Playing The Game

Chapter One-Bye Bye Baby

Disclaimer- I do not own Wolf Lake or any of its characters, although if I did I so would not be wasting my time writing about them.

Rating-M, for potty mouth shifters and sexy wolfy times.

A/N- So, this is a rewrite. I was not happy with what I had posted, and after a talk with a very close friend decided to redo this first chapter. Hope it's better than the first. This starts off right when the season ends, with Sophia showing signs of the change. My Sophia will be a little different from the show. I always wondered why Sophia was so against changing, and decided to explore that angle.

Sighing softly, Sophia brought the brush through her thick hair one last time. She was too exhausted to complete her usual hundred strokes tonight. After everything that had happened, she just wanted to escape into the safe arms of Morpheus. She knew, however, that tonight there would be no peaceful dreams. For weeks she had been plagued with nightmares, horrible visions of Sarah's writhing body filled her subconscious. Thankfully, Sarah had finally flipped. Better still, Sarah was still talking to her; she had not lost her friend after her flip like she had Luke. They had been best friends since they had been born; Luke had even defended her when the other hill kids called her a half breed. But when he had flipped, something had changed. Luke had turned into an arrogant playboy, and he treated her like all the rest. Oh sure, he still wanted to be her friend, just not where anyone could see. He had always been so sure that she would flip, but until she did, he couldn't be seen with her.

Looking into the mirror, Sophia searched for any signs of the change. Her dad had been furious when she stumbled into the station, trembling and bearing signs of the thing that he had always sworn would never happen to her. Ever since she was a little girl, and had come home from a play date with Luke asking about wolven, her father had drilled into her head that she had too much human blood to flip. He had so many plans for her, so many dreams that would now never be fulfilled. Really, she was more concerned about disappointing him and her mother. Sophia had always had the feeling that she would never get out of Wolf Lake. Really, she had only wanted to get out because of the way Luke had started treating her after his flip. Before that she had always had this silly fantasy of becoming his mate, and living happily ever after. Sophia wiped a tear from her face and climbed into bed, praying that the hellish nightmares would not come.

She was running through a forest she had never seen, the thick foliage ripping into her arms as she fled. Blood dripped from her fingertips, but she paid it no head. She had to get away, couldn't let them get her. If they caught her, it would be too late. Her clumsy steps faltered when she heard a voice in her head.

"Sophia, don't run from me. This is who you are meant to be, you will never escape your destiny. Stop fighting, let go." Over and over the voice repeated this, as she desperately made her escape, clawing through the thick growth. She suddenly found herself lying on the ground. Her head was pounding and her knee was oozing blood. Feeling to weary to continue, Sophia curled into a ball. She rocked back and forth as tears fell from her eyes.

She tensed when she felt something behind her. Slowly turning, fearing the worst, she was shocked when a slender wolf stepped from the brush. Its eyes were golden and seemed to look straight through her. But she was not afraid; it all seemed so silly now. Why had she run, there was nothing to fear here, only safety and comfort and this exhilarating feeling of being one with everything. The rocks took on a shimmering glow, the trees seemed to come alive and call to her. She could hear the birds as they worked, diligently gathering twigs to build their nests.

Sophia inhaled deeply; so many new and exciting scents. There were so many things to explore; this was a whole new world. Why hadn't she seen this all before, why had she run? She looked at the wolf again, noticing its deep mahogany pelt, it was so beautiful. As girl and wolf stared, she heard the voice again.

"I have always been with you; I have tried to shield you from pain. But you denied me, time and time again. Too long have we been locked inside these walls you have built, this mask you hide behind. Look at us, do you not see? Do you not feel the call? Look around you at the glory of this world; do you not want to be a part of this? Let me in, Sophia, and we can finally take our rightful place."

The annoying ringing from her alarm clock jarred Sophia awake and the last vestiges of her dream left. She tried to remember what had happened, but all she knew was that it had been good. Her skin was humming, almost vibrating. Something had changed, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what.

"Soph, you better hurry up, the bus is gonna be here any minute!"

Her dad's voice echoed in her ears; it seemed louder somehow. Like there was something else behind it, some unknown thing barely held in check.

Shaking her head, Sophia quickly changed, grabbing the last pair of jeans from her drawer. She grimaced slightly, noticing they were the skinny pair that Sarah had forced her to buy. Usually they made her self- conscious, but she was too hurried to notice that the thought didn't really linger like it normally did. She threw on a bright purple cotton top and her favorite hoddie, before brushing her hair and slicking on a shimmery pink lipstick. Noticing she only had a few minuets, Sophia dashed down the stairs, slipping into her flats and grabbing a piece of toast before quickly kissing her dad on the cheek and flying out the door.

Matt Donner blinked and slowly shook his head. Things were changing, and he didn't like it. And he had a strong feeling that it was all that no good pups fault.

Heading down the hallway, Sophia was too busy studying her physics notes to notice Scott heading her way. So it was a big surprise when she suddenly crashed into him, spilling her books all over the floor. Stooping down to pick them up, she hit heads with him and fell down.

"Oh, God Sophia. I am so sorry. I was coming to see how you were; I thought that you saw me. Are you okay?" Scott continued to apologize as he helped her gather her things. Still rubbing her head, Sophia smiled sweetly at him.

"Its okay, Scott. It was my fault. I was trying to cram in some last minute study time. I have a test next period. Are you wearing a new cologne? It smells nice." Sophia looked up at him, but his gaze was lower than she expected. Is he staring at my ass? Scott jerked his head up, blushing as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"What, oh err no, no new cologne? So I was wondering if we could reschedule our date, as our last one didn't end very well. By the way, you gotta teach me some moves. I had no idea you knew martial arts, that was so cool the way you handled Luke, that guys a major jerk." Scott was looking at her expectantly, but Sophia didn't know what to say.

Oh, man. I don't want to hurt his feelings, but I only showed an interest to make Luke jealous. Wait, what? Is that really why? Scott's a nice guy, and he is cute, but I just don't feel anything when I'm with him. And that kiss, bleck, way too much tongue.

"I'm really sorry Scott, but I'm grounded for the foreseeable future. I got a D on my last History paper, and my dad's really angry." The lie slipped so easily off her tongue, she would have been surprised if she hadn't been trying to let him down easy. She looked up, expecting to feel some guilt, but felt nothing. The bell rang just then, and Sophia had to rush off. She didn't have time to see Scott's crestfallen face, or the pair of satisfied fierce green eyes that followed her until she disappeared around the corner.

Sophia ate lunch in the library. She had to find a couple of books for her next History paper. Strolling through the stacks, she suddenly felt the hair on the back of her neck tense and stand up. Inhaling deeply, she had to fight to keep herself from purring in excitement. She had never felt her wolf like this before, like it was a tangible part of her, she could feel it just under her skin. Sophia could feel her wolf begging to be let out; it had recognized that scent. But she only knew that she was being watched. Several times today she had felt it, but never stopped to think what it could mean.

She reached up for the book she needed, trembling whilst the beast tried to claw its way out. Talk about bad timing; Sophia pleaded with the beast to back off, she was in the middle of school for heaven's sake. Her fingertips brushed the bottom of the heavy book, but she couldn't reach it. Suddenly, a muscled arm snaked into her line of vision, and she felt the heat of a strong chest press against her back. Sophia went still, fighting to breathe normally, praying that her heart beat remained steady. Her wolf stopped it's raging, sitting back curiously to see what happened.

Slowly turning around, she found herself pressed against the strong body of her worst nightmare. Stop being so melodramatic, Sophia. We both know that you secretly long to be pressed against him, why do you even try to kid yourself. Rolling her eyes at her inner thoughts, Sophia locked eyes with Luke. They didn't say anything as he handed her the book. His hand, giant compared to hers, brushed against her fingers. The shock that followed made her swallow convulsively. Why does he affect me like this, why can I never stay mad at him. He's a bully, he treats me like property. And I can't just forget about what he did with Presley. She was done with hiding their friendship. If he wanted to continue hanging out with her, then he would have to just accept that. Their eyes never left the other, and Sophia began to wonder why her wolf was being so silent. She gave a shocked jerk against him when she figured out why.

It was content. Her wolf just wanted to be close to him, to feel his powerful frame wrapped around her. She also wanted to run in the woods, play and romp. She wanted to chase rabbits and tumble through the grass. Her wolf wanted him, regardless of her feelings on the matter.

"Sophia…" She looked up into burning green eyes, feeling his body blaze into hers. The rampant emotions flowing through her were getting to be too much, and she was shivering.

His hands rubbed her arms, thinking she was cold, but really it was just an excuse to touch her without the fear of getting her more upset. Luke knew what she was feeling, because he was feeling it too. That desperate need to run; to commune with the forest with his mate by his side. She probably had no idea that they were mates, though he could feel her wolf crying for him. He had been doing a lot of thinking, trying to get his head straight. Luke knew he needed to give her time. She needed to figure out what she wanted, get used to the idea of flipping. But it was so hard to keep his hands to himself, when his wolf was panting to claim her, needing to be with his mate. He let out an exasperated sigh, and tore himself away, stepping back. His body bemoaned the loss of her heat.

"Are you still mad at me?" This was still a new concept to Luke. No one ever told him no, never denied him what he wanted. But Sophia was different, special. He had come to the conclusion that he would have to let her come to him; if he kept chasing her, she would just keep running.

Sophia sighed too and looked away. She had to be strong, and his eyes were her downfall.

"I am still a little mad, yes. You had no right to interrupt my date, and you almost exposed us to the humans! It's a good thing Scott assumed I know karate, or we would have a major problem on our hands. How could you be so reckless?" She tried to catch his eyes, to see if he would give her a straight answer, but he kept shifting them away.

"I know. I wasn't thinking. One minute I was watching you walk out of the pizza place, and then he kissed you….I just snapped. I didn't mean to hurt him, okay so maybe I wanted to hurt him a little. But come on Sophia, he had his hands all over you!" Luke was starting to get angry again just thinking about it, and his eyes flashed gold.

Knowing that this conversation would get them nowhere, Sophia held up her hand. Luke calmed down, though inside his wolf was howling in rage at the thought of that ungulate touching what was his.

"Look, I am not going to see Scott again. As much as it pains me to say, you were right. I should not have gone out with him, especially not with my change so close. "Seeing the satisfied smirk on his face, she quickly added. "But nothing like that better happen again, Luke. I want to be your friend, but I do not appreciate having my life dictated. I don't even let my father do that. And since I have not changed yet, you cannot keep doing this. I am not pack, not yet, and you are not my Alpha." Sophia's normally chocolate eyes flashed gold, and Luke could barely contain himself from smirking again. Oh, she was so much fun to tease. He just had to do it. Leaning in close, he let his chest brush hears as he bent down to brush his lips ever so softly against her ear.

"You and I both know that we are not friend's Sophia. Try to deny it all you want, but I can feel your wolf just begging to come out and play. And when you do finally flip, and hopefully I will be the cause, you won't have anywhere to run to. You will be mine Sophia. Soon." Luke chuckled darkly, feeling her shiver and barely suppressed moan. But then the tables were turned.

"Who says I'm running?" She left him gaping after her, mesmerized by the seductive sway of her hips and the lingering scent of her arousal.

Sophia leaned back into the stall door, trying to calm her raging heart. What had she been thinking, teasing him like that? Where had all this newfound confidence come from? Looking into the water spotted mirror, she noticed her checks where flushed. Her eyes seemed to sparkle, as she waged a silent war over her pheromones. She wasn't even flipped yet, and he could still affect her this deeply. Lord help her when she did flip, she wouldn't be fit for the public eye. Even now as she splashed cold water on her face, trying to remove the blush, all she wanted to do was race back to the library and fling herself into his strong arms. Kiss that smirk off of his handsome face and rub her body all along his. Mark him with her scent; claim him for all the other bitches to see. God, did the change affect everyone like this? She had never been possessive, but her instincts had been unleashed. The bathroom door closed heavily behind her, but Sophia was too busy trying to quell her desires to notice.

"Awww, what's wrong. Did Luke finally come to his senses, and drop your zoo bait ass? Did you really think Luke would choose you, a half breed, for his mate? You haven't even flipped yet; your filthy ungulate mother's blood is too weak to make the change. "

The grating voice behind her made Sophia jump, and she knocked her head against the faucet. Reaching back, she gingerly touched the already swelling bump. Turning around angrily, Sophia stood up tall. Gone were the days when this fake plastic bitch intimidated her. Even though she had not flipped, somehow Sophia knew that she was stronger than Presley. She might think that she was the Alpha bitch, but everybody knew that Luke just kept her around because she was an easy lay. As Sophia remembered that ill fated night, when she had witnessed their savage coupling, she felt her anger grow.

"Why so defensive? Are you jealous that he's been paying attention to me, when you have to practically beg for it?" If Sophia had been thinking clearly, she would be way to intimidated to say these things. But her wolf was taking over. It had broken the chains that kept it locked up, and now here was this other female, challenging her and claiming her mate.

Presley sneered; her heavily made up face twisting in rage. She growled and tried to swipe at Sophia with a clawed hand. Sophia caught her wrist and squeezed. Presley snarled and dropped to her knees, pain making her whimper pathetically. The shock on her face almost made Sophia laugh. Scoffing in disgust, Sophia threw Presley against the stalls. The chipped metal groaned and bent; Presley fell with a thump to the dirty tile floor.

What did I do? I hurt a pack member, oh man, what am I going to do? Sophia dashed out of the bathroom, her instincts telling her to run. She had to get away, before they found out what she had done.

Luke had heard the commotion, and was on his way to make sure Sophia was alright, when she burst out of the door. Her eyes were flashing and he could see that she was in trouble.

"Soph, calm down. Come on, I'm getting you out of here." She just nodded and hid her face in his chest, as Luke guided her down the hallway and outside to his car. He wouldn't be mad, right? He had probably done some stupid things when he was changing, they wouldn't punish her to bad, right?

Luke could see she was terrified, and he was trying to keep his head, but Sophia was shaking with fear. He reached over to hold her hand, but she flinched away. What in the world had happened to make her so afraid?

"What happened? Did somebody try to hurt you?" She could hear the command in his voice, and the tightly held fury.

"Can you just take me home?" She was stalling, she knew. But she just was not ready to tell him what had happened. Her instincts were running rampant; mind and body warring for control, and she was scared. She needed time to figure things out, and he was so not helping.

Luke gritted his teeth, but decided to heed her request, for now. When they pulled to the curb in front of her house, Sophia jumped out before Luke could stop her. She was trying to get away before she did something stupid, like jumping on him and fulfilling the desires that her tightly chained wolf was panting for. Reaching her door safely, Sophia turned around to see if he was gone. She saw flashing gold eyes and heard a low angry growl, before he drove away, tires squealing.

A/N- So, yeah. I am much happier with this version, but we will see what you guys think!