Author Note: Here is a new story for you all that I have had sitting on my laptop for a while! Once I've finished my exams, I'll be updating more!! Promise!!

Read and enjoy! :D

Chapter One

I took a deep breath as I stood outside Jesse's door. I could see a faint light from her desk lamp under the edge of the door and my heightened hearing picked up the rustle of paper, the tapping of keys, the sound of her breathing and her heart beat. She was awake. More than likely adding the finishing touches to the essay we had due tomorrow. Mine had been printed out a week ago and sat neatly in my homework folder ready for class.

When I had got back to my room last night, after two nights of roaming the streets – mostly at night – the logical side of my mind kicked in and I checked my phone first before having a shower. I had twenty missed calls fifty unread texts. All from Jesse. I waited until later that afternoon to text her with a totally bogus story about a family emergency, knowing she had left her phone in her dorm room and that she wouldn't get it until after classes, work and homework.

It had been a very, very weird few days and a small voice in the back of my mind, one that hadn't been there before it happened, was telling me it wasn't going to get any better from ignoring it. I knew in this case, ignorance would not lead to bliss. It would lead to death.

I knew I would be able to hide it from most of the population, the humans, but that same quiet little voice whispered that I would not be able to hide it from the werewolves or the fea. Or any other supernatural creepy that hadn't yet come out to play.

That was the reason I was standing at Jesse's door. Her father was a werewolf and I knew, again all thanks to that little voice, that he could help me. I didn't understand what I was… I didn't understand what had happened when–

I broke that thought off. I'd revisited it so many times in my mind already and it helped a bit, but I didn't need to remind myself of it constantly. Not if I wanted to get on with my life, which was slipping too far out of my control for my own liking. I didn't like it. It left me feeling powerless and angry. Taking this step helped me gain some of the equilibrium I'd lost that night when it felt like the world had been ripped out from under me feet. Though I supposed now, paws was a more adequate description.

I'd never met her father, though she had invited me to stay on more than one occasion. I'd told her simply, that there was no way I was going into a house full of testosterone filled males, who's egos made them think they could push a woman around. Society was patriarchal enough, thank you very much. Not to mention the fact that they could smell your emotions and mine were so closely linked to my thoughts… well those were definitely something I wanted to keep private.

Okay so I knew it wasn't exactly like that and that most of them weren't driven by their egos, I also knew that there were very few werewolves who pushed women around; they were too rare. But my competitive, independent side refused to be put into that sort of situation. It irked me so badly that I was now going to do so, but I needed someone who could explain to me what had happened and if Jesse was there with me it wouldn't be so bad. I was too afraid to go to a complete stranger – especially a strange werewolf – in this condition and the little voice in the back of my mind agreed.

I sighed and knocked the door. Perhaps I was going insane as well.

I heard Jesse's heart rate pick up and the smell of worry, fear, anxiety and hope trickled out under the door with the light as she ran across the room. I prayed silently that those emotions weren't caused by me. She'd been through enough in the past year what with losing a close friend of hers and her family's.

She obviously glanced out the peep-hole before answering the door as she gave off a little shocked, relieved, happy whine that reminded me of a dog. It made sense considering who her father was.

She threw the door open and threw herself at me in one movement. Thankfully along with the paws, fur and heightened senses, my reflexes had strengthened and I was able to catch Jesse and stop us from going tumbling to the floor – something that would have normally been impossible.

I had no time to speak as soon as Jesse had opened her mouth and just stood, quietly making soothing noises, as she cried and babbled – an unfortunate trait she'd picked up off me during the time we'd been friends.

I walked us into her room after a while when I realised that she wasn't going to let go of me anytime soon, and closed the door before moving Jesse's crying form to the bed. I sat down and rocked her back and forth as she curled up against me like a child with her mother. I sang softly as we rocked back and forth and before long she was quiet, though she had yet to un-fist my top from her hand.

We had hit it off as soon as we met each other, even though I was very shy. She'd been kind to me and had been there for me when I didn't have anyone else. She was like the sister I never had and no one had been able to break us up yet, though not through lack of trying.

When she'd finally calmed down I sat her by the side of me on the bed and smiled softly; the way a mother would to her child. I had a tendency to mother her occasionally, considering her biological mother was a bit of a cow and she lived with her werewolf father now, it was good for her to not need to worry about being weak in front of me. I wasn't going to unconsciously use it against her. I hoped that hadn't changed after what had happened a few nights ago.

"Faith, what happened? Where have you been?" Jesse's eyes were still misty with tears but she'd calmed down and relaxed now that she saw I was in one piece. It made me not want to tell her, but that thought was pushed away just as quickly as it had come. You have to, the little voice whispered urgently and I felt myself tense as though I was ready to take flight from the danger. There was no way I could fight right then. Instead I took a deep breath and started from the beginning.

I found it easier to pace as I spoke and used a scientific voice to keep it together. I had to distance myself from the memory so that I could tell her everything or I'd break down and cry. I knew repressing it all was a bad idea but until I felt safe, I couldn't let it out. The little voice in the back of my head was really starting to annoy me.

"The other night I was feeling restless so I decided to go for a walk. I didn't bother taking my keys with me; I was going to use the spare key to get back in. I hadn't realised I'd left my phone behind until I realised someone was following me and I'd reached into my pocket. He had me pinned in seconds and before I could fight back he was already raping me." I forced any reaction down and carried on with my story. "He beat me for fighting him afterwards and left me there." I was very vague about the details. "I only remember bits and pieces. I could feel at one point I was close to death. Something pulled me back; took over my body and merged with my soul. When I 'came to' I was sharing my body with this other being, but she meant me no harm; her presence was gentle and loving. We walked together until a few hours ago…" I paused and stared out the window at the clear night's sky. "I saw our reflection in a shop window on the way back here…" Jesse had her full attention on me as I paced. Her emotions were mixed; worry, anger, relief, shock. "I was a coyote…" I whirled around to face her, my eyes panic ridden. "How is that even possible!?" I asked rhetorically. "Not only am I now able to turn into a coyote but I'm pregnant by the bastard who raped me! How do you deal with something like that!?" I sat down heavily on the bed and dropped my head to stare at the floor, my hair creating a curtain between us.

I sighed when I felt Jesse's arms wrap around me. She didn't say anything; there was nothing she could say. Instead she cried for me; cried the tears I was unable to.

I waited patiently until she'd calmed down enough before I asked her the most vital question I had.

"Jesse?" I waited for her eyes to focus on me before continuing. "Do you think your dad…" I found it hard to finish the sentence and thankfully I didn't have to. Jesse must have realised where my thoughts were headed, as she jumped up and picked up the land-line her father had had installed in case of an emergency. This was one of them.

########

It didn't take her long to convince her dad there was a serious problem and that she needed to bring a friend home. I heard the entire conversation – both sides of it; which I found totally unnerving – and the mention of the name 'Mercy' hit something within me and I couldn't stop the gasp that left my lips. Her father had paused momentarily, but picked right back up again and told her to pack some necessities for us both and get in the car.

She hadn't really told him anything but it felt like she'd given him everything. He knew I was her friend, a newly 'turned' coyote and pregnant. She hadn't told him about the fact that I had been raped; apparently that was my job. I blanched at the idea.

That's how it came to be that I found myself in the passenger's seat of Jesse's car, with two suitcases in the trunk as she drove us to the Tri-Cities.

I could feel the gentle brushes from the coyote within me asking for permission to let me rest while it took over and kept an eye out for danger. I only agreed when I got its word that it would not hurt Jesse. It snarled at me angrily for even considering it as a treat. I soothed it softly and explained that I was just being careful and as soon as we'd both settled down, I let her take over. I needed some serious rest.

########

At first Jesse didn't notice anything different; the coyote side of me answered her questions and talked to her but she was a lot more subdued than I was. Worried, she looked at me and knew immediately that I was no longer in control; my eyes had turned dark gold and were filled with the instincts of the wild. The coyote smelled her fear as it spiked and glanced at her hands from the corner of my eyes as they clutched the wheel.

Knowing that it would scare her more if the coyote met her gaze full on, she spoke while staring out the windshield, one hand on her still flat lower abdomen as her thumb caressed her stomach.

"Thank you, Jesse, for doing this." Jesse started at the sound of her voice, deeper and rougher than Faith's but still the same. It was disconcerting. "The human cannot start healing until we are within a pack or at least near one we trust." Jesse listened closely to what the coyote was saying in case there was something important she needed to tell her father. "I will not hurt you pup, I promise you that. The human has been through a lot lately and I want her to rest. I am simply 'awake' so that I know our surroundings in case we need to run."

Jesse waited but the coyote said no more, just stared out the window and catalogued their surroundings.

########

When the smell of werewolf hit her nose the coyote relaxed slightly and sank back into my mind. As she did so, our eyes closed and when I opened them two seconds later it just felt like I was waking up from a much needed nap.

I stretched comfortably and purred as my body relaxed itself down into the seat – an amazing feat I'd accomplished during the time I was fully human. I opened my eyes to see Jesse smiling though she still smelled slightly of fear. I knew it was directed at the coyote but I also knew the coyote hadn't done anything.

"Welcome back." Jesse joked and I grinned sleepily at her from my slumped position in the chair. I wiggled up into a sitting position just in time, as we began to slow down to take the turning just up ahead.

Jesse parked close to the house and turned off the engine and looked at me.

"You ready?" She asked softly. Knowing that there were some of the pack watching us from the windows and that they could hear me, I just nodded my head. We left the things in the car to pick up later; right now we needed to explain why we were here.

I let Jesse go into the house first and paused before going in; there was something watching us. I tried to make out its smell but I couldn't quite get it. I jumped and bit back a scream as a cat landed on my shoulder. I glanced, deadpanned, at the furry thing on my shoulder and looked at Jesse, who had slid down the wall from laughing. I sighed, shook my head and walked in, closing the door behind me.

I took a hold of Jesse's hand and pulled her up; her laughter had quieted into giggles.

"Is it common for cats to fall from the sky around here?" I asked, as it purred and rubbed its little face against my cheek.

Jesse snorted and laughed harder as I tried to pull the cat off. I pulled as hard as I could without hurting her but she was having none of it; she'd dug her claws into my top and wrapped her tail around my neck.

I gave up five minutes later when the thing still hadn't budged. Exasperated, I looked at the cat.

"Look, I get you like me but can you please, get off!" My mouth dropped open in disbelief as the cat jumped from my shoulder and trotted into the room closest to us. I threw hands up into the air in astonishment and turned to pick Jesse up from the floor for a second time.

The smile that had been on my face from watching Jesse laughing slid off as we turned around. Standing no less than ten feet away was Jesse's father and behind him were two other men; obviously his second and third. My shoulders curled forward and my head lowered slightly as I unconsciously took up a defensive stance.

My body curled further as the two men took a step forward and a growl rumbled in my chest. Not realising that I was doing something wrong, I kept my eyes locked with Jesse's father's. The next step forward made me snarl and one hand flew to my stomach. Adam held up his hand and stopped his wolves moving closer; now that he looked for it, he could smell the subtle hint in my scent that told him I was in the very early stages of pregnancy.

Jesse's voice snapped me out of it, though I did notice her father's tensing of preparation in case I hurt her.

"Faith? It's okay. You're safe here. No one's going to hurt you." I met her eyes and saw the truth there, took a deep breath and relaxed my tense stance. I let her take a hold of my arm and lead me forward. I paused by the door and waited for the wolves to go in first; I wasn't having my back open to them – I knew they were stronger than me and I wasn't going to give them a chance to attack me.

I walked in after them, with Jesse at my side, and stopped after walking a few steps. There were two more werewolves inside the room; one male and one female. The female sneered at me as soon as she saw me. Her obvious hate for someone she'd just met shocked me but I hid it well.

She spoke before anyone could even open their mouths. I wasn't prepared for it.

"You dare come into this house, pregnant and smelling of sex you filthy whore!?" Her words snapped something inside me and the coyote rose to the surface with me and I crouched back and snarled at her viciously. Jesse gasped and covered her mouth at the words the woman had spoken and looked at me worriedly with tears in her eyes.

"Don't speak of things you know nothing about!" I snarled at her, eyes wild. I didn't notice Adam's eyes lighten slightly. "I have been stuck in coyote form for the past few days because a man raped me!" I stood up swiftly and pulled my top off, wiping the make-up off my face as I did so. The coyote had no comprehension of embarrassment. I could smell her shock and humiliation. Her reaction pleased the coyote and we pulled the top back on before she receded back into my mind. I turned my attention back to Adam. "I don't know what happened. All I know is that he almost killed me but the spirit of the coyote saved me. Before that day I was a regular human. I don't understand what is happening to me and she won't let me deal with what happened…" I stared into his eyes, used to doing it. I watched as his eyes went back to normal. "I know that the coyote was a part of someone else before she came to me… I keep getting flashes, things the coyote sees as important for me to know but I still don't know anything!" My voice had gone from calm to frustrated. I forced the other emotions, like powerlessness and fear away, and turned them into anger so that they wouldn't see me as weak.

Adam stepped forward and though I flinched, I stood my ground. I glared at him when he was more than close enough. I watched, my body tensed, as he glanced at Jesse who had tears running down her face.

"You can stay here until well after the pup is born. You are going to need help. I have some books that might help you." I couldn't help but give him a deadpanned look. He hid a smirk.

"Books?" I asked in a disbelieving voice. "How exactly are books going to help me with this?" My hands flew this way and that to encompass my body, as I relaxed. I didn't need to worry anymore. I was safe.

That thought seemed to make things worse though and I ran from the room and down the corridor. Someone had left the front door open. I streamed through it, the sound of feet following me pushing me on. I couldn't stop. I wouldn't stop.

My body blurred and changed as I jumped the stairs and flew towards the fence. I could see a gap at the bottom. It was small and would be a squeeze but I knew I could make it.

I squeezed under it and flew into the woods on the opposite side. I knew they would be able to find me but I needed somewhere I could break down without anyone seeing.

I rubbed my scent in loads of different places before running off to settle under a dense bush by the side of a small steam that ran through the forest. I settled down under it and let myself breakdown. It was a lot different breaking down as a coyote than as a human, though something's were still the same; my heart-rate and breathing picked up and I began to shake. That was about as far as it went though.

The sound of twigs snapping caught my attention but it was too later; they'd have heard my breathing and I couldn't force it to slow. I wondered if it was possible for a coyote to have a panic attack.

Adam stepped out of the trees opposite me with Jesse close to his heels. I whined and crawled forward when I saw her. I could tell she wanted to run to me but Adam must have warned her I might be unpredictable. To show I was relatively in control I was going to roll onto my back but as I started to fear and panic gripped me so tightly I couldn't breathe. Adam rushed over and let a gentle growl rumble through him to sooth me as he stroked my back. It did its job and I felt myself relax under his touch and breathe deeply.

Jesse followed at a slower pace and I yipped in welcome to her. She crouched down one my other side and scratched my head as I rested it on my front paws. Adam stood up and took off his clothes while informing Jesse and myself that he was going to get me some food. I needed meat fresh from the kill and not processed food considering I hadn't eaten in days.

########

The next few hours were spent feeding me and calming me down. I felt ridiculous at being so weak, especially in front of other people – that hadn't really changed from before the coyote had saved my life. I didn't like people seeing me when I was weak.

When it got cold enough that Jesse started shivering, Adam curled himself around her and I laid myself along her legs to keep them warm. It was mere seconds later that one of Adam's pack stepped out the trees opposite us to take Jesse back to the house. I climbed off Jesse's lap and gave a 'see you later' yip and watched them walk off. Then I tensed.

I was alone with a male who was bigger and stronger than I was. I turned around and stared at him but he just ignored me and started digging under the bush I had hidden earlier.

I watched, fascinated, as he dug a pit big enough for us both to fit in and lined it with his fur, leaves and twigs. I cocked my head to one side and decided to help but when I brought over some leaves and went to get more, Adam pushed down on my bottom with his paw till I was sitting down. Totally befuddled, I glanced at him over my shoulder. He gave out a sigh, walked over and nudged my thigh with his muzzle. Getting the idea I moved my hind quarters around till I was facing him side on. Apparently satisfied with that, he laid his head on the back of my neck and added enough pressure to make me lie down.

I did as he asked but was not very happy about being lower down than he was. I was no submissive; I realised he was telling me to relax while he did whatever it was he was doing and so, I curled up and flopped my tail over my nose as I watched him.

The sound of the river and the feeling of security must have lulled me to sleep because the next time I opened my eyes I was alone and it was almost dark.

I surged to my feet but stayed low as I looked around me.

I was the only 'person' in the forest.

That knowledge did nothing to calm me though and I started shaking; I'd been left alone after having let go of all the emotions within me and I couldn't pull them back now. I was vulnerable.

And I was pregnant.

I bee-lined for the little shelter Adam had made and all but flew in. Even under the safety of the bush I could not stop my shaking. All I could think about was the fact that I was alone.

A twig snapped behind the den and I tensed. Logic had left me with the sunlight and I didn't think before I reacted.

For the second time I surged up to my feet and ran. It was exhilarating; it felt like I hardly touched the ground, but terror soon griped me as I heard something make chase. I ran as fast as I could and was relieved when the brake in the trees became visible.

I cleared the trees and had only ran a few steps before something slammed into me. Pain exploded through my side as I was sent parallel to the way I was running. I slid along the gravel before a wall stopped my movement. Winded and unable to move or breathe I closed my eyes and promptly passed out.

Before unconsciousness took me, I heard the slam of a car door, followed by the grieved howl of a wolf. And then I knew no more.

Please review!!! :D Updates come quicker then! :D