ELLA “No further questions,” Vanessa’s attorney says as he walks back to the table and sitting next to her. Erebus rises to his feet and rushes to the stand. With both of his hands he helps me to my feet and steadies me while I adjust the crutches under my arms. The tingles of the bond soothe the anxiety and rage that is burning through my body as I step down from the stand. Carefully he guides me back to my seat and I can feel the eyes of the crowd on my body as I walk. Bravely I look up into the faces of the crowd and I can see their pity for me as they cast a downward gaze when my eyes meet their own. Determined not to let them see me struggle, I hold my head high and push my shoulders back and plaster a fake smile across my face. “You did beautifully,” Erebus whispers gently in my ear and I flinch against his words. When Vanessa’s attorney asked me if Erebus had betrayed the bond I did not realize it would cut into my soul just like it had the night that it happened.

ELLA The hot water from the shower rushes down my body. Erebus’s words plague my thoughts and I know that he is right, my place is at his side. I can’t avoid the execution just because it makes me feel uncomfortable. “Damn it,” I murmur to myself as I shut off the water and quickly dry myself off. “It is about time that you came to your senses,” a familiar voice whispers quietly in my mind. “Lily?” I say aloud covering my mouth in shock. “Lily are you back?” “I am here,” she says weakly. “I am weak, but I am here.” Tears prickle at the corners of my eyes as her voices becomes clearer in my mind. “I am so sorry. If I would have known…” “Shhh,” Lily chastises me. “What’s done is done. Let’s go put this bitch to death.” “Goddess, I have missed you,” I laugh as I pull on a pair of jeans and a dark blue blouse. Swinging the door open I run as fast as I can out of the mansion towards the training grounds. My legs are stronger than they were, but they still shake and

ELLA The green flames leave my hands and soar through the air to the target on the other side of the training grounds. The target bursts into green flames that quickly turn to orange. I groan frustratedly as I watch the target burn down to ashes. “You aren’t concentrating,” Grace yells from the stands that surround the training grounds. “Those flames should remain green if you want to keep control over them.” Rolling my eyes in her direction I send another green ball of fire across the grounds hitting the second target. This time the target is engulfed in green flames, but it does not burn. Sweat begins to pour down my face as I try to keep control over the flames that are one hundred meters away. Eventually fatigue takes over and I let go of the flames and the target begins to burn orange before collapsing to the ground. “Better,” Grace says acceptingly. “You need to work on your stamina though.” “I was a human for the better part of a month,” I groan back at her. “I am s

ELLA Standing outside of Grace’s cabin I stare at the door, unsure if I should knock or not. I haven’t been back here since I stormed out after hearing that Walter was hired to kill me when I was just a child. Looking back at the situation now, I suppose I may have overreacted a bit. But at the time I felt angered and betrayed. I raise my hand to knock on the old door and Emmett stiffens beside me, standing at attention. “Don’t do that,” I hiss at him. “Don’t do what?” He whispers back in confusion. “Don’t stand like a member of the Royal Guard,” I whisper yell back at him. Emmett’s eyebrows furrow and he looks at me in confusion. “But that’s what I am.” “Just don’t be that here,” I tell him harshly. Emmett tries to relax at my side, but his demeanor is still much to stiff. I let out a frustrated sigh and knock on the door. Grace opens the door with a bright smile on her face, “It took you long enough,” she whispers into my ear as she pulls me in for a hug. “Wh

ELLA The tension in the room is so thick that it could be cut with a knife. The Hunter’s Clan sits on one side of the room glaring at the Lycan Royal Guard that is sitting on the other side. Erebus, Walter, Lucian, Emmett, and I all sit in the center of the room, none of us knowing who should speak first. Finally one of the hunters clears his throat and stands up from the corner of the room. “Are we all just going to sit around and stare at one another or are we going to talk about the problem with this witch coven?” His voice quivers as he speaks, and his hands are clinched at his sides to keep him from shaking. Erebus nods at the hunter who quickly takes his seat. “He is right,” Erebus says a little too loudly. “The Sisters of Wisdom have gone too far attacking innocent werewolves and lycans.” Erebus begins to explain. “They need to be stopped.” “It isn’t just your kind that is being attacked,” one of the other hunters stands up. He is a large burly man with a long bea