Dallas's POV
--

Later tonight, after coming home from the Pack Hospital and dropping Nicole off(reluctantly), I lie in my bed awake thinking about what we need to do about Spencer. After we returned home, my parents took Mason and Ian out of my room and dropped them off in the middle of the forest. My dad wanted to kill them, but I explained to him that they were the reason I hadn't died earlier, and he reluctantly let them go without killing.

As I lie awake, I wonder if Nicole's had any more visions. I quickly shove that thought away. She told me she hadn't had any since three weeks ago, the last time she saw me. Honestly, I wish that she wasn't a Seer because this puts her in so much danger. And now her Father knows. Not even my parents know. They may not act like Spencer when it comes to that, but my dad will try to kill Nicole or take her. He'll go into a rage like he sometimes does; a rage that Mum can't even control. And when he wakes up from it, he'll be depressed for a few days about whoever he killed or hurt. And then things'll be back to normal.

With Nicole, things would never go back to normal. I'd hate my father and I'd probably die. Completely this time. If Nicole were killed.

But I know Mum would have some wisdom for me about what to do for Nicole. But I can't tell her because she would no doubt keep the secret. And I can't let her keep a secret from my father. If he found out, he would be crushed and I can't let them get mad at each other. I've only seen them get mad once at each other. I'm not gonna let it happen again.

I wish Nicole could Mind-Link. But she's not apart of my Pack and I haven't Marked her, yet. Which I don't plan on doing for awhile. We're only fifteen. And she's still new to this whole idea of Mates. It's fragile. I'm lucky she lets me kiss her.

Wow, I haven't thought of Marking her since... I can't remember.

Well. Anyway. I don't know how I'm gonna hang out with Nicole without Spencer finding out.

That's it.

I have to deal with Spencer.

I have to deal with him.

But right now, I need to sleep. But I can't. And I know why.

With a grunt, I heave myself off my bed, ignoring the itching in my back and chest scars. When I told Nicole that they didn't hurt, I kind of lied. Not completely. Because it didn't hurt much. I just didn't want her to be afraid.

Ictus(my wolf. Aka Shock) whispers in my head saying that we can get out. He tells me where to go and how to get there; encouraging me.

I open the door of my room soundlessly and start walking down the hallway quietly. And then my parent's bedroom opens and light floods the hall. I have to squint from the impact.

Standing in the doorway is my mum, rumpled from sleep. She has the best hearing out of my father and I. She can always hear us.

I stop, knowing she's going to ask where I'm going, or she already knows and she'll tell me to go back to bed. But she glances at my bare feet and then back at my face with tired eyes.

And then she smiles and nods, slowly closing the door and heading back to bed. I catch a glimpse of my father slowly starting to sit up from the lack of my mum. I don't know why, but I just sit there, happy to see that image: him realizing she's not there and looking for her.

And then I go back to what I am doing. With a grin, I reach the front door of my house and glance back inside. And then I let Shock take over and shift, tearing into the woods.

--

When I arrive at Nicole's house and shift back, I unlock the door with the spare key kept under the mat.

It opens quietly and I close it behind me, locking it. Because of my stupidity to forget to bring clothes, I shift back to wolf and pad quietly up the stairs to Nicole's room. When I push the door open with my muzzle, she's sitting up and staring at me as if she expected me.

"I hoped you would come." She says in a drowsy voice. I pad over to her bed and hop up with a quick bunch of my leg muscles. She rakes her fingers through my fur and bends down to inhale my scent. "Did I ever tell you that you smell like mint?" She grins and kisses the top of my head before falling back to lie down. She sees in my eyes that I want to shift and she shakes her head. "No. If my dad somehow comes, I'll have to explain why you're here. I don't want to have to explain why you're naked." She tells me. I shake my head, making a quiet whine leave my lips. "Dal, you should have brought clothes if you wanted to shift." She rolls her eyes, resting her head on her pillow and watching me for a minute.

She smiles softly at me and then scoots closer to me to press her face in my fur. I give a soft sigh and lick her cheek before laying my head down to rest against the pillow.

After a few minutes of watching her fall asleep, I can't stand it.

I stand up, gently moving so she won't wake. I don't care if I have to borrow Spencer's clothes. I need to shift.

I head into his room, a room that seems like it's been unoccupied for a millennia. Clothes are strewn across the floor, the bed is unmade, and the TV is scratched.

I make my way to a pile of clothes, seeing what they are and if I'll fit. Once I'm sure I will, I shift and shove them on, shivering from the cold air. And then before I can head back to Nicole's room, I see a note. On the unmade bed.

I walk over, seeing beautiful handwriting on it.

It reads,
"Dear Spencer,

Remember. Remember me. I know what you planned in the morning. I know you're going to kill me. But as I write this, I understand why. You are protecting me. And you and I both know that that reason is a lame one. But it's the only thing you could think of.

So remember, my love, that I love you more than anything. You are my world and I forgive you. I forgive you for what you will do tomorrow and everything after. I had a final vision and I know that something is coming in the future. You will take this 'something' as a threat to our daughter, but I cannot prevent the unpreventable.

Remember that in every life, some rain must fall. In every life, a blizzard must occur. In every life, snow will flurry. But in every life, the sun comes out.

Remember that.

Love,
Marie Elise Videns"

I almost choke from reading this note. This beautiful note. This beautiful piece of love. This beautiful thing from Nicole's mother. Marie had written to Spencer knowing what he would do. He must have kept this note from her to remember it and remember her. Nicole is lucky. I will show this to her.

Grabbing the note, I walk into Nicole's room to see she's awake again.

"I told you not to shift, Dallas." She says tiredly. Her words wash over me like a current, and bring exhaustion with. I walk closer to her, watching her watch me.

And when I reach the bed, I start reading the note. She tilts her head, watching me. As I continue, she seems to understand what it's about. Her eyes grow misty and after I finish, we just kind of sit there. In silence. Staring at each other.

"Thank you for showing me that." She says quietly after a moment. "But again, I told you not to shift."

I don't say anything as I crawl up next to her and lean back against the wall. "I'm not naked, am I?" I mumble, looking at her with one eye.

"No, but - "

"But nothing." I grin, closing my eye. She grabs my hand and sees something on it. She brings it to her face, her warm breath puffing against it. Running her fingers over another engraved word, I shudder.

"You lied to me." She says quietly, making me open my eyes to see her holding up my palm with the word, 'sorry,' on it. "They do hurt."

"I didn't want you to be afraid of touching me." I say quietly. She runs another finger over the word on my hand, making my fingers curl, but she forces my hand open. And then she kisses it.

"I'm not afraid. I just don't want to hurt you."

"That's what I meant, Nicole." She looks at me.

"Well. I don't want to hurt you."

"Do I look hurt?"

"You did."

"I'm fine now."

"Because I'm not touching you."

I shake my head at her. "Grab my hand." She reluctantly does. "Do I look hurt?" I ask as her palm presses against mine. She shakes her head. I move her hand to my chest where her name is and lay it flat over the long word. "Again, do I look hurt?" She shakes her head. I take a deep, shaky breath and close my eyes. "I'm fine. I'm just tired." I say after a moment. I feel her move her hand under my shirt to my stomach. She gently rubs circles on my stomach, something she knows that will put me to sleep. It did when I was in wolf form, no different now. I feel her move as she scoots closer to me still and rests her head against my shoulder. She slips her other hand gently behind my back, careful of those scars, and closes her own eyes. I turn my head so it rests on hers and feel myself slowly drift into sleep. A real sleep.

--

When I wake, I see that I'm under the covers of her bed. By myself. The note from her mother is gone. Did her father come and take her? Why would he do that when he can just kill me?

And then she appears in the doorway. She grins. "Sorry. You were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you." I frown and sit up, the covers falling off of my chest.

"You should have woke me." I say, yawning and stretching. With a lurch, I get out of her bed and stand to stretch again.

"My dad was here this morning." She says bluntly. "That's why I got up. To get rid of him." I nod in understanding and walk over to her, wrapping my arms around her in a hug.

She rests her head against my chest. "I'm still tired." She mumbles against Spencer's shirt. I grin, lifting her slightly and walking back to the bed. With a grunt, I throw her onto it. "Dallas!" She shrieks, clawing at the air as she falls.

"Go to sleep then." I say with a smirk, turning to the door. I need to go home.

"Where are you going?" She asks me.

"Home."

And then I stumble forward from her leaping onto me. She wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist in a piggyback ride. I hold her legs to support her, rolling my eyes. "Onward my steed!" She shouts, pointing her fingers at some imaginary place.

I lean backwards and neigh, pawing the ground and racing forward. She laughs and clings to me as I race down the stairs and out the front door. Werewolf speed has its advantages.

I stop at the door, tilting my head to look at her.

"You want to go to my house?" She grins and nods. That's where we will go.

I start walking forward on the sidewalk, swaying back and forth as I walk. Her legs loosen their grip as we continue and I turn my head to see that she's fallen asleep. I laugh quietly and continue to my house.