Chapter 3 – Love blossoms.

Sophia Donner stretched languidly on her bed after a good night's sleep. She couldn't believe that it was already a week since she had been through hell and back. A whole week since she had become one of the wolven. A knock drew her attention to the doorway where her dad was standing comically with an apron which said "Burnt food chefs anonymous" (a gift from Sophia last Christmas) holding a spatula in one hand and a pan of what vaguely resembled charcoal bacon bits. Smothering a laugh just in time, she suddenly realized that her father had been going around with dark circles under his eyes.

"You sure you want to start school today? A few more days rest wouldn't hurt you know. Anyway I don't think that the bacon's gonna come off the pan, why don't you grab a bite at the Diner?"

Matt smiled slightly at his daughter. She was looking so much more alive these past few days. Maybe things would not be as bad as he had thought it would be. Her flipping had proven to him in some way that he couldn't control everything no matter how much he wanted to.

As he was turning to go, he caught a Luke's scent in the wind. That boy must be waiting in the bushes until he left the house. Matt knew that he had being doing so ever since Sophia had returned home from Sherman's cabin.

Although Matt didn't truly like the boy sniffing around his daughter, he had to grudgingly accept that he couldn't deny what Sherman had said. The boy did after all share the same feelings as Sophia and he had so far protected Sophia from the rest of the Pack.

Sophia was just walking out of the shower when Lucas Cates jumped through her open window and landed on all fours, slightly startling her. She watched as the wolfish grin on his face transformed and he was now giving her a cocky grin.

"You know you should have waited. I wouldn't have minded sharing that shower."

"Get real Luke. When are you going to give up being a pestering fly anyway? Are you too dumb to get point already... I'm not interested."

"Sophia, how many ways do I have to tell you I love you and I want us to be together."

Luke retrieved a pocket knife from his jeans and before Sophia could step away, he swiped at her chest, drawing a line of blood.

"Luke! Are you psycho?"

"No Soph, this is the last way I can think of to make you realize how much I love you and want you to be my mate forever. I'm going to make a blood oath to you and you know that in our pack, that is forever binding."

With that, he slit his palm and put it to her chest. Mixing the blood (A/N: Yes, I know that is how diseases are spread, but remember they're superhuman wolven, it won't affect them.)

"Luke, you didn't. You do know that once you do this, by pack laws we will be forever tied together. Sigh, I guess you have been telling the truth. I just cant believe it yet."

Slowly, he inched forward, coming up and drawing her in a sweet kiss. Even if she didn't want to admit it, ever since her flip, Luke had visited her every day, cheering her up with his teasing and she had to admit that it was time to acknowledge the relationship that they were in. She knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her. As much as she wanted to blame it on beastly urges, it was so much more than that.

"Luke, I have to know right now. If I accept you, where does that put Prestley? I'm going back to school today and I don't want to face the Pack kids and not know where I stand."

"Soph, forget Prestley. You know that she doesn't mean anything to me. Today is going to be the start of a new beginning. Relax. Everything will be fine. You'll be truly accepted now that you've flipped and you know that."

The tapping of Matt Donner's boots on the hardwood floor sent a look of chagrin on Luke's face. "Well, looks like I've got to run. See ya at school. I'll be waiting."

By the time her dad had opened the door, Luke had already vanished through the billowing curtains.

Sophia drew a deep breath as she approached the high school. Thankfully she spotted Sarah waiting for her on the steps and she jogged up to join her. She was instantly glad that she had Sarah as a friend. No matter how different Sophia had always been, being the half-breed and all, Sarah had always stood by her.

"Thanks for the moral support. I feel like I really need it right now. I have absolutely no idea how the day is going to turn out."

The change in the atmosphere of the locker room was almost immediate. Sophia felt like a hundred pairs of eyes were watching her every move. She felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced back.

Sarah was staring at something down the hallway and she followed her gaze. What she saw was unbelievable. Right in front of her locker, there was a really touching scene going on. Prestley was enjoyably sucking out Luke's lips.

Sophia felt the anger in her boil. Taking her steps slowly she moved towards them. The hill kids stopped and slowly drew close. They instinctively knew that something was going to happen.

Calmly, Sophia stopped opposite the couple and leaned back against the opposite locker. With a couldn't care less attitude, she glanced at her watch, then in a swift move she grabbed Prestley's hair in a death grip, hauling her off Luke and hurtling her in the air until she landed with a sickening thud against a row of lockers.

Amber flashing, Sophia sent a warning glance at Luke so that he step aside, she opened her locker. Retrieving her books, she caught Luke's pleading eyes as he sent a mental signal.

"You know that I wasn't actively involved in that right? She jumped on me before I could stop her."

Holding out her palm, Sophia slowly said,"If I believed that you were responsible for that little show, you wouldn't be standing here."

Turning with both hands clasping, they walked down the hallway to their class. Someone behind them broke the silence by clapping and soon, the whole hallway was reverberating with the sounds of cheering. Sophia Donner was finally accepted into the pack.

Sophia couldn't believe it. She had actually thrown Prestley across the hallway. For the first time in her life, she felt good about the powers that she now possessed. But what she also couldn't believe was that sitting right next to her was Lucas Cates. Or, that his hands were slowly rubbing her right thigh causing a warmness to form in her belly.

They were in biology and even though it was her favorite subject, she hadn't heard a word Sherman had said in the past hour. Her thoughts were disturbed when a soft voice whispered in her ear.

"I thought I was the one who was gonna have to do the claiming. Guess you beat me to it."

Luke chuckled at the look of confusion on Sophia's face.

"You just announced to the whole pack that you were laying a claim on me by sending Prestley flying. Why did you think they were cheering? You just put yourself in the position as the Alpha's bitch. But I don't mind one bit. I like my women feisty."

"Shut up Luke."

And with that, Sophia grabbed her thick textbook and hit him smack in the middle of his solar plexus.

"Oww, did you have to do that? When I said feisty, I didn't mean THAT ferocious."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her close until she was almost halfway across his lap on the bench. He was about to take things a little further when he suddenly realized that the whole class was watching them. Sophia had stopped struggling and was now staring at the table blushing.

"And that class was Mr Cates and Ms Donner proving that it also takes a bit of chemistry before the whole process turns biological."

Sherman smiled and winked at them. The whole class burst out laughing. Luckily the bell rang and they were saved from further embarrassment.

"Well I've got to run. I'll be in gym if you need me. Just send me a little telepathic message and I'll be there." Luke gave Sophia a slight peck on the cheek before dashing away.

Sarah caught up with Sophia as soon as Luke left her. Linking her arms with her best friend, she couldn't help but smiling. Sophia Donner was on top of the world today.