The next few days were spent studying everything I could find on werewolves, taking advantage of the silent, empty house in Gabriel's absence. A a result, a tall stack of crooked books lays on my desk, full of information on shape shifters.

I've learned that they are, of course, very territorial. In fact, thousands of werewolves have been killed in wars between opposing packs over land. They often stay in one large area with the rest of their pack for their whole lives, leaving very rarely.

They also follow a hierarchy that puts an Alpha at the top. Alpha's manage the pack, protecting them and providing for them. They are very respected, as well as their children, who will take that position when they reach the appropriate age.

This explains a lot about Alpha Gage and why he was so determined to keep me out of their territory. Their land must extend throughout Aacanon and possibly even far past it and I am sure that in his eyes, i'm a major threat to his pack.

Something I find interesting is that every werewolf has a soulmate, another half. They can only find their mate after they both reach the age of eighteen, but when they do, it's described as an extraordinary and highly valued experience. If their mate dies then they will also or they will be driven to insanity until they eventually have to be killed.

Unfortunately, most werewolves were killed by hunters in the 1800's and were thought to be completely extinct after that.

Clearly, there are still some left.

The leaves in the trees rustle with the warm summer breeze while I stand silently on the porch, enjoying the scenery. A deep breath escapes my lips as I allow my thoughts to race.

I'll need to start preparing for my birthday soon, while Gabriel is still gone. I only have four months until my angelic grace could be overpowered and crushed by the same darkness that resides in my veins, ultimately taking my soul in the process. There needs to be a plan in case that happens, in case I become a threat.

The first thing I need to do is find a witch. A witch will be able to tell me if I even can be killed at all. If I can, then they can provide me with, hopefully a weapon, that's strong enough to do it, something that Gabriel with have to use against me if my soul is lost.

I freeze at a sudden sound that disturbs the peaceful environment, breaking through my thoughts. Listening closely, I hear faint, bickering voices coming from in front of the house. I'm miles away from town and this cabin is nearly impossible to find, so there shouldn't be anyone around here. I inhale deeply, nostrils flaring as I try to pick up their scent.

I guess Alpha Gage isn't nearly as smart as I thought he was.

The first thing I breath in is the faint unmistakable scent of werewolves. I shake my head in disappointment, but I'm grateful for the knowledge I now have about them. I know their strengths and their weaknesses, in case they are looking for a fight.

I close my eyes, focusing on exactly where I want to be and transporting myself there. Reopening my eyes, I'm now on the gravel driveway right next to the car. In front of me are the backs of three tall figures walking straight for the cabin.

"Zeke, man, seriously you don't know what you're doing," a frantic voice I quickly recognize as Noah's, exclaims from the right side of the group.

"Oh come on Noah, it can't be that serious," a second voice chimes in as they steadily move forward. My eyes slide to the owner of the voice, the back of a blonde head, on the left.

"You weren't there Cayden, you don't get it. She knocked Aiden out with her mind!" Noah yells.

"You're being dramatic," Cayden, the blonde, brushes him off carelessly.

"Was the Alpha being dramatic when he told us to stay as far away from her as possible? I don't think so!" Noah rushes out, answering his own question. "What's your dad gonna think about this when he finds out that we did the exact opposite of what he told us to Zeke?"

"After he finds out that I killed her and there's no threat to the pack, I don't think he'll be very upset," a mellifluous, deep voice says from the middle of the group. From my point of view, all I can see is that he's the tallest of the three and has straight, dark brown, mid length hair.

I feel a wave of anger wash through me while he threatens to kill me, as if I'm nothing more than a minor inconvenience. It's obvious that he's Alpha Gage's son and Alpha Gage doesn't have a clue that these three are here right now. I cross my arms over my chest as I watch them take long strides, getting closer to the front door.

"Kill her? You're going to try to kill her?" Noah sputters, his voice getting louder with every word. "Are you insane? I told you that Aiden didn't get anywhere near her so how do you plan on killing her?"

"Aiden's shifted, what, like five times? He only went out on patrol that day because he kept whining." Zeke says, his voice laced with annoyance, which Cayden chuckles at. "Noah, if she really did knock him out like that, aren't you curious how the hell she did it?" Zeke questions.

"Maybe she's a witch and did some weird voodoo crap to him," Cayden suggests.

"A witch? Are those even real?" Noah asks doubtfully.

"My uncle says one cursed him when he was kid," Cayden responds with a shrug.

"No offense man, but your uncle is nuts. He once told me he saw an angel before," Zeke chimes in.

Their conversation is cut short when they reach the front door. Leaning against the side of the car, I watch them closely. Before Noah can protest, Zeke's hand shoots up and he bangs the side of his fist against the door. I roll my eyes silently as I watch them.

"She's not even here, lets go," Noah pleads after a long and tense minute of them staring at the door.

Zeke ignores him and suddenly grips the metal door knob. He turns it quickly and the door pops open while I realize that I must have never even locked it. They all freeze, staring at the door as if it will come to life and attack them.

Cayden reaches out, putting his palm on the door and pushing it open slightly. I decide that I should finally intervene before they get too far into the house.

With a twitch of my finger, the door violently slams shut with a loud bang that makes them all jump. Noah gasps dramatically and stumbles back a few steps.

"What the hell was that?" Cayden whispers.

While Zeke and Cayden stare at the door, Noah gets more paranoid. He frantically whips his head in all directions, searching the woods and surrounding areas for signs of life.

Eventually, he turns around completely and his brown eyes land on me. His jaw drops and his eyes grow comically wide, frozen with terror, while I smirk at him. I pick up my right hand and wave at him, for my own amusement. Without moving his eyes from me, he rapidly smacks Cayden's arm with the back of his hand.

Cayden whips his head toward Noah and looks at him quizzically before following his gaze.

"Oh crap," Cayden mumbles as he turns to face me. His eyes are light blue, similar to Gabriel's and they widen in shock, just like Noah's did.