The following morning had everyone back around the TV in the games room. May focused on Chad and her dad, trying hard to work out what was different between the pair. Every time she breathed in her nose would wrinkle slightly, her eyes would close and she tried so hard to work out what Eli could sense that she couldn't. From what Josh had said, there were clearly others like them that were part of this organisation and May wanted to make sure she could tell who they were if she came across them.

"May is safe, from what we've found in conversations between this guy and his dad, they believe she is unaware. In fact, Tom is rather concerned about leaving May alone with her family now she knows the truth." Taylor told them, flicking her mane of red hair over her shoulder.

Right on cue, Braydon and Chad both growled; a savage sound that came from deep within.

"So it has all been a lie?" May asked, giving up on the scent thing for the time being. It didn't help her mother appeared with a coffee that seemed to take over every smell in the room.

"I'm sorry May. If it helps, in his own way I think he does like you." She answered before covering her mouth to yawn.

"Aunty Taylor, what about Caleb?" Nate asked, his figure hovering in the background. "Did they mention him?"

"I don't think-"

"Let's not talk about-" Jay said from somewhere off screen.

"What about him?" Instantly May was on the floor in front of the TV. She knew them all well enough to know when they were avoiding, lying or deflecting. "What did they say?"

Taylor disappeared and Bianca moved to take her place. Overnight, the bruises had yellowed and the swelling had disappeared. She was healing quickly, yet her large brown eyes were watery and bloodshot as she faced the camera. May's stomach sunk, and whatever she had to say wasn't going to be good.

"Nothing more than he is still alive." She spoke flatly, and as Nate called her out on lying, May wasn't sure she wanted to hear the truth.

"We deserve to know." Nate demanded.

"Nate, later." Taylor urged.

"Why? Why can't you tell us now!" He sounded tired, and May felt guilty for having been able to sleep.

"Enough Nate!" Bianca growled.

"It's okay, I can handle it." May assured her, yet the second her mother's hand held hers, May knew she was the one lying now. "Honestly. Tell us Bianca, please."

Bianca looked off camera, a murmur of voices barely audible coming next before Connor sat beside Bianca and Cody was seen half off the camera as he held his mate's hand. Looking away, Bianca stared down at her lap and Connor clearly his throat. Taylor stood behind him behind Nate who looked as though he was about to lose control completely.

"We learnt why Caleb was taken." He started slowly and May felt her heart beating hard and fast against her chest. "And it seems that Thomas marked him as a threat to his mission. With May."

"Me?" It barely came out as a squeak. "He was taken because of me?"

"No, he was taken because of Thomas." Chad growled.

"They were impressed with you last night, and his mother said removing Caleb from your circle of influence had worked in their favour. He told them you two had been fighting, so it occurred at the right time since May is kept in the dark about what we are, you weren't told the truth about what happened to impact your feelings on well, everything." Connor explained.

"How long until they work out she is lying?" Miranda asked, terrified at what that could mean for May.

"I guess that depends on how long May can keep faking it."

"May, it's up to you. We can get by without you still being involved." Bianca was giving her an out and May knew it.

"No, I'll keep going. I want to help. What next?" She told her, taking in a deep breath.

"If we could hack their phones, or at least Josh's that would be great. Whenever they take a call, there is some mild interference, so I think they have blockers in place to stop anyone listening in. We've already got some people scouting the place you went last night, but I don't think that would be their main meeting room." Connor told her.

"I'll do it, but what do I need to do?"

"If you can get his phone today, I'll have something waiting on Chad's desk to give me access in. You'll just need to connect the device to the usb."

"Easy." May nodded, glancing at the old wall clock her mother insisted on keeping around. "But, I'm going to be super late. Chad too."

"Good luck. Don't do anything to put yourself at risk okay?" Bianca urged.

"I won't." She promised and ran upstairs to do get ready. Surprisingly Eli followed her and hovering outside her door, it was obvious he had something to say. "What's up?"

"They took my cousin. She's human and completely innocent, yet she hasn't been released either. Sitting around here is hard, I want to help too."

"Have you asked Dad, or Bianca about it?"

"Yeah. She said it's best if we stay here, and I haven't really spoken to your Dad too much."

"Okay. I'll ask him before I go, but I'm not sure what you can do at the moment." May thought for a moment, thinking about Nate and how worked up he was. "Actually, there is something you could do for me?"

"Of course."

"Dad is bound to go to Bianca's today. Go with him and just, watch Nate. Talk to him, try and get him to not do anything stupid. I'm worried about him and can't lose them both." May grabbed her bag as Chad called her name from downstairs.

"Not sure what good that'll do, he doesn't know me and probably won't listen to anything I have to say."

"I know, but tell him I sent you. It might help?" She suggested.

"Okay."

May gave him a quick hug and ran down the stairs, finding her Dad she made him promise to take Eli with him if he went out. Then she rushed out to meet Chad in his car. His face was a mask of concentration and their usual chatter was non-existent as they headed towards the school. Then May thought of something, and turning to face him Chad groaned.

"What and why do I think I'm not going to like it?"

"If people like us are involved, do you think you could talk to Amber and some of the others about what's going on? Maybe they know someone who joined or disappeared, or maybe were even approached about joining?"

Chad thought about that for a minute. "That's actually a really good idea."

"What can I say, I have my moments of greatness."

"You've been having a lot of those lately." He teased. "Just, be careful with all of this May."

"I will." She promised.

They barely arrived in time for home room and morning announcements, though Chad couldn't have cared about them even if he tried. The group was dismissed once they did their check in and from there he went straight to the office where as promised, a small usb and cable sat on his desk.

"What's going on?" Principal Dwyer questioned as he noticed Chad sitting there.

"Nothing I can tell you about unfortunately." It was something Bianca had made very clear

"We were told to be extra vigilant, not that we aren't already." He sighed. "Is it bad then?"

"Yeah and if they think we know something, we'll ruin everything so the less people that know the better. That's all I can say." Chad told him.

"Understood. I didn't think you were going to be in and have organised a relief for your classes today."

"Thank you, I need to keep an eye on May too so that'll help."

"She's not in any trouble is she? After what happened with the alpha and Caleb..." He trailed off clearly worried. "Can I do anything?"

"Ask me next week." Chad sighed, rubbing his forehead as a headache threatened to hit.

Once he was alone, he pulled up some assignments he needed to mark as sitting there and waiting was making him too anxious. They should have used the drive into work to come up with a plan, why did he only think of this now? Groaning, he logged into the student system to see where May currently was. Chemistry. It wasn't long until lunch and it would make sense to try and get it then, but what if she never got a chance or it made Josh suspicious?

"Chad?" May whispered, startling him as he spun around to see her coming over. "I got it!"

"What? How? That's great!"

He took it from her and plugged it in, the USB lighting up as a tiny beep was heard. In the same instance, Chad's own phone rang and answering it, Connor was there.

"Give it thirty seconds. Another beep will sound then you can disconnect." He told Chad.

"Okay." Chad hung up and looked at May who bit one corner of her lip as her hands fidgeted with the bottom of her jumper. "You okay, I'm impressed you've got it already."

"Yeah. I dropped my pen near his bag, grabbed it out and then said I had to go to the toilet. Hope he didn't see me take it."

"Putting it back will be harder."

"I haven't thought that far ahead yet." She frowned as there was another beep. "Okay, I better go."

"Be careful May." Chad had no idea what else to say.

She made it back to class with sweaty palms and a knot in her stomach. No one so much as even looked in her direction as she moved to her place, except for Josh who gave her a smile as she pulled back the chair. May smiled back, glancing to the floor she bent over and let the phone slip from under her sleeve into her hand.

"This is yours isn't it?" She held it up and passed it over to him.

"Yeah?"

"It was just on the floor. Careful, you could have moved your chair onto it!" May looked at the screen in the desk in front of her and read over the question she was up to twice before looking at Josh as he fussed with his bag, confused as to why his bag was open. "We were in a hurry last session, maybe you just never closed it properly?"

"May. Joshua. Less talking, more working!" The teacher scolded, thankfully ending any further conversation between them.

Despite that, May couldn't concentrate any more than she could before she got the phone. Any time Josh said anything to her she'd simply nod or tell him to be quiet, and the second class was dismissed she was out the door in a flash. Unfortunately while she now tried to avoid Josh, she instead ran right into Tiffany. Literally, and in doing so pushed her into Darcy whose tiny squeal of surprised helped Josh work out which direction May had gone in once he lost in the crowd of students trying to get the most out of their lunch break.

"Watch where you're going May!" Darcy snapped, clutching her chest as though she'd just had the fright of her life.

"Sorry. I need to go." May went to pass them yet Tiffany stopped her.

"Everything okay?"

"Fine." She mumbled, trying to attempt a smile but failing as the frown just came right back.

"What's with you this week?" Tiffany asked, giving Josh enough time to join up with them. "Hey Josh."

He gave a little nod of acknowledgment, focusing on May instead. "You okay? You practically ran out of there."

"I hate chemistry." She lied.

"What ever. Can we go eat now, I'm starving?" Darcy huffed and started towards the cafeteria.

The trio followed her, with both Josh and Tiffany watching May out of the corner of their eyes. Both knew something was wrong and both had their own idea's about it, so while Josh left the girls alone to get lunch, Tiffany was the first one to talk to May about it.

"Spill. One second you're all, we need to break up yet clearly that hasn't happened. Now you look like it's the end of the world and you're about to miss your space ship off this planet."

"It's so messed up Tiff." May sighed.

"How, why? Talk to me May, you've always talked to me and how can I help you if you don't?"

"I can't talk to you about this." She admitted. "I want to, so badly. I just, can't."

Tiffany gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth before looking towards the building Josh had disappeared into. "He's not, like, one of those guys is he? You know, all controlling and trying to pressure you into-"

"No. Nothing like that!"

"Then what?" Tiffany begged. "It's not drugs is it because-"

"Not drugs." She confirmed.

"Is it me? Have I done something to upset you, because if so, you can just tell me!" There was a hint of frustration now and May hated this weird feeling that was only growing better them.

If she was smart, pushing Tiffany away would be a good move if only to try and keep her out of this mess. Already May knew she was being a terrible friend and Tiffany had always been there for her, even when no one else was. Losing that wasn't an option.

"I promise it's not. Meet me at the staff office after school okay? I'll explain there."

"I'm really worried about this May, I have a bad feeling and I will tell Chad you're being weird. I kept my mouth shut through everything since you and Caleb had your fight, but I can't do that again if- oh hell no. It's about him isn't it?"

"Not how you think. After school okay?" May held out her pinky finger and reluctantly Tiffany wrapped hers around it in agreement. "Thank you."

Josh came back then and May made up an excuse of having a headache for her weird mood. It wasn't far from the truth, the stress of the morning had given her a migraine and the bright screen lights of her workbook in the afternoon classes only added to her pain. Eventually, she closed her eyes, hiding in the back corner as Chad miraculously appeared to take his english class. If he noticed her nap, he left her alone and it was Josh's gently prodding in her arm that woke her at the end of the day.

"Didn't sleep last night I take it?" He whispered to her, glancing around them like anyone of their classmates were eavesdropping. "Are you okay?"

"It's a lot to take in, but I don't think you're right about them." She snapped, glad anger covered so many other emotions and thoughts from him. "It's one thing to lie to me about what they are for my whole life, but it's another to expect me to believe that the people who have only shown me love and support are monsters."

"That's what they do though, they lie." Internally May scoffed at that; who was the real liar out of all of them? "I shouldn't tell you this, but only a couple of months ago a small pack of these monsters killed more than thirty innocent people."

May felt her headache return, and closing her eyes she just wanted to go away - away from Josh, away from the school, away from the pack and people and all this. She wanted to be alone, to find some quiet and just sleep. What was she thinking, that she could actually do this? That a stupid little runt could be the one to save Caleb and stop the real monsters. Her throat felt too dry, her tongue heavy and swollen in her mouth as her heart beat pounded loud and fast in her ears. Maybe she should just run, and run, and run. Stop wasting everyones time with this mission, and being a human liability to the pack. May cringed as the sharp points of her nails dug into her palms, her jaw only adding to the headache as she ground her teeth together in frustration.

Go.

Run.

Now.

"May." Chad's firm tone had her opening her eyes and taking a deep breath, Mays chest sighed in relief as she began to breath again. "I know we're related, but sleeping in my class is not on. My office, now."

"But-" She started, coughing slightly to clear her throat.

"Chad, she's clearly not feeling well today and-" Josh started to argue.

"I'd head home now if I were you Mr Burton, I would head home before you too find yourself in after school detention." He turned before Josh could continue arguing and getting things from the front of the class walked out.

"Don't go. He's being unfair and-"

"He's not Josh, I was asleep in his class. It's fine, I can probably talk my way out of it once I get there. I'll call you later?" May grabbed her bag, and forcing down the contents of her stomach, managed to lean forward and kiss him on the forehead before leaving class.

"Just, be careful okay?" He urged, stopping her outside in the hall to kiss her with much more effort than she had been willing to put in.

The whole time she wondered how she had ever liked him, or enjoyed his touch. Thinking of when they met and how exciting it had all been made her wish she didn't know better. The attention and feeling of being desirable had been fake, but at the time she had needed it for validation she wasn't all those things Caleb had said about her. What the other pups had called her. The wounds that never seemed to heal finally had a band aid, and because of that, she found confidence in herself, plus acceptance of who and what she was. Different people come into your life for different reasons, May was sure of it. Unfortunately, she wasn't sure what things would be like now if Josh hadn't come into her life when he did and they might not have been any more improved if it had stayed as it was before he arrived.

"Now isn't a good time Tiffany." Chad sighed, looking over his shoulder as May approached. "Can she just call you tonight?"

"No, I told her to come here." May told him. "I'm sorry for falling asleep."

"I don't care about that. I care about what happened after class. Make it quick okay?" He moved inside, yet May only opened the door and motioned for Tiffany to come in too. "Ah, May, what's going on?"

May looked around and thankfully sensed no others in the office.

"I'm telling her."

"Telling her what?" Chad glanced between the pair nervously.

"Everything."

"You can't just-" He started.

"Yes she can!" Tiffany argued.

"No. She can't." Chad insisted.

"Can."

"Can't."

"Can."

"Can't. No, I won't allow it. Now isn't the time May!" He growled in warning.

"Caleb was taken by this stupid group Josh is apart of." May blurted. "I can't break up with him because I need to stay in Josh's good books so we can work out where he's being held and go get him. But it's too hard, I can't do it anymore."

"What?" Tiffany gasped, while Chad contemplated banging his head on the nearest brick wall. "This is a joke, right?"

"I can't Chad. I just, it's too hard. Everytime he touches me I want to throw up. He talks about you all like your these mindless killing monsters and you're not. I was so scared this morning when I took his phone." May trembled, and opening his arms, Chad engulfed her smaller figure in a hug while Tiffany found herself speechless.

"It's okay May. You've done so much already." He soothingly rubbed her back and looking at Tiffany, figured something need to be said. "I'm sorry Tiff, but you can't tell anyone about this."

"But, the police? What do you mean Josh is apart of a group that took Caleb?"

May sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve, before turning back to Tiffany. She had planned on sitting her down, and calmly telling her the basics without really giving too much away. "It's so fucked up."

"But why did they take Caleb?" She asked.

"Because of me." May admitted softly, fresh hot tears running down her cheeks.

"It's complicated. We should get home May." Chad urged. "Come with us and we can explain some more."

Tiffany only nodded and no one spoke on the way to the Winter's home. Once inside, May told her parents what she started and while both were ready to tell her she'd done the wrong thing, they also knew it was only a matter of time before the girl found out. It reminded Miranda of when she had told her friend Abby about Braydon being a shifter when she was drunk and had just needed to tell someone normal about everything. It had made her feel better at the time, but the guilt May was clearly feeling now hadn't given her the same kind of relief.

"What we're going to tell you is rather unbelievable." Miranda started, looking at May who seemed to inflate slightly at realising her parents weren't mad and telling Tiffany was going to be okay.

"More so that Josh kidnapped Caleb because of May?" Tiffany laughed nervously, but the serious faces that stared back at her made her go quiet.

"Well, that make more sense once we're done." She offered a gentle smile at her daughter's friend. Ever since kindergarten Tiffany had been as much of a part of May's life as anyone, and she prayed the loyalty the girls felt towards each would withstand what she was about to say.

Braydon and Chad lingered to one side of the room, letting the three women sit together on the sofa as Miranda explained what they were in that calming, comforting manner she had. Tiffany was told the truth about her and Braydon's meeting, right up to the point of Caleb being taken and the events of the week. More than once Tiffany laughed - unable to believe what she was hearing, a few times she glanced towards Chad and Braydon with an uncertain fear in her eyes, yet despite freaking out at the sight of Chad coming in as a wolf to prove a point, Tiffany turned to May and hugged her tighter than she ever had before.

"I am so friggin scared right now, but I know you and your parents and Chad and the others as well as I know my own family. I can't be bitten on a full moon or change into one too can I?" She whispered to May.

"No, we can only be born this way. They're not monsters, they're not going to hurt you. Ever." May promised.

"I know. Besides, I'm too scrawny to snack on now. If you were going to attack me, you should have done it when I was ten and going through my chubby stage." Tiffany shrugged. "This is insane! But you know what, I kind of knew you were all weird. It was that growly thing you all do, I just thought it must have been a respiratory thing, like some kind of strange asthma you all have. The party disaster makes so much more sense too."

"We don't do a growly thing." Chad huffed coming back in.

"It's either that or you purr like a cat." She imitated the sound as best she could, earning an example of it from Chad without even meaning to get it, yet the girls stopped laughing as Tiffany gasped. "The party. Oh my god! So what are they doing to those people? Have you found them yet?"

May started to fidget with her hands, unable to look at Tiffany or answer her as her body felt cold all over.

"We're working on it." Braydon answered instead, sensing the fear radiating from his daughter. "We can't stress this enough Tiff, but you can't tell anyone. If they think you know, we might not always be around to try and protect you. Especially if Josh, gets suspicious about you."

"I understand. My lips are sealed. I'll even do a lie detector test. Whatever you want." She promised.

"Not necessary." He assured her.

The next hour was filled with a hundred and one different questions that Tiffany had. While May proceeded to shut down, even Selena and Eli came out to talk to her friend since questions that likened them to pet dogs, were getting on Chad's nerves.

"So, do you get urges to like play fetch?"

"Have you ever seen a wolf play fetch?" Chad snapped.

"Well, no, but isn't it a canine instinct?"

"You're quiet?" Eli moved beside May, who barely even noticed he was there.

"Sorry, what?"

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No. I'm so stupid. Why did I do this?" She motioned towards Tiffany who kept up the banter with Chad with Selena's help. In the kitchen, her parents were talking in hushed whispers while preparing dinner and she didn't have the energy to eavesdrop on them.

"Because you need your friend."

"I'm not her friend, if I was I wouldn't have put her in this position. If anything happens to her, it's my fault." May swallowed, forcing down the lump in her throat. "Just like-"

"If you say Caleb, I'm going to push you off the chair." May glared at him, making Eli laugh. "What happened today that's got you so, flat?"

"What happened? I nearly died getting that phone, I've never been so scared! What if he caught me, what would I say? Surely that would have made him doubt everything and-"

"May, stop. Relax okay. You did great. You didn't get caught, so no point thinking over the what ifs now."

"I'm being someone I'm not. This isn't me. I don't sneak around, or lie to people or steal things. I'm not James Bond or some kind of superhero. I can't do it, and I'm just wasting people's time that could be used for actually helping Caleb and the others."

"Being scared is okay, even the bravest people still get scared. You don't have to be a superhero May. What you're doing is enough." Eli assured her.

"Then why doesn't it feel like it?"

"Because you are always too hard on yourself." Tiffany added, having heard the last part of the conversation. "Honestly, I'm surprised to hear you've been so bad ass lately. I thought that part of you was gone."

May looked at her completely confused by what she meant. "That part of me? I've never had that part!"

"Yeah you have. How many times did we have to sneak into Caleb's room to set up pranks, or what about whenever we were about to do something I was pretty sure was a bad idea, that you just did and typically pulled me along for the ride. Waterfall." Tiffany finished with, and May saw her point. The waterfall was too high to jump from, but the twins had done it first and May refused to let them have all the fun - though both girls were terrified of jumping, May had gone and pulled Tiffany with her at the last minute.

"I was young and stupid then." May pointed out. "And following the twins into doing scary stuff and having a prank war is a little different to trying to break into a secret organisation set on killing us all."

"Not really. Maybe a little. But May, you were scared then too and you did it. I used to do even more stupider stuff because I've always thought you were the shit. You used to pick fights with boys and anyone bigger than you, speak up if you didn't like something and just have this, Mayness, about you. This last year, I've nearly gone to your parents so many times terrified you'd lost that. You promised you wouldn't do anything bad or that I had to worry about, but your sparkle had gone. It's going again, but you can't let these assholes win May. They are the bullies picking on the little kids, and you have to step in."

May knew what Tiffany was trying to do, but the flaw with that was May only did half of what she did because she had Caleb right behind her. If things went badly, or she needed help - he was there before she even knew she needed him. When she was scared, he gave her courage. When she was hurt, he was there with whatever she needed. When she had given up, Caleb was the one making her try one more time. If there was anything he couldn't do for her, he'd find someone who could help or give her what she needed - like when she was stuck in Math and he had found her a tutor or made a deal with his Uncle Jay to get her the cash to replace a broken vase her mum had loved before she knew what had happened. He was the fixer, the strong one who had been looking after since the day they met. That was what she lost, not a sparkle or a Mayness.

Before they could dwell on it any more, May saw her Dad slip into the living room and her Mum and Chad follow. "Hold that thought Tiff."

Nudging Eli, the three of them hovered outside the door as Bianca said hello and they went in, telling Tiffany to stay where she was.

"I'm not sure what happened today, but Thomas is seeking permission to bring May to their next meeting on Sunday. I don't want her to go." Bianca stated. "It's getting too dangerous. He made the mistake of mentioning to Rohit she needs convincing of how bad we are and he raised the question of being able to trust May after her weird behaviour today."

"They didn't mention where this would be?" Braydon asked hopefully.

"No." Connor sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily. "I think they are going to do something to May."

"What do you mean?" He growled.

"We knew they must be working with half-bloods, but I think shifters too. It sounded like they were planning an attack to make her believe."

"I'll kill them!" He snarled as May stepped back into Eli from the shock that she might actually be attacked. He put a hand on her shoulder, half holding her in place, half offering her support. "They won't get near her."

"I've upped patrols on the area." Bianca told him, a cold edge in her voice. "Good news is, thanks to the bugs May planted, Tanya, who is actually Tina mentioned visiting her boss at a motel not too far from the bar May went to last night. I sent a couple of people out there, and they were able to pick up two scents that were at both locations. Tonight we will take our own hostages."

May looked back to where Tiffany stood, and sensing the panic her friend was feeling left the group and went to her.

"This is real isn't it?" She whispered.

"I'm so sorry Tiff." May frowned.

"No, don't be. I wish I didn't know, but I am glad I do too, you know? Will they, kill those people?"

"I don't know."

"They should, I would if I were one of you. What happened at the party, and to those other shifters you know, it's just horrible." That wasn't what May was expecting to hear. "Don't you want to?"

Did she? "I don't know."

"They want to attack you May, hurt your family. This is hard for you, I get it, kind of, not really, but I'm trying to and you need to make sure Josh and these horrible, horrible, people get what's coming to them!"

"She's right." Eli added as he came around the corner. "Now isn't the time to give up. We've got your back, and we can end this."

'And find Caleb.' She thought, before giving a little nod.

"Guess I'm getting my sparkle back then." That didn't stop her heart from racing the second she heard Josh's ringtone from the kitchen or as her watch started to buzz with his incoming call.

"You've got this May. I know you do!" Tiffany assured her.

May didn't think she did, but she answered the call with ease and did exactly what she was supposed to do - including agreeing to meeting him for another bush walk in the morning. Going back to the others to tell them, there was no point as they already knew.

"Showtime." Connor snarled, a fresh look of determination taking over the exhaustion on his face - on all of theirs. It was finally time to fight back.