"Esmeralda!"

A low and ferocious erupted from deep within Grant that had Leonardo backing away from him, taking backward steps until he was out of the door and his back pressed against with his bowed and eyes staring at his feet.

“Alpha…” Leonardo uttered, respect and submission dripping from his voice and stance.

Grant staggered forward. The battle between them and the beast in him, visible. After almost two minutes of battling it out mentally, Grant leaned on the wall and slid to the ground, sitting with his elbow propped on his right knee while his palm covered his face.

“I didn't mean to do that,” he said. Even without referring to anyone in particular, Leonardo knew it was him his king was talking to.

Leonardo finally raised his head and looked at Grant. He sighed in relief, knowing the man had won over the beast. He then sat down beside Grant in a similar posture. “I know that very well, your Majesty,” Leonardo replied. “Have you figured out what he wants? The alpha beast, I mean.”

Grant was silent for a moment, and when he finally spoke, he asked a question rather than answering Leonardo's. “Where did Calista say the attack will take place?”

Although Leonardo didn't know why he asked, he still replied. “A pack in the south, your Majesty. Is there a problem?” He inquired.

Grant shook his head and sighed tiredly. “He wants me to go south. I agreed, and that was the only reason he receded,” Grant revealed. He let his leg slide down, touching the cold floor beneath him, and his palm lay flat on the floor as well. He threw his head back against the wall while his eyes stared up at the ceiling deep in thought.

“Perhaps there is something there that he wants,” Leonardo reasoned, although he was surprised by the revelation of how Grant managed to tame his beast again. Leonardo opened his mouth to say something, but his eyes suddenly became hazy as he received a mind link. “Everything has been prepared according to your instructions. We can leave at any moment that you see fit,” he informed him, and Grant nodded his head before standing up.

“We leave in thirty minutes,” he strode back inside his room for a quick shower and a change of clothes.

****

At The NightCrawler Pack,

Esme lay motionless on the cold floor of the attic, her body shivering from the biting cold of the aches from the bruises on her skin which she had sustained because of the beating that Alpha Dane and Dawson inflicted on her.

She knew she wasn't supposed to say anything about what she saw but… had she kept silent. Had she ignored the urge to say something. She would have only been locked in nit beaten this badly, and with the rising sun, she is expected to go and cook as well as clean up the pack house.

They beat her up so badly even when they knew she had no wolf and couldn't heal like the majority of the people in Lyrria.

Esme didn't even react when someone knocked on the door frame since the door itself had long gone missing from its place.

“Miss Hawthorne…?” the voice called, but she remained motionless. There was no telling whether she was still alive or dead already. With her covering her face and her body barely rising as a sign of breathing. “....Oh goddess!” the person exclaimed but still received no reaction.

Whoever the person was, entered the room and crouched down beside the Esme and turned body, making her lie on her back. As soon as she did that, she gasped when her eyes met with Esme's empty ones. Her face was as pale as a sheet of paper.

“Miss Hawthorne!” she tried not to scream, but ut was nearly impossible, so she cocered her hand over her mouth. “You can't die yet, you know? You can't die here. Not in this pack,” she scanned around aroundnwith her eyes, looking for something that could be useful in this situation but couldn't find anything. What did she expect in the room.od was the most neglected and hated person in the pack? “Just give me a moment, and I'll be back,” she said after Esme's pulse. It was weak but still there.

She then ran down to get some supplies to clean up the wounds and find a way to get her a healer.

Meanwhile, Esme was not even aware I'd the person panicking on her behalf. Where she as surrounded by darkness, and she allowed her to envelop her whole. There was comfort in the darkness even though she felt herself slipping away by the minute.

At least here, there was no one who would hurt while everyone else watched on in mockery. She didn't mind being stuck here for as long as it could still provide her with this cold comfort. She felt nothing and that was good because she knew what pain she was in before she appeared on this…dark and void place.

Suddenly, she felt something even colder. It was not the darkness but a foreign touch. Probably external. A glimpse of light appeared, but Esme refused to go to it. The darkness was her solitude.

“Miss Hawthorne, please hang in there,” she heard the voice, faint and distant, but it was unmistakable. “Please, Miss Hawthorne. You have to survive,” the voice came again.

“A… Ali…Alicia….” Esme could barely hear her own voice or thoughts. Her voice was too faint even in her own mind.

Alicia was someone who grew up with her. She was an orphan whom her family took in and raised and the only person who was still nice to her. Unlike everyone else, she didn't scorn her for her lack of a wolf but still showed how gratefulness was to the Hawthornes by taking care of its only surviving members.

“Please, Miss Hawthorne, open your eyes…” she was now done wiping her body and started pressing on her chest, trying to quicken the heartbeat little and pump more blood into her system. “Say something, please….”

Esme could hear the plea and fear on her voice as it became clearer now. She was desperately trying her hardest to wake her.

“Ali…Alicia…” Esme saw a hand reach out for her and knew it was Alicia trying to get her out of that void. She raised her hand in an attempt to grab Alicia's, but she felt too weak to even keep her hand raised, and it dropped beside her powerlessly. Her eyes went closed, and she could no longer see the light or hear the concerned and worried voice of Alicia.

Esme's face went even paler as she lost all strength, and Alicia became frantic, scared, and didn't even know when the tears soaked her face. “Esmeralda!” she screamed her name.