The smooth, flat stone skipped over the water’s surface. I watched as it sank to the bottom of the lake, ripples of water licking the shore line. I sighed and rested my forehead on my knees. I felt empty; all my anger and sadness had just drained from my body after I had left Jenna’s office. I knew that I would have retribution but for now I just want to curl up and cry; but I couldn’t. I just felt… numb.

Footsteps sounded behind me and I tensed before the warming scent of pine and rain. I felt his giant body sit down next to me and somehow I just knew that he was staring out at the lake. I peered at him from the side of my eye; he really was strange… quiet, solemn, but strong, like an oak tree.

“Thank you.” I murmured.

There was silence until I felt his gaze on me. “For what?”

I sniffed and shook my head. “Everything.”

I felt a tear trickle down my cheek as the full impact of everything really hit me; I’d lost my baby, I was no longer human… I was no longer me. All my life I’d been excluded for not being like them and after I’d come to terms with it, I am changed; all after losing my baby. I felt my body wracked with sobs as tears trickled down my cheeks. I felt so damn useless and broken and weak; I couldn’t even protect the one person who’d wholly depended on me, the little life I’d come to love.

I felt warmth invade me before I was scooped up into thick arms and pulled onto his lap. His hand gently guided my face to his neck, his other wrapped around my body, gently rubbing my back. “I just don’t know what to do anymore.”

His chest rumbled as he pulled me away and looked down at me. “You will train, you will fight and you will win.” I think that he meant the challenge but for some reason it felt like he was talking about something more.

I sniffed and looked up at him with wide eyes. “Will you train me?” I knew just from looking at the way he carried himself that he was a warrior. The way his gaze swept the room and how he just stood back and observed everything told me he was trained. “I know you can.”

He stared out at the lake before he nodded, so quickly I would’ve missed it if…. if I didn’t have supernatural sight. A smile slipped onto my face and on impulse, I cupped his face in my hands and pressed my lips to his. It didn’t last that long but after a few seconds, I felt him respond. His lips moulded to mine and when I pulled away, there was a small smile on his face.

“Thank you.” I muttered, resting my forehead against his. I felt something inside me warm at the feeling but I pushed it down.

I felt him chuckle, his warm breaths hitting my lips. “Don’t thank me yet pup.”

I felt a growl bubble in my chest but I bit my lip and pushed it down; I was not… well I guess I was and animal. I pushed away and stood, pulling off my shirt as I walked away. I pulled off my bra and turned to Kade, covering my chest with my hands. “Catch me if you can.” I focused on the image of a dark brown, almost black wolf and felt the change wash over me. I fell to all fours as a wolf and took off into the forest, hearing a loud growl behind me.

I was so thankful that I’d read so many of Jenna’s books when I was a teenager because now I knew more than some who were born wolves. Right off the bat I knew how to control the shift which wasn’t as easy as I’d read about, but I was slowly getting used to it.

I ducked under fallen logs, jumped over rocks and crept through bushes. I knew that I had an advantage in the undergrowth because I was smaller than Kade. As I went to jump over another log, I was tackled to the ground by a heavy weight. With a growl I snapped at the massive wolf on top of me and tried to wiggle out from underneath him.

He growled and nipped my shoulder, pushing his weight down on me further. I growled but stilled beneath him. His chest rumbled as he licked away the sting of his bite and I whimpered; it felt really, really good… pleasurable.

He rolled off me and with a few looks I knew that he wanted me to run again. I huffed but took off running. This time though I weaved through the trees, splashed in any water I found and made various tracks by retracing my footsteps occasionally. I made sure to keep down breeze of him but Kade caught me very quickly.

He seemed to be enjoying this, he and his wolf.

Every time he caught me, he’d nip me and then lave away the sting. I knew that he and his wolf were teasing me, mostly his wolf. Wolves were really just extensions of a person’s personality and emotions. Werewolves didn’t like, they loved; they didn’t hate, they despised. Contrary to popular belief, our wolves didn’t talk to us, I mean, if a normal wolf can’t talk then why would ours? Though I guess to humans werewolves didn’t exist; that would be changing soon, I could feel it and talk had already started about another war.

There had been a war decades ago between the hunters and European wolves; hundreds had died but in the end Rory Tannin, Jenna’s mother, had saved them all. Her story was an interesting one, but full of heart break.

There was a growl from above me and Kade nipped my leg. I growled and pushed him off me. It was growing dark and I knew that we had to be back soon. I turned in the direction of the lake and trotted off back towards my clothes were. I’d had fun and it had taken my mind off the past few days. It didn’t take me long to run back to where I’d dumped my pants and shirt. I shifted and quickly got changed as Kade emerged. He stared at me until I gestured to his clothes. “Are you going to shift back?” His giant wolf shook his head so I gave a short sigh and bent over to grab his clothes; he would want them later. “Let’s go then.”

-

“Eve there’s a dinner tonight to welcome you to the pack.” Dad said, barging into my room, Ace following behind him. They both took a seat on my bed and quickly made themselves at home as I stared at them.

“I’m not part of the pack.” I said, watching as Hansel rolled around on my bed. It was queen sized but with Ace’s massive stature, it looked like he’d fall off the bed any second. Ace towered over everyone in the pack and I’d always loved his hugs; I always felt so small and fragile in my dad’s arms. I had always been a tall girl and from that I’d always found the tall wolves attractive; though they’d never looked my way.

“Why not? You’re a wolf, you live here, you have family here and you have a mate; why wouldn’t you join?” Because I was going to leave again. They had no idea why I hated it so much here and I didn’t want to taint the love they have for the pack; I loved my dad’s and I wouldn’t let them hate what they love just because of me.

I simply shrugged and shook my head. “I best get ready for dinner.”

They stood and headed towards the door. “Bu-,”

“I best get ready for dinner.” I said forcefully as I opened the door. I didn’t want to talk about it… didn’t want to break their hearts again. I felt like I was constantly letting them down and I was sick of it. They wanted me to stay but I wanted to leave; they wanted me to be safe but I wanted to protect and serve. I had always done what I wanted but in the back of my mind I had strived to make them proud; it had never worked.

Jenna had left a few of her dresses in my cupboard and I pulled out a backless dress that flowed around my feet in a pool of black fabric. I laid it on my bed, pulling out a pair of black heels wedged in the back of the closet. My eyes landed on a black and white picture on my night stand as I sat and I felt the breath knocked out of me.

My baby.

Tears leaked down my face as I cradled the sonogram to my chest with shaky hands. My knees buckled and I fell to the floor as tears streamed down my face.

My baby was dead.

It hadn’t really sunk in until now; I was pushing it away, choosing to be angry or distract from the heart- wrenching emptiness I felt. I curled up on the floor as I cradled the picture; I don’t know how long I was there, and I don’t know how much I cried, but I do know that by the time I’d run out of tears, I simply felt cold.

There was a knock on the door and the handle rattled. “Eve, are you alright?” Griffin sounded really concerned.

I stifled a sob and nodded. “I-I’m fine; I’ll be down soon.” Yet another lie. I’m fine. I’m not fine; I’m broken, bitter, scarred, scared, depressed, tired, nervous, insecure, emotional. I’m not fine and deep down I knew that I wouldn’t be for a long time. Sometimes it felt like I was sinking into a deep, dark hole filled with pain, heartbreak and utter hopelessness; depression.

A floorboard creaked under his weight and I could picture his face as he nodded. “Alrighty then.” It had been strained between us and I hated it; he had been and still was my best friend… but I needed time and space. I didn’t know if he would hate me for what I was going to do in the coming weeks and I only hoped that he understood; it had been his child as well. He didn’t seem to care though and it hurt, it really did.

I listened as he walked away. My hands shook as I pushed myself off the floor. The picture lay on the floor and I stared down at it with tears travelling down my cheeks. “I will always love you.” I murmured. “Always.”

-

My heels clicked against the wooden floor as I slowly walked towards the partially opened door of the dining room. I could hear the chatter of the pack, their heart beats and breathing; smell the delicious aroma of dinner and the array of scents that belonged to each pack member.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I pushed open the door. The room was filled with wooden tables filled with people and at the front, sat the pack heads; my fathers, Jenna, Klaus, Elliot, the twins and a few other betas and deltas, as well as my friends and Kade, the guests.

Their gazes landed on me as I stood at the door, looking in at the room. Slowly the chatter died down as the pack began noticing me. Jenna smiled but as I stood still as a statue, it began to fade. I took a step forward then another. My back was ramrod straight as I placed one foot in front of the other, keeping my gaze locked with the wall behind them all, tracing the barely there cracks.

The table felt like it was a thousand miles away and there should have been a death march; it felt like I was walking to my doom.

Jenna’s table was raised and I walked up the two steps. The only seat left was between my dad, Ace and Kade. They both stood as I approached and dad went to pull out my chair but Kade had already beaten him to it. I sat and dad pushed my chair in and took his seat.

Food was placed on my plate and the chatter resumed. I sat there stiffly throughout dinner and although I knew it was rude, I brushed off anyone that tried to pull me into conversation. The food tasted like cardboard and I merely moved it around my plate with my fork. The only thing I actually ate, well drank, was the wine sitting in front of me.

I had never liked wine that much and preferred a beer any day but tonight I just want to forget. One thing I hadn’t counted on was the fact that wolves couldn’t get drunk; our bodies burnt it up the alcohol too fast. That’s why drugs didn’t work and why every single wolf is fit and healthy; well they were if they got enough food.

I was on my forth glass when I felt a hand touch mine. I jumped and the glass slipped from my fingers, the crimson red liquid spilling over my dress and the table cloth. The glass dropped to the floor and shattered into a million pieces, I didn’t care though; the spilt wine and broken glass weren’t what bothered me. I looked at the hand still reaching towards me and slowly my arms traced the tanned, muscled arm up to its owner, Kade.

His touch had been warm and comforting; it had shocked me. As I looked into his eyes, I realised that I had begun to develop feelings for him. Our time at the lake and the moment’s we spent together, mostly in silence crept into my mind. Was I in love?

My chair screeched against the floor as I abruptly pushed it back and stood, refusing to look at the man I knew to be my mate. This was bad; this was very, very bad. I would not develop feelings; feelings got you hurt, my stay here… hell my life had proved that! If I fell for him, he would be ripped away; all good things were.

I rushed down the steps and as my ankle rolled from the high shoes, I growled, bent down and ripped them off my feet, hurling them in front of the head table. I was done; I would make the bitch that stripped away the one thing I had loved most suffer and then I would leave.

The skirt of my dress swirled around my feet as I prowled out of the dining room. I knew that she was in the pack prison and that was where I was headed.

The dress was torn to shreds as the changed washed over me and I revelled in it; I was stronger, faster, better. I hated it but I loved it. I made it to the prison in seconds and the guards stood to attention as I shifted. They handed me a shirt to cover my nudity and then opened the door for me; they knew not to mess with me.

I strode past the cells, many empty as I headed deeper and deeper underground. I followed my nose and soon I stood outside a dirty, dark cell.

I could clearly see in the dark and as I peered into the pitch black cell, I felt a feral grin spread across my face. Curled up in the corner was the girl who’d pushed me down the stairs. I stared at her until her head slowly tilted up to meet my gaze. She was filthy, covered in blood, piss and dirt.

“W-what d-do you w-want?” She croaked.

I chuckled and leant against the wall. “I want you to suffer.”

“I am suffering.” She snarled, through it sounded like more of a cough.

“You don’t meaning of the word, but you will. Once I’m done with you, you’ll wish you were never born.” I hissed before striding away. She would know fear, pain and sorrow soon, very, very soon; just like I did, just like she made me feel.

An eye for an eye after all; though I would be taking her entire arm.