"You are a shape-shifter." He told me, looking me in the eyes.

I felt my jaw drop and after I gained my composure, I closed my eye and shook my head.

"Aw hell no." I said, looking back up to him and now standing with my arms crossed.

"Look, rather or not you believe it, it is true and you cannot go back to thinking that no other creature besides humans exist."

I started at him, eyes narrowing, challenging him to prove it. He seemed to get this and let out a frustrated growl. Oh my, it was a growl.

"You saw the wolf last night and you saw me this morning. Is that proof enough?"

"I guess… but you cannot prove that I am a shape-shifter."

My eyes burned with the urge to be so defiant to him, denying. I could not be a shape-shifter.

"You're right; I can't prove it… yet."

I was going to say 'ha', but he just had to through the 'yet' in there now didn't he? Gosh, why did I have to have a psychopath in my room? Wait, what am I even doing letting him stay in here and chat with me? I looked to him and my eyes narrowed.

"Now what?" I asked him harshly, knowing that something was going to happen.

"Now I have to take you with me to the Lycan courts and introduce their newest addition to the pack."

"What…"

"… The hell?"

Jake asked Luke as he was given the signal to knock the girl out. Jake caught her of course before she fell to the ground and held her braid-style in his arms. He looked from the girl's knocked out form to Luke.

"Well now, I guess I put her in the car and we take her back to the court house?"

"Yes" responded Luke.

Jake looked to Luke once more and nodded, taking the girl with him out of the house and placing her into a car. The plan was to take her to the court building itself, but the court house was where the members of the Lycan council lived with their mates and some of their youngest children. The only reason why she was going to the court house instead of a regular house like the rest of the pack members was due to the mere fact that she wasn't a Lycan, but a shape-shifter.

Shape-shifters were special to any other race, but the only races left that were not extinct were the Lycans, the handful of shape-shifters that were left, and last but neat least- the Vampires. Each race had their own leaders for each.

Sighing, Jake took the girl to the room that the girl was assigned to stay at, for now at least. Carefully, he placed her on top of the bed, using a quilt at the foot of the bed to cover her up. At the view of the girl laying there he smiled slightly, brushing a few strands of her hair out of her face.

"Cuidate."

He whispered to her before heading back to the door and shutting it behind him with a soft click. He did not bother to lock the door and he was not told to do so either way.

-----

"Ugh… the he- ow!"

I groaned, not liking the dull ache at the back of my head. Trying to lift it to get up made the ache not so much of a dull one anymore. About five minutes later, I sighed and knew I had to manage the pain or else I would be stuck here helpless and I really did not like that idea. Wait… where was 'here'? I looked around, not liking my surroundings one bit.

One, I was not in my room or on my bed, two… how did I get here, three… I'll think of others later and along the question of how I got here. I got off the bed and stood up, but having the clutch the headboard to steady the dizziness and rush of blood, not to mention the ache coming from my head.

Once I was sure I was steady I looked down at myself. I was wearing my jeans, my lime green shirt, and my white ankle socks. I patted my head, feeling that the clip had been removed and that my hair was resting around my shoulders with a slight wave and the look of body it took on. I still had my clothes on from yesterday, ok… I could live with this.

I looked up, seeing freedom not too far away from me. The door. The sweet door to freedom! Forgetting my earlier dizziness, I made my way to the door. The handle was old fashioned, but I paid hardly any detail as I pulled it down, opening the door and looking out. A long hallway. A freaking hallway, you've got to be kidding me.

Nevertheless, I ventured out and took the grand staircase down that was located five doors down from me. The staircase led to the hallway to what looked like the main entrance to the place. I ventured forward, smelling this oh so delicious food cooking. It smelled like pancakes with sausage, eggs, toast, and heaven for a hungry stomach!

I peeked around the corner, seeing a kitchen with a huge island that had three swinging chairs on each side and one at the end closest to the entry way I was currently peeking through, the other end looked like it was used to place random things and use the provided space. The stove was closest to that spare side and a tall woman was standing in front of it with an apron on and cooking the earlier smelt food. My mouth was watering at the delicious food.

"Ain't worth it just'a standin' 'ere, come out and eat."

I jumped as I heard this and it sounded feminine, but the four out of seven filled chairs were all males. I gulped, wondering how the women at the stove, without turning around knew I was there. I heard snickering from the men and frowned. Yet, I was hungry and so I ventured forth into the kitchen with all pairs of eyes on me, except the ones from the woman at the stove.

"Um… you're not going to hurt me or anything are you?"

This got a full blast of laughter. Honestly, I don't get how it was so funny considering I was brought here against my will and had no idea why I was here for or where I was.

"Y'all hush them mouths or they ain't gonna get fed, you 'ear me, boys?"

The women said in a southern accent. It had just been brought to my attention that this woman was of African American decent. However, her voice was smooth like butter and yet sharp as a knife. At least it got everyone to shut up. I would have to remember that.

"Well come 'ere child and let me fix you a plate."

I obeyed and went straight over the nice women. She was a plump lady that looked around her mid forties. Her hair was in a bun near her neck and her eyes warm chocolate, but when angered set in firm steel.

"'Ere now, eat up."

She said with a smile, handing me the plate she had fixed with scrambled eggs, two pancakes, two sausages, and one piece of toast. It looked so good. I beamed up a smile at her as a thank you and went the island, taking a seat next to the end chair and the opposite side of the floor area that led to the stove. There was absolutely no way I was sitting close to them.

On my side, only one boy sat and there was a chair in between him and me. He had short brown hair and brown eyes. He looked nineteen. Later I found out his name was John and he was twenty. He was slightly bigger built than the others. He looked like he could be a football player, but didn't have the protruding belly that some did.

The three guys on the other side looked like triplets. Yet, you could really tell they varied in age. They each had dirty blonde colored hair and light brown eyes. The moment I looked at them from across the island while eating my food they had to introduce themselves. The youngest was Brandon who was thirteen and the second oldest was fifteen and his name was Wyatt. The oldest out of all of them was Anthony who was eighteen and seemed to have the dark jeans and hoodie idea down.

His youngest brother wore the cotton t-shirts and jeans while Wyatt had the jeans and a polo shirt theme going on. They seemed like respectable brothers, but I was sure the youngest two had their shares of fights while Anthony tries to stay out I'm sure since he was reluctant to introduce himself.

John was quite, but so was I. They already seemed to know about me which was really weird. They knew I was seventeen, they knew my name was Keira, and they knew I was a shape-shifter. After I was done with my plate and full from the good food, I thanked her and found out her name was Layla.

I had gotten permission to roam outside as long as one of the older kids, basically anyone older than me or my own age would come with me. John had left earlier and that only left Anthony. It took me a while, but I got him to come with me and we ventured out to the deck that was attached to the kitchen and went down the wooden steps to the covered pool and out the surrounding fence to the woods behind it.

Anthony seemed relived at the openness of the grassy area. However, as I made my way to the woods, I was stopped by him grabbing my wrist and yanking me back.

"Don't you ever go into the woods without someone's permission that is older than yourself and part of hierarchy so they know where you are and you do not have permission from me, so you are not going into those woods."

He told me sternly, warning me with a sharp tone that shocked me.

"Why can't I go into the woods?"

I asked after taking a slightly defensive tenseness about my form.

"I just told you so!"

He spat out at me. You know what, let me rephrase that.

"No S. Sherlock. I mean why can't I get permission from you? You seem important enough."

I asked, knowing I was probably pushing some things. I was right too when I heard him growl.

"Fine, go into those woods and see where that gets you."

He yelled, turning around and going back into the house. I smirked, knowing I had won, but part of me was worried now about why he did not want me in the woods and why I had to have permission to go in them. Either way, I decided to venture in. I managed to borrow a pair of tennis shoes from Layla that seemed to fit me since I was not going outside with just socks on and getting them all dirty.

The soft crunching of the foliage beneath my feet sounded so nice to me and the smell of the forest cleared my head, the soft cool breeze waking me up into a comforting free state. Slowly, I began to wonder what it would be like to be a wolf in this forest.

I thought of all the smells of the forest. There was the scent of evergreens, the smell of soil, and the soft smell of rain. Then the wolf with piercing brown-gold eyes and dark brown, almost black fur running through it, feeling the soft or firm terrain below by the way it reacts under its claws. Smiling, I starting running and felt the wind brushing through my hair, my freedom ever so granted and the pride at which I was happy to be me.

The next thing I knew I was running on four legs as a wolf, my snout being visible and the color of it black. I stopped abruptly, seeing fur on my front legs and feeling my tail rise as the pride from before still consumed me. I felt regal and elegant, strong, and free, yet I was a wolf and completely okay with it.

That is until I heard the howls of others and the merging, overwhelming new scents I was smelling getting closer to me. I could hear the sets of paws running and chasing my scent. Now I knew why I had to tell somebody why I was in the woods and have to gain permission. There was some sort of two borders marked by scent and a no-man's land marked between them and I was fair game to either side. I was in no-man's land.

Thank you to all those who reviewed for all the chapters! Also, thanks to those for sticking with me and I know mid-terms have been long over and I haven't in posted in what… three months I think? I just want to thank you all so much and thank you for your understanding. Now, let me know what you think of this chapter please! You do that by reviewing!

Thanks again,

~Akari