Not edited. So sorry for any mistakes. Eventually, I will be going over them, so just be patient with me. (:                        

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                                                    I run for what feels like hours. I run till my legs burn massively and I can no longer go on, no matter how loud Liam's footsteps are behind me.

Instead of running to the pack houses, I run in the opposite direction in fear that Liam will be foolish and reveal himself to the entire pack.

I knew he was frantic enough to speak to me right now. And yes, I had seen him just take another man's life, but I wasn't about to let him get himself killed. Especially not by Alpha Beckett.

So that's why I find myself lost in the forest. No idea where I am. And the worst part is, I can't even feel, nor hear, Liam after me anymore.

I guess I had managed to lose him all a long the way. Though I bet he would find me in a matter of minutes. Seconds, perhaps.

I collapse shortly after, breathing heavily while pressing a hand to my chest, as if to prevent my pounding heart from flying out.

"Ronnie!"

My head shoots up in the direction of his voice. He's close by. I can tell now because his shouts start to get closer and closer. And so does his powerful footsteps.

I force myself to my feet, screaming at myself to keep going. That Liam is a monster. But I can't bring myself to.

Instead, I stay and watch the trees ahead of me, waiting for him to emerge. He doesn't disappoint when he appears only seconds later.

He stops only a few feet away from me, staring at me with glowing green eyes. Neither of us say anything for a while, the only sound is my ragged breathing.

Even if we did speak, I wouldn't know what to say. This was a new side of Liam that I wasn't familiar with. How do you speak to someone's who's just killed another person, anyway?

Sure, the man was in the Purgatory pack, but it's still scary. Scary to a point where when Liam advances towards me, I have no choice but to step back.

"Ronnie," He breathes, holding out his hand to me, but I quickly back up and stare at the crimson blood that coats his hand.

Now that I look closer at him, I can see blood on his clothes as well. And some on his face too. Though I don't know if it's his or not.

The thought makes me shiver and I truly wonder if that man he slaughtered in front of me was really the only man he's killed tonight.

I tremble uncontrollably and my lips part, words and questions stuck in my throat. I don't know whether to run or stay. To hear him out. But was there really a good enough excuse to killing someone?

There wasn't.

I needed to stop being a foolish girl and open my eyes and see Liam for what he really is. A murderer.

"Ronnie," He repeats, his voice is strained, "Come here. Please."

I shake my head faintly, so you can get me in your grip and kill me? No thanks.

Liam flinches. He's probably heard what I've just thought, but I don't care. I'm completely in a state of panic and shock, and I can't seem to shake myself out of it.

Liam would never hurt me. He wouldn't. He cares about me, I have somewhat of a mini battle with myself. One side agrees that Liam would never hurt me, but the other side doesn't.

I don't know what to believe and what not to. I was running on instinct right now and Liam, currently soaked in blood, wasn't helping with my panicking.

He takes two steps towards me. I take two steps back.

He continues towards me, his hand out reached for me. Eventually, I collide against a tree bark and I'm caged there when Liam stops in front of me.

He looks down at me with thoughtful eyes, while I tremble helplessly underneath him. He reaches forward to cup my cheek, but I surprise not only him, but myself, when I muster up all the strength I have to give him a shove.

He doesn't even jolt.

"Don't touch me," I manage to utter. Though my voice is shaky.

His eyes flash with something I can't read and dreadfully, he lets his arm fall limp back to his side. "I would never hurt you."

And as if to reassure me, he places his hand on my arm. I quickly wrench it back, "Stay away from me!" My shout is hoarse and dry. I attempt to get away but Liam grasps both of my shoulders, keeping me in place.

"Let me explain, Ron," He says gruffly, "Let me explain."

"No!" I flail around in his arms, "Let go of me! Let go!"

His hands travel up my arms and to my face, where he cups both of my cheeks, forcing me to look at him.

Though I've always loved his touch, this time I don't. Mostly because his hands are wet. Wet with blood that is now on my cheeks.

"I did it to protect you. I did it because I was keeping you safe. I did it because I-"

I cut him off when I send a kick to his 'area.' He immediately releases me with a pain stricken gasp and a string of profanities.

I don't run. I reach up and rub my cheeks raw to get the tainted blood off of me, but all it does is convert it to my hands.

I wail in horror as I stare down at me my hands that are now covered in the man's blood. I almost feel like crying, but I don't. I can't.

I let out sounds I can't decipher. All I know is that they're full of horror and shock. Mostly importantly pain.

That's when I run again. This time, I run straight back home. Desperate to get there where I can hide under my cotton fortress. Where I can block out the world and pretend this night never happened. But it did. And I can't erase it from my memory no matter how hard I try.

I almost want to turn around when I hear Liam's strangled screams for me. They're so pain filled and.. animalistic as he pleads with me to come back to him.

I don't give in no matter how much I want to.

I continue on going until I reach the clearing, luckily, no one is outside to stop me. I go pounding into my home, sprinting towards the sink, turning on the water and scrubbing my skin raw with soap. No matter how much I try to remove the crimson blood from my hands, it still leaves a thin coat of red on my hands.

It's probably barely noticeable to most, but It's not to me. Especially because I know the story behind it.

When I realize it's not going to come off, I slide down the wall, burying my hands in my hair and shaking my head, as if to rid myself of the memories.

It doesn't work.

Especially when I go to sleep that night and I'm awaken by numerous nightmares. And I relive the feel of blood not only my hands, but everywhere.

Though the victim in my dreams isn't the man Liam killed. It's me. And Liam is the one who makes me his prey.

It's always a new place where the scene takes place. At first, it was the woods. Then it was my home. Then it was my school. And so on.

But it contains one event that is always in my nightmares.

My death.

                                     I'm completely restless the next day at school. I'm like a zombie as I walk down the halls. Many people try talking to me, including Anna, but all I do is stare at the ground.

It's stupid, I know.

But I can't manage to put a smile on my face. Especially not when Liam appears at school. 

I avoid him at all cost and try to blend in with the crowd. Though that won't save me either. Maybe I was taking this a little overboard.

And maybe I wasn't.

I had seen Liam kill someone. Was that really overreacting if I was shaken up by it? I had a good reason to be. 

Hours drag on till lunch, and I immediately sit with Adam and Anna. Along with Cliff, Kara, and Mandy. I may not like them, but I definitely was not going to bait myself to Liam sitting alone where he could talk to me.

"Ron?" Anna's voice brings me out of my trance. And I'm glad, since I was honestly starting to get a head from thinking so damn much.

I lazily glide my eyes over to her, giving her my acknowledgement.

"Are you okay?" She asks quietly. I nod stiffly and look away, no longer being able to stand the sight of Anna and Cliff's entangled hands together.

I just couldn't get over the fact they were now dating. And how Cliff gave me the creeps.

I didn't trust him one bit. And certainly not with Anna.

He always looked at me with a smirk, one that he seemed to be doing even more today, as if he knew something I didn't.

I couldn't help but wonder if Anna had told him something she wasn't supposed to. She was practically wrapped around his finger, so I wouldn't be shocked.

Then again, why did I care? My life right now was a living hell with Alpha Beckett. Cliff couldn't make it any worse with the little secrets Anna had told him.

If her telling him those secrets about me kept them together, then so be it. I rather they not break up and Anna is left utterly heartbroken.

She wasn't one to take break up's lightly. When Anna fell for someone, she fell hard and fast. Just like she has for Cliff.

That was the difference between the two of us.

I was a lot more cautious about who I let around me and who I didn't. As much as I hate to say so, I get hurt sometimes too. I'm not emotionless. Though Anna thinks so because I've never once cried in front of her.

I didn't like crying. And besides, my life wasn't that bad that I was about to become some sniveling fool.

The only thing I've ever cried about was my mother's death. And I wanted to keep it like that.

"Are you sure you're okay?" The question comes from Adam this time who sits next to me. And I guess we're on speaking terms now.

"I'm fine," I reply and keep my eyes trained forward. I discover it's not so great of an idea when Liam comes into sight.

I meet his eyes for a brief second, but it's long enough for me to see he's pleading at me to speak with him. To make it evident, he says directly through our link, don't block me out.

My eyes immediately avert to the food in front of me and I study it for a while, feeling Liam's burning gaze right on me. But I don't look up. No matter how much I want to.

The day go slowly and quietly. For most of my classes, I stare out the window, watching the black clouds swirl and flash with lightening.

Soon enough, it's raining and it only brings me deeper into my depressing state.

Luckily for me, the day ends. And I'm free. Well, slightly, seeing as I still have the backdrops for Ms. J to finish.

And Liam is actually here today, so of course, I can't avoid having to do the backdrops with him. I sluggishly make my way to the art room and brace myself before walking in, already seeing Liam there in his usual seat.

He looks up once I enter the room, catching my curious gaze. We don't say anything for the longest while. All we do is watch each other for a numerous amount of minutes till I finally manage to say, "Are you ready to work?"

Liam nods. And I quickly grab a brush or two and a few bottles of paint before I settle down and start. Liam numbly follows my lead.

We paint in silence and for that, I'm grateful. Because I honestly don't know what to say after out little episode together.

Not knowing what to say at all was starting to become an annoying habit of mine, clearly.

We work for hours, so much that by the time night time falls, we've completed two full back drops. Which is pretty crazy if you ask me.

I lean back on my heels and wipe my hand across my forehead, in the process smearing paint on my forehead. But I don't care.

I get back to work shortly after and we're half way finished when Liam grunts and tosses the paintbrush to the side. "What are you doing?" I ask hurriedly, watching him roll his wrist and hearing a faint crack.

"My wrist hurts like a bitch," He mutters, "We've been going at this for hours. Can't we take a break?"

"No," I reply, "We need to have these finished in two weeks. We're never going to get there if you want to take breaks. Well, I don't think we will since you're always disappearing anyway."

Sometimes I really wish you'd disappear for good and stop playing with my heart, I think faintly. And I know he's heard me since he tenses at my words.

"I'm sorry," He says lowly. And I figure there's a double meaning behind his words. Not only is he apologizing for the fact he hasn't helped me at all this week, but probably for what I saw in the woods the other day.

"Sorry doesn't really work with this situation," I whisper, pausing with my brush. With a shake of my head, I continue on slowly painting and filling the canvas with colors.

Liam puts his hand over mine, quickly halting my movements and causing me to look at him. "Maybe explaining will."

"Liam, I really don't have-"

"Talk to me," He somewhat demands, "Insult me or anything but don't block me out."

"I can't do this right now Liam." I close my eyes, letting out a sharp breath. "I have to finish this. And I'm honestly in no mood to fight."

My voice is weak and barely above a whisper. But it's true. I don't even want to talk. Because that would just bring back the memory of it all.

I want to forget about it all. I know I can't, but a girl can hope and dream, can't she?

I force myself to remove my hand. He let's me. And he get's up at the same time, grabbing his jacket from the chair and shrugging it on.

"Where are you going?" I ask. No reply comes except for the long bang of the door as it closes. I flinch and stare at the blue door that Liam is just behind.

I almost want to get up and chase after him. I want to hear him out. To forget about Adam, Alpha Beckett, and the ball. I want to get lost in our own little world. But that will never happen. No matter how hard I shut my eyes and wish that this was a different time. A different place. Where Liam wasn't a rogue and I wasn't promised to another guy.

I was confused. Confused about my feelings and my thoughts and I just felt like this helpless little girl. And I guess I was.

I was weak. And stupid. And torn over a stupid guy.

I shake my head angrily, I needed to focus on the more important things in my life then Liam Farley. And that's exactly what I did. Well, at least for the weekend.

I spend it mostly with Adam's mother, preparing for the ball which is next Saturday night. My dress is completely finished and I try it on for the first, a long with the mask.

Everyone tells me I look beautiful. As if I'm some type of princess. But I certainly don't feel like one.

I manage to muster up a smile for them and give my thanks, saying how brilliant Mrs. Beckett was for helping me out with it.

Though Mrs. Beckett is nice, she got on my nerves with her constant nagging. She constantly picked at every little flaw and made it her job to correct them all.

Like my posture. Or the way I spoke. Or what language I used. By Sunday, I was sick of it and decided to spend time with Anna.

I briefly did for a while, but it became too much with Cliff constantly around and them sucking face. I depart from them and find my way home.

Adam is around, but not much. He seems to be preparing for the ball just as much. It's a shock Monday after school that he appears at my door step.

"Can I help you?" I ask, raising a brow at him as I open the door.

He nods stiffly, "Uh, yeah. We got ballroom dancing classes right now and we kinda need you."

"Ballroom dancing classes? I didn't agree to that," I frown when he grabs my hand and starts to tug me away from my house. I shut the door to my house and I let myself be pulled a long for the ride.

"That's because my mother didn't want to scare you off." He replies and we enter the house quickly, where he leads me to the dining room.

They've pushed the table to the far right wall that it gives us enough empty space to well, dance, I guess.

And in the center of it all stands Mrs. Beckett with a large grin on her face. "Oh, this is going to be so exciting!"

"For you, maybe," I mumble, earning a hard nudge to the ribs from Adam. "What? I was being honest."

"No, that was rude, Ronnie. Manners, sweetheart, manners." Mrs. Beckett says, not even phased by what I've just said. But she's gotten use to it these past days she's spent with me. I've actually been quite rude to her at times. Each time she simply corrects me.

I grunt, "Kill me now."

"Be careful what you wish for," Adam gives me a grim smile and thrusts a pair of black heels into my chest. "Now put those on."

"I have to wear these?" I twiddle around the heels in my hand, as if I'm expecting them to magically disappear. I was kinda hoping they would.

"Obviously. You can't wear those horrible boots to the formal ball," She looks down at my feet and her lips curl in disgust. "God, they are awful."

I grimace, but comply, seeing no way out of it. I slip off my boots and chuck them aside, nearly laughing when my dirty boots collide against her shiny floors and she cringes at the sight.

I have to balance myself with holding onto Adam's shoulder as I slip on the high heels. Once I've strapped them on, I stand, only to have Adam grasp onto me tightly so I don't fall on my face.

"Now, Ronnie, place your arms around his neck." Mrs. Beckett commands. I really don't want to, but I suck it up and slowly wrap my arms around his neck while he places his hands on my hips.

It feels weird. Really, really weird. And wrong. It doesn't feel the way it did when Liam wrapped me in his arms, I think faintly, swallowing roughly and meeting Adam's eyes.

I can't look in them for long because I just see Alpha Beckett's face flash before me. I almost recoil back, but I remind myself this isn't Alpha Beckett. This is Adam. The boy I'll never love like the pack wants me to.

The music begins to play, bringing me out of my daze and I'm forced to focus on my feet rather then my thoughts. Not that I'm complaining.

"Let him lead, Ronnie," Mrs. Beckett says, "He is the man. He leads."

"How sexist," I mutter and Adam purposely steps on my toes for that. "Ouch!"

"My bad," Adam gives me a sheepish grin with amusement clear in his eyes.

I glower at him silently and press my lips into a thin line to resist insulting him. I follow Adam's lead like Mrs. Beckett says. Of course, I decide to get revenge so when Adam twirls me, I step on his foot. Digging my heel into his shoe.

He winces, though his grim smile never wavers. I return a bitter sweet one of my own.

This continues on for a while till Mrs. Beckett get's to frustrated with my constant tripping and falling that she dismisses.

And that's how it continues on for the rest of the week leading up to Thursday. It's almost a routine that I get back from school and directly head over to the Beckett's for dancing lessons.

I don't really get better, but I somewhat progress to where I can stand on my own. And that's probably the best I'll get to, seeing as I can't dance to save my life.

The week is slow. Not that I'm complaining.

I honestly don't want the date of the ball to come around. I just don't really want Saturday to come around, mainly because I discovered the Young Artist exhibit that day too.

I can't help but wonder if Liam is expecting me to show up or something. Even if I did, he probably wouldn't be there.

He had been absent the whole week and when I went for runs late at night, he never appeared like I was secretly hoping he would.

Had he been absent from school because he was trying to avoid me?

Maybe. I wasn't sure. Then again, I wasn't sure about anything anymore. All that was really on my mind was the ball.

And how I'm going to have to act like Adam's mate. That's all that swirls around my head Friday and to make myself forget, I swing by the art room to get some work done on the back drops, knowing it'll take my mind off of things.

To my surprise, when I walk in, I see Ms. J there too.

"Ronnie!" She squeals with a smile, "Aren't you excited?"

I frown, tossing my bag on a chair. "For what?"

"The Young Artist exhibit! You must be, you're apart of it!"

My eyebrows furrow, "What are you talking about? I'm not apart of it. I don't even know what you mean by that."

Now it's Ms. J's turn to frown. "Liam hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?"

"That he sent your painting there and talked to them about show casing it," Ms. J says slowly, "They loved it, so they put it apart of the show."

My lips part in disbelief, Liam sent my painting to the Young Artist exhibit? That was practically the hardest show to get in for upcoming artist who wanted a chance at the big time stuff!

"Why would he do that?" I mumble, mostly to myself. But Ms. J answers.

"That boy is just crazy about you," Ms. J shakes her head, "I may be old, but even I can see it."

I cringe. It was weird enough hearing it from Anna that Liam 'liked' me, but hearing it from Ms. J, a teacher, was even more weird.

And I still didn't understand why he wouldn't go through all of that just to get my painting show cased. Maybe he did care, I think meekly.

Maybe he was just look out for me. Maybe he was just trying to protect me because he cared. And all a long I had been cruel and blocked him off.

Perhaps Liam wasn't a monster. I guess I was just seeing it all wrong and he was trying to show me truth. But it was all blurred with all the lies.

That night, I return home and look at the ticket Liam had given me. I tell myself It's stupid to contemplate even going, but I can't help but want to.

I stuff it in my drawer, out of my sight and out of my mind. I slip into bed that night, thinking about tomorrow and the ball.

I can't sleep at first till I pull up Liam's leather jacket. It's not till I press my face against it and inhale his soothing scent that I seem to drift off.

But my looming fate of what's to come  tomorrow still hovers in the back of mind. And I was so not ready for it.

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So, I know this chapter was boring. Mainly because it's just the build up to the ball. Which is the next chapter, so get excited for that!

And I know, I know.

You guys are like, "Why can't they just be together?!" Or, "Why is Ronnie so stupid?! She should hear him out!"

Well, I wouldn't have much of a plot to run on if I did. Keep that in mind. :P But I promise with the upcoming chapters, you will not be disappointed with their relationship or anything. I'm excited myself!

Hopefully, the ball chapter will be up soon enough. Wish me luck. (:

Make sure to comment, vote, and fan if you like.

Until next time, which is hopefully soon,

- CeCe.