I let the apartment door close shut behind me. It clicks softly as I turn to head towards the hallway that leads to my bedroom. Before I even take a step I jump back however. Tilly stands in my way looking downright pissed.

“What the hell, Jay?” She exclaims.

“What? I text you. You knew where I was.” I reply, really not feeling up to dealing with her.

“You went back? Are you stupid? Dammit, Jay. It’s been three freaking days!” She throws up her hands.

“I know my own damn mistakes, okay. I don’t need you throwing them back in my face!” I yell back.

“Jayden, she’s not throwing them back in your face.” My mother says, rounding the corner.

I pause, taking her in. I haven’t seen her since we moved to Bridgeport. Her face holds more lines, and her hair more gray than auburn. How many of those lines and gray hairs did I cause? Part of me deflates, but the other part is still mad at Tilly.

“You called our parents?” I ask.

Tilly shrugged. “You stopped listening to me. Besides, we’re going to need them I think. Ari and Reamus are here too, as is Grandma Autumn.”

“Holy gnome, Tilly. Are you kidding? It was just sex! It’s not like I was trying to kill myself or anything.” I sigh with frustration, turning just as my dad rounds the corner.

“That’s not why she called us here.” He says softly.

“Here.” Ari whispers, coming in behind him, followed by Reamus and Autumn. She hands me a paper and I look at it. The writing is scratchy and sharp, Ash’s.

‘Jayden,

If you’re reading this that means I likely just broke your heart, along with mine. Just…don’t forget I said to trust me first, okay? I don’t want you to come after me. I’m likely dead already. I just want you to have closure, to know why I did what I did. Hopefullly it will help. You see, I haven’t told you a lot about me. The thing is…I’m a Were. To be specific, I’m a Whitecoat. While for me that doesn’t mean too much, since I didn’t get the white coat, my brother did. That’s not a good thing for someone who had a father like mine. So I left when I was sixteen to go to the council and beg for my brother’s protection. Well, they handed me off to Lance and he promised to get my brother and me away from our father. Unfortunately, it just got worse. Lance claimed me as his and threw my brother into a cage. Now, he makes me go out and please other Weres to show off his Whitecoat, his power. When I first met you I knew you were a Belle and I thought I could use you. I knew your family’s history, that you were fighters. But as I got to know you, I realized you were different and it wasn’t fair to bring you into my mess. Lance found out about you and forced me to tell you those things I said on the pier, threatening to kill my brother if I didn’t. That’s…that’s about it. I just want you to know. I want someone out there to remember me after I’m gone.’

I stare at the letter, unable to tear my eyes from the words. My body slowly goes slack and the letter flutters to the ground as I sink into the couch, head in my hands. Dead. Gone. Ash’s light snuffed out just like that.

“Go after her.” Grandma Autumn says, coming to sit beside me.

“She doesn’t want me to…besides she’s…” I stop, unable to say it out loud.

“Dead? No, I doubt that. I don’t think that Were would kill a Whitecoat. And if she left that note, she wants you to go after her.” Grandma looks at me.

“How can you know?” I ask.

“Because I left a note like that once, for your grandfather.” A smile pulls at her lips. “I was just too proud to ask for his help. He gave it anyway.”

I look around at my family. Grandma Autumn is smiling, dad looks grim, mom is smiling too, Ari looks determined while Reamus is watching her, concern on his face. Finally, Tilly leans against the wall like she has been, her eyes steadily on me.

“If there’s a chance that’s she’s alive, I have to take it.” I say, standing and letting the note drop to the couch.

Grandma Autumn stands with me. “No, we have to take it. You’re not going in there alone. A Were pack is not something to take lightly. If they don’t want to give her or her brother up, we’re going to have to fight them.”

My mother and father nod grimly and I know they’re both coming whether I want them to or not.

“Reamus and Tilly will stay in the cars as drivers in case we need to make a quick exit. The rest of us will go with you into the den.” My father says.

“That’s great and all, but I have no idea where this den is.” I say, realizing the biggest problem with our plan. However, I see Grandma Autumn smirk.

“Weres aren’t the only predator that can sniff out their prey.” She states.

I’ve never been scared of my family before, but Grandma Autumn’s words and confidence send shivers down my spine. They make me realize how naïve I am. I haven’t been through any hardships. For Belles, my life has been incredibly easy. Grandma Autumn spent time as a captive of the vampires that took my mother. She went through transition and was starved so bad she didn’t remember who she was. She had her daughter taken from her, then after almost twenty years, led a raid on the vampires that took my mother. My mother grew up with the vampires that took her, being honed into a weapon and trained their army. She had to fight through them to save my father, then lived on her own in a world she didn’t understand when he had to leave to hunt down his own brother.

My father comes over and pats my shoulder. “I know it’s scary, son. But if she means this much to you then it will all be worth it.”

I nod. “She does.” I say, knowing it without a doubt. “Let’s go then.”