"Hey." A soothing voice whispers, waking me from my slumber.

I groan and turn toward the voice.

"Get up Lucia."

"Five more minutes." I plead, digging my head into my pillow.

A hand gently grasps my arm. Tingles spread from the touch and I sleepily moan from the sensation. The hand shakes me lightly.

I grunt in disappointment. I want to sleep, why is this person waking me?

My eyes open slowly. As I see who my intruder is, I shoot up from the bed in shock.

I point at Greyson, "Why are you in my room?" I ask loudly.

"Shhh," he motions for me to quiet down, "Quiet or you will wake Carolyn."

"Wake her? How did you get in here?" I ask shocked. Taking a quick glance over at the clock, I see that it's almost 12am.

I hear Greyson going through his pocket. Then he lifts his hand up. I see the pocket tool we use on missions in his grasp. My jaw drops open.

"You broke into my suite?" I ask stunned.

He laughs, "Yes, but don't make it sound weird. I wanted to get you out for a bit. Since Carolyn has had you on lockdown for the past few days, I took the liberty of coming to break you out."

Well, I mean, it has sucked being stuck in the suite. The only exciting things that ever happens are dinner with the squad or watching a new movie with Mom and Rina.

"Hmm, I guess getting out for a bit sounds nice." I say calmly.

In reality my heart is beating like crazy. I can't believe Greyson thought about me. He even came here to get me out of lock down. I never knew he was so thoughtful.

"Awesome," he says with a heart stopping smirk, "let's go then."

He stands up from kneeling next to my bed. I lean up and yawn. I get out of my covers and realize I'm just in a baggy t-shirt and undies. Oops...

"Uh, let me change real fast." He nods and I hop off the bed.

I open my closet door and grab a bra, shorts and a close fitting shirt that Mom bought for me. I turn to glance at Greyson who is now sitting on my bed patiently.

"Don't look." I say to him and motion him to glance at the wall on the other side of the room.

He rolls his eyes, "Yeah, yeah." He turns his head and I smile.

I turn back around and face my closet. Grabbing the bottom rim of my baggy t-shirt, I slide it off. I grab my lace black bra that Mom also bought for me and slip it on followed by my new clean shirt. Lastly, I step into my shorts and pull them up, doing that little dance to get into them.

"Alright," I say then turn around. Greyson, who is still facing the wall turns my way. "I'm ready, where are we going?"

----

I pant as we trek through the woods in human form. We've been out here for about an hour now. Granted, I run around the woods all the time in wolf form, but this is different. Plus it's been a while since I've done any form of vigorous activity. I feel a bit out of shape. We are going off the usual trail and now I have no idea where we are.  I'm trusting Greyson to know, since he is the one who took me out here.

"You know, you still haven't told me where we are going." I say as I push a branch out of my face.

"Patience is a virtue Lucia." he states and continues forward.

Sighing, "Well patience isn't a virtue of mine." I add slightly annoyed, "You know, you could at least give me a hint as to where we are going."

"I could, but that would give it away." He says, "We are almost there, just a few more minutes."

"Fine fine," I state, "You win this round. But be warned, I don't usually like surprises."

He laughs, "You will this time. Trust me."

I shrug, "I don't trust people easily either."

"You know," he says, "Lucia, you sure are something with your sass, aren't you?" he adds with a laugh and I roll my eyes.

It's pitch black out. There is nothing but the moonlight and stars to show us the way. Luckily, my eyes have adjusted enough to see my surroundings. Clearly we are deep in the woods. The trees are so close that their branches have naturally started to intertwine with one another. This weaving creates a beautiful canopy that let's in just enough moonlight to expose the exotic greenery. I can hear the nearby river in the background.

It's so peaceful out here that it almost freaks me out.

"So," Greyson says, breaking the silence, "When did you get that Yin-Yang tattoo?"

"Oh that old thing? Raymond decided one day that he wanted to quit the squad and become a tattoo artist. I told him he was an idiot but he-" Then it hits me. I stop in my tracks, "Hey!" I shout angrily at him.

Greyson comes to a stop and turns my way. There is a smirk plastered on his face. What an ass! That tattoo is on my lower back. There is no way anyone could ever see it unless I showed them or they somehow saw me taking my shirt off!

"You jerk! You looked when I was changing!" I growl at him.

His smirk just grows, "Well when a pretty girl asks you not to watch her change when she is standing right in front of you, it's rather hard to resist."

My stern expression falters for a mere second. Did he just call me pretty? Seriously, this guy is the only person to think these things about me.

Wait a second. Focus here Lucia. He disobeyed you!

I snap back into angry mode, "I told you not to look! I trusted you Greyson."

He rolls his eyes, "You can't trust a guy to not at least peak over."

I fold my arms over my chest angrily and start to walk again. The ass can't even admit that he was wrong.

I begin to mumble, "Well I thought you were different."

"What was that?" He asks as I walk by him.

"Nothing." I grunt.

As I continue to walk past him. Leaves crinkle under my feet. Before I get very far, a hand grabs onto my left arm. I'm forcefully pushed up against a nearby tree. I let out a small 'oof' as my back makes contact with the bark. I slowly glance up into a pair of darkening emerald eyes.

I can't help but feel the sparks fly through my body as his eyes pierce into me. He looks hungry, like a starved hunter finally spotting its prey. My heart jumps at his closeness. His body warmth flowing off of him in waves, soothing me but yet exciting me at the same time.

"I am different," he whispers in a deep and manly tone. "Admit it."

He lowers his head down to the nape of my neck. My heart squirms in my chest. Tingles fly through my body as his lips make contact with my skin. For some reason this spot is sensitive and embarrassingly pleasurable. His teeth scrape against my neck gently. Delicious shivers crawl up my spine.

"Admit it Lucia," he breathes onto my neck. My wolf purrs in delight.

I fight the urge to give into him, so he continues. I moan as his tongue trails around the nape of my neck. My god, what is this guy doing to me? It feels so good that it's hard to keep my thoughts together. What were we even talking about? He sucks a bit on my skin. As my legs weaken, my will to disobey him shatters.

"Okay," I breathe heavily, "I admit it, you are different."

I feel his smirk against my neck.

My wolf whimpers as he pulls away. The sensation still tingling through my body. I'm barely able to hold myself up. I pant hard as his head rises to my level once again. His eyes glance over me. He notices my frazzled state. Redness quickly washes over my face. I try to compose myself.

I let out a small cough and avert my eyes from his, "So... Where were we going again?"

He laughs and places his hand on my head, "You're too cute."

My face blazes in embarrassment. What is up with him and calling me cute? I just don't understand him at all. One second he is all sexy and the next he is fooling around with me. I never know what to expect from him.

"It's just a little further," he reaches down and grabs my hand in his own, "Let's go."

He pulls me off of the tree. We walk in the direction we were headed in before. I glance down at our hands which are laced together. I can't help but notice just how big his hand is. Mine fits perfectly in his, as if they were made for each other.

"Don't show that tattoo to anyone else. Got it?" He adds quickly as we continue of our way.

Huh, when did he become mister possessive? Didn't Mom say that is a sign of someone liking you?

Well, I don't really believe that he likes me at the moment, but I can understand him not wanting to share me with others. I wouldn't want Greyson to be making out with other girls while this is happening between us. I find sharing people in that way to be rather gross. Either way, he still doesn't have possession over me.

"I can show my tattoo to whomever I want." I retort.

Greyson turns and angrily glares at me. I can see his eyes darkening as the anger pulses through him, "I'm the only one allowed to see it. Do you understand?"

His voice is low and assertive. I can sense something else in his voice too but what? A hint of power maybe? I'm not sure, but I can tell he is actually getting worked up about this. My face flames red and I end up averting my eyes from his again. I look toward the ground to avoid his angry glares as we continue to walk.

"Whatever..." I answer quietly, "I'm not really used to people barking order's at me, but it's not like I want to show it to anyone else anyway."

In the corner of my eye, I can see a bit of happiness on his face. I grunt. Jeez, I didn't want him to know just how set on him I was. What if I come to find out he doesn't like me? This moment will be so embarrassing for me.

He faces forward again. Still dragging me through the forest. We stay silent as we crunch over dead branches and leaves. Crickets sing in the distance. I close my eyes and enjoy their love songs as we walk hand in hand.

The air feels moist. I peak an eye open and glance up through the canopy. The sky had grown darker. The moonlight is hidden behind a bunch of clouds. It's even more difficult to see now.

"Hey Greyson, it looks like it's going to rain soon." I state.

I hear a low laugh followed by, "I know it's supposed to rain tonight."

I scrunch my face up confused. So he knew that and still decided to take me out? What if it suddenly started to down pour?

"That's why we need to hurry. We are almost there." He adds and pulls a little harder on my hand, dragging me forward.

As we fast walk, I notice something changing. The crickets seem to get quieter as the sound of croaking frogs gets louder. The grass under my boots also seems to get squishier. It's as if it already rained here.

When I look up, I see the canopy starting to dissipate the further we go. The trees begin to spread out, getting further and further from one another.

I turn my head to the right and see more bushes on the ground as opposed to big trees. This can only mean one thing. We are coming to a break in the forest. I'm about to say something when I slam into something hard.

"Oof!" I grunt.

I hear Greyson laugh and I feel the deep rumble from his back.

"What did you stop so suddenly for?" I complain and push off his back.

He steps to the side, revealing what's in front of us. My eyes widen in amazement.

"Woah." I say.

"We are here." He adds with a smirk.

In front of us lies a beautiful lake. To the left in the water, there are small patches of lily pads, with a few lilies that have sprouted. In front of us is a grassy area that immediately dips down into the lake. This place appears to be untouched by civilization. I can't explain it, but it feels magical. It's even more beautiful than the little waterfall that is near the pack house.

"This place is beautiful, how did you find it?" I ask, looking up at him.

He shrugs, "Sometimes I find it hard to sleep, so I go out in the middle of the night to straighten my thoughts out and just think. One day, I found myself wondering further than normal and ended up here."

I smile and turn back to the beautiful lake, "It's breath-taking. You have a good find here."

I step closer to the lake. When I do, I feel a slight pull on my left hand. I look back and notice that our fingers are still laced together. I feel my cheeks heat up and I quickly let go.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I was still holding on to you..." I say and turn back to the lake in embarrassment.

Good job Lucia, now he thinks you are going to cling to him! Ugh, I'm so dumb sometimes. His hand was so comfortable that I forgot I was holding on to it.

He laughs, "Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who grabbed onto your hand, remember?"

I think back, "Oh yeah..."

He smiles and walks towards me. I turn as he pats my head gently. I look up into his eyes. The emerald color is blazing in happiness. Does this mean he likes to be around me? Boys are so confusing.

My wolf urges me to grab his hand and pull him close. But that would be weird, wouldn't it? Me making the first move.

Suddenly, something wet drips onto my nose. Another water droplet lands on Greyson's cheek. I look up just in time to get a shower of rain on my face.

"Ahh!" I screech and cower under my arms.

As I do, I look out at the lake. If I can even call it that. As a rain drop hits the surface, a burst of neon green light spreads across the water in small ripples. Soon the whole lake is illuminating green.

"What is happening?" I ask, completely stunned in place.

"This is what I really wanted to show you. But come here." Greyson says, he grabs my hand and drags me underneath a nearby tree.

It shelters us from most the down pour. A few droplets that manage to escape through the leave above us come down and hit us gently. Greyson places his gym bag next to the tree trunk. Then he take his shirt off and my eyes widen.

"What are you doing?" I ask as I subtly trace his rippling muscles with my eyes.

"Obviously I'm going swimming, aren't you coming?" He asks with a smirk, almost catching me checking him out.

"Uhh..." I turn to see the green lake, it's so beautiful that I feel drawn to it, "Is it safe?"

He laughs, "No idea."

I turn to him shocked, "It could be radio active and you are just going to jump in?" I ask.

"Of course." he tosses his shirt over with his bag. "So are you just going to watch me or are you coming in too?"

"Umm..." I nervously glance at the water, "if you go in first, and you are fine, then I will jump in."

He laughs, "Fine, I see what you're doing. Using me as the tester. Better safe then sorry I guess."

I laugh, "I'm glad you understand."

I reach down to the hem of my shirt and slide it off. Then I slip out of my boots and shorts. Greyson takes off his sneakers. We both toss our stuff over with the bag.

"Okay," I say as rain drips down my body, "Go ahead."

"Actually," He says and approaches me. I give him an odd look. "Come here."

He gets next to me and scoops me up into his arms princess style. I yelp surprised, "What are you doing Greyson?"

He smirks down at me as he walks toward the lake, "You first." he adds and tosses me into the air.

"Wha-" I scream right before I plummet into the lake.

I sink down into the water with little breath in my lungs. I quickly swim up to the surface. As I break through to air, I suck in as much oxygen as possible. I pant hard and open my eyes to see Greyson smirking down at me from the side of the lake.

"What the hell!" I scream at him, "What if I died?"

"You're fine aren't you?"

I glance down at my body which is being surrounded by green, "I think so." Then I frown, "that's not the point Greyson!"

He laughs, "Make room!" He yells as he jumps in next to me cannonball style.

"Ah!" I screech as he makes contact with the water, causing a wave to slap me.

My face drips wet as he pops his head back up to the surface. I frown at him angrily. He just smiles at me.

"Oh come on Lucia, it was fun jumping in, wasn't it?"

"Jumping? You threw me in! And I could have died."

"Oh come on, act like I would throw you into a lake that was unsafe." he states.

"What do you mean? You said you didn't know if it was safe or not."

"I lied, this lake is one hundred percent safe, I checked."

I frown and splash water at him, "Jerk! You had me freaking out!"

He laughs as the water hits his face, "But the look on your face was priceless!"

I grunt, "You're so mean!"

"Aw, don't be mad!" He adds.

"How can I not be!" I groan.

He smiles and swims up to me. I frown. What is he up to now?

As he gets to me, he reaches out with his hands and touches my sides. Before I can stop him, he starts to tickle me. Oh no!

I start laughing and squirming in his grip. He continues and I feel the muscles in my stomach begin to ache from all the laughter.

"Stop!" I laugh through pained breathes. "Please!" I complain as tears start to form in the brink of my eyes.

He laughs, "Will you stop being mad?"

"Yes," I pant through my pained laughter.

He finally stops. As I catch my breath I start to sink in the water. I reach up and grab Greyson's shoulder's to support me. I pant and take in as much air as possible.

"Jesus, you really are trying to kill me." I add as I slowly glance at Greyson.

"I wouldn't say that. I'm just trying to have fun."

"Well your idea of fun is whacked!" I add still breathing hard.

As my muscles rest, I depend on Greyson to hold me up. Suddenly the energy between us changes. My wolf starts to get excited due to the tingles flowing from my hands. Since I'm using him to rest, our bodies are close. My chest almost resting against his. My breath hitches as I feel the urge to bend down and kiss his lips.

As I start to bend down, a loud yelping howl booms through the air.

My ears perk. My head shoots up shocked. I know that howl.