Chapter Twenty nine

The council gathered for yet another desperate meeting. The attacks on London increased by a harrowing 78%. The threat of the supernatural much dire than it had been decades ago. The head of the council, paced up and down, tapping his chin in a subconscious manner. A gentle tap at the door, his head turned, and he managed a smile. "Come in."

The witch pushed open the glass door and sauntered in. Not taking the seat he offered her, she remained standing. "I've put up a barrier spell. Vampires and werewolves will not be able to get in. It's necessary we take these actions."

He nodded. "The threat is worse than I can remember."

Two workers entered the room, holding two giant sports bags. Leaving them beside the witch, they tugged at the zip, till it finally slid open, revealing a vast collection of weapons and equipment. Abandoning his seat, Sullivan moved nimbly to her side. "This is all we need?"

"That and Hunters. Train all the men and women you have here."

"That's already sorted." He grinned. Taking one last glance at the bags brimming with arms, he resumed his sitting and pondered over their next move. He knew he couldn't risk the lives of his Hunters. Weighing out the options, he concluded his next move. Making eye contact with the witch, he knew well to keep her away. She wouldn't agree with his method. He needed to take matters into his own hands. The witch and her rules be damned.

~

He rocked back and forth, hard in the metal chair. He couldn't wait any longer. She promised him a change, promised he would get what he desired the most but yet, she was nowhere to be seen. The desolate room only angered him further. The door swung open and shut. She appeared, flashing him her pouty, red lips. "WHAT TOOK SO LONG?" He shot to his feet, slamming his fist into the single table. With a swish of her hand, he fell back in the chair.

"No need to be so impatient. I told you, I'll give you what you want as long as you help me. I don't appreciate people undermining my powers."

"You're late!" He growled.

She rolled her eyes. "I was busy taking care of a situation."

The door opened and a gush of wind ruffled his hair. The dark-haired vampire stood before him, smirking. Something about that smirk ignited a rage in him. The vampire had a face that bore a startling resemblance to someone, but he couldn't pinpoint. Taking his hand to his mouth, the vampire bit down, removed his hand and placed it over a glass, letting it fill up with his darkish red blood. With greedy eyes he watched, licking his lips, fully aware of what was coming next. He was one step closer to the thing he desired the most. Handing the glass back to Jameela, she took it and pushed it towards him. "Drink up." She cracked a crooked grin. "We've got work to do." Turning back to the handsome vampire, she crushed her lips on his, and watched as he returned it, hungrily.

Snatching up the glass he gulped it down. Every last drop.

Sophia

Footsteps entered. The door shut and everything fell silent. The set of feet moved closer, in a stealth like manner. Clutching the duvet, I sunk down, trying to hold my breath. The footfalls stopped at my bed and the intruder sat down, feeling around with his hand. The space to my right grew heavier as the prowler shuffled closer and wrapped its arm around me. Grabbing the arm with my free hand, i pried it off and flung the being across the room. Jumping out of bed, I came face to face with a snarling Ethan.

He charged and I stuck my hands out. He stopped, eyed me up and down, then howled with laughter. I thrust my hand out again, waiting for the power but nothing happened. "Your magic doesn't work here, beautiful." His laughter was sinister. Backing away slowly; he edged closer. I took one step to be stopped by the bed.

"Ethan! What do you want?! Get away from me."

He took another step closer, and I bolted onto the bed. Grabbing my ankle he yanked me down, flipped me over and leapt on top. All I knew was fear. All I knew in that moment he pushed himself against me, trying to force his way; I wanted to survive. I wanted to fight. Through the tears I dragged my knee up and it connected with his groin. He let out a Yowl, his hold on me faltering. Bringing my hand up, palming his chin, i knocked him backwards. He cursed and tried to regain his grip. Rolling off the bed, clambering to my feet, they hammered across to the door. Fingers latched on, yanking my strap back and discarding me. Crashing into the wall, my body slumped down. I felt my heart give way, it wanted to give up. Everything dimmed down. In slow, heavy steps he stalked closer. Each step purposeful.

Blinking through the fiery tears, I watched the blood dribble down his face. I wanted to fight, but every bit of me froze. Suddenly, I forgot how to move. Screams ripped through me when his knee met my core. Shielding my face, I continued to scream.

"SOPHIA!" The voice called out. I kicked and screamed. Hands clasped around my wrist, pulling me up. Eyes closed, crying, and screaming I thrashed in their hold. "Please-pl-please let me go...no no! Ethan no!"

"Sophia! Sophia, look at me...it's me. Look...it's me Theo."

From scrunched lids, my eyes relaxed and slowly they peeled open. The light re-entered and I peeked his face. It really was Theo. With shallow and rapid breathing, I rocked back and forth. My eyes widened and I searched every corner of the room. He wasn't there. He was gone. "Soph, what is it?" His hold on my arms were warm and protective.

Gripping his arms, meeting his crumpled face I weeped. "Ethan was here. Ethan...he-he."

He shook his head, brows furrowed and lips tugging down into a deeper frown. "No one was here, Soph. I literally just walked in a few minutes ago when I heard you screaming."

"No..." I glanced around, disbelief taking over. "He was..."

"Look at me Soph."

I looked at him and I really looked at him. He was real. He was here. Not Ethan.

"No one was here."

"It felt so real." I whimpered, hugging myself. "He wasn't really here, was he? It was some sort of nightmare.... fabricated vis-Theo, you have to promise you won't tell anyone about this!"

"I can't. I'm concerned. By the look on your face, it's clear it's not the first time you've seen something like this."

Clutching Enzo's necklace, I breathed in and out. "I feel like I'm losing my mind...at first it started off as just nightmares in my sleep...and now-now I'm seeing things in real life." Peering into his eyes and taking a hold of his hand. "Theo, you can't tell anyone. I need to figure out what's going on...I don't want to worry everyone else."

He searched my face, shaking his head with a twisted mouth. "I'm not happy but fine. If it happens again...I'll have no choice but to tell everyone."

"It won't." I assured.

He left and I was alone, walking down the stairs, slow and laboured. A darkness washed over me, covering the entirety of the staircase. "Theo?" I called out. No response. Taking a step down, I called out for my brothers. I received no response. Feeling around my dress for my phone, I groaned. It wasn't in my pocket. A loud Thud. I froze, set off in fear and trepidation. A faint light from the living room lit up the path. Descending the stairs one by one, gripping the handrail deadly tight, I called out one more time.

"Help." Rasped the voice. Barrelling down the steps, I reached the bottom and my eyes skimmed around. Two figures emerged into the flickering stream of pale light. "Ste-Stefan?" I stammered. He looked directly at me as if he didn't recognise me. I could see his vampire face, clear and haunting. He tugged up the boy. At first, I couldn't see him well, then when the light shone on his face, I screamed. When I couldn't move, all I did was shriek and wail. He tore into Hunter and drained him. When there was nothing left to drain, Stefan continued to rip through him with his fangs. The tearing sounds were booming in my ears. My body wanted to move. I wanted to move but I remained rooted to that one spot. "Stop it, Stefan! Stop it!" My body trembled with sobs. He dropped the body, the head rolled off and stopped at my feet. I was powerless. I couldn't look away; my head wouldn't move.

The Ripper stepped back and every muscle in my body awoke. I ran and fell to his side, hands quaking, trying to pick up his body. "Hunter." I choked out. He was gone and it was because of Stefan.

"Sophia?" The voice was so very distant. At first, I couldn't hear him but gradually his voice grew closer and clearer. It was Stefan. Slowly, my head lifted, and my eyes met his soft, forest green ones. He was normal. Clean. "What's wrong? Why are you on the floor?"

I glanced down. There was nothing there. Hunter wasn't there. Nothing. I looked up at him again, making sure he was real. He was. "I-I... I tripped." I managed. Stefan held out a hand and I blinked owlishly. Grasping my hand, he hauled me up and embraced me. As he hugged me, my arms remained glued to my side. The voices returned.

~

She worked away viciously, in that dungeon of hers. He hated his mother and grandmother for that. Stepping back into his safe place, he continued working on thwarting all their attempts at hurting her. He knew he wasn't strong enough to keep them out of her head for long, but he gave it his all. He could feel it now. He was blocking them. They fought so hard against him, and he smiled. The phone rang. Pausing his gentle chanting, he scooped up the phone and pressed it to his ear. "Yo Ben, what's up?"

"What are you doing?"

"Blocking my mum and gran from harming Sophia. It's not the strongest but for the time being, it'll keep them out. Anything new from you?"

He paused and then sighed. "I've not done it yet. Waiting for the perfect moment."

"Are you sure it's going to work, and they'll believe you?"

"Trust me, they'll believe it because they're desperate."

"Hmm...any news on their movements?"

"No, nothing yet. I know they're waiting for your crazy gran to say something."

"I need to go! I'll update you." Noah was quick to disconnect the call and shove his phone in his pocket, sit in his desk chair, with his opened revision books. The door to his room opened. His mother poked her head in, scanned his room and then smiled at him. "Ready for dinner?"

He closed his books and shook his head. "No mum, this triple science module is long!"

She chuckled softly. "You're brainy, you'll be okay. Just take a break, you've been at it the whole day. Take a break Noah, it'll help clear your mind."

"Thanks mum." Pushing out his chair, he gave a huge stretch and grinned.

Sophia

'The terrible trio'. A nickname Kol and Klaus anointed Rebekah, Freya, and me. When we banded together with Caroline and Bonnie Damon referred to us as 'the powerpuff girls' and 'secret society.' According to them, were always secretive and never involved them. Elijah and Marcel were the polite ones. To them we were their favourite girls. The last few days, we spent an unsurmountable time together. We were joined at the hips. Rebekah and Caroline persuaded us into starting the day off doing a little shopping spree. We grabbed a quick hot drink from a nearby costa and started our day. Joy and happiness overwhelmed me. The past few days, I didn't get any nightmarish visions. I was free. It was another bright spring day, and my wedding was nearing. Everyone was fizzing with excitement. A last-minute decision to have a girl's night in with snacks, movies, music, and dancing was made. I was finally happy.

Caroline offered me a cup of chocolate hazelnut gelato, which Rebekah tried to steal a spoonful of. I burst into laughter when I stepped back, and she scowled. The car journey between each trip were the highlights of the eventful day. Music blared and we were singing at the top of our lungs, not bothered by the stares of civilians.

I hopped out the car and skipped down the driveway as we stopped outside the Mikaelson abode. My temporary place of residence. I raced into the house bumping into Stefan. "Secret society has returned." He announced, looking over his shoulder. Damon stepped into view.

"Hello, you seem rather dandy today." He wiggled his brows, crossing his arms. "Anything for me?" He directed to Bonnie as they walked in with the shopping.

"Hands off!" Caroline swatted him when he reached out for the bag full of snacks. His face scrunched and he grumbled. Bonnie shrugged and I smiled wide. They headed into the kitchen ready to sort everything out for the sleepover. Leaving them, I followed Rebekah and Freya up the stairs and into her room. Quickly kicking off my shoes I jumped onto the bed, falling back with my arms spread out. They joined me, pressing their heads to mine. Rebekah whipped out her phone and took selfies. I posed for a some, got bored and let her take slips. We messed around as we took silly pictures, almost unable to breathe due to all the laughter. A little yelp escaped me when Kol jumped in between me and Freya.

"Go away." She chided, swatting at his head lightly.

"Who the hell invited him on the bed?!" Rebekah jabbed. "Get lost Kol, you're ruining our pictures!"

I giggled as he gently tickled my stomach. "I've not seen my wife to be the whole day and you expect me to carry on till the next day?!" He complained. "I decided to crash since the lads are boring me. I've had enough of cards for one day!"

To his disappointment, Caroline and Bonnie entered carrying trays of food and drinks. Care propped her trays down and charged over to him, pulled him off the bed and directed him towards the door. "Out, now! No boys allowed, specially not you." He dodged her hands as she raised them to slap his back. He gruffed, turning back to me.

"Sorry." I mouthed.

"I love you." He mouthed.

"And I love you." I mouthed back, smiling at him before he disappeared out the door.

I peered at Freya, who was preoccupied with taking photos while Rebekah vlogged our escapade. Keeping my eyes on her, my fingers reached for the pillow and slowly slowly, I pulled it up. Standing on the bed I spun around and whacked her with the pillow. Her phone dropped to the floor as she sat there dumbstruck. They all tried to suppress their laughter but couldn't.

"That's it! Pillow fight!" She declared, jumping to her feet and grabbing the nearest pillow, she threw it my way. I ducked down and it sailed over my head, hitting Bonnie. They jumped to their feet, bouncing on the bed as we hit one another with the pillows. I took Caroline down and scrambled off the bed, running around the room as she chased me around holding a pillow in her hands. Freya dived in, blocking my view.

"No fair!" I moaned as they both threw their pillows at me. I fell back, the wind knocked out of me. I lay on the floor for a while catching my breath and then laughed. We were back on the bed fighting with pillows. Until the pillows burst, and the feathers floated in the air. We didn't stop jumping, the feathers swirling around us. I was now out of breath after all that laughing, screaming, and fighting. We flopped back down, pressing our heads close together and our laughter soon morphed into soft sporadic bursts of giggles.

As our breathing steadied, I brought my left hand to my face and admired the diamond rock on my finger. "He's got great taste." Caroline complimented as she snuggled closer, her head now on my shoulder.

"Of course, he does, he is my brother." Gloated Rebekah. She took my hand and inspected the ring. "Finally made good use of the paragon diamond.

"I'm getting married in less than two weeks!" I gushed. It was all still too surreal. I had been engaged to Kol Mikaelson and yet it felt like it all began yesterday, and I was feeling warm inside all over again.

"It's bizarre but we can't wait. We're all so happy." Care trilled. They chimed in agreement. The next few hours we spent snuggling close and discussing the wedding and all the arrangements they made. I did nothing. They did not allow me. I was told to sit back, relax, and let them handle everything. Choosing my maid of honour was difficult as I loved them all equally and they all meant the world to me. They were my family and without them I wouldn't be where I was. I was alive because of their love, their efforts, and their promise of always and forever and that no matter what, we'll always be together. We were sisters for life. Finally, I stuck to Laura as my maid of honour, it was too difficult to choose between my sisters. Laura was my closet friend, it made sense for it to be her. All that was left to do was to speak to my brothers. The tradition was one male member of the family was obligated to walk the bride down the aisle. Who I wanted it to be left me in a knot.

After changing into our newly bought silk pyjamas, Bonnie put on Home alone. Our sole intent was to criticise and ridicule the plot line.

"Kevin can be quite a ditz!" I jeered.

"Poor child had microwaved food. Bless his cotton socks." Freya satirised. I laughed at the comment. Yes, microwaved food was appalling.

"It's sheer luck I tell you!" Rebekah commentated, tossing a maltteaser in her mouth. But really, none of what was shown was event remotely close to reality.

The movie ended and Freya connected her playlist with the TV. The songs played on shuffle as we moved in different directions, tossing popcorn in the air. My body moved to the beat, carrying me away. I was lost in the moment till my eyes fell on the mirror and I caught Kol, leaning by the door, eyeing me up and down, running his tongue over his top lips as he watched me sway my hips side to side. I turned back to the girls forming a slanted line, and we moved in sync with waves of body rolls. Knowing I was content, I was happy, he left.

I stumbled onto the bed. I was exhausted and every bone in my body ached. I watched as they danced along to the music, occasionally glancing back at me, ensuring I was okay. I gave a small smile and stuck my thumbs up. The night closed in on us and by then I was utterly drained and wanted sleep. And it was granted. Once again, a peaceful night. No nightmares, no forced visions. Bliss.

I awoke to silk sheets, and the morning light trickled in through the curtains. Keeping my eyes shut, soaking in the warmth of the covers. Slowly and reluctantly, I uncovered my face. I blinked, closed my eyes, and blinked again. With the back of my hands, I rubbed at my eyes. Dragging my feet off the bed, I sat up. Stretching my arms above my head, a soft yawn escaped me. I glanced over my shoulder where Bonnie and Freya were sprawled, still deep in slumber. I wondered when they had fallen asleep and how long they had stayed up. I always was the one that fell asleep first. It was never an issue for them. It did give them the opportunity to muck about and take funny pictures of me. Rebekah and Caroline were nowhere in sight. Assuming they were already up and going about the day, I merrily skipped out the room. The wedding was approaching, and they had much to do. The nerves were starting to bubble.

I jogged down the stairs following the sounds of conversation that came from the kitchen. I turned only to be met by Theo and Laura. They were sat at the table in conversation with the Mikaelsons. Rebekah glanced up and smiled. "I invited your friends here. Thought you'd like to see them."

"Thank you." Turning back to them I pulled them into a hug. Theo searched my face for any signs of stress. When he found none, his smile grew wide, and his eyes twinkled. Elated, he engulfed me in another hug. I glanced around, searching for him. He was leaning against the long island with a glass in his hand, waiting for me. Flashing a cheeky grin, I glided towards him. Cuddling him, he kissed my forehead. It felt good to be in his arms again. The girls refused to let him spend too long with me. I paused and turned back, raising a brow at my brothers who were fiddling with pieces of wood. Stefan held a glue gun, completely clueless on what to do. Damon cursed and slammed a short pale wood back down.

"What on earth is going on here?" I quizzed, staring at them at a loss for words. They were vampires and yet simple DIY was beyond them.

"Care bear asked us to put together this bird house that they want to put at the entrance! And we stupidly agreed!" Damon shook his head, a slight scowl on his face.

"Well, you guys sort it out before Caroline-where is she?" I searched around.

"She's gone out to collect the flowers for the table decorations." Replied Stefan. Kol pulled me back against him and whispered sweet nothings in my ear and how he missed me all night and all day. He took my hand and clutched it close, every now and then pressing his lips to my knuckles. I never wanted to be apart from him. He is my home. We watched bemused as Theo and Elijah started a discussion on politics. It sparked a great debate. Elijah had the advantage-he was over a thousand years old and knew far more than the ordinary person, but Theo was unstoppable, coming in strong with his arguments.

From politics the subject changed to the monarch and then supernatural beings. It was pleasant to see them get along with my family. My brothers hardly trusted anyone and as far as humans went, they barely took much liking-Speaking for Damon. Stefan on the other hand seemed to enjoy the company of other humans. I took in his expressions and how he lit up when he successfully fitted the pieces together. He was my brother. That was his true self, I had to remember that. He shook his head at the ongoing debate. Damon grew disinterested and started twirling a stick in his hand. It was the first time I saw the inner child in them free themselves and enter the light. They were no longer strapped down by worry, threat, and the unending duties of older brothers.

"Brothers." I drawled. Their heads turned to me; eyes crinkled with joy. "Can I talk to you guys...outside?" At once they jumped to their feet and stood before me. I led the way into the Mikaelson private garden. A large setting, not short of a garden paradise. I walked over to the octagonal water fountain. It's beauty never ceased to amaze me. My eyes landed on Stefan. The figures of my dead, adoptive parents materialised. Bloody and torn. They hissed. "You're going to let the man walk, after what he did to Hunter?"

Holding my head up, paying them no heed, I sat down on the edge of the fountain, sitting in between my brothers. The voices could shriek as much as they wanted, I did not care. They meant nothing to me. Stefan and Damon Salvatore did. Intrigued, I watched Damon scoop up some water in his cupped hand, loosening the cup he watched, delighted as the water dripped through his fingers till there was nothing left. Shaking his hand dry he turned to my direction.

"What does chatterbox want?"

I rolled my eyes. "I know the tradition is that one male member walks the bride down the aisle and that's usually the father....and well our father was a real-"

"Dick." He offered.

Smiling I continued. "Actually, I was going to say a bigot. Nevertheless, I don't want just one brother walking me down on my big day, I would really love for you both to walk me down. You are both important to me and I wouldn't want it any other way...So, will you walk me down the aisle and place my hand in Kol's?" I searched both their glistening eyes. Their lips curled into smiles that reached their eyes, crinkling them.

"Of course."

"Yes."

Feeling a sudden wave of emotions, I threw my arms around them. I was grateful to have them. I felt like the luckiest woman in the entire universe. I was blessed with brothers who would move heaven on earth for me. Ignoring the hissing voices, I hugged Stefan tight. It was clear these visions were the work of a witch. I wouldn't succumb to them. Damon dashed back in upon hearing Bonnie's voice. I hung back with Stefan weaving my arm through the one he stuck out. We spoke as we promenaded. I laughed as he retold his wedding events and a part of me felt disheartened, I missed the wedding and how when I first came to Mystic Falls, I never gave him the chance to know me, I never gave myself the chance to know him but none of that mattered anymore. They came into view again, the ghostly, snarling figures. "We're your family! He killed us!" I didn't care, I continued to ignore them. Stefan Salvatore is my family. That was the only truth that mattered.

As we headed back indoors, we found Elijah and Marcel engaged in a deep colloquy with Theo over conspiracy theories. The kitchen was quite literally buzzing. I chuckled when Laura buried her face in her arms, groaning at how ridiculous they started to sound. Freya sat beside Elijah gorging on a bowl of berries that he picked on. A bajjilion things were occurring all at once and it was overwhelming trying to make sense of it all. Laura pleaded as my eyes landed on her. She was desperate to escape the madness. As was I. I kissed Kol goodbye and headed out, pulling her along.

She jogged up the stairs behind me and followed me into Kol's room. Weeks before I had shifted in the Mikaelson home, they gathered majority of my belongings and brought them back here. As it was to be my new home, She glanced around impressed. "He has great taste. I didn't expect him to even know anything about interior design."

I chuckled. "Laura, he is over a thousand years old, granted he spent most of his existence daggered in a coffin." She stared; jaws dropped. "Family feuds...times when Klaus was paranoid and would keep his family in a box, don't worry unlike my brothers they truly are immortal."

She was skimming through the ancient sheets of paper, crinkling her nose at the ancient language scrawled on them. "Can you read any of this?"

I joined her by the desk. "Kind of. It's Aramaic...but the Mikaelsons can, they are rather skilled." My eyes landed on the trunk filled with Qetsiyah's belongings. Bending down, I tugged at the handle and dragged it out.

"What's that?" She queried, intrigued. "Looks heavy."

"That my dear friend, belonged to Qetsiyah my ancestor...the most powerful witch who left these for me." I rattled the lock till it dropped and the lid flew open. One by one I went through the contents. She knelt down beside me and unearthed a dusty old cloth that contained something in it. She gently unwrapped the material barely able to hold the weight. Three champagne-coloured daggers sat snug, surprisingly looking new despite being in a box for over two thousand years. Too heavy to hold, she dropped them back in the box with a clang.

"What even are they for?"

I bit my lip in thought. "I don't know... I haven't gotten the chance to go through any of these, I mean look how many items there are!" I gestured. Overwhelmed by the contents I slammed the box shut and used my feet to push it back under the desk.

Huffing and puffing, she wiped her forehead then turned back to me. "There's no sign of Ethan yet. We've left several missed calls and messages but not a single answer, and the strange thing is, he's read the messages."

"Humph" I expressed. "I don't want to speak about him and ruin a perfectly good moment." The disturbing vision flashed before me.

"I'm sorry." She apologised. "Anyways, you never told us how you turned into a vampire in the first place." I couldn't help but shake my head, smiling as I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Klaus."

She flashed a quizzical smile. "Klaus? What's the story there?"

My posture relaxed as I sat myself down. "I met him in 1922 at a ball.... the following day he was at my house with my brother Stefan...he killed my adoptive family and then Klaus turned me."

She stood with her eyes wide, and brows creased. "That's...disturbing and yet you're okay with them?" I expected judgement but it never came.

"Stefan wasn't himself but at the end of the day he is my true blood and Klaus....turning me into a vampire made me stronger than I ever was, it made me better as much as I hate to admit! I'm not okay with all they've done in the past but it's the past and I love them for who they are today." It was true. I fought the feeling for so long and eventually, I caved. I loved them and I forgave them. I forgave them for everything.

She leant forward, hands under her chin more attentive. "How are you such an amazing person? I look at your family and I can see how much they love you and they will die for you. Stefan said that the other day! They will do anything for you even if it meant dying. Klaus is scary but the way you speak of them, you make it sound like he's this great person...the only time I ever see him smile is with you."

I turned my head to her. "He is a good person and his family have been through a lot since even before their lives as the originals. I wanted to hate them, but I can't. Even Kol, he's far crazier than his family. They don't call him the wildest of them all for no reason." I swung my legs, reminiscing my first encounter with him and how our relationship formed. In the next few moments that's all we did. We recalled old moments and laughed from the heart. I was at peace knowing they were stronger and after I departed, they won't fall apart. I lifted my head from her shoulder and stood up. "We'll go for a walk later...I need to do something first." She nodded and turning on my heels, i headed out the door.

~

Pushing the door open, he zipped across the hallway and stumbled into the living room. "I did it!" He announced with a dimpled grin.

Noah whipped around, phone in hand. "What?"

Fixing his eyes on the dying fire, he relayed the previous hour.

The fire crackled softly, burning away the wooden logs. He took a step closer, holding out his hand and soaking in the warmth. To begin with, the fire was frightening, it hurt to just look at it. It was their weakness. It killed them. After weeks of exposure therapy, he gained control and gradually, all the fear stripped away. It now soothed him. "Benjamin!" His mother lurched forward, grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him back, away from the rupturing flames. "Get away from the flames!"

He turned slowly to face her. "It's fine mum. It doesn't burn or make me scared."

She held onto his arms. "That's unheard of! It's not normal-not for the original pack. How is this even possible?"

Running his fingers through his hair and flashing her an awkward smile, he shrugged. "I've been learning how to be in control."

She stared at him with an open-mouthed expression. "If your father or the members find out, they'll stop at nothing to eliminate you." She gripped his arms tighter. "No matter what, never let them find out!"

Footsteps. They parted, standing away from one another.

"What is it boy?" The gruff voice asked, entering the room. The flames from the fire reflected in his dark eyes and he cowered back. Benjamin moved closer to his father, blocking the view of the dimming fire. Lowering himself down to his knee, bowing his head, he submitted. "I pledge my allegiance to you father and the pack."

With glowing cheeks, he beamed with pride. "Stand my boy." He ordered. Benjamin rose to his feet, keeping his head down. Opening up his arms, he embraced his son. "I knew you would come around." He chuckled, giving him a hearty pat on the shoulder. "That's my boy."

"I've realised, our cause is far more important than anything else." His eyes met with his father's and a grin spread across his face.

Lifting his head, he faced his friend with flashing eyes. "No way..." He blinked in frequent motion. "Did they believe you?"

Benjamin gave a nod of the head. "Like a fool, he fell for it."