EP17

Rozelin remained motionless as she evaluated her surroundings. There was nothing nearby for him to see, but his instincts and the silence of the night told him otherwise. He turned around and looked across the lake and saw that Nairi was still asleep.

He knew how to stay alert; If there was indeed a vampire nearby and neither Chiara nor Nairi could help, he needed to be able to take on it. Although he hoped it didn't get to this point, he didn't know enough about the creatures to hate them so much like the other werewolves. They got along well, didn't they? Werewolves and vampires?

"Malia?" Rozelin tried to nudge the wolf to wake it up, but there was nothing but silence around. Not a sound came from his wolf; He really felt like he was alone. His mind was empty.

Sighing, Rozelin decided to find Chiara; The last time she saw him, the wolf was patrolling the area where only his rosette could see him. He was more awake by the fact that his ears hadn't picked up any sounds and he hadn't seen Gama since he had fallen asleep earlier. He felt a little better as he searched for his friend as his claws lengthened and sharpened.

Rozelin kept her stride light, which was a bit difficult to do on a gravel landscape, and even more as she moved away from the lake and approached the forest, where roots, branches, and leaves were sprawling on the ground. The worst part was the silence, making every breath he took loud and the sound of his heartbeat ringing in his ears.

Bending under a broken tree branch, he did not see a branch on the ground until the last minute. The branch broke under the weight of his foot, and he was immediately startled; The sound echoed through the forest.Rozelin looked around and tiptoed over more branches, ran to a tree and leaned against it. He tried to calm his beating heart as his eyes scanned the area; She sighed in relief as nothing jumped out and grabbed her.

Rozelin felt a strange sense of déjà vu. The last time he was alone in the woods, he was chased by werewolves and hunters, and it didn't end well. But tonight she felt more confident than ever; so she didn't hesitate to call her friend. Chiara was a hard cookie, and if she had reasoned with the rosette, she would have reacted instantly. Gama even scolded him for entering the forest unprotected. The fact that he hadn't heard from the she-wolf worried him. ,

Rosalina's brows creased in concern as she pulled away from the tree. It followed an ancient path designed for hikers; hardly used except for fresh footprints. Rozelinin looked across the road and saw the footprints on the road; She kept herself alert as she followed the trail. His eyes narrowed slightly as he wandered around a few trees, seeing droplets of blood on the forest floors.

His eyes then saw a large black wolf collapsed to the ground. Rozelin took a sharp breath at this sight; her heart pounded against her chest and she suddenly ran towards the wolf without thinking. She jumped over a fallen tree and immediately went under another branch.

Gritting her teeth, she jumped down and, on her knees, she slid to the wolf side. His hands wandered over the beast; she was breathing slowly. She found none after assessing for any wounds, and her observation made her realize it was Chiara, she. His wolf was more substantial than the average werewolf, but nothing compared to Damon's magnificent form. It was her panic that made her think it could be either of them.

He loosened only part of the rosé; Knowing that Chiara was breathing and living unharmed was something she was always grateful for. But after shaking him and mentally calling his name, she was stunned and frightened. Why wasn't Chiara waking up? He was living…

Rozelin suddenly tensed up and slowly looked up, as if sensing the predator nearby. His eyes widened when he saw the man standing in front of him. Her heavenly beauty took her breath away, and her eyes shone brightly on her pale skin and pale, white hair. He took a step towards the speck of light bestowed by the moonlight. Her hair was longer than she remembered, falling over her shoulders, elegantly straight.

Rozelin hadn't noticed that her mouth was hanging open by her presence. But she clenched her teeth with an audible "click" after seeing her mouth and hands covered with blood. She contrasted with her white shirt splashed with red liquid. Rozelin began to stand up, almost in a trance, as she stepped more out of the shadows, but she nodded as she already knew the skill.

"Gabriel," she whispered.

Gabriel tilted his head to the side with a grin on his face before chuckling in delight. His answer was strangely frightening; It went well with his bloodstained shirt.

Swallowing, she took a slow and determined step towards him, "What did you do?"

"I've solved one of your problems," he said coldly, a charming smile growing on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes. Those blue eyes that looked as ice cold as the way he spoke. His demeanor sent a shiver down his spine, and goosebumps went up his body. Not in a good way.

rosé

Your hand watched in shock as he lifted up his hand and sucked one of his bloody fingers, watching in horror as he looked at her, "Though blood…" waved his hand, "But it was worth it. Seeing you… seeing your face was my little offering."

What does he mean by that?

Gabriel tilted his head to the side, as if he was intrigued by her. Maybe the years in prison made him lose his mind. Maybe the years in prison made him lose his mind, or all the years he lived in made him lose his mind.

He took a step towards her, and Rozelin instinctively took one back. Her eyes narrowed before locking her gaze with his, "Don't be afraid of me, little wolf. I just came to play."

Rozel felt suddenly unable to move, she tried to move her arms and legs, but they were stuck as if there was an invisible string. He couldn't understand why he was using mind control over her, or was it some other vampire power he wasn't aware of? The last time he used "force" on her, she didn't feel that way.

Gabriel also tried to hide a lot about himself and the affairs of the vampires. Was this the real Gabriel? In the short time she spent with him, she hardly knew him; Even then it was quite distant. But he still felt a sense of loyalty and friendship towards her; After all, they went through the same thing. If not, he's been through much more than that.

"Gabriel.."

She suddenly stopped in front of him and held her breath at his speed. He put a finger under his chin and lifted his head up so that he looked directly into her eyes. Those eyes with a sea of ​​blue hues with red spots in them that make him seem even more otherworldly.

He watched in amazement as his eyes swept over her face, "This is extraordinary, really. Seeing you up close.. You look almost symmetrical." He muttered, "out of your eyes. They're giving you away."

Rozel's brows furrowed, "B-my eyes? They're the same-"

"Oh no, sweet rosélin. They're not ..." His hand stroked her hair as if comforting, "There's no one like you." His voice hardened and his mouth fell open and he quickly closed it. His words had hurt her, stabbed her like a knife into her heart. He blinked the tears that filled his eyes as his wounded heart weighed heavily.

It freed him from his control and his head fell down, his hair falling forward.

"This is a good thing."

Confused by her words, Rozelin lifted her head and watched her retreating figure.

"Our time is up, sweet wolf. It was a pleasure. If you need anything, princess.. Don't hesitate to reach out." Gabriel turned and looked longingly at her, "Until Rozelin Cross next time." He greeted her before retreating and blending into the darkness of the trees.

The moment she was gone, the three wolves snarled and pounced before her; neither frightened nor looked at them; His eyes were fixed on the area Gabriel had left. Damon's imposing wolf sniffed him and snarled before barking at the other two running in the direction he was looking.

Rozelin was very confused by what had happened. Gabriel.. his friend.. He was acting very strange. His words were very hurtful. Wasn't he talking about his mother? But then she said it was a good thing she wasn't like him. As she recalls, her mother was kind-hearted and no one said anything bad about her. Damon even stood up for his family when he reiterated what the hunters had said about them.

So am I the opposite of my mother? Is that what he meant? Rozelin frowned at his thoughts. As with the last time with the vampire, it stunned him with more questions than answers. Gabriel must have known his mother, but he accidentally named her Amelia when they first met.

"Rozelin"

Rozel's eyes left the trees and she noticed the two black wolves in front of her. One of them is much larger than the other. Rozelin looked at Damon, then at Chiara, her eyes still wide open. But before he could say anything, a howl rang in her mind, she. She clutched her head in pain.

"Malia?" He's out of breath.

"Yeah.. remember me bitch!? You totally screwed me up." Malia growled.

"What? I thought you were sleeping?" Roselin asked in surprise.

"No. Your FRIEND leech blocked our connection!" Malia shouted, causing Rozel to grimace.

"I'm so sorry-"

"What happened? WHY are you here? In the woods?" Damo's growl came from the mind connection as a growl escaped the wolf's lips.

Rozelin parted her lips, then closed them again with a crease forming on her forehead.

"Things were really weird.. So I went looking for Chiara.. And then she.. Found her asleep?" Rozelin looked confused by her expression and looked at Chiara.

"True. I don't know what it is. I saw a vampire and then it went black. I woke up a few minutes ago," Chiara replied.

Nairi suddenly jumped out of the trees and stood next to Chiara, sticking out her tongue, gasping as she ran, as if she could hear what had happened. Nairi held his breath. "I've been put to sleep too."

"Can a vampire do that?" Damon muttered through mind connection, but he knew the others didn't. Kane and Frank wanted to follow her to catch her, but Rose's pale face and shock expression on her face.

After seeing her, she decided to stay with him. If the vampire was just as good at being undetected searching for him in the same area, then he didn't believe Kane or Frank would find him anyway.

Either way, it sent a mind link telling families to stay indoors and watch out for patrolling wolves. Damon looked at her rosy worriedly, blood in her hair, but after the first sniff he knew it wasn't her. However, she did smell another man, something sweet like a strawberry. The scent snarled at him again.

"Rozelin, what happened? Have you seen the vampire?" He asked, trying to keep his voice soft, but Darius was snarling and eager to take the reins. So that he can hunt this time. He also didn't like seeing his wife act like she'd seen a ghost.

She gasped when Rozel's memory caught her, "Damon.. I don't know what Gabriel did.. But he was covered in blood."

"Gebriel?" His voice boomed when another man's name was called. Its enormous claws stepped forward, closing the small gap between them, and rose above its partner.

"Gabriel the vampire…" he said in a low voice, averting his eyes from the majestic wolf in front of him.

Damo's head went down so his face was in front of his. Rozelin felt his hot breath on her neck, so she turned her head and looked up, her eyes widening at how close they were. He tilted his head slightly to see his big nose and fangs in front of him. Reminding him once again of the first night, he technically met her.

"How do you know her name, Rozelin?" Damon growled in his mind; The thought of him interacting with a vampire made his blood boil.

"Because he's my friend.." Their whispers came from their private mind connection.

Damo's wolf form gave goosebumps; Her chest heaved as a heavy silence filled the air. Rozelin remained calm as she stared at Alpha, possibly before another argument ensued, "I met Gabriel when I was kidnapped by Hunters. He was supposed to escape with us that night."

"If he's your friend," Damon grumbled at the last word, "then why was he in so much trouble? He put his guards to sleep..."

That was a great question, and although she felt Gabriel should explain himself more, she decided to defend him, "He probably felt threatened. This is werewolf territory. He escaped without us when you showed up with the pack for the same reason." Rozelin shrugged.

There was a heavy silence that hung in midair again as Damon stared at her, "You said you were covered in blood, Rozelih. Even if he's your 'friend,' he'll be no exception if he's killed someone."

As he imagined what Gabriel might look like, the depth of his words struck him again. As he began to track what Beta Kane said and acted, Beta Kane's voice floated in his mind: "Alpha, Luna.. There has been a massacre in the Sanctuary."

All color drained from rosé's face when she remembered Gabriel's words "I solved one of your problems", "to see your face in my little proposal"

Damon; He shut his mouth and commanded through his mind connection, "Chiara, Nairi, go back to the barn, keep checking the vampire but stay on the path. If you see him, warn me."

The red and black wolves quickly turned and started running in the same direction that Kane and Frank had left earlier. Damon poked his rosé from the shoulder, which freed him from his trance and swirling thoughts. Shaking his head, he said, "Are we getting the bike back?"

"Do you know how it will last?" He asked.

"I've been riding for years."

"I'll drive. Come on." Damon cut her off before leaving. Rozelin followed the wolf, thinking of climbing on its back like a horse.

Now that would be fun...

"Not time or place," Malia snapped, turning her rosé back to reality.

Gabriel did something, and that was most likely the cause of the carnage at the cargo house. Malia was right; With that in mind, he ran past Damon, who was catching up, for a run.

Back in the cave with the blanket and backpack, Damon tried to pack Rozel's things while she changed. When he emerged fully clothed, they rushed towards his motorcycle. She handed him the spare helmet, but before the rosin could put it on, he took her hand for Damon's attention, leaned forward on tiptoe, and planted a kiss on his lips. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment in bewilderment, before Rozelin stepped back and put on her helmet.

Without a word, they climbed the Big Bang and quickly set off. Rozelin swore she was going faster than before, but she couldn't say it. The journey was not as enjoyable as it used to be; There was a sense of urgency and anxiety. He hugged her tighter and closed his eyes tightly; He wasn't afraid of the speed they were going. Moreover, she was trying to calm her racing thoughts.

The doors of the mansion opened immediately upon their arrival. Rozelin noticed that there were more guards at the gates and that there were wolves patrolling the woods. She saw a few as she approached the freight house through parts of the forest and countryside. Damon drove them to the front of the garage before turning off the engine; roselle's lair

p lowered the helmet.

Beta Kane and Gamma Chiara rushed to their positions, faces solemn. Kane was the first to answer the undisclosed question, "13 dead and one injured."

"Show us," Damo's raspy voice sent a chill through Rose's collapsing body.

Beta and Gamma, Damon and rosélin steered across the terrain, their strides long and fast, as if every second that left the scene could cause another death. Chiara aligns with Rozelin, allowing Damon to get ahead of Kane.

"There's one letter left for you," Chiara advised. Rosalin looked at him, her eyes wide with shock. Her eyebrows rose after she looked down and saw Chiara pull an envelope from her leather jacket pocket. Rozelin took it and put it in her pocket,

Rozelin nodded in thanks, but she could see the worry and confusion on Gamman's face. But what could she say to make her feel better?Rozelin didn't know what was in the letter, but she could guess who had left it for her. Was it the person who arranged everything or was it done on a whim?

Roselline's steps slowed and she staggered as her eyes fell on the corpses on the ground. As Kane's voice further explained the locations of the corpses, "So far, according to what some warriors have analyzed, they were killed and then brought to this point."

Damo's face darkened and his brows furrowed as he passed Kane, his body stiffening as he watched the corpses lying on the grass. Rozelin peered deep within, taking some strength from her wolf to propel herself forward. He caught up to Damon and quickly turned his head to avoid throwing up at the grotesque scene. Her stomach turned to anger, and Malia howled in anger at what she saw.

Although it was night, the area in which they were placed was conveniently illuminated by garden lamps. In front of them, 13 dead werewolves lay on their backs in human form. Blood splattered on the trees and the ground. Ten of them had been decapitated, and when Rozelin approached one of the corpses with their heads intact, she could see two holes in their necks and their already grayed lifeless bodies. He looked almost mummified, as if his blood had been drawn.

"The three of them have had their blood drawn," Chiara's low, serious voice confirmed Roseli's suspicions. Rozelin raised her hand to cover her mouth as her eyes darted to each of the dead figures. Some beheadings were worse than others.

The cuts on their necks were deep and ripped through their flesh and skin. One even had a place where their heads were probably forcibly severed from their bodies; The man's nerve endings and esophagus were pulled from the neck to the head. It was as if the murderer was in a bloodthirsty frenzy.

It was what a vampire did. Gabriel is doing it, it was meant to be.

Rozelin jumped and barked at the same time as a pair of hands landed on her shoulders. She turned around and saw Alex. Fortunately Damon was too involved in an argument with Kane, turning their backs to them to notice the shift between Luna and the shapeshifter. Or the issue at hand was more important than the formation of his jealousy.

"Hey, you're fine," said Alex in a soothing, calm voice, "you still look like you've been through hell."

Rozelin parted her lips, her eyebrows creased in surprise, until she saw her eyes staring at her mud-stained white jeans and one blood-spattered white jeans. The side where Gabriel was stroking her. A shudder ran through him. The blood in his hair belonged to one of the victims.

Frank suddenly appeared next to Alex, pulling him out of his stupor. The two were talking, but he ignored them. She watched the movement of her lips before staring at one of the dried-up bodies on the floor. Her hazel eyes were still open, looking directly at him, those glassy eyes that showed no sign of life...

Damon felt that his friend was not following him and the pack leaders. He knew Alex was nearby, but when he looked back, his teeth clenched at what he saw as his eyes searched. For once, she was angry not because Alex had touched her partner, but because they didn't feel the strain on her face or see her staring at the corpses on the floor rather than at them.

"Frank! Let him in!" He nodded and watched and watched as the two walked towards the mansion with Rozelin.

Darius was growling profusely in his mind; They could understand why Rozelin was in shock. The scene before them was unlike anything they had dealt with before, but death was something they were used to, just not of this magnitude. The last time there were multiple deaths was when the bandits attacked and killed many people, including Chiara's friend.

Damon looked at Chiara and could see her expressionless face cracking slightly; her eyes showed a fragility that she dared not comment.

"Gama Chiara," Damon barked, reassuring the she-wolf, "you and Nairi, make hot drinks for the family members in the shed." ordered.

Gama nodded, her eyes relaxed before returning to the loadhouse where Nairi was in the kitchen making hot drinks. Chiara in the living room and

helped them serve family members sitting in the two dining rooms.

Next to Rozel, Frank and Alex were sitting on the kitchen island, each drinking a hot beverage. Rozelin and Alex chose the hot chocolate and Frank stuck to a cup of tea. Rozelin knew that in the future she would have to get better in such situations-

"It better not happen in the future," Malia snarled.

Rozelin nodded, "I know. But I need to be stronger than that. I didn't know them but this is my flock and I need to be there for family members."

"What's going on?" Frank asked politely.

"Gabriel was here," Rozelin whispered. Both men took a sharp breath.

"Did he do this?" Frank asked, studying his face carefully.

"I guess…" Rozelin whispered again before reaching into her pocket for the letter.

Unlike before, he hadn't paid much attention as he had hidden it inside his jacket. He looked at her in his hands; He could see the blood splashing onto the paper.

"What's that?" Alex looked a little too closely over his shoulder, as usual. Rosalin rolled her eyes and began to open the envelope.

All three of them raised their eyebrows as they read the words on the paper:

They were plotting against you. You're welcome, -C

Rozelin looked at the neat, cursive handwriting left on the letter from Gabriel.

"Conspiring against you…" muttered Alex.

Frank nodded, "You don't kill them all that way, though."

"Is there a better way to kill them!?" Alex reacted.

"Why is everything with you a joke-"

As the two men argued and argued further about the letter and Gabriel's actions, Rozelin continued to read and reread it and review what she had said in the woods.

"Still, he signed it with \'C\'. Are you sure it's Gabriel?" Alex diverted his question to his rosette and distracted him from his thoughts.

Rozelin nodded to look into his emerald green eyes, "It was definitely him.

"Did he crash?" Alex dug deeper, still not convinced by her words.

"No. He forced me not to move, and he just… talked to me." Rozelin looked at the letter again before continuing with a firm voice, "That was him."

Frank took the letter from Rozelin, brought it close to her face, and examined it, "I wonder, her writing style is neat. It looks like she used a fountain pen. She may have rushed the letter and didn't finish it properly. After all, she killed 13 people."

Rozelin sighed in disappointment. Taking a sip of her hot chocolate, she leaned her elbow on the counter and rested her head on her hand. Rozelin looked around and was relieved to find no one nearby to listen to their conversation. At times like these, she wished Alex was a werewolf so they could make a mind connection with him.

"Let's keep that to ourselves. The Pack doesn't need to know that." Rozelin held up the letter again, "Or I'm the cause of their disappearance," she whispered harshly.

"It's not your fault. They were plotting against you. You are their Luna!" Frank cried out in a whisper, "The moment they decided to plan, they sealed their fate."

"Either way, honey, they were going to die. Gabriel asserted their execution," Alex added, with a stern smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"What was that?" A deep voice echoed in the kitchen. Rozelin already knew who she was, so she turned around in her seat and grimaced when she saw Damon and Beta Kane enter the kitchen. Before she could answer, Chiara and Nairi and more group members entered the room as they turned on the kettle once more and leaned across the rozel and the men.

"We have something to discuss," said Rozelin, looking at the new arrivals in her office.

Damon squinted his eyes a little, not enough for others to see, but Rozelin could tell. Damon knew something was up, especially after Rozel had said she knew the vampire in the woods, and now they had graves to dig.

"Come." Damon turned his back on them and made his way to his office. As Beta Kane passed her, rosélin, Frank, and Alex followed; He put the letter back in his jacket pocket.

In the corridor leading to the library, Rozelin stopped abruptly, and as before, the men nearly bumped into her. His eyes were wide open, especially looking at nothing in front of him. Damon heard the squeak of the coaches behind him and turned to see what the commotion was. She blinked in surprise at the expression on her face. The color of his face faded once more as he stared at the floor and the walls.

"This is where we stopped last time.. Is his memory coming back?" whispered Alex.

"I don't know," Frank shrugged casually, but his face was full of worry, "he's been through a lot. Again."

"A lot of... blood." Rozelin whispered hard.

Damon frowned after listening to Alex and Frank Rozel talk about her lost memories. But his words caught him off guard. Damon realized that the corridor they were in was one of the few corridors where he was left alone with countless corpses when his parents were killed. Wolves left to protect them.

Rozelin swallowed with unshed tears in her eyes. Ahead of him, his vision was shifting from the present to what he initially assumed was a hallucination. But it was too much of a coincidence. There were not one but several bodies scattered around the hallway, fresh blood staining the walls, bloody claw marks on the floor, bullet holes, and empty cartridge cases. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to calm his erratic heart.

"That's it. Just breathe," Malia softly persuaded him.

Damon took a slow step towards her, raising his hands to look at her gently, "Rozelin, baby."

A tear fell from her eye as she blinked and opened her eyes, and she returned to reality and looked at her partner. Without another word, she rushed forward and slipped into Damo's open arms. He immediately wrapped her in his arms, her embrace comforting him, warming his cold body.

"I'm here my angel." Damon kissed her on the top of her head, away from her bloody hair. She pulled back and lowered her hands to her face, so she looked at him; He could see the fear behind his eyes at the unknown. Something she hoped she wouldn't remember.

"I'll always be here for you," he whispered, without placing a gentle kiss on her lips, and not just from his enemies, but from his enemies.

before deepening it after feeling the desire to protect it from the shadows of a bloody past.

As they parted, Damon interlocked his fingers and they walked side-by-side into the office, followed by the others smiling at the pair. Damon opened the door for Roselle to enter first, who cheekily took a seat on the other side of her desk. Her eyes immediately lit up, causing her to smile innocently. Shaking his head, he switched on the side lamp and walked behind her, leaning against the window sill.

The study was dark and lit only by the partial moon behind the clouds shining through the window and the lamp still not killing the shadows in the room. That was what she loved, but still Rozelin felt the fear; He was good at composing himself even after a minor breakdown. But the bond seemed to get stronger even without mating or markings. Or more in tune with it; Since they were known to be spouses, they spent every day sleeping in the same bed.

Rozelin watched as the others entered the room. She knew sitting in Damon's chair was a bit risky, but even with Damon's wrath, she wanted something else to distract him from the flashback he had witnessed. If it was. Rozelin nodded with a sigh and noticed why they were in the room.

He took the letter out of his pocket and held it up; Damon immediately took it and said, "Who is C?" she read. His deep voice combined with a growl that echoed throughout the room.

Beta Kane stepped forward and read the letter as well, "Do you know the vampire who did this, Luna?"

Rozelin swallowed and explained to Kane what she had told Damon. She concludes with a letter from Gabriel. Finally, Kane pulled her golden locks out of her bun and let them fall in waves over her shoulders. He looked at Damon, "What are we going to tell the Pack?"

Rozelin turned in the leather sofa to face Damon; she could see him deep in thought, his brows furrowed and his chin wearing a chin, "We tell them he's a vampire covered in blood. Nothing more."

Frank was the next to speak; leaning against the wall, arms folded, "There is a survivor.. They may suspect that their collaborator is all dead."

"That's another matter," Kane added, making Roselin turn to look at him, "Lydia who survived."

"Of course it is," Frank snapped, and Rozelin snarled.

"What are you recruiting werewolves for? Raising a riot?" cried Alex.

"It'll never work," Damon's growl filled the room, sending a small vibration across the furniture and books, "There are 13 or 14 people who don't want Luna to be their rosary against the rest of the pack."

"Currently 659 to 1. Or if Darren is actually working with Lydia, 658 to 2,"

"Lydia is smart.." Rozelin began, her hands clasped, elbows on the table, her head bowed, thinking thoughtfully, "She's adaptable and smart. But even if she thinks Gabriel is helping me.. There's no proof... Darren' what happened to you?"

"In one of the cells," Kane replied.

Silence fell on the group, all lost in thought and tiredness on their faces. Roselin looked at each of their faces; Shadows began to form under his eyes.

Rozelin repeated what Damon had said before sending them away. Hope they all have a good night's sleep.

When Rozel turned her back she saw Damon looking at her, eyebrows raised and a faint smile on her lips, "I just have to let you lead the pack."

"Ugh, come on, I just seem to bring bad luck. That's why," Rozelin ran her hands through her already messy hair.

"No queen is without her enemies," Damon replied seriously.

"I'm not even a queen yet!" cried Roselin.

"But you will, and Gabriel only helped you get rid of some of them," Damon remarked, "I disagree with his methods. But I can't say I'm completely angry with him. Whatever they are. Their plan was big enough to wipe out a small group of my werewolves. This also killed 13 of my pack members. It brings with it the fact that there are vampires strong enough to take down."

❤

Rozelin got up from the leather sofa and walked into Damon's lap, leaning against her sharp chest as she cocooned in his muscular arms with the woody scent that now calmed and comforted her aching heart. Rozelin sighed; His eyes closed as fatigue began to fill his mind and body. It had been a very long day. Although he wanted nothing more than to lie down like the others, they still needed to discuss a few things.

She pulled back and looked at Damon, stopping her parted lips as she stroked his cheek. Bending his hand, he said, "Then aren't all vampires that strong?" she asked.

Damon chuckles with a low growl that begins to escape his lips, "Were you thinking of another man, a vampire, while you were in my arms?"

"What!? No! There is no such thing!"

"He's right, you know…" Malia grinned; In Rosem's mind she turned to him. Rozelin was wolf and too tired to deal with a jealous wife.

Damon chuckled again, "I was just kidding."

His words caused Rozel to take a double glance on her face.

caused; was it serious? OK.

Damon sighed and loosened his hand, moving it towards her forearm and hand, while he went to sit in his chair and pulled the rozel down with him. She sat sideways on his lap, wrapped her arm around his neck, and unconsciously began to play with the hair on the back of her neck as she stared into his silvery eyes.

"We've encountered rogue vampires before. Even groups. This isn't the first of the Pack, and it's not the last as far as they go."

"What do you mean?" ' asked Rozelin, looking for answers in her eyes.

"Over the last ten years, vampires have begun to be sloppy about leaving corpses, a few corpses, and attacking swarms. But they've never been able to kill more than one werewolf in one sitting. Even in groups. They couldn't. kill so many people. And a rogue vampire... would feed, ' His face darkened, his lips twisted in disgust, and he continued.

"Hmmm, Gabriel said something about a hierarchy in vampires. Frankly, we know about the vampire king, if he still exists?" She looked at him and nodded, confirming that the king was still alive, "but there are other nobles as well. He is one of them."

Damon squinted, "If I didn't believe he was your friend, his actions could have sparked a war between the species. I'm still not entirely convinced if he's a friend or foe. You may have been together in the cells, but why would he go out of his way to help you?"

"I look like someone he used to know..." said Rozelin with weak conviction. But for now, that's what he had to believe. They became friends in the cells and she helped him get rid of the enemies he didn't know...

But Damo's words made her tremble. If Gabriel did this as an "act of war", it wasn't just the hunters who had to worry about it, but also the vampires. Not to mention that there will be human casualties as well, as one starts to wonder how much loss and death there will be on both sides.

"Hmm, maybe he knew your mother. Or one of your ancestors? Hey, nothing to worry about!" Damon calmed his swirling thoughts in his soft voice, "For now, whatever. We'll have to talk to the vampire king soon enough. Something must be done about the hunters and the vampires who rebelled against his system. A system has been set up. a place for the safety of humans and werewolves."

"And if the king doesn't listen… will there be war?" She added knowingly where Rozelin thought process was going. "Do we have numbers for that?" she sighed.

Damon nodded, "I'm not sure. When the tribes first became werewolves, we weren't nearly enough. But now… there's a lot more hell than us, but it might be the same. for them."

Rozelin nodded, "Well, Gabriel didn't do it as an act of war. So I think for now we should focus on the hunters and what we should do about them."

Damon chuckled, "No, angel. We're going to bed now."

Rozelin blinked at him in surprise, automatically pursing her lips as hers softly met hers. Damon stepped back and said, "We don't need to fix all the pack's problems right now. I love that you want that, but it's past three in the morning. We need to sleep."

"What about families? Shouldn't we be checking them out?" ' Rosalin asked, with concern forming behind her eyes as she stared at his dark-lashed silver orbs.

"I got Chiara in my mind and she said they're all back home now. We can check them out tomorrow," she replied and started to stand up before placing a kiss on her cheek.

Rozelin stood up and sighed, "Okay. Sleep feels great right now.." She stretched her neck from side to side before taking Damon out of her office, turning off the lamp as she left.

They walked in comfortable silence; However, sexual tension still rose within them, but their tiredness had overcome the urge to sleep together. The two began to walk past the large doors leading to the library, and the rosette stopped abruptly. His brows furrowed as he felt a burning urge to get inside.

"Rozelin" Damon's deep voice almost brought him out of his stupor. She could hear him, feel his presence behind her, but something in her mind was telling her to go into the library.

Rozelin succumbed to this mind-consuming spell and opened the doors in front of her. His legs walked forward like robots, as if he wasn't controlling them.

"Malia, is that you?" Rozelin asked the wolf.

"No.. But I don't feel threatened...as if we were supposed to get in here.." Malia said dreamily.

"Same.."

"Rozelin, what's going on?" Damon turned to face him, but when he saw his eyes glow electric blue, he stopped and looked at her without actually seeing her. He didn't record who Damon was at the time, except for one person who got in his way.

Without answering, he walked around her and walked towards one of the bookcases. Damon followed behind and frowned as he saw her move several books in an order, a pattern he knew too. Previously only

A secret design that he has seen once but never used. It was not his place to use it.

At that moment, he realized that the memories of Rozel, especially of being at her parents' house and the road they would soon walk, would soon return.

Rozelin took a thick, blue leather book and pulled it out at an angle, causing a loud mechanical 'click' right behind her.

The bookcase opened a piece.