I stood up so fast my knee slammed into the coffee table, sending stacks of paperwork cascading off and scattering across the floor, but I didn't care enough to catch them or see where they fell.

"It's not possible." My voice came out oddly high pitched as I fought to understand what was going on.

"It is." Albert said gently as he knelt to collect the fallen papers.

"It can't be. I'm pretty sure I'd know if... well I can't be full fae. I lived with my mum for years and I would have noticed if she sprouted wings and sprinkled pixie dust occasionally."

"I understand this is a shock for you, but I can confirm you are full fae, although your gifts appear to be blocked somehow. Whether that is due to lack of training, a spell or you rejecting them, I don't yet know." Albert rubbed a hand over the stubble on his chin thoughtfully. "We will need more sessions to explore it further."

"I will speak to Mrs Kennedy and have them arrange something for you." Inquisitor O'Connor nodded, scribbling away in earnest in his notebook.

"No." the word left my mouth before I could stop it.

The Inquisitor stopped writing and looked at me, his thin white brow raised slowly. "No?"

"No." I repeated, "If I had some sort of gift, I'd know about it. Albert's magic thing may look cool, but it's wrong."

He pursed his lips and looked me up and down slowly. "Ms Winters, you are new to this world, so I will forgive your blatant disrespect this once, but understand this. There are rules and there are those who can decide whether you live or die, whether you leave these walls or not. If you wish to spend a lifetime behind bars, then I suggest you continue behaving the way you are, but if not-"

"I think she gets the message, O'Connor." Albert admonished quietly, "The girl is just frightened and she has every right to be. It's a lot to adjust to and learn."

I looked at him in surprise. How did he know just what to say, just what it was that I was feeling?

"She should be afraid." The Inquisitor muttered, picking up his pen and continuing to write, "Is she a danger to anyone else? How strong is she?"

Albert shook his head. "It's impossible to say at this point. We barely accessed any of her gifts, just enough to know she's fae, but the rest we will have to uncover in time."

He rolled his eyes. "Can she access enough to harm someone or not?"

Albert shook his head. "I very much doubt it. I think she was as surprised to discover there was something there as we were."

The Inquisitor added one last thing to his notes and then looked up. "Very well. Ms Winters, you can return to your classmates. I will have a schedule sent to your dormitory with details of sessions you will be required to attend with Albert until we can discover the full extent of your gifts. In the meantime, I will have the staff here look into your parentage and see why you might have been brought up as a human."

His words seemed reasonable, but his attitude, and tone of voice really got my back up.

"I look forward to working with you Erica. Goodbye for now." Albert said firmly, before I could throw back my retort.

Meeting his eyes I sighed. If his expression said anything it was a reminder to pick my battles and maybe this was not the one. I nodded, "You too."

Stepping into the hallway was like lifting your head back above water after ducking under. The sound rushed back at me and laughter, chatter and the sound of students moving around filled my ears.

That room had some good insulation and soundproofing. I turned back to tell them as much and found the door had vanished.

My jaw dropped as I floundered to explain the unexplainable. Outside the sun was already beginning to go down. How long had I been in there for? It hadn't felt like more than five or ten minutes? So why was it now clearly much later? I was so disorientated by it all I just started walking until I found a large group of students who seemed to have a clearer idea of where they were going and tagged along at the back.

We finally came to an area I recognised, and I watched students heading through to dinner in the main hall. How was it dinner already?

My stomach grumbled to inform me that we very definitely had missed lunch and dinner was a need, not a want.

I hesitated for a moment. My brain was still reeling from the newly discovered knowledge and I wasn't quite ready to face anyone. Maybe I could get a little fresh air and then head in.

Moving against the tide of people I slipped out through the double doors which led to the gardens.

I hadn't really had much of a chance of explore the grounds of this place and thankfully it didn't seem like many other people had either because it was blissfully quiet.

Sensory overload easing I felt I could finally breathe as I meandered through the hedgerows, coming out on the edge of the courtyard. I glanced up at the windows, wondering which one was mine.

"Are you looking for heaven baby because I think you can find it here?"

I dragged my attention from the darkening sky and focused on the smirking idiot with his hand over his junk and thrusting suggestively at me.

If I thought my prior encounter with Chase had mentally scarred me, then this was going to be my thirteenth reason.

"What do you want, Chase?" I asked, too tired to play his silly games.

"Just to have fun baby." He said taking a step closer to me.

I stepped back. "I'm not your baby and I don't think your girlfriend," I emphasised the word, "would be very happy to see us together. In fact, I very distincting and violently remembering her telling me to keep my hands off of you. Not that I'd let you anywhere near me."

"Baby you're going to hurt my feelings." Chase chuckled.

"I'll hurt more than your fucking feelings if you take one more step towards me or try to offer me that disease ridden cocktails sausage you call a dick again." I threatened.

His eyes narrowed, "You don't know what you're talking about human. But I'd be more than happy to show you what you're missing."

Taking two large steps towards me he reached out to grab me and I reacted instinctively. It turned out that shifter balls worked much the same as human ones when a knee connected with them at high speeds.

Chase howled and crumpled in a heap, "You fucking filthy whore, you're going to regret that."

"You're the one trying to fuck me and I'm the whore? I think not buddy." I snapped.

He howled against and I was just about to call him a big baby when I heard bones crack and his body hunched over. Limbs stretched out at unnatural angles as fur burst through skin and his body reshaped into something horrifying.

"Fuck. Erica!"

My head snapped round as I spotted Enzo approaching slowly, his hands up to show he was unarmed and not a threat.

I glanced back at the now growling wolf shrugging off the shredded remains of Chase's school uniform. At this moment in time I really wished he was armed and was a threat.

"Do not run." Enzo said in a low voice as the wolf stared me down with his pale yellow eyes.

"Are you kidding?" I hissed. "The doggy is wearing his Erica shredding teeth today and I don't want him to try them out!" I backed up another step.

"You don't know much about wolf shifters do you?" Enzo snapped, still trying to keep his voice soft and non-threatening.

I let out a laugh. "I don't know much about shifters full stop, and there weren't any wolves in London."

"Well, trust me when I say you don't want to run. Shifters love to chase, and they play a spicy game of tag."

When he put it like that, it did sound far less appealing. "Well, I am more than open to other suggestions which don't end in me becoming a dog's dinner, but I do require them to be made relatively soon."

"Hands up and keep your eyes down. Don't make eye contact, he will see it as a challenge. Then shuffle very slowly towards me." Enzo instructed.

Sure, just don't look at the thing that is currently planning to eat me. Very easy to do. I shuffled slowly sideways, careful not to look up at the Chase wolf in front of me.

"Chase isn't it?" Enzo asked, "Look mate, we don't know each other well, but this girl is under my protection."

Chase growled, and I wanted to say I didn't need anyone's protection, but it didn't seem like the right time. Maybe whenever the wolf took his all-the-better-to-eat-you teeth somewhere else I'd argue semantics.

"You know the rules about attacking humans Chase. How do you think your pack would react, how would they be treated if it was revealed that you hurt a girl in your first week of school? I don't know your Dad but I know alpha's aren't known for taking kindly to things that have the potential to embarrass them." Enzo continued.

I snuck a glance up at Chase. He hadn't moved to follow me and the growling had stopped as though he were truly considering it.

"You know as well as I do that in this world actions are everything so don't let these define you. Walk away." Enzo urged.

I was barely a few paces from him now and I got cocky. Glancing back at Chase who eyed me with disgust I didn't think an animal was capable of showing.

The next few moments felt like they happened in slow motions. The ground shifted under my foot as I stepped, rolling my ankle and making me stumble. "Fuck." Enzo swore, catching me with one hand, the other thrusting somewhere over my shoulder.

There was a yelp as Chase's giant wolfy body slammed into a shimmering white force field type barrier that had been thrown up between us. I didn't get to process that before Enzo started dragging me towards the dorm building.

"It won't hold forever, move!" He yelled.

I didn't need any further encouragement, as I met him step-for-step, racing towards the door. I didn't dare look back to see if it was still holding, even as we flung ourselves through the door and slammed it behind us.

"Was that magic?" I asked breathlessly as we both stood, backs pressed to the door.

Enzo nodded.

"That's pretty awesome."

He grinned, "I've been told I am, but it's always nice to get it reconfirmed!"

I bumped his hip with my own. "Idiot!"

He laughed and then gave a sad little half smile. "Can I walk you back to your room?"

"Sure. Like I could say no to the superhero who just prevented me getting nommed by a dog." I laughed, "But do you mind if I stop by the common room to grab some snacks?"

He smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. "I forget you missed lunch and dinner, which was why I went looking for you in the first place."

"You were looking for me?" I asked.

He shrugged, "I don't know if anyone has ever told you this but you're really bad at staying out of trouble so I thought it was worth checking up."

I smiled, "I appreciate you looking out for me."

"I grabbed you some food in case you didn't want to go to the hall for any reason. Might be a bit squashed now given the whole fighting off a wolf situation but hopefully it will taste ok."

My heart flip-flopped in my chest. It was still so foreign to have people care enough to do things like this for me. Angie and my mum has been the only two I'd known before and it was nice to feel cared for.

I accepted the squashed sandwiches and sausage rolls wrapped in napkins which he retrieved from his backpack. "You didn't have to do this, but I really appreciate that you did. I can't really face people right now."

"I can go if you want?" Enzo offered.

I shook my head. "That's sweet of you, but I really would like the company if you still want to walk me back to my dorm?"

"Of course." He said.

There was no questioning why I didn't want to be around other people. No asking me about what had happened. Just him chatting away, filling the quiet with distraction as I slowly ate through the food he had brought.

"Well, this is you." Enzo said, coming to a stop outside the room.

I nodded, smiling a little at his bouncing golden retriever like energy before unlocking the door. I dumped my stuff before turning back to him, leaning on the frame of the door.

"Thank you." I whispered, and Enzo's eyes shot to mine.

He didn't know what I was yet, or the weight I knew those words held for me as fae. "You don't have to thank me for doing the right thing Erica. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you that I had the power to prevent."

My fingers played with the hem of my jumper. "That's really sweet of you. I don't really know how I'll ever repay you for this."

He gave a lopsided grin, "Well if you could try not aggravating another supernatural for a couple of days I think my heart would appreciate a break from the stress."

I grinned back. "I'll see what I can do."