Author's note: Here's another chapter, hope you guys enjoy, don't forget to review! ;) Bookrain: I know right! I've always felt conflicted when it came to Jeb.

When I exited the bathroom, freshly cleaned, hair dampened, and clad in new clothing, I felt new. Despite my throbbing forearm and the blood soaked gauze I had wrapped around it. I had been accepted by a flock, I had met people who were like me, and they had helped me. And these facts always seemed to leave me breathless whenever I remembered them.

Gathered in the living room, the flock sat5 huddled around a TV. When I entered, all eyes turned to me, I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Max glanced around then began to bark orders, "Alright! Now everyone off to bed. We can discuss everything in the morning. Fang, Skylar, stay in here." By everything, I knew she meant me.

If there was one thing Max knew how to do, it was to get people to listen, and boy, was she good at it. Once everyone else had exited, Max began to speak. "We have some things to discuss, as you might guess." I nodded, unsure of what to say.

Fang stood off to the side, observing. "How do we know we can trust you?" Max asked. It was a good question, I realized, and I didn't have an answer. "I can't give you any concrete reason why you should place any faith in me, although," I spoke carefully, "why would I have any reason to betray you? You got me out of The School, away from Jeb. That, in itself, says I owe you my life, my loyalty is the least I can give."

She exchanged a look with Fang, it seemed the entire flock had ways of silent communication. "She has a point," Fang voiced aloud. "What reason would she have to turn on us?" "It could just be a trap, she could be here to infiltrate us, a spy or a weapon for the school."

Fang replied, "Infiltrate us? Max, this isn't a war, let alone espionage. The girl is freaking skin and bones! Not to mention she has nowhere else to go, you heard Jeb, her family sold her, for god's sake. What if it had been Angel, or Gazzy or even Nudge in her place?"

"But I know Angel and-." Max was interrupted by him, "If you didn't know them, but they were still the kind, loving kids they are now. What would you do?" She broke, you could see it in her eyes the minute she realized she had lost the argument.

Throughout the entire conversation, I stood, watching. There was nothing else I could do. As if remembering I was there, Fang turned towards me, then back to Max. "It's up to you," he told her.

The entire argument had lasted less than 5 minutes. But I guess you couldn't really call it an argument, it was more so Fang making a point, then leaving it for Max to ponder and decide.

"I said you could stay," started Max, "and I meant it. I'm not saying forever, not yet, but if you give me a reason not to trust you, to make me think that you shouldn't stay, you will go. I'll make sure of it."

Max knew she had been harsh, but it had to be said. Even I knew that. "Thank you," I told her, "what you've said is not unreasonable." It was a habit, probably drilled into me by Jeb, to be polite and formal to someone who was a benefactor to you.

Max seemed temporarily confused by my formality but quickly recovered from it and gave me a slight nod of acceptance. "I'm going to bed," she announced, like she hadn't just threatened to kick me out if I put a toe out of line.

She left the room, leaving Fang and I standing awkwardly by ourselves. I forcefully stared at the door which Max had exited through moments earlier, so I wouldn't have to meet the gaze that I knew was currently resting on my face.

"You wouldn't have complained even if her terms were unreasonable," he observed. I dared to meet his eyes, fully prepared for more pity, but there was none. Same as before, he wasn't looking at me with pity, but he was looking at me like I was strong.

"I don't really have many other options." "I know." We both fell into another silence, it wasn't awkward, but comfortable. He tilted his head as if thinking very hard. I inquired, "What?"

"I'm testing a theory," he told me. I was only further confused. "If your being here meant you were endangering one of the members of the flock or something was going to happen to one of them because you were here, would you leave?"

I was quick to answer, "Of course. But, would you mind me asking what your theory is?" "That you're innately selfless. Which is a good thing, but don't act on it too often." I good feel anger rising like bile in my throat, "So I'm supposed to what, put myself-." Fang interrupted me as he had done multiple times since I'd met him, "You don't prioritize survival, you put others first. The school is most likely looking for you, and they can and will try to endanger other flock members.

"I want you to live, so does Angel and Nudge, probably others as well. Do us a favor and don't leave when the people around you could get hurt. We're trying to help you, let us."

I suddenly felt sick. I really was compromising everybody's safety. The window looked extremely appealing as Fang gripped my chin and pried my gaze away from it. "We want you here."

He was close, closer to me than anybody had been in a while, and I didn't even really know him. His grip was firm but gentle, and his eyes told me he was telling the truth. Something told me those eyes didn't give away anything unless he wanted them to.

I attempted to give him a slight nod in understanding but he wouldn't allow it. "Don't nod, speak." "Okay," I said softly, averting my eyes. "Okay." He released me and took a step backwards. Like me, I noticed, he was dressed in all black.

"Then let's go to bed." We walked through the door Max had gone through earlier. Around me, everyone was situated. Max, Angel, and Nudge were crammed into one queen sized bed, Gazzy and Iggy were taking up the adjacent one.

"You two are on the floor," Max told me. I nodded as Fang sighed, "Again?" Max laughed and threw some pillows and blankets at us. I grinned as I caught them, thank god for genetically enhanced reflexes or else I wouldn't have.

The smile that was on my face slowly drained as I realized where that left me, sleeping on the floor… Next to Fang. Fan-flipping-tastic. Next to the boy I didn't even know yet it felt like I did. Confusing, perplexing, and frustrating. That was what he was.

Once we set up in between the two beds, I placed myself as far away from him as possible, from anyone really. I wasn't used to being in a room full of people while I slept. I mean sure, at The School was observed while I was asleep, but that was on monitors, while the watchers weren't in my line of vision from my crate.

The only person who had ever really been there while I sleeping was Dylan. The thought of it made me want to push it to the very far back of mind so it couldn't reach my train of thought again, so I did. I flipped onto my back, attempting to get comfortable. I finally found myself in the same position I slept every night before now.

My knees were pulled up to my chest, my arms wrapped around them. I tried to fall asleep, honestly, but somehow sleep was never able to dawn on me. No matter what I tried, leaving my eyes shut for long periods of time, practicing my breathing, clearing my mind until it was almost completely blank, I remained awake, alert, and on edge.

Everyone's breathing was steady and even around me, they were asleep. After hours of waiting for rest, I gave up and instead decided to think things over. I was apart of flock, but I was skating on thin ice too. Max had made it clear, don't give her a reason to distrust me, she won't. Give her a reason, and I'm left on the streets.

I was also out of The School, a place I never thought I'd be. Jeb was out of my life, at least hopefully he was. And I had a potential family.

Max was tough, I knew that, but she needed to be and I respected her for it. Iggy I was still unsure about, but he seemed kind and reasonable. Angel was just that, an Angel. Gazzy, although I could tell was a troublemaker at times, inherited the same compassion as Angel. Nudge was a sweet young girl as well.

But Fang, he acted like he cared, which was strange because I had just met him. His dark eyes seemed to be able to see more of me than the others, and that scared me more than it should have. I had been treated like a puzzle my entire life, just there to solve. My psychological analyses were always fascinating to my doctors.

But he looked at me different, not like he wanted to solve me, but like he wanted to know me. Trust me, there's a difference that you come to notice after a while in The School. He confused, angered, excited, and scared me all at once. Sleep finally crept it's way into my consciousness as these thoughts swirled through my brain.

It was a peaceful sleep, for a while. But as it grew deeper, nightmares began to plague it. I was back at the school and they were inserting my wings once more. The pain, again, was unbearable. It flashed through my spine into my entire body, agony flowed through my veins.

I couldn't move due to the straps that bound me to the table, my stomach against the cold metal. I clenched my teeth and tears streamed town my face. I felt like I was going to die, I was positive I would. My vision began to go blurry and black spots began to cloud it until everything went dark.

I shot up from my place on the floor. Tears dampened my face and I was shaking feverishly. I tried to even my breathing so I wouldn't wake anybody. It worked for the most part, or so I thought until I glanced to my right. There Fang sat, watching me intently. He tilted his head, a silent question. Are you okay?

I nodded and ran for the bathroom. Once I had locked the door behind me, I braced my hands on the counter and looked at my reflection. My eyes were haunted, my skin was gleaming with a cold sweat, and I was deathly pale. With trembling hands I splashed cold water onto my face, washing away my salted tears and terrified look.

I shook my head and scrubbed my face with my hand, attempting to rid myself of the memories. I breathed deeply and slowly until I no longer felt like I was perpetually lacking oxygen. I noticed a small hairbrush lying out on the counter, I ran it through my tangled hair quick and efficiently.

When I exited there Fang stood, waiting outside the door. The other's were asleep even though the sun was just barely shining over the horizon. "It's normal," he whispered. "I mean, we all got nightmares after escaping. Probably not as bad as the one you just got, but we still got them.

"Are you okay?" He asked out loud this time. I took a shuddering breath, "I'm fine." He didn't look like he believed me but he never got the chance to call me out on it, Max rose from her bed.

"Everybody up, we need to head down to breakfast before too many people get there," everyone sat up, bleary eyed and groaning but awake. We all dressed quickly, the boys heading to the other room to get dressed as well. I didn't know how she did it, but she made sure everybody did what she asked.

Max gave me a wine red tank top, black leggings, and black combat boots. It actually didn't look bad with my silver hair, although in all honesty I would've worn anything. She pondered something a bit more before pulling several sets of clothes out from a drawer, "These are now yours." "Thank you," I said, and I meant it.

Max, noticing the bloody wrap around my forearm remarked, "We'll have to clean that up when we get back, but for now put on this."

Right, a teenager with a bloody arm is awfully suspicious. I had even completely forgotten about my wound up until now. She tossed a black leather jacket to me. It fit well and was equipped with a hood. Once everybody was regrouped by the door Max announced, "Let's go get some food."