Chapter Seventeen: Raven.....let's just say I'll be getting to know her A LOT better!

"Again," Kyle said, and I went on another lap around the house, my breathing labored but I pushed myself as far as I could go, wanting so badly to fill all the expectations. After so many laps, the forest just seemed to blur into one big green and brown blob, all that could be heard was my breathing and frantic heartbeat.

My lungs burned, and throat ached for water, but still I went on. I had lost track of how many laps around the house I had done, somewhere over a hundred. It wasn't like running around some two story house in a neighborhood, no, this house included the massive front and back yards. That's one way to get fit fast, but really did I need that?

Rounding the last corner of the house once again I saw Kyle reading the ticking time off his watch. I passed him and immediately slowed to a walk, turning back around, "This.....this..is training?" I gasped, bent over, hands on my knees.

"I don't know, haven't had to train anyone yet to be what they really are," Kyle said with a shrug, and I glared at him. At the moment both him and Chris were my guardians, but like normal Chris was no where to be seen. He was supposedly hiding in the woods waiting for the perfect moment to attack me, well to tell the truth I think he just went back to the house to type on a computer.

"Again," Kyle repeated, and I answered with a low growl. Instead of following his orders I went over to where my water bottle was, took a good long swig, than dumped the rest on his head.

At first he was downright angry, his eyes flashing red and black and his body shaking uncontrollably, but then it stopped instantausly and he started laughing with me. Next thing I knew we were racing for the lake, dodging trees and twigs, jumping over streams. My favorite part was when I didn't see where I was even going and involuntarily jumped over a ten foot crevasse. Landing lightly on the other side I continued running, Kyle who had been behind fell right down. Luckily the crevasse was only a foot or two deep, so he just got right back up, but still that set me at a lead.

We were both laughing and running at the same time. Running while having fun was a totally different thing than running for work. We reached the edge of the lake, its crystal blue waters totally calm in the early morning. I stepped one foot in, and immediately stepped out, the frigid water chilling me to the bone. Kyle just ran by, went to a rock and jumped off it, cannonballing into the water. "Come on in, the waters fine," he called out, backstroking in the water.

I just shook my head, a smile played across my face. Watch me just leave him there, and disappear out of the routines. I was just about to turn around when I heard a battle cry behind me, and was hit by something with the force of a linebacker. We both landed in the water, I shrieked as I surfaced, my teeth chattering. Chris surfaced, a huge smile on, "Told you I was waiting," he said with a wink.

I just shook my head with an eye roll. "Yeah whatever,"

We swam for hours, having more fun than ever. I was starting to see that side of Chris that I had always wanted to, the carefree funny version, one that wasn't tied down with Alpha responsibilities. It had been two weeks since this training thing started, and I had barely even seen him, and now to see him laughing and having fun was almost a blessing. The way he acted was contagious and I fell into the moment, leaving all my worries behind me.

I tackled Chris, making him go under. We were both under the water, it only making our features slightly murkier. Our eyes locked under the water, and the world around us faded away. I was taken back into the past; me and Chris were in a tree, both of us younger, me around 12 and him 14. We were laughing and swinging our legs off the edge.

"I dare you to jump from here," he teased, knowing I wouldn't actually do it. I smiled crazily, determined to prove him wrong.

"Fine I will, but only if you kiss me," I teased back; I also knew he wouldn't do it, we weren't into that kind of stuff yet, for Pete's sake I was only twelve. His eyes widened in shock and his cheeks turned a bright shade of pink, I started laughing. "Haha, geese you act like I'll really make you do it...." But I was cut off as his lips met mine. My first instinct was to push him off the tree, but I slowly melted into the kiss. My first kiss, with the person I knew I was supposed to be with, my soul mate.

You are probably thinking that twelve is way too early to be talking about soul mates, but I just knew, right then and there. Werewolves had a knack to become imprinted with someone, and totally fell head over heels for that person the first kiss they shared. It's not like every other werewolf you kissed would suddenly become imprinted on you, but only you're perfect other half and you can imagine how hard that can be in a sea of thousands upon thousands.

We slowly pulled away, my eyes opening. A smile spread across both of our lips, our hands were clasped in each other's. He leaned in for another kiss, but at that moment I pushed myself off the tree, falling twenty feet and landing lightly on my feet. Looking up, and using my hand to shield my eyes from the sun, "What you dared me?" I yelled up, and his shocked expression switched into the old Chris that I knew. He hopped down also and we disappeared into the woods, chasing each other.

My vision returned back to the real world, and I realized we were still underwater. Shooting up I broke the surface, gasping for a breath of air. Chris came up also, breathing hard.

Kyle just stared at us like we were crazy, staring at each other like star-crossed lovers. "Heh hmm," someone cleared their throat from the beach, and all of our gazes shifted over to see Raven sitting there on the beach. "Sorry to break this love fest, but dinner's almost ready, you know how your mom is if you're late, Chris," she said with a smile.

"Be right there," Chris called back, and gave me one last glance before starting to swim back to shore. He was not only my original betrothed but also my soul mate and imprinted mate. Isn't that enough to tell you are meant to be with that person? No, apparently not, because the moment Chris stepped out onto shore, Ambrosia shot out of the tall grass running towards him, slinging her arms around his neck. I was forced to watch them make out like crazy on the beach, and I'm sure she would've taken it further when Kyle interrupted, "Hurl fest here," he gagged. That broke them apart, but she still had that cocky

smile on her face.

I swam in, long and easy strokes. "You coming, Kenz?" Chris called, I was halfway there. "Yeah, go ahead," I called back, taking my time.

I stepped onto shore, giving my head a shake to get all the water out of it. I gave a little laugh at my dog moment there. I quickly found my shoes which I had long since placed in the sun; hopefully they were dry by now. Sure enough they were dry and crispy, and I slipped them over my feet, not bothering to tie up the laces.

I got up from the position when I was putting on my shoes, and came face to face with Raven. She had a haunted smile on her lips, almost like the shadow of a happy time, "Why Kenz, I don't think I know you properly," she said sticking her hand out. I shook it uneasily, "Yeah, guess not,"

"Why don't we walk and talk, girl to girl talk," she suggested slipping her arm in mine, like we were old best friends. Deciding she seemed harmless I went with it, she had seemed completely normal these past two weeks, even nice somehow.

"Fine what do you want to know?" I asked.

"Well I've heard everyone calls you Kenz, but what is your full name?"

"It's McKenzie Gardens,"

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen... I just turned the week before, well....everything happened,"

"Oh, Happy Belated Birthday," she cried, hugging me, which was kinda sad since she was fourteen and rather short, only coming up to about my shoulders. Okay, this was starting to creep me out, I lightly shoved her away from me, "Sorry, I don't like contact...I'm a germ phobic," I lied.

"Okay, sorry," she mumbled. We walked in silence; I could just see the lights of the house past the next row of trees, "Any more questions?" I asked, hoping that she didn't, I really just wanted to take my dinner up to my room and enjoy it peacefully.

"Yeah, like what's your favorite color? Fav food? Why you love Crispin and are the prophesized?" her voice took a deathly serious tone at the last sentence, and I froze mid-step. "What do you mean?" I asked, a fake confident smile on my face.

She shoved me, hard, into the tree. "You know what I mean, you little conniving waste of breath." She snarled at me. I just was frozen, totally taken off guard by her attitude. "I'm sick of the way you lurk around Chris like a leech, you have no right on him," she slammed me back into the tree again; she was a lot stronger than I would've taken her for. Each time she pushed me into the tree, it felt like a line-backer had smacked into me full force, never would've guessed.

"I don't..." I started to say, but she slapped me across the face, snapping my head to the side, "Don't speak!" she shrieked, then picked me up off the ground and dragged me into just view of the house. I could see through the living room window, the people highlighted as if in a fishbowl, a perfect family scene, laughing and chatting to each other on the couches. "See that, you could've prevented that, if you would've just stayed away from Crispin," she snarled softly in my ear, reminding me eerily of when the vampire had forced me to look upon the scene of my burning house and crying father.

"Could've prevented what?" I snarled, trying my best to squirm around, but her hold on me was strong. I sharp cackle came from her throat, "In exactly thirty minutes there will be an attack of vampires, the whole pack will be overruled and taken down. As for you, you will be turned in to the Vampire Lord, so you can be eliminated from there obstacles. But this could've all been prevented if you would've just stayed away, now all these innocent people will have to die, including your brother, Jake was it? If you would've I wouldn't have had to resort to an alliance with the vampires," she happily chuckled. She seemed mentally insane, why would she kill her whole pack for just a guy, one that she didn't even love, but was probably hired. By...

The bushes rustled behind us, and Ambrosia emerged, looking sleek and deadly in the night, she smiled evilly, leaning down to me.

I spat in her face, "How could you do this to fellow werewolves," I demanded, and baring my teeth.

"Oh, honey, did no one tell you that not all werewolves are little goody two shoes?" she smiled widely.