Are many dead?

SEVEN

. "David, please. We need to..." Sarah leaned forward, her eyes pleading but her husband didn't allow her to finish her sentence. 

"And tell her what exactly?" David cut her off sharply. 

"That after twenty-five years, we have been lying to her? That we are not her real parents?" He raised an eyebrow. 

"We raised her. We are her parents in every way that matters." Sarah maintained, her voice trembling. 

"How do you think she will take that? That we adopted her?" David ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"She deserves to know the truth." Sarah insisted. 

"And what happens when she asks about her birth parents? Have you thought about that?" David shot back. 

Sarah heaved a deep sigh. 

"Then we will just tell her the truth." She said. 

David let out a choked laugh. 

"The truth? About her complicated lineage? About who she really is? No, Sarah. We can't." He maintained firmly. 

"But David..." Sarah pressed on but her husband wouldn't have any of that. 

"How do you plan on telling her about her real parents? About what they were? And why we had to hide her all these years?" David growled frustratedly. 

"She is stronger than you think." Sarah protested weakly.

"This isn't about strength! This is about protecting our daughter. The moment she knows the truth, everything changes. Everything we have built, everything we have protected her from... it all comes crashing down." David pointed out, letting his fear showed in his voice. 

"But she is already changing. Haven't you noticed?" Sarah whispered. 

"What do you mean?" David asked in shock. 

"The signs, David. They are starting to show. We can't hide it forever."

 ~~~~~~~~~~~

The bar was nearly empty when Emma and Lily walked in. 

"I still can't believe YOU are ditching work to drink." Lily shook her head as they settled into a booth. 

"The Emma Carter I know is practically married to her job." She added and laughed at her own joke. 

"Things change." Emma responded, signalling to the bartender. 

"Three shots of tequila, please!" She called out.

"What? Slow down there, will you? What's going on with you?" Lily raised her eyebrows. 

"Everything is just... wrong." Emma muttered, downing her first shot.

"Wrong how?" Lily watched her friend with growing concern. 

Instead of replying to her friend, Emma gulped down another shot. 

Two shots later, Emma's words started slurring. 

"Everything is weird, Lily. So weird." She began, rolling her eyes and biting her lower lip. 

"How exactly?" Lily asked, trying not to laugh at her friend's unusual behavior.

"My eyes... they changed color! And then my uniform... it just disappeared! Poof!" Emma gestured wildly. 

"Right... And I'm secretly Wonder Woman." Lily chimed, biting back a laugh. 

"I'm serious!" Emma protested, then downed another shot. 

"Something is happening to me, and I don't understand what!" She maintained. 

"Maybe you are just working too hard." Lily suggested. 

"When's the last time you took a vacation?" She questioned. 

"This isn't about work!" Emma slammed her hand on the table, making their glasses rattle. 

"I feel like I'm losing my mind. The dreams, the weird stuff happening..." She trailed off, a distant look in her eyes. 

"What dreams?" Lily asked confusedly. 

"Blood... so much blood... And wolves." Emma said, her voice dropping to a whisper. 

"Okay, that's enough tequila for you. You are definitely drunk." Lily removed the empty glass from Emma's hand.

"No, you don't get it! Everything is changing..." Emma said and started hitting her head on the table in frustration. 

At her display, Lily stood up quickly and grabbed her arm. 

"Come on, drunk girl. Time to get you home." She told Emma. 

"I think I am crazy!" Emma mumbled as her friend dragged her to the car. 

"I think and believe you need sleep." Lily said gently, helping her into the passenger seat.

Afterwards, Lily drove to Emma's house. 

Later, as Lily tucked her into bed, her friend grabbed her hand. 

"Lily, I am going crazy. I don't know what to do." Emma whispered, struggling to keep her eyes opened. 

"Sleep it off, crazy lady. We will talk when you are sober." Lily smiled, pulling the covers over her friend. 

As she left Emma's apartment, Lily couldn't shake the feeling that something was truly wrong with her friend. 

"This isn't the composed, rational Emma I know." 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, as Emma battled her inner demons, deep inside the woods, far away from town, Alpha Alex Thompson of the Crescent Moon Pack faced his own challenges.

An urgent knock on his study door interrupted his thoughts. 

"Enter." Alex called out.

Then, Damon, his Beta, strode in and Alex could see his expression was grim. 

"We have a situation, Alpha." Damon announced. 

"What now?" Alex inquired. 

"Your brother has been spotted again..." Damon reported. 

"Leading those rogues of his, right?" Alex finished for him. Damon nodded. 

At that, Alex clenched his jaw. 

"What did he do this time?" He inquired. 

"He has attacked the Silver Lake Pack. Multiple casualties. They didn't stand a chance against Jake's rogues." Damon said sullenly. 

"How many are dead?" Alex asked, his voice heavy.

"Fifteen wolves. Including their Beta's mate. It was a massacre." Damon shook his head sadly. 

"My own twin... Sometimes I wonder how we came from the same blood." Alex gritted out, shaking his head sadly. 

"The rogues are getting bolder. They're saying Jake's planning something bigger. Should we increase patrols?" Damon asked. 

"Yes. Double the security. I won't let him breach our borders. Make sure everyone's on high alert." Alex responded firmly. He expected Damon to leave but the latter hesitated. 

"I'm afraid there's more, Alpha. The elders are getting restless. They say the pack needs..." Damon was saying but got interrupted. 

"A Luna. I know. Alex finished for him.

Afterwards, Damon left the room. 

Alone in his study, Alex stared at the moon rising in the distance. 

"I can't keep doing this alone. The pack needs stability." Alex muttered to himself. 

Then he made his decision. 

"This ends now. No more waiting. No more games. It's time I went into the city and brought her back. Enough of the hide and seek, Emma." He stated firmly, his eyes glowing red.