Insight

Eve stared at the first picture on the small stack. It was of Selena and Flint. Selena sat on the ground in front of the small shed from the blue folder. Half her face was swollen and bruised. The shirt she wore had a ripped collar and she was swaddled in the black fabric of a large men's jacket.

There were streaks from her tears running through the dust and dirt on her cheeks. Flint was sitting in front of her with his head down. Selena held him to her, cradling him in her arms. His already long legs were crossed in front of him as he rested his head on his mother's chest.

It was obvious that his touch was the only thing keeping Selena from falling apart. His arms were skinny from youth but they were wrapped tightly around her, as if he hoped to carry her away. Bastian touched Eve's arm, making her jump as she came back to reality.

"Evie...?" He was looking at her curiously.

She didn't have the words to respond. She simply moved the photo, placing it face down. The next picture was of some random rogues. They had been torn into by a ferocious beast. A beast Eve knew to be Flint's father, Elijah. The damage he'd inflicted on the dead was as impressive as it was unsettling.

Finally, after looking over several photos, Eve recognized the place where the flags were that had been labeled four and five. These were the lifeless bodies Bastian's parents. Tony and Clair Anderson. Eve examined the image closely while Bastian looked away with even darker eyes than usual.

Clair had copper red hair and her hands were clasped into fists. This displayed her fear just before she perished. Tony had light blonde hair and he was laying on his stomach with his head to the side. It seemed like there had been no time to run or fight for him. Eve thought, from the positions of the remains, that Tony had died first.

It took a moment for her to take in the scene and look for the ropes. Bastian was speaking the truth. There were still fragments of rope on one of Clair's wrists. Her body stared at the sky with vacant, dark eyes. The sight gave Eve eerie goosebumps. Bastian wore a cold, serious expression.

"They were bound when they died. At least, it looks like your mom was." Eve nodded slowly.

"Any explanation you can think of for that?" Bastian pulled himself out of his thoughts.

"You won't like my answer, Bas." The Luna sighed.

"That's not what I asked you, Evie." He smirked mirthlessly.

"Okay. Yes, there's an explanation for it." She shook her head. "If the rogues knew Elijah was on the way, they could have tied up your parents to make them look innocent. They probably thought Elijah wouldn't kill his own people, if they appeared like hostages and not perpetrators."

"But, to the rogues, what would be the point in those two living after Elijah killed the rest of them?" Bastian rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"To gather information for their friends. To get another shot at the Dolans. It could have been one of your parents' stipulations when agreeing to the ambush." Eve pondered aloud.

Bastian shook his head and began to look through the cardboard box at his feet again. The Luna looked back at the pictures. In the background of the next photo, she could see Elijah. His face was more lacking in humanity than Eve had ever seen it. His glowing, emerald green eyes held a hate within them that could be felt even through a portrait.

He was wearing a dark robe, which had obviously been given to him by the warriors upon their arrival. His skin was splattered in dark blood. Elijah was staring at the ground while someone beside him had their mouth open. Whatever they were telling him, was undoubtedly falling on deaf ears.

Bastian laid some papers on the bed before turning back to the box. Eve found the coroner's reports among the pages he'd left out. She began to read it over, but Bastian's voice stole her attention.

"My father died first." He was looking at the papers in Eve's hand. "Elijah ripped out his throat. It was fast."

"I can see-" She was interrupted.

"My mother took longer. About two minutes. He ripped her open and left her screaming." Bastian's lips were tight and his jaw was clenched.

"Maybe not..." Eve wanted to comfort him. "Trauma makes people pass out, go into shock, any number of things. Maybe it wasn't as bad as you think."

Bastian glanced at her with a cold, hardness to his eyes. A moment later, he laughed bitterly while shaking his head.

"No, Evie. I know how it was for them." Bastian stated.

"Onyx told me once that you... You felt their deaths." She spoke quietly.

"As we grow up, our bond to our parents is supposed to keep us safe. That way, Mom and Dad always know if puppy is in trouble. It gets weaker as we get stronger. I never had a chance to separate from their mindlink, or their feelings. I felt it like it was my own death. Twice." He was obviously remembering the experience.

"Bastian...?" She probed, hoping to pull him back to the present.

"My father gasped, trying to breath. It tasted like blood for a moment, before he drowned in it." Bastian didn't seem to hear her. "My mother screamed. Her chest was rattling with her cries. She tried to hold everything in, but she collapsed. She reached for my father, but she died before she could touch him. I felt her hand shoot out... And fall to the ground."

Tears welled in Eve's eyes. She was close to her family. All of them. The thought of losing any of them was impossibly painful. The thought of experiencing their deaths was incomprehensible and horrific. Bastian had been through a lot before he was grown; this much was clear.

"My dad was hopeful for a moment. I think he thought Elijah had come to save them. Then fear, anger, and death. My mom was sorrowful, afraid, furious, confused, heartbroken... She didn't understand. She was completely devastated." His voice was merely a whisper.

Eve examined him. She knew he had killed may wolves from the mountain. StarLight, Northwood, SilverCrest, GraySky... They had all suffered losses because of Bastian. Still, Eve had always hated to see the pain of others. Even her captor's.

She reached out instinctively and placed her timid hand on his knee. Bastian's gaze snapped up to meet hers. They sat there for a few moments, frozen in time. Eve withdrew her hand, breaking the static feeling between them.

"I know they're innocent, Evie. I know it, just like I know my name. There's no question." Bastian stated.

"You know it doesn't matter now, don't you?" She asked softly.

"What do you mean?" He furrowed his brows.

"After everyone you've killed, kidnapping me, escaping execution..." Eve rubbed her face tiredly. "You can't clear their names when yours is covered in blood. More stained than theirs ever were."

"I don't need to clear their names in the pack. I don't care about that anymore." Bastian explained vaguely.

"Then why gather all this? Why even go over all this with me?" She was starting to get confused.

"At first, I wanted to prove myself right. I wanted to know everything. Then, Selena gave me a tip and I started hunting down more information. It was just going in circles. Then I heard StarLight's Luna was pregnant..." He shrugged. "I had to come back."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain why you felt the need to show it all to me." Eve titled her head to the side, watching him.

"I want you to understand me, Evie. I need someone to know what I know. You're that someone." Bastian explained.

"I can't help you clear their names, even if I believe you." She stated.

"I know, Evie. I have no intentions of seeing you return to StarLight anyway." He smirked.

"I know..." She sighed.

Bastian moved to sit on the end of the bed. Without thought, he sat on top of the map and papers he'd placed there. Eve sat up, slowly backing away from him. Bastian didn't let her. He took both her hands into his. He looked into her eyes deeply and intently.

"Do you believe me, Evie?" Bastian asked without hesitation.

"I-" She cut herself off.

Flint and Elijah had told her a different version of the incident. Still, given the evidence, she was forced to see things from Bastian's side.

"Yeah, Bas." Eve eventually nodded hesitantly. "I believe you."