"I can't believe you broke the curve again!" One of the lion guys yelled in outrage at me. The class had just been handed back their most recent test and Aunt Tamyra had recognized that I'd turned in a perfect test. "That's unfair, they're like related! She's probably cheating for him." I didn't grant the guy a response.

"You know that's not true!" A girl that I learned shifted into a gazelle. She was very thin, with short red hair. She wore glasses but had this silent grace that always caught me off guard. "If anything, Ms Tamyra is harder on Leo, Emileah, and Sahara." She defended. The guys backed down not because they were intimidated, it was only because it became obvious that most of the female shifters had taken a liking to me in that protective-love-the-underdog type of way. At first, I'd been irritated with the attention but if it kept the guys off my back…

"Emileah," Aunt Tamyra re-entered the classroom after having taken a 'call.' "Your father needs you. He's near the southeast border."

"Olympia or farther out?" Emileah asked already getting up to leave.

"Olympia." She answered and Emileah was gone in a flash. It was situations like this that kept Emileah's nearly perfect grades just that, nearly perfect. It was obvious that I was gaining on her position in the class and with my ignorance of pack business I was left with, in theory a less stressful life than she.

Key words: in theory.

Sure I had plenty of time to study but it didn't stop me from worrying over the others. And I just worried more because I had absolutely no clue what was going on in the pack. I figured something had to be going on otherwise the pack wouldn't be going on patrol so often. And Tre wouldn't be taking Emileah out of school so liberally.

Not to mention the fact that he only asked for Emileah and not Sahara so urgently.

Which meant that he needed Emileah for something that Sahara couldn't do. And the only difference between those two besides their personalities was Emileah's healing ability.

That meant someone was hurt.

"Aunt Tamyra," I raised my hand without thinking. "Is something wrong?" She froze. The class turned to stare at me though I kept my gaze on my aunt. I'd put her in a tough spot. Most of the shifters had some knowledge to my pseudo-alienation from the pack. I needed an answer and the only one tough enough to go against my god mom was the woman currently having a mental battle in front of me.

"Everything will be fine." I didn't let my disappointment show at the vague answer. I simply nodded my head and returned my gaze to my desk, ignoring the stares from both Sahara on my right and Hunter from somewhere behind me. The class continued. I was in no hurry to leave when it ended, leaving me the last person to exit the classroom. Just as I was about to step through the threshold into the hallway my wrist was grabbed. "There's a pack meeting tonight, three miles into the east forests. If you want answers, be there but arrive late. You don't want anyone to intercept you beforehand." Aunt Tamyra instantly released me and stepped back to her desk. I showed no indication that I heard and simply walked on to my next class.

She never saw the cold smile that crossed my lips.

A/N: ummm....hmmm... I don't really have anything to say just yet...oh wait yes I do:

memory bleeds: thanks for the compliment and for reviewing!

also I hope I caught up review response wise with everyone! You guys are great!