Vilkas woke with a smile on his face. That was odd, mainly because it had never happened before. Well, that was a lie, technically. He had woken with a grin the morning after he and Cry were married. The thought made his smile grow. That was some night.

Cry was still pressed against him, and he nuzzled his face against her neck. He breathed in her scent deeply, longing for her customary smell of sweet rolls and mountain flowers. All he smelled, however, was the familiar scent of wet dog. His eyes flew open, and he breathed in again, hoping he had just made a mistake.

No. There is was, plain as day. He jerked back from her, causing Cry to stir. Vilkas sat up and glared at her, waiting for her to roll over. She did after a moment, and blinked up at him.

"What's wrong?" she questioned, starting to frown.

"Don't ask me what's wrong," Vilkas growled in response. He grabbed her right arm and ran his fingers along her skin, looking for the scar. Maybe he'd missed it the day before.

Cry pulled her arm away from him and sits up herself. "What are you doing?" she demanded, hiding her arm behind her back.

"Looking for the scar." He scowled at her. "Why do you still smell like one of them?"

Fear flashed in Cry's blue-gray eyes, and she looked away. "One of what?" she muttered, gnawing at her lip.

"You know what!" Vilkas jumped out of the bed and backed away from the bed, watching her through narrowed eyes. "Why? Why would you lie to me about something like this?"

"Vilkas, please," Cry begged. She gazed at him, eyes big. "I can explain everything."

"I don't want your damn explanation!" he roared, knocking over a pot on the side table. It fell to the floor and shattered. He watched as Cry flinched at the noise, and her eyes closed. "I want you to tell me why you didn't trust me enough."

The Harbinger scooted as far away from him as possible. "Because I knew you would react like this," she whispered, turning her head away.

Vilkas saw that she was scared, but at the moment, he didn't care. He stiffened himself against the tears that started to come from her eyes. He turned away from her and started towards the doors.

"I'm done with you," he muttered to her, and then he was out the door.

He definitely wasn't smiling any more.

Vilkas stormed to his bedroom and shut the door behind him with a bang. He didn't care if we woke anybody up; they had all lied to him. He had to clench his fists to keep from throwing a book or something across the room. How could they had done that too him? He was a member of the Circle! He deserved to know everything, especially if it pertained to his wife.

The word made him even angrier. She wasn't his wife. His wife wouldn't have lied to him. No, from this point on he was done with Cry Silverworthy. He wasn't going to get mixed up in anything having to do with her, or her plan to stop the werewolves. She wasn't his anymore. Gods, Hircine could have her if he wanted.

That thought made him stop his angry pacing. Had he really just…? No. That wasn't him. However angry he was, he didn't want to wish that on her. Just the thought disgusted him. Cry didn't deserve that. Not even after she had lied to him. Twice.

Someone knocked on his door, and Vilkas whipped around. "What?" he growled through the wood.

"Vilkas, let me apologize to your face, if nothing else," Cry said softly from the other side.

Vilkas swallowed thickly. "No. I can't look at you right now."

He thought he heard her walk away, but a moment later she said, "All right." He leaned against the door, thinking she was gone. "Then I'll say it through the door."

Vilkas exhaled as Cry cleared her throat. "I know that you hate me right now. I have to admit, I hate myself probably a little more than you do. I shouldn't have lied to you, but I was so scared that you would do something drastic if I told you."

"What can I do?" Vilkas demanded, cutting her off. "I can't do anything about this."

Cry didn't say anything pertaining to this, but he heard her lean against the door. "I just… I want you to know that I'm so sorry. I shouldn't done what I did, and I don't think there's anything to do to make up for it, not for this." There was a pause, and then she went on, quieter this time: "I'm sorry."

Vilkas waited for her to say something more, but she didn't. He closed his eyes and slid to the floor, back against the door. He didn't want to forgive her. Not yet anyway.

I see you're having some marriage problems. Vilkas lifted his head and glanced around his room, positive he had heard a voice. Perhaps I can be of some assistance.

"Who -?"

I think you know perfectly well who I am, the voice said.

Vilkas did. "What do you want, Hircine?"

I just want to help, Vilkas. That's all I've ever wanted.

"Cow dung," Vilkas muttered. "If you wanted to help, you would have left her alone."

And kept your brother? Why Vilkas, that's a wonderful idea, Hircine praised. Why didn't you share that with Cry before any of this happened?

"You would have taken her anyway."

True, Hircine admitted thoughtfully. Although she wouldn't have needed to lie to you a second time.

Vilkas stiffened at this. "What do you want from me?"

Outside the door, Cry pulled her knees against her chest and took a shaky breath. She didn't need to start crying again, especially not on the other side of Vilkas's door. She heard rustling in the room next to Vilkas's and then Farkas appeared, looking extremely tired and hung-over.

He blinked down at her sleepily, clearly wondering what she was doing sitting on the ground outside of Vilkas's old room. She gazed up at him, waiting for him to speak.

"What are you doin' up so early?" he asked at last.

"He knows, Farkas," Cry told him, more tears springing up. "He knows I lied."

Farkas's eyes cleared up, and they widened. "How?"

"He could smell it." Cry squeezed her eyes closed to push away the tears. "I can't believe I didn't think he would be able to tell by my scent."

"You had no reason too," Farkas replied. With a sigh, he squatted down beside her and lifted her chin with his finger. "Hey, you're not the only one who lied to him."

"I'm the only one that matters," Cry whispered, the tears escaping even though she didn't want them too.

"Shh," Farkas murmured, sitting down fully and pulling Cry to his chest in a hug. "It's all right. He'll get over it soon enough."

He's right. In fact I think he's over it right now.

Cry stiffened at Hircine's voice. "What are you talking about?"

Why don't you go see for yourself?

Cry looks at Farkas, eyes wide. "Get me into his room. Now."

Farkas didn't even question. He merely stood and started to push on the door to get it open, pounding on it all the while. "Vilkas!"

"What did you do to him?" Cry demanded of Hircine, climbing to her feet.

I only did what he asked me to do, the Daedra responded easily.

Farkas wasn't doing his job fast enough, Cry decided, and so she shoved him out of the way and slammed open the door in one shove. Vilkas was sitting on his bed, and his head lifted when the door flew open.

"You know," he said.

"Of course I know!" Cry shouted. She stormed across the room and grabbed him up in a hug, forgetting all about their fight. "Why are you so stupid?" she sobbed, holding him to her chest.

"I did this to protect you," he replied, not pulling away. Instead, he stood up and adjusts their position so that she's against his chest instead. "Everything I do is to protect you."

"I don't need you to protect me!" Cry pulled away from Vilkas and glared angrily at him. "The whole reason I didn't tell you was so you wouldn't do this!"

Vilkas's gaze was steely. "Yes, but now I know. Is this honestly the drastic thing you didn't want me to do?"

"You hate being a werewolf even more than I do!" Cry exclaimed. She took a deep breathed and closed her eyes, putting her fists on his chest. "Vilkas, listen to me. I'm going to go call Odahviing, give you the last witch head, and you're going to fly your idiotic self to the Tomb of Ysgramor and take care of this."

Vilkas shook his head. "Not while you're still a wolf. You think I trust Hircine with you while you're in the Hunting Ground with him? Alone?"

Cry gaped at him. "Is that really what this is about? You think I'm going to be disloyal?" She grabbed his chin. "I am in love with you, Vilkas. No one else."

"If you really love me," he said, removing her hand from his chin, "then you'll let me do this for you."

"When this is over," Cry whispered, gazing up at him, "one of us is still going to be a wolf, and I already promised Kodlak -" Her eyes widened. "You can't tell the ghost Companions what you did."

"Why not? They won't do anything."

"I can't agree with that, brother," Farkas said from the doorway. "You're the one who promised Kodlak you would get rid of the blood no matter what."

"Which I did," Vilkas replied.

"I know that, but if you go out there even after that, waggling your new tail around, you're gonna get your head chopped off," Farkas told him. "Keep quiet about this."

"Fine," Vilkas grumbled. He glances at Cry. "And since you lied to me, what you're going to do to make it up, is leave me alone about this."

"What -?"

"That means you're not going to complain if I show up in the Hunting Ground to make sure you're alright," Vilkas said, cutting her off. He took her hand and pulled her back into a hug. "All right?"

"When this is over, I'm going to find some way to change you back, I promise," Cry swore, gazing up at him.

"I'm sure you will," Vilkas replied. "But for now, can't we just pretend there isn't something hanging over our heads?"

"Are you guys going to… you know…?" Farkas queried, starting to back out the door. "Cause if you are, I'm going to need to leave now, aren't I?"

"No, you don't need to leave," Vilkas responded, keeping his gaze locked with Cry's. "I haven't forgiven her that much. Yet."