"You let him go," Sheryl stepped inside the room only minutes after the men had left with Nicholas. Her tone held a mix of concern and taunt. I wasn't sure. "And you stayed here? Away from your own mate?"

I paused, my hands still busy packing a bag. "I don't intend to stay here."

She stepped further inside and her gaze fell over the bed, where I was packing a bag. "Where are you heading to?" Her voice quickly changed as tension creased her face.

I glanced at her momentarily and threw the bag over my shoulder. "To where they are headed, but I'll be taking a different route." I responded, truth in my words. I didn't intend to leave Nicholas alone.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "What? It's—you're walking straight into danger. It would be only thing if you had left with him and his men, but it's another thing to go there alone. The streets aren't safe, not yet and they might not be until this is over." She stomped forward and said.

"I'm not sitting here while there's a very good chance that he'll be killed there in less than a few hours," I moved closer to the door and opened it up. "Thank you, for letting me stay here and letting Nicholas heal."

"You cannot leave," She grabbed my arm and stopped me. "There's so much at stake here and it's just not you. If someone finds you on the streets, especially a rival wolf, they'll hold you leverage against Nicholas. This entire plan could unravel and you could put all of us in more danger." Her fingertips dug deeper into my skin as she forced me to stop. "Let the duel happen, let them fight as they must."

"And if he dies? What am I supposed to do then? Still sit?" I snapped at her. "I'm going and you cannot stop me."

"This is more just sitting. If there's even the slightest chance that you could be carrying the next alpha, that only puts you and the future of this pack at risk."

"Well, there's no assurance of that—"

"I can't let you leave, April." She placed her hand on the door behind and slammed it shut before I could even step out.

"You can't keep me here either. I don't have to listen to you." I reminded her.

Her eyes softened, momentarily and she sighed. "I admire your courage—you've a lot. You're strong-willed, I've seen it before and I'm seeing it now, but there are consequences for this. There are so many ways you can fuck this up if you leave. It's not safe."

I turned to the door, considering my options. I had made my mind too. Sheryl's words weren't going to change. I knew where I was heading to and it wasn't straight among male wolves waiting to tear each other's heads off, or between Nicholas and his father.

"You're going to stop me?" I cocked a brow at Sheryl as my eyes narrowed on her. "Try it."

She drew her hand away from the door and stepped back at my defiance. "Fine. Dig up your grave if that's what you want."

I opened the door and stepped out of the room. A few familiar eyes fell over me as I went down the stairs and outside the house. The men were gone. All of them. Even Malik. There was no one else here to stop me from leaving.

Nicholas made his decision and so did I.

The fog had still blanketed the town. The streets were slick, damp and glistening under the dim light that filtered through the fog. When I stepped out of the gates of Sheryl's house, a cold wind rustled past me and I shivered. My head turned to either side of the street which was unusually deserted.

It made sense.

The roads were clear, the streets were empty. Everything in town was closed as people were warned to stay in their own homes until this was over.

Clearing my mind, I inhaled deeply and began walking on the direction that was going to lead me out of this housing community. I was still unfamiliar with most of the roads here. Directions were unclear, but I kept an eye out for anything odd. My senes were heightened, I sniffed every little scent, ensuring a rival pack wolf wouldn't find me.

I doubted anyone would be here. Nicholas had gathered his men and taken them along with him. Some of them, he had sent out into the woods to patrol while some of them were assigned to to protect his people if things were going to turn bad.

It took me a long while before I finally reached Nicholas's house, a stately two-storey house that I hadn't forgotten even after spending so much time away from it. The fog remained low, lingering over the other houses in the street. For a moment, it all seemed like a dream, a terrible dream.

One I really wanted to wake from.

When I neared the house, I could recognize different scents in the air and I could hear the men from a distance. They were gathered behind, near the land that stretched out behind the house. To the front, they were several people, murmuring to each other as they paced in circles, waiting for all of this to be over.

I didn't tune in to what they were talking about. Instead, I sneaked through the gates and entered the house through the kitchen. I moved swiftly and silently through the familiar rooms of the house. They were all known. Some shadows appeared from corners and I quickly hid behind whatever I could.

As soon as they passed through, I continued and made my way upstairs, careful not to grab anyone's attention.

"...this is what happens when you cross someone..." I heard a voice from someone in the foyer below. "Can't believe...his son."

I continued on my way, not listening in to their conversation. When I reached the door of my old room, I opened it and stepped in. The bed was untouched and whatever I had kept on the tables was still there. Everything was the same.

With a sigh of relief, I quickly hurried to the ground and grabbed the bag underneath the bed. It was a training bag Malik had given me and it filled with supplies and some clothes, for when I needed to go on the trainings with him. Grabbing the bag, I headed out of the room and further up the stairs that led me to the roof.

The stairs leading were narrow and steep. It was dark till I reach up to the door leading to the rooftop of the house. As soon as I opened the door, light seeped into the small room. The roof of the house was big, having a panoramic view of the surroundings and of the land behind where I found hundreds of men gathered.

I heard snippets of conversations and voices, but with the walls long enough, I couldn't see them until I had neared the wall.

I dropped the bag on the slightly wet roof and leaned against the wall, catching a sight of them. My eyes surveyed the land, searching for Nicholas and I found him soon, standing in front of his men and against his father.

Quickly, my attention turned elsewhere. I searched for another familiar face and when I didn't find it in the crowd, my face went taut with worry.

My brother wasn't here.

That only meant he was right here, behind me.

"What a pleasure to see you again."

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