It felt like I had knocked out for hours, when in reality, it was probably about ten seconds. I groggily opened my eyes, hearing Jackson's pleas for help and the yelps and ferocious barks of the wolves fighting. Disoriented, I shakily pushed myself on the shelf. The wolves were fighting viciously in a black and brown blur. I didn't think the black wolf would be able to hold the Alpha off for much longer so I needed to get a move on.

"Let's try this again," I told Jackson, he complied immediately, "Now."

I held up the shelving until he had cleared his body from under it. He sat rubbing his ankle; a painful expression plastered his face.

"Can you walk?" I breathed hurriedly. We needed to get out. He stood up only to fall over. I tried to grab his arm to help him but he swatted it away. "This is no time to be a self-righteous dick. Take my help or I'll leave you." I threatened. With one glance at the wolves he allowed me to slide my arm around his waist and pull him up. We hobbled through the mess of candies and movies, crouching low enough so the wolves couldn't see us.

We reached the door in a few seconds, but we breathed our sighs of relief a moment too soon. The tink of the bell arose the Alpha's attention. He thrashed the black wolf into the wall and galloped towards us. I threw Jackson to the sidewalk in between the front entrance of Hollywood Video and Lydia's Slug Bug.

Lydia stepped out of her car, moodily, "What the hell, Jackson? Why are you on the ground? What the fuck are you doing here, Mayfield?"

I ignored her as I tried to hold the door closed. The Alpha smashed straight through it, sending me flying onto Lydia's car this time. Lydia shrieked in horror, falling back onto her car like her legs had given out. Jackson was holding his hands over his face to shield himself.

The Alpha halted. Staring at Lydia and then he gazed into my eyes with his gleaming red ones. I had this odd feeling that he was trying to tell me something, probably how he was going to kill me, but something nonetheless. The Alpha, however, ran.

My jaw dropped as I watched the Alpha scamper away from three defenseless kids (two of whom were wounded). He had just destroyed the whole video store, fought off another wolf, and killed the store manager, only to run away?

"Oh my, God," Lydia gasped, "It almost just killed me!"

I was too tired and wounded to punch Lydia in the face. Here Jackson and me were, bleeding and had just come out of that store with a huge wolf on our tail and she is thinking of herself. Unbelievable.

I could hear the whine of sirens in the near distance. There must have been cameras or an alarm pulled while we were in there. I had to get out of here. The cops couldn't know I had been here.

I knelt down next to Jackson, "You okay?"

He let out a mechanical laugh and shook his head, "What the hell was that?

"I don't know," I shrugged, "But I gotta go. You can't tell anyone I was here, okay?"

"Why?" He asked, groaning as he pushed himself up.

"Because I drove here without a license," I lied. He snorted and leaned his head back against the hood of Lydia's car.

"Alright," Jackson sighed. I stood up and glanced over at Lydia who was too self-absorbed to remember I was here in the first place. She was telling herself she was fine and still pretty. I watched her check herself out in her camera before I jogged off to my dad's car. The police lights were coming up fast.

I pulled out of the parking lot and sped off towards my house. I needed to find out who this Alpha was and I knew whose help we would need, though I doubted he'd want to help us at all, considering we had just put him in jail.

"Parent teacher conferences," Stiles groaned, reading the school announcements on the TV's. "Gross."

"At least you're getting good grades," Scott said in an annoyed voice. We had just gotten back our test and he had pretty much failed it. "My mom's going to kill me."

"Maybe you should try doing your homework. I hear that usually produces good results." I sighed. I felt stiff and sore from what happened last night. Jackson and Lydia hadn't come to school today and the whole school was buzzing with rumors about what had happened last night. The story the authorities were saying was it was another wild animal attack, but how many attacks like this was it going to take before people started to understand something bigger was taking place.

"I'm a little busy at the moment, trying to juggle school, a girlfriend, and my secret wolf life at the moment. Sorry, we can't all be perfect like you." Scott snapped.

"I've been attacked by two wolves and I still seem to be able to maintain good grades and be marked. So, fuck you." I growled, glaring at Scott.

"Wait, two wolves?" Stiles asked shocked, "Wasn't it only the one wolf in the forest?"

"It was, until the Alpha attacked me last night."

Stiles and Scott sat up a little straighter and looked at me in shock.

"I was at Hollywood Video last night. That was no wild mountain lion attack." I said in a monotone.

"The Alpha was at Hollywood Video? Why?" Scott asked, more to himself then me.

"Hell if I know. Jackson and I would've been dead if another wolf hadn't come and saved us."

"Who was it?" Stiles implored.

"I didn't get a good look, on account that I was fighting for survival but I think—I think it was Derek…." I had thought about this all night. Derek was the only other wolf we knew about and he also had piercingly blue eyes. It fit.

"Derek? Derek Hale? The guy who killed his sister?" Scott asked, disbelievingly.

"I don't think he killed her." I said stubbornly.

"Mase, they found her body in his backyard." Stiles stressed.

I shrugged, "We don't know the whole story. Maybe the Alpha killed her and he buried her. She was the only family he had left after all…."

Scott and Stiles said nothing but I could tell they weren't biting.

"I want to talk to go see Derek."

Stiles let out a short, loud laugh causing Ms. Gunderson to glare at us. "Sorry, Ms. Gunderson. Won't happen again." He turned swiftly toward me again and said in a hushed voice, "You're joking, right?"

I shook my head resolutely.

"Mase, he bit me. He's dangerous and unpredictable." Scott argued.

"That was the second time he's saved me," I reminded them, "I didn't see you coming to my aid last night."

That shut them up.

"I still think this is a terrible idea." Stiles started to argue again.

"If you say that again, I will hit you." I threatened.

We were on our way to Derek Hale's, against the boys' better wishes. The ride was silent the rest of the way but Stiles glared back at me every once and awhile and Scott stared resolutely out the window.

We pulled up the dirt road to Derek's house. It was charred and decrepit looking. This was the same house my mother burned to death in along with the rest of his family. I couldn't understand why he lived here; it just brought back horrible memories.

Getting out of the jeep, I inhaled deeply, flashing back to that night. I could still smell the smoke wafting through the air.

"We don't have to do this," Stiles said, concern written on his adorable face.

"No," I shook the thoughts out of my head, "We do."

"Derek!" Scott yelled into the house. He looked around, alert and ready for anything. I felt safer with Scott around. "Derek, come out."

I didn't see any sign of anyone living here or having been here recently.

"Maybe he's not home?" Stiles said hopefully.

"What do you guys want?" Derek appeared out of nowhere. I jumped slightly and Stiles' arm wrapped around me protectively. I tried to swallow the butterflies erupting in my stomach. Scott and Derek looked at me suddenly as if they could hear my heart beating double time.

I took a deep breath and said, "I know it was you last night who saved Jackson and me from the Alpha."

Derek grunted.

"We need your help." I said simply. Stiles clicked his tongue, disagreeing with me.

"No, we don't." Scott said.

"Well, I do." I argued, raising my voice, "The Alpha's after me, right?" I asked looking straight into Derek's eyes.

He nodded and Stiles grip around my tightened slightly.

"Why?"

"He needs you."

I gulped, "What does it mean to be marked?"

"Who told you that?" Derek asked surprised.

"She overheard her dad talking to Mr. Argent." Scott spoke up.

"Your little girlfriend's dad?"

"Yeah," Stiles said, feeling left out of the conversation.

"Why does it mean?" I pleaded. Derek's expression softened.

"It means the Alpha is going to add you to his pack."

AN: Ohhh shitttt. (;

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