ARI

"My mother is Zander's mate." I said to myself for the tenth time. "My mother is-"

"Ari! I know this is shocking but get over it!" Jennifer yelled at me.

I gasped and squinted my eyes at her. "You get over it!" I retorted childishly.

The room was mostly empty expect for Jen, Alex and Matt who stayed after everyone else left.

Carter had left with his family to the guest rooms an hour ago after telling me what had happened to Jen leading up to her death.

Matt was sitting next to Alex on the couch, pouting after Nathan yelled at him for hugging me.

I didn't mind though. After Alex stopped me from following my mother, Matt came out of nowhere and hugged me saying, "I've been wanting to do that since forever! I've missed you so much and I know you're not Jen but she was my best friend and it hurts me to know that you look like her but aren't her. I'm sorry." He told me sadly.

"Matt! What did I say!" Nathan came and told him.

Matt only sat on the couch and pouted and hasn't moved since.

Jen left after I started to mutter to myself again. I paced the living room, waiting for my mother to come back. It was dark out and their was this psycho killer on the loose.

I knew Zander was with her but I didn't know the dude! I can't trust him even if he is my mother's mate. Which was still really hard to believe!

She does deserve happiness after being alone for almost 10 years now and Zander seemed like a good guy.

I was starting to accept the fact that they were mates even though it still felt weird.

Holy Shit, he's basically my stepfather. I said to myself, trying not to panic.

Alex was sitting on the couch, watching me. His eyes followed me around the room but I could tell he was thinking about something else.

I sat down in between Matt and Alex and turned to Matt. "Hey, I know I'm not Jennifer but that doesn't mean we can't be friends." I said to him smiling. "She was brave and seemed like a really good person."

Matt smiled in return and sighed. "She really was the best." He said sadly again. "I know it must get really annoying, but you're so much like her. You're nice too." He chuckled.

"Why thank you!" I fake bowed and laughed because you can't really fake bow.

"Well, I should get back to training." He told me before getting up to leave. He stopped in the doorway and turned to me. "Thank you." He said sincerely. I only smiled at him.

I glanced at Alex who was still deep in thought. "Whatcha thinkin' about?" I asked casually, bumping my shoulder with his.

He pursed his lips. "Nothing really." He said with a gruff voice. "I was thinking about Shawn and his murderous mind and how this dude is me. How I am this dude."

I almost growled in anger. "Stop it! You are not Shawn."

I said trying to convince him but he wouldn't listen. His head turned away from me in anger or shame, I don't know.

"If I'm not him, then why do I act just like him!" He turned back to me, his eyes red with so much emotion. "If I was Alex and not Shawn I wouldn't have treated you the way I did! I wouldn't have done the things that I did if I was a good person!" He yelled in frustration, gripping his hair.

I don't know how to make him feel better. I didn't know if anything I said would make change his mind on how he sees himself.

So I did the only thing I could think of.

I loosened his grip on his hair and took both his hands, turning my full attention on him. "No matter how we first met, how you treated me, how you remember Shawn, you will always be Alexander Lockwood, the guy who stayed up all night protecting me and my mother, the guy who thinks he's a bad person but deep down has no idea he's a good person, the guy who is my mate." I added with a smile. My smile grew wider when my heart beat faster. "The guy, who I am in love with." I blushed when he looked up in surprise.

"What? You love me?" He said in disbelief.

"Is it so hard to believe?" I asked him laughing. "I honestly don't know what Love is like but I know what I feel deep down every time I think about you, or see you."

When he didn't say anything but just kept staring at me, I grew self-cautious.

I frowned. Oh god. What if he doesn't love me back? I just declared my love like a loser to a guy who doesn't love me back!

I went to remove my hands from his when he tightened his grip on my fingers, enclosing my hands into his again.

Slowly, a small, shy smile appeared on his face right before he attacked me.

My back hit the couch and I looked at Alex, startled.

Alex only continued to smile. I could feel his heart thump faster. "I love you too." He said proudly with a hint of a blush.

Then, he kissed me. It was short, sweet and meaningful.

His head snapped up and his eyes went blank. He must be mind-linking with his pack.

I blushed again when I noticed my hands on his defined chest. I slowly brought them down to his stomach and felt the abs through his shirt.

My heart was in overdrive just thinking about us together.

I looked at Alex who was looking at me. I think we had the same thought. But then Alex hopped off of me and held out his hand.

"Come on, let's go outside, Matt's asking for you."

I grabbed his warm hand and followed him outside. Am I even ready to have-uh-do-lay? Yes, Am I even ready to lay with Alex?

I mentally slapped myself. SEX! It's called sex.

I blushed for no reason again. But I knew the answer. Of course I wasn't. I still wanted to get to know him. Not to mention I wanted to wait until I was older, more confident in my body. I mean I don't even wear shorts because I hate my legs! They are stupid reasons but in the end I think it's my choice. As long as Alex doesn't mind.

He led us out in the backyard where everyone was gathered.

I noticed my mother standing an arms length next to Zander. Zander only looked at my mother with a sad expression. I wonder what she said to him.

Matt stepped into the field with Nathan.

"Hey Ariana, can you shift?" Matt asked in a soft voice.

I looked at him confused. "Um, I don't know how?"

Everyone looked at me with confusion. "What do you mean?" Nathan asked me. "Aren't you a werewolf?"

"I-yes I am a...werewolf, but I can't just shift into one whenever I want." I told him laughing like he was joking with me.

"Yes, you can? Us werewolves can shift whenever we want to." Nathan told me, his head cocked to the side, studying me.

As if on cue, Jen came out of nowhere and shifted into a big, dark brown wolf. It looked so painless, so smooth, so fast.

My heart lurched in my chest when Jen's beast made its way towards me.

I looked at my mother to see she was holding Zander's hand, her face full of fear.

Something warm touched my hand and I realized it was Alex squeezing my hand in reassurance. And sure enough, my heart calmed down and I didn't seem to scared that a wolf was standing a few inches in front of me.

I knew I shouldn't be afraid but I felt a difference with Alex's wolf and a difference with Jen's wolf. I felt safer with Alex. I squeezed his hand back, I always felt safer with him.

Jen looked at me before running behind a tree. I heard a few bones popping and cracking, then some shuffling and then Jen came back out with a new t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Did you see how I did it?" She asked me with curiosity.

"Uh, kind of? How did you do it so painlessly?! I asked amazed. "Every time I shift it's always like I'm shifting for the first time." I scratched my head when I heard a couple of gasps around the field.

"What?" I asked Alex, frowning.

"When's the last time you shifted?" Jen asked me.

"Um, two months ago?" I asked like it was question.

"Okay, how often?" She asked me, her eyes looking at me with concern.

"What do you mean? I've shifted maybe seven times." I told her shrugging.

"Seven times this year?!" She squeaked.

"Uh, no." She looked relieved after I said that, until I continued. "Seven times since I turned thirteen years old." I couldn't be more confused and a little embarrassed by the way everyone was looking at me.

Except for my mom, who was currently looking at Zander.

"How?" Was the only question Alex asked and I could already feel my cheeks tinged in red with embarrassment.

"What do you mean? I try to control it but the beast always wins and I end being forced into turning into one."

I then realized something that I should have realized when I noticed how comfortable Alex was in his wolf form.

They don't fight their nature. They don't think they're monsters.

Even though I knew the answer, I still had to ask. "Is it not normal to fight it?"

"It's just it's not normal to-" Alex started before I scoffed.

"So you're telling me that I turn into a giant furry beast but I'm still not normal to other giant furry beasts?" I threw my hands up in exasperation.

Everyone became silent while I huffed and puffed about my abnormality. When no one spoke for another minute, I threw my hands in the air again. "Well! What's wrong with me!"

"It's not that something is wrong with you it's just that you're different-" I opened my mouth to protest but Nathan continued. "-in the sense that you are slow...er."

I blinked, then laughed, my mother joining me. "No, she's not! She's very fast and very strong. I've seen it, hell I've trained it." She said proudly.

Did my mother just call me an IT?

I shook it off and listened to Matt when he started to explain. "Don't get us wrong Ariana, you're stronger and faster than the average human. But against a werewolf, you wouldn't last a minute."

"And how would you know that?" I asked, challenging.

Jen interjected with her opinion or fact or, whatever. "One, you were raised by a human, no offense Helen, and two, YOU WERE RAISED BY A HUMAN."

My mother rolled her eyes but didn't seem offended.

I on the other hand, growled lowly surprising myself.

All their questioning was pissing me off but then throwing in an insult towards my mother seemed to push me over the top.

"Listen, My mother was the only one I had and she did a hell of a job considering what I transformed into every time I lost control so don't insult her just because she's a human." I didn't realize I stepped up to Jen almost nose to nose.

Jen growled and looked at me threateningly but I didn't back down.

I could see surprise flitting across her eyes when I stepped even closer, my anger getting the best of me.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Ari, it's okay." I looked at my mother with the same glare I was showing Jen. She flinched and I immediately felt bad.

"Sorry." I told her before stepping away from Jen.

"She has an Alpha." Alex whispered under his breath.

"What?" I have an Alpha? What does that mean?

"You have an Alpha in you. How is this possible? You were born to both human parents? How did you come out as an Alpha werewolf?" He studied me making me blush.

"I think it has to do with her past life. Jennifer Gray was the next in line Alpha before she lost her wolf and died as a human. It seems as if she was born as how Jen was born. An Alpha werewolf." Aimee explained to everyone.

I had so many questions but decided I didn't want to open my mouth and create further confusion for myself.

I didn't like the way everyone was staring at me. I mean I get it, I'm some weird werewolf who doesn't know how to be a werewolf.

Wiping my face in exhaustion, I turned to everyone. "Look, I know you have a lot of questions and you want to poke and prod me because apparently I'm not normal but I am tired and would just like to be left alone." I walked into the parking lot and waited by my mother's car, pouting at the fact that I'm not normal in any species.

"Helen." I heard someone say my mother's name. They were all still in the clearing. I was glad I was hidden away from them.

"You know we can't let you go home, someone is out there trying to kill your daughter possibly you. We can't put you in danger when we can so clearly help you." Matt told her his voice sounding sincere.

Zander growled protectively. "If anyone even thinks about touching her, I'll have their head!" He threatened.

I imagined my mother blushing.

Stay here? It didn't seem like a bad idea. Besides, I was kind of scared to go home after finding out someone had been in our house.

"Maybe it will be for the best." My mother sighed. "And I know Ari seems a little hotheaded but try to understand from her perspective. I never lost hope that their were people out there like her but she never believed it. She always thought she was all alone in this world." My mother's voice broke and my eyes filled with tears.

"I never told her but she's beautiful. I was scared at first because I didn't know what was happening to my babygirl but after a year, she was the most majestic creature I knew and the way she controlled herself was incredible. I'm so proud of her." She said crying.

I wiped my eyes and took a shaky breath. I'm not alone. I told myself, thinking about Alex and his dad and a whole group of people, I mean pack, that were just like me. I knew I needed training and who's better do that then a whole pack of werewolves.

I sighed and leaned my head up against the car. I'm acting like a baby. Of course they're going to be shocked that I haven't been acting like a proper werewolf. They've been taught from the start.

I listened as my mother spoke to Alex. My mom was explaining how she understood what a mate was and what Alex was to me but that didn't mean Alex could do whatever he pleased and if he hurt me then she would cut off his balls and feed them to him. I cracked a smile because she sounded so threatening.

A branch cracked to my left and I snapped my head towards it.

I narrowed my eyes and watched as a pair of human eyes stared right back at me, looking menacing.

Then they disappeared.

I stood frozen in my spot, scared to move, until I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder making me scream.