Prologue – Memories

Solange POV

Today felt strange. For an apparent reason too.

Today was the day we returned to Violet Hill after sixteen years.

Cliché? Extremely

I had begged my parents to let us go back to Violet Hill year after year, Nicholas too. And this year they had said yes.

They thought it would be nice to return on my thirty-second birthday, but frankly it just made me feel old. Although I looked no older than seventeen.

Kieran and I's break up had been alright. I mean after I almost killed him things had been 'rocky'. We both agreed that we'd be better of on our own for a while. I regretted every word of that conversation, when I walked away from him that night.

My brothers were a completely different story.

The plane trip from Germany had been spent in complete silence. None of my brothers spoke during the drive from the airport to Violet Hill either.

I couldn't blame them. We hadn't exactly left on good terms.

Nicholas POV

As soon as the 'Welcome to Violet Hill' sign came into view the memories of leaving flooded back to me.

"Nicholas please don't do this!" Lucy pleaded as I continued to pack my room into my duffle bag. I glanced up at Lucy to see tears streaming down her beautiful face.

"Lucy it's getting too dangerous for us here…" I avoided eye contact with her as I threw my laptop into its case.

"Bullshit, Nicholas!" She yelled, while attempting to unpack my bag. I simply picked her up by the waist and placed her on my desk.

"Lucy I love you so much. I don't want to see you hurt… This is why we're leaving Luce… To protect you…" I whispered cupping her face gently.

"Then stay with me Nick… You're only hurting me more if you leave…" She whimpered. It wasn't like Lucy at all to show how hurt and vulnerable she was. It made me feel worse about leaving her.

"I'm sorry Luce…" I murmured, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. It only made her sob more. I silently turned around and zipped up my suitcase. When I turned around Lucy was leaning against the door in an attempt to keep me trapped in the room. "Lucy, be mature about this please."

"Nick I need to tell you something…" She breathed.

"I know Luce, I love you too." I sighed as I pushed past her and opened the door into the hallway.

"No, Nicholas it's not that." She uttered as she chased after me down the stairs.

Well, that hurt.

"Lucy do not make this harder." I said as I turned around on the last step to look at her. She had tears streaming down her face now and her eyes were red and puffy, never the less she still looked gorgeous.

"Nicholas just listen to m-"

"No Lucky," I interrupted her. She winced at the use of her real name. "I love you Lucy I really do, but I'm doing this to protect you." I placed a quick kiss on her lips and headed to the foyer, where Quinn and Logan. They both looked miserable. Mum hadn't let them take their girlfriends with them either and it had already taken affect.

"You ready Nick?" Quinn chocked out. He'd been crying. Things hadn't gone down well with Hunter and had ended with her 'accidently' pushing Quinn out a window. Don't ask.

"Yeah." I breathed shakily. Logan silently took my bag and headed out to the car out front. He'd been moody since he'd gotten home a few hours ago. Obviously the Hounds hadn't been impressed with him leaving their 'princess'.

"Nicholas please listen to me! It's important!" Lucy begged from the hallway as I followed Quinn out the door. "Nick, I'm-" I quickly slammed the front door in Lucy's face, knowing that if I looked at her again I would break and let her come with us.

I'm protecting her.

That was all I thought as I made my way to the car, where all my brothers were waiting.

Logan POV

I hadn't known we were coming back to Violet hill, until yesterday. I hated how I hadn't yet come up with a plan to win Isabeau back, but I would somehow.

As we passed the forest behind Helios-Ra Academy the memory of breaking Isabeau's heart came back to me.

"Isa we need to talk." I announced as I stepped into Isabeau's room. She glanced up at me from the book she was reading and patted the spot next to her on the bed.

"What about?" Her French accent making it even harder to just sit next to her and not lean forward and kiss her.

"You know I love you, right?" I said, as I took the book out of her delicate hands and placed it on the bed beside her.

"I love you too Logan." She smiled and adorably cocked her head to the side. Why the hell is she making this so hard? "What's the matter?" She questioned, noticing my face falling. She only showed me this side of her, when she was in a great mood and I was about to shatter that.

"We're leaving." I blurted out, just wanting to get it over with.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she started to play with one of my hands.

"You're not coming Isa." She looked a bit taken back, but continued to play with my hands.

"How long are you going for?" She inquired. I pulled my hand out of hers and brushed a few loose hairs behind her ear.

"A while." I said under my breath as I cupped her face softly.

"How long is 'a while' Logan?" She questioned sternly, pulling my hands away from her face. I sighed knowing I would now have to tell her.

"It's getting too dangerous here. Not just for my family, but for everyone around us too…" I admitted. "It's a bit of a… permanent leave." Isabeau gulped and stood up.

"Get out… please." She whimpered, with her back to me.

"Isa…" I stood up and hugged her from behind. She turned in my arms and pushed me back. Her face was emotionless, but there were present tears in her eyes.

"I said get out!" She yelled.

"Let's talk about this…" I begged. She clicked her fingers and two bulgy hound guards came in. "Isabeau…" I muttered cautiously. She looked me straight in the eyes and I suddenly found the floor a lot easier to look at.

"Are you being serious Logan? Are you really leaving?" She whimpered.

"I'm sorry Isabeau, but-" She interrupted me with a flick of her wrist. I was confused for a second, before I felt two large hands grab my shoulders and begin to drag me out of the room. "Isabeau please! I love-" I was cut off by her door slamming in my face.

They'd had to literally carry me out of the place. The whole way other Hounds kept giving me dirty looks. Gossip travels fast around here.

Quinn POV

It hurt to know that the girl I had fallen head over heels for could be hunting in the forests a few meters away from me. But it hurt even more to know I had shattered her heart. And her window.

I watched silently from my spot on the windowsill as my girlfriend focused on doing her homework. She was so focused she hadn't even noticed I had been watching her for the last ten minutes. It amazed me how beautiful she could look without even trying.

"Close the window for me would you Quinn?" Her voice caused me to flinch. Maybe she isn't as unaware of her surroundings as I thought she was. I spotted the smirk on her face as I turned around and closed the window.

"How long did you know I was there for?" I asked as she stood up and walked towards me.

"Since you got here." She breathed, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Maybe I did underestimate you." I whispered as I placed my hands at her waist.

"Or you're not as stealthy as you think you are." She murmured, nuzzling my neck gently. I didn't bother replying to her comment as I picked her up by the thighs and laid her down on the bed. She shivered slightly when my lips made contact with hers, but I continued anyway. Our lips moved in sync and as usual our tongues fought for dominance. I forgot why I had come too see her in the first place as I got caught in the moment a little too much.

Soon enough we were both lying naked underneath the sheets. Hunter was tracing shapes on my bare chest, sending unnoticed shivers down my spine.

"I've got to go soon." I sighed, wrapping my arms around her protectively.

"Will you come back tomorrow?" She muttered into my chest. I felt a sudden rush of guilt pass through my body as I remembered that I had to tell her.

"Hunter we need to talk…" I sighed, sitting up and removing my arms from around her. I caught her face fall and knew I had chosen the wrong words.

"I knew it." She mumbled, pulling herself out of her bed and picking up the pajama top she had been wearing before I tore it off earlier.

"Hunter wait." I said, standing up and pulling on my discarded boxers. "It's not like that." She'd put on her shorts and was sitting at her desk with her head in her hands. It pained me more than it should have to see her like this. I walked up to her and embraced her from behind.

"Please, just leave Quinn." Her voice cracked and I knew she was going to start crying. She only ever did it, when I was around.

"Hunter-" I was cut off by her standing up and pulling out of my arms. Her face was emotionless, but I could tell by her heavy breathing that she was upset.

"Get close to me, sleep with me and then dump me. Was it a dare? Did you make a bet with your brothers or something?" She said, in an irritated voice.

"Hunter I love you." I'm not sure what possessed me to say that, but when I did it sounded… right. Hunter froze and paled.

"What?"

"I love you, but-"

"There's always a but isn't there…" Her gaze was on the floor and I felt my heart ache a little.

"We're leaving Hunter. My family and I. We're going to Germany. It's getting too dangerous for Lucy, Kieran, Isabeau and… you… I love you." It all just kind of came out all at once.

I didn't dare meet her eyes, because she was good at getting what she wanted and she knew she could make me crumble with a single glance.

I waited for a 'Please don't leave me!' or an 'I love you too', but instead a stapler came flying at my face. Out of reflex I dodged it. Just.

"You asshole!" Hunter yelled. She reached for the nearest item on her desk, which happened to be a lamp. "You knew you were leaving! And you took advantage of that!" She screamed, hurling the lamp at me, which I caught and carefully placed on the floor beside me.

"No… Hunter... I would never do that to you… I just… got caught in the moment." I tried to explain how I was feeling, but it was harder than it looked. Especially when you're girlfriend is chucking a stationary items at you.

I caught the, with ease and placed it on the bed. She was now cornering me against the wall and had a vase in her hands. I dodged just in time for it to shatter beside me.

"Why? Quinn?" She said after throwing a few pencils and pens at me, which I had allowed to harmlessly hit my body. "You knew I had feelings for you and you played with them!" She walked up to me and shoved me against the window.

"Hunter, no baby I-" It was too late. She shoved me a second time successfully cracking the glass behind me. I felt myself fall a few feet, before making an uncomfortable landing in the bushes. After sitting there for a few minutes I realized Hunter wasn't going to come out and get me. I stood up and instantly felt drafty.

Why?

Because I hadn't just lost Hunter that night. I had also lost all of my dignity, after walking through Violet Hill in only my boxers.

I left that part out, when telling my brothers the story.