Noah felt Lillian inch closer to him, as if sensing him slip away into the memories.

"My memories of my mother are foggy," he said, putting his mug on the bedside table. "She was gone when I was nine. Back then human poaching was very common."

"Poaching? As in poaching animals?"

"As in poaching shapeshifters," Noah replied.

"Oh God." Lillian covered her mouth, her eyes horrified. "I had no idea it happened."

Noah shrugged. "Media has a way of showing only the side they want to show. And not just for immortals, they do it to other human groups as well. People who are different, whether it's religion or skin color or race, the people they want to be viewed as enemies are vilified by the media first. They do that so the general public supports their government when they decide to wage wars on those groups."

Lillian gave a thoughtful nod. "Yeah, immortals aren't the only target for smearing campaigns."

"Anyway," Noah said, "Humans poaching shapeshifters has been going on for as long as we both have existed. It's not something new. Shapeshifter bodies are used as hunting trophies, preserved through taxidermy. Animals aren't the only victims of humans who hunt for the simple pleasure of the kill.

"But as times grew more advanced and we developed more relationships with humans, they put in place laws that prohibit poaching. But human laws, more often than not, are ink on paper until one of their rich and powerful have need of them, and then they're rigorously enacted."

"That's horrible," Lillian frowned, anger and horror clear on her face. "I never would've thought- You guys are so invulnerable..."

"Silver kills us, Lillian," Noah said. "We might be called immortal, but no one truly is immortal. We simply have longer lifespans compared to humans and less weaknesses, but we die, just like anything else that walks this earth.

"The hunters move in groups and use silver. Right now, silver mines all over the world are controlled by the Five, but there are always new mines being discovered and used illegally by humans, until the Five hear of it."

Lillian nodded. "Your mother?"

"She was on patrol near the border," Noah said. "My mother was a warrior in her old pack, she joined Dad's pack after they became mates. She insisted on retaining part of her previous duty even after becoming the alpha female. Anyway, she was on patrol and the humans caught her unaware."

He shook his head. "She was killed, but the humans didn't escape before wolves caught up to them. By then it was too late." Goosebumps broke over his skin. "I remember that day with such clarity, my father was with Sean and me when he felt the bond break. I remember seeing the insanity in his eyes. Something broke in him that day, and he was never the same afterward.

"He killed all the captured humans, and after that, my father became obsessed."

"With what?"

"With security, making the pack invulnerable. The following years were a grueling time of continuous training and intense border surveillance. He closed off our pack from other packs. I used to sneak off to meet Benjamin and Jensen, one time he caught me and..." He shook his head, shoving away the memories of the beating. "It's like the only way to deal with his wolf's insistent anger was by working his pack to the ground. But then it became more than an obsession, he became cruel.

"Anyone over the age of twelve participated in tough duels with warriors twice their age. The submissives of the pack were forced to fight beyond their wolves' instincts. Submissives are gentle by nature, if you force too much violence on them, they break.

"This messed with the balance of the pack. My father was driving it to the death and his wolf was only getting worse."

Lillian put her hand on his. He looked down, only then realizing his claws had come out and pierced through the covers. Speaking about that time was like cutting an old wound open again.

Lillian hated seeing the haunted look in Noah's eyes. They glowed in the dimly-lit room, and she wanted to tell him to stop, to forget that she asked. But she sensed deep inside that he should talk about it, purge the festering wound so that it could heal properly.

"I was seventeen when Jake's father approached me," Noah continued. "He'd been one of my father's top warriors. He knew that if we continued that way, our pack would break from the inside out. He started training me to take over my father."

"A challenge?"

"Yes. Usually, when an alpha is challenged for the position, it's a fight until submission, or in extreme circumstances, death. I challenged my father the first time when I was eighteen. I was already as big as he was, stronger, and my head was clearer than his, because his wolf was driving him insane."

"But he caught wind of the challenge. And before the fight, he dipped his claws in silver."

"That's how you got the scar," Lillian breathed out.

"Yes. It must have hurt him like hell, because the silver would have undoubtedly slipped to his fingers. I remember the fight." Noah closed his eyes. "It wasn't easy, it was messy and painful and horrible. I knew I had to kill him, he knew it, too, because he would never relinquish control over the pack. It was as if that was all his wolf cared about anymore, as if Sean and I didn't exist."

Lillian's heart hurt for the boys they'd been. Losing their mother, and then losing their father that way, it must've been devastating. She swallowed the knot in her throat. "Why didn't the council do anything?"

His smile was wry. "There was nothing to be done. My father wasn't doing anything illegal per our laws, technically speaking. If the wolf council intervened, it would've set a precedent, and no one wanted to deal with other people shoving their noses in their pack's business."

"You won," Lillian said, her voice teary.

"Barely."

Noah was quiet for a long moment. Then he spoke, his voice barely audible. The last thing he said was that he left me with a reminder of what I could be. Even in his last moments, he knew he was broken."

Lillian turned her head away and bushed her cheeks.

"Don't cry," Noah said softly.

"I'm not crying," Lillian said, putting her mug on the bedside table and turning off the light before she turned toward him. His chuckle tickled her insides.

"You do realize I can see in the dark."

"Shut up," she grumbled and laid on her side beside him. Noah's eyes were two pinpricks of amber in the dark. What was it like to see in the darkness, she wondered?

She blinked her eyes for a few minutes, a heavy quiet descended on them. So many questions battled in her head, but none found the way past her lips. The darkness she'd witnessed past the shutter in Noah's eyes was loaded with pain she didn't want to invoke again.

The outline of Noah's face became clear to her human eyes. Her finger traced one of the three scars on his face.

"It will go away with time," he mumbled, breath fanning her hand. "All scars fade. But those caused by silver might take decades."

"Mhm." Lillian dropped her hand before she did something more than touch his scar. Her stomach fluttered with warmth. Was she ready to take the next step? She didn't know yet, and that in itself was an answer.

What was holding her back, though? Noah was the one, and she knew that sooner or later they would end up together. So what was holding her back?

Noah turned her way and hugged her to him. "Go to sleep. I can almost hear you over thinking."

Lillian chuckled and settled down. "Okay. Good night."

"Goodnight. Don't snore too loudly."

She punched him in the side, and fell asleep at the sound of his quiet laughter.

Lillian half-expected to wake up to the twins sprawled all over her and Noah, but she woke up to an empty bed instead.

She shivered, pulling the sheets up until only her eyes peeked. The bed was still warm beside her. She shifted until she felt the remnants of Noah's heat.

Light streamed in through the thin curtain covering the glass wall. It was quiet in the condo. Sean and Noah wouldn't leave her alone. Unless...

Lillian slowly sat up, a nagging suspicion in her guts. Her heart raced as she shoved the sheets away and stumbled out of bed and out of the bedroom, sleep vanishing between one moment and the next. Harvey would have the results of the DNA test by now.

Lillian found Amanda in the living room with Elle, lounging on the couch.

"Yo," Elle said. "We didn't wake you up, did we?"

"No, where's Noah?" Lillian rubbed the chill off of her arms.

Amanda smiled. "He's out hunting with Harvey."

"Hunting what?"

"You mean who," Amanda said. "Harvey has the test results."

"He went without me, that ass." Lillian whirled around toward the bedroom to dress. She paused and glanced over her shoulder at Amanda, her heart in her throat. "What did the test say?"

*** **** ***

"Are you sure about not bringing Lillian along?" Harvey asked. They marched through the woods, taking the back route to their destination. Noah stared at the test results in Harvey's data pad.

"She's asleep."

"You know what I mean."

Noah sighed. Did he make the right decision in not telling her? He didn't know. Maybe not. She would be mad at him. But he didn't want her anywhere near the bastard.

"So he's not the guy," Noah said, reading through. "But he's related to him."

"Yes. He's either his brother or his father," Harvey said. "Aren't you going to ask who the wolf is?"

"Who is he?" Noah asked. It didn't matter who the wolf was. He would get the name of Lillian's rapist out of him today.

"Alpha Albert."

Noah stopped.

Albert was the alpha of the Trinity pack down in Texas. He was also the descendant of a Born Shifter. His line was infamous for strong wolves and the higher risks of insanity that came with it. It was rumored that there was at least one rogue in every generation.

"Alpha Albert doesn't have a brother, according to our data," Harvey continued. "But he did have a son."

"Did?" Noah asked, picking up his steps.

"He disappeared ten years ago," Harvey said. "Albert declared him dead. But as far as our intelligence goes, his body was never found."

"Your intelligence is very thorough."

Harvey smiled. "Of course. Arthur values information above all else. We make it our mission to know what happens with immortals in his territory and beyond. We're here."

Harvey pointed to the large building. "We're going to go in there and have a civil conversation with the alpha. There's no need to make an enemy of him before we know whether he's involved or not."

"Of course," Noah said.

"I'm serious, Noah."

"I am, too," Noah said. He shifted on his feet. He just wanted to get in there, already. "I'm not Arthur, I won't be plucking eyeballs left and right."

Harvey sighed. "I don't know if I like your newly found sense of humor. Lillian's influence, I'm sure."

Unable to stall any longer, Noah went ahead. Hearing Harvey's deep sigh as he followed him. "Here we go again."

The lodging where the other guests lived was nothing short of a five star hotel. Noah stood in front of the door with the number Harvey indicated and knocked. There was movement inside. Noah's wolf wanted to burst out of his skin.

"Civil, Noah," Harvey mumbled.

"Don't worry," Noah said, clenching and releasing his fists. "Civil."

The door opened, and Noah punched the man, sending him back into the room. Noah followed.

"Damn hot-headed wolves," Harvey cursed, closing the door behind him.

Alpha Albert shook his head and jumped to his feet with a snarl. The couch knocked down behind him. His hazel eyes flashed amber. The color triggered another wave of anger in Noah.

"What is this?" Albert asked, standing in a crouch.

"Alpha Albert," Harvey said, putting his hand on Noah's forearm in a bruising grip when Noah made a move forward. His wolf was driving him insane. "We're here to talk to you about something."

The alpha spat blood to the side. Noah hoped there was a tooth in there. Albert's eyes never left Noah's. "No, you're here for a fight."

Harvey took a few steps into the room, standing sideways between the two alphas. "I assure you, we're not. We need some information."

"I don't give a damn what you think you need," the alpha said, his voice gone gravelly. "I'll teach the boy some respect, first."

Albert and Noah lunged forward as one. Harvey was between them in a blink, his arms stretched. His hands knocked the two alphas apart. Noah felt the blow in his organs. His back hit the door. The wood cracked. He groaned. He'd never known Harvey had that much power in him. Alpha Albert picked himself up from the ground again.

The vampire looked between the two alphas like they were misbehaving children. The shadows in the room moved and slithered up the walls like snakes; Harvey's magic leaking. Noah straightened and rolled his neck. Fine. He'd listen to Harvey.

Harvey nodded and turned to Albert, who'd shifted his focus to the vampire.

"Now, where was I?" Harvey turned to Albert. "Alpha Albert, do you know where your son was five to six years ago?"

Albert brushed the sleeves of his gray shirt and straightened the collar. "My son is dead."

"That wasn't my question now, was it?" Harvey asked pleasantly, his hands tucked in the pockets of his pants.

Albert's lips trembled with the promise of a snarl. Whatever he saw in Harvey's face made him speak. "I don't."

"I see," Harvey said. "And where is he now?"

"I don't know," he said through gritted teeth. "What is this about?"

"So you know he isn't dead," Noah said.

"I'm not telling you shit until you answer my own questions," Albert said. "What do you want with my son?"

Wrong answer. Noah moved past Harvey despite his warning look. Albert looked ready to attack. Albert might be older, and perhaps stronger, but he wasn't powered by the kind of rage that lit up Noah's blood at the moment.

In a fraction of a second, Noah had the other alpha by the throat against the wall, his claws digging into the man's neck. The sharp tang of his blood flared Noah's thirst for violent retribution.

"Your son committed a despicable crime," Noah said. "You will tell me where he is, willingly or unwillingly. It's your choice."

Albert opened his mouth, and Noah hated that he could see similarities between him and the twins up close. Before words could leave the alpha's mouth, there was a loud knock and the door burst open. Noah smelled Lillian, Elle and Amanda.

Damn it.

"Well, well, well," Elle said, walking in deeper into the room. "Having fun all by yourselves, I see."

Noah kept his eyes firmly on Albert, but he smelled Lillian's fear and felt her panic. It lasted for a moment before it disappeared, but that moment was enough for werewolf senses to pick up. Albert honed in on Lillian, his brain working as he took in her scent blanketed by Noah.

Noah slammed him against the wall and snarled. "Don't look at her."

Albert groaned, but the threat of sharp claws against his jugular made him swallow his reaction.

"Does this have anything to do with the human?" Albert asked, his eyes on Harvey.

"Whether it does or not is irrelevant," Harvey said, moving to stand beside Noah. He put his hand on Noah's forearm.

Noah didn't want to let go of Albert. He squeezed his hand tighter around Albert's throat until blood trickled down his claws then dropped him and stepped back.

Albert rubbed his neck and looked at the blood on his fingers. The desire for vengeance in his eyes made Noah's wolf rush to the surface, eager to take the other alpha on his challenge.

"Noah?" Lillian's voice broke his stare-off.

He turned his back on Albert, a deliberate insult. The three females stood by the closed door. Noah smelled Charles' right outside.

Noah walked to stand next to Lillian. Her blue eyes followed his movement, but flickered every so often to Albert.

Having her close by settled his wolf and cleared his mind. He crossed his arms and waited for Harvey to take over. They needed someone level-headed to deal with Albert, and while Noah was usually level-headed, his rage took over him in this particular matter. Understandably so.

Harvey sat on the green armchair next to the toppled couch. Albert didn't move from his spot by the wall.

"Speak, Albert. When was the last time you saw your son?"

Albert's jaw worked. "It was years ago. His wolf started getting aggressive with pack mates, and he proposed to go lone wolf for some time."

"And?"

"He came back once or twice, every time he was worse than the last."

"He was going rogue?" Amanda asked.

"No," Albert growled. "He was... losing touch with reality. He'd always been an odd one, his aggressiveness covered his peculiar personality. Being outside of the pack helped. The aggressiveness was gone, but he was... not all there."

"Not all there?" Elle asked, raising one blond brow. "What does that mean?"

"It means what it means," Albert spat out.

"So he was going insane and you let him out into the world?" Elle asked.

"I didn't do anything your mother didn't, fae," Albert snapped. "At least my son didn't cause my death like you did your mother's."

Elle didn't respond, but her smile was manic.

"You really shouldn't have said that," Amanda mumbled in a sing-song voice.

"Enough," Harvey said.

"Do you have a way to contact him?" Harvey asked. "Or do you know someone who does?"

Albert hesitated. Harvey leaned back on the armchair and linked his fingers gracefully under his chin. "I won't lie, Albert. We have a personal stake in this matter. If I even doubt you weren't entirely forthcoming with information, I will resort to extreme measures to pluck the information from your head."

Harvey meant it quite literally, and Albert knew that. Rumors of Mariano, whose special gift allowed him to rifle through other people's memories and thoughts, had gained a reputation after the gate scheme in Europe.

"He used to send emails once every few months," Albert finally said. "But they stopped coming a few years ago. That's all I have."

"Perfect, Alpha Albert. We'll be in contact with you in the future, do keep yourself available." Harvey rose to his feet and closed his suit jacket. "And a word of advice, alpha, know how to speak to people who can make your life a living hell. You're not invincible."

Elle suddenly groaned. Noah smelled Arthur a second before there was a knock on the door.

"No," Elle said out loud.

The door was pulled open from the outside. It was meant to open from the inside. Noah blinked as the door's hinges broke and the door disappeared.

Everyone in the room straightened, and Noah's wolf shook his fur, feeling the presence of an angry predator.

Arthur threw the door aside in the hallway and stepped inside. His eyes scanned the room and landed on Albert. Albert froze, his eyes glowing amber.

Noah almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"Snitch," Elle said, speaking to Charles who stood at the door. He shrugged.

Arthur stretched his neck side to side. "If you would all leave us for a moment. I'd like to have a word with the alpha."

Albert's face lost all color. His pulse fluttered, and Noah savored the fear he saw in Albert's eyes.

"Arthur," Elle groaned. "You can't torture anyone who says a few unpleasant words to me."

"You keep telling me I can't do things, my love," Arthur said. "When I certainly can."

"I mean you shouldn't."

"But I will," Arthur shot back. "I've had enough of people running their mouths left and right. It's time they learn to curb their tongues."

"Arthur!" Elle said.

They shared a long look. Whatever Arthur linked Elle made her storm out of the room. Charles followed. Noah urged Lillian to go with Amanda.

"Keep him in one piece, if you can," Noah told Arthur. "He might have information we need."

Arthur raised a brow. "I'll see what I can do."

Harvey and Noah walked out. The door floated to its proper place and severed Arthur and Albert from the rest of the world.

Harvey shook his head. "You and Arthur are more alike than you know."

Noah almost scoffed at that. He knew he was aloof at times, but no one was as lethal as Arthur. His simple presence in the room sucked the air out of it.

"I left him untouched, haven't I?" Noah said, walking down the hallway.

"Untouched?" Harvey said. "You broke his cheekbone and bruised his neck."

"He's alive isn't he?" Noah growled. "Unfortunately."

Lillian and Amanda waited for them outside. As usual, Lillian drew more looks from passersby. Being the only human in attendance in the history of the Council, that was bound to attract attention.

"I'll have one of my people hack into Albert's emails. She'll be able to find the email address of his son. Hopefully, it gives us something to work on." Harvey looked at Lillian. "We'll hunt him down and make him pay."

Lillian shifted on her feet. "Thank you."

Amanda squeezed Lillian's arm. "I'll see you later."

The couple left and Lillian turned her frowning blue eyes to Noah. "You should've woken me up."

Noah sighed. "You're angry."

"Of course I am!" she looked around at the interested immortals walking by, and dragged Noah by his wrist to the house. Noah felt his lips twitch up. She glared at him. "I'm glad you're amused, because I'm not. I had every right to be there."

"You didn't have to go through it. I would've told you the results of the tests," Noah said, shifting his hold so she held his hand. "There was a possibility it could've gotten violent."

She gave a cute little growl. And if he told her he thought it was cute, she would punch him. "It should've been my choice whether to be there or not. You do the thing again where you think you can tell me what to do. If you want to be my alpha, then we have to reconsider this whole mating thing."

"We're not reconsidering anything," Noah growled out.

"Then you need to take a good look at the way you keep making my decisions for me," Lillian said. They reached their building and got in.

Noah chewed on her words as she started up the stairs, never letting go of his hand. "Alright. I might have been rash this morning."

"Might?" She shook her head and mumbled under her breath. "Men."

They went in and Lillian headed straight for the kitchen. Noah sat at the island and watched her move around, opening cupboards, pulling out things from the fridge and slamming them on the counter. He was glad she decided to take her anger on something else other than him.

She pulled out a bowl and started whisking what looked like a pancake mix. Soon, her shoulders relaxed and she began humming.

She never stayed mad for long, Noah realized. It was a gift he had every intention of treasuring. He wouldn't abuse her kindness, which meant he needed to consider her words seriously.

Noah was an alpha. People usually went to him for decisions. He needed to start seeing Lillian as more than someone under his protection. She would be standing beside him as the alpha female. He needed to learn how to trust her with decisions of more than just her own life. She could be his sounding board, a person with strengths that complimented his, someone he could go to with anything and everything.

Noah rubbed his jaw. It would be a challenge, but he would learn. Having her beside him was the greatest blessing of his life.

The pan sizzled with the first pancake. Lillian blew out a deep breath and turned to him, a hand on her hip and a smile. "Chocolate, maple syrup or butter?"

"Maple syrup and butter," he said. Standing up, he started the coffee machine, found two plates, forks and knives, and set them on the island.

She added another plate. Noah raised his brow.

"For Sean, when he gets back," she said. His heart warmed. Noah moved to stand behind her. He hugged her and kissed her hair.

"Sorry," he said. "I'll try to talk to you more about things in the future."

She flipped the pancake and put her hand on his forearm around her waist. "I know you didn't want to take me along because I freaked out yesterday when I saw him."

"You can't help your reaction. It's understandable," Noah said.

After the pancakes were done, Lillian stuck Sean's plate in the oven and sat down beside him. She drenched her stack of pancakes with chocolate until her plate was a mountain of brown fudge.

"Chocolate with a side serving of pancakes," Noah mumbled.

Lillian rolled her eyes. "Ha ha."

They ate in silence, mulling over the events of the day. After they were done with eating, Lillian sat back on the stool. "So Albert is the twins' grandfather."

Noah frowned. "Just because they share DNA doesn't make him family."

"I know." Lillian sighed and looked at him, concern evident in her eyes. "Amanda told me he's the descendant of a Born Shifter. He's the alpha you told me about, isn't he? The one whose line is rumored to have rogues in every generation?"

Noah turned and pulled her stool closer until she was between his legs. "The twins will be fine. They have strong wolves, but their personalities are very balanced already. their minds are pack oriented, they're protectors. The possibility they run a risk of insanity is low, and we'll make it even lower."

Lillian took a shuddering breath and rubbed her face. "I still worry."

"We'll worry together," Noah told her. "And we'll work hard to raise them to be good wolves. You're not alone in this. You have me and the entire pack."

Lillian's lips curved in a small smile that did odd things to Noah's heart. She leaned close and kissed him.

"Thank you," she whispered, blue eyes glimmering. "Also, I think I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

She rolled her shoulders back, her face determined. She said the words that made Noah's heart soar with hope. "How do I go about being a vampire?"

--- ---- ---

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M.B.