***KATE’S POV***

I was still in shock as I watched my painful gashes and cuts on my stomach heal. I was sitting in the tub with no water, Tess was just watching me in wonder. She bent near the tub, knowing that I was suffering from a searing pain in my abdomen. 

She took my hand, whispering, “Did you know that we can take pain away? Just a simple touch of affection…” I stared at our conjoined hands numbly, watching what looked liked thick, black blood run from my arm into her veins. She gasped and cringed as I felt the pain subside quickly, realizing what she had done for me. 

I spoke, “How did you…?”

She smiled mischievously as she rubbed her arm, “It’s fairly easy, actually. You just have to have physical touch and focus on absorbing the pain. Emotionally and physically.”

I looked down at my cuts that were no longer there, my stomach was back to normal and as I stood and grabbed a towel Tess sighed, “I got you some clothes.”

It was odd, she had seen me naked plenty of times, and I’ve seen her naked as well, but it wasn’t weird. She had seen me when I went Full Wolf and had phased into my naked human, and now I was standing here nude in front of her. 

I just wish I knew what she was thinking.

I slipped on the sweats and the T shirt and nodded, “Thanks… for everything. If you hadn’t been out there tonight…”

“You would’ve done what you were supposed to do and would’ve woken us up,” she winked at me, forcing me to laugh. 

“Yea… well I wouldn’t want to fight besides anyone else.”

She smiled, showing the red in her cheeks, “Me neither.”

Then she walked out of the bathroom and down the hall, leaving me alone with my thoughts. 

I passed into my new room which wasn’t so new anymore considering I had been staying here every night. My parent’s were both out of the country and I was waiting for either one of them to call and tell me they were looking forward to seeing me for Christmas. 

But neither one of them has called yet, and Christmas was in two days. 

I laid in my bed, wondering what Jennifer was doing, and what would happen if I showed up at her house. The thought was actually pretty compelling but it was really late and going out while I was still sort of healing could be dangerous. 

But I really wanted to see her. 

I glanced at the clock that read 1:20, it was still early in the night and I knew Dean was outside keeping watch considering I had fought off two Vega’s. If the wind was still strong outside and I snuck out, he would smell my scent and I would be caught…

He would bitch me out for being irresponsible and wouldn’t let me take my right place next to him as Female Alpha…

But I was worried about Jennifer’s safety, and honestly that mattered more to me.

I stood, pulling up my sweats and silently locking my door as I made it swiftly over to my window. My anxiousness was pushing me to do this, and I slowly opened the window and climbed out onto the roof. I closed it silently, leaving a crease for tomorrow morning and balancing myself on the high roof. 

I felt the wind whip fiercely around my body, the chill air sending a new sense of alertness as I leapt from the roof to a tall tree. My claws dug deep into the bark as I slid down, scrapping my way back down to solid land, landing softly in the cold grass. 

I dusted myself off, tapping into my wolf sight and seeing only a clear view towards Jennifer’s house. My heart was pounding in my chest as I started out into the night, feeling a little pain inside my stomach. Even though the cuts were healed on the outside, my body was still a little damaged on the inside. 

Which worried me a lot. 

Soon I was making my way up her apartment complex, knowing she had a balcony with sliding doors. She was on then second floor so I knew I would have to climb up.

Very carefully of course. 

I ran up the stairs and hopped over the railing separating me from a two story drop which even though it was high, I knew I could survive it easily. I climbed easily onto the railing, feeling like a sort of Romeo as I pressed my face to the glass and knocked, hoping it would wake her up. 

Then I heard her tiny footsteps as she slid the door open hastily. She groaned, “It’s late, why are you still up?”

I stepped in, speaking sarcastically, “Could’ve just said hey, but I was out on night watch and got attacked.”

Her face altered to a worried look as she locked the door and nearly ran over to me, “Did you get hurt?”

I shrugged, “I heal, so technically no, but I do need to lay down.”

I walked straight to her bedroom and threw myself onto her bed, watching her closely as she lied next to me. She whispered, “I missed you… and I’ve been so worried…”

I smiled, leaning forward, “I’ve missed you more, and how you think I feel? You’re defenseless against the supernatural.”

She touched my leg, sending tiny shivers up my body, “What happened?”

I sighed, knowing she was talking about tonight, and I was going to have to tell her I killed someone. I looked away from her blue eyes, wishing I wouldn’t have to tell her because it could really scare her away… and I didn’t want that. 

“I killed someone…”

 I saw something flash in her eyes like fear but it wasn’t because I killed someone, it was because she understood what I actually was. She touched my face, not saying anything had never felt or sounded so clear. She understood I had no choice and it was a horrible plague in my heart, that I would’ve never done it if I had another choice. 

I stammered, “They were going to kill Tess… my instincts just took over…”

She nodded, shh-ing me and kissing my forehead gently, “I understand Kate… I know what you’re up against. I’ve seen it first hand…”

I smiled weakly as she pulled away from me, our eyes locking for that moment and suddenly everything was still. I knew then that if I ever wanted to be with Jennifer she would need to be like me, she would need to be a werewolf.

And I would have to bite her. 

She squinted in confusion at my silence, “You ok?”

I nodded, breaking the eye contact and shaking my head, “Jennifer…”

It was like she knew exactly what I was thinking in that moment and she put her finger to my lips, staring into my eyes. She shook her head, “Don’t think about that… not right now. You have other things to worry about Kate…”

“I have to worry about it, you’re involved, the only way you’re ever going to be safe is if you’re like me…”

She kissed me then, our lips touching fiercely, lighting a flame inside my stomach. My hands found the side of her head, her cheeks grasped gently in my palms as I pulled her closer to me. There was something different about tonight, something like more passion between us. 

It could’ve been because I almost died, or I was scared, terrified of losing her. It could’ve been because I was in love with her and I had yet to tell her because well… I was afraid. I had fallen so quick for her, I hadn’t even had time to build up walls, I just fell into her heart so easily…

Like it was meant to be this way. 

My hand wrapped itself into her hair, she was so warm and soft, everything about her lured me in and made me fall even harder. The fire inside my heart was burning unbearably, she was everything to me and losing her would devastate me. It was something I would never be able to come back from and I knew that, she knew that, everyone knew that, even Tess. 

Its another reason she didn’t want me to be with her, because if I lost her I wouldn’t be able to function anymore. 

She pulled away looking at me with all the love she had towards me, smiling innocently. I couldn’t help but smile to as I looked at her, when I was with her every thing seemed to just disappear, all the worries and fear…

But when I leave it would return.

“Michelle’s about to give birth, which means she’ll be giving up the Alpha position. So either I’ll get it or Dean will be alone out there… and I don’t think he’s going to risk that. I’m scared to be in charge…”

She smiled, “Why?”

“Because, I’m a fuck up, I’ll screw everything up… what if I’m not fit to be an Alpha…?”

She tilted her head at my fear, “Kate, you’ve grown so much and you haven’t even realized it yet. You’re an amazing person, you’re so smart and for once, you’re responsible. You’re a strong person, and I know you can do this… I believe you can.”

I felt her words sink deep into my heart, I smiled as I felt the happiness wrap around me. The warm feeling she gave me was amazing, and suddenly I believed in myself. 

I could do this, every one believed in me, the Pack, Dean, Michelle, and Jennifer…

I just needed to believe in myself. 

She laid next to me then, facing me as I stared into her eyes, wondering what she was thinking at this moment. I whispered, “What?”

She shrugged, “Just… I don’t know… I feel like I need to tell you something.”

I blinked rapidly, my heart beat sped up along side hers as I waited, “Like what?”

She shrugged, “Kate… I think I love you.”

I felt my heart leap to my throat, the burning in my body flowed through my veins, exciting me. Had she really said that? She loved me? Even though I was fucked up and a killer, I wasn’t even human… but she loved me. 

She loved me for me, not for my money or my looks…

I kissed her softly, feeling every emotion run through my body and when I pulled away I whispered something I never thought I would ever feel comfortable saying. 

“I think I love you to.”