Temporal Tide
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, nor any of its characters or franchises, I am not making money for this, so please don't sue me.
A/N: Readers interested in knowing the status of any of my stories can check my profile. x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x
Chapter 11
Bella
Dusk was fast approaching when the Denali's and I finally reached the Quileute border. I'd only spent a brief moment changing into a fresh set of clothes at my house before we'd rushed off to meet the others.
As one we stood at the border.
Tatyana was on my right, followed by Eleazar and Carmen. Irina and Kate were on my left; while Alice stood only slightly behind Tanya and I.
One by one the wolves began to materialize from the forest on the other side of the line; while the Quileute elders arrived in their various cars and trucks.
When everyone was present and accounted for, Tanya began introductions.
"Good evening, my name is Tanya Denali. I'm sure you are already acquainted with Alice of the Olympic coven. You probably know them best as 'The Cullens'." Tatyana gestured to Alice as she spoke, and many of the elders nodded grimly in recognition. "The rest of the vampires you see before you are a part of my coven. We are named after the territory we occupy, the Denali forest in Alaska. This is Irina, Kate, Isabella, Eleazar, and Carmen."
Being introduced as a member of Tanya's coven brought me an unexpected surge of warmth, and I took a moment to bask in my sudden moment of belonging. Unfortunately it didn't last long because some of the elders began scowling in my direction the moment they recognized me.
"You leeches have a lot of nerve showing up here." One of them spoke in a stony voice, "Five of our people are dead because of the trouble one of your coven mates brought on us." I flinched at the accusation in his voice but didn't feel I had the right to protest. I couldn't help but think he was justified in feeling that way.
In response the others around me tensed sharply, and Tatyana's face and eyes grew cold.
"Isabella had nothing to do with those deaths and you know it. Besides the fact, it was your own wolves who volunteered to help transfer and protect her father. You cannot hold her responsible for the actions of a psychopath."
"They agreed to help against one vampire, but instead our wolves had to fend off five! One of which got away! I'm sure they never would have agreed to that had the truth been known!" Another elder shouted, causing a few of them to nod in agreement.
"Everyone calm down!" Sam barked, glaring at the elders and us in equal measure. "It's true that we were unprepared for the leeches actual numbers, but that is not Bella's fault. She was merely protecting her father, Chief Swan, who has helped our people many times over the years. I know some of you consider yourselves close friends of Charlie." There was a little dissent among the elders and a few of the wolves, but overcall there were a lot of grudging nods.
"If you're all quite done," Tanya spoke coldly. "We are here to try and work out a temporary truce so that we can cooperate in dispatching our mutual enemy."
"We still shouldn't have to work with you damn leeches. You abominations will just get the rest of our tribe killed." One of the Quileutes angrily murmured.
"If you want to play the blame game," Kate interjected with a growl. "You should look in a mirror. If you hadn't let Victoria kidnap Bella in the first place, those five people might still be alive. Stop blaming her for your own failings!"
Kate's words must have struck true, because one of the wolves completely snapped. With a vicious snarl the wolf, a sleek grey creature, lunged at her with murderous intent.
What happened in the next few moments was something that, had I enough time to react on anything other than instinct, I like to think I would have been smart enough to avoid.
Like an idiot, I stepped in front of the Quileute bearing down on my coven mate.
Barreling into me with the force of a train, the wolf, who I now recognized as Leah; opened its jaws and snapped at my throat as it attempted to pin me to the ground. Knowing I wouldn't last long if she managed to get me her teeth on me, I wrapped my arms around her neck and pressed myself to her chest. I hoped that the awkward angle would make it difficult for her to move her head to the side and grab me. As I shifted, I began applying pressure to the underside of her jaw to make any attempt at opening her maw painful.
Howling in frustration, Leah and I wrestled on the ground, both trying to get the upper hand. In an attempt to loosen my grip she began clawing at my clothes and shaking her head back and forth violently.
I didn't want to hurt Leah, but I obviously couldn't let her up and kill me either. As we grappled, I caught glimpses of Tanya and my coven facing off against the wolves. Each side wanted to intervene, but were unwilling to turn their back on their enemy. Several times Tanya or Kate tried to help, only to get routed by a snarling Quileute.
Relations between both sides were deteriorating fast, and if I didn't end this fight soon I had no doubt we would have a full on war on our hands.
It was in that moment that I made my second serious mistake.
Instead of letting my opponent wear herself out before disengaging, I tried to adjust my hold on her windpipe so I could cut off her oxygen and hopefully knock her out.
Unfortunately, loosening my grip allowed Leah to turn her head and clamp her teeth around my arm. I felt a cold wash of fear as her jaw tightened. I felt my skin crack just as I felt a familiar thrum in my chest.
It was with no small relief that I faded to white.
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Hungary – 1024 A.D. – Summer
The fresh scent of hay was the first thing that I became aware of as I phased back into consciousness. Opening my eyes I found myself staring at a ceiling of thick wooden timbers. Taking a quick look around, It became apparent that I was lying in a hayloft; and although I couldn't see them I could hear the nervous shifting and snorting of livestock below me. Brushing straw from my hair, I immediately took stock of myself.
My jacket was shredded almost beyond repair, and the sleeve on my right arm was hanging by a thread. The cracks from in my forearm were noticeable through the tattered remains of my shirt and I winced as I touched it gingerly.
Thankfully it wasn't too bad, Kate had given me worse during our training sessions, but I estimated it would probably take at least an hour to heal. I was fortunate that Leah hadn't managed to do more than that, otherwise I would probably end up with a nasty scar.
My jeans had a few slash marks on my thighs, but their structural integrity remained intact.
I had never been so thankful I'd decided to wear two layers beneath my jacket, since even my shirt had a few noticeable holes.
Having established I wasn't too seriously injured, I took a deep breath in an attempt to better scent my surroundings and get an idea of how I was going to proceed.
Almost instantly I was hit by the scent of blood.
Human blood.
Immediately I stopped breathing.
I felt my eyes dilate as a hungry whine escaped my lips without permission. Venom flooded my mouth and it took a concentrated effort not to jump from the hayloft and hunt down that mouthwatering scent.
Growling deeply, I closed my eyes and swallowed, grimacing at the acid burn.
Once I felt more in control of my instincts, I opened my eyes and cautiously peered over the edge of the hayloft.
Two men were laying face up on the floor, their throats savagely ripped open. One was younger, around my age, while the other was older. Perhaps in his 30's or 40's. Their eyes were glazed with the film of death, and their expressions were frozen forever in a mixture of shock and horror.
I felt my gut churn with nausea, and I had to look away.
After a moment I fortified my courage and took another look at the bodies below. At first I thought it might be an animal, just on account of the viciousness of their wounds. However looking closer, I noticed that aside from their throats, neither of them appeared gnawed on and they seemed to lack defensive wounds. If they'd been mauled by a predator, there would be bite and scratch marks on their arms and legs.
Unfortunately I had first-hand experience to back up my hypothesis. My arm still ached as a painful reminder.
Dropping silently from the hayloft to the dirt covered floor, I found that aside from the fact that they were clearly frightened, all of the horses and pigs were completely unmolested.
A feeling of dread was welling in my chest, and I didn't like the conclusion I was coming to.
Dashing outside, I stood on the edge of a vast field of ripe grain. A gentle wind was blowing, making the stalks sway like a ripple of gold, but my attention was on the homestead I could see on the other side.
Flashing through the wheat, my vampire strength had me on the other side in a heartbeat.
It was a simple abode, constructed with wooden logs and mud, and a thatched roof. It was large and a bit mismatched, it was clear that several additions had been added after the original construction, giving it a somewhat patchwork look. A large pond, at least a hundred feet wide, stood off to the left of the entrance.
Creeping up to the door, I cautiously peered inside.
Red.
A crimson vision of death.
She was covered in blood.
Spattered across her face, running down her chin and dress like a garish horror movie cliché.
The woman at her feet was dead, throat shredded by incisors strong enough to cut through steel.
Tanya stood in the middle of the carnage with a casual indifference, languidly licking the blood from her fingers with a hedonistic expression of satisfaction.
I couldn't move.
My mind literally stopped as I tried to process what I was seeing.
Tanya, covered in blood.
Tanya, standing over a corpse.
I didn't get long, because it was only a moment later that two bright ruby eyes found me in the doorway.
Instantly, Tanya's beautifully horrific visage twisted into a snarl. Baring her teeth, she hissed in surprise and outrage.
There was no recognition.
Not even a spark of reason in those eyes.
It was pure, unfiltered, instinct.
Before I had time to open my mouth to speak, Tanya had pounced. Grabbing my arm, she twisted her body and tossed me away.
The side of the cabin literally exploded outward as my body was flung through it.
Skidding across the ground, I rolled a few times before sliding to a stop in the mud of the nearby pond. Physically I was fine, but mentally I was still reeling.
From my place in the mud, I looked up at the giant hole left in the house from my violent exit. Tanya was standing in the wreckage, crouched aggressively among the ruined debris. Splinters of wood had managed to catch in her hair, lending her a wild and vicious appearance.
Clambering to my feet, I only had time to raise my arms to ward her off before Tatyana was on me again with a snarl. Using my training, I manage to deflect her blows, but each time my arms ached with the power behind her clumsy swipes.
With a cold shock, I realized that Tanya had a newborns strength.
It was becoming increasingly clear that although I didn't want to use my training to hurt Tanya, if I didn't she might end up ripping me to pieces.
Unfortunately my distraction cost me dearly, because I was ill prepared when she lunged at me suddenly.
Her teeth sank deep into my wounded forearm with a loud crack.
Screaming in surprise and pain, I twisted my body and slammed her into the ground. Thankfully she didn't seem to be expecting the maneuver because she instantly let go. Hoping she was stunned, I attempted to grapple her into submission.
Regrettably, I wasn't in a good position, and it left her in the perfect spot to counter attack. Curling her legs inward, Tanya placed both of her bare feet against my stomach and launched me into the air.
I came down in the pond, which erupted in a fountain as I hit the water.
Unwilling to continue the fight just yet, I took a moment to gather my thoughts as I sank to the bottom. Obviously this Tanya was in the beginning of her newborn phase, and since I was starting to exit mine, that left me at a disadvantage in speed and strength.
She didn't seem to recognize me, although I hadn't actually had much time to try and talk her down. It probably didn't help that I'd interrupted her in the middle of a meal. Vampires could get very territorial in that regard.
Ripping off the tattered remains of my jacket, I decided that if I couldn't subdue or reason with Tanya I would make a break for it.
After all, the better part of valor is knowing when to run the heck away.
Maybe once she had time to calm down I could come back.
Resigned, I kicked off from the bottom and let my head breach the surface of the pond.
Tatyana was waiting on the bank. Her eyes were glued to my features, a warning growl vibrated in her chest. Every part of her body was strained but she looked less likely to attack me on sight.
Slowly, painstakingly, I swam closer to shore.
Whenever Tanya's growl grew in pitch, I froze until it went back down to a low rumble.
Warily, I eventually managed to stand in the shallows before her sharp snarl brought me short. Prepared for another skirmish, I hunched slightly in anticipation.
However, instead of assaulting me, Tatyana was now peering at me with a peculiar expression. Her nostrils flared, and she seemed to be confused as she tilted her head to the side.
I stayed absolutely still, unsure what to make of this new behavior. It's not like my scent had changed in the last few minutes.
Except…
Before I'd faded in, I'd been wrestling with a Quileute.
No doubt Leah's less than desirable scent had been rubbed all over me.
If that was the case, most of it had probably washed off in the pond.
Cautiously optimistic, I didn't move as Tatyana slunk closer. Her eyes were black, wide, and dilated; teeth bared slightly as she sniffed the air.
Tanya was a mere five feet away when her growls guttered to a stop. She paused, eyes half lidded, and took a deep breath.
A soft purr escaped her throat and she finally straightened from her aggressive stance.
I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.
Perhaps it was wrong of me to relax, because the moment I did Tanya pounced. Caught off guard, she knocked me to the ground using the full weight of her body.
Cursing my stupidity, I tensed and threw up both my arms ward off her strikes.
They never came.
Instead I felt warm, sticky lips nudge against my palm.
Hesitantly, I peered around my arm to watch, slack jawed, as Tatyana purred and rubbed her cheek and mouth against my hand and forearm. The blood coagulating on her face and jaw smeared on my skin and clothes as she did so.
My eyes turn an instant black as my thirst once more reared its ugly head.
Then, before I could think, Tanya used the full length of her body to press me into the ground. Easily bypassing my hands in my petrified state, she proceeded to nuzzle and nip my throat and jaw, further spreading her gory residue.
Against my will and to my horror, I begin to feel a slow heat of arousal burn and spread to my limbs. My vision began to tunnel as it got harder and harder for me to reign in my instincts.
My senses became consumed by blood and raspberry almonds.
I almost snapped under a sharp bolt of desire that shot down my spine when Tatyana began a languid sweep of her tongue on my throat. An involuntary moan vibrated in my chest, causing Tanya's purr to deepen with pleasure.
Trying to keep my focus I banged my head against the ground, for all the good it did me, and tried to keep my cool.
Oh god, this was so wrong. I obviously could no longer deny the effect Tanya had on me, but the fact of the matter was I still couldn't help feeling like some sicko pedophile for feeling this way. Yes, Tanya was clearly not a child.
She was so very definitely not a child.
That had never been clearer when Tatyana began lightly nibbling on my ear and it took all my self-control not to squirm.
However, I was having trouble reconciling the child I'd known less than a year ago and the now very attractive woman pinning me to the ground.
Still, even if I put my weird ball of attraction and guilt to the side, it still didn't change the fact that right now Tanya wasn't in her right mind. Giving in would be the same as taking advantage of someone who was intoxicated.
Unfortunately if I was going to put a stop to things, it had to be now; because Tanya sure as hell wasn't showing any signs of ceasing. Her mouth was already trailing down my collarbone and heading straight for my cleavage.
Twitching sharply, I made a frantic grab at her hand when it started to wander up my shirt. Half of me completely mortified, the other half trying desperately to stifle the impulse to reciprocate. With a growl she batted my hand away and once more used her superior strength to restrain me.
I let myself go limp, hoping that in her feral state Tatyana would see it as a surrender and lower her guard. Sure enough, her grip on my wrists relaxed.
That was all the opening I needed.
Twisting my hips abruptly, I offset her center of balance while simultaneously shoving out with my arms. Tanya catapulted into the air before splashing into the pond.
Like a shot I rolled to my feet, and darted into the wheat field.
There was no way I was going to wait around for Tatyana to make her way out of the water.
I'd just reached the cover of the grain when I heard rapid footsteps approaching my location from the left. Alarmed, I immediately dropped to the ground and ceased all movement. I could hear Tanya still splashing her way to shore, so that could only mean there was another vampire in the area. Trying to fend off Tanya without major incident was hard enough. I had no desire to engage in another confrontation.
Hopefully the mud I'd inadvertently been coated in, would mask my scent enough to keep me hidden.
Tensed, I felt a wave of relief when I heard the rapid footfalls pass my position and head straight toward the cabin. Until I realized, with a sudden swell of anxiety, that Tanya might now be the one in trouble.
"Mari!" a long plaintive call from Tanya.
"Tatyana!" A rich feminine voice admonished, "What in God's name are you doing?! Calm down!"
A sudden splash and a low growl from Tanya had my muscles clench with the urge to rush from my hiding spot. I couldn't see what was happening from the wheat, but I already didn't like what I was hearing.
Crawling on my belly, I inched through the stalks of grain until I was able to peer through to the pond.
Tanya, and a vampire I immediately recognized as Sasha, where both sitting on the ground. Sasha was retraining Tanya from behind, who was weakly struggling, but looked on the verge of bursting into tears.
Sasha was making soft cooing noises in Tanya's ear as she gently stroked her wet and muddy hair away from her face.
"Shhh, shhh, calm my darling. What has you in such a state?"
Tatyana trembled, face twisting in anguish as she gazed longingly in my direction, although I was confident she couldn't see me.
"Gone. Couldn't control it. Drove her away." Tanya's voice came out in a rough, whispering moan. Eyes black as night, she winced and clutched at her throat; as if even those few words caused her esophagus to burn in pain. Her vocabulary was oddly stilted, like Tanya was having trouble thinking clearly.
If she was a newborn, as I suspected, it would account for her dulled cognitive processes.
The blood probably didn't help.
Sasha seemed to straighten at Tanya's words, before looking around and taking a cautious sniff of the air. Immediately her head snapped back to Tatyana and she took another sniff of her shoulder. Glowering at what she'd found, Sasha released Tanya and rose to her feet.
Brushing off her long linen dress, Sasha fixed Tanya with a stern stare.
"You will stop this foolishness at once. Your ceaseless fixation on this woman has gone too far. She has abandoned you over and over again yet still you pine. The only true love in this world is the bond of love between family. Lovers are temporary distractions, take your pleasure from them, but never forget that family is forever."
Scowling at Sasha's presumption, I decided that I couldn't let Tanya's creator fill her head with lies about me or her misguided opinions on love. Sure, my first love was a colossal train wreck, but that didn't mean romantic love was a worthless pursuit. Although, considering in this era women were bought and sold like cattle, perhaps her views weren't unjustified.
Standing from my prone position, I stepped out of the wheat.
Tatyana and Sasha spotted me immediately.
They each had two very different but simultaneous reactions.
Sasha hissed, crouching in surprise and distain.
While Tanya's smile was like the moment lightning strikes; a beautiful flash of heat too brilliant to comprehend.
I know I must have looked like a mess; bedraggled, covered in mud with torn and disheveled clothes. Yet the way Tatyana gazed at me, I felt like I'd usurped Rosalies spot as the most beautiful woman in the world.
"Mari." Tanya whispered, her eyes never leaving my face. Her eyes were still Ebon black, but there was a spark, a recognition that had been lacking before.
Trying to suppress the warm tingle I felt under the pressure of that stare, I glowered at Tanya's surrogate mother as I strode up to them.
"I would appreciate it if you would keep your assumptions about me to yourself. Especially when they have no basis in truth." I spoke coldly; extending my hand to help Tanya up.
"I'll stop making assumptions when you stop proving them right." Sasha snapped; grabbing my arm forcefully to pull me away from Tatyana.
I released an involuntary hiss of pain as Sasha's nails unintentionally sank into my injured arm.
Before I had time to react, Tanya was on her feet.
Snarling savagely, she barreled into her creator, shoving her roughly away with a protective growl. Stumbling, Sasha barely caught herself as she stared at Tanya in complete shock. Her expression was a weird mixture of hurt and betrayal.
Cringing slightly, I cradled my arm close to my body as I stared daggers at my latest assailant. Tatyana must have noticed my defensive body language because she instantly began to hover.
Sullenly, Sasha crossed her arms as she regarded the two of us.
"I'm surprised she didn't rip you to shreds." Sasha remarked to me with forced casualness. "Newborns generally don't react well to other vampires when they're feeding."
Slanting her an annoyed look, I absently rubbed the skin around my bite mark.
"Well I didn't exactly make it out unscathed now did I?" I sarcastically commented; but regretted it soon after when Tanya's face fell. Tenderly taking my forearm in her hands, Tatyana leaned over and placed a reverent kiss on my cracked flesh.
"Sorry." She whispered, straightening with a look of torment.
At this point, Sasha was looking between us like I was some strange alien creature.
Uncomfortable at the scrutiny I lightly touched Tanya's cheek in wordless reassurance.
"It's ok Tanya. You weren't in control of yourself. Newborns feel everything much more strongly, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. Besides," I smiled comfortingly. "It's not debilitating. If anything, the scar will be a part of you I can take with me wherever I go."
Tanya's eyes gentled before they deepened with unspoken promises. Passion burned on the curve of her lips as she peered into my face.
Suddenly nervous, I quickly withdrew my hand and tried not to think about how stupid I was for not noticing Tanya's attraction to me earlier. Being the object of such intense focus had my whole body tingling. I felt flustered, and I wasn't sure how to act in this situation.
In terms of romance, Edward was my only real experience; and the way he'd pursued me had been a weird 'push and pull'. He would seek me out one day and then avoid me the next. As far as I could remember he'd never really been direct.
As a result, I wasn't used to someone looking at me with such blatant desire.
"None of that now." Sasha spoke from my right, just seconds before pushing me back into the pond. Sputtering, I shook my head as I surfaced and sent Sasha an annoyed glare. Tanya was crouched defensively as she faced down her mentor but Sasha appeared completely unconcerned.
"What the hell was that for?!" I growled, flicking water from my clothes.
"I can't afford to have you riling Tanya up right now. If you spark her libido it will be days before we leave and quite frankly I don't have the patience for that. Besides, you looked like you needed a bath." She sneered, glancing over my now mostly mud free attire.
My mouth dropped.
"I didn't even do anything…" I muttered, and would have blushed if I'd been able. As it was, I simply clicked my jaw shut and tried not to embarrass myself further. It might not have been so humiliating if Tatyana didn't look so amused with the whole thing.
Sasha surveyed me skeptically, but I ignored her in favor of wringing water from my clothes.
"What are you wearing?" Sasha asked, wrinkling her nose slightly. I knew she was being passive aggressive because she felt protective of Tanya, but I was really starting to get irritated.
"She's wearing garments from her homeland." Tatyana interjected before I could say anything; eager to share her knowledge.
"Women there must be celibate, because I can't imagine their men think those vestments hold any feminine allure."
Insulted, I narrowed my eyes and bared my teeth.
Just because I didn't want to use my training to harm Tanya didn't mean I had any qualms about using it against her surrogate mother.
"I disagree." Tanya interjected, not even bothering to hide the way she drank in my appearance.
If this was how Tanya really was all the time, newborn Tanya hadn't yet learned her older counterpart's discreetness. Or maybe it was just one of the side effects of being a newborn; no mental or emotional filter. It wasn't something I remembered going through, but then again I'd been by myself for most of my year as a vampire, so I hadn't needed one.
The neigh of a frightened horse from the nearby barn broke the silence and I suddenly remembered the three people who'd lost their lives today. Fighting for my life only moments earlier had driven them from my thoughts, but the barn animals had reminded me.
Stricken at my insensitivity, sorrow welled in my breast and I turned my head to regard the large structure. There wasn't anything I could do for Tanya's victims, but I could at least let the animals free and give their owners a proper burial.
I wanted to be angry at Tatyana for their deaths, but I couldn't when I knew all too well the temptation human blood posed. If I hadn't known the Cullens, and been in a relatively isolated place when I woke up, I had no doubt I would have killed any man, woman, or child I'd come across.
I wondered if that made me a monster; that I sympathized more with the killer then the victims.
Three innocent people were dead, and while I felt sorrow at the horrific manner in which they expired, my loyalty was with their murderer.
Dashing over the the barn, I held my breath and let myself inside.
Ignoring my squeamishness, I carefully picked up each of the corpses and set them outside before releasing the animals. They probably would starve to death in their stalls if I let them be, and I saw no reason for more innocent souls to suffer.
Grabbing a shovel from one of the stalls, I stepped outside just as Tanya gently placed the woman she's murdered next to her other two victims. Her expression as she gazed upon them was a conflicted combination of guilt and bloodlust.
Even though their corpses had cooled, the scent of blood still held allure.
Tanya's eyes, as they flickered to me, had a hopeful look. Like she needed confirmation that what she was doing met with my approval.
Smiling faintly, I nodded and gently squeezed her arm.
"What are you doing?" Sasha asked as she stood a little ways away, her face showing mild disbelief.
"I'm burying the dead." I stated with a frown. I thought it was rather obvious.
"Why?" her voice was completely monotone, like she really couldn't understand why I was wasting my time.
"Because they were once human beings." I growled. "Because it's disrespectful to leave them to rot. If you have to take life, respect it. Don't treat it like trash just because you can. We were just like them once, some of us more recently than others."
I shoot Tanya a meaningful look and she looks down, chastised and hurt, but silent.
Choosing a spot behind the farmhouse, using my vampiric strength I quickly dig 3 holes suitable for graves. Once I finished, I pilfered some clothes from a nearby clothesline and wrapped them carefully around the torn flesh of each of the victim's necks.
Sasha watched on impassively, uncaring, but unwilling to interfere.
Without asking Tatyana began, one by one, to lower each of them into their final resting place.
Once it was done, it only took a few short minutes to cover each hole with dirt.
I met Tanya's contrite gaze across the newly turned earth, and faded to white.
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A/N: So here's chapter 11. I really wanted to show through Tanya a bit of the uncontrollable savagery we didn't get to see in Bella's newborn phase. I hope I did a good job in portraying that newborns are all unfiltered instinct.
Also the big reveal about the scar, hope you guys weren't disappointed in the back story of how it happened.
As always leave me your thoughts, if you liked it, hated it, thought there were things I should have done differently or if you thought any characters were OOC.