She was here, in the camp."

"That's impossible," he states, my words having absolutely no effect on him. "There are guards to ensure no outsiders enter the camp, not within a mile radius of us. Also adding onto the fact that while we know she's out there, someone has yet to have seen her."

"I know what I saw," I counter, my fingers playing with the blanket. "She was here."

"Alright," he shifts his body again, swinging his feet off of the other side from where I sit and sitting next to me. His shoulder presses against mine, a damp warmth spreading on top of my skin rests besides me. While his body faces the wall behind me, I can feel his burning stare presses along my being. "Was there anything you noticed about her? Any recognition or anything you can describe?"

"She was too far away for me to see her. I only heard her voice, but even then it was too quiet to notice anything aside from the fact that it felt cold."
"Cold?"

"I can't explain it. I heard her voice the same way I used to hear yours, the wolves. She called out to me in my mind. But she caused something within me that made me want to fight, even knowing what could happen. I didn't have any control. And the only way I can describe it is that it felt cold." I pause, remembering how it wasn't until Verena came that snapped me out of pursuing her. "But that doesn't change the fact that I know it was her."

"Hey," his hand hesitates towards me before shifting direction and landing on the bed. "I believe you," his demeanor softens. "We'll figure this out. I promise you that."

Tipping my head back up, my sight catches on his eyes. The hazel tone of his eyes casting a warming glow, an autumn sun with the infusion of his own spring forest resting in his stare. Our eyes linger on one another as we sit here in silence. His face is not far from mine and I can feel the heat of his breath brushing down at me. A slow but heavy breath matching my own, emitting his smell that I've come to easily recognize, cinnamon and pine. There's a fluttering in the pit of my stomach, a similar vibration beating in my heart. Nerves spreading of what he will finally say, finally do.

Without either of us saying a word, I can still hear everything Caesar has to say. A look of understanding, of comfort.

"We should go catch up with the others," he whispers, breaking our world of silence.

Without saying anything, my head nods and I push myself up from the bed as Caesar does the same. As we leave the cabin, I follow Caesar as he walks towards the dining area outside, Lupi scattered amongst the tables.

"I have a question for you," I speak up as we walk, me trying to keep up with him as his strides move much larger than mine. "How did you know the wolf that attacked us? You said his name before everything happened."

"Alba Cicatrix," his head tilts down as his stature is much taller than mine. "I had never met him until today, but I've heard the legends. His scar, the one across his eye. According to what's been told in the stories, there was an inner war between his pack. Their alpha from the time had gone corrupt, fighting a war that would have led to the deaths of many, including their own. As this war progressed, other alpha's began to stop them. Aryce, loyal to his alpha, ended up scratched by one of them, losing his eye in the process. Lupi heal quickly, but any wound procured by an alpha remains forever."

"What happened to their alpha?"

"That's a question for another day," he states. "You've already taken in so much. Let it rest for a minute so you don't worry about what is not yet important." Though, the wrenching in my stomach only tightens as I wonder what this could mean for this new war.

"Well if it isn't the infamous sleeping beauty making his return to society," one of the Lupi calls out as we near the tables where he sits by himself, a tray of food resting in front of him on the wooden foundation. Caiden, one of the Lupi who helped carry Caesar back to camp— one of Caesar's closest friends according to Verena. From what she had described, they've been in a competition ever since Caesar and her joined the camp, but that competition is also what has brought them so close together.

"Only a couple of flesh wounds," Caesar remarks back to him.

"Perhaps if you hadn't been so slow to attack, the coward of a Lupi would have never been able to take the advantage," Caiden continues, but a teasing grin rests on his face as he speaks. His eyes flash into a cider brown as we move to sit. "And this must be our new reigning alpha," he says, though I don't respond as my eyes dance across the camp before freezing. "A quiet one, isn't she?" Though, I down out his words as I stare at the figure off in the distance, the faint mutters of the two continuing their conversion at the table.

Aryce. I watch him as he strolls back into the camp along with others besides him— returning from the treeline where I had seen the earlier figure. Verena separates from their group, her now coming to the table we sit at and I sense her at the seats across from me, but my eyes keep on him.

He stops along the training area with another, both grabbing daggers from one of the nearby racks before moving across from one another in a defensive stance. I watch as they engage in quick, swift motions against each other, becoming entranced as their motions go through so clean and dignified. There's not a single moment of hesitation as they both swipe their silver blades, dodging the other. The metal clinging as the air around fills with a harsh and thundering cling. Both men dance as if they had rehearsed each motion a thousand times before, moving together as if one were looking in a mirror. Ease in each step and swing, an aggressive intensity with each movement forward— an enthralling performance.

"Hey," a nudge pushes against my arm. Shaking out of my reverie, I drift my attention back to the table, a collection of eyes all on me.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" I ask, though there was not a single clue in my mind about what their conversation is about.

An amusing snort sounds from Caiden as Verena says, "About tonight." Though, there must be a clear confusion written across my face as I sit silent. "We're throwing the celebration tonight," she speaks slowly to see if I can comprehend what she's saying, but nothing registers.

"What are we celebrating?"

"You," Caesar's words beat from beside me. My eyebrows raise, furrowing together as I look for further clarification as to what they're talking about.

A quick sigh draws from Verena. "You are the reigning alpha making your return. There is a tradition that when a new alpha comes to rule, we celebrate," her voice perks up with a light enthusiasm. "It's one of the largest of our kind in fact, many don't ever get to experience it as the changing of alpha's is not so common."

"The long lost alpha coming to her reign," Caiden snickers.

"I'm not the alpha yet," I inform. "I haven't done anything yet. Hell, I've barely even been here a day."

"By blood," Caesar says, "you have been here the entire time. You just hadn't known it yet. But for a long time, we have been awaiting your arrival."

"Besides," Verena says, her words still coming out excitedly as we discuss the event. "It's the perfect introduction for you into this life, to where you come from. Plus, we hardly ever get any nights off for something like this."

"Can I ask something?" I switch from the current conversation. "Do you ever visit the Maleo world? I mean, you all can't simply stay here in the forest for your entire lives, can you?"

"It's not uncommon, but also pretty frowned upon by the elders here," Verena answers. "Some Lupi, though, they visit a lot. A few even have human relations there, another life separate from this one."

"Verena of course would know about the human relations with Maleo life," Caiden teases. "She's gone to the Maleo society for her share of fun, haven't you?" He glances at her with a taunting expression.

"Haven't we all," Verena argues back. "Besides, the way you Maleo all live, it's truly something else. Though, despite how breathtaking it may be, especially with how unpredictable it is, the Virunis life is everything to me. I wouldn't trade the forest or our lives for anything else. Caesar on the other hand here, I almost believe he wants to live in the Maleo world at times." Her thumb flicks across to her brother who tilts his head down at the table. A light flush draining in his cheeks as he gets called out.

"I'm not sure," I respond. "I don't know where I fit in. This world, the Maleo world. If I fit into either of them. I can barely understand who I am at times, let alone where I stand."

"One of the most difficult challenges to face is not deciding who you want to become, but rather allowing yourself to be who you are. But once you find that, you'll grow stronger than you are now," Caesar says, his words soft enough that I can barely hear them fully. "For us, we have always known who we are, you are barely learning. Give it time."

Verena interrupts, finishing Caesar's thoughts. "Runes, incantations, potions, and species are enough of what you're going to have to learn in this world, and that's something we'll help you with, but your identity is something you'll get to discover for yourself."

Before I have any chance to say anything further, Aryce approaches our table. My head shifts past Verena's head across the table, averting my sight anywhere from my father.

He stands close by me, a grim energy and a sense of desolation hinting off of him. There's a deep release of breath before he speaks.

"Lowell didn't make it," Caesar cuts in before Aryce has the chance to utter a word. His voice has gone flat as he asks, all emotion that was there prior now gone.

I don't see Aryce, but from the sudden intensity I feel from Caesar besides me and the brief shift from Verena, I know that Aryce confirmed what everyone has been dreading.

"The Crimson Children are going to answer for all of the death they have brought to our pack," Verena's teeth grit against each other as she speaks.

"That will be for another day," Aryce declares. "Soon they will face the consequences of their actions. For now, we must prepare Serelia to lead. Caesar, if you are healed completely tomorrow, I will need you to begin her training immediately. Verena, she shall stay with you in your cabin," his voice speaks with authority.

"We'll start at breaking light," Caesar directs to me. "We don't have much time otherwise."

"It's nearly dusk," Verena chimes in. "If you will start that early on, you both need to ensure you're rested and healed fully. Serelia," my gaze falls back down onto her. "Whenever you are ready, we'll head over to my cabin." Listlessly nodding in response, I remain silent, processing all that has happened today alone.

No matter how much of this new life I acknowledge, I barely have enough time to comprehend it before another drastic event happens and decides to yank me down once more, proving to me this is a life I could have never imagined.

"Get ready, Alpha," Caesar says. "Tomorrow will be the first day of your new life."  

***

Until then,

-Xxx