Disclaimer- I don't own American Dragon...I wish I did. I own Selena and her family, Bryce and the Wolf who appeared in the last chapter.

XxXxX

Jake flicked his head to Selena who's mouth was hanging open in shock. He watched as her knees began to tremble and he immediately put an arm under hers to support her weight.

'Let me down' She groaned, her eyes never leaving the wolf in front of her.

Jake lowered her to the floor and crouched next to her. She sat slumped, her eyes still on the wolf. Jake looked up at him, his eyes were hopeful and there didn't seem to be any dishonesty. Jake found he fully believed what he was saying.

There was moment of complete shocked silence before Selena managed to scrap together a sentence.

'You're my brother?' She asked

The wolf gave one nod of his head 'Half brother actually'

Jake watched as Selena processed this information. She folded a piece of hair behind her ear and frowned.

'How?' She asked

'I'm older than Emily. What I am is a Lycanthropic wolf. My mother was a complete wolf. Did you know that Lycanthropics and wolves could bear young together?'

Jake wrinkled his nose at this piece of information and Selena's frown deepened 'No, I didn't' she replied

'When a human is turned, their genetics are changed. If a male Lycanthropic on a full moon was to come across a she-wolf in heat they cannot resist the same as any normal dog. My parents were never a couple and our father only found out about me two years after my birth'

'You must be rarer than even my kind of hybrid' Selena said

'Yes. To my knowledge there are only two others like me. We can live among a wolf pack without humans or magical creatures noticing a difference'

'Do...do you have a name?' Selena asked 'I mean, if you really are my brother I need to be able to name you'

The wolf nodded 'My name is a wolf one so you will not understand it. You may call me by a shortened name which would be Shai'

'Shai' Selena repeated

Before Jake could really even think, she'd got to her feet and dropped to her knees again and wrapped her arms around Shai's neck the same way he'd seen her hug Snow. He lifted a paw and draped it over her back and he let out a contented sigh.

Jake stood up, feeling a bit like he was intruding on a moment that would've been best left between Selena and Shai. That was until Selena pulled herself away from Shai, got to her feet, ran at him and collided with him in a fierce embrace. Jake was, for a moment, surprised by the intensity of her action before he hugged her back.

'Thank you Jake' She whispered

'What? What do you mean?' Jake asked, pulling away from her

Her green eyes sparkled as she smiled at him 'I would never have got here and found Shai without you with me. I owe you so much'

Jake found himself unable to accept her gratitude 'I ruined your life Selena'

Her smile turned to a frown of disbelief 'Do you really think that? Jake, you saved me, not only that you've gotten me all the way here and united me with a family member. You haven't ruined my life, you've enriched it'

XxXxX

I watched as Jake processed what I was saying. He had been blaming himself the whole time. I had to admit I had blamed him at first too but my time with him had shown me there had been no intention to hurt me. I watched as his dark eyes changed from guilt to genuine happiness for me and I hugged him again.

XxXxX

We set up a camp, gathered some firewood and lit a small fire. I was sat between Jake and Shai, who was lent on me and laid comfortably.

'We still have to work out a way to get us all back to the coastline' Jake sighed

We'd decided that Shai should go with us into the werewolf camp. Then there wasn't only Bryce who could speak for me, Shai was well known among the Lycanthropics.

Shai had revealed my grandmother, my father's mother, had been a seer and this skill Shai had also inherited. That explained why he knew I would come to him. He seemed quiet though, I could tell something was weighing down onto him.

'What is it?' I asked

Shai sighed before looking up 'Jake, cannot come with us to the Lycanthropics'

'What!' Jake asked loudly

'What do you mean?' I asked

'It is difficult for me to say this because even though I have never met you American Dragon; I have seen into your heart, I saw the things you've done before you did them and I know the things you will do. But right now, the dragons are a hated enemy among the Lycanthropics. It doesn't matter who you are Dragon, if you were to enter their territory you would be killed on sight'

I gasped and grasped Jake's hand in response and looked up at him. His lips were pressed into a thin line and I squeezed his hand.

'If you were to die by a Lycanthropic's hand, tooth or claw it would just prove exactly what the Dragons say and it would harm everything your family is doing to set Selena free. It would spark a war the likes of which the magical world has never seen and it would not be contained within the magical world'

'You've seen it?' I asked

Shai nodded 'I have forseen three futures, and an all out war is a future I think should be avoided'

'What are the others?' Jake asked

Shai blinked 'One future is where Selena is tagged and the tag has magic imbued which suppresses her powers as long as the tag is within her body but she has freedom and the other is where Selena is granted full freedom and Hybrids like her are also granted full freedom'

I looked at Jake, there was no way we could guarantee the more favourable outcome which was full freedom. Jake looked unimpressed.

'I promised Lee I'd stand by her side and I'll stick to that promise' Jake said

I flicked my head to him 'No! Didn't you hear what he just said?'

'Letting you walk into what sounds like a hostile environment full of Lycanthropics who can't control themselves as you can doesn't sound like a safe place for you' Jake retorted

'Don't you see Jake? As horrible as it is to say it, Shai is right. You will be hated before they've even met you. I couldn't bare it if you were to die' I told him

Jake's eyes softened but he looked at Shai 'You aren't lying?'

'Why would I lie? I should also point out that Selena would die trying to protect you. She'd be seen as a Lycanthromorphic enemy if she was to try and protect a dragon' Shai told them both

Jake frowned 'Then I'll stay away to keep her alive'

Shai gave us a nod and got up.

'Where are you going?' I asked

'I'm hungry' He replied

We both nodded and he padded off into the trees but I got the impression he actually wanted to give Jake and I some time alone to talk about things which I was grateful for. I had to let him know somehow how much I cared about him.

'Will you go back to New York?' I asked him

'No, I'll stay in California until it's safe for you to come home too' Jake told me

'That may not be possible Jake. I really appreciate that you want to protect me but I want you to be safe too' I told him

'But I promised-'

'Forget that Jake, you've already done enough' I told him firmly

I got up to pace, Jake stood too but said nothing and stood and watched as I paced. I had loads of different thoughts whirling through my head. Should I just sneak off as he slept? Could I trust that he wouldn't follow me and get himself hurt or worse killed? I locked eyes with him and I walked straight up to him and put both my hands on his shoulders.

'You have to promise me that you won't follow me and you won't go looking for me' I urged

His dark eyes went fearful suddenly and he took a step back from me 'I don't want to lose you either'

'You won't Jake, but I won't go with your council without a fight. I need to go home so I can be there for my sister and my nephew. I can't do that if I'm sat in a cell waiting for them to decide if I'm dangerous or not' I told him

I realised while I'd been talking I'd closed the gap between us again but I was stood very close. Our chests were almost touching and even though I was looking up at him and him down at me, our noses were almost touching too. My stomach flipped slightly, I realised I must've gotten used to his scent but the close proximity gave it new strength and I went to put some space between us but Jake seemed to sense it and his arm reached out and he gripped my upper arm.

'Don't' He said softly

I felt light headed and I had no idea as to whether it was from his scent or our closeness. He let go of my hand and slid his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. My heart was pounding and my stomach was full of butterflies as he lowered his head towards me. He paused slightly, as if he was testing the waters. I kept still, the last kiss he'd given me flashed through my memory.

He closed the gap and pressed his lips to mine. It wasn't like the last one; he was far gentler with me. I pressed against him; my hands went to his chest. His chest was muscled and hard but incredibly warm; his body heat was actually heating me through our clothes. His arm tightened around my waist and his other hand tangled into my hair on the back of my head.

He was the first to pull away when things got a bit more heated and I reluctantly knew he was right to. He pressed his forehead against mine and blew a stream of warm breath onto my face.

'I promise I won't follow you or try to find you' He said reluctantly

I leaned back to thank him but he interrupted me before I got chance 'But, if I don't hear from you after three days, I will look for you'

I sighed 'Jake I-'

A rustle stopped me and Shai came back. He'd got a tint of pink on his fur and I knew he must've eaten already.

'We will have to leave tonight, the American Dragon cannot fly in daylight and by tomorrow we will have waited too long' Shai told us

Jake nodded. We quickly decided I would carry the bags on Jake's back and Jake would carry Shai in his arms. It was a long and slower flight, I watched feeling sick as the muscles in Jake's back connecting to his wings strained to carry the extra weight. When we eventually landed and he transformed back he looked shattered.

When we went back to the motel we'd booked the room in Shai told us he wanted to speak to me alone. Seeing as the motel didn't allow animals I realised I'd have to meet him outside the motel. At that point Jake had been too tired to argue.

To my embarrassment the room we'd booked only had a double bed. As he settled down to go to sleep, Jake gripped my hand. I watched as he fell into a deep sleep. I'd not seen him asleep yet, realising I'd usually fallen asleep first. His face was relaxed and if it was possible he looked a year or two younger that way. His black hair was tousled and I ran my fingers gently through it with affection.

Shai's consciousness moved into my mind We will leave to go to the clan tonight. It is better this way, he will not be able to break his word and follow you. Leave a note for him. I apologise that it has to be this way but at least he will be safe

I felt my eyes fill up at the thought of leaving Jake already. I closed them slowly and gathered myself before pulling myself together. My things were still packed so I didn't have to move about the room and make a stupid amount of noise. I wrote a note, telling him I was really sorry to have left in his sleep but it was better this way. I promised he would hear word within the three days and I put the note on the pillow beside him.

I dug in my bag and pulled the hair slide I normally pinned my hair up into. It was a simple design, four daisies in plain steel. I laid it down over the note and walked around to Jake's side of the bed. I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He shifted in his sleep but didn't wake up. I slipped quietly from the room.

XxXxX

Shai revealed that the hideout of the Lycanthromorphic group was in a secret cave network in the cliffs of San Pedro Bay. We'd managed to make our way there fairly quickly and we were currently negotiating our way over the rocks. We'd found a hidden looking kind of clearway but there were still rocks to climb and Shai was permanently in his wolf form.

Apparently he didn't have a human form, just a badass half human half wolf form as his transformation. Like me, he could also control when he wanted to do this even though he'd never found any need to use it since his transformations during puberty.

'So, you got a pack?' I asked

'Yes, I live in a fairly small pack. My mother's pack allowed me to stay seeing as she is the alpha female with no alpha male, that is unheard of in wolf society' Shai replied

'Wow, so do you have a mate or wife or girlfriend or whatever wolves call it' I asked

'Yes I have a mate, she is a very beautiful she-wolf. Her name is Akeela' Shai told me

I was silent for awhile until a thought that had been bothering me resurfaced. I contemplated whether I wanted to ask, whether I was ready for the information or not. Deciding there was no time like the present, I gulped.

'Do you know where our father is?' I asked

'Yes I do' Shai replied

I resisted looking back at him 'Will I ever meet him?'

'Yes you will' Shai told me but his short answers made me realize he wasn't keen on revealing the information like anything to do with the future so far so I decided to shut up and not press him for answers.

Instead, I concentrated on scrambling my way over the rocks and tried not to think of Jake. I could see the Sun lightly on the horizon now and I knew that he'd be waking up soon. I hoped my actions hadn't ruined chances of love with him. I was coming to realize I cared very deeply for him, maybe it even ran as deep as love. Love was something I'd never experienced before so I was hoping it was love anyway.

Shai broke me from my thinking by letting out a loud growl, grabbing the back of my jumper in his teeth and yanking me back. I was about to tell him off when the distinct whistle of something flying through the air and then the smash of something hitting the ground just centimetres in front of me. A foul smell filled the air next and I looked down, seeing a smashed syringe with a needle on the end. The contents of the syringe had spilled onto the rocks and was causing the smell.

I wrinkled my nose but Shai was already pushing his way into my mind Wolfsbane! Quickly, transform and run!

I did as he said immediately and took off at a sprint, moving easier on my four legs. Shai quickly caught up to me and ran alongside me. I heard another whistle but this time a dull thump came next. Shai yelped and faltered before stumbling and rolling onto his side. The syringe was embedded in his shoulder.

I skidded to a stop and turned back to him, realising from his drooping eyelids he was falling to sleep No! Shai get up now!

It's no use He told me lazily You...must...run

I watched helplessly as his eyes rolled into his head and closed. I nudged him with my nose but his head just moved limply. I heard footsteps coming closer and I turned sharply, shielding Shai with my own body. I growled harshly at the figures approaching. There was another whistle and I felt the syringe hit me right in the chest this time. I yelped, feeling the effects almost instantly. I blinked blearily; stumbling around stupidly until I felt the pain of another syringe hit my side. It was too much for me and I went down heavily, watching the shapes get closer as I blinked my heavy eyelids until they wouldn't rise again.

XxXxX

As soon as Jake woke up he could feel the effects of flying too much weight yesterday. He felt like his whole body was aching. He fidgeted and threw his arm out, sitting up in surprise when it landed on a hard but crinkly object. When he opened his eyes he saw his hand had landed on a note and on top of that was Selena's hair slide.

He pulled the note towards him but when he read the first line, he sat up bolt upright. Selena had left the note and she'd snuck off the Lycanthropic group while he'd slept. He thumped the mattress in anger at her underhand move but a brief memory came back to him. He'd been asleep but the sensation of someone pressing their lips to his forehead came back to him. He knew it had been Selena.

He groaned and shook his head in grief. What the hell was he going to do now? Stumbling out of bed he dug through his back and pulled out his phone.

'Fu? This just got real'

XxXxX

I groaned, I could feel my heart throbbing in my chest and every beat sent a wave of pain through my head. I felt clammy but cold and as I looked around I figured I was in some sort of cell with bars over the doors. My hearing seemed to have been deadened when I first woke up because I realised that Shai was wide awake and howling desperately, his nose jammed between the bars. Footsteps approached and the last person I expected to see was in the entrance. It was Bryce and he looked utterly shocked.

I hadn't seen him in so long and he looked like he had aged since I had last seen him. The man who had looked young for mid-thirties now looked like he was in his late thirties even though he was only thirty six. His hair had grown to his shoulders and his piercing blue eyes had developed crows feet in the corners.

Shai's growling brought me back to the present What have you done to her!

Bryce pulled a face of regret and pain 'She seemed to have some sort of immunity to the Wolfsbane but the potion also seemed to trigger some sort of delayed reaction so even though she's got some immunity to its effects, she's allergic to an ingredient within it'

Shai snapped his jaws Come in here and treat her then, I see you have something with you!

Bryce came into the cell but not before shutting and locking the door behind him. Shai allowed him to come past but not before he snapped at his ankles threateningly. Bryce ignored him and knelt down to me.

'What...have...you...done?' I asked, struggling to speak.

'Just shush, you've had a huge dose that could possibly kill any other Lycanthropic as small as you. You need to keep strength' Bryce told me

I could hardly react, I had no strength to 'How...long...have I...been...out?' I asked

'This is the second day, you've spent most of today coming around a bit. When they first brought you in I thought they had killed you but your heart was beating faintly. I spent the first day keeping you alive' Bryce told me

I panicked, Jake had given me until a third morning before he came looking for me. Shai had warned me that if Jake came anywhere near here before some sort of peace was made he'd be killed. I tried to sit up but Bryce pushed me back. I realised he'd been prepping my arm for some sort of injection.

'Hold still!' He ordered

'You...don't...understand!'I rasped

'Let me Selena, you are not strong enough' Shai cut in

He proceeded to explain everything that had happened to me, meeting Jake, having to go on the run, finding him and then him offering to accompany me up to now. He then explained the prophecy he told me and who and what Jake was. Bryce's lips pressed into a thin line and I could see he was struggling to control anger. I wondered what was making him angry until he turned on me.

'I told you dragons were no good!' Bryce expoloded

I was taken aback, knowing I was too weak to argue back Shai gave a loud bark and moved lightning fast so he was stood over me, his lips lifted into a growl showing a row of long white and sharp looking teeth. It didn't seem to faze Bryce much though but Shai didn't back off, if anything his threat intensified.

If you know what is good for you, you will back off and leave Selena alone! Shai rumbled

Bryce simply looked at him 'She's been travelling with a dragon and you are defending her, how can I trust either of you?'

You will listen to reason and the prophecy Shai countered

He allowed his words to sink in. I knew Bryce would listen to him being someone who was fairly level-headed and open minded. His face was betraying his thoughts.

'What must I do?' Bryce asked

'You must go to Jake and let him know Selena is at least alive' Shai said

'How will he believe me?' Bryce asked

I raised my hand. The simple gold band with a small green gem matching my eyes sat on the second to last finger of my right hand. I never took it off, along with the thin gold chain around my neck baring a simple gold cross. I wasn't Christian but my Mum had been and it had been hers. Jake had seen my jewellery enough times and I'd explained their significance.

'Take...my...jewellery...He's...seen...it before...and...he'll...believe..you' I told Bryce

Bryce nodded and carefully handled my necklace and ring, tucking them into a pouch. He then took a small dagger out and knelt by my head. He held up a lock of hair and held the dagger to it. I guessed that he was going to cut it off, further proof.

'May I?' Bryce asked

I nodded and with one quick swipe, Bryce took at least an inch of hair off the lock he picked up. He tucked it into a separate pouch. Seeing as Shai had seen the motel and knew the room number he told Bryce for me as Bryce injected whatever he'd got into my arm.

'I won't be gone long' Bryce said, once he'd finished.

'I must warn you' Shai spoke up, he took a quick glance at me before looking back up at Bryce 'Jake is on the brink of becoming Selena's Rakasta, I urge you to get to him quickly, for her sake'

I frowned at the unfamiliar word but I didn't have the energy to ask Shai what it meant. It seemed to sink in with Bryce though, he nodded and left quickly. Shai curled up next to me as close as he could, resting his head on my belly. I raised my hand and rested it on his head. He stayed close to try and keep me warm. I drifted off into sleep again, loosing energy from the pain I was feeling.

XxXxX

Shai sighed with relief at the medicine working on Selena. It had a sedative mixed in so she would go to sleep and not feel anymore pain until the medicine countered the allergic reaction and finally purged the last of the Wolfsbane from her system.

He'd not forseen these events and it was worrying. He'd never been taken by surprise like this. Selena shifted in her sleep and Shai felt a pang of pity for her. Even though she was his sister and they'd both protected one another he knew it was simply loyalty to family and not because they were strongly bonded. He still felt sad she'd been allowed to grow up without him, he knew now was the time to make amends and work hard to get hybrid Lycanthromorphics the freedom they deserved.

Selena deserved some happiness and he was going to make sure that she got it.

XxXxX

So, what do you think? It took me ages with this because I wanted to get it right but I'm sure you'll all tell me if something doesn't quite work! Review please and let me know.