I wrestled against my captor immediately, attempting to claw, scratch, bite; anything that would free me. The person dragged me across the room, toward the front of the library.

"Let go!" I got out between the hand on my mouth. A few seconds later, the person flung me into a chair nearby. A lamp came on right after that, and I saw that my captor was once again Theo.

"Theo, damn you!" I raged, "I thought you were that thing!"

"Obviously not, otherwise you would be dead! You have got to learn to hide better and be quieter!" "What, was that some form of training me?! If you had given any indication that you weren't that creature, I wouldn't have freaked out!"

"Coming right up to the body immediately after she was killed was really stupid, Rachel. If I HAD been the creature, you would have died. That's rule number one: Never approach a fresh body. The attacker could just be waiting a few steps away, trying to lure you. You're lucky the creature didn't notice you."

"How the hell do you even know what I saw?"

"I came here to tell you that the creature was around this area. In fact, I was coming to…protect you. You can't make it so easy for me, or anyone else, or you'll die. Now, let's g-"

Red and blue lights lit up the rain tracks on the big windows outside. "You've got to be kidding." groaned Theo, "Listen sweetheart, cops are not my forte. Either go with my story or you're on your own." "Fine, whatever you say. And don't call me sweetheart."

He grinned at me, then turned as the sheriff came in, noting the body immediately. "Theo," he greeted him, "what happened here?" "Well, I was helping Rachel look for a book. She's been wanting to help out with our situation. Lights blew, then we hear a scream, and there's the rest of the story." He said, nodding toward the lady on the floor.

"Really, well, trusting you isn't exactly easy. Rachel," he said, turning to me, "is that what happened?"

I tried not to glance at Theo, but I could feel his eyes on me. "Yes," I said with ease. He sighed, then looked back to the body. "Damn shame, she was always nice." He said, "Alright, you two go give the deputy your statement, I'm going to take care of this. Oh and Rachel, correct me if I'm wrong, but we've met before, haven't we? I mean, before you came to town? You look so familiar."

I felt a jolt go through the pit of my stomach, but I answered as coolly and quickly as normally possible. "No, Sheriff, I don't believe so. Please, take care of yourself."

Surely he hadn't been a cop involved with any of Damian's cases. If he had found any of Damian's case history, they would find me. I wouldn't have thought anything he had done would have reached here, but I could be wrong, which would mean moving on faster than I thought.

I kept from snatching when Theo took my hand to lead me outside. Why the hell had he done so anyway? I didn't get to wonder too long, because the deputy was waiting for us outside. We gave him the cliff notes version of the same alibi we gave the sheriff and Theo released my hand as we went to our vehicles.

I couldn't resist.

"Why did you do that?" "Hm?" "Hold my hand." "You were white as a sheet. It wouldn't have looked good for either of us if you'd passed out. I had to grab your attention discreetly." "Well, thanks I guess."

"Yeah. Go home, Rachel. Call one of us if there's anything…unnatural." "M'kay."

I climbed into my car and watched as Theo's blue truck sped out of the parking lot. I hadn't realized until then that my heart was pounding. That had all been too much adrenaline.

I found myself inadvertently tracing the places Theo's fingers had been on my hand, and slammed my fist down on the console. No.

I couldn't allow myself any more luxuries than I already had. By no means was I falling, but there was a little something there, and I would squash it before I acknowledged it. Acknowledging it meant giving in, and giving in meant falling.

And falling meant getting all of us killed.

~Theo POV~

Going in like that had been so stupid of me.

I should have just let her figure it out on her own. She was brave enough, obviously. Two seconds early, and that creature would have killed her too.

The thought made me feel anxious, and a little sick. Perhaps that interlude hadn't been smart on my end after all. I thought that saving her would only assure me that she was worthless dead weight, but it didn't, and I couldn't stop myself from thinking back to her.

I could have knocked the sheriff in the head for scaring her like that. He'd been a total idiot to say something like that to her right after what she'd been through. I wished that what I was feeling didn't scare me so bad, because feeling this way, it makes you reckless.

I'd seen so many people 'fall in love', and it had never seemed worth it, and though I didn't love Rachel, I did care for her in ways I never even wanted to know. Me, Theo…smitten.

The word itself grossed me out.

I pushed a little harder on the accelerator, feeling a bit freer with the speed of my truck. I needed to go ask Liam if anything new had been found. He'd be pissed that I was showing up so late, but I needed distraction, and he knew that I didn't care what emotion he felt towards me. As long as I got what I needed, his feelings didn't matter.

I whipped the truck into his driveway and hopped out. His parents weren't home, so I knew he was probably playing video games with Mason or Corey. Instead of using the door, I climbed to the roof and went to his window, knocking three times so he knew it was me.

It took a minute, but finally I saw his silhouette behind the curtain. He pushed it aside and I felt his dislike come through at me.

"What are you doing here?" He griped. "Just wanted to visit, cause I like you so much," I said sarcastically, pushing my way through the half open pane. Looking up, he had been doing just as I said, only he was playing alone.

"What, no entourage?" I asked. "Not tonight, hence why I ask again, why are you here, Theo?" "Is there any more info on the creature?" "Not since you asked me an hour ago," he complained, "seriously, Theo. You have never been so interested in a case. I'm worried, but that's not your thing. Why are you so invested?"

"I'll just go then," I said, going back to the window, but he slid in front of it and slammed it shut. "Move, Liam." "Bite me," he growled, "now answer my question."

"Watch yourself, pup. I wouldn't want to drench your carpet in your blood." His eyes went gold. "Don't talk down to me, dickhead. There is something fishy going on, and I want to know. Alpha, remember?" "Only that's the thing, you're not an Alpha, you're a Beta, who thinks they're an Alpha, and you cannot command me around."

"Says the Omega." He shot back, "I may not be able to demand things of you, but if you're a part of this pieced together pack, then you won't deny me information." "Not important information. And it's not, so goodbye."

Liam growled, then grabbed and pushed me against the wall. "There's the angry little guy." I said, then ducked his punch, which he landed on the wall, and I swung, connecting my fist to his nose. He snarled, then dove into me, taking us both to the floor in a mess of controller cords and bedsheets.

"Are you seriously doing this because I won't share a secret?!" I yelled. In response, he bloodied my lip. "Alright you little pain in the ass," I growled, then threw him off of me and against his desk in the corner. He came at me again, and I swiveled out of the way. He landed face first on his bed and I landed a blow to his kidney, making him stay down.

He groaned, holding his side and rolled over. "You got blood on my white sheets." He said. "Yours or mine?" I asked, wiping my lip.

I turned then, and had one leg out of the window before he spoke again.

"You like her…don't you?" I stopped cold in my tracks and whipped my head around to him, showing him my eyes. "Leave it alone, Liam."

"I can smell it all over you. You're not in love, you're too cold a bastard for that, but you're interested." "Liam, I said drop it." "No, because you don't deserve to have her. She's too good for you, Theo. Leave her alone."

"Oh, what, is this because YOU have a crush on her? You can fucking have her if that's the case, I don't care."

"In case you've forgotten, the girl I love moved away. And you throwing this little tantrum only proves that you DO care."

"Seems to me you poke your stupid little nose where it doesn't belong." "And it seems to me that you're afraid of what you feel. If you act on this, you had better not hurt her, or I will kill you." "I'm not acting on one damn thing. In case you've forgotten, that whole relationship thing goes two ways, and I don't think she'll be as accepting as Hayden was, though I don't understand why she did in the first place."

"Shut the hell up," he said, "go crawl back into your cave. I've had my yearly dose of you for tonight." "That goes both ways, asshat. You're like a teenager hitting puberty who never gets past that stage."

I got out of the window fully before he came to shove me the rest of it, and he slammed the window. I chuckled to myself, then hopped down and into my truck. I had to find a quiet place to sleep, until a cop woke me up anyway.

I swore right then that if Liam said one thing to her, I'd kill him slowly and painfully.

**Everything is beginning to fall into place! I hope you're enjoying, have a good day!**