Aliyah led them to her apartment and on the way there, Mira kept looking around to make sure they weren't being followed by Primo's wolves. They arrived at the apartment and Aliyah invited them inside.They went in and Aliyah turned on the lights in her house. She put down her bag and stared at Maximus, Mira and Jess with her hands on her waist."So, can you tell us who you are and why you have any relevance to supernatural creatures?" Jess asked the waitress."This compass led us to you. It was made by a Witch to help us find recruits that would help to stop a war that's coming, and you're the only human it's led us to. Why is that?" Maximus asked."Before I say anything, I need you to show me," Aliyah said."What are you talking about? Show you what?" Jess asked."The shapeshifting! I want to see it." She replied."Why?" Maximus asked."It's the clarification that I need to know that my father wasn't crazy and neither am I," Aliyah said."Show her!" Mira told Maximus.Maximus began
Aliyah didn't have a car and Mira couldn't bring her truck because they had to sneak out undetected so, they all walked to the lab in the woods.They walked for almost forty minutes, scaling through the forest, climbing up the hills, and dodging the elements until they got to a rope bridge that was dangling over the hill, right underneath a river. They were high up and it was quite windy."The lab is just ahead, right across this bridge," Aliyah mentioned."Is it safe?" Jess asked."Well, it's been a while since I came here but I'm sure it's still good." She said and tapped the rope of the bridge, making it creak loudly."That doesn't sound safe," Jess added."Let's just get across!" Mira said.Maximus led the way and as he was about to step on the bridge, he sensed another presence other than their own.He sniffed the air and turned around to look behind him."What is it?" Aliyah asked.Mira and Jess also picked up the scent and they immediately realized that they weren't alone."Mu
"Arghhh!" Aliyah screamed at the top of her lungs and the guys heard it."What was that sound? Was that Aliyah?" Mira asked."It sounded like her but how did she get outside without us seeing her?" Maximus asked.Jess immediately ran towards the scream with Mira and Maximus behind her. They arrived at her location and stopped in their tracks when they saw Damien sitting on a tree trunk and Lamar holding his sizzling claws next to Aliyah's neck."It's nice to see you again, Maximus," Damien said menacingly."Aliyah! Stay calm alright, don't panic." Jess told her."Aliyah? What a beautiful name for such a beautiful girl! It's such a shame the unfortunate fate you have." Lamar whispered in her ears and licked her cheek.She whimpered in fear, knowing that these new enemies also wouldn't hesitate to kill her."Let her go! She has nothing to do with this." Maximus said cautiously."That's a lie. I can tell that this one is important to you, otherwise, you wouldn't have risked leaving your
"Marcus! I would say it's nice to see you again but that would be lying. How has business been here in the nightlife?" Cornelius Primo asked, sitting in the vampire's bar along with a dozen of his strongest betas."Business is thriving as always, thanks for asking. But, my children and I cannot help but wonder why the Great Cornelius Primo has graced us with his presence when all this time, you had ignored us almost to the point of obscurity." Marcus asked suspiciously, staring at Primo with his deep red eyes.Primo had contacted Marcus, one of the strongest vampire lords in this part of the world, and demanded an audience with him at a location of his choice, to make him more comfortable. Vampires had long since feared werewolves because of their cursed bite that destroys their immortality and only a few still did business together. So, Marcus had invited him to his nightclub where they could speak almost as equals."I am here because I need your assistance for a delicate matter. As
"Sisters! I have travelled to the Underworld and have spoken to Queen Hilliusa and sought her wisdom. She confirmed our premonitions of the war that will destroy the balance of the world if we don't band together and stop it. I know that since the dawn of time and the rise of the Witches, no coven has ever joined forces with another but times are changing, war is coming, and compromises need to be made." Peace addressed all the high Witches present at the gathering.She had invited all the leaders of as many covens as she could find to band them all together so they could fight alongside the werewolves against Cornelius Primo and his accomplices. They sat down in chairs around a round table in the darkness of a large room."I have seen the premonition and it is indeed terrible but I don't see the need to join forces with Maximus Cullen and his band of lone mutts. We are powerful enough to stop Primo ourselves with just the snap of our fingers. Why must we align ourselves with their kin
"Hey, Michael! Why are you up so late?" Aliyah asked after finding him sitting on the steps outside."I can't sleep," Michael responded."Yeah, me too. You mind?" Aliyah asked, pointing at the spot beside him."Not at all."They sat side by side and stared at the crescent moon high in the sky and stayed silent for a while."So, I hear you and Max were born as werewolves while the others were bitten and turned," Aliyah said as a conversation starter."Yeah, we are," Michael responded."That must have been cool. Being born with these amazing abilities!" Aliyah said."Cool? Is that what you think my life has been, or Maximus' life? Cool? You don't know what it means to be a True-born. It happens so rarely that there's usually not more than one in a pack. I was the only child in my family and yet, they hated me." Michael told her, looking very sad like his childhood had forever left him scarred."Why would your own family hate you?" Aliyah couldn't understand."You wouldn't understand! It
Jennifer and Peace teleported all of them back into the mansion. They saw all the damage that had been done to the interior of the house and realized that the vampires had already come and left but, the question was; Did they get Aliyah or did Michael manage to protect her?"They're upstairs!" Mira announced after catching their scents.She sped up while the others ran behind her. She burst into Aliyah's room and was devasted to find them lying almost lifeless on the floor."Aliyah!" Jess called out and ran over to her and Michael.The others came in as well and Maximus went over to Michael who was also back in his human form. He wasn't doing well at all."Michael? Are you okay?" Maximus asked in concern."I, I tried...to protect her. I'm, I'm sorry...I, failed." Michael barely managed to say."No, you didn't fail, buddy. You did good." Maximus said to him."Can you help him?" Mira asked Peace."He's a werewolf. He'll survive his wounds, in time.""And what about Aliyah? Can you help
"I don't know about this, Jess. We don't know what will happen to Aliyah if we do this." Maximus said."She'll be alive!" Jess shot out."But, she may not be herself anymore," Maximus added."She won't be herself if we let her turn into a vampire and she certainly won't be herself if we leave her to die. This is the only reasonable option, Max. We have to do it." Jess tried to convince him."Let's run it by the others. This is too big a decision to make on our own." Maximus said and folded up the scroll.He left the library and Jess quickly followed behind him. They went back downstairs and walked over to Leon and Mira. The rain had started and it added a doomed feeling to the tension that was already in existence."How is she?" Jess asked after moving closer to Aliyah's body."She's getting colder and her heartbeat is getting fainter. The change is happening." Mira said."Hope you found something? We're almost out of time." Leon said.Maximus and Jess were silent and stared at each o