"Wake up." Vera sat down in the chair across from him and crossed her legs. Alejandro slowly came to, groaning as he lifted his head. Looking up at Vera he could see her three wolves behind her, each with their arms crossed over their chest as they glared at him. Alejandro growled, his eyes flashing green as he flexed his arms to snap the ropes restraining him. "Don't bother, you can't turn right now. When I first heard about the werewolves I looked up an incantation that can restrain them without their ability to shift. I've put that on you for now, just a safety precaution."

Alejandro laughed a little, "I shouldn't be surprised Vera Stone, beautiful and smart but increasingly deadly. You think of everything don't you."

"Let's cut this short, I don't have all day to waste on you and I still have to contact the rest of the Gnostic council. So let's just get down to it, why do you want me dead?" It was clear from her tone of voice she wasn't in the mood to deal with this today but here they were.

"I don't want to kill you Vera, I like you. I think you are a magnificent Grand Magus and you are making great changes."

"Really? So attacking me was what? An attempt at friendship?" Her tone was a bit more sarcastic now.

"No." He paused looking over to Hamish for a moment. He knew what he said next was going to ruffle that wolf's feathers. "My intentions were to let you live or at least do my very best to spare your life. It's not you I want dead Vera." He nodded at her. "It's that thing you are carrying." Just as he expected, it didn't take a genius to figure out which wolf was calling himself daddy these days. Hamish's eyes flashed silver, his teeth elongating as he stepped forward with a growl. "Easy pops, no hard feelings towards you either. You are a good wolf, you just made a bad choice."

She shifted in her seat feeling Hamish put a hand on her shoulder. It wasn't going to take much to set him off if this bastard kept talking about hurting his pup. "Why?"

Alejandro didn't look Vera in the eye, it was clear he wasn't fond of the whole butchery of the unborn. He took in a deep breath, "Because your child is dangerous. You can't have hybrids just running around. The last time it was allowed whole empires fell. The Maya for one were proud practitioners. They used magic to advance their civilization and dominate the tribes around them. The created hides through old forgotten primal magics. Hide's like the one I wear now. Jaguar were the spirits of their most powerful warriors, those they used to conquer land and destroy their enemies. Yet they didn't know their greatest foes would rise up among their own people. As their proud warriors settled among peace time they created families. Children born to them were powerful, unstable. The magical properties of the hides were passed down in unsuspected ways. It made offspring that were neither human nor jaguar. These children, these hybrids were dangerous and they proved it. Their powers were naturally incomprehensible, destructive forces beyond what the Jaguar could hope to understand. In the end Their children were near gods, near immortals. They toppled the Mayan empire, destroying all life in their path when left unchecked. The last of the Jaguar swore to end them all and so our oaths were made. We couldn't let even one live for even just one could cause unparalleled destruction."

Vera remained stone cold as usual, her face never changing for a moment though he could see the father behind her. He tried so hard to hide his concern but he could read it in his eyes. He was afraid. "Vera, you are a powerful practitioner. If even one of those children could grow into monsters then this one would be the worst of them yet. You of all people have to understand, you've saved this world before from threats. You may not want to hear it but this creature makes your past foes pale in comparison. You know it too, you feel it."

Hamish stepped up, both his hands on Vera's shoulders now. "No, there has to have been someone born in all these years, someone who wasn't just a mindless monster. Salvador for instance. She was mad but she wasn't world endingly powerful."

Alejandro nodded his head. "She was once, but she was neutered so to speak. Her father gave his life to save her from the likes of me. You can't take half of something and expect it to belong in this world. You can't take half a wolf and half a witch and hope for the best but if you make them whole wolf…"

"Alpha." Hamish realized Salvador had been a werewolf, she hadn't been a hybrid once Alpha had chosen her. The transition was final, she'd become a werewolf just like the rest of them, bound to the hide and bound to the hides rules. "So, there is something we can do then, we can give the baby a hide."

"And hope the hide accepts it? Do you have a spare hide just laying about?"

Hamish had to think about that, even if they did they had no way of knowing where Alpha's hide was. He didn't even know where to start searching for it, if it hadn't already claimed another champion. His grip tightened on Hamish as he thought about it. "I'll give them mine." Vera turned, shooting him a glare, that wasn't even an option in her mind. "Jack survived having his hide removed, I might survive as well and besides this child is as much of Tundra's as it is mine. She'd never let anything happen to it."

"Those are the only options? All wolf or nothing at all?" Vera didn't want to entertain Hamish's idea of risking his own life. She couldn't even put it on the table for discussion. "There's something else you aren't telling us."

Alejandro narrowed his eyes, "My hide…" He hung his head, "His memories, he was locked away, hidden in ancient caves, long forgotten. It's how he survived the eradications. The others killed his champion and put him there, never to be seen again. The Betrayer they called him. When others took to the streets destroying those monsters he tried to hide his own secret, his son. He hid the boy for years, teaching him responsibility and control over his gift and his curse but in the end when trouble came for them the boy became unstoppable. He destroyed the Jaguar who came for his life, he let his power consume him and in the end the betrayer was forced to end his son's life. Even when he tried so hard it made no difference."

"But there was a chance. He only turned when his life was put in danger, that's an acceptable response." Vera was trying to rationalize a weapon, a magical nuke.

"The problem being in the end it didn't matter what he taught his son, the power took him over. Once it awakens it becomes toxic. You've dealt with the Vade Macome Vera, I'm sure you know it's pull. I'm sure you know its draw. Imagine that inside you every day of your life. Tell me you could withhold from giving in and using it." Her silence said it all.

"But you are different than us, the knights." Randal interrupted. "Your hides were created to be warriors, destructive forces. Our hides were created to be guardians and protectors. We weren't made the same so who is to say that the results would be the same. Maybe the part of you that made you effective killers made your offspring effective killers. Took them over."

"And are you willing to risk that theory wolf?" Alejandro looked up at the dark haired boy. "Willing to risk the world? If you are a guardian then guard, protect."

"He's right." Hamish added. "My hide's never made me a mindless killer. Everyone I've ever hurt I've done it because they were evil. Besides I know, I know that not all of them are horrible. Not the wolves. I can't explain how but I just do. So maybe they are different, maybe they are powerful, maybe they have challenges in their life that we never even thought of dealing with but Midnight, Midnight could be controlled, Silverback could be changed. It's not the power that defines us nor the hide but the knight that wears it. Maybe some aspects can never be shed but it doesn't damn someone."

"You are such a hopeful wolf but tell me, would you think twice if it wasn't your pup?"

"No, because we don't kill unless it's deserved. Times are different since your hides time."

Vera got up from her chair, not looking so much like the queen anymore. She walked away from the group, at first slow and then speeding up until she had left the room entirely. Hamish was quick to follow her pointing at the others, "Watch him, don't let him do or say anything else." Following her scent Hamish stopped outside the door to the bathroom. He raised his hand to knock on the door stopping when he heard Vera throwing up. Slumping his shoulders a little he quietly opened the door and walked inside, coming up behind her as she sat on the ground leaning over the toilet.

He sat down beside her holding her hair back so it didn't fall in her way. "Better out they always say." Hamish tried making at least a half cheerful comment as Vera threw up again. Hamish rubbed her back sitting in silence a moment. All she really needed was someone there with her, not him gabbing in her ear. Vera sat up resting her elbow against the seat.

"I don't know what to do." Vera admitted looking over at Hamish with tears in her eyes.

"We do what any parents ever do Vera, we do our best." He kissed her on the forehead and pulled her into his arms. Running his fingers through her hair. "We will keep Alejandro locked up until he realizes that this little guy isn't going to cause some apocalypse Vera. I know it, Tundra knows it. We weren't born to kill, we were born to protect. Same goes for this." Hamish placed a hand on her belly and gave her a smile. Vera wrapped her arms around his neck hugging him tight and for a moment no matter how strong Vera was she was fracturing just a little now.