Finallyyyy! I can't believe we're here!

Huge thanks to everyone who stuck around until the end. I appreciate every single one of you! 

Your support makes me want to keep writing. Love you all! stay safe and healthy!

M.B.

--- ---- ---

One week later

Lillian stood next to Elle, watching the twins play with little Leena.

The child who'd been in a silver cage only a week ago was running after the two wolf pups, light on her little feet. Ezra spun around, the little girl squealed and reversed her course, running away from him, a big smile on her face.

The boy they'd rescued with her sat against a tree, his dark eyes sparkling in the shade. He scowled at the world, his hands picking at the grass beside him.

They'd come straight to the pack after taking care of that mess. Lillian realized they'd been in Haida Gwaii, an archipelago off British Columbia's west coast. She'd slept the entire trip to the pack, feeling safe with Noah to watch over them.

"Did he try to escape again?" Lillian whispered, leaning close to Elle.

The fae smiled. "Nope. I think he finally realized we're not going to put him through whatever Blazius had."

Lillian glanced at the boy. After coming to the pack, he and Leena stayed with Elle, Irene, Charles and the Seer in Elle's cabin. Eva had come down here to check on them regularly.

The boy had tried escaping their first night here. One of the patrol wolves found him carrying Leena and trying to make it out of the pack. Except he'd been heading right to the pack village. Elle was notified, and no matter how much she questioned him about the reason for escaping, he didn't answer. He hadn't uttered a word. If not for the twins confirming otherwise, Lillian would've thought he couldn't speak.

The boy had tried escaping a few times after that, but failed.

They had picked out Leena's name because the little girl was still too young. But the boy was big enough to choose his own name, and they didn't want to impose a name on him. Lord knows he'd had enough choices ripped out of his hands already.

"It must be difficult for him to trust," Elle mumbled. "Who knows how long he was there."

Leena ran right at Lillian and hid behind her legs. The twin wolves went around, and Lillian picked up the little girl with a laugh. Leena had gained weight over the week she'd been here, her cheeks were plump and her dark skin gleamed with a healthy flush under the bright morning light, her black curls tied in two pigtails that bounced every time she turned her head.

"Are the wolves chasing you, little Leena?" Lillian cooed.

She gave her a toothy grin. "Wolf!"

"Yes, wolf!" Lillian said encouragingly. "Good girl."

Leena didn't talk much. Her vocabulary was underdeveloped for a child her age. It was understandable considering the environment she'd grown in. But she was learning, her communication skills improving quickly.

Elijah and Ezra shifted and stood butt naked. "Mommy, can we take her with us to the lake?" Elijah asked. "Leena, wanna go swimming?"

"Swim?" Leena perked up. The children had been to the pack village a few times, and Leena had developed a healthy obsession with playing in the water.

"Yes, swim," Lillian set her down. "Okay, go ahead. But watch her closely, alright? And put on your pants."

The twins ran to the pile of clothes they'd shed that morning, pulled on their pants, and ran to Leena. She took their hands and walked between them.

Lillian nodded at Janet and Colby through the trees, two of the pack warriors standing watch nearby. They'd watch over the kids until they reached the pack village.

"Hey, kid. Wanna go with them?" Elle called.

The boy glared at her and looked away, sitting in his spot. Elle sighed.

"Arthur isn't going to come down here yet?" Lillian asked, sitting on the porch steps. Her legs still hurt from time to time, but they were fully healed. Eva couldn't believe it, the silver should've made her legs useless for at least a few weeks. Yet here she was, up and running within a week.

Elle frowned. "No, he's running away."

"From what?" Lillian asked. She couldn't imagine the vampire lord running away from anything.

Elle glanced at the boy. "Reminders of his past, I guess." She shook her head. "Anyway, I think we'll be going home in a couple of days."

"What about the kids?" Lillian asked.

Elle leaned on the railing and crossed her arms. "We'll take them with us. We still don't know exactly what they are or how they'll grow up. Other people might take interest in them, and they won't be safer anywhere else more than on Arthur's island."

"And the women that Blazius kept there?" Lillian asked.

"I think they found about twenty women," Elle said. "All human. A checkup revealed they weren't assaulted."

Lillian blew out a relieved breath. "What will happen to them?"

"They're still running some tests over them," Elle said. "But they'll go back to their lives, and we'll keep an eye on them in case any of them display odd behavior."

Lillian nodded.

Leena and the boy weren't human. Leena was clearly a mix between a vampire and a witch, which was unusual in its own rights. If immortals of different races gave birth, the child was usually one race or the other. But Leena was both. It remained to be seen how that affected her. But right at the moment, she needed a small amount of blood to survive alongside the normal diet.

The boy, however, was a mystery. He smelled human to Lillian's nose, but there was something else there, beneath the human layer. There was definitely some vampire in him, but that wasn't all. Eva thought that he might change as he grew up. But again, no one knew how he might change.

Lillian felt her bond with Noah spark. She looked around, sniffing the air. He was coming. She rose just as Elle straightened. Noah and Arthur strode through the trees, looking as majestic as the centuries-old firs over them.

The boy sat up straighter when Arthur and Noah appeared, following them with the eyes of a mistrustful animal who'd been abused one too many times to trust strangers.

Arthur barely glanced the boy's way. Noah looked at the child and raised a brow. The boy looked down, his upper lips trembling in a barely held-in snarl.

"No improvement?" Noah asked her through the bond, hugging her to him.

"I don't know if it's an improvement, but he didn't try to escape."

"Hmm, good." He kissed her hair and pulled back, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Elle and Arthur were engaged in a stare off. Surprisingly, it was Arthur who looked away first, his jaw clenched. Elle shook her head and stepped closer to Arthur until her side touched him. His shoulders seemed to relax.

"Any news about the witches?" Elle asked.

"The Witch Council will be dissolved," Arthur said.

"What?!" Elle's eyes widened. Lillian raised her brows.

"There has been too much involvement from the witches, both in the gate scheme and in Blazius' experiments," Arthur said. "The Five discussed it with the Fae. Rami, Blazius, Poline, Katrina, they were all high level figures in the witch community."

"What about the Shapeshifters? don't you need their approval, too?" Lillian asked.

"Most shapeshifters don't care about politics as long as it doesn't affect their race," Noah mumbled.

"What about Taro?" Elle asked. "He's the head of the Witch Council. He's not going to step down without putting up a fight."

Arthur shook his head. "Right now, Taro is under watch. We can't link him to this mess yet-"

"I bet he's involved in this up to his eyeballs," Elle grumbled.

"But pictures and videos of the babies in the artificial wombs have made the rounds of the immortal communities all over the world," Arthur continued. "The witches are being ostracized everywhere. Right now, they will comply with any measure we put down if they don't want to become outcasts."

Lillian shivered, remembering the eerie blue glow. The outline of babies in the thick glowing liquid. The blood spells on the glass. Noah pulled her closer. "What will happen to the babies?" she asked.

"Right now, I have my people watching over them until my witches figure out how everything works," Arthur said.

"Did Blazius share any information?" Elle asked.

Noah's chest shook with a quiet growl, and Lillian felt his cold fury through the bond.

"He's very gifted on the mental plane," Arthur said. "So Marianno couldn't get anywhere near his memories or thoughts. Venus will try when she gets here, but it might take her a long time to figure a way out into his mind. We'll see. We managed to get some information out of him through more traditional measures."

"You mean torture," Elle said.

"Yes, torture," Arthur said. "But he's very protective of his research, and we won't be able to know if he gave us everything or not."

Elle glanced at Noah with a knowing smile. "I assume you're going to give Noah a run at him," she told Arthur.

It was Noah who replied. "Of course he will."

Arthur raised his brows. "You'll have to keep him alive."

"Oh, I have no intention of ending him," Noah said. "Don't worry."

"Don't you want a turn at him?" Elle asked Lillian.

Lillian sighed. She just wanted to leave all of this behind. Knowing that justice would be served, that those children would live as children should and that all of Blazius' test subjects would be looked after, was enough for her.

"That's okay. Noah will be more than enough."

She would, of course, love to see Blazius begging for his life. But she knew that Noah would make it happen and that was enough for her.

"Hey, where's the kid?" Lillian asked, looking past Arthur to where the boy had been sitting only minutes earlier.

Elle growled and made a move, but Noah stopped her. "I got this."

Noah tracked the boy's scent through the woods. He found him a couple of minutes later, but followed him quietly as he weaved through the trees. He was trying to sneak around, and was doing a half decent job at it. But one could tell he wasn't used to moving around in the woods.

Unlike the first time he attempted an escape, he was heading straight to the pack border. A patrol was coming close, having scented the boy.

"It's fine. I got him," Noah linked the woman. She saluted him and melted into the woods again.

Noah followed the boy for about an hour. He was close to the pack border when Noah finally made himself known, deliberately crunching his feet on the grass to see if the kid's senses were any good.

The boy immediately spun around, his eyes zeroing in on Noah in a second. Good senses and good reactions. The boy was no ordinary human. But he needed some lessons in real life, because he instantly ran away; he should never run away from a werewolf unless he was sure he could outrun him.

Noah chased the kid and caught up to him in seconds. Grabbing him by the back of his t-shirt, he lifted him off the ground until his face was level with his. The boy snarled, his thin fangs gleaming. He swiped his hands but his arms were too short to reach Noah's face.

"Running away again?" Noah asked. The boy struggled and snapped at Noah's face.

Noah snapped back, his fangs elongated, pushing his wolf forward. The boy froze, his eyes wide and his pulse skittering.

"You're not taking Leena along this time?" Noah asked. The boy didn't answer, just glared at Noah. "I know you can talk. The twins told us. So, giving up on Leena and trying to save yourself-"

"I'm not giving up on her!" The boy said. Angry, his struggles renewed.

Noah stifled a smile. "Then why did you leave her behind?"

"Because she's safe here," the kid said, his tone belligerent.

"So if you know it's safe here," Noah said. "Why did you run?"

The kid pursed his lips and looked away. Stubborn child.

Noah lowered him to the ground. The boy was smart enough not to make a run for it again. "Let's go," Noah said and walked back. The boy followed him quietly.

After a few minutes of walking, Noah noticed the boy was trying to mimic his steps, stepping where Noah stepped and keeping his feet light.

"I can teach you, if you want," Noah said.

The kid startled, glancing at Noah. "What?"

"How to walk quietly," Noah said, motioning to the boy's feet. "You're already decent at it. You'll learn quickly."

The boy scowled and looked down, watching his feet take step after step.

"Why?" He asked in a mumble.

"Why what?"

"Why would you teach me?" The kid asked. "It'll make it easier for me to run away."

Noah's lips twitched. "Yeah. I guess it will. But it's a good life skill."

"Teaching a prisoner how to escape isn't very smart," he grumbled.

"You're not a prisoner," Noah said. the boy scoffed. Noah stopped and crouched down. "Tell me, do you want them to let Leena go? To leave her on her own?"

The boy scuffed his shoes on the ground. "No," he admitted after a beat of silence.

"Why?" Noah asked.

"Because she can't take care of herself yet," the kid said.

"It's the same for you," Noah replied. "You're not a captive. They're taking care of you until you can take care of yourself."

"I can take care of myself," the boy said, standing taller.

Noah snapped his hand forward, his claws out, and pricked the kid's neck. The boy froze.

Noah retreated his hand and ruffled the boy's hair. "No, you can't. You're still small and inexperienced. If you want to take care of yourself, you should grow bigger and stronger. Right now, anyone can kidnap you again and put you in another cage. Do you want that?"

The boy pursed his lips. But he shook his head once, begrudgingly.

"Then grow bigger and stronger," Noah said. "I can teach you. Although that's gonna be difficult since you're traveling soon. But Elle will teach you, and you can come visit me whenever you want."

The boy made a face. "But Elle is small, and she doesn't look like she can fight."

"She can beat me, if she uses her magic," Noah said.

"And without her magic?"

Noah leaned his head from side to side. "Mhm, it depends. I'm stronger than her, but she's a more skilled fighter. Even if I beat her, it's not going to be easy."

The boy squinted his eyes, still doubtful.

Noah straightened up. "You're a big kid. You should make the smart choice. Let's go."

The boy followed, and for once, he looked thoughtful instead of just angry. They found Elle, Lillian and Arthur in their place. Lillian waved at Elle and Arthur and came closer, and the kid left Noah's side and strode towards Elle.

As they walked past each other, Lillian crouched down. The boy stopped, looking wary.

"Do you want to come to the pack later with Elle?" Lillian asked, her smile radiant. "We'll have cake, like the one we had yesterday."

The boy's scowl mellowed, faced with Lillian's kind smile. He gave a short nod. Lillian's smile brightened. "Good, we'll wait for you."

Noah watched the boy move to stand before Elle as Lillian joined him. He straightened his little shoulders and took a deep breath. "Teach me to fight," he said to Elle.

Elle and Arthur exchanged a look.

Lillian and Noah walked away. Lillian leaned close to Noah. "What did you tell him?"

Noah recounted their conversation. Lillian grinned. "Good, that'll keep him focused on something useful. So, Blazius?"

Noah sighed and threw an arm around her shoulders. "Yes."

She chuckled and wrapped her arm around his waist. "I'm surprised you held up for a week."

He shrugged. "It wasn't easy."

That was an understatement. After everything settled down the night they rescued Lillian, Hoya had the ground regurgitate Blazius. The witch was unconscious from being buried alive for hours. He was then silvered and chained and transported to Arthur's private cells near Noah's pack land.

Arthur had worked on Blazius in order to get as much information from him as possible, and Noah had stayed away following Arthur's demand. Arthur didn't want Noah to make Blazius unable to speak or think coherently before they got information out of him.

Noah and Lillian reached the pack village. On the shore of the lake, Violet and Robert were looking over a group of pups splashing in the shallow waters. Violet had taken an interest in pups and would often be found looking after them or just watching them play. And even though she still didn't utter a word, she was one of the pups' favorite people.

A group of warriors surrounded Jake near the pack house, discussing something about patrol shifts. Phoebe was among them. She looked their way. Lillian wiggled her fingers in a wave, and Phoebe scowled, looking away. Noah raised his brows. Even to him, Phoebe's expression looked half-hearted.

"She mellowed out to you, didn't she?" He told Lillian.

Lillian chuckled. "I think so, too. But she hates that she no longer hates me," she said. "She visited me when I was in the infirmary, said that our fight should be a few months away since I looked like shit."

Noah hummed. "You did."

"Hey!" She poked his side, a smile winning over her features. "That's rude. Anyway, I'm surprised you haven't kicked all the transfer wolves out of the pack after what Blake did."

Noah growled at the mention of the traitor. They'd found him dead in the old hospital. Apparently, Blazius had drained him dry of blood in order to feed his spells and then killed him because he couldn't risk Blake betraying him to the wolves. No one knew why Blake betrayed the pack.

"That's not a solution," he replied to Lillian's unasked question. "We can't- we shouldn't- live without transfer wolves. But this made me think that we should review the process. We'll be running more background checks on the wolves, and maybe shorten the trial period. That means we'll have fewer wolves willing to transfer here, but better safe than sorry."

Lillian's smile was secretive, self-satisfaction rolled through the bond.

"What?"

She skipped ahead of him and turned, walking backwards. "You know, your father would've kicked all transfer wolves out of the pack."

Noah paused. She was right. His father would've kicked them all out, if he'd kept them alive at all. Noah looked at Lillian and smiled.

Maybe, just maybe, he was nothing like his father, after all.

Lillian came close and hugged Noah tightly.

"What is it?" He asked, all he could feel through the bond was an intense love and affection that still took his breath away.

"Nothing," she mumbled against his chest. "I just love you."

Noah smiled, hugging her back. "I love you too."

"I know."

"Mommy! Mommy, look! Leena is swimming!"

Noah and Lillian turned to see the twins and little Leena with half a dozen pups in the water up to their necks. Violet and Robert had gotten into the water, too. Leena was swimming like a little puppy, her grin wide and contagious, from one twin to the other.

Lillian smiled. "I better go make that cake," she looked at him. "Don't be late. And don't get hurt."

"I won't."

He kissed her and was on his way.

Arthur loomed in front of his dungeon with three of his vampires. He nodded at Arthur.

"We'll give you some time with Blazius," Arthur told Noah. "You'll have to be done by nightfall. We're transporting him to the east coast until Venus comes to check him. I left the cell open. I'm sure you can handle the chains?"

Noah nodded. "Appreciate it."

"Alright, men, let's go," Arthur said, walking away.

One of his vampires lingered, looking between Noah and Arthur's back. "Sire? When he's done with him, shouldn't he lock him in?"

Arthur glanced over his shoulder at his man. "There will not be much to lock, Mathias. Blazius will stay right where he is until we come for him."

Mathias gulped, giving Noah a wary look, then ran after the vampire lord. Noah took a deep breath, his wolf stretching inside of him, and went down to the dark cells.

Blazius was chained to a chair in an open cell, sweaty, weak, reeking of silver, but conscious. Good.

He glanced up when Noah came in, fear written over his face. But then relief replaced the fear when he realized it wasn't Arthur.

Little did he know, it wasn't Arthur whom he should fear more.

"Oh, it's just you," Blazius said, his voice rough and his lips chipped. One of his eyes was missing, cuts and scrapes covered every exposed inch of his face, arms and chest. His ribs pushed sharply against his skin. He looked like he lost half his weight.

Silently, Noah went around him and held the chains. They burned his skin, and the reminder that Lillian had to endure such a burn under Blazius' mercy was enough fuel to let him break the chains like a toothpick.

"You're letting me go?" Blazius asked as Noah shook the chains off of him. "Why are- aaah!"

Noah took hold of Blazius' hair and dragged him. Blazius held onto Noah's wrists in an attempt to ease his hold and struggled. Noah just pulled him along.

That was the issue with witches and fae. Most of them relied on their magic too much that they grew lazy in developing their strength and combat skills.

"You animal!" Blazius cried as Noah literally dragged him up the stairs, his legs knocking on the steps, and then outside. "Let go, you coward! Attacking a man weak from silver and starvation! Where's the fairness in it? The honor? Why don't you come back when I'm with my magic and-"

Noah dropped him in the clearing outside the one story building and kicked his stomach. His ribs cracked, the sound loud in the quiet of the forest. Even the animals seemed to have emptied the grounds.

Blazius spit blood. The color sparkled under the sun. His hair hung in dark lumps, sticking to his sweaty face.

"You talk too much," Noah mumbled.

Blazius lay on his side and cradled his broken ribs. Noah kicked his shoulder to flip him on his back and stepped on his right thigh. He leaned forward and fixed Blazius with his stare. The witch stopped trying to break free, caught in the snare of the wolf's stare.

"I don't care what you think of me. I don't care about being fair or honorable," Noah said. "Just shut up, stay still and take your punishment."

Noah crouched and took hold of one of Blazius' legs. The witch screamed and raised his upper body, pulling his arm to punch Noah. Noah let him land the punch, then countered with one of his own, holding back his strength. He didn't want Blazius passing out so soon.

Blazius' head knocked to the ground, his teeth bloodied and his jaw misshapen. "I told you to stay still. I'm not going to say it again," Noah mumbled.

He put one knee on Blazius' right leg, took hold of his foot and raised it until it bent backward, breaking his knee. Crack.

Blazius' scream echoed in the woods. He tried wriggling away, but Noah increased his pressure on Blazius' thigh, held his shin and twisted sharply. The knee crunched. Noah strained and pulled.

Blazius' shin separated from the knee, his leg split in two. Tendons and ligaments hung out of the knee and the half leg that Noah held.

"Too loud," Noah said. He held Blazius' jaws open and literally shoved his foot in his mouth, shutting him up. "Take it out, and I'll break your arms."

Blazius froze, half of his leg sticking out of his mouth.

"Better," Noah said, then moved to the other leg. He threw it aside after severing it, too. Blazius' whines echoing around them. Blood sprayed Noah's chest and arms, staining the ground around them a vivid red.

Blazius hadn't removed his foot from his mouth. Good. He was learning.

Noah crouched over him. Blazius' eyes were wild and desperate, his fear stinking the air.

"Now," Noah said, "let's begin."

*** **** ***

Arthur stared at the thing that was Blazius.

It had taken Noah longer than he'd expected to vent his anger. The night had fallen, and Blazius lay in several parts all over the clearing in front of the dark building. Blood darkened the area until it was one big stain, and Noah's skin itched with the dried blood. He rolled his shoulders, eager to wash off the stink.

Next to Arthur, a green-faced Mathias and two other vampires gaped at the scene. Mathias turned around and threw up.

"Is he even alive?" One of the vampires asked, looking around. "Where even is he?"

"The main thing is there," Noah said, pointing to where Blazius' stump lay unmoving. Heart still beating and lungs still drawing air. His limbs were scattered around him in pieces, but he was still very much alive.

Mathias recovered and squinted. "Wait, in his mouth, Is that ... ?"

"His dick, yes," Arthur replied. Mathias turned again and heaved.

"Gotta work on that, Mathias," one of the vampires said. "The stink of blood and urine is enough, we don't need to add vomit to the mix."

"I'm tempted to call Elle here," Arthur said, moving closer to Blazius. "She will reevaluate her fondness of you if she sees this."

"I think not," Noah said. "The bastard ordered the rape of several women and kept children in cages."

Arthur considered and nodded. "True."

He crouched over Blazius. "How did you even cut his dick off?"

"I have sharp claws," Noah said. "Do you need help cleaning-"

"No, you've done your part," Arthur said, straightening up.

Noah nodded and left, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. He had just showered off the blood and changed into a fresh pair of shorts when Lillian linked him.

"Where are you? We're near the lake."

"Coming," Noah said, jogging down the steps of his house.

The pack village was alive. People hung around in clusters, laughter and chatter filling the air. String lights sparkled around trees, and a couple of blue flames hovered right next to the lake where a long table was set up with food Noah could smell from the distance. Jennifer must have cooked tonight.

Adults and pups lingered around the food. Noah spotted Charles, Irene and the Seer standing next to Mary, one of the pack's elders. She and the Seer were conversing, and Charles and Irene argued in hushed whispers nearby.

"Noah!" Ezra called, weaving through the adults' legs and barreling towards him. Noah smiled and met him halfway, plucking him off the ground and throwing him in the air. Ezra's blue eyes sparkled like stars. "There's cake! And Elle made fireworks!"

Noah was relieved to see the twins back to their old self. The experience had no doubt affected them, but he and Lillian would make sure they recovered as much as they could.

Elijah ran over, followed by Leena. The little girl was dressed in a pink tutu and a black t-shirt that smelled like Kate's daughter. She was quick on her feet. Noah threw Ezra on his back. The boy squealed and held on to his neck, then Noah bent down and picked up Elijah and Leena.

"Noah!" Leena said, her grin contagious.

"That's right! It's Noah!" Elijah said.

Leena put her little hand on his scarred cheek and tilted her head. "Owie?"

"No, it doesn't hurt. Right Noah?" Elijah said.

"No, it doesn't," Lillian replied, coming closer. She took Leena into her arms and smiled at Noah. "Did you teach him a lesson?"

"Yes," Noah linked her as they walked toward the crowd. Elijah and Ezra locked arms and were technically fighting right over his shoulder. "I made him eat his foot, then his dick."

Lillian sputtered a laugh, her eyes twinkling. No doubt she thought he was joking. He didn't correct her.

The table was set up with all kinds of foods and drinks. Elle was standing by the side of the crowd, the boy right next to her. Elias and Jackson peeked from under the table, and the twins climbed down Noah's body and disappeared under the table, joining them.

"He's been following Elle like a little shadow," Lillian said, following his gaze. "I think he's going to be fine. He and Leena."

They would. They had people who genuinely cared for their wellbeing, now. Noah still didn't know how Arthur would act around the boy once they were home, but he wasn't worried. He knew Elle. She'd make sure both Arthur and the boy were fine.

Lillian poked Noah and nodded her head down. A small hand sneaked from under the white cloth covering the table and picked up the plate of chocolate chip cookies. The plate disappeared under the table, and Noah heard the sound of stifled giggles and crunching cookies.

Jennifer came close, holding out her arms. "Where's my little Leena?"

The little girl gladly jumped into Jennifer's embrace. "Cake?" she asked.

Jennifer laughed. "You love me just because I give you cake, don't you?" Jennifer cooed, moving to the head of the table where dessert was set up. People stopped her along the way and gushed over Leena.

Lillian leaned into Noah's side, put her head on his chest and sighed, a small smile on her lovely face. "Being home sure feels nice."

Anna waddled close by, her hand on her belly and her eyes scanning the table. "Hey, where are those chocolate chip cookies?"

The giggles under the table turned hysterical and Lillian laughed, the sound soothing Noah's wolf.

She was right. Being home sure felt nice.

Completed on Friday, February 10, 2023, 23:00 GMT+1