Mate - That's the word that screams at me just by gazing at him.

For a minute, I just stand. Watch him. I'm not even sure I breathe because I'm so shell shocked. My mind seems to be racing at a hundred miles a minute. The only thing that sticks out from the clutters of thoughts is the colour of his eyes. It's the only thing I can focus on.

My eyes trail further across his features. I find myself rapidly looking all over him, drinking in every part of him. I rush to examine every inch of exposed skin. His chiseled jaw, his five o'clock shadow, his perfect, slightly tanned skin. To his lips. His thin, but very kissable lips. Even his stance seems to have me fascinated. His muscles are constantly bunching, with every move he makes he flexes involuntarily. I can see him clenching his fist at his side. As if he's holding himself back. But from what? Killing me?

I step back once I realize what I'm dealing with. He looks familiar. So familiar. Not to mention deadly.

Who is he? I rake my brain for anything that leads me to revealing who he is. Nothing. But would you be able to focus with a guy this handsome in front of you?

"Well aren't you a small little thing," He smirks down at me, noticing how small I am compared to him. I literally have to bite my lip from letting out a dreamy sigh at the sound of his voice.

But I'm supposed to be feeling insulted, right? He had just called me small. And a thing.

I mange to direct a pointed look at - more like up - at him. "I'm not a 'thing' I'm a person. Also, don't small and little have the same definition? That's quite a range of vocabulary you have, giant big thing."

He chuckles, It's almost as sexy as his voice, if not, more. "And that's quite a attitude you have." He steps closer, getting right back in my personal space.

Oh god, how could I forgot how big he is? He could kill me! And here I am smart mouthing him. Talk about a death wish.

I cower back and glance back once I feel the sole of my shoe get wet. I notice that I'm standing in the lake by now.

I turn slowly back to the man before me and notice just how close he's standing. So close that I can feel the body heat that emanates off of him. I tilt my head upward at him, seeing him watching me the way I was doing to him minutes before.

The moonlight catches his face, allowing me better to get a look at him. It especially lights up a scar on his face. A scar directly above his eyebrow. How the hell did he get that scar? I think. I start to conjure up horrible scenarios of how it could have happened. I push it all away immediately.

He reaches out, almost hesitantly, before resting his hand on my face. His finger tips grazing my cheek bone. Just by that small touch, I can feel tingles run through all out of my body. It causes me to let out a shaky breath, but I don't move. "Do I make you nervous?" He asks, in a heated whisper, his hand traveling to my neck.

I swallow and shake my head, though my mind begs to differ. And so does my body. I tremble almost pleasurably under his touch and lean into him.

He chuckles, running his hand over my shoulder to the small of the back where he abruptly shoves me towards him. "Then you clearly don't know how I am."

"I know you look familiar. I just.. can't seem to think clearly enough to realize it." I mummer, glancing up at him. I watch the curve of his lips turn up into a smile.

"Can't seem to think clearly, eh? Am I distracting you?"

"No," I answer shakily.

He laughs at the obvious lie. "What's your name?"

"What's yours?" I counter.

"I asked first."

"'I asked first'? What are we, five? Just tell me what your damn name is." My voice a lot stronger then before. I seem to be regaining my senses, since I start to wiggle my way out of his arms. His strong, strong arms. Not to mention his li-

Focus, Ronnie, focus! This guy can be a murderer! He probably is. He looks like he was built to kill with all that muscle of his.

He ran a hand through his golden brown hair, ruffling it slightly before letting out a little sigh. "I'll tell you, if you agree not to run."

I pause for a moment before answering, "Okay," I nod, though I highly doubt I'll end up staying. I have a feeling I'm not gonna like what he's about to say.

"Liam," He murmurs and seems to grip me tighter in his arms, truly scared I'll run. "Liam Farley."

Liam Farley. Liam Farley. Liam Farley. The name screams itself over and over in my mind. The name is familiar. I search his face for a matter of seconds, before it hits me.

Liam Farley, Portland's number one rogue. Liam Farley the murderer that killed the Sun pack. Liam Farley, the most dangerous rogue in Portland - Non the less, America. Le'ts not forget a murderer!

And here I am, letting him hold me close in his arms, although I doubt he would hurt me. Still, I stumble back, the water sloshing at the back of heels.

He tilts his head at me, looking like a animal examining his prey. I truly feel like his prey at the moment. "You said you wouldn't run."

"That was before I knew you were a murderer," I spat and backed away, swiftly, I go pounding out of the water in a effort to run away from this psycho, but he doesn't allow it.

He catches me and presses his chest against my back, making me feel the rippling muscles. "You know if you run, I'd just catch you. Always."

Something about his words make me shiver. It's because I know he truly means it. Always.

"Is that a threat?" I hiss, and glance over my shoulder to glare at him. He smirks and shrugs.

"What makes you think it's a threat?"

"More like a promise in my book."

I'm about to snap at him when I hear a voice in the distance. "Ronnie! Ronnie, answer me!" Shit. Adam. I had almost forgotten that I'd ran away from the bonfire. From him.

I panic silently. What happens if he sees me with Liam? What would he do to him? Wait, wait, why the hell do I care if something happens to him?

Because whether you like it or not, you know this boy is a lot more then just a rogue to you. You know he's your m-

"Ronnie? That's your name?" Liam's words break me from my thoughts and I wrench myself forcefully away from his hold on me.

"You have to leave," I say and make the best effort to shove him. I fail, miserably.

"Why? Is that your little boyfriend?" He eyes the dark woods, his eyes filled with hatred. I'm scared that if Adam emerges, Liam will kill him.

"No, idiot! Now go! Before he finds you!" I say hastily and make another attempt to push him. He doesn't move. Nor does he make eye contact with me. He just glares in the forest's direction. I know in a matter of seconds, Adam will surely make a appearance. "Liam, you have to go. If he see's you, he'll tell the pack, he'll-"

He cuts me off. "Promise me you'll come back here tomorrow, then I'll go."

My eyebrows furrow and I lick my suddenly chapped lips, "I don't know if I-"

"Promise me or I'll stay. And wait for whoever the hell is calling after you. Smell's like a Alpha, from what I can tell."

I can hear the pounding of Adam's feet, I know he's coming soon. I have no time to think, just do. So I nod rapidly. "Okay, I'll be here tomorrow night. Now go!"

He turns on his heels and make's his way to brush of the woods, before he glances over his shoulder, staring at me with those haunting green eyes of his. "See you tomorrow, Ronnie. Or should I say mate?"

I don't even gasp or anything. It's because I know it's true. I knew it from the moment he touched me. Perhaps by the moment he looked at me.

He give's me no time to reply, since he hurriedly disappears, the dark woods swallowing him up.

I restrained myself from running after him, enveloping him in my arms, and kissing those perfect pink lips of his. I was even tempted to run my finger tips over his scar, ask who did this to him. And I hated it. I knew it was the stupid mate connection. My mate. My true mate.

The more I thought of about it, the more I freaked out. What the hell was I to do about Adam? He wanted me to mate with him. And I didn't understand why. He stopped being my friend. He stopped talking to me. He even stopped looking at me. God, I think that's the thing that hurt me the worse. The fact he wouldn't even glance in my direction. And if he did, it was a look of utter disgust. Like I was trash.

For a while, I believed I was. I had no friends. No dad. No mom. No nothing. I was alone. Not even Anna could understand my problems, since I couldn't tell her. That just frustrated me more. Why did Adam want me around all the sudden? Because I had grown up and turned out to be "pretty"? I wasn't sure. And I didn't think I'd be getting answers anytime soon.

"Ronnie!"

My head snapped to see Adam. He was panting heavily, worry plastered on his face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I say, making my way up the sand. "Let's just get back before the others come look for us." And discover a rogue has been here. Non the less, been with me. I add, mentally.

Adam doesn't respond. Instead, his eyes roam the area and he sticks his nose up in the air, sniffing. Oddly seeming like a dog. Ironic, really. "That smell.. It's-"

"Probably a animal or something. Are we going or what?" I tug on his arm and pull him into the forest to return to the pack house. He let's me drag him all the way back, but he seems to jump at any small movement in the trees, or any sound, as if he's expecting to jump out of no where and attack us.

We arrive back in the opening where the pack houses are to see everyone still circled around the bonfire, whispering to one another.

They all quiet down once they see me and Adam. I release the grip I had on Adam's arm and start towards my house. Adam, of course, trails after me. "Did you see anything out there?"

"Out where?" I play dumb for the sake of Liam. Even though I may not be pleased Liam's my true mate, I still don't want anything to happen to him. I might have just met him a few minutes - Feels more like hours - ago I was determined to protect him. Because I cared about his well being, whether I wanted to or not.

"Out at the lake. There was this.. scent. A werewolf. A rogue, even."

I stop immediately, causing Adam to bump into my back. I turn and face him, narrowing my eyes at him. "Nothing was out there, Adam. Drop it."

"Why are you being so defensive about it, then?" He pries and at the moment, I feel like punching his face in.

"Excuse me if I'm not in a very cheery mood, It's not everyday someone chooses the life I'm going to live for me. Why, Adam? Why the hell did you pick me? Do you hate me that must that you want me to suffer?" My eyes search his face frantically. I can see him swallow nervously, shaking his head.

"You think being with me is going to be that bad?"

I don't hesitate to nod, "Yes. Because now I'm doomed to this life forever. I don't know if you've noticed, but I have dreams way beyond-" At this point, I'm failing my arms around gesturing to all the pack houses around me. "-This!"

"Ronnie, I'm-"

"Good riddance, Adam." I hiss before turning on my heel and stomping off to my house. I open the door then close it with a slam.

I'm already off to go cuss off my father when I realize he isn't there. I checked his bedroom and all. Nothing. What a coward, he probably ran off knowing I'd come home pissed. A coward, that's the only thing he'll ever be.

I shrugged out of my pants and wet shoes before I fell into bed, staring up at the spinning ceiling fan. I think of what I'm gonna do. How the hell am I gonna get out of this? I don't want to be mated to Adam. Nor Liam, for the matter.

Maybe I could run away. Live in New York. Go to college with Anna. Pursue something I love. It seems to some what lighten the mood I'm in till I think of Liam. His threat. Or well, his "promise" He'd catch me. Always.

Would he really follow me to New York? What if it was just a bluff? What if I'm just psyching myself out?

I knew whatever he meant, lays a lot deeper than the surface. He means that if I even attempt to run off, he'll come after me. He'll find me. Always.

I let out a sigh of frustration and think, how could my life change in just one night?

The next day at school, I'm out of it. Completely. The day seems to go in a blur, and I find myself in a daze. Not even as I sit in Art class can I focus, I say this since I end up painting his eyes. The same green eyes that appeared in my dreams last night.

"Oh, Ronnie, it's beautiful!" My teacher gasps and smiles at me, "Who's it of?"

"No one," I say all too quickly. Ms. Jovovich - Probably one the best teachers in the world - raises a eyebrow at me.

"You know, Ronnie, I was once a teenager before. I know what it's like to have a boy on your mind all the time-" For some reason, when I hear this, I cringe. Sure, Ms. Jovovich is cool, but picturing her as a teenager and with a boy kinda freaks me out. "-Just don't let it get in the way of everything. But I'm happy you've find your muse."

When she says "muse" she means that one person who inspires you. I shake my head at once, thinking, Liam is not my muse. Right?

"When we were you gonna tell me you had a muse, Ronnie?" Anna ask teasingly from her seat next to me. I roll my eyes at her before I look over at her painiting to see she's adding pink to her deformed looking flower. "Do you think this looks weird?"

"Yes," I say without hesitation. It causes her to frown, I quickly add, "But hey, none of us are real professional's here."

"She's right, Annabelle," Chirps Ms. Jovovich. Anna makes another face at the mention of her full name. "You just do your best. And Ronnie, I'd like you to stay after class to talk to you about something." I nod, then Ms. J twirls off to go comment on some other teenager's non-existent love life.

"She's crazy." Anna states, then adds, "And God I hate it when people use my full name."

"She's not crazy. She's nice," I argue. I truly do believe Ms. J is nice, even though she can be a bit spastic, I still believe she's the best teacher in this hell whole they call school. "I like your name. It's.. Pretty. Would you rather have a boy name like me?"

"Annabelle's too sweet. I don't want to be sweet. I want to be sexy and badass, like you are," Now this causes me to make a face. "But who cares about my stupid name, tell me, who's that Green eyed hottie in your painting? A secret boyfriend? You whore, you've been holding out on me!"

I laugh, I can't help it. "It's nobody," I lie, and I'm certainly impressed when I'm able to look her straight in the eye and tell her this without cracking. "I just had a stupid dream."

"A wet one, I bet," She wiggles her eyebrows at me and I gape at her.

"No it wasn't, you pervert!"

She grins and shrugs, "Say what you want but you know you can tell me, I won't judge. I admit I have wet dreams about Adam Beckett, then again, who doesn't?"

At the mention of the name, the cheeky grin I had on my face falls. It's because now Anna, of course unintentionally, has reminded me of the fact I'm supposed to be Adam's mate. I think she notices my dreadful expression, since she frowns as well. "Sorry, Ronnie, I didn't know you liked hi-"

"It's not that." I say, I feel like spilling my guts about everything that happened last night, but I don't. I know I can't. "Anyway, I was thinking maybe this weekend I could come spend the night over at your house."

This makes Anna smile and she quickly forgets about our previous conversation and dives into what movies we're gonna watch, boys, and makeup. I'm grateful when I hear the bell ring indicating the day is over. I tell Anna I'm going to catch up with her after I see what Ms. J wants. She bids me a good luck then she's off, along with the other students who pour our of the classroom.

"So, what's up, Ms. J?" I ask as I saunter over to her desk she sits behind. She smiles at me and leans forward, folding her hands neatly together.

"Well you know how the school plays coming up, I was wondering if you could paint the back drops. I suggested to them that you do it, since you are one the many talented art students here. I also said I'd talk to you and see how you feel about it. It's nothing you can't handle, I assure you,"

For a minute, I'm silent. Before I nod, "Sure, why not?"

She claps her hands together with a even larger grin. "Great! Now we only need one more student to help out. Anybody you have in mind?"

I contemplate saying Anna, but then I think how Anna hates art.. And how she'd probably feel if I volunteered her for it. "Uh, no. Sorry."

"No worries. I guess we'll find someone soon enough. That's all. Thank you Ronnie."

I give her a small smile than walk out of the classroom into the empty halls. I make a quick stop at my locker and spin it out open. I'm actually genuinely happy about doing the back drops for the school's play. It was something that can occupy my troubled mind.

I pop my locker open with a sigh and stuff my books into my locker. I pause once my eyes catch sight of a white envelope. What the hell is that?

I reach out hesitantly for it and grasp the thin paper between my fingers. I open it slowly, as if I expect something to jump out and attack me. I'm slightly relieved when I see it's just a letter, then I think of who it's from.

I pull out the paper and unfold, my eyes scanning the unfamiliar, but neat, hand writing:

I think I know who will be that extra student helping out for the school's play. See you soon, sweetheart.

- LF.

I don't need to think hard to know who, "LF" is. Liam.

I look frantically around me but no one is behind. Nor next to me. How the hell did he get in the school? What does he mean, "I know who will be that extra student helping out for the play"? Is he some kinda stalker? No, he's not. I know he's doing this to get under my skin.

I crumple it into a ball before I toss the paper aside, onto the ground. The janitor will come by and pick up, so I don't worry.

I walk out of the school and keep my eyes peeled for a certain set of golden brown hair and green eyes. Whether I like it or not, I know Liam Farley is going to be showing up a lot more in my life.

Well.. More like invading my life, in my book.

-----------------

Welp, I hope you liked this chapter. I got to sit down and write today since I'm feeling waaay under the weather today. Woohoo for sick days, since I'm able to write on them! :P

Btw, Liam is totally my dream guy. I just had to make him overly.. Badass? Is that correct word? I guess.

Pic of James Gaisford who will be playing Liam ---->

Of course, body wise, he doesn't meet up with Liam, but as for his looks, they do. God, he is gorgeous. xD Anywho, I'm really glad how people are liking this.. I'm glad I decided to woman up and just post this story! :P

And while you're at it go ahead and vote, comment, all that jazz. It makes me smile when you do. (:

P.S. Sorry if they're grammar errors.. I try to go over them as much as I could.

P.P.S. Also, I am looking for someone to make a cover for this story, since well, I think the one I have right now is horrible. If you have any suggestions of who can make me one or such, go ahead and leave it in the comments or feel free to PM me. Or one of you can make one for me, whatever. Just make it has the character who plays Ronnie - Which in this case, is Barbara Palvin - in it. I'd appreciate it. Thank you!

- CeCe.