Natalia’s P. O. V

“My name is Timothy…” He began, then remained silent.

Kaesha was all but done. She took a half step forward, hand trembling threateningly “Explain yourself!”

I subtly touched her elbow, trying to signal for her to calm down. Despite our obvious advantage over him, there was no telling what he could do to, at the very least, escape. Yes, he’d helped Hailey, but he was also a Rogue that had stopped a falling car, right before attacking us out of the blue. The spell had weakened all of us and I knew a fight would not turn out well for either parties. Sure, we’d most likely catch him, but only after we’d sustained a few injuries.

The way his gaze darted about moving between the three of us, but training mostly on me, put me on edge. He was cornered and he knew it.

The most dangerous animals are always the trapped ones, desperate to get away.

“You’re not getting away, Tim.” Hailey warned, shooting me a brief grin when I looked at her, then returning her gaze to him, “So why don’t you keep talking?”

He glared at her for a while, before looking back at me.

“We’re not your enemies.” I said, eyes unwaveringly on his, “We just didn’t appreciate you attacking us so suddenly and want to know why.”

One last darting glance between the three of us, then he sighed, “Not like I can take you three on anyway, even if I were at my full strength. And I’m sure you know that, as cautious as you are, Ari.” He stated looking pointedly at me.

Kaesha scoffed, “Wow… you’re not a total idiot. Where was this revelation before you attacked us?”

“Three disoriented people who were in an accident? Pretty sure I could handle some spells a baby Rogue and a human girl.” He scoffed.

“Werewolf.” Hailey snarled.

Kaesha continued, “And how’d that work out for you?”

“Still alive, aren’t I?” He raised his chin, defiant.

She crouched low, face level with his, “You sure you’d like to keep it that way, hun?”

He smirked, “Why’d’ya ask? You wanna switch it up for me?”

Acting fast, he flicked his hand at her, causing the tree behind him to charge at her. Kaesha was considerably slower in her reaction but still effective as she held up a hand, withering it into lifelessness. Suppressing a groan, he leapt over the dead trunk and tried to slip past her.

Hailey moved to jump into the fray, but I held an arm out, stopping her. Kaesha was extremely capable and I wanted to see how she would handle him on her own after such a spell.

Timothy never got past Kaesha. If she was slow, he was slower and all she had to do was let her fingers brush his arm as he attempted to manoeuvre around her. He froze in his tracks.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning in to whisper in his ear with a teasing pout, “And, here I thought you were staring to warm up to me, Timmy.”

Besides the movements needed too keep him alive, he could only move his facial muscles, “Can’t do that if I’m frozen, now, can I?”

She patted his head, her fingers bouncing slightly on his thick, short curls that suck up at random parts, “Not frozen, just paralysed.” She informed.

Hailey and I made our way to his line of vision.

“Now, Timothy,” I said, “you were telling us about yourself.”

He scowled for a good few more seconds, before sighing, “I was kicked out of my pack three years ago and have been living in seclusion ever since.”

I analysed his look. His shorts and t-shirt were stretched way too much. The douches a back at the Lightwood Pack would usually wear tight fitting clothes, especially if they wanted to show off as a means to getting laid. But they ever looked this close-fitting, to the point of discomfort. Or this worn.

I guessed that he was probably nineteen or so, meaning that he’d had a considerable growth spurt during his time as a Rogue. But if that were the case, his sandals, snug as they were, wouldn’t have had any hope of fitting.

“Not total seclusion.” I said finally, “How do you get necessities?”

He glared some more before replying, “I help out with construction work around isolated areas, like the interstate roads and forests.”

That would explain his physique and the fact that his shoes were the newest clothing item he wore. But some things were still off.

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“Earlier,” Hailey began before I’d decided to voice my thoughts, “you assumed that someone sent us… that a pack sent us…” She glanced at me, silently wondering if she should continue, and risk revealing how inexperienced she was.

I nodded. It was unusual for packs to send members or mercenaries after a single Rogue. For Rogue Packs and Wanted Rogues, yes, but, last I checked, he fell into neither of those categories. His scent wasn’t even tainted with death.

Hailey paused, eyes boring into his as she scowled at her, “Who are you running from, Tim? What pack would want to hunt a gifted Werewolf like yourself?”

He maintained his stony silence, allocating his glare between the three of us. We followed his lead, the three of us focused on him.

Finally, his gaze settled on Kaesha, “I assume that you’re planning on keeping me like this till I talk.” He stated more than asked.

“You assume correct.”

“And who’s to say that I won’t just get the trees to knock you out or move me away?”

“Because you would’ve already done that. You know it wouldn’t make a difference.” She countered.

“Your gift seems to based on movement. Whether or not you’re capable of it, you don’t seem to have pinned down dendrokinesis without gestures.” I noted.

“Plus, you’re tired. Too tired. You won’t be able to escape the three of us, given the circumstances. I doubt you could barely move a twig right now.” Hailey declared in conclusion.

Heaving a sigh, or, at least trying to, he began, “I was to be the next Battle General, after my father was to retire. I’d been trained and tested and tried in every way for the position, and passed. Everyone had given their approval, but the Alpha. I was on good terms with him and he had told me several times that I impressed him, that he was going to approve me.”

He paused. His eyes gave away what his body could not convey in trembling. The memory pained him, enraged him. And he was willing to let take control.

He closed his eyes, taking a few seconds to breathe and calm himself, before opening them. As he began to speak, I noted that his gaze was trained mostly on Kaesha.

“A week to when the Alpha was supposed to sign his approval, we hosted some representatives from a pack. That’s when it all went downhill. Within the next three days, most of the pack had beef with each other that seemed to spawn from nowhere. Most of my friends weren’t talking to each other, mates were fighting, and the higher ups were suspicious of everyone. By the fifth day, several mates had rejected each other, families had torn apart. Werewolves who were ride or die fought bloodily in both wolf and human form and every higher up had been challenged for their position at least twice. A few even lost.”

He looked away, unable to face even Kaesha, “I watched my pack, the community I loved, tear apart at the seams. Then, it was my turn. Somehow, the Alpha believed that I, and a few of the successors for other positions, were traitors. He accused us of systematically selling information to Rogue packs and organising an attack. The day before he was supposed to sign for our promotion, he waved some bogus evidence in our faces and banished us. When that happened, we turned on each other. Nobody knew what was happening and suspected everyone.”

His voice trembled, “We were Rogues now. We had no family, no pack, and some of the others had rejected their mates in the first few days of the confusion. I couldn’t believe what had happened. I hung around the territory for a while. I kept hoping that the Alpha would realise that it was all fake and re-invite us. At the very least, I wanted to see my pack get better. It only worse. Then I noticed that the representatives made daily trips into the woods to make calls at a specific time. So I eavesdropped. And it made all sense. The calls were reports on how my pack was declining. They were responsible for all the mistrust and chaos that was going on. They were the reason I had to witness my best friends fight to the death over a mate and their banishment!”

He was furious. Even under Kaesha’s spell, he managed a few jerks. A few of the trees near us shivered, branches attempting to twitch in the way he could not.

“They tore my pack apart, and they want to kill me. They noticed my presence one night and recognised me. One of them gave chase while I heard the other tell the person on the phone that they needed to terminate an eliminated member. I managed to escape and have been in hiding since.”

His story sounded too familiar. It was just like what Kirstin had described to me as the Lightwood pack’s way of gaining power and eliminating competition.

“What was the name of the pack that destroyed yours?”

He scoffed, glaring sideways into space, “They’re not even a pack: they’re a virus. A cruse. I hear rumours from some middle and low ranking old pack members when I’m on the move. They all hosted the same pack, then they either disbanded or lost their rank. Those that had heard the rumours in advance couldn’t risk the consequences of refusing to host them. They’re already that powerful.”

He focused on me, and I said the words with him, “The Lightwood Pack.”

I smiled at his expression and his eyes, as slit as they already were, by some miracle, narrowed more.

“I think you’ll be useful to us after all.” I said, mentally noting the questioning look on Kaesha’s face as it slowly turned to realisation.

‘That’s right. I never told her the name of my old pack.’

His neck muscles strained, as though he was trying to bolt. Kaesha’s spell still held, but I caught his arms moving a miniscule fraction of an inch. I shot her a look and her brows furrowed, reinforcing her hold.

“I knew it! I knew it! You just wanted a confirmation out of me! They sent you here! They sent you all here to kill me!”

Kaesha took a step towards him, “Tim-”

“Why?!” He pinned her with his glare, “Why would a witch work for that parasite of a pack? Aren’t you supposed to be one of the keepers of balance? Just go back to your coven!”

He looked back at me, “No, you have control of her people, don’t you?” Then snarled at Hailey, “And newbie is here so you can show her the ropes, huh? Catching escaped pack demolition victims that know too much, one-oh-one?”

His eyes were ablaze as the trees around us creaked and trembled, “YOU’RE SICK! ALL YOU LIGHTWOOD PACK MEMBERS ARE FUCKING SICK!”

“Then it’s a good thing we’re not Lightwood Pack members.” I grinned as he stared at me.

“Oh, yeah?” He said finally, “So, how’re you connected to them? And how would I be useful to you if you’re not?”

“I was part of that sick pack. They treated me like crap. Now I’m forming my own, for the sake of revenge.” I looked at Kaesha and nodded.

She lifted the spell and he collapsed, muscles stiff and unsupportive.

“They’re more fragile on the inside than they seem. And I fully intend to exploit that fragility.” I held a hand out to him and he stared apprehensively at it, “Wanna join?”