"Stay away from Devyn! He's mine." Was the first thing that greeted me as I stepped into my room, the second thing to greet me was a fist flying at my face. I didn't have time to dodge the hit and felt the blow against my left cheek, it knocked me sideways, and I went tumbling into the doorway.

It didn't take me long to recover, and I was launching myself at Valerie, she wasn't expecting me to fight back. In fact, the look of surprise on her face made me smile as I threw a fist at her face, the advantage I had was the two rings on my fingers, and I saw them graze her face and leave marks behind.

"Ow! You're going to pay for that!" Valerie said as I felt my head tug sideways and a punch to my ribs. The blow left me breathless but I felt myself being pulled away from Valerie by a pair of strong arms. I was about to say something, but when I was put out in the corridor with an angry looking Trisha all the fight left meantime, and I moved away from her.

It took a few more minutes before Valerie was brought out, she too looked wild until her eyes landed on Trisha. It seemed Trisha had this way about her, no matter how angry you were the silent, withering look she gave a person was enough to make them docile again.

And the same thing happened with Valerie, she immediately stopped fighting and stood with her head hung, refusing to meet anyones eye.

"Would someone care to explain what in gods name you're both doing? Valerie? Leah? Someone better explain right now or so help me I'll spank you both!" The thought of spanking was unsettling, if ever I'd gotten into a fight in California I wouldn't have been reprimanded in the slightest. Usually it was a congratulatory clap on the back and a 'well done' not what I was currently getting.

"It's all Leah's fault, she has a problem with me and Devyn." I couldn't believe what I was hearing and snapped my attention to Trisha, who's evil gaze was now settled on me.

"That's not true! I had just walked into the room and Valerie punched me in the face, she's upset because Devyn talks to me and showed me around school today. Like I said Val, I don't want him so you can have him!" This was ridiculous, Valerie was ridiculous too and I wanted to go back to California to my Zen life and the quietness that I knew would be waiting for me there.

"Valerie! Devyn is not yours to be protective over, how many times have we told you that? You're friends and until he decides otherwise you can't keep him from befriending other girls, you're both grounded for a week. Valerie on top of your grounding from last night and all the conditions that go with it you're to come home after school, muck out the horse stalls, milk Betty and do your homework. No television for you. Do I make myself clear? If you continue hating Leah, then the punishment will be harsher for you. Leah, I would like to confiscate your phone, laptop and iPod for the week. Please retrieve them for me." Red flags began blaring as soon as my punishment was dished out, I couldn't believe I was being punished for defending myself.

Instead of doing as Trisha asked I shook my head and walked down the stairs and out of the house, I could hear Trisha yelling out for me but I continued on walking.

I don't know where I was going or what direction I was heading but I followed the dirt road that led up to the house. It was a good thing that the summer sun set late because I walked for a half hour to burn off steam before I realised I had no idea where I was. Talked during my walk I had veered off the road and begun walking through one of the many fields that sat around the house.

"Uh oh," I said to myself before turning back to look the way I'd come. Not too far behind me sat Declan atop one of his horses, I cringed at what he'd have to say of my walking out of the house.

But as he came closer the only thing he did was hold a hand out, I took it but wasn't prepared for being pulled up on to the creature and took a little while to settle myself behind Declan. My heart was pounding as I; I was sitting on top of a horse! The feeling was surreal and I was left utterly speechless by it all.

Instead of going back to the house like I had figured, Declan steered the horse down on to a worn out path. "You probably won't believe this, but I used to walk the ranch lands as a kid....used to walk everywhere." I remained silent as Declan said that, how was I meant to respond to that? It wasn't a question and not a statement I was interested in hearing but that was all he said, no more than that.

We continued in silence for a while before Declan pulled the horse to a stop and got off the horse, when he'd climbed down I swear I almost stopped breathing. Where ever we were was well above the main house and cluster of houses on the ranch, spread out before Declan, and I was grassland, there were a few small clumps of trees here and there and even a small lake!

My heart soared when I spotted the little lake in the distance and looked down at Declan, he had a broad smile on his face and held his hand out for me. I took it and climbed down off of the horse, brushing myself off as soon as I was standing on my own two feet.

"You can come up here any time you want to Leah, if things get too bad or you just want some time alone. I know Val has been giving you a hard time since you got here, Trisha and I can see it. But we don't condone violence in the house, even if it's in self defence. We don't want Val hitting you or you hitting Val." I shook my head, what was I supposed to do with Valerie if she came at me again? If ever she did I'd still hit her, especially if she hit me first.

"What am I supposed to do? Just let her hit me until one of you comes to my rescue? Sorry Declan but that's not who or how I am, I deffend myself. Even if it means getting dirty or hurting the other person, I'm not going just to sit there and let someone pound the crap out of me...that's not even fair to ask." Declan held a hand up and I stopped talking, I had plenty more to say but kept my mouth shut as soon as Declan gave me a look to be quiet.

"I don't expect you to just sit there and take hit after hit, but I don't want you killing each other either. This is a family and we need to start acting like it, I know you've only been in this family for a few days but you've got to have seen how we work by now?" Truth be told I hadn't seen much beyond my nose, I didn't have a clue what Declan was talking about and shook my head to say so. He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face before attempting to speak again.

But I beat him to it. "You can't just expect me to live seventeen years of my life practically alone and then get along in a family unit overnight? I've never had a dad or sisters, I've had friends, I've had no friends and I have a nanny and a maid that care for me...they don't care for me as a mother does a kid but they care for me enough to keep me alive. That's what I've been doing Declan; I've been staying alive. If someone threatens that even just a little I'm going to react in any way I see fit, I'm not just going to sit there and let someone threaten me." I had to stop and take a deep breath, ranting was making me feel a lot better but it was leaving me short of breath.

"Keep taking deep breaths Leah I don't want you having another panic attack out here. Okay? And I hear what you're saying, you're not used to this life and it was sudden. I get that and we'll give you time to adjust but we don't want you to give up on a good thing before it's begun, you know what I mean?" I nodded my head as I took a few deep breaths to calm myself, like Declan, the last thing I wanted was to have a panic attack out here in the open.

"It's pretty up here, " I said, Declan nodded and sat down on a rock not too far away. I went and sat next to him on a rock that wasn't as comfortable or well placed as his so had to balance myself a little more.

"It is and this was my parent's home, I came back to take over once my dad had passed on. That was partly why you had to stay in California with your mom. She didn't want you coming out here to the middle of nowhere." There it was again, another small hint about the relationship Declan had had with my mom. He would likely close down if I asked him anything else so bit the inside of my cheek to stop from asking anymore then he was willing to give.

"What if I go for a walk and get lost? No one will know where I've gone or anything." Declan seemed to think that over for a few moments then responded, "you'll have to carry a radio around with you and leave a note to say where you're going and how long you plan on being away. So that we can check it to see if you're overdue or not. If you want I can send Sonia out with you, you two seem to get along well?"

"Yeah, Sonia is friendly enough but I might try this walking thing alone." I wanted alone time; sure the scenery wasn't the same as in Californiaanyone'sbut at least there was quiet around the place.

Declan nodded before standing, the sun was funny to set and the mountains it set behind in the distance were throwing long shadows over the broad valley before us. "Come on, we best be off or else Trisha will kill me for having you out too late." I nodded, dreading slightly what she would say once we arrived back at the house.

On the way back down I played scenario after scenario over in my head but when we arrived back at the house after dark Trisha didn't say a word as she steered Declan and I into the dining room to eat with everyone else. Valerie was nowhere to be seen and Declan sat down next to Devyn, which left a seat open for me next to Sonia or at the head of the table. I sat next to Sonia and began eating.