I remember the first night I saw the blond.

I had gone for a run by myself. It was dark, it was quiet, the fog thick to give me extra cover, and I loved it.

We'd only been in the area for barely a week, my small pack and I. Small being only three members, me, the only female within miles, and two males; one that had come from my original pack, one son of a mutt. It was odd to have a pack without mated alphas, but here we were loose with our morals, running wild, well at least until we find out mate.

Then we are faithful for life.

We'd been traveling for awhile now. Half in search of new territory, half for our life mates. Ok so really we live for finding our mates.

The fact was we'd fallen in love with this land here. I was curious why no others had claimed it before but it didn't matter. It was mine now.

Too bad too, now my pack insisted on attending the school in the area.

Bitches. I keep saying human education is pointless.

They tell me it's a long life to live; I had a lot of time to waste.

But back to this gorgeous male who had crossed my path this perfect night.

He and his companions were walking through the woods, completely absent of fear, something almost unheard of with sane humans when they enter my domain.

I saw him, I smelled him and I knew. He was mine.

It's strange. It's not often that one of my kind find's its mate among the species of another. It's not unheard of or course; I myself have a distant cousin who called a Fey his beloved. My great great great aunt had a pure shifter by her side.

It didn't matter to me I knew it in that moment that he was mine and the beast within me would stop at nothing to get him.

I barely controlled myself; I had to shift out just to hold myself back. Otherwise I would have gone for him then and there, I've seen that backfire.

That cousin of mine, who had once ran with us in Europe, went for his mate, killed her. Killed his soul in doing so. We, meaning me, the hunter of the pack, had to put him down after he lost his mind.

We left Europe after that. I didn't really mind, all those accents bothered me. Now I am back, close to Canada, close to home, but never too close. I can never go back, such is the way of our kind.

But I couldn't just leave him, not yet. So I followed in the shadows as he his made their way to the school I was supposed to attend at some point or another, my brother's hadn't specified as of yet.

As I followed I learned their names. The rest didn't matter but at least I knew his.

Reid.

I turned my head into the wind to catch a new scent of mortal. More in my forest, I couldn't help but snarl at the idea of so many trespassers in one night.

"Garwin!" The name rang out in the darkness causing my mate and his pack to delay.

"Abbot, what ever are you doing out so late?" Reid cried back.

I could sense the hostility this Abbot bastard had towards my life partner. I couldn't tolerate a threat to exist. I knew if something happened I'd not be able to hold back and would probably kill before I regained myself. I could however scare the bastard off without risking blood.

Hopefully.

It was worth the risk.

I could feel my canines elongate as I crouched low in the bushes just before another figure stepped into my sight, only this one was further into the trees and unseen by the others.

Ambush.

Bastards.

I growled low as I sank back out of view behind a tree allowing my change to speed forth.

My back legs shifted, my hands twisted, fur fell over my body in a wave. It wasn't the hottest thing to see but it wasn't grotesque either. My pack once said it was like an art when I did it.

It didn't matter it all hurt like a bitch, the faster the better, and it was soon over.

In my true form, or my false, no one truly knows which is which, I am black as night. Honey golden eyes, white fangs, and long sharp claws. I stand to a grown man's thigh, and I'm considered small. The protector of our little family is massive, reaching just above a man's hip.

Not that it mattered, a snarling wolf of my size still struck fear in the heart of mortals. They grew up on the legends of my kind and although practically all of the stories are false they still view all wolves, natural and otherwise, as a force not to be trifled with, especially in the dark woods near a full moon.

I crept towards the one alone in my forest intent on ambushing the ambusher. I came around behind him as I heard voices being raised.

I could have understood if I wanted to but it required focus, and I didn't have attention to waste.

Even if I could take down a grown male no problem they could still cause damage if I was careless.

I did not intend to let my mate down.

A low growl caught the boy's attention and I was almost shocked by how young he was.

Then I caught sight of two more across the way hiding within more trees.

Cowards.

I lunged from the bush I'd been couched in, I didn't touch the mortal but he stumbled back into the sight of the others.

The Abbot bastard said something angrily a the boy I'd just scared who in turn stammered and pointed seven feet to the right of me.

A almost rolled my eyes; moron could at least get the position of the threat right.

I snarled again unseen by the men I faced.

If my Alpha ever found out I was about to get in the midst of nine grown males, well I'd be dead and my mate would no longer be an issue.

Fuck that.

I leapt out of the foliage and snarled at Abbot feeling my fur stand on end.

There was some moderate exclamation before I lunged at the bastard. He tried to kick me but I dodged easily and hit him full in the chest.

He landed on his back but I flew further rolling head over heels. I regained my footing easily as he rolled onto his stomach.

At least he had the sense to freeze when I snarled in his face. Somehow being on the same level as myself always took that last ounce of courage one might own.

One of his friends picked up a heavy branch and started swinging.

Idiot. The branch was far too large to be very effective, but of course men choose the biggest weapon they can find and hope for the best. They never think that maybe their opponent is too fast to actually be struck.

No matter, it simply made this easier.

I lunged at the boy catching the branch in my jaw and tugged hard bringing him down to his knees. It always made me feel a little more confident when men are on their knees before me. Which is good because it seems to happen often enough.

I slipped past him easily came about ten feet from Reid and spun around again to snarl at the opposing boys as the two other ambushers stumbled from the forest and into view.

I snapped and growled but I didn't lung again I was far too out numbered. Thankfully that was all it took to send them running.

They tore out of my domain as if it was hell itself. I snorted at the ground lowering my head slightly. When I inhaled I realized just how close my mate was to me.

I turned to find his blue eyes focused on me. Blue wasn't even the name for it really, but whatever it was it was gorgeous and they pierced me to the core.

My beast screamed that I take him then and there, fuck the others who stood by his side; fuck the dangers that would follow.

Dangers. I could kill him, or worse, let him live and be rejected for being the monster such mortals saw my kind as.

So I ran. I fled as far as I could through the woods in the opposite direction. The trees and branches whipping my body, rocks and sticks tearing at my paws but I didn't care.

The beast screamed that I turn back and claim him, my mind told me to run to save him.

Humans can be so fragile, so weak, so easy to kill.

I could never do that to him. I couldn't hurt him like that and so I ran. I would come back when I was in control, or when I had another to keep me in check. Hopefully when the full moon wasn't so damn close.

Damn the boys were going to have way too much fun with this.

I could only hope it would be worth it