We ran back towards the house as we approached two figures standing on the front porch steps.

Atticus looked at me in amazement and relief while Axel stormed over to us, clearly angry.

"Shift," He said, crossing his arms and glaring down at me.

"Damn it, Rose. Shift!" Axel yelled at me, making my wolf whimper and tuck her tail in.

Everett growled from next to me, trying to protect me and show his dominance.

"Axel, man. Calm the fuck down. You're scaring her," Atticus said, pulling Axel back. I watched as Axel's eyes went from black to his normal blue color again. He looked down at me with a pained expression.

"Please shift back, Princess," He said quietly.

I heard Everett shift back next to me so I did the same. Atticus pulled off his shirt and handed it to me to cover up. I didn't have a problem being nude, but I knew that it was distracting to the guys.

"Why did you run away from us like that?" Axel asked.

I scoffed, "Because you didn't even let me explain!"

"Just tell me that you had a good reason, Rose. That was my dad," Axel said, his voice slightly cracking with emotion. I wanted to feel bad for what I did, but I couldn't. I nodded my head at his statement. "What did they do?" He asked.

I shook my head. "I don't want to talk about it."

Axel laughed bitterly. "You don't want to talk about it? So you're just going to keep secrets from us now? When did you think of explaining to us that you're a fucking tribrid, Rose?" Axel exclaimed, not in anger, but hurt.

"I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't quit your ranting about me ruining your life!" I yelled back at him.

"Just tell me why you did it, Rose. I need to know. My dad was a good person." Axel said, his eyes watering.

I laughed as tears ran down my cheeks. "A good person?

See, I think we're talking about two different people here, Ax," I said with a pained voice as I turned and walked towards the house.

I paused at the steps before turning back around.

"You want to know how good of a person he was?

They took me in because I didn't have anybody.

I don't fit in anywhere, so I went to them for refuge.

Except that's not what I got. They thought it may be a good idea to experiment on me instead," I said taking a shaky breath.

"They wanted to know if they could breed more tribrids. So they each took their turn and raped me over and over again for months to see if I could give birth to one. Except, I couldn't get pregnant. I'm already an abomination, so why should I be able to create more, right?"

"I ended up building enough strength back over the months and got help from Jackson who broke me out, and then I killed all of them.

I was only seventeen years old for fuck's sake!

Again, I won't fucking apologize for what I did," I said, trying to suck in a breath as I wiped the tears from my face.

"I'm so sick of this back and forth trusting bullshit. I'm fucking done. So, if you want out, now's your chance." I finished as I turned my back on them and walked into the house, not waiting for a pity response.

--------------------------------------------

Axel's POV

I stood there listening to Rose talk as tears ran down her face as she glared at me.

It's like I heard what she was saying, but my mind wasn't fully processing it.

I just couldn't believe that my dad did that to her.

It was like everything I knew about him was a lie.

My heart was breaking for my mate and yet, I didn't say anything as she walked away from me.

What do I say? I just accused her of killing innocent people.

When really, she was the innocent one in the situation.

And what did she mean by she was done? Done with me?

I heard Everett growl loudly next to me. "Are you fucking happy, Axel?"

"I just wanted to know what happened. He wouldn't do that," I said back quietly, trying to hold back tears.

"And look at what happened. I mean shit, of course, we were all curious, but she didn't owe us an explanation," Atticus chimed in, obviously pissed at my approach on the subject.

"I just wanted to know, why my dad?!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up. "You know how close we were to each other."

Everett sighed while rubbing his face. "I know man. You just need to express your emotions with her instead of accusing her. She has nobody, Axel. Do you even realize that? It's just us."

Shit. I knew what Everett and Atticus were saying was true. Now I felt like a total asshole. I let my own emotions get in the way instead of seeing how the situation made her feel. The darker side of me often gets in the way and makes it difficult for me to handle a situation.

"Fucking hell. How am I supposed to apologize to her after acting like that?" I asked, knowing I definitely fucked up.

"You need to deal with your own shit first, Axel. You haven't been the same since your mom died," Atticus said quietly.

I felt another piece of my hard exterior chip away at the mention of my mom. I still remember the day she died. The day that I killed her. I felt myself shaking as I tried to hold in all of my emotions. I could vaguely hear the other two talking as I zoned out.

I felt Everett pull me into a hug before he whispered, "Come on Ax, Atticus is going to go talk to her. You need to get your shit together before you see her again."

At that moment, I realized just how broken I truly was. I longed to just go take Rose in my arms and tell her how sorry I was. But I know I couldn't do that just yet. How am I supposed to love someone else, when I don't even love myself?

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Rose's POV

I was currently taking a hit on a joint as tears streamed down my face.

I had never told anyone about what went down with the alphas of the coven, clan, and pack.

I could hardly even tolerate thinking about it.

It was the most vulnerable and traumatizing thing that I have ever gone through.

You'd think since I was a tribrid, that nothing could ever defeat me. But that's not true.

I was seeking somewhere to belong when I came across the three species leaders.

They welcomed me with open arms and I even saw them as a sort of fatherly figure for a while.

I had not been introduced to any of the members of their people, yet I didn't think anything of it at the time.

Until they started to push for answers about me.

Once the secret was out, there was nothing I could do to stop it.

I was wrapped in silver chains laced with anti-magic properties which blocked my werewolf and witch side to surface.

They would do healing experiments or pain experiments to see how much my body could endure.

I had thought that that was the worst they could do to me.

I already felt weak and broken down, until they tried a new experiment.

They wondered if a tribrid would be able to breed another of its kind.

So I was bound by silver chains as I screamed and cried for them to stop.

But it's as if I was talking to a stone wall.

Eventually, they stopped trying as they saw that I was useless to them.

That was the first time that I realized that I truly couldn't die.

Well, without a certain weapon. All of the other times, I had severe injuries, I had thought that my fast healing must have been able to save me in time.

But I had never had someone deliberately try and rip my heart out.

I laid naked on the concrete cell floor as Axel's father tried to pull my heart out. But it wouldn't budge.

Eventually, after months of being down there and being brought food by a skinny vampire with red hair, I was given a second chance.

I sat there lifeless on the floor as I heard footsteps approaching.

The prison was surprisingly quiet today compared to the months that have passed.

I knew the skinny vamp was coming back to bring me stale bread and water again.

It was the same food every day. I was starting to lose my sanity by this point and wished that I could just end my life, but I couldn't even do that.

I heard my cell being unlocked as footsteps shuffled into the cold room. I felt the silver chains being unlocked as my skin began to heal, leaving scars behind. I looked up into the eyes of the red-headed boy. "What are you doing?" My voice sounded as lifeless as I felt.

"Getting you out, obviously," He said, rolling his eyes.

I looked at him in shock. "Why?"

He sighed. "Because what they're doing to you is wrong.

I can't stand it anymore. They're gone for a council meeting today, so there are fewer guards around.

I'll help you get out as long as you bring me with you.

" He looked at me with pleading eyes. I quickly nodded my head because who wouldn't take that deal.

"What's your name?" I asked the skinny redhead.

He gave me a fanged smile. "Jackson."

That night, I realized that there were people out there that I could learn to trust. That not everyone was out to get me or use me. I held onto that little bit of hope, hoping that my father was not right about trusting nobody. But then again, I guess dads are always right.

--------------------------------------------------

Atticus's POV

I walked into the spacious cabin, smoke lingering throughout the air.

I followed the smell until I saw Rose sitting on a window sill, looking out at the wooded forest in her backyard.

I looked at her tear-stained face as she stared blankly outside.

"Rose?" I said, trying to get her attention.

Silence. I sighed as I reached over and grabbed the joint out of her hand, stubbing it out onto the ashtray. "Roe, baby. Please, just talk to me."

She turned her face and looked at me with empty eyes. "Why? Are you going to yell at me too?"

I looked at her, knowing that the sadness that I felt, was reflected in my eyes. "Of course not. We shouldn't have pushed you so far," I said.

She laughed bitterly. "We? You mean, Axel?"

I sighed, rubbing my neck. "Yeah. I know he can be an asshole sometimes.

" She scoffed at my response so I continued.

"Everett is with him right now till he gets his mind straightened out.

Please, just give him a chance, Roe. He's fucked up in the head.

I won't be the one to tell you what he went through, but he's lost both of his parents.

He's not that different from you." I said as I shifted my feet, waiting for a response.

"I'm not sorry for killing your dad...but I am sorry if it affected you," She said quietly as tears fell silently down her face.

I shook my head and smiled sadly. "Don't worry about it. He wasn't exactly father of the year."

"What happened?" Rose looked at me with such openness, one that I've never seen before.

"How about this. I'll tell you my life story if you tell me yours?"

She gave me a small smile while nodding her head. "Deal."