Chapter 1

I checked my watch. I still had plenty of time until it was time to get on the plane, but I was still jittery. Jackson and I were the only people from my year going on the research trip to Italy. I looked to my left at Jackson. He looked almost the same as yesterday. Smooth black hair, exceptionally pale skin, golden eyes, and sharp features. He had never been extremely friendly, but he still talked to me. I felt closer to him now, for we would be the only to American people in a school of Italians. It helped that I was part Italian and knew the language fluently..... but I'd still feel out of place.

I checked my watch again and glanced back at Jackson again. He was stiff, tense, maybe because he'd never been on a plane before. I sighed. Maybe he's like your brother..... a small voice said in my head. Not possible. I shut the thought out immediately. My brother, Coran (curse his name), was out there in Forks somewhere, with his little wolf pack. We had gotten into an argument just weeks before the research trip, and I didn't even dare speak his name. One of his friends had a small obsession with me, that soon faded. But during his obsession he had shown me, what I thought was only a nightmare; what he was. He turned into a wolf in front of my eyes, told me everything, including the fact my adopted brother was like him; a nightmare, a werewolf.

Coran went crazy when I told him I knew. He used more than a couple of bad words, and I haven't seen him sense. My only comfort was that he was only my adopted brother.

I sighed, fidgety again, checking my watch. Nearly time to board the plane. It was a twelve hour flight. I've never been on a flight that long. Once I flew to Canada to visit relatives.... but that was the only time.

***

Florence was beautiful. My mom wanted me to move here when I was nineteen and I could see why. Today was rather sunny and it made the place look even nicer, but I always liked clouds better for some unknown reason. Somehow Jackson had slipped away, which was really really frustrating, because he had a vacation home here (all to himself) and I had nowhere to stay, as I can't pay for a hotel for a year. I waited about fifteen minutes until a black convertible Porsche screeched to a stop where I was. Jackson opened the door for me.

"Need a ride somewhere?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, getting in the car. "Do you know where I can stay somewhere free of charge for a year."

Jackson paused. I was sure he got my hint. Had I been a bit too obvious....

My thoughts were interrupted by Jackson's verdict. "You can stay at my place."

"Oh, thanks."

SKIPPING TO FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IN ITALY

Today I'd get my own car, but for the mean time, Jackson drove me to school. His car was expensive, but it wasn't flashy. It was only a black convertible Porsche. The most flashy car was a pink convertible half corvet, half Porsche, that looked as if it were custom designed. I stayed fairly close to Jackson, but Jackson looked like he didn't want me to be near, so I kept my distance.

First class I sat an isle away from Jackson next to a girl who absolutely refused to pay attention in class named Marianna. It was extremely helpful that I was completely fluent in Italian to avoid embarrassment. I expected Jackson to be at least a little flustered on some things, but he was as good at it as I was, and maybe even better. By third period I was picking up the Italian accent. I expected to sit with Jackson at lunch, but he fended me off.

"I've got some friends I'm sitting with," he said casually. Vaguely he gestured towards a table in the corner where three people sat who looked remarkably like Jackson. One was a girl with black hair, pale skin and sharp features. Sitting across from her was a boy with sleek dirty blond hair. His eyes were down concentrating on the food that he was picking at moodily with his fork. Next to him was another girl with curly-wavy brown hair that hung to her elbow. Like all of them she was as pale as Jackson. She was looking at the boy her hand on his elbow.

"Your relatives?" I asked innocently, but sharply.

Jackson nodded casually but I saw part of the lie in it. I walked away to Marianna. Marianna chattered to me in Italian as I ate my lunch while watching the unusual group of people sitting three tables down from me. It was obvious the boy and the brown haired girl were together. The girl with black hair looked exceptionally bored, while every now and then she exchanged a word with Jackson.