!!!!~IMPORTANT ANOUNCEMENT~!!!! PLEASE READ THE WHOLE THING! SERIOUSLY!!!!

Hello all of my wonderful readers! I have some good news and some bad news. Ok well not really. I'll just get to the point. I won't be posting for a little while. I know I know your all thinking 'WHY NOT??' well it's because I got little lost after this chapter and I need a little time to get my head around where this storys going. I mean I know where it's going its getting there that's the problem. But you get my point.

So there is no vote goal for this one. I just would really like everyone who doesn't mind clicking a button to vote for me please? That would be great. And comments would be nice too. I really do love reading all your comments.

So anyway, please don't hate me, I just want this story to be the best it can be and to do that I need to take a little time to wrap my head around it. It's not like I'm going to abandon you guys for a year or anything. Maybe just until schools out. (That would be in 5 weeks). I'll do my 'Story-soul searching' as quickly as possible to keep you guys from having to wait too long. Thanks for reading and please enjoy this chapter of Werewolf Forest.

Love ya much,

~Alex

* * * *

"I win!" I yelled.

"No you didn't! You cheated!"

"Did not!"

"Ya you did! You tripped me! How is that not cheating?"

"Because you never said I couldn't! We never established rules. You can't break the rules if there aren't any in the first place!"

Davo sighed in defeat. "Well I did win two races." He said.

"Ya, but I won three!"

"Oh shut up, Pixie." He smirked at me.

"Pixie?" I asked, confused.

"Your hair," he explained. "It makes you look like a fairy. I just thought Pixie was a better name than Fairy. Go ahead, check." He gestured towards a puddle at the base of a tree.

I knelt down and looked in the puddle.

'Huh. I guess I kinda do look like a fairy.' My brown hair was sticking out in all directions. Uneven spikes covered my head like a round pinecone with a part at the top. 'Actually it kind of looks...cool' I smiled.

*Ya keep telling yourself that pine-cone-head.*

If you could stick your tongue out at yourself, I would have.

"Come on, let's head back," Davo said, taking me out of my thoughts.

"Alright." I followed him back through the forest towards the house. Morning was now beginning to brim on the horizon; the deep blue hues of the night sky were being pushed away by the pink and yellow glow of the waking sun. The birds were beginning to wake up as well, their chirping melodies welcoming the new day. We walked side by side in silence.

The huge house became visible well before we broke through the tree line into the small clearing. As we were walking towards the house, pushing and shoving each other like small children on a playground, I saw Andrew burst through the doors, a panicked expression glued on his face.

He looked around frantically before his eyes locked with mine. His face softened with relief. "Maggie!" He called as he ran up to me and crushed me in a hug.

"Andrew...losing...air..." I squeaked.

"Sorry, sorry," He muttered as he relaxed his hold on me but still kept me encased in his arms.

"What's the matter Andrew?"

He pulled back, and looked at me with a face not of relief, but anger.

"What's the matter? What's the matter?!" He threw his arms in the air. "I went into your room this morning and you weren't there, that's 'what's the matter'! You could have been kidnapped for all I knew! And you!" He turned on Davo. "What are you doing out here with her?" He glared at Davo, his fists clenching and unclenching nervously.

"Jeez Andrew calm down. I couldn't sleep so I decided to go for a run and as it turns out Davo was up too so we raced a couple of times. No big deal." Andrew had always been like an older brother, the over-protectiveness included, but this was a little over the top.

"Why didn't you leave a note?" He asked, his breathing beginning to slow.

"I didn't know you would get so worked up, sorry." He took a deep breath and pulled me in for a gentler, less-bone-crushing hug.

"Just don't scare me like that again ok?" He mumbled into my hair. "I just got you back; I don't want to lose you again."

"I know, I'm sorry."

He pulled away and really looked at me, his forehead scrunching in confusion. "What did you do to your hair?"

* * *

Andrew slipped the cards in his pocket after we had finished our fourth round of Jin Rummy. He won all of them; he always was better at card games.

"Wanna go for a walk?" He asked.

"Sure," I said, following him towards the woods.

We walked in silence for a while before he stopped and turned to me. "Hey Maggs," he said in a nervous whisper. "When...when I disappeared...what did my parents do?" He looked at me with hopeful eyes, but I could see in them that he was scared of the answer.

"Do you want me to lie and make you feel better, or tell you the truth?" I bit my lip.

He took a deep breath before replying. "The truth."

"Well...pretty much nothing. They came back from London or wherever they were at, told the police a few things, then they left. Last I heard they were on a cruise liner headed to Italy." Andrew's parents were very, very rich and they liked to go on a lot of vacations. Vacations that didn't include their only son.

I looked down at the ground. I didn't want to see his face, didn't want to see the hope that I had just smashed with my stories of hurt and betrayal. I heard him breath in sharply, trying to hold back sobs.

"I'm sorry Andrew," I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his chest. He hugged me back and held on as tight as he could.

"I'm alright...Its just...I mean I should have known, should have expected...I just thought that maybe...I just hoped, you know?" I nodded my head.

He took my hand in his and we began to walk through the trees again. I could see the pain on his face though he refused to voice it. I knew he needed something to take his mind off of it. The question that had been biting at the back of my mind suddenly burst the surface of my mouth.

"What's a life mate?" I asked.

He looked down and blushed. "It's uh...when two werewolves are mated for life. You see...when two werewolves...um...sleep with each other for the first time; they are then mated for life. They can never love another person. Ever. The love that they felt for one another, in that moment, is multiplied ten-fold and frozen into absolute permanency. They will always feel that way about each other, and nothing, not even death, can change it."

'Wait the first time they slept...oh no...Does that mean...Jason...'

My heart beat began to rise and my breathing increased. I could feel little sweat beads begin to form on my now-clammy forehead.

"U-um...well what if...say...hypothetically...one of them was...you know, forced into it?" My voice was shaky and I had a hard time keeping my hand still. There was a scream of pure agony building in my chest.

'I can't be mated to Jason for life! No...no I can't live with that! No...no please no...'

As if answering my prayers Andrew said, "No, then the bond wouldn't work. Remember, I said that the love they were feeling for each other in that moment is frozen? Well it works the same for other emotions too. If someone hated the other person, then, that too, would be set in stone. That person would hate the other person forever and never be able to forgive them."

I released a breath I didn't even know I was holding. I took deep steady breaths, not wanting to pass out.

"So what if it wasn't the first time for someone? Like if they had done that before becoming a werewolf? What them? Would it still work?"

"Yup. It only works for the first time you have consensual sex after you become a werewolf."

"Oh," was all I could say. It was a good thing I had a tendency to ask questions just for the sake of asking them, and that Andrew knew this. Anyone else would have become suspicious.

Then I remembered that girl...the one whose life-mate had died. She looked like she was in indescribable pain when Connor told her. Now I understood. She could never love again. There was no way to get over it, to move on. She would hurt like that for the rest of her life and never be able to find love again. Poor girl...

Andrew stopped dead in his tracks. "Hold up," he said putting his arm out to stop me. He cocked his head to the side, as if trying to hear something better. "Connor wants to talk with me and some of the higher-ups. Come on." He turned back towards the house and I turned to follow him.

"I didn't hear anything."

"You wouldn't have. He thought it not said it." He shrugged as if it was nothing special

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on there a sec." I stopped. "Thought it? Since when did you become a mind reader?"

"Since I joined this pack. Everyone in this pack can talk to each other through our minds. Remember when we said that we could fight better than Danny's pack? Well that's one reason why. Better communication." He smiled and tapped his temple.

"So, what, you can just read each other's minds whenever you want?"

*I'm starting to like this place more and more.*

"Well not exactly. We can send out messages and receive them but we can't intrude on what someone in thinking without them sending it to us. It's actually pretty useful."

"So can I do that?" I asked a little excided.

"No, you have to be an official pack member to do that."

"And how, exactly, do I become an 'Official pack member'?"

"You have to get approval by all the leaders."

"Who are the leaders?" I asked, now very interested on our current topic.

"Connor, Gunner, Cameron, Ally, Sasha, and me. Well that's this part of the pack anyway. If you were in a different branch in this pack you would have to get approval from the leaders of that branch and also from Connor and me, since he's the alpha and I'm second command of the whole pack."

"You're second in command of the entire pack? As in the pack that has branches all over the world?" My eyes widened as I looked at his face. Andrew? The Andrew I knew growing up...the Andrew who's biggest responsibility was telling the cook what to make, was second in command of a world-wide pack?

"Yup. But, don't worry, I only use my powers for good." He smirked at me before turning and walking again. I rolled my eyes and followed him.

When we reached the house Connor was there waiting for him.

"Meeting's in the Rec. room." He said.

Andrew nodded and headed inside with me following behind. He turned to me as we got to the room. "Maggs, this is a meeting of the higher ups of the pack." I looked at him blackly even though I understood what he meant. I just felt like being difficult.

"As in not you," he said slowly.

"Well, fine if that how it's going to be," I said, feigning hurt.

"Oh shut up and go make you self a sandwich," he smiled at me.

"Ya, ya, ya, I'm going," He ruffled my hair as I left for the kitchen. I opened the gargantuan refrigerator but found nothing to my liking. I then spotted a basket of apples in the counter. I snatched one up and took a bite. As I was chewing I began to hear voices.

"We need to talk about Maggie." I heard Connor say.

"What about her?" asked Andrew.

"Well...a lot...Andrew...Do you think she would fight?"

"I don't know but I won't let her that's for sure."

"Andrew, think about it. She's and Amoveo Deus, she's our only chance to beat James. You know that. She trained with him; she might be able to kill him."

"That may be but I won't let her face them again. She's broken enough."

"Come on Andrew, we need her to fight. This is the human race we're talking about! Don't you think millions of people are worth more in the long run than your little girl friends feelings?" I didn't recognize this particular girl's voice but, I knew I didn't like her.

"How would you feel if you had went through what she did?!" Andrew's voice was rising with his anger.

"How she feels doesn't matter! These are lives were talking about Andrew! A LOT of lives! You want to sacrifice all those lives just because it'll...emotionally scar this girl?!" They were both yelling incomprehensible things to each other now, their voices combining into one loud roar.

"Hey! Cut it out you two!" Ordered Connor, He sighed and lowered his voice. "Andrew, see reason...maybe if you talk to her, she'll come around. We need her. She's our only hope."

They were right. Even with my limited abilities I had the biggest advantage over James. I was their only hope.

Some hope that was.

* * * * *

"What are you thinking about?"

Andrews's voice snapped me back to reality. We were sitting in the courtyard, staring at the clouds through the frame of trees.

Since yesterday when I heard Connor and the rest of the 'higher ups' talking I couldn't keep my mind off it. I had been zoning out all the time, not hearing people when they would talk to me.

How the hell could I beat James? The guy was like a freaking fighting machine! And plus he was able to take control of your body...that was a problem. What was I supposed to do? Convince him not to use his powers? It was impossible to beat him.

"Just that the sky is pretty today," I said.

"Liar," he smirked at me.

I sighed. He could always tell when I was lying.

"It's just...I heard you guys talking yesterday." I looked down, hoping he wouldn't get mad.

"Oh...you heard that?" He said a little nervous.

"Ya...I just don't think I can beat him Andrew. I know I have the greatest advantage but even then it's next to nothing."

"Well, I admit he's a good fighter, but you trained with him. You know his moves."

"No, it's not that," did he not know? "When's the last time you fought him?"

"I don't know...maybe a year, year and a half."

"Well I guess his powers have grown since then. Andrew, he can control people, take over their bodies. Make them do or say anything he wants. I can't beat that."

Andrews's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Would I joke about this?"

"Shit..." he muttered as his face drained with worry. "I've got to go tell Connor. Stay here, ok?" He got up and left without waiting for my response.

Just then Davo came stumbling out of the woods, laughing his head off.

"What's so funny?" I called.

He looked up at me and smiled. "Oh hey Pixie."

"Are you going to call me Pixie all the time?" I asked.

"Yup," he said, popping the 'p'.

"Wonderful," I said sarcastically. "Now tell me, what's so funny?"

"I fought a bear!" he yelled.

"You what?!" I stood up.

"I fought a bear! A big ol' grizzly! And I didn't even shift! And not just that; I scared the crap out of these hunters! It was so hilarious! You should have seen their faces when I dodged their bullets." He looked so proud of himself.

"You idiot!" I pushed him in the arm and laughed with him.

"Hey no pushing!" He shoved me back playfully.

"Oh ya? And what are you going to do about it?" I poked him in the chest.

"This!" He talked me to the ground.

"Hey!" I yelled kicking him off of me. I pounced on him and we rolled around on the ground, each trying to best the other. No sooner had we broken apart that he lunged at me.

For a brief moment, everything seemed to go in slow motion. As he was in the air, flying toward me, I felt a pressure in my ears. The pressure grew as if something was trying to escape from inside my head. The pressure built and built until my head ached. Then my ears popped, like they do when you descend down a mountain quickly, and the pressure seemed to escape somehow. I looked around me and saw a strange haze, like the ripples you see over asphalt on a hot summer day. My attention turned back to Davo, his arms stretched out, ready to grab me. And for one moment the whole world was silent.

Then time seemed to break through the barrier that had once held it and played again. Davo smacked into the strange haze and was catapulted backwards. Sounds bombarded me; the chirps of birds, running water, heart beats of many people, and Davo's grunt and cry of surprise when he crashed against whatever force was now surrounding me.

He lay on the ground, propping himself up on his elbows as he stared at me with complete and utter awe.

I started with the same awe at the haze around me. I stood and the strange force moved with me. I couldn't touch it, it would just move around my hand, conforming to its shape.

'Interesting...'

I then realized that I could control the odd haze. I could feel it, like another limb. I could bend it, mold it, and shape it into anything. I experimented by making it hug close to my body. It conformed to my figure perfectly, like a body suit of impenetrable energy.

I stood up and walked over to a tree, wanting to try something. I reached my hand, coated with the haze, out toward the tree. As I pressed my hand to the bark, a crouching sound could be heard. I pushed my hand harder, and with almost no effort at all, my hand broke through the tree, as if it were a hot knife and the tree only butter. I then remembered back to when I was still in Danny's camp, the day before I was shipped off to James. Danny had said that Amoveo Deus had other powers too. I had experienced these powers first hand when I had spent those excruciatingly long days with James. Danny said that the powers were unpredictable, that they could come at any time.

My powers were beginning to develop.

Maybe, just maybe, there was hope for us yet.