ARI

I narrowed my eyes at Nathan but Alex listened to his advice. He guided me back to the couch and we both sat down our full attention on his Dad.

Nathan led all of the people that were inside, to the outside. A few of them whined but eventually left.

Matt wouldn't stop staring until Nathan pulled him to the side whispering to him. "I know you're happy as I am to see her but give her time Matt. She doesn't remember you, hell she doesn't even remember herself. Give her time."

The guy Matt nodded, gave me one last lingering look, then left. Nathan pulled up a chair and sat across from us, folding his hands in his lap.

Hearing over and over again how I "came back" from somewhere was starting to piss me off. Why would I remember something that never happened to me!

What a bunch of bullshit liars. I was so happy to know that there are other people out there that are like me and they pull this shit on me.

"It all started with a man named Rodrick Gray and ended with the death of a very dear friend." Nathan said, telling me Jennifer Gray's story.

A trickle of fear crawled up my back at the mention of that name.

"Roderick was the stepfather of our beloved pack member, Jen. He murdered her and her mate, Shawn, twenty years ago."

Shawn. He said Shawn. He said the name Shawn, the same name I've been dreaming of since I was a little girl.

I've called Alex by that name in my dreams. Could they be telling the truth?

I looked at Alex to see his forehead furrowed like he was thinking about something.

I closed my eyes and tried to calm my jumping heartbeat. This is crazy!

But is it really?

I mean I transform into a wolf, something that others would deem impossible.

I forced myself to ignore the fact that he said Shawn and asked him a different question that I've been wanting to know and since he said it, I might as well ask him. "What is a mate?"

Alex looked at me, tracing my face with his eyes but he looked away when his father cleared his throat.

"A mate is just another word for soulmate. Your mate is the one person in the entire world who was made with you. Your other half."

I peeked a look at Alex through my peripherals but he had his eyes closed tight.

"You recognize your mate at the age of 18."

"Wait." I stopped him. "Is this a werewolf thing because I've never heard of this from my family, I mean my human family?"

"Yes it is I believe. Human's do have soulmates, the only difference is that it sometimes takes them a while to find their other half."

"Why 18?" I asked him. I was turning 18 in another month and I wanted to know if I had a soulmate out there.

"I don't know, no one knows why we change at the age of 13 and why we find our other half at the age of 18. Maybe it has something to do with our bodies and our minds maturing."

"Why only werewolves though? And what happens if one soulmate is 18 but the other one isn't yet? Would the 18 year old know?" His answer scared me for some reason. What if my mate was half way across the world?

"I feel like finding our soulmates has something to do with our heightened senses which is why it's easier for us to find them. When I turned 18, I didn't know who my mate was because she hadn't turned 18 yet. She lived in the same house as me but I never really noticed her until a couple of weeks before her birthday. I felt a sort of heat between us and then when she turned 18, we both knew we were each others soul mates."

I nodded my head in understanding. "Do I have a soulmate?"

Nathan smiled and looked at Alex. "Everyone has a soulmate."

"What if I turn 18 and my soulmate is still 17 or lives in another country!" I was actually scared that I would end up alone.

Nathan's eyes wrinkled as he threw his head back and laughed. "Soulmates gravitate towards each other. Doesn't matter if he's in India or Canada, he will find you. A lot of werewolves can't wait and set out on a mission to find them. But if it makes you feel any better, I have a feeling he's a lot closer than you think."

Nathan chuckled again. Am I missing a hidden joke or something?

Alex stood up suddenly, his face looking troubled. "Do I need to be here?" He asked his father.

"No, son." Nathan answered with a frown.

Before Alex could leave, I grabbed his hand. "Wait, don't go." I wanted him to stay, I felt safe with him here.

Alex ripped his hand out of my grip making me flinch.

He stared at me through the corner of his eye, hesitating but then he eventually walked out of the living room.

I bowed my head in sadness.

Nathan placed his hand on my knee, trying to comfort me. "Don't worry, he'll come around. He's always been afraid to show his feelings." He then frowned. " I guess I kind of forced him to."

I gave him a confused smile and he just smiled in return. He kept smiling even after I stopped. He cocked his head to the side, scrutinizing my face.

I almost twitched because of how uncomfortable I felt.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out to see it was a call from my mom.

I picked it up and walked to the other side of the living room. "Yeah, Mom?"

"Are you still at Jennifer's house?" She asked anxious.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Why is she so anxious?

"Nothing, uh, it's late so I was wondering where you were."

I glanced at the clock and almost passed out again. "Sorry, I didn't realize it was 11 o'clock! Can you come get me?"

"I can give you a ride?" Nathan asked before my mom answered.

"Can you get a ride honey?" My Mom sounded weird, like she was scared.

"Mom? What's wrong?" I asked, getting serious.

Nathan must have heard the panic in my voice because he got up and came to stand next to me. He had the same cloudy eyed look that Jen always got. I need to ask them about that. Actually, I needed to ask them a lot of stuff.

"It's just that I feel like someone is watching me."

"What?" I asked, shifting on my feet. "Who? What do you see? Did you lock all of the doors?" I asked her without a breath.

"I don't know, trees and yes." She chuckled but nervously.

"I'm on my way Mom, don't do anything until I get there."

I hung up and spun around to Nathan who was looking at
the door. Jen and some guy who looked a lot like Nathan, and Aaron actually, came in. He was a well built man with beautiful blond hair that was cut neatly on his head.

"Anthony and Jen will accompany you back to your house. If there's anyone watching your mother, we will find out."

I was confused. Why was he helping me?

"Why are you helping me?" I asked, voicing my thoughts.

"Because, even though we never made it official, you are a part of my pack." He smiled.

"What pack?"

"My pack. Oh well, my son's pack." He said gesturing towards Anthony. "He's the Alpha now."

"You mean number 1? Just like Jen is number 2?" I cocked my head to the side trying not to laugh at the fact I said number 2.

Jen burst out laughing. "You said number 2!"

Nathan laughed too. The only one who seemed not to have a humorous bone in his body was Anthony. He reminded me of Alex that way.

"Alpha means first, as in leader, as in protector, as in stronger than you." Anthony sneered, finally speaking.

My eyes popped out of my head. What's his problem?

"Okaaaaay." I didn't know what to say to him. He looked a little to dangerous to mess with so I let it go.

"I'll answer any questions you have tomorrow. You will be coming tomorrow right? My friends and sister are still very eager to meet you. Also, if you want, you can bring your mother." Nathan said before leaving the house. 

"Let's go." Anthony said in a huff.

I caught up to Jen and elbowed her arm. "What's up his butt?"

Jen stifled her laugh and even though I had whispered, Anthony turned around and glared at me.

I forgot that I wasn't the only one who could hear from a mile away anymore. I was glad but at the moment I wished I wasn't.

Jen had already brought my backpack down from her room and put it in the car. I sat in the back, as Jen sat in the driver's seat and Anthony rode shotgun.

It was dead silent until I cleared my throat to speak. "Please keep silent." Anthony said.

I scoffed in return and shut my mouth, looking out the window. It was then that I noticed a large, grayish shape running alongside the car.

"HOLY MOTHER OF SHIT!" I yelled, peering at the shape that was now looking at me.

"What's wrong!" Jen swirled into the other lane but then steadied herself.

"There's-there's something running or-or something by the car!" I backed away from the window, scared of the thing possibly coming inside.

"Calm down, drama queen. That's just Alex following us back to your house." Anthony rolled his eyes at me and continued to scroll through his phone.

"Hey man, what the hell is your problem?" I spat at him, angry now.

He shrugged in an annoying way. "Nothing."

I held onto my anger and just looked back out the window. I knew we ran fast but he was running so publicly. Wasn't he scared someone would see him?

Why is he following us anyway? I thought he wouldn't want to see me or something.

Once we reached the house, I watched as Alex's wolf went into the woods.

"Don't worry, he's only checking around the perimeter." Jen reassured me.

"Do you guys do this a lot? Are people always watching you or something?" They seemed to be very calm and followed some set of rules and orders.

"Something like that." Jen said smiling.

I was about to open the door when Jen stopped me. "Wait. Let Alex clear it." I nodded confused.

Jen's eyes went unfocused and clouded and then she was back. "Okay, it's all clear."

"Why do you do that? You did it a couple of times and then Nathan did it too right before you guys showed up in the living room!"

"I'm mind-linking. Like I'm literally communicating with Alex through my thoughts." She pointed to her head.

"Are you serious?" That seemed kind of stupid and unbelievable. I understand transforming into a beast but reading thoughts? Come on!

"Yes. The only reason you don't hear anything is because you never joined a pack. When a person who is alone and isn't in a pack, they are called a rouge, which is what you are."

I nodded my head in understanding. "Okay, so I'm known as a rouge."

Jen nodded just as Anthony rolled his eyes and checked his watch. "It's clear." He said gruffly.

We ignored him. "It's not your fault you're a rouge though. You didn't even know there were others out there like you! I can't even imagine." Jen placed her hand on my hand and gave me a small smile. "You're not alone now."

I smiled in return and squeezed her hand before climbing out.

"Don't worry about tonight. Alex said he's going to stay." Jen said with a wink through the passenger side window.

"What?"

But Jen left before I could get an answer or say good night.

Alex is staying? I looked around the woods trying to spot him but I couldn't see him.

I shrugged and walked up to the house. My mother let me in, squeezing me to her. "I feel like I haven't seen you in days!" She cried.

"Mom it's only been like two days." I rolled my eyes.

"I know it has but it's just a feeling!" She rolled her eyes in return. "Now go upstairs and sleep. I'm pooped."

She hugged me one last time before she went upstairs. I guess I'll just tell her everything that happened, tomorrow. She looked like she needed sleep and I didn't want to keep her up all night wondering about my 'past life.'

I went into my room and sighed, loving the familiar scents and feeling I got from it.

Sitting on my bed, I looked outside, remembering that Alex was out there right now. Alex who was a wolf, just like me.

I don't know why I become so emotional but it was just so goddamn relieving that I wasn't the only one in the entire world. I wiped the tears that ran down my face before more replaced them. I believed I was the only living, breathing monster there was but I'm not, there are literally thousands, hundreds of thousands! At least I'm assuming.

Looking out the window again, I saw a gray wolf perched on it's hind legs, watching me. I wiped my face and went into the bathroom, already embarrassed he saw me crying...again.

I washed my face and as I was washing it, I thought of something bold. Something I would never do.

I dried my face, put my phone on charge and walked downstairs, trying not to wake my already snoring mother and walked straight out the back door, looking right into Alex's black eyes.