---Paige's POV---

I was still quite shocked about what had happened in the forest. One minute I'm walking around in my animal form, looking at my adoptive brother and his friend, the next thing I know his friend goes wolf, literally, and chases me up a tree.

They couldn't be Soul shifters; my parents had said that I was the last one. It didn't make sense. I paced around my room, trying to focus so I could find the answer. Frustrated and tense, I walked over to the desk and sat down while I opened my book.

After six years in the orphanage, learning forms, I started to use that book to write my findings in it. How my form was different from the normal animals, drawings of how they looked like, etc. It made me relax and calm down. I sighed while turned the pages in the book. This was another reason for being called a freak.

The magical book wasn't readable for anyone else but me. Others have to get my permission to read in it. It was a quality that I loved, otherwise the owners from the orphanage would have looked very strange when they read the words hunter, soul-shifter and...

Werewolf.

Of course. Hindsight showed all the tiny clues I had missed or had noticed but simply ignored, like John scenting the air when we first met. Most likely he was trying to make sure I was indeed human, like they presumed.

I let out a small chuckle. What were the odds for me to find werewolves at the exact place that I would live in? A sigh escaped me while I closed the book and went in my bathroom to clean up my face. I was still relatively pale when I glanced in the mirror.

Just then, I heard Nick entering the house downstairs, calling my name. Oh, crap. I can't let him know my secret and he thinks his secret is still safe. Ok Paige, you can do this. Nice and deep breathes.

It was then that I noticed his odd scent; it was a mix between human and wolf. The same scent that I had found in the forest, looking for a wolf pack. The odd mixture made me wrongly assume that there had been wolves around, but were chased away by a human presence. Now I knew the truth; the wolves were simply hiding among the humans without their knowledge.

Wiping the cloth over my face, I thought back of the odd comment Nick had made. So the pack that they were talking about was their own pack; a pack of werewolves. I sighed while thinking it over.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Nick said behind me, making me jump. I spun around quickly and he stared at my face.

"Paige? Did something happen? You look quite pale..." he trailed off while I felt the blood drain from my face. What should I tell him? Oh hey, it's nothing really, I just walked around the forest, changed into an animal and you guys scared the living daylights out of me by going wolf? It sounded insane even in my head.

Nick was still looking at me with a worried look in his face. He slowly pulled me towards my bed and made me sit on it while I took a deep breath.

"It's just... I was walking in the woods when I was startled by a cougar-" I started and felt Nick tense immediately. "Did it hurt you? Are you alright?" he said while he looked at my arms and legs, like he wanted to make sure that I hadn't been mauled.

"I'm fine, but the cougar was pissed off for some reason and snarled at me before it feigned an attack." I said, my voice slightly wavering by the memory of him turning into a wolf. I was hoping that he wouldn't do that now, because he was shaking rather badly.

"Hey, relax. I'm fine."

He looked down at me and smiled, but I could see that he was focused on something else. Then his gaze turned curious. "How do you know that much about cougars?" he asked.

"Uh, promise you can keep a secret?" I said, slightly nervous. He smirked while he moved his hand over his lips, pulling on an imaginary zipper, causing me to laugh.

I calmed down and said, "Well, I snuck out of the dorms from time to time to observe the animals around the orphanage. I came across a cougar one day which was drinking from a pond."

I stood up and picked up my book while thinking 'My new family has permission to see the animal drawings in this book.' I gave it to him and he flipped the pages, staring at each one of my drawings.

"Wow, this is amazing!" He looked up at me when he was on the page of the cougar in question. "You drew this?" I nodded and his eyes filled with awe. "I wasn't allowed to do much, so I vented my emotions and feelings through drawing. The results are quit lifelike, but it's not much." I said while shrugging my shoulders. There were probably people out there who could do better than me.

"Why?" he asked and I understood his question. He meant 'Why weren't you allowed to do much?' I sighed before I mumbled, "Because they think I'm a freak.". He looked at me with several emotions swirling in his eyes, but he was trying to hide it. He avoided my gaze and flipped the pages more quickly before I could hear him gasp. I stepped a little closer to see what caused the amazed look in his eyes.

I smiled lightly; he was looking at the wolf pack that I had drawn on the first 'escape' at the orphanage. He looked up at me and I could feel my smile disappear while I took the book out of his hands. "You tend to look for friendship wherever you can when you're alone." I mumbled while placing the book away.

I heard him sigh behind me while he stood up from the bed. I had a feeling that he wanted to start a conversation that I wasn't ready for. Glancing at him over my shoulder , I softly whispered "If you don't mind, I'm going to take a shower before I'll go to bed."

He nodded reluctantly and turned around slowly. I could feel his eyes prick in my back while I fled in the bathroom.

---Nick's POV---

I still stood in her doorway, sadness flooding me while I stared at the closed bathroom door. The expression on her face when she spoke about being alone was heartbreaking. I really felt sorry for what she had been through... Honestly, as a creature with a pack mentality, I couldn't quite imagine what it would've been like.

Sighing to myself, I slowly walked downstairs, thinking back at her amazing drawings. I've never seen anything more lifelike then the actual animal. She really underestimated herself by stating that it wasn't much. But then again, she had a hard life behind her, a lifetime of people belittling her, not giving her the time of day or even a sliver of attention.

The system was good but it was only as good as the people who worked in it. Judging from how long Paige had been in the orphanage and how badly she'd been treated, I'd say that the system could do with some drastic improvements.

I was walking towards the kitchen when I saw my muddy wolf prints at the door. Crap! I really needed to focus and keep things clean. One; mother would skin me alive if she saw this and Two, Paige would find out that something was strange about us. How would we try and explain random animal prints leading in and out of the house? I quickly ran over and wiped it away with a towel.

Then it suddenly came to me; she was shaken up a moment ago because she was almost attacked by an angry cougar! I growled lightly while I stretched my thoughts to Jacob.

"You're lucky you're gonna be my Alpha pretty soon, cause I would have kicked your scrawny ass!" I yelled at him, too pissed off to say it any other way.

I could feel his shock for a moment before anger flushed through our link. "Man, what's your problem?" he shouted out at me in his Alpha-tone.

"Well genius, let me explain; I came home to find my new sis slightly shocked-"

"What has that to do with me?" he interrupted aggressively.

I continued as if he hadn't spoken at all, growling to myself. " Apparently she was walking around in the forest, everything was good until a freaking cougar appeared." I could feel his sharp intake of breath but I continued. " This cougar was slightly ticked off and lunged at her, decided then that it just wanted intimidate her and took off."

It was silent for a moment while I was trying to stay calm so I wouldn't turn wolf while Paige was upstairs. I could feel Jacob's embarrassment and worry coming through. "Is she okay?" he finally asked.

"She's fine but..." I groaned, " She looked so pale, so shocked when I got home." I walked around the kitchen and finally settled in the couch. "Why did you go wolf in the forest?"

"I... I really don't know." He said, as confused as I was. "My wolf was acting up, and when the mountain-lion growled and backed away," he let out a big sigh before continuing " I just lost it, I snapped."

"I saw." I remarked sarcastically. " Anyway, I'm seeing you tomorrow at school. I'll come over after I've enrolled Paige in the school, okay?"

"Yeah, fine." He said before he dropped out of the conversation.

I opened my eyes, unaware that I had closed them, only to find my parents staring at me. I groaned at their questioning look while mother was eying the towel I used to clean the floor.

Shit... might as well confess before I end up in the dog house...

"Everything's fine, Jacob just turned wolf in the forest, pissing off a cougar and lead it straight towards Paige."

Mom gasped while she looked shocked and then she dashed towards the stairs, probably to check on Paige. I couldn't blame her. Paige was just here for only a day, but she was already wrapping us around her finger.

I huffed and stood up. "I'm going to bed, I have to bring her to school tomorrow." Father observed me for a while before he nodded his head. We both made a deal through the mind link that we would have this conversation later.

---Paige's POV---

The morning broadcast chimed brightly through the otherwise silent car, only interrupted by Nick's finger drumming an agitated beat on the wheel. I was surprised when everyone asked me this morning if I was all right.

They were still concerned after that 'cougar attack'. Wonder how they would react if I told them it was an attack by one of their own.

While we were driving to school a plan had formed in my mind. All the wolves at school didn't know whom or rather what I was, and I wanted to keep it that way. I however knew their secret and could use this to my advantage. I could literally sniff them out, thanks to my enhanced senses and the experience of last night.

"Wow, why are you thinking this hard so early on the day?" Nick said jokingly, causing me to snap out of my thoughts. I smiled at him and shrugged a little. "I was wondering if I would fit in at school." It was true, kind of.

He smiled at me for a second before turning his gaze back to the road. Then a slight frown came on his face. "You are going to have to pick your own classes when I enroll you in the school. If anything happens during or after those classes," he said while he took my borrowed phone out of his pocket and gave it to me, "Call me."

I rolled my eyes at him and giggled a little while replying "Yes, Dad." He chuckled and drove on the parking lot of the school. We stepped out of the car, after he commented that I stole his opportunity for being a gentleman by not waiting for him to open the door and we walked towards the school.

I was guessing that Nick was a popular guy because a lot of people waved and shouted at him. He waved back, shouting that he was going to enroll his 'little sister' which earned him a poke in his ribs, and moved on towards the dean's office.

Eventually I got my roster and looked at it. I had a few classes with Nick but most of them where on my own. I tried to pick any class that had animals in them, a few art classes and then some standard classes with Nick. I glanced at him with a smile when he said that he had a cooking-class right now.

"What? Guys got to eat too and most of us are horrible cooks." He said with a fake shudder. I just laughed and we parted ways after he walked me towards my first art class.

I gently knocked at the door and walked in, having a whole class staring at me. Ah yes, the joys of being the new kid, who is also terribly late for her first class. I looked at the teacher who glanced at me before he looked at a list in his hand.

"I'm suspecting that you are the new student? Miss..." He looked at me while I finished his sentence. "Paige Walker, sir." I said. I still needed to get used to Nick's family name. I glanced at the students and some of them looked curiously at me.

"Well miss Walker, I know that you are getting enrolled here so I'm going to let this late intrusion slip but I expect my students to come in before I do. Anyone who is late can stay outside for all I care. Got it?" He said and I took a deep breath before nodding. Werewolf number one, found.

"Very well, I suggest that you go sit down with mister Parker over there and begin your assignment."

I walked over to the empty space next to the guy that waved at me when the teacher referred to him and smiled shyly at the man. He smiled back while he held his hand out. "I'm Jack, and don't worry about Mister Rodriguez there," he said while he smirked lightly, "we just got a little bit on his nerves before you entered the classroom." He chuckled while I shook his hand.

"So Jack, can you tell me what to do before we get another death glare?" I whispered while I could feel Mister Rodrigues' eyes gazing at the side of my head. Whatever they did, they seriously pissed him off beforehand!

Jack chuckled and pointed at the paint, pencils and other equipment that was placed next to the easel. "We have to paint or draw anything we like. Rodriguez while use that to see what your skill level is." He then pointed at his work, where a mountain range was beginning to appear.

"Ok, thanks." I said to him with a smile. I turned to my easel and thought for a second. I realized then what I wanted to draw. The dream of my wolf pack at the orphanage was still clear in my head, so I thought about the evening that I joined them in wolf-form while they were howling, preparing for their hunt.

I picked the pencils because I wanted detail in my work; I wasn't too comfortable with paint. I started with the basic outlining, giving all eight wolves a place on the canvas and then continued with the forest background. Then I started to bring on the details on the wolves, trying to make them as life like and as close to my memories of them.

After a while mister Rodriguez stood up and said, "It's time, drop your paint or pencil and stop working on your assignment. I will come by to judge it."

I looked up, slightly dazed. Drawing or painting always seemed to take every ounce of stress out of me, guiding me along to another world. I sighed and put the pencils away while I looked at my drawing. I shook my head; it wasn't near as completed like I wanted and I wasn't happy about it.

"Frowning makes you more likely to wrinkle when you're older, you know?" Jack said behind me causing me to chuckle and turn at him. He smiled happily at me while giving me a once over. I instantly became shy; I wasn't used to any male attention, or any attention at all. So I looked behind him at his work and smiled at it.

It was a rugged mountain range, almost purple in the light of a setting sun, and the valley was covered with a thick forest. Jack spoke up while I looked at his work. "You like it?" he asked while he stared at my face. I nodded while I said, "Yes, it looks so...peaceful. Is it based on reality or did you imagine it?"

He held in a laugh and said "It's based on a memory of a holiday with my family." He glanced at the side of my easel while he asked "Why where you frowning that much earlier on?" I sighed while I motioned towards my work. "It isn't finished yet."

Jack's laugh caused me to look back up. "Well, I wouldn't get depressed yet, because nobody here is finished with their work Paige. This is an introduction class, after all." He looked back at mister Rodriguez, who was walking towards us before he winked at me and turned back to his work.

"Mister Parker, what do you have for me?" Rodriguez said while he looked over Jack's shoulder. I saw that the other students who had been rated were standing around Jack's work. Great, in a few minutes it's going to be my turn and everyone while look at my unfinished work.

"A mountain range in North-Colorado when I visited my uncle last spring, Sir." Jack replied while Mister Rodriguez took notes in his notebook and asked Jack a few questions before he turned to me. I started cleaning up the workplace around my easel while I heard Rodriguez say, " And finally, Miss Walker, what do..."

I looked up when he stopped his sentence mid-way and heard a few gasps off the students. Mister Rodriguez was close to representing a fish, as he was opening and closing his mouth without making any sound. The students around me looked shocked at my work. Even Jack was at a loss for words while he stared at the easel in front of me.

My partially finished work contained eight wolves who were standing around each other. The Alpha-pair was in the middle, standing side by side, nose to tail, with the female leaning her head on the hips of the male while he howled up at the sky.

Several other pack members were howling with him and a couple of pups in the foreground were play-fighting with each other. One wolf stared at the viewer of the work from the corner of his eye while he raised his muzzle in the air.

I was still adding their breaths in the air and working out the background and the mist that was rising from the ground, so I wasn't pleased with the progress I made. Not to mention the fact that the fur looked rather one-dimensional and I still needed to put in a lot of work in the drawing overall, so I wasn't all that happy. Apparently, everyone else was.

After a minute or two of no response, I softly cleared my throat. Rodriguez snapped his mouth shut before saying "Yes, well..." He looked at his notebook and glanced back at me. "Where did you get your education Miss Paige?" he asked, clearly flustered.

I lightly smiled at him while I shook my head. "Self-taught, sir." I replied while the students were staring at me like I had grown a new head. I had nobody to teach me after all and had been fortunate that one of the second-hand books included an art book. I merely followed the steps in it.

Mister Rodriguez gave me a smirk that was a combination of disbelief and arrogance. "Do you want me to believe that you could have drawn that," he said while pointing at my work, "within two hours, without any past education of art?"

I frowned while I narrowed my eyes. Was he just calling me a liar in front of the whole class? That touched a nerve; I couldn't stand it when I was wrongly accused for something.

"Yes, I do. Unless you'd rather want to believe that the orphanage where I'm from had the time, funding and teachers to give the three dozen children of varying ages a fancy education in art." I said harshly, causing some students to gasp for breath when they heard the tone I was speaking in or perhaps because of my upbringing.

The bell rang, indicating the end of the lesson and I picked up my bag without waiting for a response and left the class. I walked straight to my locker and placed my pencils and paint away in it. I looked at my roster to find myself having a free hour.

I really needed to calm down, so I walked outside and walked to the picnic tables scattered across the school grounds. I was surprised when I was followed by Nick and Jack, who sat down with me.

"Aren't you supposed to be inside?" Nick asked with a smile on his face while his eyes looked slightly worried.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" I asked him, causing both of them to laugh. "You got me there." Nick said while he stretched his legs over the bench and laid down.

"I took an hour off when I heard what Rodriguez said." He said, looking at me from the corner of his eyes. I rolled my eyes while I couldn't stop the smile on my face. So he was worried about me.

"Wow, news spreads fast around here, I just walked out of his class." I said, causing Jack and Nick to shift uncomfortably on their seats. Judging by the scent that waved around me, they were both werewolves and contacted each other after my little scene.

Before either one of them could answer, an angry voice shouted out, causing us to jump.

"What do you three thinking that you are doing out here?!"