The group was sitting anxiously in the living room for Virgil to wake up, but it was getting late, they were half hoping he would just sleep through the night. They were worried about how to explain Virgil’s disappearance to the humans at the school. They couldn’t exactly take him back tomorrow with the possibility of him shifting in front of everyone. 

“What up bithces I’m home!”  The group looked up to see Remy walking in followed by Cassidy and Remus. 

“Hey guys, where is Emile?” Patton asked. 

“The nerd had to stay at the librarry to studdy for a stupid college test.” Remus explained flopping down next to his brother Roman on the couch. Remus took a breath to say something else when he suddenly paused. “What is that smell?” Remus leaned in closer to Roman and took a deep smell. “It’s coming from you.” 
Roman, Logan, and Patton all froze and looked uncomfortable. They weren’t sure how to explain the situation to the others. “Well you see…” Roman started but trailed off. Suddenly Roman’s head perked up and he tilted his head to listen to something. “He’s awake”, and with that he stood up and darted out of the room. 

“Who’s awake?” Cassidy asked confused. 

Patton answered before Logan could stop him, “Roman’s mate.”

“HIS WHAT!” They all shouted in unison.

________

When Virgil woke up he was still in a bit of a daze he was thinking more cognitively than he was before, but was feeling more relaxed than usual. He didn’t really like it. He sat up and groaned. “Ughh, what happened?”

A few seconds later a knock came from the door, “Virgil? Can I come in?”

“I guess.” 

With that Roman opened the door and entered the room. “How are you feeling?” He asked cautiously. He didn’t know how long the medicine would affect him. He should have asked Logan. 

    “Fine I guess.” Virgil said. Well at least his words aren’t slurring anymore. That's a good sign right? Roman thought to himself. 

    “So, uh what happened?” Virgil questioned. “I was leaving here ‘cause you guys are crazy and next thing I know am waking up back here feeling way too relaxed. I don’t like it.” 

    “You don’t remember?” Roman asked.
   
    “Remember what?” 

    Before Roman could answer the door burst open. “MY BROTHER GOT A MATE AND DIDN’T TELL ME!” Remus screeched entering the room. Followed by the rest. The herd of people around Virgil quickly made any relaxed feeling he had gone away and Virgil started to panic internally. There are more of them! He thought frightened. The one who had burst in looked almost exactly like Roman, but with more facial hair. The other two were different. Then there was the one who sauntered in with a pair of sunglasses on, and the other one who was wearing a beanie and had a large birthmark covering most of the left side of his face. 

    Roman laughed awkwardly as he looked at his brother scratching the back of his head. “I swear I was going to. Things are just… complicated.” Roman said looking over at Virgil, who looked scared out of his mind, and sighed. 

“What's complicated?” Remus asked then got a devilish smirk on his face, “Oh wait I know you both are tops and don’t know how to make it work. It’s okay you’ll figure it out!” 
“EXCUSE ME!” Virgil said appaled. “Where the fuck would you even get an idea like that! I barely know the guy what the hell are you talking about!” 

“Oh, goody he is shy! The shy ones are always the most fun to tease.” Remus said giddy.

“Remus stop.” Roman growled lowly. 

“What I can’t have some fun with my future brother-in law?” Remus said as innocent as he could. 

“Okay, time for escape attempt number two. Adios ya nut jobs.” Virgil was done with this conversation he got up and tried to make a b-line for the door. Unfortunately Patton and Logan weren’t going to let him escape again and had placed themselves in front of the door in case Virgil tried to bolt. They stepped in his way blocking his path. Trapped. Damn it. Welp now what. Virgil mused to himself as he looked around the room for alternative exits. He could always try the window. 

“Girl what do you mean escape attempt number two?” Remy asked confused. Virgil ignored him and walked to the window and saw that he was three stories up. He could jump, but it seemed like too much of a hassle, so instead he resigned himself to just sitting back down on the bed.

Roman, for what felt like the hundredth time that day, sighed again. This was getting really frustrating. “Virgil, he doesn’t know about us.” Roman stated.

“I know that you are all crazy.” Virgil said gruffly. 

“Wait take a step back, what does he not know about us?”  Cassidy asked confused. 

“He was unaware of our species existence.” Logan interjected. 

Virgil tensed. He did remember what they had said to him before he had tried to leave the first time. Did they really think he was that stupid to beleive them. Or was he really in a house full of crazy people.

“But he is one of us” Remy said “I can smell it.” 

Virgil was getting exceedingly more worried as his mind spiraled. If they really are crazy who knows what they plan to do with him. Crazy people do… well crazy stuff. He was in danger. Maybe they were all a part of some weird cult and they were going to sacrifice him to their wolf god or something. Or maybe they just were going to straight up murder him and confuseing the shit out of him was all part of their weird game. 

“Well obviously, but he was completely oblivious to this fact. He is even under the notion that we are crazy.” Logan stated.

They are going to kill me. I’m going to die. These thoughts were shooting through his brain like a bullet train. Even though in the past he would welcome death his brain had decided at that exact moment it wanted him to live. For some reason. His mind kept going faster, not hearing the conversation around him anymore. He was trapped in this small room with five strangers and no escape. 
       
    “Hey guys maybe we…” Patton tried to interject seeing Virgil’s eyes start glowing and no one else noticing. 

    “Wait, wait, wait. How could he not know? If him and Roman are mates then he surely old enough would have shifted for the first time by now.” Remus interjected. 

“That’s what we are trying to figure out.” Roman clarified for his brother.

Virgil was trapped. Trapped. No escape. Trapped. Going to die. Trapped

“Guys, I really think…” Patton tried again. 

“No to mention he reeks!” Remy said holding his nose. “He smells like a rogue.” 

“That’s because he isn’t a part of a pack. That's why he has that wet dog smell to us.” Logan explained.

“What are you talking about I think he smells great. Like lavender and dark chocolate.” 

“That’s because he is your mate Roman. He could smell like a raging dumpster fire and you would still find it appealing.” 

He can’t breath. He needs out. He needs to run he needs to escape. He is trapped. No escape. They are going to hurt him. 

“GUYS!!” Patton screamed. Everyone stopped short to look at Patton. “Look!” He pointed at Virgil who had curled up into a small ball and shoved himself against the headboard of the bed. His eyes glowing a fierce purple. 

Roman immediately panics and rushes closer to Virgil. The others also swarm around him not really thinking. 

Too close. Too many people are too close. He needs space they need to just “GO AWAY!” Virgil demands loudly. Everyone in the room besides Roman stiffens. They aren’t sure why, but they had extreme need to follow his directions. They all duck their heads and one by one dart out of the room. 

Roman was dumbfounded. He couldn't understand how his pack had just followed the orders of someone else. 'What the heck just happened.' He mind linked them.
'Um, well I am not sure kiddo. We all are pretty confused ourselves' Patton piped up.
'It may have to do with the fact he is your mate. As future co-alpha he may now carry a similar authority as you. Perhaps that's why he defied you earlier.' Logan offered. 

'Okay but what do I do he is still panicking.' Roman stated.
‘You are gonna have to be the one to get him to calm down there is nothing we can do from here.’ Patton said. Patton then explained what Roman needed to do.

“Hey storm cloud, can you hear me?” He said gently trying to sound as soothing as possible. This was really his department but he had to try. 

Virgil was trapped in his own mind thinking he was still surrounded by danger. He couldn’t understand the fact that he didn’t have people around him anymore and he was sure they were going to do something at any minute. Suddenly hands were on his shoulders. His eyes snapped up to meet a pair of chocolate brown orbs. 

“Virgil can you name five things you can see?” Roman asked gently. 

“W-what?” Virgil said confused. 

“Name five things you can see.”  Roman repeated. 

“Uh, I can see you and um, I see the window, I can uh, see the w-walls, I see um… I see… the door and I see, uh the tv.” Virgil struggled to stutter out.

“Now what are four things you can touch?” Roman asked.

“Wh-y are we… why are we doing this.” Virgil said his voice shaky and his breathing still erratic.

“It’ll help.” Roman explained.

“I don’t think so.” Virgil said skeptically his eyes looking around frantically.

“Do you trust me?” Roman said. 

Virgil paused, did Roman just…. “What?” 

“Do you trust me?” 

Virgil didn’t trust anyone, but he couldn’t help the next words that came out of his mouth. “Whatever you say Alladin.” However, Virgil was still gasping to get oxygen and he didn’t show any real signs of calming down. 

Roman gave a small smile that Virgil got his reference and was willing to try. “Okay name four things you can feel.” 

“The bed sheets, my clothes, you touching my arm…” Virgil couldn’t think of another one so he reached up and spun some of hair between his fingers. “My hair.”

“Now name three things you can hear.” 

Virgil closed his eyes and listened, “Your breathing, your heart beat, and I think I hear the others in the other room.” 

“Good, now two things you can smell.”

Virgil took a deep breath through his nose and his senses were flooded by an amazing smell. It was the smell of cinnamon and pine cones. It almost smelled like christmas, but had a more fall flavor to it. It was hard to describe. It calmed him down a lot. “I smell cinnamon and pine cones.” 

“Last one. One thing you can taste.” 

Virgil thought about it for a minute but decided he didn't really have a taste in his mouth currently. “Um, my tongue I guess, I don’t know.” 

“Okay, how do you feel now?” Roman asked. He could see Virgil had stopped breathing hard and his shaking was minimal.

It was only after Roman asked that Virgil realize he was breathing normally again and he wasn’t so freaked out. He had relaxed. Roman was right when he said it would help. “I’m okay.” Virgil had a question he needed to ask but he was pretty sure he already knew the answer. “Can I go home please. I don’t want to be here.” 

That actually felt like a physical slap to Roman’s face. His mate was here in front of him and Roman wanted nothing more than to hold him in his arms and his mate didn’t want to be there with him. Roman sighed “While I want nothing more than to make you happy. That isn’t even a considerable possibility. I am sorry Virgil, but you have no control over your wolf and if you were to shift in front of humans that would endanger my pack.”

Virgil stared at Roman blankly, his face was devoid of emotion that it made Roman squirm. “What?” Roman questioned trying to fill the silence. 

“Sorry I am just trying to figure out if you really expecting to believe all the bullshit that just spewed from your mouth.” Virgil said his face turning into a ugly scowl. 

“So, you don’t believe that we are werewolves.” Roman said, his frustration started to boil within him. Roman stood up and started to pace. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. 

“What are you doing?” Virgil asked the pacing was making him anxious. 

“I am just trying to figure out how to convince you that I am not lying.” Roman explained. 

“Well if you are a werewolf turns into a wolf.”

“I would, but…” 

“Wait hang on let me guess. The moon isn’t in quite the right alignment making it impossible for you to do it right this second.” Virgil said rudeness and sarcasm dripping from his words. 

“No I can shift whenever I want. I just don’t want you to be scared of me.” Roman said worried eyes meeting skeptical ones. “Can you promise you won’t be frightened?” Roaman asked. 

“Sure whatever you say.” Virgil stated. 

Roman nodded he supposed that would have to be good enough. Roman closed his eyes and concentrated. He heard a gasp leave Virgil when his body first started to shift. His bones breaking and refusing into new positions. This used to really hurt Roman, but after years of shifting it didn’t bother him. 

Virgil watched in horror as the boy in front of him started to snap and break his body moving into odd positions, hair grew along his whole body the clothes he was wearing being torn to shreds. Then suddenly as soon as it had started it all stopped standing in front of him was a red wolf with glowing red eyes. He looked like a brilliant flame. Virgil found himself slowly standing up and walking closer to the giant beast. The wolf didn’t move allowing Virgil to approach at his own pace. When he got close enough he reached out his hand and placed it on the wolf's muzzle. He felt like he was in a trance he wasn’t in control of his actions as he moved closer. Gently running his hands across this beautiful creatures fur. 

Virgil gave a weak broken laugh, “I think I really have lost it.” The wolf whimpered. The wolf used his nose to push Virgil to the bed. Virgil followed the wolves nose numbly. He slid into the bed before the wolf jumped up and laid down next to him. Virgil was only vaguely aware that this creature had been Roman. He couldn’t explain it, but this big furry creature seemed more safe than any human he had met since… The Accident. He didn’t feel so alone and he latched onto that feeling wrapping his arms around the wolf and buried his face into the red fur. He was warm and comfortable and after the insane day he had he quickly fell asleep.    

Author note: sorry I know its not the best chapter, but this is kinda just a long filler chapter to introduce new characters and try to give Virgil a reason to not keep panicing and/or running away. I do that to him a lot... so... yeah