School on a Monday was never easy and yet after the weekend she had, May was glad there was some kind of normalcy to be found in the classroom. Chad wasn't himself, grumbling and distracted through home room; the two other shifters on staff much the same. Even the principal managed to spend the majority of the morning doing laps around his campus, and it was something even the unaware human students found unsettling. Faking an excuse about needing to finishing up some homework, May hid in the library during first break; her friends oblivious to her anxiety but not to everything that was going on around them.

"Since when do they come into a library?" Tiffany whispered to May, her eyes flicking up to someone behind them.

Turning slightly, May already knew who she was referring to. "Dunno."

All the shifters had congregated into the one location. Chad kept an eye on them while flirting shamelessly with the librarian while trying to look up something on the learning network. There wasn't anything too unusual about the current arrangement, but Tiffany was right. That particular group wouldn't be in here, ever.

"There you are!" Josh greeted, slipping into the seat beside May. "You just vanished after history and you weren't with the others."

"Oh, sorry. I forgot to tell you we were coming in here." May found herself blushing slightly, and Tiffany barely managed to hide her giggle as she turned her attention to her tablet and read the page on the screen.

Josh looked around, first at Chad and then other students before answering. "Busy in here isn't it?"

"It's a bit windy outside, maybe they don't like the cooler weather?" May suggested.

"Maybe."

As the session ended, and everyone started their way to the next class, Josh somehow managed to take May's hand in his. His hand was warm, soft and bigger than hers - his grip strong as their fingers simply entwined with each other as if it was the most natural thing for them to be doing. Her eyes found his and a nervous, half smile appeared on his face before May smiled back. To make the moment even better, he swung her hand up to his lips where he placed a small kiss on her knuckles before they kept walking. Tiffany poked May's shoulder as she moved beside her, winking as the girls made eye contact before giggling together like it was some private joke.

The rest of the day went by much the same, and the one after that. The whole week went by in a blur of worry and paranoid glances over shoulders as all the pups understood the severity of the situation now. Chad and Miranda's encounter on Sunday was enough to scare all of them into believing that the threat was real and needed to be taken seriously. Yet it wasn't all bad, not for May anyway as her mind thought of Josh whenever the stress of outside the school worried her.

"So, how about another hike tomorrow?" Josh asked casually at the end of their last class on Friday.

"Um, I think I have a family thing on. I'll let you know tonight."

"Okay." He leaned over and kissed her forehead as they headed out of the classroom.

May was positive she was glowing and leaned in against his side as they headed towards the staff office. There was no more waiting in the carpark alone now, but May didn't care as Josh stayed close anyway. Since the hand holding event on Monday, there had been an easy progression of hugs, shy kisses and as Tiffany mocked, sickening loved filled glances, whenever they weren't actually glued to each others side.

Leanna was already waiting when they got their, her smile looking out of place as she saw them. Her large brown eyes looked tired, lacking her usual over energetic spark. If anyone asked her what was wrong, she simply told them she wasn't feeling well as even her skin seemed pale and dull. She'd spent the last couple of nights at May's since she couldn't handle being in her own house at the moment.

"I'll talk to you later." Josh promised, giving May's hand a squeeze. "Hey Leanna."

"Hi Josh." She greeted almost coldly.

"Bye!" May called after him almost breathlessly before flopping down beside Leanna. Yet her eyes stayed on Josh until he'd turned the corner and disappeared. "He's pretty great isn't he?"

"I guess."

"You okay?" May frowned, looking at her friend.

"No. I'm not but-" Leanna paused as May sensed the others too.

The pack of other pups came towards them, a couple of the girls lingering behind the boys quietly while they laughed and mucked around with each other. May only rolled her eyes, and as they stopped around them, a wave of anxiety hit her hard.

"Leanna, where have you been, surely not with this runt?" The tallest of the boys, Brad sneered, glaring at May.

"Oh just go away." May groaned, determined not to give them the reaction they wanted.

"Why don't you." Another spoke up. "Come on Leanna, we've got David's dad picking us up."

"I'm staying with May." Leanna answered, shrinking back against the wall behind her as if it could swallow her up. Normally she'd have argued with them, defended May and scared them off. Today she just couldn't. She was too tired, too scared. "How long is Chad is going to be?"

"Oh right, get Mr Winters to protect you. Like your Mum did right May? Don't know why he'd put himself at risk over that sl-" Brad didn't get to finish as May jumped to her feet.

"Keep walking before I show you who needs protecting from who!" It came out with the rumble of  growl behind it, but they didn't take her seriously - laughing instead.

"I would have let them take her, and you. You're just a runt who can't shift. You don't belong here, you're not pack! Everyone thinks so, don't they Leanna?" David snapped, glaring at Leanna who looked completely terrified at the group of people she had thought were her friends. "Even your brother. He worked it out on his own since your families seem blind to the fact you're just stupid humans. You're not fucking worth it, everyone knows it but no one wants to admit it because-"

"Because it's not true." Chad spoke firmly from behind the boys. One yelped in surprise, but May didn't see who and Chad grabbed Brad by the back of his neck, his grip not friendly. "You all have three seconds to get to your ride, before I not only tell your parents what went on here today, but address the matter with your Alpha. May is pack. She was born into it as you all were, I think you forget that."

Brab winced, his shoulders hunched as he dared not fight Chad off. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he made a strangled choking sound before he was let go, the snarl that followed had the boys running and the wide eyed girls frozen before he looked their way and they chased after them. Leanna was up and hugging Chad in seconds, sobbing into his chest as she couldn't hold herself together anymore.

"You okay?" He asked softly, looking at May as he patted Leanna's back.

"I hate them. I really-" She huffed, her fists clenched as all the tension seemed to find it's way into her skull - the headache instant. The urge to go after them, and teach them a lesson was almost unbearable.

"Let's go home." Chad put his arm out and pulled May against his side, while guiding the duo down to the carpark. "They're young. It doesn't help now, but one day, they will grow up and feel bad about that."

"Doubt it." May snapped. "They're right. It's not just them that feel that way, you know it's true."

"Caleb doesn't really think that May." Leanna hiccuped as they got to the car. "None of us do."

Looking at Chad, May knew better than to let those idiots get to her how they did. "I know Leanna. Screw them, they're the ones not worth it."

May forced herself to believe that as her usual self doubt and insecurities returned. Had she really been fooling herself these last couple of weeks that it didn't bother her? Thinking of Josh and the acceptance she saw in his eyes every time he looked at her warmed May's heart. He didn't know her, know the old her who had Caleb as her best friend and would hang out with the twins and Leanna every weekend - with Tiffany joining them every now and then. Josh missed the girl Leanna was now resembling; defeated. Broken. The girl who had her world turned upside down because the one thing that was supposed to happen to her, didn't and she felt the giant hole left behind like a fresh wound. It was still there now, the aching sense of loss - that she lost a part of herself she never got to know, but she could ignore it better now and she had Josh to thank for that.

Lost in thought, May was the last to see the cars on her driveway and when she did, she was the first out of the car. Rushing inside, she went straight through to the kitchen where her grandparents were exactly where she expected them to be - sitting at the counter drinking coffee with her Mum.

"There she is!" Her grandmother exclaimed, turning in her chair with open arms. "I swear you look more grown up everytime I see you!"

"Nan, I'm seventeen. You've been saying that since I was a little girl!"

May breathed in the soft floral perfume, burying her head against her grandmother's shoulder as the canine smell that never seemed to leave them came through behind it. Since her grandfather was a dog trainer, he always had a foster or two at the house undergoing some kind of therapy, plus his own little pack that were treated as well as the human family members.

"She's right though, seventeen suits you!" Her grandfather joked, earning him a hug too.

Letting him go, May looked to her mother and frowned. "What's going on?"

"We're going to go and stay with them for the weekend." Miranda told her. "All of us."

May realised that included Leanna, and without needing to see them, she realised Nate, Caleb and Harry were all here too. "Why?"

"Why not?" She shrugged.

"They want us out of town because of what Mum has spent all week planning." Nate added from the doorway, sounding much too adult and serious. "No point hiding the fact she is on the hunt."

"Where's Dad?" May's stomach sunk as she didn't sense him there and it was then she saw how withdrawn her mother really was. That only meant one thing.

"Why don't you go pack a few things." Chad answered instead. "We need to hit the road before dark."

Leanna burst into tears again.

______________

Sitting on the back porch with the dalmatian mix Dolly, May enviously looked at the dog as she snored away completely at ease and content with her life. It must be nice to be so sure of yourself - to know who and what you are. She gently ran her hands over the silky soft fur, pausing just behind the black ear to rub a little bit harder, earning an appreciative moan from the dog who moved her head slightly to give May a clue on where exactly she wanted to be petted.

"Can I join you?" Miranda asked softly, coming through the door.

"Sure."

She curled up on the outdoor lounge beside her daughter, a cup of herbal tea soon resting on her knee as May moved to lean against her. "Chad told me what happened at school today."

"Of course he did." Since Miranda said nothing else, May eventually did. "I don't care what they say. I'm fine, really. I just, don't tell Dad, but I'm never going to be one of them. I'm tired of trying to be too. You're lucky to have come in as you are. You've never had that expectation of being like them, Emily too. Chad was lucky, few really know his history and what if he hadn't ended up shifting, would you and Dad still have adopted him and treated him the same?"

Miranda heard the challenge in May's tone. "Of course we would have. Either way, Chad was supposed to be in our lives. His friend Amber never shifted, we don't hold that against her. Besides, you could still shift. Chad did it late, plenty of other full blooded shifters don't do it when it's expected either."

Sure her Mum had a point, but May simply rolled her eyes instead. "None of the ones in this pack have had that problem."

"Your father changed early." She started, but May didn't want to hear it.

"He was also picked on for it. His pack chased him out. How stupid are packs, I mean really! They kill each other, turn into animals, seem incapable of caring for their kids if they don't meet their standards and turn on each other over nothing. So much for always being there for each other."

"There is good too May. None of us are perfect, and you forget the internal struggle they have with the beast inside. To get that balance is not easy, you saw your father on Sunday. Even he can lose control sometimes, but you know how much he loves you. All of him loves you and..."

May looked up to see her mother's tear filled eyes and instinctively reached out to take her hand - earning an unhappy huff from the dog who was no longer getting any attention.

"Dad is going to be okay."

"I know. I'm being silly. I was just thinking of how he was when we got you home from the hospital." Miranda smiled sadly at the memory. "We just want you to be happy. It doesn't matter to us if you end up shifting or not, whether you stay involved with the pack or prefer to the normality of the human world. Don't ever feel like you are failing us, because you never could."

"Damn it Mum, now you're making me cry!" May wiped her eyes as Miranda leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you."

"For what, making you cry?" She laughed.

"No, for understanding."

The silence that fell between them was comfortable and as the moon hit its peak, May finally felt like she might be able to sleep. Her eyelids suddenly felt too heavy and the next time she opened them, she was in the guest room beside Leanna with the morning sun leaking into the room from behind the curtains. May took the first shower, and waited for Leanna before heading downstairs. It was almost surreal to walk into the kitchen which was full of the smell of bacon, coffee and laughter. The family dogs lined up at one end of the table, their mouths wet with drool as they started hopefully up for a share of the breakfast.

Harry sat beside Chad, arguing over what went best with pancakes while Caleb and Nate laughed with May's grandfather about a memory he had of them when they had stayed over as kids. It was nice to walk into such a happy space, since none of their minds were exactly at ease with everything that was going on.

"So girls, how does a trip to the salon sound? My friend's daughter Melissa said she'd open up for us today as a special treat. She stopped working weekends because of her little ones, and since it's only a small business, doesn't like to pay the extra money for her girls to work without her." May's grandmother started a novel of a story about Melissa and everything she was doing wrong, and right in her life, based on what the woman's mother had told her.

The steady, gentle tone of her voice was a good base in the room; helping both girls keep the settled feeling they had when they woke up. The Wright's home had been a frequent location for all of the kids growing up, Miranda's parents adopting the pack rule of everyone is welcome and family. Not that it had been hard for them to adapt to since they had frequently hosted parties and family functions.

While the girls were being treated to a spa day, Chad had already taken out the twins for a run in the nearby national park and were now getting told about how there was plans of fishing in the town over as Donald was due to go out on the lake anyway. It was obvious to everyone the grandparents were going above and beyond to keep everyone busy - distracted, yet they were all thankful too.

May was helping Helen with the dishes later that evening and from the dopey grin on her grandmothers face, May knew she was waiting for her to ask the question. "What Nan?"

"Nothing darling!" She scoffed, yet her grin only widened.

"Come on, out with it. You've had that silly look on your face all night!"

Like she was about to reveal a big secret, the older woman looked over her shoulder and satisfied everyone else was in the living room actually giggled before hugging May tightly. "It's nothing."

"Nan!" May protested, curious as to what got her this way. Maybe the couple of glasses of champagne she helped herself to at dinner was a couple too many.

"Well, it's just that I saw something when we were eating dinner and oh it's nothing." She giggled again and then saw May's face. "Fine. I'll tell you."

May inched closer as her grandmother dropped an arm over her shoulder. Again she looked around and grinning like a mad woman finally told May what had her so happy.

"I've always known really, ever since you were little, but then I saw it and it makes my old heart so happy!" She gazed off dreamily for a few seconds before looking at May. "The way Caleb looks at you, is exactly the same way your father used to look at your mother! Of course she was blind to it back then, took her a while to work it out. I'm sure you'll be the same!"

May's stomach dropped as her grandmother continued to talk about her parents first trip out there, a story she had heard a hundred times before yet this time it didn't bring her the same joy.

"You don't know what you're talking about." May snapped a little too harshly. "We're not like Mum and Dad. In fact, I have a boyfriend, kind of. His name is Josh and he's perfect!"

Helen missed nearly all of what May had to say. "That means nothing darling, Andy was so wrapped up in dear old Jason. Trust me, things will work out how they're supposed to."

The old lady left it at that, taking her not quite finished glass of champagne with her as she headed into her craft room. May simply stood there, wishing she hadn't had asked. The weekend had been so good so far. Everyone had get along, there was no tension of any kind and May had found peace with her decision to say they could be friends. They really could be. It was almost like old times with everyone hanging out this afternoon.

Right on cue Caleb walked into the kitchen. "You okay June?"

"Yeah." Instantly she felt her cheeks getting warm - had he heard anything her grandmother had said?

He looked like he was about to say more, but instead he just went to the fridge and got out a can of soft drink. "Want one?"

"Sure."

Without a word they both moved towards the back door and went outside, sitting on the steps of the deck. Dolly appeared instantly, while the smaller beagle, Darcy took his time as he stopped to sniff every inch of his path to them.

"Remember the time I got stuck in that tree?" May laughed, looking out down to the back corner of the yard.

"I told you girls couldn't climb trees." He teased.

"I told you they could and I did!"

"You got stuck, it doesn't count. I had to go and rescue you."

"The first time. What happened the next?" She challenged. Caleb mumbled something and May laughed again. "What was that?"

"You had to rescue me. In my defense, it was Nate's fault!"

"Sure, sure."

They talked easily about the past, almost like no time had passed at all. May still thought about what her grandmother had said, despite trying to ignore it. Just like how she realised how much she missed this; just them sharing stories. It was a friend thing. It had been long before it had been an anything else kind of thing and at least they were on the way to getting that back.

"I'll never forget your face though when Rufus thought you were hurting me when you were really just tickling me. He actually broke his lead to get to you." May watched as Caleb's face froze at the memory.

"I was like, six years old. He was this massive, crazy german shepherd that had never liked me. I was still sad when he died though." He finished.

"Yeah, grandad was crushed when he passed." She thought sadly.

"Well, since he isn't here to protect you now..." Caleb trailed off, and barely a second later she worked out what he was planning.

Getting up she ran, leaping down off the steps and across the yard as he chased. "I swear to god Caleb if you so much as-"

She didn't get to finish as he tackled her, with more care than she was used to considering he took the impact of a fall that would have once left her with a bruise he'd feel terrible about later. May screamed, though it was more of a squeal and sure enough, there was no Rufus to come to her aid as Caleb found that oh so sensitive patch on her side and hip and tickled her. Her protests turned to threats, between deep breaths she fought to get between laughing.

"I. Hate. You!" She gasped, wiggling and squirming as she tried to focus in getting him back. A chinese burn on his forearm would be perfect right about now. "Revenge. Will be. Mine!"

"Doubt it June." He mocked, pinning her down.

"Stop! Okay! You win!" She stuttered, and with her submission Caleb raised his hands above his head in victory as he always had done. Of course that then left him open for a counter-attack and as her fingers grazed the edge of his shirt, Calebs hands were on her wrist ruining her chance.

"You wouldn't be trying to, tickle me, would you June?" He taunted as she glared at him in fake annoyance.

The problem with this was, things had changed from the last time he had pinned on the grass with the torturous idea of tickling her. They weren't kids anymore and things weren't exactly that kind of simple between them anymore either. Now as he held Mays wrists - something he usually ended up doing because her next move had always been so obvious, and he looked down at her in such a way that May cursed her grandmother, the universe and every stupid feeling she had ever had for Caleb, they both knew that this, whatever it was exactly was a bad idea. A real bad idea.The kind of idea friends don't have towards friends, or towards people who had hurt you the most and you weren't supposed to get idea's about.

"Thought you would have come up with a new way to get me back, you know, one that would work." Caleb cursed inwardly as his voice had changed to be just a little deeper, a little huskier and letting her go, he coughed to clear his throat. "Still the champ. I won't ah, challenge you to a tree climb tonight."

"Mighty gracious of you." May patted herself on her back when she managed to sound totally normal despite whatever just happened. "But I would totally win if you did."

Caleb gave a little laugh, "Yeah. Right. Only if I let you."

They headed back to the verandah and grabbed their abandoned drinks. May got her breath back and they both sat silently, lost in their own thoughts. Paranoid, May looked back into the house, half expecting to see her grandmother standing there all smug and self righteous, but she wasn't and as she breathed in deeply, she didn't scent anyone having been near the door since they had come out. Not that it mattered of course. They had just been mucking around and well, nothing had happened. Friends who knew each other like they did, could still act like five year olds around each other. Then she thought of Josh and a pang of guilt made her flinch slightly. No, nothing happened. She had nothing to feel guilty about.

"Leanna seems a little better tonight." Caleb spoke first, turning casually to lean against the fence railing as May snapped out of her thoughts to look at him. "I can't believe what they're doing."

It wasn't hard to work out what he was talking about and the Caleb she had come out with vanished as the angrier, grown up version she was more used to returned.

"I know. I mean, we've heard the stories, all the stories, but they're not real. Our parents are the kind who can go out there and do whatever it is exactly, they're doing."

"I hate them for this." He growled, the sound of the can crunching in his grip getting May's attention as the two dogs decided against sticking around and went inside. "Fucking hate them."

"You don't mean that, we're all angry and worried right now, but-"

"I mean it. I told them that too before we left."

For as brave and angry as he appeared, May sensed that wasn't the complete truth. "If she wanted to keep the hero role, be this bad bitch that everyone fears, then she shouldn't have decided to have kids."

May didn't know what to say and luckily she didn't have to say anything as Leanna came out.

"Yes, what they're doing is dangerous, but Caleb, that's our Mum. It's not all about the pack, don't you see that? It's about keeping us safe. She's probably-" She paused, her frown deepening before speaking. "She's probably more dangerous now, because she has more to lose."

Caleb rolled his eyes, dismissing what Leanna had to say before he got up and went inside.

"He's so angry lately. I don't know how many times he's argued with our parents; he even changed once, challenging them to a fight! I just want everything to go how it used to be."

That really got Mays attention. Challenging his parents in wolf form could have its own set on consequences and while she couldn't imagine Bianca or Cody chasing out their son, few would let it go unpunished. He respected his parents, yet how well did she really know Caleb these days anyway - especially since she hadn't heard about that. His mood swings though, well she knew about how hot and cold he could be. That wasn't the issue now though. May had never seen Leanna like this before so tried to sound like she believed everything she was about to say.

"It will. Once they fix this, it will and everyone will calm down and go back to normal."

"No, it won't. I want things to go back to how it was before your birthday. The one when you didn't change." She finished softly, looking away as soon as she did.

For the third time that night, May was speechless.