I woke up. Not to reality, but to a dream. And I knew I was dreaming, because I was in my childhood bedroom. The walls of pink and purple polka dots were staring at me while the dark brown wood beneath my feet held together what was left of me. I didn't remember falling asleep.

I heard voices. The similar voices of those I knew as my parents were calling me. It was time for dinner and all I wanted to do was cry.

I wanted to see them again...hold them again. And with anticipation rising in my chest, I couldn't help but race downstairs.

It was when I entered the kitchen that I couldn't believe it. They were as dead as they were when Bones killed them.

Tears streamed down my face. A lump so huge in my throat caused me to croak. I was devastated, destroyed.

My parents were dead...again. A bullet was placed in both of their hearts and a puddle of blood surrounded them.

I closed my eyes. This was a dream. It was only a dream, I said to myself, tightening my eyelids harder to wake up.

But nothing.

Why wasn't I waking up?

And then I saw Alex. He grabbed my hand and said, "Things will get better."

"How?" I asked him.

"You'll see," he answered before vanishing.

And once he left, so did the room I was in. It started fading into blackness. The whole room faded and everything went dark.

Now I was back in reality. I knew it was reality, because I heard a soft voice. It sounded so close.

"Saige." I opened my eyes slowly to find Deacon sitting next to me, leaning over me and holding my hand in his, smiling.

"What happened?"

"You lost a lot of blood," he answered. "But you're okay now. I'm here."

"My parents aren't." I immediately sat up, wishing I could see them, wishing for them to be alive.

I looked at Deacon and something was off. He wasn't the same. He didn't look or feel like it. His touch...I couldn't embrace it...the cold. It wasn't comforting.

And then I remembered it. Adam had said something. He said that Deacon couldn't be trusted, that I barely knew him. But I think I love him, so why are these thoughts roaming through my head right now? Maybe it was the extreme loss of blood.

I jerked his hand away, moving back until my spine reached the headboard.

"Please don't be scared of me," he pleaded.

But before I could look at him, I noticed marks going up and down my arms and legs, causing me to jump out of bed. "What is this?!"

"Don't be scared, please?"

"Why shouldn't I be scared?!" I held them out for him to see, only to catch a glimpse of guilt in his eyes. "Did you do this?"

"I didn't mean to. It was just that you were dying and I..."

"You fed on me, didn't you?" I rubbed my arms and legs nervously and bit my lip. "Adam was right. I can't trust you."

"Yes, you can." Deacon walked closer to me and stopped as soon as I moved back. He probably sensed my fear. "I'm your protector, and protectors are supposed to protect. You were dying and I needed to save you."

"How was feeding on me supposed to save me?"

"It wasn't," he replied. "At first, I was trying to feed you my blood, but you kept coughing it up. But when I bit you, my blood somehow entered your system and saved you. I didn't think it would since you're a werewitch and all, but the human part of you digested my blood and healed."

"But why did you feed on me if you didn't think it would work?" I asked, feeling more nervous each time I found myself staring at him.

"Because I was drawn to you," he finally confessed.

                    ...

While trying to come to terms with what he said, Deacon stayed a few more minutes. Maybe to talk to me or perhaps to take care of me, but we just sat there in silence.

"Will feeding me your blood turn me into a vampire?" I asked, trying to rid the room of awkward silence and weird looks.

"No, but dying with my blood in your system will," he said, causing my fingers to twitch at the instant thought of death.

And sarcasm was my only reaction. "That's just great. Many people want me dead and you just happened to give me your blood that will ensure I'll turn."

He laughed before he spoke. "That's not how it works. It will leave your system after 24 hours. But even if someone were to kill you, they won't."

I knew what he was about to say next, but I asked anyway. "Why?"

"Because I won't let them," he answered.

                   ...

"Where's Adam?" I asked Pansy hours later. She was sitting on the couch reading a book, which was odd. Normally she would get on people's nerves, eavesdrop, or put her nose where it doesn't belong, but instead she's reading Romeo and Juliet.

"Last time I checked, he was with you."

"Great," I muttered.

"But how are you feeling?"

Not like myself, I thought before saying, "Peachy."

I left before she asked more questions. I wanted someone to talk to, and since Adam wasn't around, I went to look for my brother. And to my advantage, I knew exactly where he was: the attic.

In what used to be Alex's old bedroom was a closet that led straight into the attic. He would always go up there when he needed to be alone or just wanted to play with his toys. The steps were creaky, making a harsh and high-pitched sound that even Deacon or Pansy could hear.

I pushed open the attic entrance and crawled inside. Alex, who was playing with his toys, turned to me. "How did you know where I was?"

"Because I know you and all of your hideout spots," I said, smiling at him, hoping to get a smile back and instead he turned around and continued playing with his toys.

"What's wrong?" I asked, finding a spot next to him.

"Nothing." He didn't look at me, only at his toys.

"It doesn't seem like nothing."

"It's just that..." he paused. "You're different. You told me you would visit me and you never did. And then you go and find these people and all of a sudden you're hooked to them."

"Alex..."

"They wouldn't even let me see you. I kept asking and asking and Deacon said that you needed time to heal. But your leg...it's-it's all better. When Adam brought you back, your leg had been hurt." He was giving me cold eyes just before saying, "You aren't my sister."

"Yes I am," I replied with nothing else to say.

"If you were my sister, you would have tried to visit me any chance you got and you didn't. Instead you met these people and forgot all about me."

He was jealous. I knew the feeling all too much. And although Alex was feeling it, I was living it.

"That's not true. I thought about you every day, and every day I missed you. I wanted to come back more than anything. But with mom and dad dying, it was too much for me." He didn't know that they were murdered. And Adam mentioned reading in the papers that my parents and I died, which got me wondering how Alex never found out. But the less he knew, the safer he was.

"I just wanted my sister," he said, beginning to cry.

"I know." And just after I placed my hand on his shoulder, I cramped up in all parts of my body. I felt paralyzed, unable to move a muscle. And then my hands bent backwards. I could hear every bone breaking and bending like I was transforming.

I backed away from Alex. The pain was too real. I could feel everything from head to toe as hair started to grow in unusual places. My knuckles, my knees; hair grew everywhere until my whole body was covered. I knew what was happening, but how could this be? It wasn't a full moon.

All of my bones stopped shifting. I looked up and saw myself in the dirty mirror. Not as myself, but a wolf...a pure white wolf.

Alex must have run off, because I couldn't sense him nearby. But I still sensed him. There was an urge growing inside of me, telling me to feed, and the need to rip someone apart had me tracking him down. His scent, his blood...I was starving.

I sniffed the air and howled. On all four legs, I chased after him. I had no control. I couldn't stop myself. He was getting closer, but I kept losing his scent.

I growled. Hungry for food, hungry for blood. I felt the hunger weakening me, but I was still hunting for him.

As I let out another howl, I stumbled upon Pansy. She was terrified and I knew it was because of me.

She ran in the opposite direction, dropping her book. I knew the hunt would end soon. She was right under my nose, trapped in a corner.

Growling again, I took a second and lunged at her. My sharp canine teeth were approaching her pale and cold body, prepared to feed, prepared to kill.

"Get away from her!" yelled Alex, jumping out in front of her and hitting the side of my jaw with a cardboard box.

I collapsed and winced in anguish. I tried to control myself, but my wolf side was stronger than me. Much, much stronger.

I got up, one leg at a time, and chewed away at the cardboard box until there was nothing left but scraps.

Moving towards Alex, I had the same intentions, but I saw my reflection in his eyes and knew now what I didn't know before: I was a monster.

Charging at him, I sunk my canine teeth into his bony shoulder and couldn't stop. And the way the saliva drooled from my mouth described the thrill and enjoyment of hunting.

Time stopped. I had forced myself to stop. My back struck the wall behind me, causing me to transform back. It didn't hurt, but that wasn't my concern.

"Is he...?"

"Dead? No," Deacon said. "But alive? Barely."