A/N: Thank you for all of your messages, and all the praise for Shay's character. I hope you all like this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own blood and chocolate or any of the original characters.

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For three weeks I had been trying to give Gregory, Fin, Willem and Ulf the slip. For some reason, probably their stupidity, they hadn't managed to take the hint. I couldn't understand why they didn't seem to be getting it; it's not as if I had been subtle about my rejection of them. Ebony, however, was basking in their attention. She loved it when they decided that they had to run with us (which was every time we ran). She also loved it when they turned up at our house un-announced like they had done today.

Somehow Ebony had managed to convince me to go exploring through the woods with her and "the five" as I had heard Vivian call them.

Ebony had pulled me aside and asked me to do it for her because she fancied herself in love with Gregory. Much to my dismay I found myself agreeing to it, just to please her.

That's how I found myself walking through the middle of nowhere with my best friend and my worst enemies.

After walking for about an hour we came across a small clearing, where we decided to have a break. Ebony was lying in the grass beside Gregory, flirting outrageously. Finn and Ulf were sitting to my right, slowly creeping closer and closer to me (thinking that I hadn't noticed). And Willem was lying on a big, flat rock to my left. The sun was warm on my face and for the first time since I had come here I felt at ease.

I felt Willem's eyes on me and turned to look up at him on his rock. An innocent smile crept onto his lips. He was my favourite out of the four boys. He was sweeter than them. He didn't slap me on the butt like Gregory or whisper suggestive things to me like Finn and Ulf. Although, he did occasionally "accidentally" brush his hand along my bare skin, as did the others. I lay on my back and looked up at the sky.

Willem's smile disappeared and was replaced with a thoughtful, curious expression.

"So how come you guys had to move here?" Willem asked, looking at me intently.

The other three fell silent and looked at me too. I was slightly shocked by his question and was in no hurry to reply. I looked over at Ebony who looked back at me with a helpless expression.

"Gabriel didn't tell you?" I asked, surprised that Gabriel hadn't told them the story before we came.

"He just told us that you had to fight for your territory and you lost a lot of your pack, and you had to join a new one." Willem continued to look at me, waiting for the story.

"That's right. We fought and lost. What else is there to know?" I snapped. It had sounded harsher than I had meant it to. I didn't want to retell the story of why we had left, especially not to these pups.

Willem turned away looking a bit hurt. Ebony was quick to change the subject.

"How is it that you came here?" She asked looking at Gregory

"We had to move after a fire that killed our pack leader."

"How did the fire start?" Ebony asked him

"It was started by humans, trying to drive us out." It was Willem who answered this time, looking back over at me.

"Did they know about you? How?" Ebony was so nosy sometimes.

Willem glanced over at Gregory with a strange expression on his face. I could feel all of them become tense, even Finn and Ulf had stopped sliding closer to me. I wondered what it was that was making them nervous; maybe they had something to do with the fact that their pack had to move.

"They just found out somehow." Ulf said shrugging.

They were all looking at the ground guiltily.

"The first time we moved was only temporary. Vivian got involved with a meat boy who ended up shooting her and we realised it was time to move on. That's when we came here." Finn said as he scooted a little closer to me.

I could tell they all wanted this question to be forgotten, which was fine with me as I had wanted the same thing just five minutes ago.

Gregory, Willem and Ulf went to "take a piss" as Willem had so delicately put it. Ulf had moved toward me so much during the course of the evening that he was practically on top of me. I moved over slightly. Finn looked up at me and flashed me a sly smile. Next thing I knew he really was on top of me.

"Get off!" I yelled at him. I was so angry and startled that my fingers had begun to turn into claws.

"Oh, come on Shay. I'm just being friendly." Finn said as he looked down at me. He smiled and I noticed his teeth had sharpened into canine fangs.

"That's enough Finn, get off her." Ebony said. It was about time she did something to help me instead of just standing there.

"Piss off Ebony" Finn was laughing but I was just getting angrier.

I drew up all my strength and threw him off of me. He landed with a thud a little way away from me. I looked up at Ebony; she had apparently been standing over us, ready to intervene if he hadn't got off.

Finn was sitting on the grass still howling with laughter.

"What's so funny?" Ulf asked, looking at Finn. He, Willem and Gregory had just returned.

"What's so funny?" Ulf had to ask again because Finn was too busy laughing the first time to answer.

"He jumped Shay!" Ebony was the one who answered his question.

I was still glaring at Finn. I knew he had only done it as a joke but it didn't make me any less angry.

Gregory and Ulf joined in laughing at my expense. I glared at them but that only made them laugh more.

"Aw, he was just playing." Gregory said, as he slapped me on the ass.

That was it! I had had enough of these...these...PUPS! I stormed off in the direction of home.

"Now look what you did" I heard Willem say, sounding as if he were sulking.

"Shay, wait for me!" Ebony shouted

I ran off through the woods. I just wanted to be on my own for a while. I'm fast, even for a Were, so I lost Ebony in no time.

I sat down beside the lake. I was glad to be rid of the five. I was angry at them once again.

I was mad at Finn; he thought he could grope me just because I was a single Werewolf and his age. I was angry at the others too because they thought the same. I was even angrier at Willem because of the funny way he had been looking at me today.

I was so frustrated. It was no secret that sooner or later Ebony and I were expected to choose one of the pups as our mate. That might not be offensive in Ebony's mind but it sure was in mine. I shouldn't have to choose one of them. I should be able to choose anyone in the whole world. I should be able to choose not to choose. No one could force me. I had no desire to choose a mate anytime soon, not after what had happened with my parents.

The pack would just have to get used to the idea that the pups would have to find a mate somewhere else.

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Later that night as I was lying in bed begging for sleep to come, I heard the distinct howls of wolves. The Five. I could tell it was them from the sound of their howls. They sounded close. I hoped they weren't coming to my house because Ebony was out running with Vivian and my father was working the graveyard shift at Mohos bar.

After I didn't hear anymore howling for 10 minutes I started to relax. I hoped that they had moved on. But of course my luck failed me once again.

I heard a tapping on my window and looked up. I could see Gregory and Finn smiling sweetly at me through the window. I didn't trust those sweet smiles for one second. I went over and opened the window. I saw Willem and Ulf standing just behind the other two, they too were smiling sweetly in at me.

"What do you want?" I asked, letting them know that I was not amused.

"We came to apologise" Finn said as he flung himself through my window.

"Did I say you could come in?" I was not in the mood to see them.

"Did we ask?" He said, grinning.

Gregory, Finn and Willem then threw themselves through my window, one at a time.

"I know you're angry at us, but we came to make it up to you by letting you to run with us tonight." Finn smiled at me suggestively.

"Let me? You're the ones that beg me to come every night." And I never do, I thought to myself.

"Please come." Willem said looking at me with his puppy dog eyes.

"No" I said sternly trying not to look into his eyes.

Willem began to pout and I could see Finn looking at him in disgust. But when I looked back over at Willem (who was still sulking) my anger started to melt away. How did he do that?

"Get out of my room" I was surprised when they actually did. They all walked out of my room and down the stairs. I followed making sure that they actually left. Of course they didn't.

"What are you doing? Get out." I said, wondering why they had stopped.

"You said get out of your room and we did." Said Ulf, laughing. Oh how clever. Not

"I mean it get out. I'm not coming with you."

"It's the full moon Shay, you have to change." It was Gregory who spoke this time

"That doesn't mean I have to run with you."

"No, but even if you don't we will just find you."

I realised this was true; every time I had gone running by myself or with Ebony they had come looking. There was no getting rid of them.

I crossed my arms and glared at them all, "Ok, I'll come." I said, finally giving up.

Willem grinned at me and the rest started howling (clearly pleased with themselves).

They whipped their t-shirts over their heads and left their pants on my lounge room floor. They all ran out the front door with me following reluctantly behind. We all changed into our wolf form and set off into the woods.

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A/N- I hope this chapter interests you because the secrets about Shay's mum are going to be answered soon (maybe in the next chapter but maybe not- I haven't decided yet).

Please review, it means a lot.