A/N: Okay, so I found out I have a few readers after all :P I'm sorry for forgetting to update guys, I'll attempt to be slightly more punctual!

"Jeremy had to go pick up something in town," Nick's conspirational whisper brought a smile to my face.

"I'm not avoiding him, Nick," I repeated for about the seventh time. I'd been ducking and diving around around Jeremy since our unexpected kiss for three days. Somewhere along the road Nick had noticed, probably since he'd been spending so much time around me. I had to admit that he was good company. With Clayton back to his usual grumpy self and me avoiding Jeremy, there really wasn't much to keep me busy in the pack house. Of course, Elena was good company too. The girl had a type of spunk I couldn't help but admire. She was a friend I'd never managed to make before.

"Sure you aren't. Now if you could just lift your chin and keep your voice steady that might be believable."

" Shut up, Nick," I retorted, sniffing my way through the kitchen. "Do you think I should make dinner? You guys don't exactly eat healthy," I muttered, banging through the cupboard. I heard Nick's loud laugh behind me a well as Elena's soft footfall in outside. It was rare to have her around without Clayton sticking to her like glue. The two were inseparable, which was painful to be around even if I couldn't see it.

"Are we still avoiding Jeremy?" Elena asked as she stepped into the kitchen. I stuck my tongue out, ignoring their jesting. It was true that I was trying to keep my distance for a bit. Somehow being around Jeremy made rational thought decide to take a vacation.

"You two are equally bad. I am not avoiding him. He's your alpha. I'm his prisoner. I'm obviously not going to trail after him like a stray all day." Their knowing chuckles brought a flush to my face. Damn Jeremy and his kissing. I was above school girl crushes. I was a killer, this kind of thing shouldn't bother me.

"Whatever you say," Nick snickered, already disappearing into the living room. I allowed Elena to help me whip up several courses which would undoubtedly be devoured within minutes. By the time I finished creating a gorgeous seven layer chocolate cake for dessert both the wolves had wondered off in boredom, leaving me to my own devices. I banged through the kitchen, shaking my head in utter disbelief. For a pack of all-powerful werewolves they had the attention span of squirrels. If I d wanted to escape I d have been home thrice over by this point. That is, if there'd been a home to escape to...

"That looks good," Jeremy remarked moments after I picked up the sound of a car door slamming. I bit my lip, realizing that I was alone with him. Recipe for disaster, check!

"I figured dessert would go down well since we rarely eat anything but take-out or cold cuts," I responded automatically, feeling my way lightly over the cake to guess where to place the small chocolate roses. Jeremy's footsteps fell lightly behind me before his firm hand guided my own to the next spot.

"How do you know how to decorate?" Jeremy asked curiously, handing me another small rose. I smiled involuntarily, remembering nostalgic days hiding in Alpha's kitchen learning from the grumpy chef who used to work for him. Of course, that hadn't lasted very long at all. As Alpha's little pet I had no right to free time. I needed to train constantly.

"I wasn't always blind. When I was little I had some tutelage under an A-class chef. Not being able to see dampens things a bit, but I'm pretty used to what I'm supposed to do," I explained. I placed a few strawberries before starting to carry the meal, bit by bit, to the table. Jeremy followed silently with a plate or two of his own, quickly helping me with everything.

"How did you lose your sight?" his low voice held no emotion, which made it easier for me to answer nonchalantly. Somehow spilling my guts to Jeremy was dangerously easy.

"I got into an accident while training. In stead of escaping like I was supposed to I tried to save Rott and ended up with an acid bomb in my muzzle. My eyes never recovered," I shrugged the lie easily, stepping back into the kitchen to check that we'd gotten everything. I was surprised by the heavy lump in my throat. I'd never worried about the fact that I was blind before. My lack of sight had never been that big of a problem with all my other sharpened senses. But being around Jeremy was stirring annoying feelings in me that I didn't want to feel.

"How old were you?" his question was soft enough that I could have pretended not to hear it. I turned to lean against the counter, allowing him to corner me. For some reason I wanted to answer his questions. Maybe it was the quiet concern in his voice that made me all illogical, or maybe it was the guilt at not having kept my promise to spill my guts yet, but either way I was allowing myself to play the dangerous game of acting like I was a werewolf.

"Ten, I think," I murmured. His breath hitched quietly, in surprise no doubt. I couldn't help but smile. How the ruling alpha could be so gentle and compassionate was beyond me. Where I come from people would slit each other's throats for the best sandwich in the pile. There was no way to keep order by being nice. That much I was sure of.

"That young?" he asked. I didn't bother to respond, feeling suddenly much more interested in how close Jeremy was to me. Heat and electricity was fizzed between us, making me feel slightly dizzy. The ghost feel of his lips was on mine as I thought back at how he'd kissed me. I bit back a moan at the memory. It wasn't fair how much I had enjoyed that kiss.

"We should call the others for dinner...?" My breathless voice automatically ended the sentence with a big fat question mark. I could almost see Jeremy tilting his head at the husky sound of my voice. I bit my lip again, fighting the feeling coursing through my veins, eclipsing with my rationality. Nothing I was thinking about Jeremy was a good idea. As a matter of fact, everything in my mind had suddenly turned upside down.

Jeremy stepped closer to me, his breath slightly short. I enjoyed the strain in his gorgeous voice when he answered.

"I think they can wait a moment. Unless you're avoiding me." It wasn't a question, but I somehow still felt the need to respond.

"I'm not! I've just been busy..." This time it wasn't just a memory. Jeremy's lips seized mine gently, cutting off my laughable protest. I kissed back, surprised by his sudden onslaught. It seemed uncharacteristic of Jeremy to do something like this.

I ignored the disappointment falling through my stomach when I pulled away dizzily, setting my open palms on his chest to keep him at bay. The taut muscles of his body didn't help get my train of thought back on track.

"This is..."

"Wrong," Jeremy finished simply. I bit my lip at the obvious lie. We most definitely did not feel wrong together.

"Yes, it is. I'm your prisoner. You're sort of my arch nemesis."

"I know," he answered easily. A flutter of anger shot through my body. He wasn't even attempting to help the situation.

"So we shouldn't be friends," I continued.

"Why not? Can't you be my prisoner in a civilized manner?" I had no idea. Somehow Jeremy's calm logic seemed flawless.

"Are we interrupting?" My face was suddenly on fire. I had vaguely heard Elena's hiss of protest before Nick had pushed into the kitchen and decided to amuse himself by embarrassing us, but the knowledge hadn't really registered until Nick's laughing comment had reached my ears.

Jeremy stepped away with a growl so low I had a hard time picking it up. When he spoke his voice held a coolly polite tone that made me shiver.

"You're not interrupting. I believe our meal is ready," he replied smoothly. I smiled weakly and followed the wolves into the dining room. Elena called me over to sit by her side, which comforted me a little. I still wasn't sure what I was doing with the pack, or for how long this uneasy truce would continue. The pack was in danger, and I had the information they needed to survive. The fact that Jeremy didn't seem to care about that was bothering me a lot. Surely Jeremy should be doing his best to try and find a way to protect his pack? He wouldn't be arrogant enough to believe that his pack couldn't be harmed, right? An icy thought slithered into my mind. Was that why Jeremy had this sudden interest in me? Could he be trying to mislead me into betraying the mutts? But I'd already promised to tell him everything...

"Hello, earth to Clair!"

"What? I'm sorry I was..." I trailed off. I'd been so deep in thought that I hadn't noticed Elena speaking to me at all. That was weird...

"Nick and I were just saying that we should take you to town already. I'm sick of lending you clothes and some grocery shopping wouldn't hurt..."

"No!" Clayton slammed his hand on the table, answering before I could even register what I was being told. I frowned when I realized that I hadn't noticed him enter the house either. When had my instincts begun to let me down?

"Clayton..." Nick started, but the wolf's heart pounded with fury.

"No," Clayton snarled again. "What the hell is going on here? She's the enemy. You're all treating her like one of us!"

"Clayton, that's enough," Jeremy interjected softly. Clayton paused, but apparently he wasn't about to play good pet to Jeremy.

"She's dangerous. What about that little promise to tell us everything about her pack? Is it just me or did that seem to slip her mind?"

"She saved-"

"I know!" Clayton's roar was deafening. My body ached desperately, alerting me to my fear. Fur was sprouting on the backs of my hands and feet. I was too close to changing. My body prickled uneasily, the feeling steadily evolving into a constant burn. I focussed on breathing. My knee-jerk reaction to violence was to change, but I knew better than to do that here while I had no control over my actions.

I couldn't change in front of the pack, ever.

"I'll tell you," my voice was only audible the third time I said the words. Several pairs of eyes burned uncomfortably into my face. I ducked my head, childishly wishing I had just snuck off to my cage when I had the chance.

"This is hardly dinner conversation," Jeremy's voice held a steely tone I had come to recognize as his best non-alpha order. It was the closest he got to raising his voice without invoking the alpha authority he naturally had over his pack. I bit my lip. Somehow even I wanted to cower at that tone.

"Clayton is right, though. You're all treating me like... like a pack member. You haven't asked about the mutts even once. You're in a lot of danger and you need to know..." I choked. My voice had decided to give in at the last moment, making my words even more embarrassing than they already were. I felt the fur slowly sink back into my body, the burn faded to a slight itchiness on my skin. I breathed deeply, grateful for the moment of control.

"Clair, you're not one of them. That makes it okay for us to be friends," Elena murmured. I had the funny feeling that if I could see I'd notice her glaring angrily at her lover. Something in the way her words cut off alerted me to her annoyance.

"It's not okay," I protested. Everyone was finally quiet, listening. I needed them to listen, to hate me. I needed to not feel safe and protected. I had to survive.

"Alpha will kill you all. He's devious, and evil. He won't hesitate to destroy the pack, and he's powerful enough to do it! Why don't you see? You need to take him out before he has a chance at destroying you."

Nick's voice was subdued thoughtful. "What makes him so powerful?"

I couldn't help but wince. I had been dreading that question for a while now. But I had promised to tell them everything...

"I do," I answered.

"Uhm... I don't get it. What do you mean?" Jeremy asked gently, quieting his pack. I inhaled deeply and pushed away from the table. So much for this little secret.

"I wasn't... I mean, I'm not a real werewolf. Me and the others, we weren't born or bitten." The confusion in the room seemed nearly palpable. I could almost hear the wheels in their heads turning.

"What does that mean?" Clayton asked roughly. I smiled faintly in his direction, then began removing my shoes.

"The truth is, I'm an experiment. Years ago Alpha discovered which properties in werewolf saliva turns humans into werewolves. It works like a virus, tearing down your system and reconstructing it in a way that so that you can survive changing between forms. The reason not everyone survives a bite is because their systems can't handle being torn apart by the virus and they die. If you're born a werewolf you automatically have that chemical built into your system. Alpha found a way to extricate it and implant a concentrated form of the virus into a person's bloodstream."

"How does that differ from a normal werewolf bite?" Jeremy asked. I laid my watch face up on the table and stepped back.

"I'll explain that now, just watch this. This is the reason I'm a danger to you all. Keep an eye on the watch,' I said. I paused to let them check the time, then breathed deeply again and closed my eyes out of habit. I let my senses stretch through the house, picking up on the slightest stirrings. I heard the wolves' hearts pound, I heard the wind through a small hall somewhere in a window upstairs, I smelt the distinctive scent of spider hatchlings somewhere in the basement and picked out the different aromas of every ingredient in the food on the table. I felt my mind expand, take over. My body began to itch and burn, the feeling escalating until I felt like I had a white hot sun burning through the core of my being. The pain deepened fiercely, tearing it's way through my body and ripping up every shred of my being. I lifted back my head and howled, allowing my body to split into millions of atoms, reassembling painfully in a small furry creature on all fours.

I wagged my tail and stretched out my body, loving the feel of being in wolf form again. The pack's gasps around me reminded me to stay on course, not to wonder off in my wolf brain. A chair was pushed back so violently it hit the floor in a loud thud. I flinched and froze. They needed a moment to adjust to what they had just witnessed.

"That's impossible," Elena breathed. I heard Clayton step in from of her, shielding her from me. The spark of irritation in me flared so quickly I nearly jumped at him, but I held myself back. I cocked my head to the side and waited.

"Five seconds," Jeremy muttered. Nick uttered a low whistle that had me barking in laughter. No werewolf would be able to get used to how quickly my kind could change. It was a physical impossibility made possible through science.

I barked twice, warning them of my change before flashing back into human form. I knew that instinctively that my second change had been even quicker. I had been trained ruthlessly to be the fastest possible changeling ever created.

"The way it differs from normal werewolves is that a concentrated dosage makes the change so fast it is almost impossible to keep up with it. I am the faster changeling, but I am weaker and smaller than the others. All changelings are nearly twice as strong, fast and naturally equipped for the wild as natural werewolves. If I wanted to kill you, you would be dead before you could even think of changing."

"Damn..." Clayton drawled. I smirked at the impressed tone in his voice. I loved being the best of the best.

"How fast can you change?" Nick asked suddenly. The excitement in his voice took me by surprise. I uttered a bewildered laugh, shaking my head at him.

"My fastest is two seconds. At first our change was thirty seconds, but the more you train the less time you waste. The second fastest changeling is Macker, he changes in ten seconds."

"Ten? That's way longer than you!" I nodded, feeling suddenly reluctant to share the rest. How could I explain that they had made friends with the damaged wolf?

"Actually, I'm a failed experiment. Alpha wanted to see how far he can push the changelings, how fast our changes could be. But changing is the same for us as it is for you, the pain is only over much quicker. He pushed me too far and too fast. By the time I was able to reach six seconds we'd already been practising for hours and my body couldn't take the strain. Something went wrong during the change, I lost my eyesight and my physical strength. I'm only slightly stronger than the average werewolf. I can't change for too long either. If I spend more than two days as a wolf my body starts giving in..." I swallowed heavily, trying to get past the lump in my throat. I still remembered the night I had lost my sight. I had never felt anything more excruciatingly painful than that night. I had often wondered if things would have been different if I had just mindlessly obeyed Alpha like the rest of the changelings. But he would have wanted to test it eventually, anyway... wouldn't he? I could feel the weight of Jeremy's presence, knowing he was analyzing everything I was saying... And my previous lies.

"That sucks," Nick muttered. I laughed softly. It was somehow comforting that they weren't leaping up and calling me a monster. I had fully expected them to turn on me with raised hackles and bared fangs.

"But you see now why you have to find a way to defeat Alpha, before it's too late. You can't go up against the changelings on your own. It's not possible." I took my seat beside Elena again, tossing something into my mouth just to have something to do with my hands. The others began eating as well, everyone seemed to be digesting the new information in silence. Jeremy's silence bothered me, though. I half-expected him too come up with some half-assed plan where there would be no violence. As per usual, he didn't disappoint.

"You left Alpha, though. If it is as you say, why would the other changelings stay with him? Couldn't we just call a truce with them?"

"Many of them obey Alpha plainly because they're as bloodthirsty as he is. The rest follow him out of sheer fear for their lives. No one will sacrifice themselves to protect a pack of strangers."

"That can't be right," Jeremy argued calmly. 'After all, you left."

Well, he had me there.

"Yes, but Alpha would've killed me if I stayed. I figured that by running away I at least had a chance. Besides, if you hadn't come along I would have been dead. Alpha's thugs rarely fail him." The conversation died away on that sobering note. I tried to ignore the fact that Jeremy was brooding over what I had told them. I felt an irrational surge of protectiveness at the thought of him trying to find a way to stop Alpha. I didn't want him getting hurt. Alpha was a sadistic bastard, and Jeremy had been nothing but kind to me from the start.

After dinner I cleared up the table quickly. I found myself mind-blown at how much the pack had eaten. My entire buffet had been devoured in a single evening. It was true that I ate just as much, if not more than they did, but it was still unnerving to have such a large quantity of food disappear like it never existed.

"Clay and I will clean that up, don't you worry. You made the food, so go rest a bit." Elena shooed me out of the kitchen faster than I could protest. I shook my head and wondered outside, enjoying the cool night air after a stifling day inside the dusty house. The crisp, fresh scent of rain hung faintly in the air and cooled the evening to a perfect temperature after the heat of the day. A light breeze caressed my face, running through my hair and reminding me to take a breath every once in a while. As a wolf I loved the outdoors, but I had always loved it even before my change. Something about the shadowy haven of the night sky always made me feel safe and ensconced in a protective layer of nature.

The breeze carried a familiar scent over to me. I sniffed my way farther and farther from the house, wondering ever deeper into the forest. It was Jeremy's scent the husky scent of earth and masculinity. The smell goaded me deeper into the shadowed undergrowth, calling me further from the house. I hadn't noticed Jeremy leave, but I had already proven to myself how useless my skills of observation was around the pack. I got distracted far too easily.

I followed the trail for a few minutes before I came across a different and altogether unpleasant scent. Alarm bells sounded faintly in my head as I pushed through a couple of particularly stubborn ferns.

I recognised this scent, but my mind felt somehow cloudy... as though my memories were blurry. The person wasn't human, but she wasn't werewolf either. My instincts were pulling at me, telling me to turn tail and flee. I couldn't. Jeremy's trail crossed with the stranger's, tangling with it. They were together. What if Jeremy got hurt? I couldn't let that happen.

I pushed away my doubts and continued onwards, until the trail faltered. I sniffed uncertainly, wondering whether they had looped back or whether I had just lost the scent. After careful examination the trail proved to end exactly in the middle of nowhere. There was no one there. Nothing to suggest that something out of the ordinary was going on.

"Jeremy?" I whispered into the dark, feeling childish. I would have picked up his scent if he was near enough to hear my whispers. The fact that I couldn't meant he was somewhere far away. I inhaled, allowing the cool night air to clear some of the fog from my mind. Everything felt kind of hazy and dull. I stood quietly and listened, allowing my ears to take over all of my other senses. I could hear... nothing. I frowned. That couldn't be right, I was in the middle of the forest. There had to be a few mice or birds or something out there I could hear. But there was nothing. It was eerily quiet around me.

"Jeremy, are you there?" I didn't know why I called out for him a second time. My head was pounding, hurting. I wanted to find Jeremy and go to sleep. I didn't want to be trapped in a spooky forest with nothing alive anywhere near me. I didn't like how cloudy my thoughts suddenly felt, or how loud my own heartbeat was in my ears.

"Jeremy! Jeremy!" I called out, giving in to my sudden fear. The scent was taunting me, enveloping me. I couldn't breathe, couldn't escape it. I stumbled through the wildly overgrown forest, tripping over my feet as I ran from something I couldn't remember. I felt cold and hot at the same time. My head was really hurting badly. I fell to my knees and heaved, retching out my dinner. Something was wrong. I felt clammy and uncomfortable. Like the forest was pressing in on me. I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't work. Something was pressing in on me, holding me captive in the dark forest.

I spun wildly, landing on my back when I heard a voice. I scrambled backwards when I realized that I could see. I could see a person, looming over me, his fangs dripping with something dark and crimson. He was grinning madly at me, shaking something in his hands. I didn't want to look. I didn't want to see it, but my eyes were drawn involuntarily to the thing he held in his palms like some kind of a gift. When my eyes his gaze I opened my mouth and I screamed. I screamed, and screamed and screamed at the sight of Jeremy's severed head on Alpha's hands.

A/N: sorry for the cliffy guys. It sounded like a fun place to end the chapter :P Please R & R