I pace the yard, rage and bloodlust fueling my fire. My tattered jeans drag the ground, barely hanging on after being blown apart by my transformation. Micah has already shifted back, looking surprisingly calm after such a harsh fight. It’s been a while since we’ve tussled like that, and I underestimated him as always. Being the largest of the three, I’m easier to knock down, which pisses me off even more.

“We’ll find her, man. Just try to calm down.” Micah breathes, releasing a hit from his cigarette.

I continue mindlessly pacing, seeing red and wanting to ring Macy’s fucking neck for what she did. She’s always been a pain in my ass and it drives me insane that she’s one of us. A jealous, manipulative woman who can’t stand to see me interested in another person. She might be an easy lay, but I always end up paying for it somehow.

“Please don't make us sedate you, son.” Dad chimes, panting and wiping sweat from his eyes with an old rag from the garage. He may look twenty-five but his body has been stuck this age for over seventy-five. A blessing and a curse bestowed upon us, but it's times like these that really take it out of him. He ended up coming between Micah and I because it was getting out of hand. If he hadn’t intervened, we might have killed each other.

I could see it in my brother's eyes, he was ready to end it all once he got his hands on me. There was something else fueling his protective drive just now, something I’d never seen before…

But I asked him to do this. I asked for his help to keep her safe.

As the adrenaline and the power begin to drift away, my whits return as well and I start to feel regretful for how I reacted.

Salem was only here a week and I’ve already attacked her. Had Micah not been there, I probably would’ve killed her. My heart sinks remembering the blood-curdling terror in her steel blue eyes. Rue never looked at me that way, and my heart practically rips in half at the realization. I finally stop pacing and kneel down to the ground, tangling my fingers in my hair.

Fuck- I should’ve known better.

“Who is that girl, anyway?” Cody asks. “What’s so special about her, I mean?”

“That liquid gold coursing through her veins,” Macy grumbles, losing a little of her nerve now that Micah and David laid into her. Good- someone needed to. But it doesn't change the fact that she let her go.

My teeth chew nervously at the inside of my lip. I try to think of a quick way to get her back but my mind is working in overdrive from the adrenaline.

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You almost killed her.

She’s better off on her own.

A firm hand grips my tense shoulder and gives it a squeeze, quieting the chatter in my brain. “I’ll go find her.” Micah offers. I relax some, knowing that if I go on my own I’ll end up making an even bigger mess of things. I could use his help and I’m thankful that he’s offering.

Storm approaches us reluctantly, his long hair tangling in his face for a moment as the breeze picks up around us, “If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know. It's not ideal to have her running loose like this. The longer she’s free, the more likely she is to run into someone and alert the authorities.” Out of the entire club, Storm has always been the most responsible and level-headed. It's moments like these that I really appreciate him. He’s a good friend, a loyal one.

I’m sure Micah and David are itching to bring her back, as well. If only to save their own asses. The last thing we need is the cops involved. It wouldn’t be our first tango with the police since moving here, but we try to keep our presence discreet. The less spotlight the better. Which is why we moved out in the middle of nowhere. Lucky for us, this might mean Salem won't come across anybody before we can catch her.

The wounds inflicted by my brother are quickly healing up along with his own wounds. A perk of being inhuman. I glance up at him through my lashes, shooting him a fearful look. He pushes his hair back from his eyes, taking a final drag from his cigarette before flicking it into the yard.

“You stay here,” He instructs me. “If there’s a chance she could come back, you need to be here.” He turns to face the others, “Aaron, Storm- you two follow me. We can split up and circle in on her. Cody- take the loudmouth home.”

“I’ll come too.” Dad approaches with a sense of purpose. “Someone needs to be responsible around here.” He glares down at me with irritation and I cower even more. I already feel like an idiot for swearing that things would be different this time only to shove my foot in my mouth a week later. Disappointing my father has never been an easy pill to swallow.

My eyes follow each of them as they all gather their helmets and climb onto their bikes. The engines begin roaring to life, creating that familiar vibration in my chest that has stuck with me since childhood. As I rise to a stand I can feel the lingering tremors from the fight and I take a deep breath in to try and relax. They’ll find her.

But then, what? She ran away for a reason. She’s terrified of me, and it's my fault for making her feel that way. What was I thinking, bringing her down into the bunker on her first day here? Any other scare tactic would have worked fine. Ever since that day, she’s looked at me like I’m a monster, and that was before she found out the truth. While I planned on showing her my other side eventually, I knew that right now would be too soon. She didn't trust me before; which means she really won't trust me now.

The Harleys ease up the driveway, each person on them sporting their club patch on the backs of their vests and jackets. Micah eases out first, his hunter-green bike shimmering in the sunlight and leading the way for the others. Dad follows in last, keeping an eye out in the rear of the group and protecting them, as always. I stand frozen in the driveway, back facing the house as regret and shame begin to eat me alive. I should be out there looking for her, but I follow Micah’s orders. He knows whats best- he always has.