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London:

Fuyu was on edge. His voice, countenance, and brash temper said it all. Although Mathias had long passed out, Fuyu hadn't stopped his low, guttural growls since we had heard what he had confessed.

He banged his fist on a wall, ignoring the cracks that came from the bones in our palms snapping and cracking the wall. His canines bared menacingly as he ground his teeth.

"So help me, God, if he's lying." Fuyu grunted as he stormed down the hallway with heavy steps.

"I don't see why a fifteen-year-old would lie. Add up the dots too. There is no way he could have access to such lethal plants. Orkan especially." I said it with squinted eyes.

Fuyu grunted, knowing that I was right. "I couldn't stand the stench coming from his blood. He smelled like he had overdosed on something, and his black blood was a shock. I hate to say this, but I was shocked beyond words at my discovery."

"Shocking, because it's hard to see a shocked Fuyu." I casually shrugged.

Fuyu growled, "Stop joking around, London! This is serious."

I rolled my eyes at him, "do you really want my serious side right now, hm?"

Fuyu sighed devastatingly. The big guy was extremely stressed, even though he was trying so hard to keep his cool, and I felt increased hatred for the asshole responsible for this. Fuyu rarely got this stressed, and I was sure it was due to the discovery of innocent kids being trained to be top-notch assassins.

"His story is questioningly bizarre because if he's right about the mystery man being from the council, then there's something very fucked up brewing."

Fuyu's anger grew overwhelmingly at my words: "I've never liked that rotten council for anything but this... This will never be let go. I will never let this slide, and I will make sure I tear them from limb to limb, flesh from bones. They'd wish they never fucked with me."

"Feeling heroic?" I tipped my brow at him with a smirk.

Fuyu grinned at me, "you wish! I just hate being messed with, and it's my mission to make all who think they can try it deeply regret it."

"Alpha."

Fuyu raised his head, his bright red eyes scanning the auburn-haired, slender female nurse that stood before him with her head bowed.

"Doctor Miller requests your presence; he says it's extremely important and confidential." Her strained voice came with a crack. I don't blame her; Fuyu's intensity was really suffocating.

He grunted in response and pushed his body off the wall against which he was leaning. His eyes were on the door where the nurse had come out. Trudging forward, he gripped the door knob and pushed the door open immediately.

Emmet's blonde hair swept over her face at the quick way she had turned upon the creak of the door. Her bloody hands trembled as she quickly bowed, "Alpha."

Fuyu blinked at her, looking away to nail Miller with an expectant gaze. Blaire stood in a corner of the room with a tray filled with bloody tissues in her hands. She bowed her head in respect, quietly returning to do whatever it was she was initially about to do with the tray.

Miller lowered his nose mask, wiping his bloody gloved hands on a white towelette. He approached me with hasty steps.

"Alpha…"

"How is he?" Fuyu dropped his eyes on the boy lying on the operation table with a blue curtain standing between his head and open chest.

Miller took a deep breath. "His situation is very critical. His body is filled with so many toxins that purging them out of him is proving impossible. The Orkan in his system is too much for him to bear, and as a result, he's rejecting the drugs we've administered."

Fuyu's low growl reverberated in his throat, resounding in the silent room: "What do you mean, Miller?"

Miller gulped before stealing a glance at the pale-looking boy lying unconscious. "He might not make it. In fact, the odds of his survival are looking inconceivable."

Fuyu gripped Miller's hand threateningly, "if you know how important that kid is in putting an end to this madness, you'd put aside all this fucking grammar of yours and make that kid stay alive; otherwise, you'd be on the receiving end of my anger, and believe me, that is not a beautiful thing."

Miller looked like a rat backed into a corner with his strained breaths and speechlessness. "The healer is trying every remedy she knows right now, and it's proving abortive. She's currently trying to drain as much Orkan from his system, and it's not looking well because he's losing so much blood."

"Okay? Drain his blood, and then what?" Fuyu tipped his ashen brow at him.

"She wants to try a remedy, but it's a risk right now because she's asking for Josper, and we don't have that in the inventory. Alpha, he really might not make it the way things are going." Miller sounded defeated.

Josper? Fucking hell. Where the heck was I supposed to find that in such a short time? Finding Josper might take weeks—months, even.

"I-I really don't know what else to do." Miller sighed.

Fuyu ran his hand roughly through his hair, pulling on the strands with such force. He wasn't taking the news well at all, and I didn't blame him. Mathias was our strongest lead right now, and his dying would fuck our efforts up and put us at a disadvantage.

Hera stole a side glance at us before approaching the blonde. She whispered something to the blonde, who nodded in affirmation before whispering back.

She knelt beside the blonde, handing her a pair of forceps. Emmett took the forceps, cutting into the edge of the boy. She dropped the forceps on the tray Hera was holding and gently pushed her index finger into the hole, muttering some words underneath her breaths.

I knew Emmett was the daughter of a strong healer, whom my father had executed upon discovering her abilities. Funny how she still obeyed my commands despite knowing her mother had been my father's true mate, but got rejected when he discovered she was pregnant with her supposed boyfriend's child, who turned out to be her father.

I was expecting to perceive treachery from her, but sadly, she remained under the oath of loyalty even after I let Reece mete out her punishment. As for her father? Not so much.

I wasn't sure where I was going to find Josper, and neither was Fuyu, but we were both in agreement about not letting Mathias die no matter what. Judging by everything I have gathered today, there was one place we could start our search, and that was...

Fuyu snarled, "Looks like we're going to have to pay the council a visit."

I chuckled darkly, "I couldn't agree more."

He turned to Miller, "keep him alive no matter what; I'll be right back."

Miller nodded in understanding before Fuyu turned his back on him and exited the room. Making it to the council on time would require immense speed, and although Fuyu was tired from using too much energy today, he was willing to push his body an extra mile.

"Do not expect me not to kill anyone there with the way I'm currently feeling." Fuyu said.

"I'd not stop you because someone dying there tonight is inevitable." I agreed.

"Good! I just wanted to check if we're on the same page." He snarled.

Once outside the infirmary, Fuyu scanned the environment, trying to figure out the best route that'd lead us to the council without passing through the North Forest. My body was weak from nights gone by without sleep or rest, and Fuyu was at his limit. An attack from an enemy would set our plans ablaze because the energy Fuyu and I had left would only be enough to take us to the council and back.

I was beginning to regret damning to hell sleep because now I was leaving the whole of this burden to rest on Fuyu's shoulders. I sighed; my resolve to evade my nightmares by not sleeping and drowning myself in wolfsbane was beginning to appear selfish.

Both of us needed sleep, and if I denied him sleep, he'd be forced to remain alert twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Fuyu let out a horrifying howl before breaking into a sprint, which soon became a dash. He navigated through the thick wall, adding to his speed the farther we went.

"It's not your fault, London. Those nightmares were creepy, even for me. Choosing to overwork yourself rather than sleep would have been an option taken by any other person in your shoes."

I chuckled, "I owe you two days of sleep."

Fuyu rolled his eyes at me, "just make sure you down Wolfsbane before doing that because I'm not ready to live your nightmares with you."

"Thought you hated wolfsbane?" I smiled at him.

"You have no idea. It has a bitter feeling that sticks around even after the effects have worn off, and it's irritating. But you see, I hate your nightmares more. Dreaming about someone you don't even know is just bloody scary as hell."

"Is big bad Fuyu afraid of something?" I teased him.

"Yes, your stupidity and nightmares sum it up."

I laughed, knowing deep down that although Fuyu was trying to calm the atmosphere, his unease and rage still fueled him to keep going, and I was just about ready to put that fucking council in their place.

"Show no mercy, Fuyu."