"Hi."

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Seriously. Are you guys high?"

Aaron Smelt was rudely forced out of his imprint-induced reverie by said imprint's younger sister. Alex had come downstairs for a snack and was less than impressed by the love bubble she'd found.

"No," Aaron deflated. He knew he must have looked like a complete idiot, but he couldn't help himself, not when Andie was just so… everything good. He melted again, his brain turned to mush at the sight of her. He'd never been in love before. Was it too early to say love? Was the word love even sufficient to express the depth of his passion?

"Actually, you are high," Vanessa Raven-Bayak danced into the room and joined Alex at the island, opposite of the imprinted couple. "It's called oxytocin- the love hormone, the bonding hormone, the S-E-X hormone."

Vanessa waggled her eyebrows and laughed at the teenager's reactions.

"Ugh!"

"Mom!"

"We're not-"

"I know, I know, you don't want to hear me talk about sex, but-"

"I don't want to hear where this is going," Alex dashed out of the room.

"-as uncomfortable as this conversation may be for you, I recognize that it is something you're going to start thinking about if you're not already. Whenever you decide that you are ready, I fully expect to be in the know. If you're not mature enough to talk about it, you're not mature enough to do it. Got me?"

"Got you."

"Yes, Ms. Bayak."

"Good, now say your goodbyes."

"But, Mom-"

"Did you finish packing for Dad's?"

"Wait, it's his weekend?"

"Yep," Vanessa popped the p. "Labor Day is a holiday, my dear."

"Aaron can help me pack."

"No, ma'am. You need to focus," Vanessa turned her attention toward Aaron, "and you and I need to have a chat."

She left the kitchen to give the young couple a chance to exchange their farewells.

Vanessa Raven-Bayak taught the four science periods for middle and high schoolers at La Push Tribal School as well as a learning lab enrichment program for elementary schoolers. Vanessa loved being the resident Ms. Frizzle, but she lived for reproductive health… and her girls. She'd had Andie at sixteen and Alex less than a full year later thanks to misinformation around breastfeeding as a form of contraception (newsflash: it was not). Thanks to more accurate information and family planning, Vanessa had time to prepare herself, her family, and her finances before having her youngest at twenty-four. Aside from the regrettable fact that it ended with her big sisters naming her after the cartoon, Anastasia's journey earthside was perfect.

While Vanessa loved her girls, she would've done things differently if she'd been more aware and she wanted every woman on the rez to be empowered and well-informed about their sexual health. For more than ten years, it had been her life's work. She'd single-handedly revised the previously abstinence-only sex-ed curriculum and implemented an introduction to puberty series for the middle schoolers and their parents. Vanessa also started hosting an annual women's conference between La Push and Neah Bay to discuss sexuality and reproductive justice within the Native community.

As progressive and sex-positive as she was, Vanessa was more than a little concerned about her oldest child's new love. Aaron Smelt was a sweet kid and a good student, the type with the work ethic and resilience to supplement what he lacked naturally (better than the AP kids who never had to try, in Vanessa's book). Usually, he was exactly the type of guy she'd want to be Andie's first boyfriend- heck, his name even started with her favorite letter! A year ago, she would've bought condoms and conveniently left them home alone if Aaron and Andie were ready. Now, she was hoping that the steroids (or whatever drugs Aaron was on) were affecting his erectile function.

Since the start of the new school year, Aaron had been a little off. He was moody, flying into a rage over the smallest things, and he'd started skipping school and missing homework assignments. Vanessa had noticed the tremors and sudden increase in height and weight. It looked like he, too, was on whatever pharmaceutical cocktail the La Push gang imbibed. Uley Junior always had a way of recruiting the students no one would've expected. The weirdest part was that the Council seemed to turn a blind eye to it and she couldn't even go to Principal Littlesea with her concerns since Connie's brother was the chief and she seemed proud that her son Collin was in the gang.

"Ehem," Aaron cleared his throat.

"Ahh!" Vanessa jumped. How was it that this lumbering man-child was so light on his feet? "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

"I didn't mean to scare you."

"You're fine. Have a seat," Vanessa felt the heat rolling off of Aaron in waves as he sat beside her on the couch. Her maternal instinct had her raising a hand to his forehead faster than the young wolf was comfortable with.

He ducked his head a snarled a warning growl.

"Sorry, I-" Vanessa retracted her hand and brushed it across her own forehead. "Are you feeling okay? I think you might have a fever."

"I'm okay," Aaron wilted, embarrassed. "I just run hot."

"Hmm," Vanessa bit her lip, then sighed. "Listen, Aaron, I'm going to be frank with you. I'm worried, both as Andie's parent and as your teacher. It looks like you're headed down a path that I don't want my daughter walking towards… Now, I fully support Andie's autonomy as an individual, but right now I am still responsible for her. It is my job to ensure that she makes it into adulthood with her heart and her head intact."

"Are you saying we have to break up?" Aaron's nostrils flared and his hands balled up into fists. His body was taut with the repressed urge to phase. Emily's scarred face flooded his mind as various pack members picked up on the situation.

Careful.

She can't do that.

Get out of there, quick.

This is why we need to be able to tell our families.

No, you're okay. Just breathe.

The secret is for our protection.

You are more than your wolf.

Thanks, guys.

"No, what I am saying is that you need to get on her level. You will not be a bad influence on my daughter. You will not drag her down. You will be respectful and respectable. Do you understand?"

"I understand."

You tell 'em, Aunt Ness!

Did she just Alpha order him?

Give the man some space.

"Now, I am aware you… run with Sam's crew," Vanessa chose her words carefully, "and I know that you care about Andie-"

"I love her. I love her more than I can even try to explain. I always will."

Vanessa pursed her lips and arched her eyebrows. Love. She remembered how big that word felt when she was sixteen. She softened.

"Then love her well. If you love Andie as much as you say, you cannot stop her from becoming the woman she was destined to be. Andie is going to college in two years. I know a lot of your- um, friends don't go that route, but Aaron, I don't want my daughter to feel like she has to choose between you and her future. Understand?"

"Understood."

"Good. Now as Andie's parent, this is the part where the threat comes in, so just know that Andie's dad is a big criminal lawyer up in Seattle and his clients will happily handle you if you decide to become a problem. Got me?"

"Got you," Aaron tried not to smirk.

Yoooo, Ms. B got balls!

Who the hell does Max work for?

"Last but not least, as your teacher, I want you to know that when you're ready to talk about whatever's been going on, I'm ready to listen. I believe in you and I still think you're a great kid. It's not too late to turn things around. You hear me?"

"I hear you. Thank you."

And that's why she was always my favorite.

Not gonna lie, that hit me in the warm and fuzzies.

You mean your balls?

Why are you like this?

"Good talk," Vanessa smiled and resisted the urge to hug him.

"Is it okay if I-"

"You've got five minutes."

Aaron raced upstairs to soak in his imprint's scent before she had to leave.

Do you think Jake would let me go to Seattle?

Jake? Yes. Leah? Definitely not.

She's in charge today?

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

"Alright, A-Team, it's time to evacuate," Vanessa called up the stairs.

The five minutes passed too quickly for the imprinted pair. Aaron helped Andie and her sisters carry their bags out to the car and watched it drive away until it was too far to see with human eyes. He ran into the forest to phase so he could chase it from the treelines to the end of La Push.

He howled mournfully as it disappeared down the winding road.

Quil: (also howling) It sucks.

Aaron: Does it ever get better?

Quil: Not really, you just kind of learn to live with it.

Brady: Where have you been, Quil? It took you forever to phase in. I'm gonna be late!

Quil: I was taking a dump (pictorial evidence)

Leah: You disgust me.

Brady: Why is it so big?

Quil: It's not about the size.

Leah: We are not discussing Quil's turd! Brady, my dearest cousin, get out of my head. Thanks, management.

Brady: I'm goin', Lee-lee.

Leah: You should go with him, Aaron.

Quil: Pack helps.

Aaron: Okay, I'll go… oh, hey, Leah? Thanks for earlier with Andie's mom. It's hard to recognize all the voices, but I could tell you were the one that believed in me, so thanks (even though you didn't let me go with her).

Leah: No problem, kid.

Aaron caught up with Brady and they ran to meet Seth and the other young wolves at the beach.

As the eldest among the youngest wolves, Seth had taken it upon himself to be their leader. His leadership generally entailed keeping tabs on them at school since Sue dragged him in daily ("Wolf or no wolf, no child of mine is dropping or failing out of high school. You dad is not about to haunt me over this."), keeping the peace between the packs, and keeping them updated on any new happenings with the pack. To this end, the mini-Alpha had decided to lead a series of teambuilding exercises to help his peer group acclimate to the new Pack order.

"Hey, guys, glad to see ya," Seth welcomed them with a cheery smile and bro hugs. "We're still waiting on Danny- you know he's coming in from Forks. You can grab a bite if you want."

"Awesome! I'm starved."

Aaron followed Brady over to the cooler where Judah, Kyle, Collin, and Timothy-Chase were stuffing their faces. Brady threw open the container to a random assortment of food while Aaron looked on in confusion.

"What is all this stuff?"

"Food pantry rejects from Sue's hospital and expired shit from the Ateara's store," Brady pawed through the cornucopia, "Don't pay attention to the expiration dates- they're mostly just a suggestion and we can't get food poisoning. Ooh, chicken fingers!"

"Lies," Collin countered, plucking a bottle of soda from the mix, "One time, I had some spaghetti from that place up in Port Angeles and it almost ended me."

"You had the shits and a stomach ache. You slept it off."

"Consider the context, though. We're basically indestructible. Pretty sure I would've died if I'd been human."

"If you died from food poisoning, I'd be too embarrassed to go to your funeral."

The two friends' bickering devolved into a wrestling match and Aaron smiled at the normalcy of the moment as he picked up Brady's forgotten chicken fingers. It was nice to feel like a regular teenager… the moment was short-lived as Danny burst through the trees in wolf form, quickly phasing human and shimmying into his jeans.

"Sorry, I'm late. I heard the weirdest bird call and I kinda got distracted."

"What did it sound like?" Of all the wolves, Timothy-Chase had spent the most time in the woods, pre-transformation since his parents were park rangers in the Olympic National Park. They'd taught him plenty about the wildlife in the forests.

Still, he didn't recognize Dany's whistling attempts or even the memory projection in the mindlink. He shook his head.

"I'd have to see it to say for sure, but it doesn't sound like any native species… I wonder what it is."

Seth beat his hands like a drum on the cooler before taking a seat there so that he was facing the other wolves.

"Today, I thought we could work on our telepathic connection with a couple of games: I call it telepathy team tag. Basically, Team A has five minutes to dive and hide out before Team B pursues. Team A, your objective is to make it back here to base, but if you get tagged, you move on to Team B… The only rules are that you have to stay in human form and we've gotta stay south of Teawhit. There's supposed to be some campers out on Second Beach, but I got Billy to close off Third Beach for us, so just be mindful not to round Teahwhit and we should be good."

"Cool, cool," Judah nodded. "But, what do we get if we win?"

"How about losers do winners homework?" Brady suggested as if he usually did his own homework.

"Won't work- I go to Forks," Danny shook his head; he wished he went to the Tribal school. Going to FHS felt weird ever since his first phase. He felt like he was barely treading water and everyone looked at him weird which only made things worse. At least he'd get to be with Pack if he went to QTS.

"And we're not all in school anymore," Kyle chimed in.

"How about Patrol?" Seth offered. "Winners get the first pick of next week's shifts."

"Now, you're talking," Judah shot finger guns at Seth.