Shaggy found Christina at the piano. Sliding onto the bench he looked at her.

"It's going to rain again," she said quietly.

"The weather can like, be strange, one time it snowed in may"

"May?"

"Snow everywhere"

The thought made Christina laugh lightening the somber mood for a moment.

"What's the matter, Christina?" Shaggy asked worriedly.

Had she changed her mind about him after all?

"Something's coming, something bad"

"Like, how can you be sure?"

"I just am," she sighed.

He slid an arm around her, pulling her closer.

"I promise," he said, "I like, won't let anything happen to you, no vampires, no knights, like nothing and no one will hurt you"

Christina let her head rest on his shoulder, "I'll trust you"

…...

Van Hellscream and his knights crept carefully through the woods. Weapons were poised to attack if the need arose. Just after sunset, before moonrise, the pair that had requested the meeting stepped from the shadows.

"Vampires!" Van Hellscream hissed, reaching for a stake.

"Now, now, Van Hellscream," chided the older female, "Ve have the same goals you and I"

"What business would I have with the likes of you two"

"Ve want to see the treaty fail as much as you do"

"Why?"

"Let's just say my son here has a particular interest in Lady Christina-"

"She's supposed to be MINE"

"Control yourself, Son"

"Yes, Mother"

"Sit, sit, we have much to discuss"

…...

Clawdeen was at a loss for words. A rare occurrence. Frustrated, she paced her room. Meeting Duncan had left her head spinning, her heart doing flips, fluttering about her chest without a care but she didn't know what to do or say. How could she? She'd only met him an hour ago. It wasn't like she could walk up to him and say:

"I know we just met but I imprinted on you and that means I'm falling in love with you"

She'd sound like a lunatic!

A raving lunatic!

What was she going to do? She couldn't tell Duncan and she couldn't tell Shaggy who was too occupied with Christina to be of help. But, she needed help! With no other options, she took a deep breath and set out to find her cousin.

…...

The clouds continued to gather as the day wore on but for the first time in a long while Christina wasn't nervous. Shaggy stuck to her side, keeping her distracted by the sober weather. Currently, the two were cozied up in the library, a book spread across their laps as Christina read.

Clawdeen quietly stepped through the open door, stopping to watch.

"Hi, Clawdeen."

"Gah!", she stifled her reaction so as not to disturb the reading lovers, and turned to her younger cousin and Chase and whispered, "When did you get so sneaky, Cuz?! I'm the Alpha! I shoulda heard you two comin'."

"Sorry, Clawdeen", Sugie said sheepishly while Chase shrugged. "If it helps, it looked like you were wicked distracted. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay", she assured them, ruffling their hair. "I..um..wanted to talk to your brother, but he seems distracted right now. Great work helpin' me finally get them together earlier, you two."

"It was nothing", Sugie smiled brightly, as did Chase silently beside her. "We were getting kinda impatient watching them dance around it for so long. I mean, you'd have to be an idiot not to notice the chemistry between them. But maybe we can help YOU now! What's up?"

"It's... complicated", Clawdeen sighed.

"You imprinted on Prince Duncan", Sugie deadpanned. "Doesn't seem that complicated."

"HOW...?!"

"Please, Cousin", Sugie grinned mischievously, "your scent was different after you came out of your meeting with him. The same way Shaggy's did when he met Christina."

"Are you sure you don't have the nose of an Alpha?", Clawdeen giggled.

"I dunno about that, but even Shaggy tells me my nose is the most sensitive in the family", Sugie said proudly.

"And yet you can't tell how your own scent has changed", Clawdeen giggled under her breath.

"What do you mean?!"

"Oh nothing!*giggle!*"

"I'll have you know I had a bath this morning! Chase too!"

"Oh, I'm sure you did", Clawdeen agreed, stifling further giggles in hope of placating her cousin. Chase, however, looked thoughtful. Then his eyes widened and he blushed as red as one of his mother's roses! Clawdeen caught his eye, 'zipped her lips', and crossed her heart. He nodded and exhaled in relief.

"So can we help?" Sugie questioned bringing their attention back to her.

"I'll let you know if I need it okay?"

"Fine, don't be scared to ask, c'mon Chase let's go paint!" Sugie pulled Chase down the hall leaving clawdeen to sigh with relief.

…...

I can imagine Laura screaming when she gets my letter. I hope for his sake, Clawd has some earplugs handy or she'll shatter his eardrums. It's almost dinnertime now but you would think it was midnight given how dark it's gotten. Yes, I find it unnerving. How could you tell?

Shaggy went to oversee dinner. This is the first time I've been alone in hours. As soon as I finish this I'm going to join Shaggy.

I hate the look of this sky.

…...

"Shaggy, I uh, need to talk to you" Clawdeen began nervously, stepping into the kitchen.

She froze at the sight of Duncan standing beside her cousin.

"Like, what's the matter, Clawdeen?" Shaggy asked with a smile, "Sugie didn't get into your things again did she?"

"No, she's in the tree-house with Chase"

"Like, they should come in before it starts to rain again," Shaggy glanced out the window, "I'll go get them"

"I'll come with!" clawdeen tried her best not to be nervous as she said this.

"Don't get rained on," Duncan laughed.

"We'll hurry"

Once several halls away from the kitchen Shaggy asked Clawdeen what was bothering her.

"I um, uh, er, imprinted?"

"On Duncan?" Shaggy finished.

"Yeah"

"Like, what are you going to do about it?"

"I-I-I don't know"

"You scared?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"I'm like, sure you could see it from the moon"

"Help me?"

"Help you what, Clawdeen?"

"Figure this out?"

"What is there to figure out, you imprinted, now you have to tell him because 'it's his life too'"

"Don't throw my words back at me!"

"Too late"

"I'm stuck aren't I?"

"Yes"

"That's what I was scared of"

"It will be okay, Clawdeen"

"I'm not sure"

...

It's so short but the point is: IT LIVES! You would not believe the struggles I had with this. Hopefully the next chapter comes easier.