"When you got to that part I couldn't help but want to tell you not to say anything, I know it's wrong, Levi should know, but she pulled me back. It's like it's too personal, too delicate, too precious. I don't understand why she felt so strongly to hide it," I thought out loud. "I just had this feeling in my gut. It was like it wasn't meant for everyone's ears, our ears yes, and Levi's yes, but not everyone in that room." He sighed and tugged at his hair. "I almost said it, honestly it was there and he yanked it back down my throat. I feel like I have to protect it." "Why?" I breathed out. "I just–I don't get it." He shrugged again and shook his head in a confused daze as he chewed on his bottom lip. "I don't know sunshine." "We should tell Levi, alone. I don't feel odd about telling Lander, it would probably be best if Lander were there when we did," I thought out loud. Ethan nodded. "I agree. I wanted to when we were walking out but I don't know, I felt like–" "It wasn't safe?" His eyes widened as they snapped to mine. He nodded as I let out a sigh. "My brain feels like it's going to either melt or explode, this is all just so screwed up," I groaned out. "Why don't we just go to the house now? My mind is to wired for me to sleep anyways, yours?" I shook my head. "I couldn't fall asleep now if I wanted too." I looked back at him with a half-smile. "What house?" "Our old one," he said a little softly. I nodded. My feet carried me over to him where I slipped my fingers in his then lifted up on my toes to kiss him. "Run?" He smiled against my lips. "Run," he breathed out before kissing me again. It was still dark out but morning would come soon. The good news is it was the weekend and we could sleep in, we probably would. Although, sleep wasn't either of our friend at the moment. Like Ethan, my mind was full of too many thoughts for me to even think of sleep as an option. We cut down the hill and through the valley. Some pack warriors, probably on their way to their patrol shift slowed as they passed us and bent their heads respectfully before yipping at us. Ethan yipped back politely and my beast did as well, which seemed to please the other wolves who looked like they were almost smiling at the sight of us. Us. The word made my beast shiver and relish the feeling of running with her mate in the softness of the almost-morning night air. We cut down through some woods and ran past the pack house. Past it, until we were winding around another mountain, down a path with an old scent, a scent much like Ethan's, that seemed like it was barely a whisper. I could smell it from here, the ash. As we turned a corner we approached a house that was mostly burnt down. Destroyed. Broken. My heart twisted as I slowed down and assessed the sight before me. I could feel Ethan's pain grow over the bond. He stopped and just stared at the house for the longest time before biting back a whine. "Stay in your fur sunshine," he murmured to me. I nodded and followed him up a small dirt path with bricks dirtied by ash. I looked down and saw the sun and some pink flowers painted on one with the words 'Evangeline' painted in greed. Twisting. My heart was twisting painfully and awakening old wounds, old pains–demons that needed to stay dead. The house was a two-story at one point and had barely any of its wrap around porch left. There were two cedar columns that held up what was left of the roof and guarded the entrance to the non-existent front door. Ethan trotted in first with me right behind him. I could smell them. His family. I could smell them even amongst the ash. I heard a faint whine, Ethan, as he walked to a corner of the house. I trotted over and rubbed my length against him before looking down at what he was looking at. It was a frame. A frame that I let my nose breath onto, blowing the ash away, so we could see a photo of his whole family together. They were outside in the backyard, it must have been spring or summer. His father had his arm around his mother and a red-headed baby in his lap and his mother held onto two laughing boys, Evan and Ethan, while Eli stood between his parents as he made a monkey face. "We can take it. We can take it if you want?" He was quiet. He just stared at it for the longest time. I sighed a little, making a decision that I knew he would thank me for later. I carefully grabbed the frame, tilting it so the left over broken glass would fall out, then placed my teeth safely around it so I could carry it. Ethan walked forward and sniffed around while I found myself looking for more heirlooms or things that he would want. I found more photos, photos of them. I wasn't sure if he would want them, but I started to put them in a pile while he dug through the ash. Soon my pile was too big though and I needed a way to carry them home. I knew he would be a little irritated, but I decided it was worth it. I shifted to my skin and bent down to figure out this picture situation. I was trying to pull the one out of the broken frame, which would be a problem to try and carry that with the together photos. My fingers were starting to roll them hot-dog style, which I knew wasn't the best idea, but they wouldn't be that way long–it was just to get them home. Then I saw something in the ash. I started to move away some of the burnt debris when I found it. A rock. A black porous rock. "Ethan," I whispered as dread filled my belly. He trotted over and eyed my skin then gave me a look that relayed his displeasure with my decision. I shrugged and held the rock up to him. He sighed and nodded. "I know, they're all over here. Outside too." "Did you find anything?" He shook his head as his fur started to ripple. He looked back up at me as he ran his hand through his hair and tugged. "I don't think there's anything here." He flickered his eyes to the small bundle I was working on and furrowed his brows. "What's that?"