I wasn't the one naked. They were.

So, I didn't have to be embarrassed while going downstairs, sitting on the table for the brunch. I didn't have to be shy about even meeting eyes with wolves for longer who were passing knowing smiles to me.

I didn't have to. But I did.

They knew it. All of them were aware of what I saw because I myself was the one yelling on the top of my lungs.

Keep calm. Keep calm.

The mantra kept moving in my head when Gilbert took his seat and Mom too settled after putting the last plate on the table. He looked around and then, on the toasts and pancakes. He did look at my plate but how could he raise his eyes.

Guess what, he did. Jerk.

Slowly looking in my eyes, the corner of his lips quirked slightly. The fire in me blasted to double fury. I clenched my jaws and looked at my plate, biting on my toast.

Monster!

"How was the journey, Alpha?" Beta Iago asked with a smile. This man would always be caught working and following orders. All I wanted to do was take him to some vacation. Ivan was nothing like his father. Nirvan might have a side of him but of course, a mischievous version.

Gilbert smiled while watching Mom's hands as she passed the bowl of cereal to Aunt Kate. She put toasts and tea cups in front of Pete and her mate.

"Lonely."

I rolled my eyes while picking up my cup of tea that was lying near Eva's plate. She didn't miss this chance to gave me that usual deadly gaze of hers. I chose to ignore that.

"The elders were shocked to see me. The last time, I had gone there was few years ago," explained Gilbert while staring at the table.

"What did they say?" Pete asked hopefully. He looked exhausted because of all the patrolling duties in his father's absence. "Did they tell the logic behind Lycan's acts, father?"

Gilbert glanced at his son and back at the table. He picked up his toast. "They talk in riddles," he said, looking at Eva. "One to go. One to come."

Aunt Kate's eyebrows raised while Mom gasped. "They are talking about. . . Our daughters?" She asked and chuckled in relief when Gilbert nodded stressfully.

"Pete. . ." Nirvan teased with a light wink. "You might meet our Luna this time."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion while the half-sisters beside me started sulking. Natalie paused eating while Eva had palmed her forehead.

But Pete was looking at me as only I knew, what was the situation. He was clearly thinking about the words Stephen had said after concluding Pete's experience of the full moon night. About his mate. I personally thought that maybe, he wasn't getting any hope with Gilbert's words.

"It can be anyone. Maybe, they are just talking about any of the she-wolves." Eva argued, while Aunt Kate gave her a disappointed look.

"Don't say that," she replied. "Elders speak the words which they know will surely come true. They know what is important for an Alpha to hear. They highlighted two daughters of this house."

"What else?" Mom asked him to distract Eva and Aunt Kate.

Gilbert's lips parted while he picked up another toast. "They gave me blessings to host the Ceremony. . ."

Everyone smiled at his words and were nearly continuing eating their meal.

". . . because we will have to take care of things this time, keenly." He completed.

The effect of the end of the sentence was there on their face. Pete looked hopeless now.

Mom's hand reached for Gilbert's as she gave him a soft look. "What things, love?"

Eva was listening carefully.

"Lycans might try to distract us again. They can feel the presence of new souls on this land of ours. Their pack is dying while ours is growing in comparison," said Aunt Kate while shaking her head mildly. "We will have to be careful with everything related to this Ceremony."

"Everything will be fine," said Beta Iago. "Those Lycans can't do anything."

Gilbert gave his Beta an appreciating look. "They won't. Because we have the upper hand. Nothing to be worried about," he told everyone. "No one told me how Keira is now?"

Aunt Kate smiled while Mom replied, "Exhausted. She will recover slowly. It was hard for her."

All those scenes from last night came back and I couldn't even describe what had became of Keira with her bones turning and breaking in different directions before she finally transformed.

"She is a tough one," smiled Pete. "It's just our Natalie remaining now."

Natalie passed him a small smile while Eva mused, "I can't wait to wolf wrestle her."

Gilbert nodded with an astonished look on his face. He was looking away from Eva when his gaze fell on my face. Our eyes met and his expressions turned stern.

"Let her rest for now. No pressure. Because upcoming days might bring a mate for her," he said while not moving his eyes off mine. I glared at him, raising my eyebrow. "And are we already clear that humans need to avoid going closer to the newly shifted wolves if they don't want to get ripped into shreds?"

I gasped mentally at his words while Pete cleared his throat. "Keira is in her room only. That's safe enough for Misty-"

"That's great, Pete." I smiled humorlessly while looking at Gilbert. "Just make sure her door has a good lock and so does each door of every room of this house. That will be safe enough for me from dying of horrors and embarrassment."

Mom choked on her tea while I smirked at seeing Gilbert blinking calmly. He was pissed at my daring.

Mom shut her eyes while everyone else shifted in their seats.

Beta Iago tried to distract Gilbert by mentioning, "I have talked to Robert. They are staying in the Eastern pack for some rest and will leave for next one. Robert asked if anyone wants him to ask Beta Morris about anything. He is good at interpreting riddles. We all know that he often says things that comes true."

Why did the name sound familiar? Oh wait! Beta Morris who helped Alpha Rucus.

Gilbert scratched his jaw while looking away from me. "Just ask him how to teach a human some manners."

I, who was sipping on my tea, paused to see his mean expressions. Gilbert was taunting me.

". . . and wolves some patience!" I mocked back, my right eyebrow on fleek.

A cough escaped Eva but when I glanced at her, she was trying to hide her smile.

Mom's face turned crimson while Gilbert clenched his jaws.

"You have a death wish?" He said slowly in a deadly way.

I flared my nostrils. How dare he said that to me!

"After what I saw in the morning, oh yes!"

Nirvan and Eva starting snickering while Pete patted on the table. "Misty? Enough."

I respected Pete and felt empathetic for what he was dealing with. So I turned silent but I didn't stop giving Gilbert my hateful looks.

The so-called Alpha stood up, his nostrils flaring as he controlled hard not to say anything.

"Iago, I need you in office." And he left.

I rolled my eyes and continued eating when Aunt Kate called out my name.

"Misty, that was uncalled for."

Mom got up to pick up her plates and went towards the kitchen. Beta Iago too got up to follow his Alpha to the corridor.

"He started it," I answered while focusing on sipping tea.

"He was trying to make a joke!" She said while I looked at her in disbelief.

"Oh yeah! By talking about teaching me manners. I don't go around targeting people like him. He is a bully."

Eva gave me an amused look. "And you are not after what you teased him about? Mom's uncomfortable because of you."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore. You guys stop," I said, minding my business while staring into my tea.

"Misty, you need to control that anger." Aunt Kate said softly to me. "It doesn't suit you. Use that aggressiveness to achieve something good-"

A loud growl echoed around, shaking the tables to the doors. Aunt Kate widened her eyes. Natalie palmed her heart in concern while Pete got up to sniff hurriedly.

Eva narrowed her eyes. "What the hell-"

Another growl echoed and all wolves around me got up. They started running towards the kitchen to enter the corridor. I followed at my own speed behind Aunt Kate.

"Where is she!" Gilbert growled at the crowd that formed in the corridor. Aunt Kate made way from beside Natalie while I too joined the circle.

Pete and Beta Iago were looking at me with shock in their eyes. A loud sound echoed of a pot breaking inside Gilbert's office.

That's when it hit me. Shit!

I had completely forgotten about that.

"Who allowed her into my room!" Gilbert stomped out and glared at Beta Iago. "Who the fuck allowed her! Answer me!"

My mouth parted at seeing Gilbert's face. His hair were disheveled and eyes bloodshot. Skin had turned red while utter rage on the nose.

For a moment, I felt scared of dying.

Beta Iago shook his head at Gilbert. "I gave the keys to Luna the day you were gone."

Gilbert clenched his jaws and looked at Mom who looked unaware of what stunt I did.

Mom gulped hard while explaining, "She wanted to talk to Rose. I couldn't see her longing for. . . What happened?"

"She vandalized my office!" Gilbert shouted angrily while glaring at me.

"Wait. What!" I screamed back, pretending to be cool.

"Look at my room!" He gestured angrily for everyone to peek inside. Eva went into the room while I followed. A chuckled escaped my mouth when Nirvan controlled his laughter at seeing photo near the 'my favourite daughter' spot.

"What-What is this? How dare you allow her in my office!" Gilbert yelled while picking up two cards from near the table and throwing at the floor. "These shits. Why they are out!"

Eva bent down and picked up one of them. She opened the card and I bit my tongue. It was one from my childhood. The card was full of cringe. But she only looked at me in shock.

Aunt Kate looked around the office and covered her mouth. Beta Iago and Pete gave me disappointed looks while I didn't care.

Call me petty but Gilbert deserved it.

"Shits? They are just greeting cards for God's sake!" I said, trying to sound as normal as I could.

Gilbert stopped moving and breathed hard. He looked at me deadly. "You did this knowingly. Didn't you? You little piece of shit!"

I gaped at him in disgust. How dare he curse at me like that!

"Maybe, it's my father's ghost haunting you," I said, smiling sarcastically at him.

Gilbert narrowed his eyes. "Oh yeah? Did he check my third drawer?"

My jaw dropped while he gave me an evil smile. "Why are you so irked up by some innocent cards? They are just piece of papers sent by me when I thought you were my true father. But life happens. It's okay. But why have you even saved them? You could just burn them away if you hate me and these so much!" I spat angrily.

Natalie grabbed my elbow, trying to pull me back.

Gilbert flared his nostrils while looking like he would kill me right now.

"Alpha-"

Beta Iago stopped his mere call when Gilbert showed his palm.

"You are right," the monster said. "They are mere piece of papers with your stupid shit written on them. I have been saving them for your Gran's coffin. So she could take them back to your poor human father-"

My heart shook in pain and eyes started to burn at his intense gaze. "No need to do that," my voice trembled. "They were meant for you, not him."

Gilbert laughed maniacally. "True."

My eyebrows furrowed as he nodded his head like he was going mad. He stepped back and pulled out all the cards from the walls, tables, shelves. He snatched one from Eva's hand, other from Aunt Kate's.

Standing five steps away from me, he brought out the lighter from his pocket and lit the fire. My eyes turned stunned as he held the cards' corner right on the top of the flame.

"Gilbert?" Mom's sobbing echoed in the background.

Gilbert only sneered at me. "They were meant for me."

The cards started shrinking and going black, going invisible as be threw on the floor what was left of them.

A tear escaped my eye as I watched the floor embracing the dying flame and ashes of my hard work and innocent love.

"They were meant for me to turn them into ashes."

Gilbert scoffed while stepping ahead and squeezing his boot's tip on the dying flame. The ashes remained while the gold in Alpha's eyes glowed up, scaring me to the death. He leaned downwards to match my height.

"Now, if you don't leave my room, I will make you lick all of this ash. And if you ever try to touch my belongings again, don't even think I will not refrain from ripping your eyeballs out, not make you swallow them because of my love for your mother," he whispered in a deadly calm tone that had chilled my spine. "I will skin your Gran's wrinkly skin with my claws."

"I. Will. Kill. You."

A big hole formed in my throat while eyes burned in pain. More tears leaked as I watched him giving me that death threat.

"Leave!" He whispered in disgust.

I flared my nostrils and turned on my heels, running out of the office with the smell of burning paper following me.

* * * *

The sound of water escaping from the bottle killed the silence that was dominated by my sobs.

Stephen passed me the glass while giving me an understanding smile. "He is a douchebag," he said.

I wiped my tears while trying to hold back the scary sobs. Taking the glass, I tried to gulp down half of it and put it on the table.

". . . You shouldn't have vandalized his office."

I sniffled hard. "Vandalizing is an another level thing, Stephen. Bless Gran for teaching me to realize my limits," I choked out. "Those were just cards. My cards. He called them shit. He called me shit."

Stephen closed his eyes and opened them with empathy on his face.

"You know, I don't care if he burnt them. Hell I wouldn't have cared if he had thrown them away before. But how dare he do that in front of me! How dare he said those things to me!" I sobbed.

Stephen rested his elbow on the couch's arms as I was seated on the corner of another couch. "What did your mother say?"

"She just watched. How could she let him burn them in front of my eyes! They meant a big deal to me all these years. I waited for replies. I waited for his words-" I shook my head and wiped my ears. "He is a monster."

Stephen sighed heavily and shook his head. "I had suggested your mother to run away to somewhere far. A place where he can't reach within a year," he said quietly. "But no. She settled with your father right in the first city that comes after the stretched woods."

I sniffled hard, feeling more tears sliding down my cheeks.

"He kept those cards so he could put them in my Gran's coffin. In any other parallel world, I would have called it thoughtful of him. But a devil remains a devil. Those were cards! Not crucifixes to scare his demonic soul!" I sobbed loudly. "That son of a bitch!"

"Misty. . ." Stephen tried to calm me down.

"He returned after the midnight. Nearly in the dawn. I go to my Mom's room to wish her good morning and he's there having sex with her! How desperate! That cheap shit."

A chuckle escaped from Stephen while he tried to remain silent.

I wiped my cheeks and sniffled. "I have never seen a man like him. He is evil. I am just an eighteen-year-old girl, trying to accept my Mom's amends in rectifying her mistakes. What wrong did I do to her mate! I am living here because he got me kidnapped! Now, he's the one insulting me around."

"Misty, calm down. I know how he is. . ."

I kept weeping while Stephen held my hand and said, "Just calm down. And I will help you prank him more. Arrogant wolves like him have big egoes and little dicks. He needs to know that he can't just bully you all the time. It was a good prank. A healthy and funny joke. Those were just cards. . ."

Stephen laughed while remembering, "You wrote that 'my favorite daughter' with permanent marker. Right?"

A chuckle escaped me while I nodded. "Even if he gets it painted over, I will tattoo it on his arm in his sleep." I gritted my teeth.

Stephen laughed loudly.

"He freaked out. He was red. His eyes were glowing. He could nearly kill me-"

"No." Stephen laughed. "Not so soon, Misty dearest. He doesn't kill someone that easily. He likes to torture the victim, listen to his cries for months until his soul sounds broken. Then, he lefts the victim to die in misery. Killing your father hurriedly was a desperation to not change his mind. Andrew was a competition whom he could never defeat if left alive."

My mouth turned sour. "Devil he is. True devil. How could God let sinners like him live and snatch pure souls like my father?" I said shakily.

Stephen scoffed briefly while looking at me. "That Moon Goddess' up there, don't even get me started how she writes each wolf's fate. She is creative and clever. But remember one thing, Misty dearest. There is a logic behind every thing."

He squeezed my hand. Through his specs, he gave me the warm-eyed look.

"Your father was too precious to live here in this hell we call world. And if your mother was chosen for him, then it was so a beautiful and smart lady with the name Misty could be born," he said while looking at me.

I sniffled softly while trying to calm my weeping.

"Remember, that you will be leaving this pack on the third night. Gilbert will be away from you and so will your biased Mom."

My eyes lowered at his words.

"She is helpless."

Stephen smiled at me. "And you are kind. Idiotically kind. Don't let her make you spend yourself to remove her guilt. She wants you here so she can love you as a mother. But she doesn't know that it is impossible for you to achieve her love without achieving Gilbert's continuous hatred too."

I nodded my head mildly while he patted my hand before getting up.

"I shall bring something for you to eat. It's late in the noon and only tasty food can bring a smile on your face."

I smiled through glossy eyes while he chuckled at me. Pushing his specs back on the bridge of his nose, he turned around to leave for the kitchen.

"Valeria."

He stopped and turned his head to look at me confusingly.

"You have asked Pete to check the data. I don't know if he even entered Gilbert's office. He has been out of the house all the time for patrolling. Besides calling Gran and  putting those cards on his walls, I also checked the three almirahs and three drawers."

Stephen turned around fully, jaw dropping. "You did what?"

I blinked while continuing, "Her mate was Barald from the pack of Lycans. A red Cross was there on the row where her name was written. Year 1991. They sent her to the Lycans. Didn't they?"

Stephen gulped while breathing slowly. "They did," he spoke out shakily. "They had to or all of the packs would have boycotted Gilbert."

The mere relaxation I had received from the new topic was gone now when the monster's name reached my ears.

Stephen's jaw ticked as he gulped again. "She was just sixteen."

My heart stopped. "Why didn't anyone protest? Did you try anything to save her. Stephen? You were the one who helped my mother in running away. You could have done the same with Valeria."

Stephen smiled sadly