The breeze that had washed over the forest for the past couple of days had dropped, the summer sun now radiating down, the ground warm under Grace's bare feet. She had put her shoes on this morning only to dislocate her toes, so decided it was probably best to go bare.

Amy had left her room at midnight, the eight hours they had spent together consisting of bad food, comedies and gossip. Not that she had a lot to provide on that front, but she had stayed quiet and listened. Especially when she started talking about Brandon.

She sighed, confused and annoyed. Shutting the book she had been reading, marking the page so she wouldn't forget where she finished- even though she had been reading the last page over and over again without realising- and set it beside her.

Lily hadn't been lying. The forest was a beautiful place. It allowed her time to think. Something that she didn't like doing at all. It meant that she had the time to face a few certain truths. The first of which being that she was itching, aching, longing to see Brandon. The level of need inside her scared her. She had never relied on anyone before, and she certainly had no intention of starting. Yet something inside of her tugged whenever his name was mentioned, her skin tingled, her stomach fluttered.

She had tried to ignore it. Put it down to allergies and the nerves of being in such a strange place. But she wasn't sure what to think now.

As though she conjured him from her thoughts, his heavy footfalls brought her from her fantasies and into reality. He strode casually down the path towards her, his eyes flickering over her, frowning when he saw her bare feet.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked stopping in front of her, his hands tucked into his pockets.

"What?" Grace replied nervously. She was sure that Werewolves couldn't read minds. Maybe.

His lips curled into a smirk as he took in her flushed features. Untucking his hands, he sat down on the garden bench next to her.

"You looked troubled as I was walking up the path, I want to know what you were thinking about." He said again.

She glanced to her side, catching his eye.

"I was thinking about you." She replied honestly. Keeping secrets had never been one of her strong points. In fact, she hated them. They ruined everything, eventually.

Her honest response seemed to throw him, as he continued to stare at her.

"Can I ask you some questions?" She said, pointing to the book that sat between them.

"Anything." Brandon replied, snapping out of whatever daze he had been in. Leaning back he let his arms stretch across the back of the bench crossing his legs as though he intended to stay for a while.

"What is a rogue?"

Her first question seemed to throw him again, as he shuffled uncomfortably. Amy had told her that Brandon used to be one. That he had joined his best friends pack just so she could be treated in the pack hospital. She needed to know if that was the truth. Had he truly left his life just to make sure she would be ok?

"A rouge is a Werewolf without a pack." He replied.

"-And you are a rogue?" She asked.

"An ex- rogue." He said, though she didn't miss his bitter tone.

"You joined this pack? Why?"

"Why are you asking me these questions when you obviously know the answers to them?" He snapped, taking the arm that was rested behind her, shifting to the end of the bench.

"I don't understand it. You were a rogue. You aren't anymore. From what I have read, rogues aren't in the habit of randomly joining the system of power they have been avoiding." Grace replied. She needed answers, and he was going to give them to her- today, tomorrow, however long it took.

"I am not avoiding anything. I need to do things which would not be permitted inside a pack." He glowered at her.

Scowling back, Grace still wasn't happy with his answer.

"You brought me here. Why?"

"You were in bad shape. I could barely hear your heart beating and I'm a Werewolf. I did not trust the human hospitals to see to it that you were ok. Thomas- Alpha Carter- Is my friend, he understood." Brandon said, his eyes were narrowed, the scowl on his lips pulling at the scars on his cheeks.

"I am inconsequential to you and the other Werewolves. I am nobody. Why save me?" Grace whispered. He was angry, that much she could tell. But she knew from their previous, although brief, times together that his personality could change within an instant. She just wanted answers.

"Never say that again." Brandon said, jumping from the bench to stare down at her. She shrunk back, the power that was emanating from him scaring her for a moment- And yet she was in awe. He was powerful. She could feel it. It was like an invisible aura that surrounded him, almost tangible. Standing slowly, using the bench to support her, she matched his stare.

"Why did you save me Brandon?" She whispered again. They were so close, all she had to do was reach out her hand and she could take his.

She looked up at him, taking a moment to look- really look- at him. The curves of his face, the flicker of his lips, the gold flecks in his eyes.

"You were worth saving." He replied. She was sure that she imagined his gaze flickering for a moment to her lips.

She didn't have any time to think about the movement, or what she would do if he did it again. He backed away from her, tucking his hands into his pockets once more.

"Jake told me that Danielle and Casey weren't very nice to you yesterday, I want you to know that they won't be bothering you again." He said, obviously changing their conversation.

"They weren't friendly, but I've had worse." Grace replied with a shrug. He had ended their conversation for now, but she wouldn't let it rest.

"Are you enjoying your reading?" He said, diverting her attention the book sat abandoned on the bench.

"Yes, very much so. I am learning a lot about your kind. You have some wonderful rituals and history. And some not so nice ones." She shuddered as diagrams illustrating the marking process entered her head. She had read the book this morning the doctors wife had recommended and cast it aside, never to read again.

"What is not nice?" Brandon looked at her confused, as though he was racking his brain to think of what she was referring to.

"Well of course you won't think it's gruesome! You have grown up accepting what one day you will have to sink your fangs- teeth- whatever, into another person's neck. To a human, you should know that it is an abhorrent practice!" She said, shuddering again as she imagined what pain a person would go through to complete this bond.

"Marking?" Brandon wheezed, as though someone had punched him in the gut.

Grace met Brandon's gaze worriedly. He had turned pale, his body no longer tall and proud, rather slumped and defeated.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She asked. Has she said something wrong? She hadn't meant to offend him.

"I need to go." He turned his back on her without waiting for a response.

"Brandon!" Grace cried out after him, his steps faltering as she took a few tumbled steps towards his retreating figure. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sure that when you meet your mate she will be eagerly awaiting this ritual. I didn't think. Forgive me?"

His expression was guarded as he turned to face her, his eyes meeting hers before flickering off to the side, his hand reaching to rub his cheek. "I don't have a mate." Before she could say anymore, he turned his back on her once more and all but ran towards the forest.

Grace knew how to spot a lie a mile away. It seemed even Wolves weren't immune to their human side's traits. The wandering gaze, subconscious hand movements.

They were the same she had seen on the police officer who had pulled her from the wreckage and told her that her parents were right behind her. It was the same movement the doctor did just before he told told her that she had a rare joint and heart condition, and there was nothing he could do to cure her. It was the same as her foster mother who had told her that there were some lovely parents waiting to adopt her and she only had to wait a little longer. It was the same as the boy in school who told her that he didn't want to keep dating her because he felt that they didn't have anything in common after she stared walking with crutches. It was the same as her first employer, who told her she was fired because she wasn't meeting her targets after a month's stay in hospital after falling down the stairs.

And now him.

The man that invaded her every thought. The man who lied to her about having a soulmate.

Picking up the book from the bench, she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other towards the pack house. She needed answers. If he wasn't going to give them to her then she was going straight to the top.