Surprise was written all over Emma's face when she looked up. She gave one nod, and we found our way back to the classroom where we spent the rest of the morning. When lunch time rolled around, Emma was less skittish, but still withdrawn. We made our way together to the cafeteria.

Haley and Ashley were already halfway through their meals. Seeing Haley's hopeful face eased the knot of dread that lingered in my guts for the past couple of days. The prospect of seeing her mate brought the glimmer of joy back into her eyes.

She grinned and waved us over, and we joined her. Jason sat down the long table from us without a tray. I wanted to tell him that he could take it easy and have lunch with us.

Ashley saw me looking at Jason and chuckled, linking me, "That's just the way he is. He takes his duty seriously. Too seriously sometimes."

She and Haley looked at Emma, who sat beside me with her head down.

"This is Emma," I said. "Emma, this is Haley and Ashley."

Emma nodded, glancing briefly at the two girls across from us. "I know."

Haley and Ashley smiled.

"How do you know Emma?" Haley asked through mind-link, taking a sip of her sparkling water.

"Do you know her?"

"No, I know of her. She's kind of infamous. Well, more precisely, her mother is."

"Why's that?"

"I'll tell you later."

I remembered the vampire calling her a freak. It had something to do with this, I guess.

Blake, Ashley, Haley and I kept the conversation light. I tried my best to involve Emma, but I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, so I didn't push.

At one point, I caught her looking at Haley. More precisely, at Haley's neck. She saw me looking and averted her eyes.

Blake and I delivered Emma to her cabin. The way some students looked at her didn't escape my notice. As if she was a monster. A freak. It brought back unpleasant memories and made me feel all the more protective of her.

Blake and I waited as she turned and walked up the path leading to her front door. Halfway there, she stopped and turned, looking at me head on for the first time. If you looked past the flicker of insecurity, her gaze was surprisingly sharp.

"I- thank you for standing up for me," she said, tucking her short hair behind her ear. "I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," I told her. "Let's meet up tomorrow as well?"

She blinked, then slowly nodded, a small "okay" spilling past her lips.

Blake and I found Haley and Ashley in my cabin, lounging on the couch with a bag of chips between them. As soon as we got in, I asked Haley, "so why is her mother infamous?"

Ashley chuckled, patting the seat next to her. "Curious much?"

"Her mother was famous for dabbling in blood magic," Haley explained, scooting over for Blake to sit next to her. "She fell pregnant with Emma while doing so. It must have affected Emma's magic in some way, because the girl can't access it."

My eyes widened. "But... she's a witch."

"She is. But she can't work the magic. I heard her family tried everything when she was little." Haley pinched her lips to the side. "I don't know if there's any truth to the rumors, but they say her mother tortured her in her attempts to force Emma's ability to work magic."

My heart squeezed for her.

"Poor girl." Blake's face was full of sympathy. He'd been in a similar position, I realized, when he couldn't shift.

If you didn't have magic, you couldn't really be part of this world. No matter if you were born into it.

With a sigh, I moved to the kitchen to make us some hot chocolate.

Ezra burst through the door, his eyes finding me instantly. He came toward me and gathered me in a tight hug. I let out a breath. A restlessness I hadn't realized had gripped the bond eased up. I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed as hard as I could, but I just couldn't hug him close enough.

"Do you want some hot chocolate?" I mumbled against his chest.

"No, thank you." He kissed my temple. "I heard from Jason."

I pulled back and raised one eyebrow. "About?"

"The witch. Emma. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Aren't you going to scold me about teleporting to her?" I joked.

Pinching my cheek, he chuckled. I just couldn't get enough of his laugh, no matter how many times I heard it. "I love you."

Haley let out an exaggerated sigh. "You know some of us are still trying to win our mates to our side. Couldn't you be less lovey dovey in consideration?"

Oh, no. I hadn't even thought of that. But my feelings of guilt lessened when I noticed the mischievous look in her eyes.

Blake jabbed her with his elbow. "Stop teasing her."

Haley grinned, unrepentant. "It's fun. I can see why Sam does it."

"Sam isn't exactly the best role model, you know," Ashley said, taking the bag of chips from Haley.

"I'll tell him you said that," Haley said, snatching the chips back from her. "Also, I'm supposed to be heartbroken. Don't take away my comfort food."

Ashley grumbled a curse under her breath, but let Haley have the bag of chips. I made us all hot chocolate and Ezra made pancakes. We'd just had lunch, but chocolate made everything better. And we needed the energy for our training session later.

***

After filling our bellies, we went back to the pack, where Ezra and I had a training session with Dad, Hale and Orton and Haley. While Ezra worked our elemental magic, I tried to work through the newest aspect of my powers; the ability to control other people's magic, to find out the limits of that power.

As expected, the stronger the supernatural was, the more difficult it was to keep control over their magic. But the more I used it, the easier it became. Like stretching a limb that had been idle for too long.

Later in the day, We gathered for dinner in Zyron's cabin. Where we found Mom and Wren in the living room.

Wren was taking shaky steps, leaning heavily on a cane. The sight made my heart soar.

"It's working!" Haley said.

Wren grinned, though exhaustion lined her face and a sheen of sweat covered her skin. The sunset streaming in through the windows set her green eyes aflame."It is. But I feel like a baby horse taking their first step."

Mom was nursing a cup of coffee on the couch, her eyes drooping. She managed a smile as Dad walked over and sat next to her. She must be exhausted.

"How about some rest?" Zyron asked, taking Wren's elbow. She growled.

"I think he's right," Mom said softly. "You need to allow your muscles to rest if you want a consistent healing, Wren."

Wren huffed. "Ugh, fine."

Zyron scooped her up before she finished her words, and led the way to the backyard, where a big table had been set up with a feast.

We sat down, and I scanned the people around the table. A big family. I'd only ever dreamt of such a thing before. Despite everything happening in our life right now, I should remember to be grateful for this.

"Where's uncle Zane?" Ezra asked, scooping roasted veggies into his plate next to the meat. I bit back a smile. I guess he was trying to balance the meal, except that the pile of meat was three times the size of the greens.

At the head of the table, Zyron grunted. "He's visiting with my parents. They've been wanting to host some sort of event."

"To show off the future queen they didn't want at first. Bunch of hypocrites," Wren grumbled, shoving a forkful of beans in her mouth.

"The last thing we need is more outsiders running around our land. At least, not until things settle down."

Sam veered the conversation away from heavy topics, and the mood around the table lifted. The garden lights, the night air and the merry laughter soon made me feel like I was in a different reality, one where I wouldn't have to be worried about being hunted down. One where we lived in peace with other supernaturals without being suspected of trying to rule.

We might be a family of four, but our power scared others. Sometimes I found myself wishing I was just a normal supernatural. Maybe even a normal human. But then I remembered Emma and Blake and Wren. My power brought Wren back from her sleep, gave back Blake his wolf. There were two facets to every coin, and the positive aspect of our power might be worth all the problems.

After dinner, Haley, Blake, Ezra and I went to our cabin, from where I would teleport Haley and Blake to the cell.

I could tell Ezra wanted to come so badly, but we all knew his presence might be too much for Jun. Even my presence might be too much, but I couldn't leave Haley alone with him, no matter if he was her mate.

Standing in our living room, I held Haley and Blake's hands and focused on the image of Jun's cell in my mind.

Ezra caught my eye over Blake's shoulder. "Be careful."

I smiled, and we were gone. A moment's disorientation later, darkness engulfed us and the faint scent of blood clogged my nose.

A flare of Haley's magic illuminated the room in tiny amber orbs that flew to the ceiling and settled in the four corners, banishing the darkness and my uneasiness.

Hunched over, Jun looked like he was only held up by the silver chains. A glittering black eye peeked through the mass of dark hair veiling his face.

His head snapped up when he saw us, hair sliding to reveal an angry gash over his right cheek, a bruise blooming along his jaw and a split lip. Blood splattered his white t-shirt in different spots, and his right arm was set in an odd angle that made me wince. Healing must be slower because of the silver.

Blake and I settled in a corner of the cell while Haley shuffled closer to him, her shoulders tense.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. His voice a dry rasp.

"I wanted to see if you're still alive," Haley replied, standing within an arm's reach. Her voice was low to not tip out the guards outside. "You still are. Barely."

"Why? You want to finish the job?" he asked, giving me a loathsome glance. "Your monster friend will be delighted to help you with that, I bet."

"Why do you hate her?" Haley asked. "You don't even know her, for goodness' sake."

"I don't need to know her. I know what her kind is capable of." He coughed a couple of times and spit blood to the side.

Haley scoffed. "What they're capable of? They've been hunted down for generations by the likes of you. They've done nothing wrong."

Jun's face twisted into a sneer. "Ever wondered why they've been hunted down, Little Sun? And not that drivel you've been fed about fearing their powers or wanting to harvest them."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Haley hissed.

Jun pursed his lips. He looked like he already regretted telling her so much.

Haley made an impatient sound. "Fine. Don't tell. And anyway, I'm not here to finish you off."

"Wouldn't it be easier for you?" Jun asked. "To be rid of the mate you hate so you can live your life as you wish."

Haley took a step forward, her temper clear in the tense lines of her body. She stabbed a finger in Jun's chest. "I'm not a quitter, and I'm not giving up on you. You're my mate, whether you like it or not. I didn't wait for you all these years so I can kill you. So you better get that through your thick skull."

Jun's eyes shimmered. His gaze fixed on Haley, he looked like he just saw an angel.

He smiled, and for the first time, it looked like a genuine smile. Then he whispered something meant only for Haley's ears. I looked away and pulled out a game on my phone to play with Blake.

Haley and Jun's voices were pitched low, but they spoke for a long while, and by the time Haley told me we could go, she looked hopefully determined, and Jun looked thoughtful. I took that as a small win.

Jun's words stayed with me that night.

"Ever wondered why they've been hunted down, Little Sun? And not that drivel you've been fed about fearing their powers or wanting to harvest them."

What had he meant? What had my ancestors possibly done to cause a hate that lasted for generations?

If anyone knew, it would be my father.

The following morning, I found Dad down the creek next to our cabin in the pack, doing handstand push ups. That was insane. I could barely do normal pushups without feeling like my arms were turning into noodles.

He hopped and twisted to his feet. Sweat darkened his red hair and plastered strands to his forehead, his clear eyes sparkling under the rising sun.

"Want to join me?" he asked, and laughed at the face I made.

Accepting the coffee mug I got him, he settled down cross-legged on the dewy grass. I sank down across from him, ignoring the cold seeping through my leggings.

I took a sip of my hot chocolate. "I want to ask you something."

He hummed and watched me. Hmm. How should I ask him without hinting that I'd taken Haley to see Jun?

"Why have we been hunted down? I mean, I know you said it's because some supernaturals are scared of our powers and others want them for themselves, but couldn't there be another reason?"

Dad took a long sip of his coffee, his sharp eyes fixed on me. I tried not to fidget.

After a sigh, he spoke, "there could very well be other reasons, but those are the reasons my parents have told me, and their parents before them. You have to understand, we couldn't keep written records of our history because it might be dangerous and might help the Moon Hunters track us. So all our heritage is oral, passed down from parent to child."

Dad frowned at the distance. "I never questioned my parents' reasons. They made sense. They still do. But you're right. There could be something else, another reason why we're so hated."

"You don't have any idea on what it might be? Any guess?"

Dad shook his head. "We're talking about thousands of years since the first Moon child. If there was anything in our history, then finding a record of it is close to impossible. Where did this come from anyway?"

"No reason." I cleared my throat. "I just want to understand our enemies better."

Dad gave me a long look. "Don't get into any mischief, Little Cherry."

I widened my eyes and blinked. "Me? I would never."

Chuckling, he shook his head and jumped to his feet. He pulled me up and we walked to the house, where the heavenly aroma of my mother's oatmeal greeted us.

It would be another busy day for Mom and Orton, who would be working on healing Wren and making a list of all the patients with permanent silver-induced injuries or disabilities.

Apparently, supernaturals from all over the world wanted to be on that list. The number was massive. Certainly not something we could tackle right away.

So Orton and Ashley were set to work on organizing that list in order of priority by the severity of the injury and how much it affected the patient's day to day life.

All four of us would work our way through the list slowly, in order to not strain our magic. But it would be a very long time before we finished it, if we ever could, since new silver-induced injuries would keep happening over the years.

"Faeries, like your mother, can heal silver wounds as well," Blake asked as we made our way to class that morning. "Wouldn't making more fae help with that?"

"That's exactly what I asked Vanessa the other day," Haley said. "But they can't just start turning random humans into faeries. It would give some people who are already on the fence about Moon Children the wrong idea."

I sighed. "There is still so much to figure out."

"You're still an emerging species. It'll take time to set rules and limits for your powers the way the other species do, time to learn what works and what doesn't. Oh, that's Emma."

Haley waved. Ezra narrowed his eyes on the shy girl, who walked hesitantly over, her gaze cast down.

"So this is the infamous Emma," he said through the link.

"Be nice."

He threw an arm around my shoulders and squeezed me to him. "I'm always nice."

Right. Emma avoided Ezra's eyes, which wasn't odd since she avoided most people's eyes and my werewolf prince was actually intimidating.

He exchanged a look with Jason, who was never more than a couple of steps away, and then Blake. Then he kissed me before going to his class. I knew exactly what those looks meant.

Haley linked her arm through Emma's, who smiled at her. "Let's go. I don't have any class this morning so I'll hang out with you guys."

The four of us made our way to the lecture, which Haley spent doodling randomly on her notebook. I caught her writing Jun's name, then quickly scribbling over it.

Her cheeks blazed when she saw me looking. I wiggled my eyebrows.

"Shut up," she grumbled.

"I didn't say anything," I linked her back. She slammed her forehead on the table and stayed that way until the lecture finished.

Emma's friend, Delaney, caught up to us on our way out of the lecture hall.

"Hey!" She glanced around. "Your brother isn't here today, Orla?"

She was so straightforward, it was cute. "No. He's a little busy."

"Oh. That's too bad." She giggled. Then linked her arm through Emma. "Let's go, Em."

Emma untangled her arm and gave Delaney a smile. "It's okay. I'll see you later."

Delaney blinked, clearly surprised. "Oh- well, okay. I'll see you guys later!" Delaney said with an unsure smile and walked away.

Haley and I exchanged a look. I wanted to know what happened between them, but I didn't want to seem too nosy. Haley clearly had no such qualms, because she asked Emma, "Are you guys okay?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah." But didn't elaborate.

Okay, then.

We spent the rest of the day together, going to lunch and studying. I hadn't noticed until Blake discreetly came to stand between me and Emma in lunch line. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What are you doing?" I asked, only now realizing he'd been putting himself between me and Emma all morning.

He grinned. Aha. I saw how it was. I bet Ezra told him to.

He didn't trust Emma, which was understandable. Even though it made me feel bad, I had to admit to myself that I didn't trust her fully either. Was it because of the knowledge that her mother dabbled in blood magic? Or maybe Ezra's paranoia was rubbing off on me.

Whatever the case, it was better to be safe than sorry. So I made it easy for Blake and tried to keep him between me and Emma for the rest of the day without making it noticeable. Fortunately, Emma seemed to develop a liking to Haley, so she stuck to her side until we had to go our own way.

When night rolled around, Haley, Blake and I found our way to Jun's cell again.

He was less surprised to see us tonight, and Blake and I went to our corner while he and Haley spoke in hushed voices.

The next few days went along the same lines. We were settling into a peaceful routine that left me uneasy.

I didn't want to jinx it, so I didn't say anything of the like to Ezra or my friends. But that feeling of bad premonition lingered in the pit of my stomach. As if something would go terribly wrong very soon.

And I was right.

*** **** ***

Several days later, Ezra and I slept in since we had no morning classes and we decided to skip training for once.

"I want to help, but Dad says only two of us should be involved in healing at a time," I said, leaning back against the headboard with a yawn.

"He's right. The times are still unstable right now, so it's