Just before they could leave the forest behind, the Safe Zone now visible a short pace ahead of them, Holden stopped the group. Clara and Evan nodded right away and dived out into the open, disappearing behind the building's corner a moment later.

At the same time, their leader stepped closer to Leo. "They will pull attention away from us while we enter through the back," the man motioned to a small warehouse attached to the bigger office building. "Once we are in, you must follow my lead, understand? I'm risking enough as it is, and most of my people aren't ready to face the reality of what they can become with time."

On that, we can agree. Leo snorted, raising his hands. "Don't worry, as long as you bring me to Ava and Adam, I will do as you say. Though, if you could satisfy my curiosity. How many people know about me?"

"Not counting everyone here? Two others that have my full trust and your sister-in-law. For the time being, that's more than enough."

Leo nodded, fully in agreement. The less people knew about his existence, the better. Anonymity gave him a nice safety blanket, and he didn't want to lose it too fast. At least not before people got more used to the idea of evolution.

"And Ava?" Leo asked when the silence stretched for too long. "What did you tell her? How did she react?"

Holden grimaced just a bit. "Despite what you told me, I'm unsure if she believed me. But even with how I described you, she agreed to meet you, so from now on, everything rests on your shoulders, Hale. Don't fuck it up and force me to step in."

At least she isn't going in completely blind. Don't know if I should be worried or not... Leo sighed as he followed after Holden and Dylan, the door leading into the warehouse, their new destination. As long as she doesn't panic, it should be fine.

They all stopped near the door, and Holden quickly knocked on it twice. Right away, the entrance opened, and a blond woman appeared in the doorway, tipping her head to her leader.

"Everything ready, Diana?" Holden asked, not stepping inside just yet.

The short woman nodded. "She’s waiting in the office, and we moved everyone out of the warehouse just like you ordered." Her eyes suddenly drifted to Leo's hidden form. "That's him?"

"Aye, and for now, that's all you need to know, understood?" The blonde nodded again, and Holden continued. "Were there any problems?"

Diana shook her head lightly. "A few complaints, but people know not to question your word. At least for now."

Leo quirked an eyebrow at that. He understood that Holden was the obvious leader here, but he didn't expect everyone to trust him that much already. However, the woman's words also held a warning in them, a warning that Anthony definitely wasn't too happy with, going by the light scowl on his face.

Still, there must be more to it than just him being a good leader. People are distrustful by nature and will fight anything trying to control them… No, I'm missing something here.

"Doesn't matter," Holden scoffed. "If all goes well, they will thank me in the future." Diana seemed to want to say something, but the man raised his hand, cutting her short. "Enough. Go guard the entrance. I will take it from here."

For a moment, it looked like the woman would try to argue. Instead, she just muttered, "I hope you know what you're doing, Tony," and disappeared into the warehouse.

Interesting woman. Leo noted and followed after Holden, ducking his head to fit through the backdoor.

What greeted him inside didn't seem any different from a typical warehouse. Rows of metal shelves spanned throughout the vast space, most of them filled to the brim with wooden crates or simple boxes. If they were full or empty, Leo didn't know, but the source of this group's supplies became evident.

They walked in silence through the half-dim chamber until they reached a small walled-off area with a few doors leading to different sections. Holden stopped next to the first entrance, his gaze fully focused on Leo.

"Your sister-in-law is waiting inside," he explained. "I will go first and let her know you are here. When I come back, then and only then, you and Dylan will enter. I'm sorry, but I can't let you go in alone."

Leo gritted his teeth even though he understood why Holden was doing this. He could refuse and force them to let him enter alone, but in the end, he didn't want to push Holden too hard, or else the man just might push back, turning this tentative alliance into an unnecessary bloodbath.

I can't let that happen. Not with Ava possibly being on the other side of the door.

"I can agree to that," Leo nodded. "But there is just one more thing. What about Adam? You didn't mention him once."

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For a brief, almost unnoticeable moment, Holden's gaze flickered to a door farthest from them. "If everything goes well, you will see him too. That I swear. Now, wait here. I will be back in a minute."

Without another word, Holden strode past them and right through the door. It closed shortly after, leaving Leo in the company of Dylan and Robert, who kept a fair distance between them.

"Worried?" The mage's voice broke the silence, catching everyone's attention.

Leo shrugged. "Yes and no, but it is what it is." And that was pretty much it. How Ava reacted to him depended purely on her, and nothing could change that. If she refused to speak with him then...

Yeah... Then what?

"For what it's worth," Dylan spoke again, "I don't think she will be outright hostile. And I can always vouch for ya."

"Thanks," Leo chuckled just as the door opened and Holden stepped out.

The leader nodded to him, "You're up, Hale. Good luck. Don't make me regret this."

Not replying, Leo took hold of the door handle and took a deep breath. Here it is. Don't hesitate now. With a nod to himself, he pushed the door open and stepped through, Dylan following right behind.

Just like the woman at the warehouse's entrance said, the room was a simple office, nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, the moment Leo's gaze fell on the desk in the middle and the person sitting behind it, his steps faltered just a bit.

I see the apocalypse wasn't easy on you either...

Leo frowned as he gazed at the brown-haired woman. Her green eyes met his violet ones, stopping any words from coming out of his throat. It was Ava alright, but compared to the prim and ever-composed woman he had known in the past, the person in front of him barely resembled her.

"Is that you, Leo?" The woman muttered, her eyes widening, pronouncing the dark bags underneath them.

Leo swallowed, "I..." He shook his head as Ava flinched slightly from the sound of his voice. "I know I do not sound like I used to, nor do I look like I did, but it's me, Ava… Please, you have to believe me."

True to the woman he once knew, Ava didn't try to run or scream in fear. She just balled her fists and looked him right in the eyes with an intensity that didn't belong in a person that appeared as if she had just returned from a battlefield.

"Holden..." Ava murmured, her voice growing stronger as she continued. "He told me you knew about Nick's third proposal to me. Who was there with us?"

Not breaking a stride, Leo answered right away. "Me, Lily, and your brother. Nick wanted to have Mom waiting with us too, but Lily somehow managed to talk him down in the end."

Ava's lips quirked just a bit. "Maybe if she was there, I wouldn't have had to wait another three months for him to grow a pair."

Leo snorted. "Doubt that. We had to threaten him to finally do the deed. To this day I wonder what Lily whispered to him that night."

"You're probably right," Ava smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "That girl is something else. All you Hales are... It's a part of your charm if I say so..."

Leo hummed as he slowly sat on the chair on the opposite side of the desk, minding the tails hiding underneath his cloak. Only then did Ava raise her gaze again, staring at his face obscured by the hood and scarves.

"Leo," she spoke, forcing him to meet her gaze. "Holden tried to describe to me what you had become, but I would like to see it with my own eyes... Please."

The moment of truth... Leo thought, giving Ava a curt nod.

Stiff as a board, he pulled the hood off. Then, one by one, Leo unwrapped the scarves covering his head, letting his dark flesh bath in the low light of the room.

A sharp, low gasp came from the other side, and Leo finally faced Ava again, watching as her eyes took in every inch of his new form. Her hands trembled slightly, but just like when she first heard his voice, the woman didn't try to run. Hell, her gaze seemed more curious than afraid.

"You aren't afraid," Leo stated, breaking the woman from her trance.

Ava chuckled, but it was a bitter and hollow thing. "Oh I am, Leo. I just learned to accept it, to hide it... What else can I do when my little boy isn't much better off than you? I could never leave him, so I must live with it."

"So it's true," Leo muttered, rage starting to bubble underneath his skin, waking Hunter.

"More than that," Ava scoffed, a glint entering her eyes. "Whatever Holden told you, it's much worse. I'm losing him, Leo, and it's getting worse with each bloody hour! The screams are getting louder, and Adam barely listens to me anymore. You have to help us, help my little boy!"

"Ava, I..." Leo tried, eyes wide from the sudden onslaught of words. Yet, his sister-in-law didn't give him a chance to say more.

"They told me you were just like him," she continued, and now Leo could clearly see a bit of crimson in one of her eyes. "But you beat it! You survived without losing your mind, even if you had to sacrifice your body for that. I can see it now... You can save my boy. You must save him."

Gasping for breath, Ava finally fell silent, slumping in her chair. Leo wasn't really much better off, watching the half-crazed woman. Never in the past did he see Ava lose her composure like this. And then there was the taint in her eyes...

She was right. It's much worse than what Holden told me. And I didn't even see Adam yet.

Nevertheless, Leo knew it wasn't the time for such thoughts. He had to act, especially now when it seemed like Ava was back to normal.

"I evolved," he began explaining. "That's how I replaced the curse of the Tainted with what I am now. Adam should be able to do it too, maybe even go back to normal if his evolutions are the same as mine."

Ava shook her head.

"Holden and Diana said the same thing, and I tried, I really did," she muttered, the strength gone from her voice. "But Adam won't listen to me when I mention evolutions. He just says he needs to wait. That the time will come soon..." Ava looked him in the eyes again. "And that's what really scares me, Leo. I can't do anything; not even our bond can help here... So please, you must have a way to save him. I can't lose him too..."

This bond... Holden mentioned it too. Leo frowned, mind full of questions again. I need to know what happened to them since this bullshit began.

Decision made, Leo addressed his sister-in-law again. "Ava. Listen… I will do anything to help you two, but I need to know what the hell is going on. Tell me everything, and don't spare any details..."