Koko felt very proud of herself as she watched her students make their way through the forest brush. It had taken her months to convince the school board to fund this weekend trip and even longer to get the parents to agree and by the end of the day, it was Garmadon who finally convinced everyone. He argued that there are many benefits to going outside and after some investigating they all agreed.

Being in nature can help reduce stress, anxiety, and anger. It can also improve mood, concentration, and self-esteem. It can help you be more active, improve your fitness, and reduce cancer risk. Exposure to natural light can help regulate a sleep-wake cycle. Sunlight helps the skin produce vitamin D, which is important for bone health, immune function, and mood. Microorganisms in nature can help the immune system practice fighting off infections. Being outside can help people meet each other, connect with a community, and feel less lonely. People can also exercise outdoors without a gym membership or special equipment.

Though Koko was a little disappointed that it wasn't her that won over the school board's opinion at the end of the day this was about the kids and as long as they were safe and happy that was what mattered.

"You're students sure do like it here." Louise pointed out to her old friend.

"You wouldn't think so if you saw them in their natural habitat." Koko joked as she observed her students. "Forests surround Ninjago City, but aside from a few none of them would be seen dead near them."

"Typical for most teens." Louise laughed along with the teacher. The two women continued talking among themselves about life until Skylor suddenly ran up to them and shoved the ragged fleece in their faces.

"Where did this come from?!"

"Skylor! We do not raise our voices at our hosts." Koko scolded but was more concerned than angry at Skylor's action. Louise, however, was completely calm when addressing the distressed teenager.

"It's fine Koko; what's the problem... um, Skylor was it?" She asked and Skylor showed her the clothes, and she sighed. "Though we try and keep this place secure we do get some unwanted guests around here like poachers, homeless people, or the occasional teenagers here on a dare."

This answer seemed to upset Skylor even more. "But this belongs to a small child!"

"If it makes you feel better I'll have security sweep the area but I doubt they'll find anything."

"What if the wolves got them? The den's near here, right?" Maggie asked and her eyes darted around, as if a wolf was about to leap out of the bushes and eat her.

"Like I said the den is by the waterfall; it's a sight to behold, but the wolves are mostly docile." Louise smiled, but when she saw they were still concerned and confused she explained what she meant. "A few new wolves recently moved into the den and merged with the pack, one of the new ones seems to be in charge."

"Well, either it is or it isn't." Seven pointed out.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Louise hummed and started staring off in the distance, as if in thought before she remembered where she was and flashed one of her best smile crowd-pleasing smiles. "Anyway you've never seen a healthier or sleeker bunch, they're living the easy life; most of them don't know how to hunt but these new wolves do and I hope it rubs off on the others."

"Why can't they hunt?" Kai asked.

"I'm not sure; when this place was set up we noticed the wolves rarely left their den and they were very skinny, we also noticed that animals like the deer population were increasing because no predators were keeping their numbers down." She sighed sadly. "At least these new wolves know how to survive and hopefully with time things will balance out." She added and with that, she encouraged the students to continue with the assigned tasks and she and Koko returned to their previous conversation.

Skylor, however, didn't move and kept a tight grip on the fleece until Kai came over and shook her out of her stupor.

"What's going on?" He asked and she turned to him with a hard glare.

"Meeting in my room tonight."...

Pixal was ready to scream until her voice gave out. It was the middle of the night and she was ready to end her annoying roommates. Seven wasn't that bad. She just minded her own business, writing in her little notebook and hardly interacting with her roommates which Pixal appreciated; but Maggie would make a nun curse the lord's name. She kept going on about how if they had to stay on their side then she would stay on hers and how her things shall be off-limits as they are 'antique' and rather 'expensive'.

Seriously, who brought so-called antiques to camp?

Maggie was still rattling off her many demands as Pixal snuck out of the room and now she was wandering around the outside of the lodge with nothing but the night sky and sounds of the forest keeping her company. It was so peaceful and quiet that she could stay out here forever, rather than dealing with annoying roommates or friends who now hated her guts. Pixal sighed as she recalled her former friends' passive-aggressive acts towards her. Just recently she had learnt that they had all blocked her number and on social media. When she saw them in person she was met with a cold shoulder and ignored.

Pixal was jolted from her thoughts when she felt something wet suddenly hit her forehead—rubbing her fingers against the spot she found that she had been hit by water. That was the only warning she got before the heavens opened up and a torrent of rain-soaked Pixal and her poor pajamas. Muttering a curse she began to make her way back to her room with the frequent flashes of lightning being the only thing to light her way.

As she trudged through the rain and mud she noticed one of the upcoming windows still had a light on. It was almost two in the morning and everyone should be in bed by now. Her curiosity peaked and Pixal alerted her path so she was now looking into the window. She was surprised by what she saw.

It was Skylor, Harumi, and Nya's room and it was packed to the brim.

Skylor was pacing around the room, looking more anxious than Pixal had ever seen her. Garmadon and Morro stood by the door to keep an ear out for unwanted guests. Cole and Kai were sat on one of the beds and Kai looked like he was about to fall asleep. Nya and Harumi were also sat on a bed, trying to get Skylor to calm down but she didn't respond. Jay was standing by Nya's side, jumping and shivering at every boom of lightning and thunder. Lloyd and Zane were standing with their backs to the window and were unintentionally shielding Pixal from the others' sight.

"So what was all that about and why can't it wait until morning?" Yawned Kai as he snuggled his face into his boyfriend's shoulder. Skylor pulled the fleece out from under her bed and tossed it into the middle of the room. "A dirty coat?"

"This belonged to Kataru; he's a cub from my old pack and Akita's brother," Skylor said and she noticed how Lloyd, Morro, and Garmadon stiffened at that name. "If this is here then so is he and there's a good chance my pack is too and I can find them."

"We're talking about the same pack who abandoned you because you were injured, right?" Jay glared.

Skylor was going to argue but Lloyd cut her off. "Jay's right, what makes you think they're going to be happy to see you?"

"Who knows what kind of lies Acronix and Krux told them; for all they know I'm dead somewhere in a gutter." Skylor maintained. "I just want to speak with them and understand why they would leave me."

"We don't even know if they're still in the area; what if they were just passing through?" Garmadon spoke up. In response, Nya pulled out her phone and started looking into the reserve's history. Guests may not have wifi access, but the staff did and it was too easy for her to hack in and connect.

"According to history this place used to be a gem mine back in the 1800s but many miners went missing due to alleged animal attacks and the remaining few had to leave for their safety." She told the group as she read through the different articles. "This place was abandoned until almost 50 years ago until a new farmer tried to turn the land into a ranch and dairy farm." A slight creak of the phone betrayed her agitation. "Unfortunately, he was met by resistance by the local wildlife - mainly from wolves - that attacked his livestock and whatever crops he had grown; he spent several years and what little money he had left trying to wipe them out, even offering lodgings to hunters if they killed the wolves."

Her stomach churned as she read about the farmer's various failed attempts to wide out the local predators by doing like poisoning them, shooting them, setting traps for them, or even gassing them.

"...What if that wolf den Louise was talking about isn't a normal one, but instead a werewolf den," Morro suggested. "I thought I was picking up different faint werewolf scents around where the jacket was found, but I didn't pay it much thought."

"Couldn't hurt to check it out, could it?" Kai shrugged and after a moment of thought, they all nodded.

"Skylor, if you are going to confront them I don't want you going alone," Garmadon said, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to go with them. As the only other teacher here, Garmadon's disappearance would be more noticeable.

"I'll go," Cole spoke up. "I'm the strongest and biggest one here, so if Skylor needs backup it's better if I go."

Garmdon nodded. "Very well, wait until you're given your morning assignments and sneak away as soon as you get the chance."

With that, everyone said their goodnights and snuck back to their rooms. Once she was sure that it was safe to move, Pixal headed to her room with a plan forming in her mind. Just because she was currently persona non grata didn't mean she couldn't help, right?...

Nya yawned loudly as she and her class trudged through the forest after Louise and their teachers. After the heavy rain had leaked into the building and damaged several of the supplies she had been planning on using for activities she had to think of something else. That was when she suddenly got the brilliant idea to bring the kids out into the forest to build shelters. There was going to be another rain storm later that night and it would be the perfect chance to test their shelters.

As they walked along, Nya glanced back at the others to see how they were holding up. Lloyd, Harumi, and Kai looked as tired as she felt with Kai mumbling how it should be illegal to wake up this early on a Saturday. Zane was as stoic as ever so she didn't know what he was thinking. Jay and Morro were constantly muttering angrily to themselves as they swatted away yet another bug trying to bite them. Pixal was hanging at the back of the group, but Nya couldn't care less and was secretly hoping she would fall into a hole never to be seen again. Skylor and Cole were trying to appear as casual as possible.

It had been planned for them to sneak away when they could and find the potential pack.

Soon Louise found the perfect spot and called the class to attention. Once she was sure she had it she turned to Koko who gave them their groups, which were:

Harumi, Jay, and Chad.

Kai, Lloyd, Cole, and Skylor.

Morro, Maggie, and Nya.

Pixal, Dareth, Seven, and Zane.

"Trust us to be stuck with the dead weight." Chad laughed at Harumi, who glared at him. Jay bowed his head and didn't say anything to defend himself, but Harumi wasn't about to let Chad get away with that.

"Oh don't worry Chad, I'm sure Jay and I are strong enough to carry your share of the work." She smiled ever so sweetly. Jay burst out laughing at Chad's gobsmacked look but Harumi just smiled and didn't say anything else. Chad was about the retort but Koko's quick warning glance shut him down.

Once the groups had been assembled the teachers left them to build their shelters. The adults didn't go too far but made it clear that the kids had to do this on their own. As the groups began their work Cole and Skylor made their way into the forest to begin their trek to the wolf den.

As they walked, the pair took a bit of time to appreciate the beauty around them. This place didn't look as bad during the day. The forest was large, murky, and prospering. Quiet branches hung from every tree, and a medley of flowers, which desperately tried to avoid the shadows, stuck out against the otherwise emerald lower level. A cacophony of sounds, predominantly those of fleeing animals, filled the air and overpowered the sound of the wind blowing gently through the forest.

While walking, Skylor couldn't help but cast her mind back to when Louise talked about the wolf pack and its recent arrivals. She noticed something about the new wolves bothered Louise but she didn't say anything. Even as they approached the den Skylor could feel that something seemed a bit off, but she couldn't explain it.

"Skylor wait." Cole suddenly said as he stopped her from going any further. She looked at him expectedly but it took him a minute to find the words. "Just... promise me you won't expect too much."

"Like what?"

"I know you want answers but don't-"

"Expect them to welcome back me with open arms? Don't worry about it, I don't." She glared and pushed past him to continue their journey. Cole sighed but didn't say anything and followed after her. After another twenty minutes of walking, they found it. It was a giant waterfall and behind it, they could see a large cave entrance. Their eyes widened when they looked at the size of the entrance; you could get a horse in there, never mind a wolf. Between them and the waterfall was a large clearing filled with large berries and flower bushes. These bushes were almost as tall as Cole and the different, powerful, sweet scents overwhelmed them.

With nothing left to lose, the pair pushed their way through the bushes until they reached the other side. There they saw an elderly couple dressed in large robes and had different coloured symbols painted along their skin. They were collecting berries and flowers and placing them into baskets. Even with the strong smell of the plants both the teens could tell the couple were werewolves like them.

"Not scared of being seen are they?" Cole whispered to her as they watched the couple.

"I don't think I like this place." Skylor frowned, her body shivering slightly. Before Cole could respond there was a loud clap of thunder accompanied by a flash of lightning and rain starting to fall. The loud sound seemed to snap the couple out of the zone and they finally noticed they were being watched. Both Cole and Skylor tensed, ready for a fight, but the couple smiled warmly and approached them.

Before the teens could respond the couple suddenly started moving rhythmically in sync and in a quick and lively way. It took them a moment to realize that they were dancing. The kids watched awkwardly for a minute or two until the couple finally finished their dance and bowed to their guests.

"Welcome! Welcome!" The lady beamed and clapped her hands joyfully.

"Greetings all; it's so nice to call." The man greeted them with an equally wide smile.

Cole and Skylor said nothing and stared in shock, wondering what was wrong with these people. From all the stories he had heard of wild werewolves and from his own experiences, this was not what Cole had expected. Skylor too was confused, but she quickly rationalised it. There were many wild packs out there - some even dated back to ancient times - and they all had their traditions. This little dance must be a thing this pack does when they meet newcomers.

She cleared her throat and stepped forward. "We've come for Kataru."

"Come inside out of the rain, soft and sweet though it may be." The man smiled and he and the woman grabbed their baskets and headed into the cave. Cole started to follow but he stopped when he realised that Skylor hadn't moved. She wasn't even looking at him. She was looking past him and into the darkness of the cave.

"It's all right, I think they're harmless." He reassured as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her into the den. As soon as they entered the cave the darkness faded away as light from the entrance bounced and reflected off many different, colorful crystals embedded into the cave walls, illuminating their path. They followed the old couple through the tunnel until they reached a large chamber where more members of the pack were gathered.

The couple left them to place their baskets with a pile of others so Cole and Skylor took this time to look around.

The chamber they were in was roughly the size of the school's gym. In the center of the ceiling was a giant crystal surrounded by smaller ones which reminded Cole of a chandelier. The roof was also covered by thick roots that intertwined like ivy and held the roof up. Directly under the giant crystal was a pedestal made of large rocks. All around the chamber were more tunnels that led deeper into the den. The chamber was filled with roughly thirty werewolves all gathered around like they were waiting for something.

Cole hummed and smiled as he finished his sightseeing. "Quite the place, I like it."

Skylor wasn't enjoying it as much as he was, and her shivering had gotten worse the further they went into the cave. "There's a winter in this place - a cold that never ends - can you smell it?" She almost begged. Cole sniffed the air but it smelled fine to him. He shrugged, assuming that she was just stressed. Seeing that she wasn't being taken seriously, Skylor became more desperate. "Look at them Cole; look at them in the eyes." She pleaded. To her, there was something wrong with their eyes. They looked so far away.

"They're a little skinny, I guess." He shrugged, but even he knew that that was an understatement. All the people they could see were rail thin, bordering on anorexic, and Cole was surprised that they could stand up. Yet despite their thin frames, they smelled outrageously healthy. "They seem happy despite the lack of food." He added and it was true. All of them were smiling and talking cheerfully in spite of their frail appearance.

"Oh we are, you'll see." The man from before suddenly spoke up as he appeared out of nowhere behind them, almost scaring the teens half to death. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before the man bowed to them. "Would you care to see the rest of the den?"

"Um, thanks but we're just here to see Kataru," Skylor replied and she glanced around, but there was no sign of him. "Is he around here?"

"It'd be best if you spoke with our alpha; he's out with the hunting party but should be back shortly with a meal." The man told her and as if on cue there was a commotion at the entrance. Everyone gathered to attention. Skylor and Cole watched as three men walked in carrying a large buck between them. The crowd chattered excitedly at the meal but when nothing followed, Skylor glared. There was no way that one buck would be enough to feed all these people and she now understood why they were all so skinny.

Her eyes narrowed as she saw someone else entering the chamber, correctly guessing he was the alpha, and charged forward intending to reprimand this man for letting his pack starve the way it was.

All her complaints died in her throat the second she saw who it was.

The alpha wore an alligator skull atop his head, which itself sported a large purple sash around its head, with skeletal rims attached to it. He wore dark red robes with golden and black markings, along with purple rims along the midlines.

Despite the new attire, however, Skyklor would have recognized this man anywhere.

"...Father?"

Chen smiled widely the moment he realized his daughter was before him once again.

"Welcome home Skylor."...

Lloyd had been mad at people before. He had been mad at his father for abandoning him. He had been mad at his family for pressuring him. He had been mad at his friends for the numerous situations they had landed him in over the last few years. He had been mad at Morro for the chaos he had brought when he first arrived in Ninjago. He had been mad at Skylor for bringing Chen into their lives. He had been mad at Dr. Kiken for all the pain she had caused.

But never in his life could Lloyd remember being so angry at someone as he was at Kai right now.

While the rest of their class worked hard on their shelters, Kai insisted that they had plenty of time and it would be better to wait for Cole and Skylor to return so they could all work on this together. Lloyd wasn't willing to wait though so he focused on trying to make a decent shelter for them with only a few feeble assistance from his teammate.

Wiping his soaked bangs out of his face, Lloyd looked to the others to see how they were doing. Morro, Maggie, and Nya's shelter was as solid as a rock and was successfully keeping the rain out. It was even decorated with bundles of flowers, courtesy of Maggie. Harumi, Jay, and Chad's had been built similarly to Nya's group, minus the flowers. Pixal, Dareth, Seven, and Zane were the largest due to it housing four people.

Lloyd and Kai's shelter was pitiful by comparison. It was so small they just barely fit inside. It was full of gaps that let all the rain in and was rattling in the harsh wind. He did not doubt that a homeless person would rather sleep in this weather rather than that pile of sticks.

"What's the rush you said? We've all the time in the world you said!" Lloyd growled venomously, his teeth bared and his eyes flashing for a split second as he shivered pitifully.

"All right! All right! So we should have been working on the shelter and we didn't; live with it!" Kai snapped impatiently as he desperately failed to protect his precious hair from the unforgiving rain. Lloyd had to restrain himself from pulling it out by the roots.

"So, how are you two getting on?" Nya called out to them. Kai and Lloyd turned to see her poking her head out of her shelter, dry as a bone, smirking at them. Inside the other shelter, they could hear Morro and Maggie arguing about the space and other trivial things.

"Why don't you come and join us? There's plenty of rain for everyone." Kai grumbled bitterly. Nya laughed so hard she couldn't breathe before she eventually calmed down and ducked back inside to break up Morro and Maggie's little argument while Lloyd and Kai continued theirs.

Zane watched them with slight amusement as they continued to squabble, but that light-heartedness was gone in an instant when Pixal decided to make her presence known. During the entire time building the shelter, she and Zane had clearly been avoiding each other and Zane only spoke to her when he was addressing the group as a whole.

"S-So... um, how have you been?" She asked awkwardly

Zane didn't even look at her as he responded with a cold voice. "Good."

"Sleep well last night?"

"Yes."

"Look, I'm sorry, OK? I know how badly I messed up but can you please at least try to communicate with me?" She pleaded, desperation clear in her voice. She wasn't expecting to get back together with him, but she at least wanted them to communicate. They had known each other for years. Their fathers are good friends and have been long before they were even born; surely that had to count for something.

"I assumed that my lack of engagement would indicate that I don't want to talk to you, but I guess I underestimated your emotional intelligence." He replied emotionlessly before excusing himself and walking away from the situation. Pixal looked crushed by his response, yet didn't chase after him and went back to focusing on her work.

Now probably wasn't the time to mention that she had hacked into the records so that she could rig it to allow Cole and Skylor to be in a group together.

Eventually, Louise blew her whistle signaling that time was up and she, Koko, and Garmadon came over to inspect the shelters. They praised all the work until they came across Lloyd and Kai's attempt. No one said anything for a second before Cole and Skylor's absence was noticed. Immediately, Louise wanted to know where they were and Lloyd and Kai came up with the excuse that they were out gathering more branches, a lie that Garmadon reinforced by saying they had asked him permission.

Louise was torn and didn't know what to say. "Um, we can wait for your teammates to get back if you wa-"

"What difference will it make?!" Lloyd snapped impatiently.

"Lloyd! That's a warning." Koko yelled, but he didn't care. He was soaked, cold, tired, and just wanted this day to be over. Eventually, it was decided that Kai and Lloyd would spend the night back at the center with Garmadon supervising after the older werewolf promised to find Cole and Skylor on the way back and radio when they made it back.

As they made their way back, Kai frowned as his eyes scanned through the tree line, wondering why his boyfriend and Skylor weren't back yet...

Skylor's mind couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. She felt like she couldn't breathe or blink. Yes, she could see her father standing before her, but for some reason, she couldn't understand it. She thought this might be a dream but managed to refrain from pinching herself. She looked him over instead. His new attire was a little jarring and he was definitely in better shape than the rest of this pack.

Yet Skylor could see clear as day that this was Chen and not some figment of her imagination.

Sensing movement behind him, she looked past Chen's shoulder and saw Clouse. He was dressed in a similar outfit to Chen though his was less flashy and was scowling at her. Skylor couldn't bring herself to care though and focused her attention back on Chen, who hadn't moved or said anything yet and was still staring at her, waiting for her next move.

Without warning, she felt her eyes burning and feeling wet before she realized she was about to cry. Then, without warning, she lunged forward. Every tensed as they prepared for a fight but that wasn't necessary as Skylor wrapped her arms around her dad and started sobbing into his chest.

When he understood that she wasn't going to attack him, Chen relaxed and returned the hug.

"Oh, my beautiful daughter." He sighed as he held her close, almost as if he was too scared to let her go. "I'm so happy to see you again; I feared I'd never get the chance." He admitted and they eventually pulled apart so he could get a good look at her.

"H-H-How are you here?" She asked with a shaky voice choked with unshed tears.

"After I was cruelly banished from the pack and you were made alpha I wandered for weeks until Clouse found me and together we came to this place." He explained and gestured to the crowd gathering around them. He sighed sadly. "They had no alpha, none of them knew how to hunt, and most of them hadn't even left the den even on full moons."

"Why can't they hunt?" Cole asked and it seemed that Chen was finally made aware of his presence. He glared at the teen, but Cole wouldn't back down to this old mutt.

"Geo, please show this... young wolf around the den while Skylor and I reconnect." Chen finally called out to the crowd.

"My name is Cole." The teen growled but he was brushed off by Chen as he started to lead his daughter away. Cole wanted to protest but then a young man who looked to be Cole and Skylor's age approached him. He was tall with dark skin with a black mohawk tied up in a ponytail and amber eyes. His whole body was covered in purple painted-on symbols. He wore dark brown pants with torn white shorts, a burgundy vest, and a red scarf. Around his neck dangled a wood bead necklace.

"Why don't you just settle in here? I think you'll find there's everything you'll ever need." Clouse suggested when Cole still tried to protest.

"I'll be okay," Skylor reassured him as she and Chen disappeared into a tunnel. Clouse made a point and stared at Cole for a long moment before following them. Cole tried to do the same, but the young man, Geo, was suddenly in his face.

"Hello!" He beamed cheerfully. "My name's Geo! It's so exciting that you're here! I'm so excited to make friends with you; unless you don't want to be friends." He finished, looking a little nervous when he realized that he may have come on a bit strong. Instead of being annoyed at this, Cole smiled at him. Something about Geo made him feel at ease despite the tense situation and he didn't know why.

Maybe it was because Geo seemed more lighthearted than the other wild werewolves Cole had met or maybe it was because he actually seemed alive inside despite the state of the rest of his pack.

"We can be friends." He reassured and Geo's bright smile returned.

"Come on, I'm gonna take you on a tour of the den and I'm pretty good at tours by the way."

"I'd love to."

"Great!" He cheered and with no warning, he suddenly grabbed Cole's hand and started pulling him down deeper into the cave. Cole didn't put up a fight because he didn't feel like he was in danger. "There are so many empty chambers so plenty of room for you and the alpha's daughter." He said and as they made their way through the tunnels Cole saw that he was right; there were rows and rows of chambers but for everyone that had a person inside there were three empty. "I'll find one for you close to mine so that if you've got any questions you can come and find me." Geo went on and on but Cole wasn't listening anymore.

He couldn't help but wonder why there were so many empty chambers. He wasn't the best at Maths, but judging by the number of people he saw in the main chamber and the dozens of empty ones he guessed that the pack was only taking up a fourth of the space. At first, he thought that this was the pack's usual size but as they passed each empty chamber Cole could pick up a scent of a werewolf in every single one. At first, he thought that they were simply out, but the scent was old and faded, and judging by the state of the empty chambers it seemed that there hadn't been anyone sleeping here for a while.

He didn't know why there were so many abandoned spaces. He couldn't smell any sign of a disease or other signs that might have caused this pack to lose so many members. He was about to ask Geo about it, but before he could his guide suddenly stopped in front of a brightly lit opening and turned to him.

"Now, newcomers don't usually get to come down here but since we're friends and you're close to the alpha's daughter I'm gonna make an exception." He smiled and before Cole could respond he entered into the new chamber. Cole stood there dumbfounded before following him inside and was awestruck by the sight before him.

The chamber was quite large and round and reminded him of the moon pool back home.

The walls and floors were formed from a deep dark stone and when Cole looked closer he could see lines of crystals branching out along the walls like veins. There was a tiny waterfall pouring out at the far end of the chamber that flowed around the perimeter of the chamber to create a circle of beautiful blue water. Above the pool was a small opening about the size of a basketball which revealed the sky. The thing that caught Cole's attention the most was the crystal orb propped up by an arrangement of stones. It sat in the very center of the chamber in the light of the opening. The light bounced off the crystal and the water and reflected across the walls.

"Whoa..." That was all Cole could say as he took it all in.

"Enchanting isn't it? My mother crafted it many years ago; this is where we come to give praise to the gods." Geo explained but when Cole made to take the ord he gently moved his hand away. "Careful! We don't want to damage it, we're so blessed to have it; it's such a special place to come to." He smiled as his eyes twinkled in the light, but that shine dulled as his smile slowly dropped. "...especially when you're feeling sad."

Cole was concerned by Geo's shift in mood, but he didn't know what he could say. Before he could think of something, Geo seemed to snap out of it and decided to continue with the tour, but it was clear that something was different now. Neither of them commented on this however as the tour continued but there wasn't much more to see. Aside from more empty chambers, the only thing of note was a room filled with vials, bowls, plants, and what looked like a huge cauldron. Geo explained that this was where their healers brewed their tonics.

After their tour was finally over, Geo led Cole to his room so he could find the teen a place to stay close by. As soon as they stepped foot in Geo's chamber, however, Geo was suddenly tackled by a tiny form so hard that it nearly knocked him over. Geo simply laughed and Cole watched as he picked a little girl up and held her close. She looked to be five years old but with the obvious malnutrition, it was hard to tell.

"Who's this?" Cole asked as he got a good look at her. Like the others, she was bone thin but unlike the rest of the pack, the sight of such a thin child made Cole's heart sink. She had very pale skin, short brown hair and blue eyes so bright Cole was almost convinced they could glow in the dark. She wore a skeleton shirt under a brown vest, dark pants, worn-out trainers, and a brown beanie.

"This is Bonzle, I watch her sometimes when her Mom or Gran can't; Bonzle, this is our new friend Cole." Geo smiled as he introduced them. Cole smiled and gave a little wave but she shied away from him. Cole wasn't too bothered though. He'd do the same thing if he was her age and met a stranger.

"Where are her parents?"

"Her grandmother, Gandalaria, is one of our healers and storytellers and her mom is training under her," Geo explained before focusing his attention on the little girl. "Bonzle, honey, what are you doing up? Shouldn't your Mom have picked you up by now?"

"Nana's busy and Mama said to sleep here; she wanted to talk to the alpha," Bonzle replied, exhaustion clear in her voice as she tried to fight back a yawn. Geo laughed at this and excused himself to tend to her. Cole simply watched as his new friend gently lay the child on a pile of blankets before tucking her in and humming a lullaby. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep and as soon as she was off to dreamland Geo carefully left the chamber and he and Cole continued on their way.

The next several minutes were spent hyping Bonzle's mother up as Geo led him towards her room, intending for her and Cole to meet. As they walked along Cole's hearing suddenly picked up on a strange sound coming from up in one of the chambers not too far ahead of them. Cole strained his ears and frowned when it seemed to sound like heavy breathing and... crying?

Geo seemed to be completely oblivious to this though as he excitedly picked up the pace.

"That must be her! You'll love to meet her Cole; she's so funny and kind and tells great stories!" He exclaimed and Cole sped up to a run to try and keep up with him. "Kala! Come and meet Cole!" He called as they finally reached the tunnel-

-only to stop dead in their tracks at the sight before them.

In appearance, the chamber looked no different than the other occupied ones with the pile of blankets, except this one had what looked like toys crafted from sticks and stones and carvings on the walls that looked like kid drawings.

Kneeling on the pile of blankets was an older woman who looked to be around his dad's age and at first Cole thought that this might be Bonzle's mother.

Much like Skylor, she had deep red hair but hers had streaks of color in it like it had been dipped in a rainbow. She was wearing a large brown coat with blue cuffs and under that was a beige sweater with brown pants. Hanging around her neck was a necklace with many pale stones carved into various shapes and symbols that he didn't recognize. She wore no shoes. Around her waist was a belt with many pouches and a pointed hat that reminded Cole of a witch.

She was hunched over and sobbing loudly and so hard that her whole body shook with every ragged breath.

Cole looked to Geo for some kind of explanation, but he was completely frozen as he stared at her. Cole noticed his body was slightly trembling and tears welling up in his eyes as he continued to stare.

"...G-Gandalaria?" Geo finally said, barely above a whisper, but she didn't even acknowledge them and continued to cry. In an instant, it was like every ounce of energy and like was drained out of Geo as he continued to stare. "Oh, I didn't realize..." He muttered, but it was so empty that Cole suddenly got an unpleasant chill running down his spine.

"Are you Ok?" The teen eventually asked. Geo turned to look at him, but there was no life in his gaze and Cole suddenly understood what Skylor was talking about when she mentioned the eyes.

"It's getting late, let's find you a place for you to sleep." Was all Geo said before walking away and Cole, suddenly not wanting to be alone in this place, quickly followed him...

To say things were awkward would be an understatement. Neither Skylor nor Chen had said anything aside from him ordering Clouse to get them something to eat and drink. The pair sat in silence until Clouse returned with a small bowl of meat chunks and two wooden cups. One was filled with water and the other contained a purple drink. Chen grabbed the water and ate some meat, but Skylor made no move to eat or drink the sweet-smelling liquid.

She then realized that Clouse was standing a little too close to her for comfort and staring at her expectedly. She was about to yell at him to get lost, but Chen chose to break the silence first.

"How have you been?" He smiled before taking a big swig of his drink.

"Good."

"Still hanging around the tame wolves? Or has your friend seen the true way?"

Skylor scowled at his smirk. "Let's get one thing straight; Cole and his pack were there for me when you abandoned me."

"Last I checked, daughter, you chose to remain with that traitor Morro." Chen snapped, his smirk vanishing for a second before he put it back on. "Clouse told me that after I was banished, Garmadon went to return you to your pack to take your rightful place as alpha." His smirk somehow managed to grow before he spoke again. "Though from what I hear that didn't work out well for you."

"What are you talking about?" She frowned in confusion and concern. There was no way he could know what had happened, could he?

"Kataru and Akita told me all about how the pack betrayed you like they did to me."

"Wait, Kataru AND Akita are here?!" She exclaimed and jumped up, nearly knocking Clouse over. "What happened?! Is the rest of the pack here? Did they say why they left?" She was about to fire off more questions but Chen raised a hand to silence her.

"After I was banished, Clouse found me and we came to this territory; a few months after I had taken control of this pack Kataru and Akita arrived." He explained, making a point to look at his drink rather than her. "Akita explained how she had left the pack out of disgust for your leadership, and Kataru told us how you had been wounded and the twins had taken you to the tame wolves for help and when they returned they claimed that you had died and tried to take control."

Skylor gritted her teeth. "I can't say I'm surprised."

"Apparently, Krux and Acronix made a mess of leading and Kataru joined Shade and Karloff on a hunting trip but when they returned the whole pack had vanished; while Shade tried to find you and Karloff tried to track the pack down, Kataru looked for his sister who was trying to find me," Chen explained with a grin. "They were reunited, and made their way to here."

"Can I see them?"

"Not tonight, it's late and you look like you need to rest." He said and moved to lead her deeper into the den, but she moved away from him.

"I'm sorry but I can't stay here tonight, we came here with our class and they probably know we're gone by now." She told him. It was clear that he wasn't happy about that, but Skylor wasn't going to back down. "I'll come back tomorrow and we can talk more then." She promised and that seemed to do the trick.

"Very well, Clouse will escort you both back to your... humans." He sneered as if the word humans was poison on his tongue. Skylor chose not to comment on this and went to collect Cole who seemed more than happy to leave this place. Clouse led them to the treeline and watched as they left to return to camp, saying nothing the entire time. As she and Cole ran back to reunite with their class, Skylor looked over her shoulder to stare at the waterfall, unable to stop a pit falling in her stomach.

A part of her felt like she had just tied a noose around her neck...

NEXT CHAPTER: As they explore this new pack, Cole and Skylor make a disturbing discovery...