Rayen had taken me through a maze of halls and stairs. We passed curious looking werewolves that eyed me with either intrigue or contempt. By the end I felt like I had either turned into an exotic jewel or a poison, and even I wasn’t sure which one.

 It was definitely odd, and I was content with ignoring it. That was until we were heading down the hall and a group of children were laughing and skipping towards us. They saw me and the laughing stopped instantly, most of them turned tail and ran in the opposite direction. One little girl with unruly black curls smiled shyly at me, waved and then raced after the rest of her friends, giggling almost as prettily as Rayen. 

I turned a glare at my mates cousin, hands on my hips, and she did a wonderful job at ignoring me. I huffed and turned my glare on an older male werewolf who had taken the initiative to growl at me. I made sure to put the promise of death in my eyes, his growl sputtered in his throat and his head tucked. The wolf bowed to me, as he rightfully should. Death's promise was always upheld by me, he had been marked, I could see it on him, about as well as he could feel it. He knew I was his death. 

I tsked and kept walking, I had no reason to kill him yet. But I would, at some point, and I’d do it easily, a smile on my face. Rayen regarded me and the permanently bowed wolf. 

“That's why you're here.” She stated quietly, barely more than a whisper. I lifted a brow at her, in the process of shedding my anger. She looked straight ahead as she elaborated. 

“Some of the wolves aren’t thrilled that their Alpha’s mate is a banshee. Some think you're dangerous, others think you're too harmless. We’re werewolves, we’re untrusting of outsiders and we value everything by strength. Compared to us you're almost human.” I tried really hard not to smile, it was easier with her attention elsewhere. It was clear what category she would place me in. I shook my head, I was anything but harmless. 

She glanced at me and I dropped my small smile. She sighed and turned slightly to better face me. 

“We’re taking the long way. We went down a few floors extra and are now making our way back up to your brother.” I stopped completely, she successfully pulled me along. “Look, the wolves need to see you. They need to figure out if they're going to try and accommodate you or if they're going to put up a fuss.” Her voice deepened and curled at the word fuss and I eyed her. 

“A fuss?” I asked and she sighed letting go of my arm as I willingly moved with her. 

“Sometimes, and this is a rare occurrence, but sometimes an Alpha mates with someone of unknown strength. The wolves can petition to challenge the mate.” I breathed. “Don’t worry the rules state that they can not kill the mate. And it doesn't interfere with the Bond itself, but it would make you little more than the mate of the Alpha. We’re trying our best to end it before it even begins. You really don’t have anything to worry about.” I smiled at her, she really was nice, if a little naive. 

“Really, Rayen, it’s fine. If they want to challenge me, let them. I could use some exercise.” She froze for a moment, hearing the monster that lurked below my flesh. She turned to watch me and her back straightened. No doubt taking in the way I held myself. Arms at my sides, hands open, ready to grab a weapon. My shoulders relaxed and eyes forward, focusing my reaction on what I heard, not what I saw. I could hear all around me, but seeing, I was half blind. 

She sniffed and muttered a curse directed at Tristan, something about withholding important information. I laughed lightly and watched her out of the corner of my eye. 

“Did Lupin send someone to get my sword?” She narrowed her eyes at me and nodded. I had figured he would, though he hadn’t said as much, he had taken a particular interest in my sword. I smiled, already comforted by it’s promised presence. 

For as much as it had been when Lupin left, his return was close to nothing. Like a bell, a swing, a knock, and a reverberation throughout my entire being, but that was it. The emptiness that had settled in my core faded, and it was only the relief of its absence that made me aware it had been there in the first place. 

Rayen walked straight up to her cousin and punched him.

“What. The hell. Is. Wrong. With you.” She asked, accenting each word with a punch. In his gut, on his shoulder, in his chest. I growled at her, low and long, the end spiking into a near snarl. They both turned to look at me surprised. The looks knocked some sanity into me and I shook my head. 

“Sorry.” I muttered to Rayen, embarrassed. She waved it off again, understanding. 

“It’s fine.” Though thankfully, for my sanity, she took a step back from him. Then she hitched her hands on her hips and heaved a long exasperated sigh, eyes fixed on Lupin. His brows were furrowed at his disapproving cousin, he looked up at me impoloring but I shrugged. He looked back at Rayen and she clicked her tongue, shaking her head. 

“Lupin, you know that women feel the Lack more significantly than men. Not to mention that this is really the first time that you two have ever been with each other for an extended period. Do you have any idea how hard that rocked her?” His face was pressed in a wince and he looked over at me, eyes apologetic. I shook my head at him and smiled small, it was fine. His jaw tensed and he turned back to his cousin. 

“I forgot, I promise to take more care next time.” She tsked again, but conceded. We started down the hall. I moved to be next to Lupin but resisted the urge to touch him. We got to the end of the hall, took one more flight of stairs and emerged into a bustling hall. Busy people, moving quickly to wherever they needed to be. Most were in tactical gear, gadgets buzzing and beeping. The others ran about in formal clothes, stacks of paper in hand. I almost laughed. 

“You put my brother on this floor? What is this? The information-central hall?” I shook my head smiling, no wonder my brother was having a blast. Rayen arched an eyebrow. 

“Most of us call it the Beehive. But you can call it that if you want.” I rolled my eyes as she made her way to a door guarded by a group of unmoving people. As we moved closer, Tristan stepped out of the throng of tactical clad werewolves to meet Rayen. I realized everyone was here. Ava leaned up against the wall and Declan was huddled together with a girl I could only assume was Ember. She was almost the spitting image of her brother. Hair cut at her shoulders and just as dark, flowing around her face, but her eyes were a deep blue, more like the ocean and less like the forest. She was just as beautiful and she fit nicely next to Declan, they seemed to form some shelter around themselves, excluding the outside world. She saw us approach and her eyes trained on me, taking me in. 

She stepped forward and extended her hand. I paused a moment but took it, she smiled and held it tight.

“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Ember, Lupin’s sister. If you have any questions, any at all about him, don’t hesitate to ask. As his big sister it's my job to embarrass him.” I smiled and tilted my head. For some odd reason I already liked her. 

“It’s my own experience that younger siblings have the same job.” She rolled her eyes, but nodded. 

“Yes but he already had his turn, now it’s mine.” She smiled triumphantly and chuckled. 

“Have I ever said how happy I am that I’m an only child?” Rayen comenteed and everyone smiled at her. A young male wolf stepped out of the throng of guards, equally covered in black gear. He didn’t watch me like I was a jewel or a poison, and I instantly liked him for that. I liked him more when he held out my sword to me. It was still sheathed in the leather bonding. I reached out and took it in hand. That unsettled, unsafe part of me easing for a moment, now I had my sword. I sighed and pulled it out of its sheath. 

It was unmistakably my sword. I knew it like the back of my hand, the balance, the weight, it was etched into my bones. My sword, the sword I had trained with since I was a girl, named Urlatirce, and handed down to the females on my father’s side of the family. Its seventeenth century Italian hilt, protruding metal twisting around my hand. The long thin blade of the rapier glimmering in the hallway light. The true material of the sword was unknown, time having forgotten. The metal looked like steel at first glance but to the touch it was soft like ivory. And in the sun, the silver metal reflected gold. 

The only reasonable conclusion I had come up with was that the sword was crafted of magic. Which meant it could be made of anything. So far, it had yet to burst into flame or shoot water out of it’s tip. Despite it’s unusual substance, Urlatirce worked just the same as any normal sword. Except, of course, for it’s unusual proclivity to never break. 

I had discovered the power when practicing as a child. I was still very young and at the time, I was forbidden to touch my late grandmother's sword. I had disregarded that rule and as I was having such fun swinging it around, my hands slipped. I accidentally threw it all the way across the training room, it banged against the concrete wall and I was certain it was going to shatter. But the thin blade didn’t even have a knick in the metal. After that I was enamored by the sword, I dedicated all of my training to swordplay. I was determined to be good enough to inherit the sword, and when I had surpassed even my father, he gave me the sword, a smile on his face. 

Everyone around me marveled at Urlatrice. It was true my sword was breathtaking, and the first time you saw it was always a shock. There was no hiding that it was otherworldly, that it was Magic. I smiled and sheathed the sword, then wrapped the belt around my hips, buckling it and twisting the sword to rest against my left thigh. I looked up at the young wolf that still stood in front of me, staring at my sheathed sword. I regarded him, I think I would biasedly like him forever. 

“What’s your name?” His eyes snapped up to mine and he paused. He shifted his eyes to look behind me, undoubtedly at Lupin. I raised my hand and snapped in his face, his eyes clicked back to me. I tilted my head, waiting. He cleared his throat but didn’t look away. 

“Luca, miss. Luca Sullivan.” I smiled at him. 

“Thank you for my sword, Luca.” He smiled shyly back, clearly unsure what to do at this moment. I raised my head up and smiled tightly. 

“You may go.” Everyone around me froze for a moment. It wasn’t really an order, but it was clear enough that I wasn’t to be disobeyed. Thankfully for him, Luca didn’t look to Lupin, he didn’t make the same mistake twice. He didn’t even pause for very long. He inclined his head, turned around and disappeared into the crowd of wolves. I felt kind of bad using him, but I’d make it up to him.  

I turned around and Lupin shook his head at me, but he didn’t seem upset. In fact he looked amused. Rayen chuckled darkly. 

“Of course, she has to go and pick on the Sullivan’s kid.” I raised my brow and Ember explained. 

“The Sullivan’s are well respected around here, Auden Sullivan, Luca’s father, is old and strong. Their family name has been in the history books for generations, people listen to them.” She shrugged. “Luca’s the youngest of the Sullivan brood, he doesn't have much of a reputation. But he’s still got the name, just be careful okay?” I nodded, I had no intention of hurting Luca, in fact, I wanted him as an ally, now more than ever. I flashed a smile at Lupin and he rolled his eyes.

“Ready?” I nodded and he motioned for the door to open.