Chaos ensued.

Haley took a step back, spun and ran away. Jun made a move forward, his magic a wild beast tugging against the chains of silver. Hayden slammed him against the van, rattling the black vehicle.

Everyone looked as surprised as I felt. Jun's loud curses as they led him away to prison made it clear he was as thrilled about this as Haley.

I couldn't believe it. My heart bled for her. If anyone deserved a good mate, it was Haley. She was the joy of our group, the person who always comforted, the one who found threads of hope in every mess we landed in.

After getting over our shock. We made sure the prisoners were secure and contacted Hale and our parents to brief them on the situation. Haley had disappeared and refused any of our links. But Sam went after her. He would find her. The two of them were very close, but I bet even Sam wouldn't be able to cheer her up.

"This is so unfair," I mumbled past the knot in my throat.

We were back in our house. Ezra and I sat in our kitchen, wishing the past few hours were just a dream.

We might have found a strong lead to the Moon Hunters, but the fact that one of them was Haley's mate cast a heavy shadow on this small victory.

Outside, the sun had disappeared behind a layer of gloomy gray. What little light slithered in through the glass doors cast a depressing film over the house.

Sitting on a stool beside me, Ezra kissed my temple. "We'll figure it out, sweetheart. We'll figure it out."

"How? He's one of them, Ezra," I said, furiously wiping the tears spilling down my cheeks.

My heart cracked every time I remembered the broken look in Haley's eyes. It did not belong there. Haley's beautiful eyes were made for sparks of laughter and twinkling mischief, not a heartbreak the likes of which one could never recover from. She'd lost her mate before even meeting him.

I pushed the heels of my palms against my eyes, but that didn't stop the stupid tears.

Ezra held my shoulders and turned me to him. "Orla, look at me."

When I didn't, Ezra physically pried my hands away and gripped my face. His features blurred. I blinked, and his face came into focus, jaw set and eyes obsidian sparks of determination.

"We're going to figure it out." Conviction punctuated every single word. "Maybe he's not as involved as we think. In that case, we'll convince him to switch sides. He's her mate. He can't resist her forever."

"What if he is?" I asked in a whisper. "What if he's in deep?"

"Then we'll just have to drag him to our side, kicking and screaming," Ezra grinned. "If anyone could drag a person from the darkness to the light, it's Haley. She's just shocked right now, which is understandable. But she's more bull-headed than you think, and she's not going to let him destroy her chance at happiness."

His words eased some of the weight off my chest, and I could breathe easier. He was right. Haley was stubborn and smart. She would find a way to have her mate by her side no matter what it took.

And crying would solve nothing. Pursing my lips, I blinked back the tears and nodded. "Okay."

"That's my girl." Ezra kissed me, and the taste of him settled down the turmoil inside of me.

"Did Sam-"

"He found her. He's with her right now. He'll let us know when she's ready to talk."

I breathed out a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't alone. Sniffing, I slapped my cheeks. "Okay."

"Good." Ezra stood, picked me up and moved to the stairs.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Where are we going?"

"To take a shower." His eyes glittered with a smile. "We also need to remedy Sam's assumptions about my prowess."

I frowned. Assumption? Oh.

Chuckling, I shook my head. "You guys are so silly."

Ezra growled. "That's not a laughing matter, babe. My reputation is on the line."

The world blurred as he zipped up the stairs two at a time. I laughed. Tingles danced across my skin, and for a few hours, we lost the world and its unfairness in each other.

*** **** ***

"It looks like nothing I've seen before."

Hale picked up the blade and ran a finger along the flat surface. The reddish metal winked in the light as he turned it.

Orton, Hale, Ezra, Zane and I surrounded the coffee table in Zane's office, where the two blades that Jun and his friend had been carrying were laid out on a white cloth. The warm interior of the office fit Zane's personality. It also looked much more elegant than Zyron's office, with beautifully carved statues out of dark wood, a big family portrait on the wall behind his desk; with Zane and his mate, Zach and his little sister.

"Does it buzz like silver, Ezra?" Zane asked.

Ezra nodded. "To an extent. But it's different to what silver used to feel to me."

"Hmm." Zane touched the blade on the table. I shuddered, remembering the burning sensation in my fingers when I grazed it earlier.

"I'm going to send a sample of the blade to an acquaintance. He should be able to tell us what kind of metal this is." Zane said.

"We could just ask that bastard and his friend," Hale grumbled, scowling. He looked pissed off. Considering his daughter just found out her mate worked for the other side, the emotion was understandable.

"And we will. But it never hurts to be thorough." Zane looked at me and Ezra. "Your parents are going to be home later tonight. We'll go pay our guests a visit once they're here. No one is to talk to them before then."

The meeting with the pack Alphas had dragged on, apparently. I would've worried, but my mother kept me in the loop through mind link.

Orton picked up the blade by the safe handle and turned it around. Ezra and I leaned closer. My magic pinged. I frowned and leaned closer. Beneath the annoying buzz, there was something that rubbed my magic off the wrong way.

"Wait, what's that?" Ezra mumbled, leaning his face closer to the blade.

"What?" Orton asked.

Ezra pointed to a line that cut through the length of the blade. I squinted. It looked like a shallow thick line engraved on the metal. But I didn't have Ezra's sharp eyesight.

"It's not just a line," Ezra said, squinting his eyes. "I can't tell, though."

His face was inches from the blade. My heart leapt to my throat. "Be careful," I said, tugging him back.

He gave me a smile. "There's a magnifying glass in Dad's office. I'll go get it."

Ezra disappeared and came back moments later with a magnifying glass. He handed it to Hale, and we all crowded around him as he zoomed in on the line.

I squinted. The line was a band of tiny ruins engraved on the blade. I couldn't tell what any of those symbols meant, though.

Hale didn't have my problem. His expression tightened, and he inspected the other blade as well. Then he cursed out loud.

"Magic. It's embedded with blood magic," Hale said.

I snapped my fingers. "So that's what I've been getting from it. I can feel its magic."

Hale raised his brow. "So it's not just living beings."

"But it feels different compared to people's magic," I said. "It's more... dull."

"As it should be. Saturating objects with magic takes a great deal of effort and power. And it needs to be replenished every once in a while. I'm guessing this blade is close to reaching its limit." He looked at Zane. "The blade is indestructible as long as it still has magic, Zane. Forget about sending out a sample for tests."

Zane frowned. "It can't be broken up?"

"Not until the magic is all gone."

Orton nudged me. "Can you take away its magic?"

Cocking my head aside, I regarded the blade. Its magic felt inert. My magic reached for it. But I couldn't find a way to latch onto it. It was like trying to get a fistful of a smooth wall.

Pressure built behind my eyes the longer I tried. Ezra touched my back, bringing me back to reality.

I huffed. "I can't do it. It's frustrating, but I just can't get a grip on it."

Zane smiled at me. "That's okay, darling. Don't force yourself."

"So is it the blood magic that's making the weapon lethal for us?" Orton asked.

"I strongly doubt it," Hale replied. "Blood magic alone wouldn't be able to affect you that way. My guess is it's a mix between the magic and the metal itself."

Which meant we still needed to figure out the metal. And we had a person who could tell us all about it.

"We need to have a chat with our guests," Ezra said.

"Not until Zyron gets here," Zane said. "Why don't you guys go have some rest? It's been a long night. Hale and I will see if we can figure anything else out of the weapons. And I'll have someone check those two idiots' IDs."

The two idiots being Jun and his friend. Orton, Ezra and I left Zane and Hale in the office and stepped out of the pack house. People walked in and out of the house. A group of girls stood near the door. I recognized a couple from school. I waved, and they waved back. But the star of the show was clearly Orton.

It was interesting to see how pack members were less shocked every time they saw us. They stared less and whispered less. Progress.

Orton stopped outside. "I have a healing session with a couple of wolves in the infirmary, so I'll be heading there."

"Already? I thought Mom was going to take care of that," I asked. He'd said something about Mom having scheduled healing sessions with the pack doctor for wolves who'd been wounded by silver.

Orton tucked his hands in his jean pockets. "I'm not as good as Mom, but she's not here, and we don't want to disappoint people and cancel from the first session."

"If you need help-"

He ruffled my hair. "I got it, little sis."

"Do you know the way to the infirmary?" Ezra asked.

"I'll take him!" One of the girls piped in. She didn't even try to hide the fact she'd been listening. Cheeks tinged pink, she skipped down the porch steps and stood nearby, her hands clasped behind her back. How cute. A couple of girls joined her, waiting.

Ezra nodded, his face blank but his amusement lighting up the bond. "I'll leave him in your care, Helen."

Helen beamed. Orton gave Ezra a long look, but he went along with Halen and company. We watched them go, the girls fluttering around Orton like butterflies.

"Your brother is taking the pack by a storm, sweetheart," Ezra linked me.

I exaggerated a sigh. "I would've been popular too if I wasn't mated to you. Too bad."

Ezra growled and squeezed me to him, his fingers digging into my sides. Giggling, I tried to escape to no avail. But my laughter died when Haley's voice filled my head.

"Orla?"

*** **** ***

Ezra and I met up with Haley and Sam near the prison. Deep sunset broke through the shadows of the trees, its reddish glow like diluted blood across the grass.

"The King's orders," Zach said. "Sorry, Haley."

"Just for a moment," Haley argued, amber lighting up her eyes. "You know once the King gets here and you start your torture, it's going to be difficult to find some time alone."

Zach rubbed his hair. Along with Jason, Zach, Ashley, Meredith and Hayden were among the guards of the three new prisoners. No one wanted a repeat of when our latest lead tore his heart out, so we weren't taking any chances.

Besides Zyron and Zane, Hale made it clear he didn't want Jun anywhere near Haley all alone.

Haley wanted a chance to talk to her mate in private before the investigation- aka torture- started. Sam stayed quiet, his keen eyes set on Haley.

I blinked at Ezra. "Can't we just give them some time alone?"

"Sweetheart. Dad's orders," Ezra said.

My face fell. "It would just be for a few minutes, though..." I mumbled, my voice small.

Ezra twisted his lips. He looked at Zach, who shrugged, then at Sam.

"What would you have done in her place?" Sam said.

Ezra sighed. "Okay, fine. But just for a few minutes."

Haley's face lifted. She threw her arms around me and hugged me. "Thank you, Orla."

"I'm the one who's sticking his neck out for you," Ezra grumbled.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't have if not for Orla."

We made it inside the prison, down the gloomy stairs and into the inky hallway. We walked past several guards to where Ashley, Hayden, Meredith and Jason stood in front of three doors.

"Jason, why don't you take a break?" Ezra said. Jason glanced at Haley, then dipped his head and left without arguing.

"Haley?" Hayden straightened. "You can't mean to go in there alone-"

Haley lifted her chin. "I am."

"Damn it, Hales, he's not safe-"

"I know that," Haley snapped. "What are you worried about? That he'll feed me some sweet words and I'll let him go? Really? Does everyone think I'm an idiot?"

Hayden opened his mouth. Meredith tugged his hand. The two shared a look, and Hayden scowled and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.

Meredith winked. "Go ahead, Haley, if you need help beating some sense into him, we're here for you."

Haley gave her a grateful smile. Zach unlocked the door. Darkness bled out of the cell into the hallway. Haley's eyes glowed. Her magic erupted into three amber colored balls of light over her head.

Taking a deep breath, Haley stepped inside followed by her magic. The click of the door echoed, and silence reigned. The hallway was too gloomy. After a few minutes, I couldn't take it. I sent a few sparks of magic up in the air to dilute the darkness.

Silence stretched several minutes.

Hayden tapped the toe of his shoes against the floor.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

No sounds escaped the prison cell. If they were talking, it must be in low voices.

"Can you hear what they're saying?" I linked Ezra.

His eyes crinkled. "No. Why? Want me to eavesdrop for you?"

"No," I grumbled. I didn't want to know what they were saying. It was a private conversation.

Oh, who was I kidding? I did want to know. But I shouldn't. Haley should be able to have a few private minutes with her mate, no matter if he was an enemy.

The tap, tap tapping of Hayden's foot increased in pace.

"Dude, if you're that worried, just go in there," Sam mumbled, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.

Ashley snorted. "If he wants to lose a ball or two."

Despite the teasing words, no humor lightened the air. Silence fell again. Heavy. Oppressive. Suffocating.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

My nose itched. I rubbed it, but the itching persisted. The hallway was too quiet, my heartbeat sounded too loud to my ears.

I lasted three seconds. Then I sneezed.

My sneezes weren't cute. The loud sound broke the spell and Sam snorted, then laughed out loud.

"What are you, a baby rhino?" Sam asked through bouts of laughter as the others joined in. The hallway's mood shifted. Even the guards on the other end of the hallway chuckled.

My cheeks flamed. Ezra grinned and pecked me on the nose. "My little Rhino."

"Careful Ezra, she might devour you in your sleep," Zach said.

"Ha ha, you guys are hilarious," I deadpanned.

Even if it was at my expense, I was glad the oppressive mood lifted. Everyone broke into senseless conversations while we waited for Haley. It was several minutes later when the cell's door swung open. It banged against the wall.

We all straightened.

"Fuck you!" Haley said, striding out of the cell.

"I'd love to," Jun's voice followed her out, a teasing quality to it. "Maybe later, when I'm not chained. Though I'm willing to try with the chains if it's your thing."

Haley took a deep breath, a storm of amber swirling in her eyes. Smoke might come out of her ears at this rate.

"I'm going to kill him myself and save all of us the trouble!" Haley said, striding away. Ashley, Meredith and I trailed after her. She marched up the stairs, leaving dust puffs in her footsteps.

The night had fallen outside, but Haley's glowing eyes battled the moon for brightness. She paced back and forth. The guards around the prison gave her a wide berth.

"The nerve!" She waved her arms around wildly. "Just my luck! He's lucky he's cute, because he's got a shitty character! A complete twat!"

Haley looked determined. Less heartbroken and more pissed off. Pissed off was good. Pissed off was better than the heartbroken defeat she'd been wallowing in earlier.

Meredith raised her eyebrows. Ashley and I exchanged relieved smiles. Ezra was right. Haley would drag Jun out of the darkness kicking and screaming if it was the last thing she did.

--- ---- ---

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M.B.