SYDNEY

With seemingly all the lights turned on for the first floor, Sydney could definitely appreciate the beauty of Jaycen and his family's home. The sleek modern architecture, neutral color palettes with the occasional pop of color or pattern on a wall or piece of furniture. She was taken aback by the lack of rich and wealthy iconography, which Sydney had thought she would find in the home of the infamous Jaycen.

It plucked a pleased cord in her to see the family didn't appear to be outright materialistic or throwing their money around.

Once they had finished the walk down the street and entered back into the Ward residence, Sydney saw Jaycen head to the dining room and speak to what appeared to be his father. Mat had corralled her further into the home, before excusing himself to talk to someone, but swore he'd stay in view of her. Sydney was very reluctant to let go of his arm, but with her back up against the wall she felt somewhat protected. Eyes finding their way back to Jaycen and his father, she was trying to pick up on what they were discussing, similarly to what had happened when she tried fleeing the house earlier.

"-don't know what to do! I have no idea how they knew about her. I only scented her two days ago after the whole lacrosse ordeal. We've gone to the same highschool for years, how am I just-"

A head of brilliant wavy dark brown hair pulled Sydney's attention back square in front of her as she looked down to a pretty girl who was a few inches shorter than herself.

"Hey! I'm Jacinda, but you can call me Jaci, like Jacy but with an 'i'. I'm Jay's younger sister." She flashed her bright teeth at Sydney and held out her hand.

Awkwardly Sydney shook it. "Sydney." She introduced quietly, "Nice to meet you."

Sydney's eyes floated over Jaci's head back to Jaycen.

His sister gasped, not seeming to notice Sydney's wavering attention, "You're hands!" She was right, nails torn and chipped, and dried rusty red blood was buried under the few remaining ones, "Here let me help you wash them," Jaci began to pull on her wrists, and Sydney felt her body lock up.

"Now now that's more like it Sydney now-"

Jaci looked at her and Sydney tried to force herself to calm down. Too many people had been physical with her for her to let her guard down.

"I'll take it from here Jaci." Jaycen's warm voice interrupted their movement, and he touched Jaci on the elbow, indicating for her to release Sydney.

"Oh, yeah...I just wanted to introduce myself to my big bros mate. I'm really sorry about everything that has happened tonight, Sydney. We can talk and get to know each other later, tell you all the dirt I have on you big bro."

"Watch it Jacinda." Jaycen warned light heartedly.

"I appreciate that, Jaci."

With that, Jaci turned and left to the rest of the massive group while Jaycen and Sydney stood there for a good awkward minute. Sydney had her arms wrapped around her, each hand cupping her opposite elbow.

Jacyen held out his hand and asked, "May I?"

☽✣☾

JAY

While his dad attempted to piece together the events that Jay had just told him, a chill ran up his neck and worry pierced the back of his mind.

He turned to see Sydney and his sister, and he immediately knew what he was feeling was her fear. He felt he had become all too accustomed to that feeling tonight. While they weren't mated, his wolf was distinctly attuned to her pheromones.

His legs swiftly took him to the girl who was turning his world upside down.

Touching his sister's elbow gingerly, he said, "I'll take it from here Jaci."

Jacinda looked up to him and he could feel her sorrow and nervousness. Not towards him, but for Sydney, however she complied and dropped her hands. "Oh, yeah...I just wanted to introduce myself to my big bros mate. I'm really sorry about everything that has happened tonight, Sydney. We can talk and get to know each other later, tell you all the dirt I have on you big bro."

Jaycen saw a small curl of the corners of Sydney's lips and her head bow in a small curt nod, before cautioning his younger sister, "Watch it Jacinda."

Sydney expressed her gratitude, making Jay both happy to see her connecting with his sister, but nervous on what Jaci might try and fill her mind with. Jay watched as she wrapped her arms around herself, then, he could not only see the blood encrusted on her hands, but smell them.

His heart dipped and his wolf mourned. Jacyen held out his hand and asked, "May I?"

There was a delay in her movements, but then she timidly placed her delicate hand in his. With gentle movements, he turned her hand over and examined the scratches and tears in her skin. Thin lines of blackened dirt and grit found homes in some of her wounds. Pausing his scrutiny, he held his other hand out and she placed her other hand palm up mimicking the relationship of their other hands.

Jaycen's thumb ghosted lightly over the bone of her wrist, "Let's get you cleaned up. Are you alright with that?"

Sydney nodded and pulled her hands back to her chest, and with that followed Jay back towards the stairs and up to the second floor.

☽✣☾

With a small tug the side mirror gave way and opened to his medicine cabinet where the rubbing alcohol, bandages, and other miscellaneous. Flipping on the faucet Jay looked at Sydney where she sat on the closed toilet. Getting the hint she rose and cautiously put her hands under the running stream of water.

A hiss escaped her lips but she gritted her teeth and slowly washed away the dried blood and tried to remove some of the embedded dirt.

Jaycen had never felt such sorrow and anger before. Here was this innocent girl, who Jaycen had never really talked to before two nights ago, and she was cut and bruised, and now adding to the trama of the attack on her in the woods, his pack mate had panicked and knocked her to the ground, frightening her and worsening her injuries. Mate or not, no one deserved that, but with her being his mate, something deeper mourned for her. "I am so so sorry Sydney."

Sydney didn't raise her eyes from the water flowing over her hands, "For what?"

Everything. "It's my fault, from Elliot, to what just happened outside-"

Her head shot up, piercing green eyes attacking him, "I just don't understand, everything is a mess and slew of memories, and I-" she choked, "I swear I won't tell anyone what you did,"

Jaycen's frown deepened.

'She thinks we are unfit to be her mate, and she is right,'

She turned around from the sink to face him, "I'm sorry my friends and I pulled that prank on you and your friends, but please I swear we'll never do anything like that again. I won't tell a soul what happened tonight. I just want to go back home," the word 'home' caused a crack in her voice.

What?

"What no I-" Jaycen stepped to her hand reaching out and grabbing her shoulder, she flinched and rammed into the counter, and Jay immediately stepped away. The fear and panic in her eyes startled him. "Sydney please, I am so sorry, I wasn't thinking. No this was not because of the vinegar thing."

Doubt clouded her eyes, "I don't understand, you knew the guy in the woods and you and your family wouldn't take me to a hospital. You're covering this up. I was attacked and I thought I was going to die!"

"Please, I'll explain everything to you, but I swear this was not revenge about the prank, I would never do that to you or one for that matter, what happened tonight was barbaric and someone was trying to attack you to get to me."

She shook her head in disbelief, "But we don't even know each other!"

"What's the last thing you remember from last night?"

With her eyes closed and rubbing her temples, "I don't know, I had left the school looking for my phone and then went out to the forest. I thought I had lost it the night of the vinegar balloons, but then that-that-" She paused opening her eyes again, "He said you were a werewolf, and I remember Mat helping me and you, and then the run to your house, but then-" She stopped again and didn't continue.

"What he said is true, I am a werewolf and you, Sydney, are my mate."

☽✣☾

SYDNEY

A scoff left her without her permission. Then a laugh bubbled in her.

I must still be dreaming. Maybe I'm in the hospital after the attack. Or better yet, absolutely none of this is happening and I'm asleep in my bed, or maybe I was in an accident on my way to school and am in a coma.

Jaycen looked at her with concern brewing in his eyes. "Sydney?"

The laughter died down, "You're messing with me aren't you? Making me think I'm crazy so I don't tell the cops. Or better yet, this is some deep fucked up part of my consciousness and I'm really in the hospital."

His eyes hardened and he stepped towards her grabbing her hand. Immediately her heart raced in fear, but then he placed her hand, palm flushed against his chest. Under her fingers she could feel the pumping of his heart. Something pulsed inside her in response, and then the pulsing synced to the pumping of his blood.

A quick glance to his handsome face and her heart stuttered. "I-" Before she could think about where her sentence was leading, a soft white light emanated from her fingertips. Warmth flooded her hand but then was washed away by what she could only describe as a wash of cool energy.

Her turned her hand to reveal her cuts on her hand were glowing with the soft light and sealing shut. Just as he held out his other hand to her she was meeting him with her other one as well, it was like they themselves were in sync. This time instead of pulling it to his chest, he brought it to his lips, and tenderly, his seafoam green eyes locked on hers, waiting for her response, brushed his lips against her index finger. Heat, not the healing kind, flooded her cheeks. Another delicate light permeated from her finger, and the same warm then cold feeling radiated up her finger. One by one Sydney watched as he repeated the same action to each of her digits. Turning her hand over, he laid a butterfly kiss on the swell of her thumb connecting to her palm. With that, her hands were healed.

She didn't know what to make of that. Sydney was never a believer in the paranormal, certainly not in magic, and she was not religious. "Jaycen-"

"Please just call me Jay."

She tested it, "Jay, how can this be?"

He gave a soft smile, "Like I said before, werewolves."

When she laughed this time, it was lighter and far less cynical. "I guess that's hard to deny when I just saw, well whatever that was."

He nodded, lowering their hands, but he still held them, firm but gently, a thumb drifting over the back of her hand, "It's a capability that we have. It's like sharing our energy with one another. I am surprised though, it worked faster and a lot more effortlessly than any other time I've done it."

"In what way? Is it because I'm your 'mate?'"

Sydney wasn't a fool. She had heard the word mate in hundreds of different contexts, but she was pretty certain of their meaning now.

Jay seemed to be thinking this over, "Probably. I wouldn't have anything to compare it to." He flashed her a soft smile.

A key of pleasure thrummed through her body, but she tried to squash it. Somewhat reluctantly, she removed her hands from his and went back to a defensive position, arms folded across her chest.

"You do know I'm not just going to get in bed with you because of this whole ordeal and 'mate' thing."

Emotions flashed across Jay's eyes and face, hurt, confusion, and embarrassment were the first ones she could clearly see.

"No, you don't have to-"

This made her fume, "You don't get to say whether or not I have to do anything!" She tried to push him to the side to escape the bathroom.

So much for him being tender.

His arm shot out in front of her and caught her before she could leave, "Wait please, Sydney none of my words seem to be coming out the way I want them to and you keep interrupting."

Sydney felt a scowled take over her face and she moved his arm out of the way, rushing into his bedroom, "That's not a way to apologize! Where is your phone, I want to go home. My brother and sister probably already called the police."

He groaned in what was either frustration or annoyance, "Sydney please, I'm sorry. Tonight has been a lot for you, but it's been hard for me too."

Annoying prick and here I thought he could genuinely be caring about someone else.

Sydney said as much too, "Funny how after everything tonight, and how you're supposed to be my 'mate' or whatever the hell you all say, everything is all about Jay Jay Jay." She mocked his name childishly. "I refuse to argue with someone who wouldn't listen or see their own faults."

She looked at his side tables for a phone, and when she didn't see one she headed for the door.

"Where are you going? We haven't finished talking yet!"

He caught the door over her head before she could open it. Anger was beginning to seep into her blood.

"Yeah, 'cause everything you say is all about how terrible this night has been for you! Well guess what Jaycen, tonight was hell for me. I thought I was going to be raped and killed."

The memories floated right to the surface, not that they were too deep in her mind anyways. She had a feeling it would take a long time to feel safe again.

Suddenly, the arm that was pinning the door closed, dropped around her and pulled her close to him. Her arms shot out protectively. Flinching back she found she couldn't get out of his hold, "Please..." She didn't know what else to say.

His free hand grabbed her defensively raised one and left a kiss that spread across the knuckles of the ring, middle, and index fingers. "Never will I allow anyone do anything to you ever again. I vow it." With a slight bow of his head, as quickly as he had grabbed her and her hands, he let them go and backed away. "I should have been there to prevent it in the first place." He had said it so softly, she wasn't even sure that he had said it.

Tears pricked at her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time in the past 24 hours. Trying to swallow down the need to cry she nodded. "I appreciate that. Would you mind helping me to a phone though please? My family is probably frightened."

He agreed, "Sure, but just so you know, Mat already texted you're sister saying you had passed out at his place, and she suggested you stay there."

A small sense of relief overcame her for once this evening. After their father Sydney didn't want them to think the worst had happened to her.

But it almost did. Her mind whispered.

"Oh, alright then I guess I'll just go back to my house early tomorrow."

"It's up to you, I'm sure my sister would be willing to share her wardrobe with you."

Sydney lightly snorted, "I highly doubt her and I would fit in each other's clothes. And why do you think I'm going to stay the rest of the night at your place? I should probably go to Mat's house-"

A soft growl warned her that was the wrong thing to say.

"You will not be sleeping anywhere near the Omega."

She scoffed, handing resting on her hips, "You do not get to tell me where I can and can't be and who I can or can't be with! He has been my friend for way longer than you and I have even known each other."

His head fell backwards as he rubbed his face, "Some higher power, please you have to help me with this woman. Of course you both have been friends longer than that, because you and I have only known each other for all of a day! And you will be listening to me, because I am trying to protect you and don't want you around some other male!"

"Hey! You're the jerk who thinks just cause you come into my life, say I'm your mate, and act like the big bad wolf, that you can just expect me to bend to your will."

His eyes darkened, "Just because some higher power decided you should be my mate, does not mean I have to put up with your stubbornness, or your lack of respect."

"Why would I respect you when you haven't shown it to me, my friends, or my relationships! You're expecting me to just choose you over him!"

"It was you and you're friends who pulled that stupid prank on us! And you have no idea about my relationships let alone why I want you away from him!"

It was Sydney's turn to cry out, "You are so freaking annoying do you know that! One second you're all sweet and comforting, then the next you're acting like you are the most important thing to ever walk the face of this planet! I don't understand what I did to deserve last night, and now whatever the hell this mess is between us, but I don't want it!"

His face was contorted in a way that he looked like he wanted to snear, but Sydney could tell it took every drop of strength in him to restrain himself. "I would be more sweet and comforting if you wanted me to be, but you can't have it both ways Sydney. I understand the attack in the forest upset you, and rightfully so. No one should ever have to experience that in their lifetime, and what I meant before, about how hard tonight was on me, was that despite me not believing in some god or deity choosing us to supposedly be together forever as mates, and despite never having talked to each other before yesterday, my heart stopped when I heard you scream in those woods Sydney. I felt my whole world tilting and I refused to let anything get in the way of finding you. And when I found you in those woods all alone, bleeding, I thought some part of me had died. But Sydney, I was wrong, that was the moment I knew a part of me was being uncovered, that life was never going to be simple and easy again, but looking at everything you went through in those woods, against some monster who had no right to lay his eyes on you, let alone put a hand on you, the gods or fates or whoever is in control of this madness and chaos wanted me to find you, and for us to stand by each other's side. For that I will forever be grateful, because yes you are frustrating, and refuse to let me finish a sentence before taking it the wrong way, but Sydney you are insurmountably strong."

Her heart was pounding by the time he finished. No one had ever said anything remotely that powerful and warm to her. Sydney searched for words to couple together to repay the Jaycen, but couldn't find them. Instead, she listened to the humming in her heart and stumbled forward and wrapped her arms around him.

Beneath her head and under her hands she could feel him tense, surprised by her actions, but then wrap his arms around her as well.

"If you keep with that honest talk Jay, I think we'll figure everything out and we will be just fine."