Warm air kept blowing towards my feet as Nirvan shifted more of the earthen tray filled with burnt coal near me.

I winced when he started cleaning the dirt from my feet with wet wipes.

A steel glass threw in the middle of the room, rolling towards us on the floor. Eva kept screaming in anger. "We were just walking there, mother. In the open ground. We were just talking," she sobbed, sulking her shoulders and looking at Mom with bloodshot eyes. Her whole smoky eyeshadow had spread till her cheeks and mixed with her tears.

She pointed at the other room where Gilbert and other males had surrounded Pete's bed. He was passed out and head was wounded. Beta Iago was treating him because Stephen was completely busy with treating Leo who was in critical condition.

From the main door to this whole corridor and the room where Leo was kept in extreme privacy of white blinds, there were thick pools of blood stained the floor with boot prints pressed in them.

Uncle Robert was inside along with Declan and Uncle Ryan to assist Stephen.

Luna Anne was standing right at my head, glaring and listening to Eva's cries. Alyssa was sitting beside me on the chair, hugging Ellie, Leo's real sister to her chest.

Zac and Klynn were told to sit outside in the drawing room as we were all here in the hospital-like section of Stephen's big home.

Thomas was asked to take care of the party that was still going on with the common wolves of all packs.

"Straighten your feet," said Nirvan while glancing at me. "This will hurt a little."

I did as he told and that's when, he picked up the antiseptic after putting the used wet wipes away. My hand shook at seeing the blood on some of them.

To avoid wincing and suffering mandatory pain, I tried to distract myself by looking at Mom and Eva.

". . . He came all of a sudden. . . Running towards the border with a determined face. . . I thought that he had found something. Rabbit or some minor prey. I couldn't even understand the depth of risk he was taking. The wrong he was doing. . ." Eva sobbed loudly while holding Mom's hands who was weeping herself. "Leo understood. He knew what Pete was about to do. Without any thought, he came in his way. To stop him from going into the monsters' den. He was only saving him!!"

"He will be alright," said Mom while cupping Eva's wet cheeks. "Stephen will make him healthy like before—"

"I want your son punished!!" Eva screamed while pushing Mom's arms. "I want to kill him!" She growled.

Luna Anne observed the scene with teary eyes and surprise.

Orina tried to console Eva but she pushed her away too. "Don't give me false hopes! He killed my mate! I can feel him struggling to breathe! I can feel him dying!" Eva sobbed hard with open mouth and dropped on to her knees.

"Misty," Nirvan whispered while I blinked and looked at him. Tears escaped my eyes and he nodded. "There are scratches and wounds from cold and small pebbles. I must bandage your feet."

I nodded slowly. It was nothing, comparing to what Leo suffered.

"Okay," I choked out.

Nirvan gulped and started putting the cotton on my wounds. He then wrapped the bandage around my feet.

It reminded me off the claw injury Eva suffered on her cheek. The blood had stopped and soon those claw marks would be healed too. Yet there were other places on her forearms and back where she needed to be bandaged. But she wasn't getting in control. She was here before anyone. Leo was already being taken care of. When everyone arrived too, she had been crying since then.

"Do you want them to operate him or not?" Mom scolded Eva, with tears in her eyes. "Stephen needs to concentrate. Eva, please calm down."

Luna Anne came forward and patted Eva's shoulder. "Get yourself mended, dear. Nothing will happen to my pup. He has such a beautiful life left to live with you. Us."

"His eyes rolled back. "Eva sobbed with horror in eyes. "Every inch of him was bleeding. I tried to save him. But he kept pushing me away. He didn't let me come in between. It happened so quickly. Just a play of three minutes."

Ellie hiccuped and cried harder while Alyssa kept hugging her.

"I want to kill him," said Eva through clenched jaws. "I want justice."

"You will get justice," said Clark while coming out of Pete's room. He came out of the corridor and entered the one we were sitting in. "But before that, would you try to understand what happened? Pete's Lycan mate tried to call him. He was nearly hypnotized. It's not his fault. He wasn't in his senses."

"I saw Pete's face full of a chunk of my mate's meat," cried Eva while recalling the scenes.

Gilbert came out next while Nirvan knotted my bandage and got up. He picked up the first aid box and patted my shoulder.

"Thanks," I whispered while he went away without a word.

"I want to rip Pete apart like he did to Leo. I want to color my hair with his blood. I want to drown myself in his blood. I want him dead!" Eva said through gritted teeth, her eyes holding blankness.

Gilbert sat beside Eva on the floor and said, "He wasn't in his senses."

"I don't fucking care!" Eva screamed on his face. She grabbed her father's collar and let out a loud sob. "Father, please! My mate! I want him speaking! I want him smiling like he was before Pete came."

Gilbert's white shirt was messed up by the blood. He stared at Eva's mad face and told, "Pete will kill himself after waking up and knowing what he did. Do you think that Pete would kill Leo knowingly? Leo? He is already dead knowing that his mate is one of the Lycans."

Eva's lips trembled, curled up in a sob. She shook her head and squeezed her eyes.

"Do not lose your sanity in sorrow. Lycan did their job well by doing this to us. You are doing just what they planned of. Pete is the same brother who took care of you when your mother ran away and I was sulking in the corner like a careless drunkard. The same brother who never taunted you for your stay here despite finding a mate. The same brother who gave you as much as freedom he himself had. The same brother who stays awake night and day, managing the pack and patrolling."

"My mate," Eva cried heartily, it brought fresh tears to everyone else's eyes including mine.

Gilbert gulped hard. His hair were disheveled and eyes glossy. "He will be fine soon," he said carefully.

Eva shook her head. "He's almost dead. Nothing left in him. I saw his ripped limbs, father!" She sobbed, ripping her hair in anger and sorrow.

Mom and Luna Anne tried to pull her arms down when Declan opened the door of Leo's room hurriedly.

"For Goddess' sake, Eva! Cry outside! This is no place for cries! If you can't pray silently here, then fucking get out! Stephen is having a hard time ignoring your mess and taking care of Leo!" He growled angrily. "I don't want my brother dead because of your stupidity!"

Eva sniffled hard with heavy tears in her bloodshot eyes and cheeks.

"How's Leo?" Luna Anne asked hurriedly.

Declan shook his head. "Keep your prayers high! And Alpha Gilbert? We need Ivan! Stephen needs Ivan! Leo needs blood and immediate stitches. Stephen needs professional assistance," he explained hurriedly.

My eyes widened as Gilbert looked back at Nirvan who was already running out of the house in his best speed.

Declan went back inside and locked the door.

I gulped hard, remembering where Ivan was with what purpose.

* * * *

The doors burst opened, shaking our faint hearts.

Klynn and Zac stood up from the sofas and rushed into the corridor. Ellie was sitting beside me, almost sleeping while crying. She had gotten awake. Alyssa was asked to run away towards Ivan's house and mind Keira who needed a strong company.

Nirvan had returned with Ivan. Without wasting even a second, Ivan was inside the operation room.

Luna Anne and Mom were pressing Eva's forehead and arms who was numb after crying continuously and from the trauma.

Gilbert was too sitting on the floor, taking support of the wall with remorse on his face. Yuri, Viktor, Clark and Blake were inside Pete's room, guarding him because Klynn and Zac still looked like they would kill my brother the first chance they got.

I was myself numb. I could neither sleep nor stay active. I was just awake and waiting. The horror I had seen wasn't leaving my eyes. I had never seen so much blood and such monstrosity.

I didn't know if I was scared or the fear of blood was gone. I didn't know if I was even left sane or had gone mad. Four times, my head twirled and eyes rolled like I would faint any second. But I controlled. I had to.

We had been sitting like that for nearly one and a half hours.

"How's he? What's the report?" Eva asked hurriedly while getting up and looking at Stephen desperately.

Mom, Luna Anne and Gilbert, everyone got up.

Stephen removed his green mask and breathed heavily. He shut the door after him and blinked slowly.

Everyone stared at his face, not-so-wrinkled, white-beard and years of experience of a medic.

"We stitched him," he began slowly, glancing at Gilbert and Eva. "So much blood loss. Declan gave him blood. But. . ."

"But?" Eva asked desperately.

Stephen's face held helplessness when he described, "But he's critical. Chunks of meat from the lower thigh is gone. We stitched him but the damage. . . Three ribs, both legs are fractured. For a werewolf, these kind of wounds will heal. Blood will be made again. Bones will be joined back. Meat will get balanced and healed. But. . . Leo's immunity. . ."

Eva's mouth parted and my eyebrows sttraightened.

"Pete has clawed him everywhere. That'll heal. But the poison of Alpha's claws have reached each part of the body, mixed in his blood. Most importantly, Pete bit his muscles at the neck too. Thank Goddess, he didn't rip them up. But muscles were still punctured. Poison has spread to a point, Leo's health will start deteriorating the moment he'll start healing from these wounds. The poison will work slowly just like he will heal slowly."

"So. . ." Gilbert was confused.

Stephen looked at Eva and gave her an apologetic look. "Even I don't know, what will happen. I can't tell until he wakes up. And he will only wake up after he's healed enough from inside. There's so much pain in the body right now, he can't be awake. We have injected sedative. So much herbal treatment will be needed. Ladies will have to help me out. Hard hands can't manage to pat paste on his clawed body—"

"Will he live?" Eva asked immediately.

Stephen blinked, making us all held our breaths. Ellie palmed her chest, sitting beside me.

"I don't know, Eva." Stephen smiled sadly. "As a medic, I can only observe and state the facts. He will heal but is now left weak. Way too weak to move. When he will wake up, he might be paralyzed forever. His important muscles have been poisoned. Pete is an Alpha. A new one. The attacks have been brutal for a Beta's body. He can bear the pain. But for how long. The poison might kill his inner wolf. Claws of an Alpha who is bothered by a deep sorrow, are always deadly. He might even have less time to fight the poison, than we can think of. Pray the Goddess, dear. She will listen to you."

Eva's eyes widened in horror.

"Gilbert," Stephen called and asked, "Give me a minute. Will you?"

Gilbert wore the covers and mask immediately and followed Stephen into the room.

Eva burst out in fresh tears. Luna Anne and Ellie joined afterwards. Even Mom couldn't control herself.

Ivan walked out of the room and entered Pete's room with a box full of medical equipments in his hand. He shut the door and even sent two of the boys, Viktor and Clark outside as to avoid crowding.

"Paralyzed?" Ellie asked while staring far at the wall. I glanced at her properly. Tears were leaking from her eyes and she was controlling a sob. "My sweet brother would love to die rather than live like that."

"Didn't you hear what Stephen said?" I choked out. "Pray."

She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded.

Not even five minutes had passed when Gilbert walked out of the room. Stephen locked it immediately from inside.

Gilbert checked the wall clock and glanced at me. "A quarter to midnight. You have seen enough tonight. Nirvan, take her home. Put her bags in the first truck you see. Ask Thomas to drive. When they'll be gone, you'll bring Alyssa and Keira to my home and guard it the whole night. Ask Axel and other wolves to join you."

My eyes stayed wide as I looked at Mom and all around hurriedly. All of them were so traumatized by Leo and Pete's incident, none of them reacted to the announcement of my exit.

"Misty?" Gilbert called me, immediately. Giving me a hard gaze, he said, "No words will be exchanged. Listen to Nirvan. And make sure to cover yourself for the night. It's a nine-hour long drive."

Tears slid down my cheeks as I realized. That's it? I was leaving.

He looked away and nodded at Nirvan. I winced as the new Beta came closer and slid his arms underneath my back and thighs. Nirvan carried me swiftly in his arms and started walking towards the door.

"Don't forget to wear shoes," said Mom while looking at my feet and let out a sob too. "I'll call Gran in the morning to inform her."

I didn't even get the chance to have a look of them for more than two seconds as Nirvan was already taking me out of the corridors. We reached the drawing room where Zac and Klynn were sitting with blood on their mind. Orina was sitting beside Klynn, holding his hand tightly.

She passed me a worried look and then, smiled tightly.

Before I could even respond to her, Nirvan had taken me out of the home.

* * * *

I was numb. Very numb.

This wasn't the kind of farewell I had thought of. Not that I blamed anybody. I was just upset with my luck.

I didn't deserve to leave for the city without hugs and cheers.

Thomas grunted hard while putting the cardboard box full of some jars. They clanked and I asked, "What are these bottles?"

"Home made pickles for you. From all the packs and even the one we made here," explained Nirvan while helping with the last suitcase filled with God knows what.

It was a good feeling to see Mom was sending so much for me and Gran. Three suitcases and two large cardboard boxes of eatables. There were two plastic boxes of fresh strawberries and apples, brought specially by Northern pack.

"I am leaving for Ivan's home. Keira is asleep there. Her and Alyssa need to be brought here. You must leave soon," said Nirvan while helping Thomas in closing the iron board of the truck and locking the chains securely.

The orange truck was not very old. It was four seater in the front and had little room for extra luggage and stuff with no terrace, in the back.

Freezing gusts of wind passed through the street. I pushed my chin more into Pete's jacket that I had worn for the journey over my dress. I had left Keira's jacket on my bed only. There was no time to change into some track suit. Except my heels were packed and socks were given to cover myself from the cold.

I was sitting at the porch, waiting for both of them to complete covering the truck's back room with a thick cloth. They tied it with ropes and high-fived silently.

"What if you need to pee in the middle?" Thomas muttered to himself, just as he was about to come towards me. Thinking this, he immediately went inside the house.

"Good bye, then. Misty," said Nirvan while walking closer towards me. He bent down with a sad smile and hugged me, making me close my eyes.

I needed this hug.

"For a sweet innocent human, you saw too much tonight. But these tough things make us strong," said Nirvan on my shoulder. He patted my back while adding, "This isn't the first time something like this happened. All who have had Lycan mates, have tried hard to cross the borders during Ceremony nights and hurt many who came in their way. Willis, Clark, Yuri and even Declan. The difference is just that it would be the first time, the Alpha of Rucussa has a Lycan mate."

Declan? I had almost figured it out by the desperation I had seen in his eyes whenever he talked about sending she-wolves to the other side.

"Will Pete have to step down from his rank?" I asked worriedly.

Nirvan pulled away and straightened himself. "No. But he might have to spend whole life without a mate. Or even die early like Willis did."

"What about Eva?" I asked shakily.

Nirvan chuckled sadly. "Only time will tell. But I am sure, Luna Anne won't let Eva stay here anymore. They will leave with Leo and get him treated there by their own seer or medic."

I blinked in shock.

"Have a safe journey, Misty. Sleep the most you can," said Nirvan when Thomas came out of the house with furry bathroom slippers and a cushion in his hands. "We see many illusions during the night."

Saying that, he turned around and ran away towards the streets.

Thomas lifted me in his arms and walked around the right of the truck. My eyebrows furrowed as he opened the second door and sat me on the seat. "There you can spread your legs and you won't have to hang your hurting feet. Okay? I have put your furry slippers here when you feel like taking a break in between the journey."

"Thanks," I whispered while patting the pocket of my jacket. My heart calmed more when I felt my camera placed safely there. I was going to kill time by watching photos.

"This is the blanket for the chilly wind," he muttered while throwing it at my knees as he had earlier readied it on the driver seat. "There's a water bottle behind my seat."

He shut the door and that's when my heart started beating faster. As if my blood was being pulled by reverse gravity. I observed the house with teary eyes, turning my head fully to make the most of it.

Thomas took a round for a check and finally sat in the driver's seat, closing the door and twisting the key.

A shaky gasp escaped me and lips trembled. I controlled a sob from escaping.

I was leaving the home where I had spent these last two months. Crazy. Fun. Unbelievable. So many words were arriving in mind. The memories from each day were revolving around my eyes.

The truck vibrated and slowly moved as Thomas started driving.

I grabbed the head of seat, looking at the lights in the streets. My teary eyes caught the lit Alpha Rucus' statue, looking for his Lycan mate.

Thomas took a swift right turn, taking the path from the same training ground where I saw the whole evil done.

Shudders passed as my eyes fell on the dark trees. Even the Alphas weren't there for investigation anymore.

Thomas took another right turn and I turned my head back to look at the front. Rough Sandy road was visible in the light. Thomas increased the speed while I rested my back and spread my legs again on the seat. The cushion was helping so much and I was relaxed physically.

But mentally, all I could see was blood even after closing my eyes.

Fed up, I kept my eyes opened and stared at the darkness of these forests through the window, with fog decorating them in this cold night.

"Sleep, Misty. Try harder. It's a long long journey," Thomas said while switching off the light on our heads, completely spreading the darkness.

So, I could fall asleep and