The Silent One: Whispers of War (Book 2) *Undergoing Editing*

Good News And Bad News

(Anna's POV)

I looked into Tate's eyes, terrified, scared, and curious. He may be my friend, but I was unsure of his intentions or condition. From what I could sense, he was in an unfavorable state of mind. I could feel his overwhelming pain, unfathomable rage, and burdening regret. Everything.

He grew weaker after holding me against the wall with such force. Although I'm not sure if it was with force or if he leaned in entirely to support himself. His grip loosened, and we both fell to the floor. Just then my bedroom door flung open, and out came Alex, who was half asleep. He raised his eyebrows in confusion. I looked up at him and held out my hand. He helped me up before we carried Tate down the hall to the spare bedroom.

Alex helped situate Tate on the bed, while I checked on Ali, who was still asleep. I closed my bedroom door, before walking down the hall to join Tate and Alex. Tate bled profusely on the bed he lies on, but his blood didn't smell appealing. If anything it nauseated me.

"Should I call Ceciellia?" I asked him.

"No, please don't, because she'll make me quit looking for Alice," Tate said weakly. "That's why I came here."

While my eyes were fixed on his blood-soaked clothing, I asked, "What happened to you?".

"What did Kane do to you?" Alex asked.

Alex could smell Kane's lingering scent. I knew that smell from anywhere, so it was no surprise that Alex figured it out as well.

"I... I was looking for Alice, and traveled all the way to Colorado," Tate said slowly.

Alex inspects Tate's wounds, making him flinch and hiss at the stinging pain. Whatever or whoever did this to him wasn't normal.

"I was in a bar, one of the hot spots known for creatures to hide away in," Tate stopped talking when Alex touched a sensitive area. "I was sitting next to a girl who appeared mixed between Indian and African American."

"I'm sorry to interrupt your story, but your shirt will have to come off for me to assess your wounds," Alex said apologetically. "Anna, can you grab some towels and a first aid kit?"

Tate bit down on his lower lip, as Alex helped him remove his bloody shirt. I looked away from them, before exiting the room and walking to the bathroom. In the cupboard under the sink was the first aid kit. I heard a scream from the spare room, causing my hands to shake so severely that I dropped the first aid kit.

"Shit!" I said under my breath.

I kneeled down to the ground and quickly picked up everything that had fallen out of the box. When I returned to the room, Tate, who was now shirtless, continued with his story.

"She was smoking a joint, and sipping moonshine," Tate said. "I could tell she wasn't human, and so I struck up a conversation with her..."

"Was she cute?" Alex asked with a smirk.

I nudged him after seeing Tate squint his eyes at him. He was not laughing, nor was he in the mood for jokes.

"It would be easier if I could just show you what happened," Tate said with a sigh.

"Are you strong enough for that?" Alex asked. "I saw Sophia do it before, but she was really weak afterwards."

"That's because she is not a pure witch," Tate replied as he sat up. "I come from a pure bloodline, but I'm not sure how well my magic will work after enduring so much blood loss."

"Don't risk it, Tate," I said as I shook my head.

"It could be the only way to know, for sure, what happened tonight," Alex informed me after pulling me aside. "What if he saw Alice and had forgotten?"