"What?!" Kate blinked at Jeremy, confounded. "I'm fairly certain I just heard you say werewolf, but that can't possibly be true."

Jeremy's hands reached to tie the buttons on his shirt. His eyes, having burnt with desire moments before were now stoic and impassive as they stared at her silently.

Wide-eyed, Kate's mouth dropped open. "You've got to be kidding me," she mumbled, her mind reeling as she turned away to slip her sweater over her head. Either Jeremy was insane or he thought she was.

As she hastily righted her clothing, she could still feel the pressure of his lips on hers; feel the way her skin continued to tingle from his touch. If she hadn't noticed that his bandages were gone they would surely have, at this very second, been making love on her couch. Her stomach fluttered at the thought and she closed her eyes, suddenly close to tears.

"I know this is a lot to process, but you have to let me explain-"

"-the fact that you think you're a werewolf?" Kate demanded, turning back to face him, anger swiftly overcoming her need to weep. "Do you know what you sound like?"

He held up both hands placatingly. "I realise what you must be thinking-"

"Oh, I sincerely doubt that," she interjected sarcastically.

"-but," Jeremy continued patiently, "I'd like you to hear me out."

"This is insane!" Kate cried. "You don't actually think I'd believe such a ridiculous assertion, do you? Do I look that stupid? Nevermind. Obviously I do." Her breath left her in rush. This had to be a bad dream.

"Kate, I know this seems preposterous, but I'm telling you the truth." Jeremy sounded so calm, so self-assured that she could almost believe him - if the claim wasn't so absurd.

Kate felt defeated. From the moment she'd met him he'd done everything in his power to keep his distance from her. Even when he'd offered her his assistance or done the noble thing and enquired after her well-being, she'd always sensed reluctance on his part, as though he was doing so against his better judgement. She hadn't wanted to accept that perhaps he just wasn't interested. But this, this…insanity was the last straw.

"For whatever reason, you obviously don't seem to like me very much. Why else would you be this determined to make me feel like a complete fool? Since we met you've subtly been pushing me away and I don't understand why. I suppose in the end it doesn't really matter," she said, her shoulders drooping as she felt the weight of her disappointment settle around them. "I never meant to make you feel indebted to me and I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. You owe me nothing. All I've ever asked you for is the truth and it's the one thing you've never been able to give me. So I give up. There's no need to strain that artistic brain of yours coming up with some ridiculously implausible werewolf story. I have no idea what's going on with you, but I can't stand here and listen to this."

Kate moved to brush past him. It was late and she wasn't in the mood to play any more games. If he wanted to keep whatever was really going on to himself, then there was nothing she could do about it. That said, she didn't have to pretend that she was okay with it. And yet, even as her anger and disappointment simmered within her, Kate's mind was racing, grasping at straws as she tried to sketch some scenario that would explain why the injury she'd tended three days ago was completely healed.

Obviously he couldn't be a werewolf. Could he? No! she thought dismissively, the rational part of her brain rejecting the very notion as she stomped past him.

Jeremy grasped her by the arms, forcing her to rear backwards, their eyes meeting. His were burning with an intensity she'd never seen before, an edge of desperation clear in their depths. All trace of calm was gone. "Firstly, a few minutes more and I would have had you naked beneath me," he growled, his words causing her belly to flip flop. "Do you honestly think that I'd have allowed that to happen if I didn't like you?"

Her pulse raced through her veins. "You don't have to like someone to find them attractive," Kate reasoned.

Jeremy quirked a brow at her in disbelief, then shook his head. "I don't think I'm going to dignify that with a response," he murmured. "Secondly, think, Kate," he demanded earnestly, shaking her lightly. "Think about what Salazar said to you, the questions you've been asking yourself since the moment you saw me in that alley. Then take this…" He let her go, yanking his shirt up to reveal his uninjured flank. "And draw the only logical conclusion. That I'm not lying to you."

Her eyes dropped to his side, taking in the smooth expanse of skin completely unmarred by any bite mark. Her breath snagged in the back of her throat, her mind rejecting that which seemed too fantastical to possibly be true. And yet there was no bite mark. Not even a trace of it.

Hesitatingly her hand reached out and touched his skin, shakily dragging her fingers over the spot where she'd made the stitches. It felt completely normal, healed, no imperfections, no scars. How on earth was it possible?

Their eyes met. "I am a werewolf," Jeremy repeated, softly.

Kate swallowed past the rising panic in her throat, her head starting to spin as her mind flashed to various scenes, some of which she'd overlooked initially purely because her subconscious had rejected the possibility of it being real. A picture of her first time at Stonehaven rushed to the fore. She remembered how the house seemed to represent something primal and visceral. She remembered how Jeremy had looked standing in the rain while he'd fought the wolf: confident, self-assured, unafraid. She recalled the moment he'd been bitten and the way he'd insisted on being taken home instead of to a hospital and how Elena, Clay and Nick had seemed completely at ease with his choice, even though they'd known he could die. She thought of all the medical supplies they kept at Stonehaven when there seemed to be no logical reason for them to have any of it. Lastly, her mind flashed to Salazar and snippets of things he'd said. Things she'd assumed were the ramblings of a delusional man.

Frowning, she tried to remember his words. He'd alluded to Jeremy keeping a secret from her, something that was pretty serious. He'd also called Clay Jeremy's "attack dog". Then there was some other stuff about-

Kate's mind ground to a halt. Oh God. A chill raced through her. It was true. She didn't want to believe it. It seemed crazy that she was even entertaining the notion, but what other explanation could there be?

Her knees suddenly the consistency of jelly, Kate sank down onto the couch. Jeremy sat down beside her, making sure not to touch her. She felt as though she was stuck in a dream and that she'd wake up at any moment and realise that it was all nothing more than the product of an overactive imagination.

"How is this possible?" she asked, unable to believe she'd even asked the question, but knowing that despite the implausibility of what Jeremy was saying, she believed him.

"Wolves have been around for centuries. There are theories of course but no one is completely certain of how we came into being," he explained.

The snap of a log in the fire caused Kate to jump. Guiltily, she glanced at Jeremy. He frowned, but didn't say anything.

She racked her mind, trying to remember everything that Salazar had said to her. Suddenly, realisation dawned. "Salazar," she breathed, staring at Jeremy.

"Is also a wolf," he confirmed with a nod.

She took a moment to let the words sink in. "He called you the…alpha," she said, pulling her legs up towards her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Despite the heat in the room, chills kept running through her. "What exactly does that mean?"

Jeremy leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I rule over all the pack wolves in North America."

Kate's mouth opened and then shut. Jeremy was the leader of an entire species that she was certain very few people, if any at all, knew anything about. "So there are…others like you? In other parts of the world?" she asked, fascinated.

He nodded. "I have my counterparts in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and further afield."

"I don't know what to say," Kate confessed, dazed. He was a werewolf. "Wait. What about the rest of your family?"

"We're all wolves."

"But you look completely human. When do you-" She didn't know how to phrase her question, feeling ridiculous. "What I mean to ask is, can you also…uh…you know."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jeremy's lips curl into a small smile. "You want to know if I can transform?"

She inclined her head. "Do you need a full moon or something?"

"No," he said, sounding somewhat amused as he fidgeted with the leather strap of his wrist watch. "That's just folklore. We can transform at will, at any time of the day or night, regardless of the lunar cycle."

Kate swallowed nervously. She'd spent part of the last weekend in a house full of wolves. No wonder they'd been so desperate to get rid of her.

"How is it possible that no one knows about you?"

"We're careful. We keep to ourselves. There are rules associated with being a part of a pack. It's the only way we can ensure our survival."

She supposed she could understand that. "What about Salazar? Is he a part of a…a pack?"

Jeremy glanced at her. "No. He's what we call a mutt. All wolves who choose to eschew pack living are mainly lawless and unpredictable. They are often forced to toe the line."

There was something in his voice that frightened her. "Forced?"

He kept looking at her, though his expression was guarded. "They are a threat to our society and at times extreme measures need to be taken against them."

"Like killing them," Kate stated bluntly, a shudder running through her.

"Yes," Jeremy agreed softly.

The minute he'd mentioned the term extreme measures, she'd instinctively known he'd meant killing. The thought of it, of Jeremy being capable of something like that, scared her.

"Salazar," Kate said, "You told me you didn't know him."

"I don't," Jeremy assured her. "But after what almost happened to you, we started doing some digging. If there's a mutt killing humans in my territory then it's my responsibility to put a stop to it."

An unwanted thought came to mind. "So, when you stopped by to see me the second time the wol- I mean, Salazar, came after me, you only wanted information so you could find him?" He hadn't been concerned about her safety as she'd imagined, he'd had an ulterior motive. She hated how much the realisation hurt.

"Yes…No!" Jeremy contradicted when he realised the implication of his confession. "I was trying to determine if you could give me any useful information, but I was also genuinely concerned about you."

Kate slowly placed her feet back on the floor. "You don't have to say that," she said flatly, turning away.

Jeremy reached out to touch her arm and she instinctively pulled back. His lips thinned into a hard line but he didn't comment on it. "I'm not just saying it," he said, watching her closely, his gaze boring holes into hers.

Kate looked away, confused about her feelings. She'd thought she'd known Jeremy. Well, perhaps known was too strong a term. He'd always been mysterious, but discovering that someone she thought she knew at least the basics about was absolutely nothing like she'd assumed, was quite a blow. It was also frightening. She'd seen Salazar as a wolf, seen what he was capable of. That meant Jeremy was capable of the same. Perhaps worse.

"What does Salazar want with me?"

"I think it's simply a case of wrong place, wrong time. He's killed a string of humans en route to Bear Valley. I think you just happened to be the unfortunate person he stumbled across as he made his way into town."

Kate thought back on the first time she'd almost been attacked. "The day we met, you were the reason he backed away," she whispered, comprehension dawning. He'd saved her life.

Jeremy nodded. "I could smell him from the house. You too." At Kate's incredulous look, he smiled. "The same must have been true for him. He was about to attack you, I'm sure, but knowing I was close meant that he couldn't do so without risking possible injury to himself."

"This is just too crazy. You know it's crazy, right?" She swept her bangs away from her forehead before wrapping her arms around her midriff. This was not how she'd imagined the evening progressing. Not that she'd envisioned getting tangled together with Jeremy on her couch, she thought hastily, but this, this was so far out of her comfort zone.

"I know it's a lot to take in."

Kate's eyes fell to where his shirt now covered his previous injury. "So being half wolf means you heal fast?"

His hand touched his side lightly. "Yes. Depending on the severity of the injury it can take anything from a few minutes to a couple of hours."

If she was the hysterical type, now would have been the time to start raging. "Neat party trick."

Jeremy smiled. "It comes in handy."

"You said that no one knows exactly how wolves came into being. I assume that means you were born this way?"

Something about his demeanour changed. It was almost imperceptible, but she noticed it. It was as though he was remembering something unpleasant. "Yes, I was born a wolf."

Kate nodded, unsure of what else to say. She had so many questions and yet she wasn't sure how to verbalise them. A part of her was still in shock, unable to fully process what Jeremy was saying.

"Um, do you need to, you know…go out?"

"No. No, I'll be fine until morning." Jeremy reached down and picked up the waistcoat lying at his feet. The sight made Kate's cheeks flush. "It's late. Perhaps you should get some sleep."

"I still have a thousand questions," Kate said, wondering how she'd ever sleep again knowing what she knew.

"And they'll keep until tomorrow. You have work, remember?"

Jeremy was right. Perhaps it wasn't wise to overload her brain with too much information, too quickly. She stood and Jeremy followed her up. "Well, I guess I'll say good night then." She peeped up at him.

He was watching her, his gaze inscrutable. "Sleep well."

Kate smiled tensely. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, thank you."

They were back to being polite. Turning away, Kate mumbled a hasty goodnight before retreating into the safety of her bedroom. She had so many things she wanted to know, her curiosity about him and his lifestyle burning holes in the back of her brain, but she needed time to think. She'd be lying if she said that Jeremy's confession didn't scare the living daylights out of her. He wasn't just a mysterious man anymore. He was a pack alpha, one who controlled an entire continent of wolves. That made him incredibly powerful. It also made him dangerous.

Changing into a set of fluffy pajamas, Kate climbed into bed. Did she think he'd hurt her? No, despite everything she didn't feel as though he was a threat to her. But then again, could she trust her judgement in this matter? Her view was clouded by pretty strong feelings for him. That made her inclined to want to trust him, to believe that he cared about her wellbeing and safety. After all, he wouldn't have volunteered to stay with her as added protection against Salazar if he meant to hurt her.

And yet she couldn't stop herself from wondering what would happen now that she knew his secret. Were there repercussions to sharing that part of himself with a human?

Kate glanced at the time. It was well past midnight. She needed to get some sleep if she hoped to treat her patients with the appropriate level of competence. She just didn't know how she'd be able to shut her mind off.

Forcing her eyes shut, she burrowed deeper into the warmth of her bed. Whoever had said that the truth would set you free, had never had the man they thought they could very well be in love with confess that he was half human, half animal. Moving to Bear Valley was supposed to simplify her life. Instead it had become more complicated than ever.

The following morning, Jeremy was up early. Not that he'd been able to sleep much the night before. Having told Kate the truth, his mind was awash with the implications of his actions. He had to tell his family the truth, the thought of keeping it from them never even crossing his mind. While he was certain Elena and Nick would understand his decision to confess all to Kate, he knew that Clay was not going to be happy about it. And Jeremy couldn't blame him.

In truth, he felt torn. Pack law dictated that Kate knowing the truth put them all at risk and as such, she needed to be eliminated. But he didn't believe Kate to be a threat, not really. Deep within the depths of his soul he knew he could trust her with his life, with his family's lives, but that didn't change the reality of the choice that lay ahead of him.

As alpha, he enforced pack law. He had to be above reproach, the one setting the examples that he expected others to follow without question. If he spared Kate's life because of his feelings for her, whatever they were, he'd be a hypocrite and if anyone ever found out and challenged him as a result of it, everything he'd carefully constructed over the years could come crashing down around him. Was the safety of his pack and the packs who formed a part of his territory worth risking because he'd become emotionally compromised? Was he even fit to be alpha if he could no longer make rational decisions that affected the safety of all those he was responsible for protecting?

"Something smells delicious."

Jeremy turned away from the stove where he was preparing breakfast to see Kate standing behind him. Delicious sounds about right, he thought, his eyes lingering on her curves. Dressed simply in a short, deep purple knit dress, black tights and black low heeled ankle boots, she looked and smelled divine.

"I hope you're hungry," he said mildly, removing a pan laden with scrambled eggs and sausages from the stove top. He could tell she was hesitant, a little wary of him now that she knew the truth. Her reaction was completely natural and justified, but irrationally, it still stung.

"Suddenly the fact that you have the appetite of a horse makes perfect sense." She eyed the mountain of food and sat down on one of the bar stools.

Taking a seat beside her, Jeremy poured them some coffee. "I'd like to drive you to work," he stated between mouthfuls of eggs and toast.

Kate's fork hovered halfway to her mouth. "Why? I have a car."

"Which we both know has not been reliable recently."

She frowned, nudging her spectacles up the bridge of her nose. "I've had no problems in weeks."

"And I sincerely hope that continues to be the case, but I don't think we should take any chances until we find Salazar." Jeremy would prefer that she agree to the arrangement, but he'd already decided that he'd follow her there if he had to.

"We?" she asked with a raised brow.

"My family and I," he clarified.

Kate stilled. "How do you plan on doing that?"

Jeremy knew what she was thinking. Her reaction to the knowledge that he killed when necessary had been pretty hard to miss. He could tell she was afraid. "I'm heading to Stonehaven later to discuss that very issue."

"Is it safe to go after him yourselves?" she asked, concern furrowing her brows. "I don't want anyone getting hurt on my behalf."

"Kate, we're wolves. We know how to handle others like us."

"That's the part I'm worried about," she confessed softly, staring into her plate. "Are you going to kill him?"

Uncomfortable, Jeremy set his utensils down. "Would lying to you make you feel better?"

Kate closed her eyes, swallowing hard. "No. Look," she said, turning to face him. "I want you to know that I would never tell anyone what you've told me. I get that you operate in a world that I know nothing about and I appreciate everything you've done for me and are still doing for me." She licked her lips, her eyes focused on his. "I'm trying to wrap my mind around all of this and while a part of me knows why you have to do what you're planning to do, the other part of me, the one that took an oath to preserve life, is appalled by it."

"Kate-"

She held up a hand. "Please, let me finish."

Jeremy nodded and she continued, "Am I terrified? Yeah, a little." Her words were like daggers to his heart. "However, I do trust you, Jeremy, and I know that you'll never do anything to hurt me."

Kate gave him an uncertain smile and Jeremy felt even more of his walls come tumbling down. She was placing all her faith in him and he wasn't sure he deserved it. The truth was that her life was in danger. Not only from Salazar, but also from him.

"Thank you, Kate."

They stared at one another, the sexual tension that had evaporated like a fire doused by water the night before, slowly starting to swirl around them again. Telling Kate the truth was supposed to have created a chasm between them, a gap wide enough to keep him from wanting what he could never have. But instead of doing that, the opposite seemed to have occurred. Kate had chosen to believe in him, to trust in him, despite her very real and justifiable fears. Her strength and courage truly humbled him.

Her cheeks flushed, Kate glanced away first and looked at the large clock on the wall in front of her.

"Is that the time?" she gasped, hopping off the bar stool and rushing over to dump her plate in the basin. It was a few minutes before nine. "I need to get going."

Jeremy helped her clear up. "So, we're agreed then? I'll drive you?"

Kate eyed him, unconvinced. "I'm not sure it's really necessary."

"Perhaps not. But I think we'd both rather be safe than sorry."

Nodding reluctantly, she acquiesced. "Okay."

Finishing up, Jeremy grabbed his jacket and keys and waited for Kate at the front door. Walking towards him, she buttoned her black coat and wrapped a print scarf around her neck, lifting her dark hair out from underneath so that it fell across her shoulders. Minutes later, they were inside the Land Rover and driving the short distance to the hospital.

"I'll be at Stonehaven for most of the day. Call me when you know what time you'll finish up this afternoon and I'll pick you up on my way back," Jeremy told her as he parked in front of the hospital entrance. There was an older woman standing outside peering at them over the rim of her spectacles.

Kate, having seen her too, blushed a deep red. "Thank you, I will." She opened the door and hopped out, reaching back to grab her purse.

"Kate," Jeremy called before she closed the door. "Take care, please. Let me know immediately if anything suspicious occurs."

Their eyes connected and he felt a familiar warmth spread across his chest. She smiled softly. "I will. You take care too."

Closing the door, she caught up with the older woman and walked inside. Sure that she was safely indoors, Jeremy pulled away from the curb and headed home to Stonehaven.

A while later he pulled into the driveway of his ancestral home and recognised Nick's Audi parked out front. Stepping inside, he found everyone in the kitchen.

"Jeremy," Elena exclaimed with a welcoming smile. Clay stood and walked towards him.

"Sleepover over?" Nick asked with a smirk.

Jeremy ignored him and returned his son's embrace. "Everything alright here?"

"Yes. How's things at Kate's?" Clay asked, sitting back down.

Joining them at the table, Jeremy smiled his thanks at Elena when she placed a mug of coffee before him. "No sign of Salazar. Though I can't say I'm surprised that he's lying low."

"Well, we have some good news," Clay said, resting his elbows on the table. "Nick and I found the stolen car abandoned on the side of the road about thirty miles outside of town. We managed to look around before the police arrived. He was long gone, but the car was a mess, blood everywhere. He's in bad shape."

"Any sign of an accomplice?" Jeremy asked.

Nick shook his head. "Doesn't look like it. We suspect he ran out of gas and was forced inland but before we could track him the sheriff arrived forcing us to leave. However, we know he couldn't have gone far, not in his condition. We're planning on hitting the woods within the hour."

Nodding, Jeremy remained quiet for a moment. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Elena asked, pulling her chair closer.

Jeremy took a deep breath. "Kate knows about us."

A shocked silence filled the room before everyone spoke at once.

"What?!" from Clay

"How?" from Elena.

"Holy shit, Jeremy. You didn't kill her, did you?" from Nick.

Jeremy gave the younger man a quelling look. "Don't be absurd."

Relief washed over Nick's features. "I had to ask. That's pack law."

"How did she find out?" Elena asked.

This was the difficult part. "I told her."

Clay stood abruptly, his eyes looking like they were about to pop out of his head. "You told her? Why would you do that?"

Irritated, Jeremy snapped, "Sit down, Clay."

His son obeyed automatically, his face flushed with anger.

"I had no choice," Jeremy explained. "She saw the bite I received from Salazar had healed. Since there was no logical explanation other than the truth, I was forced to tell her."

"How can you be so calm about this, Jeremy?" Clay demanded, running an irate hand through his hair. "For all we know she's already told half the town."

"That's not fair, Clay," Elena asserted, looking at her fiancé accusingly. "She saved Jeremy's life. I trust her."

Nick was looking at Jeremy strangely. "How did she manage to see your wound? I mean, you'd have had to be undressed. Unless…" His words trailed off.

Three pairs of eyes swivelled in Jeremy's direction. Self-consciously, he crossed his arms over his chest before meeting their stares head on.

"Guess there wasn't much sleeping happening then," Nick quipped his eyes filled with amusement.

"That's enough, Nick," Jeremy said, annoyed at himself for being so transparent.

Elena and Clay were still staring at him, dumbfounded.

"The point is, she knows and I'm confident she won't tell anyone."

"But you can't be certain," insisted Clay. "This is a dangerous situation."

Snapping out of her stupor, Elena glared at Clay. "What are you suggesting? That Jeremy kill her?"

"Surely that's not necessary?" Nick insisted, all trace of humour gone. "I'd be willing to bet my life that Kate can be trusted."

"Yeah well, you always lose your bets, Nick," Clay said. "So forgive me if I'm not too keen on placing my future in the hands of one of your hunches."

"Clay!" Elena scolded him.

"Enough!" Jeremy said, angrily. This had gone far enough. "I've told you all because it was the right thing to do, but I didn't ask for advice on how to deal with this matter." He turned to face his son. "Clay, I am well aware that this is a sensitive issue but I don't appreciate the implication that I would not treat this situation with the seriousness that's warranted. I am aware of what the rules say, but I'm also aware that in this case, it's not that simple. If anything happens to Kate, suspicion may easily fall on me since I'm currently living with her." Jeremy stood. "I will handle this in the manner I deem most appropriate. Until then, I would appreciate it if you would all focus your energies on finding Salazar before he attempts to injure anyone else."

Staring pointedly at each of them in turn, Jeremy turned towards the back door, unbuttoning his waistcoat. "I'm going for a run."

Slamming the door behind him, Jeremy headed towards the shed. He understood Clay's anger. Years ago, Clay had protected Elena against Jeremy when he'd wanted to kill her. If his son hadn't bitten her in an attempt to give her some chance at survival, she would now be lying in a shallow grave somewhere on their property. The thought shamed him even though he knew his reaction at the time had been justified. As alpha it was his responsibility to ensure that no humans ever saw them transform and when he'd thought that Elena had seen him, Jeremy had known that she'd have to die. He'd only realised afterward that she'd never seen anything and had Clay not taken matters into his own hands, Jeremy would have ended Elena's life and never known that it had been for nothing.

Now he faced a similar dilemma and this time he couldn't make the same impartial decision. This time it was his emotions that were involved. He knew what he had to do, what his duty as alpha demanded that he do, but suddenly it wasn't that black and white anymore. Finally he understood Clay's desperation all those years ago. He'd loved Elena and biting her was the only way he'd known of to give her a chance at survival. That choice though was not open to Jeremy. He'd never do that to Kate, never sentence her to such a painful and terrifying end. Elena was the only female werewolf in existence. No one knew why she'd survived the first change and no one knew why no other women had survived it since. No. If he had to kill Kate, he'd do it swiftly, mercifully, so that she never saw it coming.

The mere thought wreaked havoc on his emotions.

Picturing Kate's expressive green eyes as she'd smiled her goodbye an hour earlier, Jeremy shed the last of his clothes, cleared his mind and willed the animal within him to take control.

"Stop looking at me like that, Nattie!" Kate scolded for the umpteenth time. The older woman had been smirking at her ever since she'd seen Jeremy drop her off.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Doc," she said innocently, her eyes twinkling.

Jeremy had only stayed one night and already the whole town knew about it. Every one of her patients had found a way to not so subtly bring him up in conversation. It had taken all her patience to politely ignore the lot of them.

"He's only staying because the sheriff thinks it's a bad idea for me to be alone right now," Kate defended as Nattie waited beside her desk while she signed a stack of charts.

"Hmmm…you keep telling yourself that, my dear. The last time a man looked at me like that, I married him."

Kate rolled her eyes, amused and a little embarrassed. "You're as bad as Nick," Kate mumbled.

"Oh, so you know the nephew by name too?" Nattie asked, laughter in her voice.

Kate glared at her and the older woman laughed. "Alright, I'll quit teasing you. But let me say before I go that the two of you make a lovely couple."

"We are not a co-"

Nattie snatched up the completed charts. "Like I said," she interrupted. "You keep telling yourself that."

The phone on her desk rang. Exasperated, she answered, "Yes, Amy?"

"You have a visitor, Doc Shaw. Elena Michaels?"

A knot of anxiety settled in her stomach. Glancing at her calendar Kate noted that she had thirty minutes free. "Send her through, please."

Seconds later, Elena, gorgeous in white jeans and a leather jacket, popped her head around the door. "Can I come in?"

Kate smiled. "Please."

Elena closed the door before taking the seat that Kate proffered. "You've settled in well," she said, looking around.

"A lot faster than I expected." Kate fidgeted with the pen in her hands, feeling apprehensive. "I'm fairly sure you're not here for a physical?"

Elena shook her head, smiling. "Jeremy told us this morning that you know the truth about us."

"I would never tell anyone," Kate assured her quickly.

Elena waved a hand. "Oh, I know. That's not why I'm here."

"Oh." Kate sat back in her chair. She'd just assumed that Elena wanted to be certain of her discretion. "Then how can I help?"

"I just wanted to check if you were alright actually. Being told about our existence must have come as a shock."

"I'm still reeling somewhat," Kate confessed, relaxing a little.

Elena nodded. "I know what you mean. After I was bitten-"

"Bitten?" Kate asked, alarmed.

The smile on the blonde woman's face dimmed. "Yes. I thought that Jeremy told you."

Kate shook her head. "No. I guess we never got to that part. It was a lot to process…What do you mean by bitten?"

For the first time Elena looked uncomfortable. "Clay bit me and I became a wolf."

Kate's stomach dropped to the floor. She'd just assumed Elena had been born a wolf, like Jeremy. "Why?"

Elena was now the one fidgeting. "You know, maybe you should ask Jeremy about this."

"No. Please tell me."

Reluctantly, Elena continued, "The first time Clay brought me to Stonehaven I almost saw Jeremy transform. I didn't see anything, but he didn't know that."

"So?" Kate asked, a strange tension rising within her.

Elena licked her lips nervously. "Well, he was upset with Clay and worried that I'd found out the truth. It's against pack law for humans to know of our existence."

"What do you mean, against pack law?" Kate asked curiously.

"We live by a code. A set of rules. If they are broken, there are consequences."

Kate felt her heartbeat kick up a notch. "What's the consequence for a human finding out the truth?"

Elena hesitated. "Death."