Declan drilled knowledge into my brain, from Plymouth all the way to Manchester. He decided that military history wasn't enough - I should know all the important events that have ever happened to werewolves. From the time the Moon Goddess was discovered and the first werewolf born, up until the most recent big event in werewolf history - the attack on the World Trade Center in New York in 2001.

Humans believed that it was a terrorist attack, when it was actually an assassination attempt on the Third and Fourth Kings - who were there to form an alliance. Both Kings managed to escape with their lives, but the alliance never went through. So, in a sense, the attack was a success.

Even after we boarded the train that would take us to Charlotte, North Carolina, Declan continued to teach me about our history. We would take occasional breaks to let my brain absorb the info, and so that we could sleep, but other than that, it was a marathon of learning.

My head felt like it was spinning when we finally stepped off the train, my mind swimming in all the new things I had learned. It was impossible for me to remember every detail he had told me, but I felt like I knew enough that I wouldn't make a fool out of myself in front of the King.

"So where do we go now?" I asked Declan, as we exited the train station.

"Now we get on a bus to Jacksonville, then we can probably rent a car from there," he told me, and I groaned.

"More public transportation?" I muttered, sick of being stuck in smelly spaces with a ton of people.

Declan took one look at my miserable face and sighed. "I mean, I guess I could drive. It's only a five or six hour ride..." he trailed off, looking uncertain.

"Please!" I begged, giving him a puppy-dog look.

"Fine," he conceded, rubbing at his temple. "But first let's grab lunch - I'm starving."

I nodded, happy with our plan. We walked along the busy street, dodging other pedestrians as we looked for a place to stop and eat. I couldn't help but look up in awe at the giant, shiny buildings above me - I had never seen anything so high. The sun's rays glinted off the glass, casting everything in its warm glow.

"Come on, let's eat here," Declan said as he pulled me into a little cafe. Though it was somewhat small, it had a very pleasant atmosphere.

We sat in the corner, taking a seat in the hard metal chairs.

"Wait here, I'm going to run to the bathroom before we order," Declan said, putting his bag on the floor before he headed toward the restroom. I nodded, my eyes perusing over the menu.

I had just begun to read through the various soups and salads they offered, when I heard a ding resonate through the dining area. Then the most tantalizing smell wove its way throughout the room, engulfing everything in its warm, peachy scent.

What is that? I wondered, my nose tilted upwards as I sniffed at the air. It must be some sort of dessert, I concluded, the aroma somewhat sweet.

Seconds later, a woman emerged from the back with the object that held my attention. She wore oven mitts as she brought out the peach cobbler, small wisps of smoke rose from its golden surface. She set it down atop the counter before she turned away and went back from where she came. It was like she left it there to tempt the customers - many of them also staring at the dessert hungrily.

"Careful, your claws are showing." A voice whispered in my ear, and I jumped. A growl sounded low within my throat as I swiveled around, coming face to face with a boy I had never seen before. He wasn't much older than I was - maybe his mid-twenties at most. He cocked a brow at my aggressive behavior. "Don't let your emotions run too high, or soon you'll be going full-wolf," he said, looking somewhat amused.

Glancing down, I saw that he had a point - my fingernails had elongated and sparse hair covered my hands and wrists. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused on calming myself. I felt my wolf recede back into me, and then I opened my eyes again to find that the boy had sat in the chair across from me.

"Who are you? How did you know about me?" I hissed quietly at him, in case anyone was listening.

"You didn't even bother to hide your scent - any wolf that walked in here would be able to detect you," he said, and I blinked. It didn't even occur to me that there was some way to hide my scent - normal deodorants and perfumes could never hide the stench of a werewolf.

"Oh," I responded lamely. "Wait, does that mean you're a wolf too?" I asked, before blushing profusely. Of course he's a wolf, how else would he be able to detect me? "Err, I mean, how did you hide your scent?" I quickly said, and the boy laughed.

"With this," he answered as he pulled out a small vile in his pocket. He didn't even need to pull out the cork for the strong scent to reach my nose. It smelled distinctly of smoke and hickory, and I remembered passing that scent soon after we walked in. Yet I was completely oblivious that there was another wolf here, and even Declan didn't notice him.

"What exactly is that? What makes it different from any other strong-smelling perfumes? And why do you need it?" I questioned, my curiosity piqued. We didn't use anything like that back at home, and I don't know why anyone would want to go around smelling like that all day.

"It's a scent-guard. It's formulated so that the scent molecules bind to your pores and block your natural odor. Naturally, it was created by werewolves to hide themselves from one another - it just makes it easier to avoid conflicts," he explained with a shrug.

"Conflicts?" I echoed.

"Yeah, in case you haven't noticed, this is a pretty big city. Werewolves from all sorts of packs come here for work or some other reason, and even though this is declared neutral land, some wolves can't help but still feel territorial. They'll challenge another wolf immediately after they see them ," he said, chuckling slightly.

"Neutral... Land? There's such a thing?" I asked hesitantly, almost feeling childish with all of the questions I was asking this stranger. "And why haven't you challenged me? I'm sure you've realized that I'm not from around here," I mumbled. "Not that I want you to challenge me or anything, I'm not exactly strong," I quickly added, eyes widening as soon as I realized that my words sounded like I was asking him to fight.

"Don't worry," he laughed, "If I wanted to fight you, then we would've already turned this place upside down," he said with a wink. "And yeah, I figured you weren't from around these parts - no city wolf would ever let another sneak up on them. Plus, you just smell different from southern wolves in general - where exactly are you from?"

"Just... up north," I responded with a shrug.

"Oh, do you visit the south often?" he queried.

"Uhh," I started, thinking carefully about my answer. "Not really. This is the first time I've really left pack territory," I admitted.

He leaned closer, elbows resting on the table as he stared at me with wide blue eyes. "You've never left pack territory before? How old are you? Have you never wanted to leave before? Man, I can't even imagine staying in pack territory my entire life," he said, as he then leaned back in his seat, hand brushing through his blonde hair.

"What do you mean? You're allowed off of pack territory?" I blinked, this news surprising to me. I thought all wolves were confined to their territory - that was the law, wasn't it?

"Of course! I've been wandering in and out of our territory since I was seven - as soon as I had full control of my wolf," he explained, and my eyes widened.

"I didn't know people could leave. I thought it was against pack rules," I explained.

This had his eyebrows rising in surprise, his baby blues filled with confusion. "What do you mean against pack rules?"

"My Alpha told us that we weren't allowed to go without his permission?" It was more of a question than a statement - my head was still reeling with how much freedom this guy seemed to have. His Alpha must be incredibly lenient.

"But that's against the law!"

Now it was my turn to be baffled. "Huh?"

"The King --" He never got a chance to finish that sentence when he was roughly yanked from the chair, toppling down to the floor. Standing over him, was a very angry looking Declan.

"What are you doing?!" I cried, the chair legs scraping against the floor as I stood up hurriedly. By now, the rest of the customers were staring at all the commotion we were causing, but it didn't seem like Declan cared as he pulled the boy up by the front of his shirt.

"Back off," he snarled in his face, green eyes burning. "I should rip your throat out right now," he growled. The hand that wasn't gripping the boy began to form a fist before flexing, and I could see little hairs begin to sprout from his skin.

"Declan!" I gasped, pulling at his arm. "Stop, let go of him! He wasn't doing anything!" Declan seemed to be made of stone as he stood his ground against my grasp.

"Sir? Ma'am? Is everything alright?" The manager of the cafe came towards us, dark eyes narrowed in a silent warning.

"Yes, everything's fine," I said quickly, pulling at Declan's arm again. "We were just leaving, weren't we?" I wedged my way between the boy and Declan, pushing at the brunette's chest. Declan's eyes met mine, and I could feel his resolve loosening a bit.

"Yeah," he finally grunted as he released the boy, who was quivering like a leaf. "We're leaving." The boy dropped to the ground, and Declan reached to grab his bag. Then he stormed out without another word.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled to the manager as we passed him, who simply nodded. Once we were back outside however, I turned on Declan immediately, my nostrils flaring as my fingernails dug into my palms. "What the hell was that?!" I shouted at him, staring him down. "You don't go around assaulting strangers!" I yelled angrily.

Declan's anger also began to flare up again as a scowl appeared on his features. "Well you shouldn't go around talking to strangers! Goddess knows who that guy really was, he might've been trying to take advantage of you!" he argued back.

"Oh right," I drawled sarcastically. "Because teaching me about our species is definitely taking advantage of me," I scoffed, crossing my arms as I gave an eyeroll.

"That's how it starts!" Declan insisted. "First it's the small talk, then it's the dinner dates, and before you know it, you'll be trapped in his evil grip and won't be able to escape. You can't trust strangers!"

I shook my head, his argument invalid. "It was a two minute conversation with a stranger, who was telling me things that my own pack kept hidden from me. I'm beginning to wonder if I can even trust you," I said coldly, my voice low and firm.

"What? What are you talking about? Look at the lies he's starting to plant in your head already - how can you be so stupid to believe anything he says?"

I gaped at him. Did he just call me stupid? I thought, my blood starting to boil. "Well, maybe I wouldn't be so stupid if you and your father didn't have such ridiculous laws! Cutting off omegas from an education? That's probably also illegal - just like the law that says we can't leave pack territory without permission from the Alpha!"

"What are you talking about?" he repeated. "Our laws are not illegal! My father just wants to ensure the safety of his pack, and he knows what's best for them!"

"Yeah, because I feel so safe right now," I growled. "You only insist on attacking every person we encounter for some reason or another. Maybe I'd be a little more cautious if I actually some had experience in the real-world, instead of being trapped on our lands like a caged animal!"

"You're an omega! You're not supposed to go out into the real world - you're supposed to stay and work! That's all you're good for anyway," he spat, and my heart dropped to my feet. He seemed to realize his mistake too late, and I interrupted him before he could speak again.

"That's what you might think," I muttered darkly. "You and everyone else in the pack. But clearly, something higher than any of us thinks that I can do more than just work in the pack. That's why it's up to me to save everyone." WIth that, I turned on my heel and began to walk away.

"Angel, wait!" Declan cried, and I glanced over my shoulder to see him reaching for me. "I didn't mean --"

"Don't." My voice was monotone, words encased in ice. "Don't follow me, and don't talk to me," I said, and Declan's hand froze. It dropped to his side, and all he could do now was stare helplessly at me. His green eyes were conflicted, and it was clear that he wanted to follow me; he wanted to correct his error. But even he couldn't fight the power that had appeared within me, the feeling becoming more familiar each time I used it. I was exerting my Moon Goddess powers, and no werewolf could go against my words.

Then I walked off, his scent soon lost in the sea of other pedestrians on the busy street of Charlotte.