He took us away from the party, rather quickly, down three flights of stairs and all the way to the other side of the mansion. Our suite was on the third floor, which was probably the only reason we found my grandfather and his company in the first place. And as we walked, I asked question after question, hoping he could justify why he'd even ask them to agree to such a thing. This wasn't what they needed. Sure when I lost my temper with Emily, I went berserk! But I was sure that even my father couldn't have stopped me at that point... father.

"Don't think badly of me, Michael. It was the two of them who asked if it was possible." He argued as we quickened the pace.

"I thought you said, I gave them an offer? Not, They, You!" I yelled as we sped up. Angela was almost a half a step faster, able to see more clearly where we were going than Marcus himself. She was so good with her gifts, but when she began to stray, I had to call her back.

"Well, I did give them an offer... after they asked." His tone was a little rawer than when he was pleading his case. "The last door on the right."

"That still doesn't give you the r-" I was cut off by the sight of them. They hadn't quite realized that we were there, despite my earlier yelling. But I had to admit, the hallway was pretty loud with the kids running around playing tag again.

Inside of the large room was a kitchen, which I thought odd. Fully stocked and already used, I figured noticing a used skillet and burnt egg hanging off the side of it. The white marble floors that held under the kitchen stopped dead against a russet colored carpet, thick and beautiful. The rosewood furniture that lined the room was an instant compliment to the carpet. I was definitely impressed.

And then there were my two friends. Though I didn't know if they saw it the same way.

Nick was sitting against the couch, on the floor. His legs resting out and around Emily, his hands combing through her hair, kissing the top of her head after a few seconds. It was something that I though only Angela and I had.

The emotion I felt watching the two lovers not notice us, was instantly shoved aside by anger. My nose twitched at the smell. Their scent was thicker, fuller, their skin had darkened. "You're changed." I said aloud. My stupor was only for a second. And that second... just wasn't long enough.

Nick wrenched his head towards me in surprise. I'd have done the same. And his sudden movement woke Emily, who stood up, walked over, and punched me right in the face. The punch was a lot faster now, and a lot stronger. I was lucky my nose wasn't bleeding.

Marcus emitted a small chuckle, and then left us alone. "Kids." He said to himself.

"You crazy B-" The children were watching me out of the corner, mostly smiling rather than stalking.

"You deserved it." Nick called nonchalantly from the living room. I felt like an ass for my reaction, but as I leant against the wall opposite the door, I knew he was right.

"So are you going to apologize or what?" Angela asked, instantly taking Emily's side.

That was fair, in every since of the word that mean unfair. Guys don't hurt girls, yet when girls hurt guys... all is fair in love and war.

It didn't take me long to figure out that the whole thing between the two girls was long gone. Because as much as the two tried to hold a serious face, the sight of my bewildered expression and awkward hand-placement over my nose, sent them into stitches.

Correction, Bitches.

******************************************************************************

I spent most of my time apologizing over, and over, and over too Emily and Nick. Nick seemed to understand why I reacted as such, and it was weird, but I kind of felt his emotion towards the whole subject. I figured that my newly acquired gift wasn't only towards Angela. Whose side I haven't left since we'd first spent the day together.

Nick was an odd character. He seemed to fall in place behind me ever since we met. Whether it be fads, interests, even now. I thought it coincidence, but after a while, I started to muse whether I was following him. That much wouldn't be that hard to believe. As a matter of fact, he was the first one to instigate our crazy adventures... It was too even too weigh.

Emily glared at me every now and again. Only to start smiling over the round, red mark on my face. "You are never going to get enough of this, are you?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I kind of want to do it again."

God help me! This girl definitely had it out for me now.

"I doubt that's why you two did what you did." I said, serious now. The room's atmosphere seemed to stiffen and impact. "You two have no idea what lies ahead."

"You're wrong." Nick said. I could feel he had nothing to back himself up on. Emily too. This was totally spur of the moment. At least for a little while, when Emily decided to use the age excuse. "We know that you're kind... our kind live three times as long regular people." She said, in that matter-of-fact tone.

"And what of the hunger?" I asked. "Huh? How are you going to deal with that? You two..." I couldn't continue. Angela sat by my side on the couch where I was on the verge of a rant, and rubbed my chest. Looking up at me she told me to calm down. "They didn't know."

I rested my head in my hands and couldn't believe it when I started feeling like I was on the edge of a breakdown. "We change." I said as calmly as possible. My voice wavering. "We change, and we rip flesh, break bones, and it's the worse pain imaginable."

Emily tensed next to Nick. She knew it would hurt... but not that much.

"At least at first." I added quickly, trying to keep her from freaking out. I took a couple deep breaths, taking in their knew scent. It made me a little grateful that I now had a small pack forming around me... but it wasn't enough for me to make them understand what they'd done.

"After that first change... everything changes. The way you walk, talk, see things, even sex becomes something violent." I almost cringed when I said it. I knew I liked it, but wasn't sure that they'd be mentally prepared for what was coming. Sure with Angela, she could just latch onto my thoughts and memories and pass her trials with flying colors. It was nothing for an empath to get through the transformation, because she had my experience. She knew everything she was doing, even when I didn't. I sort of envied her for that little knowledge.

"It's not as bad as you say." Nick said.

"How do you know?" I snapped.

"Listen to him, Nick." Angela backed. "He should be the one who would tell you how it is; he's been this way since he was seven." I'd almost forgotten that fact. And another great point chalked up to my lecture.

"That doesn't matter, Angela." Emily interjected. "We knew that things would be different. Some things more than others..." She said, obviously referring to the sex. Which now that I think about it, came as a surprise too my and Angela's interrogators. I remember that first night she moved in... It was the best night ever. Never the less, now they had some weird inkling of what our sex life was... but it did help me get our point across.

Angela gave me an angry look when she read through my thoughts. I'll hear about this later.

"Never the less!" I said. Something compelling me to my feet, and also seemed to take over my voice. "I'll be there when you two finally do change. So don't worry, I'll help out." My voice was strange, foreign. I'd never felt so out of control. It felt as though a resolve had been pushed on me by instinct... something was happening inside of me... and to be honest, I liked it.

"Michael?" Angela asked, again flipping through the pages of my mind.

I snapped out of my daze, and looked at her, confused. "What?"

"Nothing."

******************************************************************************

Marcus confronted me late that night. Having checked up on Nick and Emily, he'd heard how I'd acted in their presence. Totally and utterly different. And as he strolled up to me, he said five words I'll never forget.

He patted me on the shoulder and guided me down the hallway. I was just grabbing ice from the machine next to the laundry room. I was surprised to find one there. Marcus's mansion, wasn't really a mansion, so much as it was a five star hotel for monsters. Every room, I found, was lavished, and filled with furniture. The man seemed to be filled to the brim with money. It seemed to shake from his broad shoulders as he walked. And that wasn't an understatement. Though I figure when you live to be over a hundred and twenty years old... you find what works in the world. And he still didn't look a day over sixty.

He went on about meeting up later that night near the pavilion with a few others... like us. But all I heard were his greeting words. The words that echoed through my mind, even as he left me there, standing at the door too my suite, bowl full of ice in hand.

Let's talk, Alpha to Alpha.