Will hesitated at the threshold of the room, glancing around at his surroundings with a nervous eye. There were nearly thirty people in the room, all wearing the amulets of the Water Nexus. They were ranged around a sprawling table big enough to seat fifty, with room for two people at each of the heads. Felix, who had gone on ahead of the rest of them, was already seated at the far end. He smiled at Will as he paused, idly making a ribbon of water flow through the air around him.

“You’re really not going to attack us?” Will asked, glancing at Rachel. “But I’m guessing you’ll report that we invaded your home.”

“I will do neither,” Rachel said. As Olivia put a hand in the small of his back to push him into the room, the Alpha gestured him to sit at the nearest end of the table. “Please, get off your feet.”

The closest spot to the exit, he noticed, sitting down. He wondered if that was some attempt to put him at ease. She shouldn’t have bothered, as he’d felt trapped from the instant that Olivia had walked over to him. He thought regrettably that he should have just gone with his first instinct, which was to run. Rachel moved past him to sit beside her son, and Olivia lowered herself gracefully beside Will, brushing casually against him as she did so. He looked stonily back at her in reply to her dazzling smile.

“What are we doing here, Will?” James asked, leaning close to him. “Why are we sitting down to eat with our enemies?”

“It’s better than dying,” Will hissed back. He looked up at the other three, James in front, who were hovering just to the right, their eyes darting around as if expecting an attack any second. Will understood the feeling, but he didn’t want to get into a fight again. His back still ached from where Felix had slammed it into the ground, so he waved them down. “Just sit. There’s spots right here.”

After a few seconds of hesitation, they lowered themselves onto the comfortable chairs, continuing to glance around. For the most part, the Water Nexians acted completely normally, diving into the plates of food that were spread across the table. They didn’t seem to mind or even notice that there were four outsiders in their midst. Rather, they acted as though this was some long-standing arrangement. Will, like the others, didn’t touch any of the food on his plate. He focused his attention on Rachel instead, noting how she acted and talked with those around her.

Rachel didn’t look at him for the first ten minutes of the meal, but Will had the distinct impression she was aware of his concentrated stare. Was this an act for his benefit, then? Did she want him to believe that she had no warlike intentions? Well, he thought, he could have believed it if he hadn’t been forced to fight off four people trying to drown him alive. He clenched his fist at the thought, remembering how first those Nexians and then the stranger had attacked them.

“Are you okay, Will?” Olivia asked. Her eyes were fixed on his face, and she looked concerned. “Is the food not to your liking? I know you’re a great chef, but we tried our best.”

Will snapped his head towards her, frowning. “How do you know that I’m a good cook?”

“I’ve already told you I’m a big fan,” Olivia said, her lips forming a small frown.

“But I’ve never talked about my cooking in an interview,” he said. Then he turned his head back to Rachel, and he raised his voice. “How do you know so much about me?”

The conversations around the table stalled, but only for a second. Rachel, who had been laughing at something her son was saying, stopped abruptly. She looked back at Will, her ice-blue eyes level and unblinking. It was the same look she’d worn when Will was prepared to fight, but somehow more tragic. Then the conversation around her resumed, and the illusion was broken. Rachel’s face was smoothly impassive, and she picked up her glass, taking a long sip before replying.

“Togai told me,” she said simply.

Will felt his stomach twist in that horribly familiar way. There was that name again. He shot to his feet at once, startling James and the others. “Who is Togai?”

“You don’t remember?” Olivia said. “Togai said that you two had a lot in common. We just assumed you were friendly.”

“I don’t know anybody named Togai,” Will said, his breathing coming a bit faster than was necessary. “Whatever he’s told you, it’s a lie.”

“Really?” Rachel asked, and she shared an odd look with her daughter. “So you don’t consider him a friend?”

“How can I?” Will blurted out. “I don’t even know who he is!”

“Togai Kido,” Olivia supplied, “Is one of Hitori’s Lieutenants, Will. He was with him when he visited your Alpha.”

Will thought back to that meeting, and remembered the mostly silent figure that had stuck close to the Alpha of the Soul Nexus. Of course, their interactions had been limited, as Will had spoken mostly to Hitori and Edward. But it all clicked now, he thought. Of course, a Lieutenant would have considerable power. The Soul Nexus was renowned for its members being master martial artists, so of course Togai, with his rank, would be strong enough to bat Will around with ease. He once again thought about the Water Nexus attack, and clenched his fst.

Stolen story; please report.

“I’m tired of this,” he said loudly. The anger in his voice stopped the conversation, and all eyes turned once again, to face him. He pointed accusingly at Rachel. “I’m not playing along anymore. I want answers.”

“Answers to what?” Rachel asked, shaking her glass slightly to slosh the liquid inside. “I don’t understand why you’re angry with me. I haven’t done anything to you.”

“Except send four of your cronies to attack me and my family!” Will shouted. He slammed his hand on the table. At once, James shot to his feet, looking ready for a fight. “I think I have a right to be angry about that!”

Rachel didn’t say anything for several seconds. The scene around them remained frozen while the Alpha looked across the table at him, and the others watched her with anxiety. For Will, the only people that existed were Rachel and James. The formidable enemy and the trusted friend. If it came to a fight, he thought, he’d need James. Emmet and Joseph would be too slow to react. He was so prepared for the possibility of a fight that he could actually feel the heat tingling his arm, as if fire were lurking just under his skin.

“I wasn’t the one who ordered that attack on you,” Rachel said. Her voice was almost too quiet to reach across the table.

Will snorted derisively. James moved to his side, his own hands balled into fists. “Don’t lie to me. You’re the Alpha of the Water Nexus, and you’re Edward’s enemy. Of course you’d want to get rid of his daughter.”

“His daughter?” Rachel asked, seemingly taken aback. Then recognition flashed across her face. “Ah, you mean young Charlisa. Such a sweet gir-”

“Keep her name out of your mouth!” Will shouted, drowning out the end of Rachel’s sentence. “James, Emmet, let’s go. If you attack us again, you’ll regret it.”

Looking a bit startled, James and Emmet got to their feet. Then, clearly anxious, they hurried over to follow, on the watch for attacks. Will didn’t bother saying farewell, but spun on his heel at once. He made it several feet towards the door before someone stepped through it, blocking his path, and he was forced to come to a halt. Not out of fear, of course, though he knew he stood no chance against them, but out of sheer shock. For there, standing in the doorway of his own enemy’s home, was Edward Ambrose.

“Sit back down, Will,” Edward said. “I appreciate the show of loyalty, but you’ve got the wrong idea.”

“Edward!” Will staggered back a step, his mind reeling. “You can’t be here! It’s not safe for-”

Before he could finish the sentence, he saw three or four of the figures behind him move, Rachel among them. As one, they rose to their feet, and he spun around, fire leaping to his arms. He didn’t know where the instinct had come from, but his mind had gone blank at once, the only remaining thought being to protect and fight beside his Alpha. However, Edward gave him a quick shove that sent him staggering back towards the table.

“Stop asking for a fight,” Edward growled. “And sit down.”

Will obeyed, a little flustered, watching as Rachel made her way around the table. The others who had risen to their feet were Felix, Olivia, and a tall, thin man. They all approached Edward slowly, and with the exception of the man, they smiled warmly in welcome. Will gaped at them as they passed by, and lowered their heads respectfully towards Edward.

“What the hell?” He heard James ask. He shook his head slowly, not understanding any better than his friend.

“Welcome to my home, Edward,” Rachel said. “It’s been a while since your last visit, hasn’t it?”

“Yes,” Edward replied. Despite his casual entrance, he did look a bit tense. “I hope you’ve been well.”

Now it was James’ turn to drop his jaw, as he saw the two Alphas briefly embrace each other. It wasn’t a hug between friends, but it was a friendly gesture. Will didn’t understand why Edward was so calm and composed, given that he was surrounded by enemies.

“You haven’t met my children, have you?” Rachel asked. “This is Olivia, my oldest. And this is Felix.”

“Nice to meet you,” Edward said. He looked between Will and Olivia for a moment, then said, “You’re a bit more grownup than I expected.”

That was an odd thing to say, Will thought. Did he expect people to stay the same age? Though the confusion on his Alpha’s face was understandable, at least. Will had no clue that Rachel Smith had given birth to any children prior to meeting Olivia. But he’d simply assumed that, like Edward, Rachel had tried her hardest to keep their existence and relation to her a secret. If her enemies knew that they were her children, that might put them in danger.

“We grow fast,” Olivia said with a tinkling laugh just like her mother’s. “It’s an honor to meet you, Edward.”

“You’ve met my daughter, I assume,” Edward said. He turned to stare back through the doorway, flicking his hand in a beckoning gesture. “Come say hello, dear.”

Will’s head snapped around again, so fast that it almost hurt. Through the doorway, Charlisa appeared. Like her father, she wasn’t wearing her furs, just a simple t-shirt and jeans. Though she did have a long, thin package slung over her shoulder. It almost looked like a sword, he thought. She looked directly at him before anything else, her eyes full of sympathy. A silent message seemed to pass between them. She wanted him to relax, and almost at once he felt his muscles unclench. He took a deep breath, and nodded at her.

“Yes, of course!” Rachel said. She took a quick pace forward and held her arms out. Charlisa hugged her warmly. “You’re so big now! My god you’re pretty, too!”

Charlisa grinned up at her, then looked at her father. “I think we should tell Will what we’re doing here, Dad.”

Will perked up at that, rising uncertainly to his feet once more. “Tell me what? Why are you so calm?”

“Because Rachel is not our enemy, Will,” Charlisa said. “She never has been.”

“What are you talking about?” Will asked. James made a noise of agreement. “You went to war against her!”

Edward shook his head. “That’s just what the scholars know. The truth is much more complicated. We’re forced to look like enemies, to keep the real enemy distracted.”

“Who’s the real enemy?” Will asked. The horrible wrenching feeling in his gut had returned.

“The same enemy as before,” Rachel said, her voice firm. “The same one it’s always been. The Soul Nexus.”

“We’re a team against Hitori,” Edward said. “And you can help us. You’re going to kill him.”