It's a race to the finish who will win? Counting down the hours will i finish? Wish me luck!

Suddenly things got a lot more complicated.

"Did they say anything or do anything that might give us some clue to who the traitor is?" I asked.

"No they didn't talk much." Augie said.

The rest of the group started running theories and making guesses. I glanced over at Anna's group. They were huddled in the corner talking in hushed tones giving off the air of not wanting to be heard. My gut was saying something was off; maybe I just wasn't looking close enough. Or smelling close enough. Following my nose I turned to look at Shanks and little drops of horror went down my back.

"Shanks why do you smell like a rabbit in a dog house?" I asked. Shanks' eyes froze, growing huge. The fear I had been smelling, turned to terror. What was wrong?

"I'm sorry Dru." He whispered. "It was never supposed to be like this."

"What did you do?" growled Christophe. The other wurwulfen started taking interest and walking over.

"I just wanted Anna to pay, that was all. But the only way to stop her was to kill her. Do you knows what she does?" he screamed. "She treats our kind like slaves. Do you remember those werwulfen that we stayed with after the Burner? She said burned their house down for helping you! I couldn't let her get away with that. I just couldn't…."

"Shanks what did you do?" But I didn't really want to know. I didn't want this to be happening. I wanted time to freeze, but it didn't.

"When she came to see you last week I slipped a tracker into her bag." He said aware that everyone was looking at him. "I left the information where the suckers would find it." No please no!

Anna's knife was at his throat before I could blink. Everyone froze, no one moved to stop her. Yet despite everything Shanks had done, putting us in mortal danger and all, I couldn't just let him die.

"Anna don't!" I said.

"You dare deny me yet another traitor!" She screamed, her eyes showing white.

"I want him dead as much as you do." I lied. "But in case you haven't looked outside we need every body if you want to walk out of here still breathing." She knew what I was saying was right. But her shaking hand said she still wanted him dead.

"He will not walk out of here alive. And after this is over you and I will have a talk."

She hissed stalking away to one of the back bedrooms. I looked at Shanks he was shaking, fear coming out of every pour. I wish I could hate him for what he'd done. But could I really blame him? If someone hurt the people I cared about I would seek revenge. If anything I was disappointed that he hadn't told me. I could have found a way for Anna to be punished that didn't evolve a funeral. Or all of us trapped in mansion with a bunch of vampires outside. But I couldn't really blame him. He hadn't meant for any of us to get hurt, but fate had different plan. I didn't really want Anna dead but I could understand where he was coming from. Suddenly I was so exhausted I could barely stand. I turned my back to Shanks and looked at Graves.

"I have got to get some sleep can you handle this?" I asked waving my hand at Shanks.

"Yeah." said Graves his eyes angry. "I'll watch him." I wanted to tell him it wasn't Shanks' fault that we were here, but it was obvious it would have fallen on deaf ears.

"I'll make sure Anna doesn't touch him." Said Christophe from behind me.

I walked out of the room ignoring the smell of rage and fear. I found a tacky looking backroom. I fell down on the itchy bedspread. My hand went to my mother's necklace, warm against my throat.

"Mom, I don't know how I'm going to do this, I need your help. Mom? I need you." I sobbed to the empty room. "Who did this? Who took you from me! I need you!"

I was still calling for her when I fell asleep, when the necklace began to pulse and when I started remembering.

"Dru, I need you to wake up." She says shaking my shoulder. I open my eyes and blink at her sleepily. I give her a huge yawn and stretch my arms. She picks me up and starts to walk down the hall. I snuggle into her arms still half asleep.

"I love you Dru." She murmurs in my ear. "I will always love you." I am starting to worry now. I don't understand what's going on but I know mommy's scared and that makes me scared. She reaches down and pulls up a trap door in the floor. I didn't know it was there. She puts me in it and I get a look at her eyes, their wide and frantic.

"Dru I need you to stay here until daddy gets home. Can you do that baby?"

She doesn't wait for my answer she covers me with a blanket. Then she gives me a finally smile as a tear slips down her cheek. The door closes and it dark now except for the little strip of light through the crack. In the distance I can hear a blood chilling laugh and then there's an ear-splitting scream. I know its Mommy's but I can't get out! I bang my little fists on the door but it doesn't open! I can't help her. She scared and I can't help her.

I didn't know how much time passed but the next thing I remember is Daddy opening the door. His face is white and tears are running down his face. He doesn't say anything. He picks me up, squeezing me too tight. He is carrying me out of the house towards somewhere safe. Tears run down my face to match his, I know something's wrong. I know something very bad has happened. Right before the back door slams shut I catch a smell, a scent that didn't belong.

I knew who the traitor was. I knew who was responsible for my mother's death.

And they would pay.