"Ebony, please," Carter called to me. "I'll do anything."

I turned to look at him. "Anything, Carter? Bring back my family." I snapped at him. "I remember what you did to me, Carter, and I remember the night you took me from my parents. The pain you caused me and how much you enjoyed it." I had flashbacks of Carter cutting my flesh and laughing as I squealed in pain. I remember his pleasure at seeing me cry out for my mother and begging him to stop. I remember him drinking my blood as I lay there terrified.

"That wasn't me." Carter protested, taking a step toward me.

"You told me you would always own me and that if I escaped, you would find me," I looked up into his lifeless eyes. "You left me in that cave for months on my own. I was alone, scared, and an inch from death when you returned to me."

He nodded. "You were so weak that I couldn't even hear your heartbeat," he said with tears in his eyes. "I was amazed that you even survived. That's how I knew you were special. You were surrounded by death and misery, but you wouldn't give up on life, and that is when I knew you were different."

"Don't listen to this bullshit, Ebony. Let's go," Edward pulled me away.

"I suggest you let them talk this out so I don't have to hurt you," Jake said, cutting off Edward and pushing him back.

"Try me fuck Witt," Edward growled in Jake's face.

"You took me to the hospital," I continued ignoring Edward and Jake. "You left me at the doors in the night with my name written on my arm." I pointed to my forearm. "The only memory of my past was written on my arm."

Carter just nodded and hung his head in shame.

"I was given a blood transfusion that night. Human blood then raced through my veins, not wolf. I was transformed into one of them with no family, no friends, and no past. I was alone in this world with nothing more than the clothes on my back," I held back my tears as I stared at him. "I was nothing to anybody, Carter. I was even a stranger to myself."

Carter looked away from me as a tear fell from his eye. "I thought you had died that night. I thought for sure you would give up the fight and die, but you didn't. You just got stronger and stronger. It was a miracle, Ebony. I ran to my mother and confessed everything to her. She put a memory spell on you, and by the time you woke up, you had no memory of yourself, your family, or me, and so I walked away convinced I would never see you or hear from you again," he shook his head slowly going over everything in his mind.

"See, that's the thing, Carter. You got to live this wonderful guilt-free life while I grew up in foster homes and adoption houses. Nobody wanted the girl with no past. That was until I met Harry, the sweet old janitor of the local school library. He didn't care that I had no past; he only cared that I had a future. He adopted me and raised me until ....."

"I did not kill him," Carter said abruptly, holding up his hands. "I never went near him, I swear."

"No, you didn't, but Leon did, didn't he? He found me, and he found out you hadn't killed me. He knew the truth, so he killed Harry and made it look like an accident so I would have no choice but to move in with my only friend Janet the girl who just happened to work for Midnight Industries. He knew I was your weakness, and he knew this was his opportunity to attack you."

Carter nodded. "He told me he had found you, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you in that office. In fact, I was convinced you were a demon or some kind of witch. I spent weeks just watching you, stalking you in the shadows, just like I had so many years ago."

The tears fell from my eyes as I remembered, "You were the thing I saw in the darkness outside my window, weren't you? You were the monster I saw in my dreams."

He nodded, "I was fascinated by you. The way you smiled, the way you laughed even after everything I had put you through, you still smiled, and that intrigued me. You were so strong and beautiful, and I couldn't take my eyes off you," he looked away from me and closed his eyes. "After a while, I began to obsess about you. You consumed me like nothing else ever had. You were my only thought, and I knew it was happening again. I knew I had to do something. I took your phone from the gym that night, knowing you would return to work for it. I had planned on killing you that night and ending all of it."

"Then, why didn't you?" I screamed at him as tears ran down my face.

"Because as much as I am the monster you believe I am, I was also hopelessly in love with the girl I was supposed to kill. I knew I could never hurt you in any way, and I knew I would always want you, even after death," he opened his eyes, and I watched as the silver glitter sparkled from his eyes like never before. "I love you, Ebony. I always have, and always will. I'm sorry for hurting you and your family, but I'm not sorry for loving you. I will always love you, and I will spend the rest of my life proving that to you," he pleaded to me. "I promise you that," he grabbed my hands in his. "Let me show you, please."

"He is lying, Ebony. He is a monster who killed our pack, our family. He left you for dead," Edward yelled, pushing Jake away from him. "He will hurt you again. That's who he is."

"Who are you?" I said, turning to my brother.

"What do you mean? I'm your brother, your family. I'm your blood," Edward protested. "He is a beast who killed for the pure pleasure of it."

"I know what he is, and I know you are my brother. I can smell you, but I ask you again. Who are you, really?" I said, walking towards Edward.

"See, he's getting in your head again. This is what he does." Edward said, pointing at Carter. "You can't trust him."

"Answer my question." I started at my brother impatiently.

"I don't understand?" Edward said, looking confused.

"How are you still alive, Edward? I understand why I am, but I don't understand why you are?" I said in his face.

"What are you talking about? I escaped Leon years ago and have been living in the forest with my new pack. I have been waiting for you."

"See that I find a little hard to believe. How does one escape from Leon exactly? I have been trying to escape from him for months now, but he finds me every time, and you're saying he just let you go? It doesn't make sense, does it?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I... Ebony, please. We need to get out of here. The war is coming, and we need to get out of here." Edward grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the darkness of the city.

"She's not going anywhere without me," Jake sneered at him. "I will not let her go anywhere without me." he bared his fangs at Edward.

"Ebony, we must get out of here," Edward said, backing away from Jake. "The pack is waiting for us. I know you feel it inside you just like I do. You feel our bond deep inside your heart. I know you do," he said, touching my hand. "You are the only family I have left now."

"Where is he, Edward?" I said calmly. "Where is Leon?"

"I don't know?" He yelled frantically. "What kind of a question is that?"

"You are my brother, and I love you, but I can also hear the fear in your heart. I know, Edward." I said, patting his hand. "I know what is going on."

"You know what?" Edward threw his hands up in the air. "What is going on?"

"I know that you are scared right now and that you would never want to hurt me unless you absolutely had to. It's ok." I smiled at him. "I forgive you."

"Ebony, stop this. We don't have time. We need to go." Edward looked panicked as he searched the dark night.

"It's ok, and I forgive you. I understand what fear does to you. Just be honest with me. It's ok."

"I'm telling the truth." a tear fell from his eye, and he turned away from me. "I'm sorry, Ebony, I had no choice," he sobbed into his hands. "He made me find you. He told me he would do unspeakable things if I didn't obey him. I'm so ashamed right now," Edward cried, wiping his eyes.

"You never escaped from him, did you?" I said, feeling the pain in my heart as I watched my brother break in front of me.

"No," he sobbed. "He has kept me locked up in a cave all these years with another pack, feeding my hunger with scraps and my fear with his threats. He kept me only to use against you. I'm sorry. I should never have done this" he turned and walked away from me. "I'm sorry, I will go."

"Edward wait," Carter said, walking towards him. "I'm sorry for everything I did to you and your family. I have no excuse for my behavior back then, and I can't give you back your family, but I can help you right now. I can give you your freedom back and try to make up for my past."

Edward shook his head. "If I do not return to Leon with Ebony, he will not only kill me, but others will suffer as well. I cannot let him hurt others because of my failure."

"I can help you," Carter said, walking before him. "We are both fighting for the same outcome here. We can kill my brother and end this war on innocent creatures."

"You don't understand. If I don't return to him tonight with my sister, then other wolves will die. He is holding a pack of wolves on his land and has told me if I do not return to him, he will kill them. My mate is in this pack, and he will torture her if I do not return to him"

"I understand, but we can work this out," Carter said calmly.

"I will go with you," I said, cutting off Carter. "I will go with you, and we will end this tonight."

"Ebony, no," Carter said. "I know you are mad at me right now, but you don't have to do this. I can assure you I will protect your brother."

"I know you would, but I need to do this. We need to do this. I need to help my brother."

"Eb, you can't be serious right now? You will die if you go to him," Jake said next to me. "I won't let that happen."

"I know you won't, and that is why I'm not worried. Leon might have an army, but I have my family, and that is all I need. If I can distract Leon and make him think he has won this..."

"Then we have a chance here," Carter said, raising his eyebrow at me.

"Exactly," I nodded. "I play the poor battered victim and go to him, making him take me under his wing, and then I slit his throat with a silver dagger and watch with a smile as he begs for his life with his very last breath." I smiled sweetly.

"You are a pure fucken evil genius, and I love you for that," Jake said, smiling. "Remind me never to piss you off again."

"Are you sure about this?" Carter said, looking terrified.

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure," I smiled.

"As you wish," Carter said, backing away from Edward with his hands up. "If you need me, I will be there in a second."

I smiled at Carter and nodded my head.

"You would do this for me?" Edward said. "Even after all of this?"

"I'm doing this for my family, for Harry, for Janet, my pack, and for the man I love more than anything. I'm doing this for my future, and nothing is going to stop me anymore, not even myself. I'm done being scared. I faced my monster without even knowing it, and I survived, and now Leon doesn't stand a chance. I will hurt him as he has hunted me, and I will kill him tonight."

"I'm so turned on right now you have no idea," Carter said through gritted teeth. "Sorry to interrupt. Love you ... continue," he took an awkward step back.

"You are really going to do this?" Edward said, holding my hand tightly. "You are going to risk your life for me?"

"I'm not scared anymore, I have everything I have ever wanted standing right in front of me, and I will kill anyone or anything which threatens that. I'm so done with all this bullshit and drama already, aren't you?" I smiled sweetly between them