***KATE’S POV***

When I had smelt that girl near Jennifer’s apartment I knew there was something wrong. I had darted over there, instantly seeing her and how Jen’s heart beat was going a million miles per minute. I had been seeing red when I had attacked, ordering Tess and Stiles to protect Jennifer. Tess hadn’t been so compliant but Stiles listened automatically.

Which I liked, a lot. 

Now I was joining the rest of the gang at the cabin and when I walked into the backyard I realized it was like a weird torture ritual. The girl was strapped to a metal chair, around her hands and ankles and when I saw Dean standing over her I knew some serious shit was about to go down. 

Dean spoke, “Good job, you handled it very well from what I heard.”

I nodded, “Thanks.”

I saw Tess eyeing me from the other side of the way as I glanced, then I heard the  girl waking up and Dean spoke, “Let me talk to her.”

Her eyes opened and I realized she had the lightest green eyes I’ve ever seen, they were glowing even when she wasn’t a wolf. She was beautiful, but I felt so much hatred toward her none of that actually mattered. Dean bent down eye level to her and growled, “Hi Fay, never thought I’d see you again.”

She instantly tried to move but when she realized she was duck taped to the chair she growled loudly, lighting the night up with her eyes, “Dean Early.”

He tilted his head and smiled, “It‘s been awhile Fay, long time no blood.”

She grimaced, “You usually let your family jeopardize innocent human lives?”

He growled loudly, shutting her up right then and there, “You usually do all of Isis’ dirty work?” She growled, snapping at Dean’s face and forcing Dean to grip her throat firmly in his hand, “So she’s still holding her grudge, and she tried to get her little bitch to kill an innocent human.”

“And she’s going to get rid of the Early Pack once and for all, including your baby.”

Dean stepped back, speaking in a sinister voice, “Then it looks like the fight starts here.”

He stood and I watched him in silence as he grew his sharp claws and swiped it quickly across her thin throat. Blood oozed and squirted out of her jugular as she convulsed, forcing me to watch wide eyed in horror. I didn’t know Dean could kill so easily, without even hesitating…

She gasped and tried to hold her throat but as soon as she died from blood loss her body was still. Dean pulled her limp body out of the chair as he laid her on her stomach, lifting her shirt and cutting a deep spiral into her back flesh. I grimaced as he placed her shirt back, pressing it into the blood and picking up her body, “They want a  fight, then we’re going to give them a fight.”

Then he was gone into the woods, which I figured to plant the body to where the pack would find it. I couldn’t believe he had killed her, and what was that weird symbol he drew into her back? I looked at Tess who looked just as shocked as me and I pulled her over, “What the fuck.”

“What? You knew this was going to happen.”

I shook my head, “I didn’t know it was going to be so soon. Michelle’s pregnant, we’re just a bunch of kids, we can’t fight a pack!”

She shrugged, “Dean claimed revenge, that’s what the spiral was for on her back. He’s pretty much declaring war, even though there has been a clear war between these two packs for awhile.”

“Who’s Isis?”

“That’s the Alpha  Female of the other pack, Isis Vega. Your dad killed her mate, the Alpha Male, and this is her sending her revenge with that girl. She was the Omega of the Pack, she pretty much got sacrificed.”

So there was still the Pack that was against and seeking revenge on us. The Vega Pack sounded pretty intimidating, and if it was true that they grew their numbers to huge ranks…

Then we were screwed. 

It was like Dean pretty much set us all up for our deaths by killing that girl, but I was glad she was dead because now my secret was partially safe. I was praying that the rest of the Vega Pack didn’t know about me and Jennifer or getting rid of Fay wouldn’t make a difference.

I made my way up to my room with a ton on my mind, wondering and worrying about what tomorrow would bring. 

And if we would even make it through the night. 

~ ~ ~ ~

The night passed quickly and the school day passed even quicker. I couldn’t stop worry about the Vega Pack and on top of that I remembered that I needed to talk to Emma. I only remembered because the entire day she had pretty much ignored me.

And that worried me a lot. 

After third I had darted to the parking lot in hopes to catch her, I had thought about it awhile and I knew I needed to tell her. She acted so shady towards me and I figured Gabe had either told her something or… Gabe fucking told her something. 

I knew he had a play in this. 

I found her instantly as I made my way outside, the overcast sky dulling the mood as the cool air swirled around me. I called, “Emma!”

She looked up from her car and rolled her eyes, sitting in her car and closing the door before I made it to her. I knocked on the window, “Emma, we need to talk.”

She rolled down her window, “Yea, considering you’re lying to me Kate.”

Shit, I was caught, and there was no turning back. I sighed heavily in grief, “Emma… you don’t understand, this is more than just high school drama.”

She looked at me, I could see the clear betrayal in her eyes, “Gabe told me you’re in some kind of cult or something, are you doing drugs Kate? Where the fuck have you been?”

I rolled my eyes, figuring he must’ve slipped up, “Emma… can you just follow me?”

She squinted in confusion, “What?”

“Follow me, in your car, I’ll show you the truth.”

I saw something pass her features, it had fear and worry but she was willing, which I was glad. She nodded, “Ok.”

I hopped into my car and sped out of the parking lot, bringing her to the only place I knew I could be safe. The cabin with Dean, then I remembered tonight I would need to escape to Jennifer’s house to talk to her. We hadn’t had time today but she had let me know by the looks she had given me during class.

I started down the familiar gravel road, hoping Dean and the rest of the Pack wouldn’t be there just to make this more simple. 

But of course, my luck came short. 

Dean and Michelle were there, along with Gabe and Collin. I didn’t see Tess or Stiles but I wasn’t worried, and I knew Dean had smelt Emma instantly because his head snapped towards us. He nearly darted over to my car when he growled, “Why did you bring her here?”

I tried to keep my cool, “Dean, she’s my best friend, I can’t lose her.”

I saw something soft flash across his eyes but he shook his head, “I just murdered a rival pack’s Omega, you need to understand anyone close to you is a target Kate.”

“I can’t lie to her, she needs to know the real me.”

He heard the desperation in my voice and broke, he knew I was right, he turned towards the others and spoke, “Let’s go inside.”

Everyone filed in the house, leaving me and Emma standing in the crisp winter air. She shivered slightly, “Why are we out here Kate? And who are those people?”

I sighed, “Gabe was right, I am in a sort of pack, but he’s involved too, and you need to know it’s not what you think.”

She shook her head, “Dammit Kate, stop speaking in riddles and tell me the truth.”

I didn’t want to scare her but the only way to shut her up was to just show her. I sighed, “Emma, don’t freak out ok? And this is a secret, something you can never tell anyone because it can put your life in danger. I’m only doing this because you’re my absolute best friend.”

She nodded, wrapping her arms tightly around her torso as we stood in the freezing cold. I began tapping into my Wolf, feeling the anger that usually came with it but it was getting easier to control. I felt my teeth grow as the sharp little pains in my gums shot through my mouth as if I was growing new teeth. It was gone in an instant as I focused in on my claws, feeling them sharpen and extend out of my fingers. I looked at Emma, her eyes were wide with horror and she gasped, covering her mouth and backing away, “Kate… what are you?”

I spoke gently, trying not to growl, “I’m a werewolf Emma.”

She shook her head, backing slowly away from me as she juggled her keys, “No… this isn’t real… I’m dreaming…”

I phased down quickly, realizing I had done that quite simply as I walked quickly over to her, “Emma, you need to know the truth but you need to know the entire truth. You need to know who I really am.”

She squinted her eyes in confusion, everything I was saying was making her question every thing I had ever told her. She didn’t understand, but I wanted her to know the real me, I needed her to know. I grabbed her hand, “Come inside with me, I’ll show you.”

She pulled away from me slightly, “How long?”

I shrugged, “Only a couple of months, I know you don’t understand Emma but you need to have an open mind. Please…”

She looked at me long and hard and sighed, “Kate…”

I gave her a pleading look, this was either make or break for our relationship, and I needed her to trust me. I pleaded once more, “Please… trust me.”

The cold air whipped her blonde hair around her face, she looked broken and confused, but I knew she wanted to. She was my best friend, she knew I needed her just as much as she needed me, so she nodded, “Ok… I trust you.”

I smiled, “Awesome.”

After that we had gone inside and I had introduced the Pack to her and Dean, my biological Uncle which had completely freaked her out because naturally we resembled each other. I showed her the photo albums of my parents and me when I was a baby, she was awe struck half the time as I told her about them being Alpha’s. When I revealed that they were murdered by a different pack because my dad defended himself she had nearly passed out, laying all of this information on her was a lot but I knew she needed to know. 

She sighed, laying back on the bed we were sitting on, “So, what was your real name before you were Katherine Brooks?”

I smiled, looking down at the picture of my mom and dad, “I was Rachelle Early, and it’s a big deal that you know this because the Vega Pack is after us.”

“What are you all going to do?”

I shrugged, “Even though I’m a true Alpha I’m still considered a Beta to Dean, he’s calling the shots and he killed one of their’s last night. We’re in a war now, and I need you to stay away from me Emma… it’s dangerous for you.”

She winced, “Stay away from my best friend? Are you serious? After all you just told me, Kate?”

I nodded, “I know, but I can’t have your life in danger.”

She shook her head, “Kate, if they wanted me dead I would be already. They’re not going after friends…”

This caught my attention, “So what are they after?”

“They killed Emily the night after you had spent the night, and you claimed they had cornered Jennifer the other night…”

Then it clicked, I understood completely now.

She nodded, “They’re after your love interests.”

I mumbled slightly, “My potential Mates.”

~ ~ ~ ~

After that I had rode home with Emma just to make sure she had got home safely, remembering I needed to head over to Jennifer’s. I knew it would be a repeat of the episode I had with Emma except I just needed to explain why that woman had attacked her.

I couldn’t believe they were going by that rule, they were attacking the people I was sexually interested in. this was a weird grudge, and this was an even weirder pack we were dealing with. I mean, I understood my dad killed her Mate but damn, it was their own faults. 

I made it to her door and knocked, she opened it willingly, knowing it was me already. I saw her blue eyes instantly, she was worried, and her looks just proved it even more. Her hair was pulled back in a low pony tail and her tank top and sweat pants made her look oddly sexy. She spoke, “I was starting to think you weren’t going to show.”

I smirked, “Like I would forget, Miss Riley.”

She rolled her eyes and blushed, “Don’t call me that outside of school.”

I closed and locked her door, moving further inside as I smelt something delicious on the stove, “You cooked?”

She nodded, “I knew you would probably be hungry.”

I felt my heart throb in my chest as she stared at me, she was way to sweet for me, I didn’t deserve someone as good as her. I sighed, “Why do you like me?”

It caught her off guard, but she shrugged, “I’ve been asking myself that same question since I met you Kate.”

I smiled, “You deserve so much better than me.”

She shrugged, “Or maybe you deserve someone who will actually love you for you.”

I knew she was being honest, her heart beat was steady and normal. I moved in closer to her, “Last night… you could’ve died, Jen.”

She nodded slightly, “Do you wanna explain who she was? Because I had no idea even though she knew about us.”

I nodded, “Yea, and it’s going to freak you out.”

She sat on the couch and I joined her, feeling her eyes on me as I spoke, “She was a member of another Pack, she was going to kill you because… we obviously are involved with each other. I’m not actually who I say I am Jennifer, I actually found out I was adopted months ago not long after you met me.”

She gasped, “You’re adopted?”

I nodded, “But not long after I finally knew the truth about myself, I was adopted because both of my real parent’s were murdered by the Pack that was after you. My dad killed their Alpha 17 years ago in self defense and the Alpha Female has been seeking revenge ever since. They know about me and they’re

 going to try and kill every single one of the Early Pack members, including anyone sexually involved with any member. That’s why they attacked you last night, because they know we’re involved.” 

“What happened to the girl from last night?”

I looked down, seeing the sickening image in my head, “Dean killed her.”

“Your Uncle? The current Alpha?”

I nodded, knowing she was smart for being able to follow along so well. I looked at her, “They know we’re involved, I have to protect you.”

She touched my face softly, “I know you will Kate.”

It looked as if she wanted to say something else but refused, I wanted to tell her how I felt about her but I was scared. Opening up to people about my true feelings never went well, I always fucked up on the words or made myself sound completely stupid. 

I hadn’t had feelings for anyone in awhile, and now that I was pretty much falling in love with Jennifer…

It was pretty damn scary. 

But the thought of completely losing her was even more scary, and I was going to do everything in my power to protect her. 

Even if it killed me.