Leac.

Hours later.

After Maddy and Rhydian led Shannon and Tom home from the woods, I sneak closer to the bowl of meat they accidently left. I hear twigs snap behind me and hear a gasp and someone panting.

"What is it Tom–?" Rhydian asks from behind me, the panting coming from him since he obviously ran back with Tom.

"Is– is that a wolf?" Tom's voice asks, causing me to turn around slowly. "Isn't that the one Shannon saw after the trip?"

Rhydian sighs and grabs Tom's arm and pull him closer to me before making Tom sit in front of me. Tom scratches where his hand is covered in a glove. I tilt my head a bit.

"Tom, you can tell anyone about what in going to tell you. Not Maddy, not Shannon, no one, understood?" Rhydian asks.

"Yeah. What is it?" Tom looks up at Rhydian who towers over him from where he stands. Tom looks back at me, still sitting.

"Change. Now." Rhydian demands. I lower my head and obey, shifting into my human form and sitting with my legs, sitting on my bum. "Tom, Leac is trusting you. She's a WolfBlood."

"A... WolfBlood. So like a werewolf?" Tom asks, looking back an forth between us. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to get hurt. There are going to be people after me. I want to keep you safe, Tom." I tell him, Rhydian leaving us.

"Is... Is Rhydian and Maddy like you?" He asks softly.

"That isn't for me to tell you." I tell him, lightly touching his hand, but he retracts it, causing pain to cross my features, and my heart clench.

"You... You've been lying to us, haven you? I bet you're not even Mr. Jeffries niece." He says, somewhat angry.

"Tom, calm down. Maybe we should talk about this tomorrow. You must be tired." I stand up and grab his hand softly.

"Were... Were you the one Shannon saw as a kid? Are you the Beast? Are you taking animals and eating them?!" Tom asks angrily.

"No. I wasn't here in Evermoor when Shannon saw the Beast.  I couldn't shift back then. I... I'm not the Beast, Tom. I'm not taking animals and eating them. I'm not a wild WolfBlood anymore."

"Not anymore?" He asks, his nose scrunching up in anger and disgust. "You're a WolfBlood! You change into a wolf!"

"Tom! I... I think you should go home and rest..." I tell him sadly. "We will meet up tomorrow if you want so I can answer any questions you have." Tears fill my eyes and they fall. "I'm sorry."

He doesn't speak to me as I lead him back to his house by his scent. I don't say goodbye, and he doesn't either. He opens his don't door, glances to me, and closes it behind him while I turn and walk home myself. Tears fall freely down my face as I think of the rejection that was bound to happen. Normally a WolfBlood would have a soulmate that was also a WolfBlood. That's what I had hoped would happen for me, since my parents didn't like half breeds. It was rare for humans and wolfbloods to be paired, but it wasn't unheard of. I know that there is at least one or two paired up in Maddy's bloodline, making her a halfbreed, but she is still a strong alpha female. Rhydian was harder to detect, I didn't know if he was a pure blood or not. I make it home and head straight to bed.

Next day...

I ran through the woods in wolf form, it was faster for me, and I felt like my worries went away in this form. I could hear and see Maddy and her parents discussing something in their house using Eiolas. I could sense Shannon miles away, looking for her beast. I could faintly hear Rhydian and Tom on the other side of town, but I didn't bother with hearing them. I just ran. Did what I was best at. After awhile I felt the need to shift back into my human form, so I did, noticing my phone ringing in my pocket as I did so. I sigh before answering it, not bothering with the caller ID.

"Hello?" I ask softly, not wanting to talk that much.

"Leac." Rhydian greets. "Can you meet me at Bernie's?"

"Sure, I guess. I'll head over now. Why at Bernie's though?" I ask him, looking around me to see if anyone was near.

"Thought it was the only landmark you're used to meeting at." I can hear the shrug and the smile in his voice. "Meet in 10 minutes?"

"You buy a chocolate shake, and I'll be there in 10 seconds." I say as I'm around the corner from Bernie's. I could hear him chuckle.

"Deal." He hangs up and I can hear him ordering the drink as I hurry into Bernie's. "Wow, you surely love chocolate shakes."

"No, I was around the corner when you hung up." I shrug, taking the shake Bernie had just handed him. "Pay up, Rhy." I joke.

"Yeah, pay up, Rhydian." I hear someone, Tom, say behind me in a playful manner. "Leac, can we talk now? Maybe go on a walk?"

I look to Rhydian, then Bernie, who waves me off giving me permission to take the glass with me. I look back at Tom and nod, walking back outside as he grabs his bag from a table.

"Do you have any questions?" I ask him, taking sips of my shake.

"Yeah." He nods, looking at me slightly as we walk in the direction of the woods. "Are there others like you?"

"Not many are as civilized as I. My parents don't like to surround themselves with the weak, so they stay in their pack, casting out those who help the weak. They weren't always like that though..."

"What happened? I mean, why aren't you there with them?"

"I helped a frail, human woman who had stumbled upon our village. She had been looking for food and shelter for the winter. My parents would have sent her off without food or rest, or they would have executed her for no reason, so I helped her. I was the oldest of the Alpha's children. I was their only daughter, and they held me as the role model for my brothers, and the children of the pack. They grew furious at the news of me helping the human woman. My mother more so, since these were her morals."

"And... Your father?" Tom asks as we make it inside the woods.

"He didn't think like this before. When his last son, Parker, was born, my mother started whispering in his ear more, coaxing him into sharing her morals, until it was like he couldn't think for himself. At first he didn't seem different in front of me and my brothers, but then he started getting angry when James, Derek and Henry helped a weaker pack member, who mother planned on either executing or banishing. That's when Father started making sure his children weren't helping the weaklings."

"What was he like, before that?" Tom asks as we sit on a fallen tree.

"He was protective of me, since a lot of the boys my age were always trying to woo me, although he knew I wasn't interested due to my soulmark. He knew I would wait till I found you. He was less protective of the boys, since I was his eldest and only daughter."

"Is he still protective?" Tom asks, grazing my hand with his.

"I don't know... He was rather harsh when banishing me. For all I know, he might be too far gone from mother's corruption." A tear escapes, but Tom wipes it away. "He... He was so different..."

"You don't have to say anymore. I'll ask a different question." Tom says, rubbing my back softly and slowly, making me sniffle.

"Okay... Go ahead." I clear the tears away and face him.

"Do you... Change on full moons?" He asks curiously.

"Yes, but not the way you think. It's like the moon is calling us, and if we were like the werewolf myths, we wouldn't have Soulmates or friends since werewolves kill those close to them, and they wouldn't realize or know they did." I explain. "Werewolves can only shift on full moons. We can do it when we are angry or frustrated. It mostly comes with a strong emotion, but we can do it willingly too."

"When were you turned? Were you bit or scratched?"

"No. We are born with the WolfBlood gene, and when we come of age, our first shift is on a full moon." I chuckle.

"Could I be a WolfBlood?" He asks nervously.

"I've not heard of a human turning into a WolfBlood. But there are certain... Concoctions that may give you WolfBlood... Traits, like our yellow eyes when we are angered."

"Does it wear off?"

"I have never experienced a human using the concoctions. No one in my village has, and they don't like using the concoctions either. They feel that we don't need them that much."

"Oh..." He mutters, relief flowing through his features.

"Do you want to head back?" I asks, holding up the empty glass from my shake. He nods and we head back to Bernie's. His hand brushes against mine before he gently takes it in his.

"Is this okay?" He asks me, looking down at me slightly.

"If you want to do this, then I'm fine with it." I tell him, still not sure if he's okay with having a WolfBlood soulmate.

"I want to try this. I..." He pauses, looking ahead of us. I follow his gaze and see Rhydian talking to Maddy and Shannon. "So, Rhydian knows. Does Maddy? And if they don't, I won't tell them."

"Yes, they know. It's complicated, but I can't explain it to you yet, just... Trust me?" I ask him, adjusting my hold on my glass.

"Of course. I'll trust you, Leac." He nods, pulling me to the group. "Hey guys. What are you doing here?" He asks the three.

"Oh, I asked them to come over so we could talk." Rhydian says, taking my glass and handing it back to Bernie for me.

"What were you two up to?" Shannon asks, smiling as she sees our joint hands. "Everything better now?"

"Better?" I ask, looking at Tom, fearing he broke the promise.

"Tom said you two had a disagreement after he went to get the meat back last night." Shannon explains and Maddy nods. "He called Maddy and me to meet up this morning. We talked."

"I'm guessing, not good things?" I joke, nervous.

"He was just a bit upset, though he didn't go into detail, just that he was upset with his soulmate, and some other things that happened after you left Shannon's." Maddy explains softly smiling at me.

"Oh." I sigh relieved. "So, what are you guys doing today?"

"Oh, nothing today." Shannon sighs. "Do you guys wanna just hang out at mine tonight? I promise no Beast hunts this weekend."

"I'd love to, but I have to get ready for Jackson and Parker tomorrow." I tell them, letting go of Tom's hand, looking at Maddy.

"Oh, that's okay, maybe some other time?" Shannon suggests, causing me to nod my head with a smile. "Rhydian? Tom? Maddy?"

"I can't. Have plans with the foster family." Rhydian says.

"I actually have plans with my Dad and half sister." Tom answers with a soft smile.

"That's okay! Me and Shan will have tons of fun!" Maddy cheers, trying to brighten Shan's mood. "Right Shan?"

"Yeah!" Shannon cheers too, pulling Maddy away. Rhydian nods a goodbye to me and Tom before heading home.

"Do you think... I could go with you to get your brothers?" Tom asks hesitantly, looking down at my shorter frame.

"I don't see why not." I shrug. "Uncle can't pick them up, so I was planning on taking them on a walk through the woods so they get used to their surroundings. Just check with your Mum first."

"Yeah. Yeah, of course. I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah." I nod, about to turn and leave before Tom turns me back to him, and presses his lips to mine softly. We pull away slowly.

"I– was that okay?" He asks frantically, obviously nervous.

"Tom..." I whisper softly, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him into another kiss. "That was more than okay." He chuckles and pecks my lips before we say our goodbyes and head our separate ways, him to go to his Dad's, while I go home to Uncle Jeffries.