I hurriedly run down the tiny hallway. The pain surges throughout my entire body. My muscles tremble from the searing pain coursing through me. Black dots spot across my vision and I focus on keeping hold of my shift. I can hear Greyson following me quickly from behind, his paws slamming on the wooden floor. My arms grow even more weak and my muscles start to reverse shift. I grind my teeth as I manage to hold my shift steady with focus. I make it down the stairs and out the broken back door. My paws touch the grass as I manage to fight my way to the woods, where the tree line is. I collapse onto the ground beside a tree.

My body shakes and convulses beneath me. Fire tearing through my muscles.

Instead of bearing the pain any longer, I shift myself back to human form. I lay on the cold ground, shivering and shaking in the dirt and leaves. The fiery pain still resides in my body, wearing me out. Thankfully though, the pain is no longer unbearable. I groan and lay my head on the hard ground and close my eyes. My breath is hard and unstable as I pant, trying to recoup from the pain.

A second later I hear the paws of a large brown beast stop beside my body. A whimper sounds from his muzzle. I open my eyes to find two emerald ones beating down at me with so much emotion and worry. I have to stop myself from reaching out and embracing him. I give him a small, obviously feigned smile.

"I'm okay." I tell him. He grunts, knowing I'm lying. "I'm fine-"

I'm cut off by the sound of other voices coming from the front yard. I hear, "Octavia, where are you?" from a woman.

And, "Octavia Fowler, get you ass out here right now." from a man.

I can only assume they are that girl's parents coming to get her. And when they go inside, they sure as hell are going to have a sight to see. I moan and push my upper half off the ground. My muscles ache. I try to shift, but to no avail. This is going to be like last time. I have wolf's bane in my system. I'm human until it wears off.

A second later Greyson shifts in front of me. He bends down and slowly helps me get to my feet. I flinch as I stand and straighten my back, all my muscles aching. Yet, tingles still spread from his touch. His comforting warmth almost makes me want to collapse since my body knows I'm safe with him.

"We need to get out of here." He tells me.

"I know, but I can't shift. That knife must have been tipped with Wolf's Bain, it's in my system."

"I can carry you back, think you can hold onto me after I shift?"

I stare up at him shocked. "Carry me back? Greyson you have an open gun shot wound, you're in no condition to run back all that way even just carrying yourself." I tell him honestly.

He frowns. "I'm in far better condition than you. I can do it. Plus, what else do you want me to do, leave you here?" He asks.

"I mean that's what Damien did."

Greyson's eyes go pitch black as they narrow. A cold chill runs down my spine. His frown deepens and I notice him trying to pace his breathing as he attempts to calm down.

"Don't mention his name." He threatens.

I stare at him shocked for a moment. The tone of his voice is harsh, low, and demanding. I don't think he's ever spoken to me that way before, but I nod. I suppose that is still a touchy subject. And speaking of which, when did Greyson start talking to me again, and protecting me? Is what Leo said true, does Greyson actually love me? After all this time and after everything I've done to him?

Boom.

A gun shot fires. The bullet cracking into the tree right beside us. Greyson's quick to move, pushing me completely behind the large tree and jumping behind it with me. My back presses against the cold-hard bark. My body being sandwiched between the tree and Greyson. His arms on either side of my body in a protective stance.

He is glancing over toward the house, trying to be sure they aren't running this way. I stare up at his chiseled jaw. He's so handsome. How long has it been since I've touched his face? He's got stubble on his cheeks, and his hair is longer than usual and a bit unkept. Yet he still looks refreshingly delicious.

Oh my god!?

What am I thinking, we were just shot at!

"Shit, are you okay?" I ask, scanning him for any fresh injuries. I try to snap out of my lust-filled state.

"They missed, but let's not stick around for them to get better aim." 

He looks down, catching me still checking him out. My eyes widen a bit as a small blush forms on my cheeks. Yet, my eyes don't avert. I continue to stare back at him. Our eyes lock for a long moment.

Then we hear, "hunny did you get them?"

"I don't know, they could still be out there. Contact the society. We need to get to the bottom of this." The presumed husband answers.

"Where are you going?"

"To kill whatever's lurking in the woods."

Greyson sighs and breaks the intense contact, "we need to go. Now." He removes his arms from leaning on the tree, freeing me. He steps away. I internally sigh in disappointment.

I straighten my back, getting myself together. This is a do or die situation. We really need to leave. "Ok, I'm ready."

He turns back to me for a moment. We lock eyes. Then he adds, "shit... don't hate me."

"Huh?"

A second later my back is fully pressed up against the tree again. His lips collide with my own. They are warm and sensual. I'm about to kiss back, but he pulls away before I can. I stop myself from whimpering in displeasure. My heart races a million miles in my chest. I pant with new found excitement.

He looks down at my shocked state, turns a bit and shifts.

I don't waste time as I scramble onto his back. I straddle it, and clutch onto his scruff for security. He takes off.

Gun shots fire behind us, barely missing Greyson and me as he skillfully zigzags throughout the trees. After about five minutes the gun shots completely cease and the house is already almost a mile back. I feel my muscles relax a bit as the immediate threat is gone.

The cool wind whips around my naked body. I burry myself deeper into Greyson's long and fluffy dark brown fur. I can feel his warmth beneath me. My head dozes off a bit as I try to ignore my aching body.

By the time I open my eyes again, I realize a couple of hours have passed. Greyson's pace has slowed, but he's still jogging. I glance around at my surroundings. Trees, bushes and the rest of the forest whip past me. Suddenly a wave of dizziness comes over me. I'm more aware of the movement of the forest and Greyson running through it. My stomach knots in an uncomfortable way, sending a bout of nausea through me. I groan as my head aches and the nausea builds, with each passing second it grow worse and worse.

I finally can't deal any longer, "Greyson, can we stop for a moment?" I ask through strained breaths.

He can obviously tell that something's wrong. His jogging slows to a stop.

I tap his back, "ok... let me off please."

He lowers himself to the ground. The nausea hits even worse and I strain to hold it in. I hop off of Greyson and scurry over to a tree. I kneel down, rest my side on the tree and close my eyes. I wait as the nausea grows and simmers at odd times. I pace my breathing and steady my head to try and calm it down.

I'm so caught up in my relaxation exercise that I miss the feet approaching me from behind. "Are you ok? What's wrong? Is it your wound?"

I shake my head that's propped against the tree. "No," as I speak I grow more nauseous, but I continue anyway, "I got motion sick because I started dozing off." I tell him honestly.

I groan a bit and sit firmly on the ground.

"Oh shit... that's the worst." He sits down next to me, close enough where his side is touching my own. Tingles flow through my system. "I would rub your back but that might make it worse." He comments.

I giggle at that. I'm not exactly sure why it was funny or comforting to me. But just him being here is making me feel lighter and less sick. "You're probably right about that."

We sit there for a while with only the white noise of the woods around us. It's a calm and peaceful silence and I don't feel awkward about it. My head slowly stops spinning. My stomach settles. I sigh in relief. I lift my head from the tree.

"I think it has passed."

His hand plops down onto my head gently and lightly ruffles my hair. Little tingles flow through me and my tummy explodes with a burst of butterflies. My heart beats erratically but his action is calming at the same time. I turn my head partially in his direction. I sideways glance at him. Our eyes meet.

My heart thumps so loudly. In the quiet of this woods, I can only assume he hears it too. My cheeks flare up a bit in embarrassment but I just can't seem to look away.

I reach up and grab his hand in my own. I pull it down in front of me. My eyes follow my hands. I place one of mine on top of his, lacing our fingers together, and the other wraps around the back side of his hand, so I'm cradling it.

I forgot how warm and large his hands were.

I forgot the softness of his touch and the gentleness of his aura.

I squeeze his hand a bit. A moment later, he squeezes my hand back. A small smile forms on my lips. The small gesture was all I needed.

He still cares about me.

In the relaxation of the moment, my adrenaline finally starts wearing off. My tender neck aches. My head feels like a thousand pounds just weighing me down. I can feel the crisp air sneaking under my hair and chilling my opened wounds on my neck. The deep cut on my left thigh hurts especially. The knife, when it sliced into my skin, must have really pierced my muscle.

The remembrance of my wounds triggers my brain to something even more important: Greyson's wound. He was shot. And I've been making him worry about me this whole time!

My head turns his way. "I am so sorry I forgot about you getting shot. Are you ok? Does it hurt?" My voice is frantic and my words nervously stream out of my mouth.

I drop his hand and scoot closer to him. I grab his right arm and pull it toward me. Dried blood stains trickle down his arm from the bullet wound. I sigh in relief as I glance at the wound itself. It's not deep and should heal in a day or two.

He laughs at my demeanor. "I'm fine Lucia, you worry too much."

"Worry too much? You got shot. That's a valid thing to worry about."

"But you're the one who actually got hurt. Speaking of, I need to get you back. Are you well enough to travel again?"

I roll my eyes at him turning the subject back onto me. "Yes I'm completely fine now."

"Completely?" He asks, glancing down at my thigh that's still fresh with crimson blood seeping down it.

I laugh, an unusual thing to do in this type of situation but somehow felt right. "I meant the nausea... but the rest of me is feeling fine too. I'm as fresh and spry as a daisy."

"The last I recalled, daisy don't ooze bullshit."

I slap his chest gently, "I'm not oozing bullshit!"

He smiles at our mini argument. Then the small twinkle falls from his eyes. He sighs. "Why did this happen..." he whispers

I freeze.

Hold up. Did I hear that right? What does that mean?

"What did you say?"

He freezes now. "Nothing... forget it. Come on, I need to take you back to the pack house." He stands from the hard ground. My hands were still cradling his arm so he grabs hold of one of them and hauls me up to my feet.

When he tries to release my hand, I don't let him. I hold onto it even harder. Although with my human strength he could easily pull out of my hold, but he doesn't. Instead he sighs. Not an annoyed sigh, but more of a confused sigh.

"I don't want to go back..." I tell him. "Not yet at least." He seems compliant.

I feel my confidence boosting with every moment he submits to me. He holds my hand now and doesn't try to pull it away. I take a step closer to him. He doesn't move, but his eyes turn up toward mine. He is confused, and clearly I am too. I don't know what I'm doing, but I know that I certainly don't hate it.

"Don't you think you should get treated?" He asks in a low husky voice as he watches me take another slow step closer to him.

"Treated? My wounds aren't bad."

"But your leg is bleeding and your healing powers are suppressed."

"They are suppressed but still healing," I retort as I step toward him again. Our front sides are now almost touching as I stand before him. I keep a small enough distance between us that we can't feel skin on skin, but the temptation is there and running high.

"Lucia, I really don't think you know what you're about to get yourself into."

"Oh, I don't? Are you so sure?"

I can feel his hand trembling a bit under my own as he tries to restrain himself. Oh how badly I want him to just give in to his desires.... I want him to touch me. I want him to hold me the way he used to.

But instead he lets out another sigh, "Lucia, you're not being fair." His voice isn't husky nor teasing, he said it plainly and seriously. This gives me a bit of pause.

"What do you mean?" My tone is light and confused.

"You know I want you, there's no question about it, but yet you didn't choose me. So why are you doing this?"

My cheeks redden. My heart accelerates in my chest as the blood flow quickens its pace. A bout of anger rises within me. His accusation pisses me off.

"I didn't choose you?" My tone growing harsher as my anger builds. "What the hell? Like I even had a choice! If anyone here is to blame, it's you for not choosing me sooner!" I snap. I pull my hand away from him, my anger now boiling.

"Me? What the hell are you trying to say? You're the one who ran off and got herself marked by another wolf." His voice on their verge of snapping as well but unlike me, he keeps his cool.

"You're a real dumbass, you know that?" I snap at him, all my defensive walls building back up.

He frowns. "Quit overreacting like a child and explain yourself."

I growl at him. "You have no right to be ordering me around."

He sighs in annoyance. He takes a deep breath and calms himself. I cross my arms over my chest and glare in his direction. I am not happy anymore.

"Lucia, please stop with this childish act. You have no reason to be defensive with me."

"You mean I have no reason to defy your orders?" I growl. Typical.

"I'm just trying to have a damn conversation with you, God you're so thick headed it's ridiculous!"

"I may be thick headed but at least I'm not ignorant like someone else."

"Ignorant? Where the hell are you pulling these ideas from?"

I turn on my toes and continue to step away from him. "It doesn't matter. Excuse me while I take my thick headed self and go for a walk to cool down."

He grunts from behind me as I walk away. "Fine. You're not my problem to deal with anymore."

That final sentence cracks my heart in two. I feel my eyes well up with fresh tears. I pump my legs faster to get away from him before I start balling my eyes out.

Once I get a safe distance away, I let out my first whimper. It's quickly followed by another and soon I find myself on the ground and wailing.

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Author's Note:

Sorry for the slow updates guys. My school year just ended so hopefully I will be able to get back into the writing spirit and update faster. Thank you all for sticking around and reading, I hope you're all enjoying the book.

Also, happy birthday @Flow133 ^_^