Minds Palace? Minds Prison.

I groaned as I sat up.

Shit.

At least the bed Vlad had given me was comfortable.

I heard a knock on the door.

"Yeah?" I called out in a raspy, morning voice.

A woman walked in and spoke to me.

"Hey, baby. Did you sleep alright?" She asked with a concerned tone.

"Yeah… uck." I gripped my head.

"You need some medicine?"

"Nah… probably just woke up on the wrong side of bed." I looked at her and smiled. "Where's Isaiah? You came here with him, right?"

"No, he said he'd come later after dealing with some pack issues."

"More?"

"Yeah." She sighed. "Something about increasing the guard for the pack boarders."

I grinned. "Always worried, that Isaiah."

She turned away from me. "Yeah, but you know he's right."

"Well, the war is over. We can have some time to ourselves!"

She still wasn't looking at me. "You think?"

"Yeah. We can go up north to the lake, I'll build a cabin, we can start having mind blowing sex! You always wanted kids, right?"

She nodded. "I'm worried. It would be safer to stay in the pack."

I laughed. "Well, nothing could get past me and Isaiah! Along with the new guards, no one would be crazy enough to attack!"

Her face shot to me. It was deathly pale and there was a thin line on her neck. My eyes widened as I saw her head fall to the ground. Her eyes shot to me and she screamed.

"I TRUSTED YOU! I AM DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!"

——

I woke up with a start. I was sweating and panting.

Ashina.

I knew I would have nightmares. This place always made me uncomfortable.

That night over two hundred years ago, when we thought the V/W war was over and we came home drunk. Me and Isaiah broke off from the other warriors to grab our mates… only to find them both dead with a group of vampires standing over them. Some of the vampires didn't like the truce that was agreed upon, so they decided to take matters into their own hands.

We tore them apart.

As soon as I regained some semblance of sanity, I sprinted to Vlad's room, only to find a werewolf about to tear out Vlad's wife's throat. I killed him quickly.

After that, I said my goodbyes and left. Anywhere was better than with the people who loved her. The memories of her laughing along with her friends while staring at me and telling dirty jokes… it hurt too much.

I swung my legs off of the bed and quickly got dressed before heading outside. I knew this place like the back of my hand. We spent seven years fighting in this territory, after all.

I started running along a path that led away from the giant building. I needed to do something to clear my head.

A few hours later, when I couldn't run anymore, I made my way back. Vlad was standing outside with Svangr. He stared at me with a hint of sadness and guilt.

"Don't do that, Vlad." I said to him.

"I'm sor-"

I cut him off. "Don't worry. Not your fault. I could never blame you."

His hands balled into fists. "You… saved her. But I am very… disappointed in myself, that I could not do the same."

I nodded solemnly. "How is she, by the way?"

He smiled and unballed his fists. "She's good."

I nodded and turned to Svangr, who was dressed in a guard uniform similar to what the vampire guards wore. "Morning, Svan."

"Good morning, shí ak'is. I am very happy with this job." He said in a slightly peachy tone.

"Good." I said with a slight smile. "I'll be leaving now. Stay out of trouble, Svangr."

"Birger!" Vlad called out to me.

I turned to him in silence.

"If you… need anything… let me know."

"Fuck off, Vlad." I gave a slight chuckle. "Just talk like you usually do!"

He grunted and nodded his head.

Now that my necklace was recharged I had enough mana to portal down to Georgia. I had called Elise the night before, after talking to Vlad about getting Svangr a job, to tell her I would be coming to visit. She and her husband have been living in Georgia for three decades.

I gave a final nod to the both of them before opening a portal and stepping through. The exterior of the house was quite impressive, with its bright red clay tile roof and dark hardwood flooring, a style that's classic and timeless. A wraparound porch surrounded the structure, making it look inviting. Large picture windows let in plenty of natural light, creating a bright and welcoming atmosphere, while also providing a glimpse at the cozy interior. I saw Elise through one of the windows and as if sensing me, she looked up and smiled softly before running to the door, golden hair swinging.

"Dad!" She shouted as she ran over and gave me a hug.

"Hey, cookie!" I smiled back at her and kissed her forehead. "Where's my son at?"

"He's inside making breakfast!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me inside. "Come on! Jason is here, too!"

Just then, an older looking man peeked his head around the corner. His salt and pepper hair stood out in a more fashionable way than it would allude to his age.

"Dad." Daniel smiled at me.

Daniel was Elise's husband, as well as my son-in-law.

"Hey, kiddo." I walked over to him and gave him a hug. "Long time no see, huh."

"Yeah. Let me go get Jason. He hasn't seen you in a few years."

I grunted and finished making breakfast for him while I waited. They were making bacon and eggs with toast. Pretty simple, but you can't go wrong with it.

I heard someone running up the stairs from the basement before I was struck from behind. I almost fell forward into the pan of bacon! I made an 'oof' sound as I patted the hands that were around my waist.

"Grandpa!" Jason shouted in excitement.

"Sup, brat? Trying to fry me along with the bacon?"

Jason was their only son, as well as my grandson. He was visiting from college. The last time I saw him, he was only eighteen and graduating high-school. He was in his final year of college.

He let me go and I turned to look at him. He looked like his mom. Blond hair that was almost golden and bright hazel eyes that turned grey when it was dark out. He must have got his looks from her. He had his fathers nose, almost hawkish.

He laughed as he watched me run my eyes over him. I grunted in displeasure before speaking.

"Too skinny. Eat more." I said angrily.

"Still shy, huh gramps?" He spoke with a smile.

"Shuddup, brat."

"Quit bothering your grandpa and come sit down, Jason." Elise said in a threatening tone as she and Daniel walked in to the dining room.

"I can finish, dad. You go sit." Daniel said to me as he walked over.

I waved him away. "You go sit. I haven't cooked in a while, anyway."

It was true. I haven't cooked anything since… the fire.

I sighed as I finished up and put the food on four plates before walking them over and setting them down on the table.

"Thanks, dad." Daniel said as he grabbed a plate for himself.

I nodded and sat down as well.

For the first time since Chelsie and Ford had died, I felt like myself. We ate and joked. Daniel told me about his retirement plan and Jason told me about his college.

Elise watched me silently with narrowed eyes while I listened. After we had eaten, Daniel went to work and Jason went to his class. I stood up and started to wash the dishes while Elise followed me and started helping silently. We did this for a few minutes before she spoke.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, cookie?"

She sighed in frustration. "Talk to me. I know you're more upset then you're putting on."

"What do you mean, Baby?" I turned to look at her.

"Your eye… it's dim." She spoke softly.

Fuck. "And? It's usually dim."

She shouted at me. "It's not supposed to look like a fucking fish eye!" She breathed heavily.

I clenched my jaw repeatedly and kept tears from forming in my eyes.

"I mean- when it glows you tend to be angry or… just looking at something that makes you feel intense emotions! When I was growing up it was always a pleasant red glow! Like you stared at me with love! So why does it look like dried out blood?!"

She sighed heavily and leaned on the counter. She hung her head down. I was silent for a few moments.

My voice cracked when I finally spoke. "I'm trying."

She turned to me with a frustrated gaze. "Trying what?"

"To live in a way that has some semblance of sanity." The tears fell out of my eyes.

She quickly grabbed me and hugged me as she started crying as well.

"I'm really fucking trying, Elise!" I hugged her harder, fearing that if I let go, I would fall. "Every single day, I'm trying my best not to just kill anyone that pisses me off! I almost killed some of my friend's people just because of a misunderstanding!"

"Dad!" Her voice broke.

"I know, baby. I love you so much, Elise."

Her arms tightened around me. "I love you too, dad."

We sat there in silence, crying for a few minutes before we broke apart. She grabbed my cheeks with her hands and moved my face to hers. I stared into her eyes. She smiled.

"There's that glow."

I smiled back at her. "Thanks, cookie."

She let go of my face and kissed my cheek. She always knew me better than I knew myself. I'm glad she was here to… ground me. Keep me sane.

She went back to washing the dishes and spoke to me softly. "You can go watch some TV in the living room, dad. I'll finish up here."

"You sure?" I asked her.

"Yeah. Go relax. Take your mind off things."

"Okay." I walked to the living room and sat on the sofa before grabbing the remote.

I was flipping through channels when I saw something. I quickly switched back to it. The news was doing a report on a werewolf attack in Utah. A woman was in the center of the screen with the words 'Rogue numbers increasing' written on the bottom of the screen. I listened to it while feeling something churn in my gut.

"-reports of some rogue werewolves have been increasing in Salt Lake City. We have brought in the 'Alpha King', Isaiah Reece, to shed some light on these dubious circumstances." The woman said.

The camera panned out slightly and Isaiah came into view. What the hell was going on?

Elise came in and laid her head down on my lap. "The news? What's going on?"

I quickly shushed her and focused on the TV.

"So, Mr. Reece, what exactly is an 'Alpha king?'"

Isaiah turned to the reporter with a smile as he spoke. "You are aware that there are packs that have alphas and lunas governing them, yes?"

"Yes, they are the leading body in each pack." The woman affirmed.

"The Alpha King's role is to govern the Alphas and lunas, and in turn, their packs. In human terms, I am the president and they are the mayors. Think of the packs as separate states."

"So you are quite literally, a king." She spoke.

"Yes, that is correct."

The woman nodded "So, in your own opinion, what is the cause of the recent rise of rogue werewolves?"

Isaiah grimaced. "First off, a rogue wolf is someone who is cut off from a pack. Packs have…" he tilted his head back and forth for a moment. "Humans are very social creatures. Werewolves are even more so. Our culture is… very 'touchy-feely.' A pack is more than just a group of werewolves, it's an entire family of brothers and sisters. Cutting someone off from their pack is the worst punishment for a werewolf. It's as though their entire family disowns them."

The woman raised her hand to stop his words. "So you're saying these rogue werewolves do not belong to a pack. What would constitute such a punishment? From how you're explaining it, it must be something serious."

Isaiah nodded grimly. "It's… a terrible thing to do. Honestly, I believe killing them would be better." He quickly raised his hand to stop the reporter. "I had outlawed the killing of werewolves when I became king over two hundred years ago. But I still think that cutting a wolf off from their pack is a far worse punishment than death."

The woman nodded slowly. "Then why do it? Why subject someone to such a fate if it is as bad as you say?"

Isaiah sighed. "Various reasons. Just because we see each other as family, doesn't mean problems don't arise. If a member of a pack were to betray their alpha, for example, the trust between alpha and wolf is destroyed."

"And what stop the werewolf from going to another pack?" She asked.

"Why would I accept someone into my home who betrayed another alpha, my peer? I wouldn't let the wolf anywhere near my pack. It's also the reason why rogue wolves are frowned at."

The woman nodded. "Understandable. But why do you say killing them would be better than making them rogue?"

"Imagine being locked in a room. No sound, no scent, and you cannot see anything. It would drive you insane, right?"

The reporter nodded.

"Packs are more than just people that live together. It creates a link between everyone within. You can feel what another feels. It's a very primal feeling, while at the same time natural. Having no pack is just like sitting in a blank space. It can drive a wolf to insanity."

"I see… that does sound very sad." The reporter had red eyes as she continued. "And what of the increase of rogues in Salt Lake City?"

"Well… that is where I come in." Isaiah spoke. "The job of the Alpha King is to make sure the packs are running smoothly. Seeing as how this has become such a problem, I will be visiting the Alpha of the Dark-Shadow pack, which is residing here."

The woman nodded again. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Reece. It was very enlightening to both me, and the audience at home."

Isaiah nodded and stood up. He left quickly, probably heading straight for the dark-shadow pack that he spoke of. The image shifted to show a middle aged man that stood outside of a hospital.

"These recent attacks have been devastating for a lot of people. Most haven't survived, however with the most recent attack, it involved a young cashier who worked at Smith's off interstate 80."

I leaned forward at his words. The TV had an image of a young woman who had raven black hair with a red streak going through it. My hand gripped Elise's shoulder.

"She is under care currently, and is expected to make a full recovery. Unfortunately, however, she was bitten by the rogue wolf and will most likely be turning the next full moon."

Donna?!