The next three weeks went by uneventfully. Damon gave me the space I wanted and whenever he went out, Dean was never far away. He did let me go outside though, no one else questioned his decisions and I learnt a few of the shifters here were from what had been his pack. We didn't get along, but we had a mutual respect for each other and that was enough.

Most mornings I fell asleep talking to Cody. No one told me anything about where we were and the property was secluded enough to avoid me spying on any neighbors for clues. I tried to climb onto the roof to get a look around, only Dean stopped me and the news Connor had managed to track the flight Damon scheduled to get us away gave me hope. Caprice was helping them the best she could yet it was like this place didn't exist.

After our fight, Damon learnt to play hide and seek to find me in the mornings. He had woken me with his screaming as the night guards were left at his mercy. I had quickly appeared, calming him down and saving their pelts. I knew defending not only them, but Hannah too was only working in my favor and most had worked out who I was to him now.

The whole situation was as perplexing to them as it was to me.

While I fell asleep talking to Cody, I was never in that spot by the time the others woke up and my restlessness about sleeping in the one spot hadn't changed. Cody wasn't around to keep me grounded, so just like when I was travelling with Ethan, sometimes I ended up on a balcony, curled up on the sofa or a couple times even in the shower.

The same thing happened during the day. The routine Cody had pushed for was ruined as I napped whenever I could and never for more than an hour. The worst part was how aware of Damon I was becoming. His moods varied by different levels of anger, yet it was his eyes that drew me in. I pitied him. A couple of times I had to stop myself from wanting to try and comfort him. I understood the bond now, and refused to accept it. Damon wasn't as stubborn, yet it was like he didn't know how to let his guard down and let me in. It only led to many awkward moments that ended in an argument. Any act of kindness was destroyed within a minute of it happening, it was like he couldn't let himself be happy.

 Or he just didnt know how.

Sitting outside I watched the security patrol as they moved around the fence line. I'd done it for most of the second week and their routine was constant.

Even at night.

"Inside. He is nearly home." Dean growled, walking down the stairs from the patio.

"Where does he go?"

"Out."

That was generally the extent of the answers I got from any of them. Sure enough Damon was home, but something felt different. I couldn't work it out and curiously walked towards his study, pausing as a guard stood outside. Pressing myself against the wall, I kept out of sight and my wolf strained to hear the whispered conversation.

"Do what you need to get whatever she knows out of her. Cut the lines out and him dead."

I didn't move as Deans heavy footsteps pounded down the corridor and he walked right past me, going through the house and out the back door. While fighting nausea and heart palpitations, I shadowed him. I was expecting to have to defend myself so just whom Damon was talking about had my interest.

Dean went into the shed with two of the other guards and I was about to go out there when my wolf alerted me to Damon.

Sure enough he appeared barely seconds later. The calculated grimace on his face made me even more nervous and I swallowed awkwardly, trying to mask my fear.

"Not thinking about going outside are you?"

I shook my head, watching him cautiously as he came to stand beside me at the door.

"I never expected the weak human I met could develop into such a perfect specimen of a she-wolf. It makes sense though, the girl I was shown in a vision looked just like you."

"I was sixteen then." I snapped, curious to see where this was going.

"I know. That's why I did it. You're a survivor, so you should understand. If you had already defeated two enemies would you let another get away with your murder?"

"No. You make the predator the prey." I repeated his message to me from that night and the meaning wasn't missed.

"Exactly. Only turns out I couldn't actually do it so I got those loyal to me to. In my vision there was a girl who looked like you. I had been told my mate would kill me on the day we first met. Would you like to know how she did it?"

I wasn't sure I wanted to hear this, but what vision did Esmeralda show him? I had thought about it many times before and the one thing I never knew was what drove him to do it? What did I do?

"Yes."

"I was with her Father discussing the future of his pack because he needed my, expertise. Then I met his daughter. When he found out who I was to her, the father tried to send her away. Apparently I wasn't what he thought was a worthy mate for her. She was my chance for a better life and to stop him from taking that away, I killed him. His daughter found out it was me and on our wedding day, she shot me right... here." His finger pressed roughly in the middle of my forehead and my body shuddered at the thought.

"No, he would never..."

If I thought my world had collapsed in the past, it was nothing like trying to comprehend all of this was because my Dad would try and stop me being with my mate.

"You're lying!" I screamed, going to punch him he easily grabbed my arms.

"How do you think I found you? He set it all up without even knowing, so instead of waiting for you to betray me – I did it first."

"What?"

"I got a call, asking to, how did he say it? Help remove a thorn in his side. The first time I met him, I couldn't believe it. He was distracted with a party they were organizing, a certain sixteenth birthday. I decided to stop it before you could connect to your wolf hoping I would never know what it was like to lose a mate."

That wasn't what happened. He knew who I was and while my wolf was hidden, I had connected to her so he had been feeling the loss this whole time.

"That's not right. You said it would be on the day we first met. How could that be if we were getting married?" 

I finally pulled my arms out of his hold, trying to scramble for some sign that he was making this up.

"We were supposed to meet on the fifth of March when you came home for the college break, this year."

My visions had been barely a glimpse. He knew dates and so many details.

"How do you know all of this?"

"Would you like to see for yourself then?" He offered, opening the door.

I walked outside and he led me to the shed. My wolf was nowhere to be found so I went with my own gut instinct and followed him inside. The muffled sounds of screaming met us and going into a different door to the one I had come out, Dean stood watching through the two-sided mirror.

Seeing us he looked surprised, but it passed quickly and where as I had a bed there was only a metal table. Strapped to it was Esmeralda.

"What are you doing?" I gasped, moving to the glass I watched on in horror as one of the guards was taking too much joy in running a knife down her cheek. The youthful appearance had been cracking when I last saw her. Now her blond hair was grey and her skin wrinkled more like her true age.

"You know her." It wasn't a question and Damon pulled me away from the glass and against the wall as she screamed again. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW?"

"Stop hurting her!" I growled, pushing him away and as he stumbled into Dean I ran to get into her room. I had the guard on the ground in seconds and quickly started to undo the fastenings.

"Bianca?" She croaked, her eyes were white as if she had been blinded and a claw like hand reached out to grab my arm as I tried to free her. "Come closer."

We didn't have time to mess around, but I leant closer only to have her rest her palm on my forehead like she had in the store.  Instantly I closed my eyes and this time when I opened them, it was Dean who was staring at me.

"What happened?" I mumbled, feeling dizzy.

"The gypsy, she can't be trusted."

I knew that, she told me when I first met her and yet I had been. Cody carrying me out of her store only created questions I should have asked earlier.

Looking through the window, Damon wasn't holding back as he punched Esmeralda again only now I didn't have any sympathy for her. She spat out a mouthful of blood, grinning wickedly at him, which only made him carry on. The guard I had knocked out woke up and slowly stood and with a frustrated growl Damon left him with Esmeralda.

"Tell me everything you know about her. Now." He demanded, and I only stared at Esmeralda. Her grey hair was now the yellow shade I was familiar with and her face seemed younger too.

Not thinking I did, even the last visit with the black out.

"She has channeled your power. Whatever magic makes us shifters is what gives her, her magic. Every time I go to her, I take a sacrifice. For the energy she able to absorb she shows me everything I want to know. That last visit she needed the boost and so took some from you. The shifter must have interrupted her when he broke in." Damon confessed.

"Her visions are real aren't they? I saw you shoot Ethan twice."

"Yes, now do you believe me about your father?"

As soon as he said it a pain shot through my head, the Gypsy's cackling sounding out from the other room as I stood face to face with my Dad and we were heading towards the end of an argument.

"Mate or not, he isn't a good person sweetheart. The woman who told me about him warned me to be careful, and I just can't let you go through with the wedding."

"Daddy, I know what I'm doing. You can't say no to whoever the fates choose for me!" Inside my heart felt like it was breaking and as I started to cry, my Dad hugged me tightly.

"That's what your Mother said." He sighed heavily, "He is your mate, I know that. But if he is as bad as I'm told, I'm scared he'll change you. Not the other way around."

"He won't. I promise." Letting me go, our argument ended. We rarely fought and he would always give in to what I wanted. This was no exception and I had no idea how he could have even suggested something so cruel. My childhood had been filled fairytales of mates and happily ever after. Refusing his only child that ending was out of character.

Leaving the room I walked into another where a police officer proceeded to tell me my Father was dead. Running into the hall it was Damon who comforted me, and as things seemed to be stuck in fast forward I was being tied into my wedding dress by Leanna while my Mother sat distant at the window not paying any attention.

"You're the most beautiful bride Bianca, I wish Ethan would hurry up and propose. Just because we're mates doesn't mean he can get out of giving me the human stuff too!" Leanna whined, finally tying the last part of the ribbon.

"He will." The way I said it made me wonder if I knew something more than I was letting on and a knock on the door had her running over to answer it.

"It's for you." She passed me an A4 envelope and pulling out the note, I was struggling to breath. The dress felt too tight and I fell onto the chair behind me. "What's wrong?"

The photo of Damon shooting my Father tore me apart inside. Dad had given us his blessing, so why would he do that? I ran out of the room and was in the elevator before Leanna could stop me. I wanted to cry but no tears came, and the sense of betrayal inside had me seeing red. The security guard that stood in front of me was too busy on his phone to notice anything and spying the gun sticking out his back pocket it was in my hand and behind my back before I thought it through. I was dizzy with rage, almost blacking out and focusing on the door, the blonde woman beside me didn't even register in my mind.

Walking to his hotel room, Damon answered the door clearly surprised at seeing me.

"What's wrong?"

"You killed my father!" I screamed and he quickly pulled me inside.

"I.." I didn't let him finish as I raised the gun, flicking the safety off he barely opened his mouth when I pulled the trigger. For a few minutes I stared at him, before what I did kicked in and I turned the gun on myself. 

Coming out of the daze Damon was shaking my shoulders.

"She did it, she set the whole thing up." I mumbled.

"What?" He frowned, not understanding.

"She told my Dad about you. Esmeralda got in his head about not letting me marry you and she was the one who sent me the pictures showing you kill him." I thought about how I got the gun, surely no guard was that reckless. "And she was there when I stole the gun!"

Maybe she even made me do that. The dizziness from my anger felt similar to how I was now and looking in her direction she carried on laughing.

"Damon, this whole time it's all because of her. What if your Dad and Uncle were only doing what she told them to?"

He was thinking it over, and the second I saw him closing off I knew anything I said now would be pointless.

"Take her back to the house." He ordered Dean.

"Think about it! She needs to be stopped!" I yelled; reaching out to him in hopes I could make him understand. I knew I was right, the sooner the gypsy was out of the picture the better.

"She could be right Sir." Dean agreed with me and I looking over at him, he nodded slightly.

"It doesn't matter! I need her which is why she is here." He spoke to low and deadly, my wolf was urging me to get away.

"She has screwed up your life and you're still willing to listen to what she has to say? I hope she tells you kill yourself because you're that stupid you'd probably do it!" I growled, and as he turned to look at me I instantly stepped back to stand against Dean.

"Come on Bianca, let me take you inside." Dean took my arm and I didn't fight him, shaking my head sadly.

"The future is never set in stone, it changes second by second by what we do now. We were both to blind to see it and you still are Damon."

We left him there and walking out into the corridor her shrill laugh echoed around us.

"Say goodbye to your shifter Bianca, your mate doesn't like to share."

"Don't listen to her." Dean growled as I stopped walking and the meaning of Damon's words from earlier. 'Him dead' was referring to Cody.

As the door opened I ran to the house with Dean following behind me. Going straight to the study, I picked up the phone only to find the dial tone gone.

"What has he done!" I screamed at Dean, running down to the kitchen where I knew there was another phone to find it dead too and I muttered under my breath. "Lines out."

"Calm down." Dean tried to keep my still as I started pacing and spying one of the kitchen staff ran after him.

"Phone, a mobile. Give it to me!" I growled.

"I don't have one, we're not allowed to have them here." He looked between Dean and I fearfully. Growling again I ran to find Hannah and it didn't take a scientist to work out something was wrong.

"Mobile, I need a phone now."

"I'm sorry, but we're not allowed to have them."

"What kind of fucking place is this!!" I left Dean and Hannah behind, going into the kitchen they all stopped as I barged in. The only threat I had was Dean, Damon was 'busy' and if I could take him out I might stand a chance at escaping. Grabbing the frying pan I would do it however I had to and it wasn't beneath me to cheat.

Hearing Dean approaching, I raised the frying and as he passed I swung out and hit him in the back of the head. Sadly his reflexes were better than I expected and he dodged the hit, raising his arms to defend himself.

"Stop!" He yelled, but I only tried hitting him again.

"NO! I have to warn him!" I dented the pan, but it was as if he was the Hulk and while he flinched, it didn't stop him. Throwing the pan aside I took to using my fists. The thought of Cody being killed and leaving his family unprotected had my wolf pushing her strength through me. Just the thought of him dying had her prepared to go through hell to get to get out of here and Dean was spending more of his energy on defending rather than attacked.

I got two good blows in, and as he fell to the ground I kicked him hard in the stomach.

"I'm sorry."

I grabbed a knife from the holder and ran out the front door, trying not to shift. The first guard received the knife in his neck and taking his gun, I realized I had no idea how to use it. Pressing the trigger did nothing and I had no time to try and work it out so threw it aside. The wolf that tackled me got a swift kick in the gut and right now it was all about survival. These shifters were the enemy and with Cody's life on the line, I had no time for mercy.

By the time I got to the gate, my clothes were stained with blood and my arm was throbbing from a scratch I just received. It didn't help as I jumped to climb the bars to get over the gate, my strength was disappearing as I hoisted myself over. My wolf pushed us through it, the tingling sensation not as strong as it would have been had I been shifted, but it was enough and landing on the other side I let her guide me to the right.

I had never run so hard before in my life, not even with the pack chasing down elk. Fences lined the roads and finding no other gates in, I kept running. It wasn't rural, just the properties had plenty of space and I wondered just who lived in these kind of compounds. Going downhill the run got easier, and I focused on my legs making sure I didn't trip. I'd be putting a gold medalist sprinter to shame right now and as the road curved finally found a street that had cars on.

From there things opened up and sure enough I caught sight of the ocean glistening in the afternoon sun on the horizon. Any other time I would have stopped to admire the view, but now wasn't that time. Seeing a woman step out of her car I slowed and seeing me coming I saw the horror on her face and her fear hit me as I stopped in front of her.

"Please, I need, your phone." I gasped. Fumbling through her bag she handed me the mobile and quickly dialed Cody's number. "CODY!"

"Bianca? What's going on?"

"Someone's coming, he wants you dead! He must know I've been calling!"

"We're with Caprice, we left a couple of days ago. I figured this was the best place to be and I didn't tell you incase anyone was listening in."

I leant against the womans car, bending over as I tried to keep breathing. I was high on adrenaline and remembering the woman beside me, smiled at her half heartedly.

"I was so scared Cody."

"Where are you?"

"Ah, where am I?" I asked the woman.

"Miami? Is everything ok?" Her eyes looked me up and down, stopping at the cut on my arm.

"Fine. Thanks. Cody, did you hear that?"

"Yeah I've already got Connor on it. What happened?"

"I finally got out, the gypsy. She was playing all of us all along, even my Dad. I know what made Damon do it Cody. I really would have killed him. And then myself."

"No, don't even say that. It was some stupid vision; you have the ability to change it all now. Don't kill him, you don't have to do this. Hide, we're coming and we'll get you and then leave. We'll go to Europe like Ethan planned or anywhere else. Start again. Just walk away."

"It's not that simple."

"It is Bianca." He growled down the phone and suddenly it was Connor.

"Thank god you're OK. Get to the airport Bianca, hide until we find you."

"You clearly have a crisis right now but are they with you?" The woman pointed behind me and turning, Dean was coming down the street with five guards and two wolves walked between them.

"Shit. Connor, look after Cody. It isn't safe here and I want you all to stay with Caprice. I will find you guys." I hung up and passed the lady her phone back. "Thanks."

Running down the street, the wolves were coming after me and turning towards the traffic I began to dodge and weave through the cars. I have no idea how I didn't get hit and one of the wolves wasn't so lucky. No one seemed willing to move as I rushed through the crowds, the screams and chatter behind me gave away the other wolfs position.

Finally the scratch of nail on concrete was close enough to hear and the panting mass lunged towards me. I braced myself for the impact and rolled with it. Before I could fight it off or get up to keep running, my arms were yanked upwards and I was put in handcuffs.

"Nothing to see people, F.B.I" Dean called out the gathering crowd. The wolf got up, shaking its coat before following behind obediently. The group swarmed around me with their guns readied should I try to get away again and a van pulled up by the curb as we neared it. Dean threw me in the back roughly and the others all climbed in with the wolves shifting as the doors closed.

"Nice try." He muttered, clearly unimpressed and the drive back felt like it longer than running away did.

When the van stopped and the door rolled open. I was pushed out first and falling hard I groaned as the cuffs made it hard to sit up. Not that I had long to wait as Dean lifted me, his hand digging into the scratch on my arm. I couldn't stop myself from crying out and stumbled as he dragged me along the path to the house.

"Three more of my pack, dead. Because of you!" Damon was waiting the second we entered the house. He was unstable, and clearly he appreciated my escape as much as Dean.

'Say nothing.'

I looked down to my feet, not acknowledging the hissy fit in front of me in any way.

"Answer him when he talks to you!" Dean roared, and I thought back to Rowland saying the same thing only it was followed with a sharp pain in my back so before it could come I turned on him. Using my cuffs to my advantage, I threw my arms over his head and slammed his face into my knee. Blood immediately began pouring from his nose as he growled, ready to knock me down. One hand was on his nose and the other was raised to hit me. The punch never came. Damon moved to stand in front of me and shoved him away.

Dean met my eyes, which were wide with surprise and cursing us both under his breath he stalked towards the kitchen. Turning my attention back to Damon I realized we were alone again. Under his eye twitched slightly and I was still curious to know who was the one in control. Wolf or Human?

Just what kind of battles went on within his mind?

"Don't look at me like that." He growled.

"Like what?"

"Like you think you can fix me."

I kept silent as he turned and headed upstairs, before remembering the handcuffs.

"Can I at least get these off? Please?"

He paused, smirking as he turned to look back at me.

"You're a smart girl, you work it out."

He disappeared and I cautiously went into the kitchen where Hannah was helping Dean with his nose. He instantly started growling and rather than back off, I went and sat beside him.

"Could I get a hand?" I held up the cuffs and rolled his eyes, slipping his hand into his pocket, he threw the key on the floor. "Thanks. Sorry about the nose."

"Don't humor me." He growled, finally looking at me as Hannah finished. Looking between us she only shook her head and helped me undo the lock. Leaving them I took a shower and finding a place to hide, back in the corner of the upstairs living room, I was wondering if this was the calm before the storm. Like Damon said, three of his pack were dead now and I got out. Now he was acting like nothing had happened and letting my eyes close, welcomed the sleep while I could get it.

The sensation of stretching out and soft sheets lured me from my slumber. My wolf did nothing, content in the back of my mind so I didn't worry. I was about to fall back asleep when the pressure of an arm curling around my waist hit me. Knowing that it was wrong or at least shouldn't have been possible right now, I went to wake up only to have my wolf put me at ease.

 Sleep, you're safe.

Listening to her I turned slightly and got comfortable rather than pulling away. She was right. I did feel safe; and warm.

Better than that, I felt like I was home.

----

Sorry guys, i dont know whats going on with the spacing. I made it smaller, saved it and then it just went with the big gaps again?! Hope it's not hard to read.

Is her wolf swapping sides? Will Cody come to her rescue or will the truth about what Esmeralda make her give Damon a chance?

Not long to go now.........