Edit: Not your typical omegaverse story because I feel weird writing some of those things...

Riko scowled at the morning sun. Her younger brother squirmed in his seat beside her. Being up this early should be a crime. But here she was, driving them to school. She pulled up to the elementary school where dozens of other 7 and 8-year-olds were rushing inside the building. "Don't forget to pick me up after school this time!" Kohaku yelled as he jumped out of her truck.

"I do it every day, you brat! I won't forget." She replied before driving to the high school a few blocks down. She pulled into the parking lot and drudged inside. The town was small and there were probably only 40 other high school students who drove.

Riko was a loner in school. She isolated herself in fear of revealing her true self. She sat at her desk in her first class and prepared to take notes for the day, just like any other day. Even though her family didn't expect a lot out of her, Asami always got excited to see good report cards.

Once class got started, Riko casually glanced over to a few seats up. There sat another girl wearing ripped up blue jeans and red shirt with a gray plaid jacket thrown over top of it. Her hair was thrown back into a lazy ponytail and she wore little makeup. She was fervently taking notes when suddenly she paused. Riko had gotten too caught up in her to notice. The girl carefully glanced back at her. They had a short stare-off before the jock next to the girl playfully nudged her forward. She blushed and faced forward again.

Finally realizing what happened, Riko's hand slipped from holding her head up and her forehead hit the desk. She growled to herself and heard the jock laugh at her. For some reason even though she wasn't a girly girl, plenty of guys tried to flirt with the other girl on a regular basis. Her name was Karina, and Riko had dug her grave by having a crush on her.

Riko quickly raised her head and rushed to catch up on the notes on board before they were erased. When the bell rang, she quickly ran out of the class to avoid her classmates. People only seemed to make fun of her for being a loner.

As her last class finally ended, she sat a little longer to avoid the after-school traffic. After a few minutes, she proceeded to walk outside to her truck. Kohaku should be waiting for her by now. Just as she crossed the lot, someone hollered over to her in panic. She looked up and saw a flying football headed her way. She hastily dodged at the last moment and then picked it up. She walked over to the fence that surrounded the football field and saw the team practicing. One guy began walking over to her to retrieve the ball.

"Just throw it."

Riko looked over to the bleachers and saw Karina sitting there with a few other girls. It took her a moment to realize it was Karina who was telling her to throw it. She questionably looked to the boy, who had stopped to see if she would actually throw it. She contemplated it for a minute, looking back to Karina. The girl simply smiled at her. Riko sighed and threw the ball back towards the field. She immediately regretted it as it soared over the boy's head and towards a smaller group of jocks. It hit one player in the back and he instantly turned around to find the culprit. Riko gulped. It was the boy from her first class. He finally spotted her and marched over.

Riko wanted to go into wolf-form and just run home. School was becoming a daily nightmare she just wanted to escape from. But then she felt a hand on her shoulder. Karina stepped in front of her as the jock reached them. Riko blinked in surprise and then blushed at the close proximity.

"Karina, what're you doing?" The jock asked threateningly.

"I told her to throw it." Karina replied.

"So?! You didn't think she'd aim it at me?!"

"Step back, Mitch." Karina warned him.

"Or what? You won't lend me notes?" He asked mockingly.

"I don't owe you anything. Now go back to practice."

"Bitch, I own you!"

Riko was completely confused by what was taking place in front of her. Everyone thought that the two of them were dating, but was Karina denying that? Neither of them ever explicitly stated that they were dating. However, Riko saw red at his last statement.

Karina stepped forward to push him away, but Riko jumped in front of her. She grabbed Mitch by his collar and hauled the muscular boy into the air to where he was leaning over the fence. She could see panic etched across his face.

"H-Hey! What're you doing, you freak?!"

Riko growled and bared her teeth at him. "Don't you ever call her that again, understand?"

He frantically nodded his head. She let go of him and he ran back to practice. Riko didn't bother looking around and began marching towards her truck.

"H-Hey, wait up!" Karina hollered after her. She had to run to catch up with her and Riko was already climbing into the front seat of her truck.

"WAIT!" Karina demanded.

Riko froze mid-way through closing the door because Karina stepped in between her and the door. "Care to explain what happened back there?"

"Not really." Riko replied monotone. She tried to close the door but Karina stayed put. Riko growled quietly. It was taking an effort not to bare her teeth again.

"And there you go growling again. What's up with you?" Karina asked.

Riko quickly stopped and went wide-eyed. "W-What're you talking about?"

"You're different and you keep to yourself because of it. I can tell. I've lived in this town my whole life. I know its secrets. So tell me, what secret are you hiding?"

Riko almost stopped breathing. No one knew about the wolf pack. Not even the elders who had lived in this town for their whole lives. Karina had to be bluffing.

Riko mockingly chuckled. "Do you know how crazy you sound right now? Look, I have to go. My brother is waiting for me to pick him up."

'Push her away, Riko. She can't find out.' She told herself, as much as it pained her.

"I know you have a crush on me." Karina stated out of nowhere.

Riko froze. In panic, she pushed Karina out of the way so she could close the door. Karina yelled at her as she started the engine and spun off.

But Riko knew this was just the beginning of a wild ride.

The next day in class, Riko pretended to be asleep as everyone was taking their seats. Suddenly someone slammed their hands on her desk, jolting her 'awake'.

"Did you think you could hide from me?" Karina asked angrily.

Riko gaped like a fish with no reply. Karina sighed and roughly ran a hand through her tangled hair. "I didn't mean to upset you yesterday, but damn it you can't just run away like that."

'That's what I do best.' Riko thought to herself.

"Look, let me make it up to you. After school I'll treat you to ice cream." Karina said.

Riko gasped and sputtered for a minute. "I-uh-yeah! Yeah, sounds good! Oh but I'll have my brother with me…"

Karina smiled at her and ruffled her hair. "Well bring him with you, duh. I don't mind."

Riko blushed deeply and just nodded in reply. Karina smiled and finally sat down. Mitch frowned at her and then looked back at Riko with a deep scowl. Riko held an emotionless face until he turned back around.

Riko gasped as she was thrown into the brick wall. A callous hand grabbed her shoulder to hold her in place. "You're not going to meet up with Karina today or any other day, understand that?" Mitch growled in her ear. Riko numbly nodded in hopes that he would leave her alone. It was during these times that it was hardest to repress her alpha side. It made her feel weak but she knew it was for the best. What she wasn't expecting was a fist to collide with her face. She cried out and slid to the floor holding her face. Mitch spit at her feet. "Karina will have nothing to do with an outsider like you as long as I have anything to say about it."

Kohaku quietly stared at his sister. A large bruise was starting to form over the left side of her face. Her clothes and hair were disheveled. A deep frown was displayed on her face. She looked defeated. He broke out of his trance when the truck pulled to a stop outside of their home. He smiled and ran inside.

Riko sighed, not ready to face her parents. She slung her bag over her shoulder and trekked across the yard. Luckily neither of her parents were home yet. She sighed in relief and walked up to her room.

Eventually Korra and Asami made it home. Asami called them down to eat dinner. She heard Kohaku run down the stairs. She sighed, mentally preparing herself. She quietly walked down the stairs.

"I made alfredo noodles. I know how much you all love them. *gasp!*" Asami finally looked up from her rambling.

Riko shook her head and moved to sit down, but Korra stopped her. "What happened to your face?"

"Gee thanks." Riko attempted to joke.

Korra pushed her back a little bit. "I'm not kidding. Answer me."

"A jock got mad at me over something stupid. It's not a big deal. You know I heal fast."

Korra growled. "I know you'll heal fast! But this isn't the first time you've come home with bruises. What the hell is happening at school?"

"Well people don't take kindly to outsiders. I guess in a way they're just like wolves." Riko answered.

"What I don't get is why you're not protecting yourself?! You're an alpha! It's in your blood."

"Oh is it in my blood to just attack anyone who doesn't get along with me?! If I did that I'd be sent home every fucking day! I'm doing it to protect the pack!"

"Bullshit." Korra roughly pushed her outside. "C'mon, protect yourself."

"Mom, stop. This is different, you know that." Riko pleaded. "I can't go into wolf-form at school! Or do you want me to expose us?!"

Korra growled and shoved her again. Riko growled back and, finally having enough of everything, shifted. Korra shifted along with her and a fight started. Gnarls and growls erupted.

Asami ran outside after them. "Stop it, Korra! What're you doing?! You know she's right!"

Neither of the large wolves seemed to be listening though and continued biting and clawing each other. Korra finally landed a hard swipe across her snout, throwing her into the ground. Everyone paused. Riko laid flat on the ground, whimpering in defeat. Korra took a step forward, but Asami dashed in front of her and shielded their daughter. "Korra, that's enough. Knock it off."

After a short stare, Korra backed off. She shifted back into human-form and trekked back inside. Asami quickly kneeled next to her daughter and petted her. "Riko, sweetie, please shift back so we can talk this through. I don't know what got into Korra but I want you to know that I'm proud of you for doing well in school."

Riko scuttled closer to her to lay her head in her lap and whimpered. Asami understood that much. Riko was in pain. Whether it was physical or mental was unknown to her. But then she felt something wet slip onto her pants and quickly looked closer. Riko was crying. Crying in wolf-form took a lot of pressure. Now Asami knew something was wrong. However, before Asami could do anything, Riko got up and ran into the woods. "Riko!" She was gone.

Asami stormed into the house. Korra was sitting solemnly at the dining table. Asami slammed her palms onto the table. "What the hell is wrong with you?! She's comes home all bruised up and your first thought is to make it worse?!"

"A-Asami! I know I was wrong! But every time I see her come home with new bruises it makes me so fucking angry. I don't understand why she can't at least defend herself so people will back off. But she just lets people do what they want. It doesn't make any sense! She's an alpha! It shouldn't be a second thought to her!"

"She suppresses her alpha side in school to put up with the bullies. She puts up with it to protect us! To protect you! Is that so hard for you to understand?!"

Korra sighed roughly and slouched back into her seat. The room went quiet for a few minutes. Asami began making plates of food for them.

"So how long am I on the couch for?"

"A week, maybe two depending on how Riko feels when she returns."

Karina looked back at the empty seat in the back of the classroom. Riko had been missing for three days now without a trace. She sighed and looked forward again. She was really worried about the girl, even if the girl was a loner. Honestly, Karina was probably the only person who was continuously nice to her. Most people picked on her. She glanced to Mitch next to her. He said he didn't know anything when she asked him, but she had a feeling it was partly his fault for Riko's disappearance.

"Asami, it's been three days."

"Korra, I know but she's gone wild for longer than that. Considering the situation, I am a little worried too, but this isn't abnormal for her. Give her some more time. And if she does come home while I'm at work, do not do anything."

Karina hopped in her car after a long day of school. She'd been worrying all day about Riko. Even though Riko had gone missing before, it wasn't usually for this long. Maybe it was her own crush on the other girl that was getting to her head. As she drove past the elementary school, she saw Riko's little brother sitting on the curb. She thought about it, then sighed and turned around.

Kohaku rose a brow when he saw one of Riko's classmates pull up to the sidewalk. She rolled the window down and spoke to him. "Hey kid, where's your sister?"

Kohaku pondered it for a minute as he eyed her. "She hasn't been feeling good. She's at home." Well it wasn't a complete lie.

"So who's picking you up?"

Kohaku blinked. "Oh, my mom was supposed to pick me up, but she probably got caught up in her workshop again."

Karina rose a brow. "Sooo you're just going to wait here?"

Kohaku shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much. One of her mechanics usually reminds her around this time to pick me up."

Karina sat with her hands on the steering wheel as she thought. There was something different about this kid, too, but somehow he wasn't like his sister. He had friends and was much more social.

She unlocked the door. "Get in."

Kohaku laughed lightly. "And where are you going to take me?"

"To your mother's shop. I have some questions for her anyway."

Asami heard a car enter the gravel lot and looked up. She didn't have any more repairs scheduled. She glanced at the clock and nearly jumped out of her boots. "Oh no! Kohaku!" She ran outside but froze when she saw Kohaku get out of the car. "Kohaku! I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay, ma. Karina gave me a ride."

Karina? That name sounded familiar. Asami watched as the teenager got out of the car and approached her. "I'm so sorry for the trouble! Thank you for picking Kohaku up!"

Karina laughed. "It's no problem. I know Riko usually picks him up and felt bad when I saw him waiting."

Asami rose a brow. "You know Riko?"

Karina rubbed the back of her head. "Uh, yeah, I'm a classmate. We have a couple classes together."

Asami gasped quietly. "Can I ask you a question?"

Karina paused. "I actually came here to ask you something, but of course, go ahead."

"Is anything happening in school? I mean she came home the other day with a black eye. I know she's a loner but do people really not like her?"

Karina was wide-eyed. "W-What? A black eye? But she was fine the last time I saw her." She paused as a thought hit her. "Mitch…" She growled to herself. Asami gave her a weird look. Karina waved her hands in front of her. "I-I think I know what happened. I was going to treat Riko to ice cream for standing up for me, but she never showed up. I figured she just bailed on me, seeing as she doesn't really get out a lot. But now I think a football player who's been trying to hook up with me saw it as a threat and went after her." Karina sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Is she okay? Can I see her?"

Asami began to sweat. "Uh, she's okay. She's just healing mentally and physically. I think she needs some space right now, but I'll let her know you asked about her."

Karina sighed. "Okay, that's fine. As long as she's okay… Don't worry. I'm going to take care of this issue at school."

Asami nodded and watched Karina drive off. She looked down at her son when she heard his stomach grumble. She giggled and threw him on her shoulders. "C'mon bug, let's go home so I can make dinner."

Asami carefully peaked inside of the kitchen. It was empty. Riko wasn't home yet. Kohaku ran past her and found Korra asleep on the couch. "Oof!" Korra exclaimed as Kohaku jumped on her stomach. "Hi momma!"

"Hi sweetie." Korra coughed.

Asami leaned on the doorframe with a gentle smile. Korra cautiously smiled back. "So I'm guessing Riko still hasn't returned."

Korra frowned. "No."

"She'll return soon… One of her classmates dropped Kohaku off at the shop and she told me a little bit about what's been happening at school."

Korra sat up with her son in her lap. "A classmate?"

"Yeah, she seemed quite concerned that Riko hasn't been in class. I told her she was fine, but I'm starting to get a little worried."

Korra's nose started twitching and she leaned forward. Asami noticed and watched. "What is it, dear?"

Korra began to stand up after gently pushing her son off of her. "I think that's Riko?"

Asami stood up straight. "Really?!"

They heard the front door slam open and rushed to the front of the house. Asami gasped and ran forward, ambushing her daughter with hugs and kisses. Korra stood astonished. Riko was covered in cuts and bruises. It was obvious she had gotten into a couple scuffles to relieve stress. Her wolf scent hung strong in the air. She was gasping for air, but otherwise letting the omega love on her.

"Riko! Are you okay?! Where have you been?" Asami exclaimed as she pulled away.

"*huff* I'm fine." Riko replied gruffly. Her nose was twitching intensely. Silence stood in the air. Suddenly a thought hit Asami and she smirked.

"Oh, I think I know why you came home. You have a crush on Karina, don't you?"

Riko immediately jumped back and stuttered. "W-What?! I-I don't know what you're talking about! I just smelled her scent and thought maybe she had found me."

"So your first thought was to follow the scent?"

A deep blush began glowing on Riko's face. "I-It's not like that!"

Asami chuckled. "Well I'll have you know she's really worried about you. She came by the shop and asked about you."

Riko looked up in surprise. "Really?"

Asami smiled confidently. "Yep! She even said she was going to help sort things out at school."

"What?!" Riko frowned. "Wait, did she figure out what really happened? Oh no, I can't let her go after Mitch on her own!" Riko began panicking and pacing around the room. "I have to go after her!" She tried to run back outside, but Asami stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"You should at least shower first. Or did you forget you've been in wolf-form in the woods for about 4 days now?"

Riko blinked and looked down at herself. Then she groaned and ran for the bathroom.

It's Friday night, meaning the high school is having a football game like every Friday. The bleachers were packed to the point that people were standing by the fence. The second half had just started when Riko finally arrived. She cautiously walked down the fence line. Her school was winning at the moment, 35-23, not that she really cared. She carefully looked around, but couldn't find the girl she was looking for. The wind blew and she held her hood in place over her head. Suddenly the crowd cheered as Mitch threw a touchdown pass. Riko scowled and inched away from the crowd.

She wandered around, unable to find Karina. There were too many people to track her scent. Luckily no one had recognized her. She was beginning to grow frustrated as the clock ticked by. She had to find her before the game ended. Who knew what she'd try to do about Mitch over the weekend. She couldn't let her get hurt too.

"Riko?"

She jumped up, looking around for the source. A plaid shirt was making its way through the throng. She instantly recognized it and rushed to meet it. Karina jumped out from between the people and gasped. "Is that you Riko?"

Riko pulled her hood closer. "How'd you know?"

Karina giggled. "I saw a hooded figure walking in circles around the field and figured it was no normal person. I took my chances that it was you."

Riko scoffed. "That could've turned out badly if it wasn't me."

"True, but my gut was right. Anyway, what're you doing here? I heard you weren't feeling well." Karina asked in concern.

Riko looked away. "My mom told me you talked to her. I got worried that you would do something stupid about…him."

Karina rose a brow. "I'm doing something stupid? You're the one who's missed school for the past three days. Do you know how much work you're gonna have to make up?" She took a step closer, but Riko copied her by taking a step back.

"Look, I just came here to make sure you would be safe over the weekend. I don't want you approaching Mitch about anything." Riko said.

Karina laid her hands on her hips. "And so now you think you can control me? I thought you were different."

Riko gasped. "W-What? No! I just don't think I'm worth getting yourself hurt over!"

Their ears began to dull down the surrounding noise. As if in slow-motion, Karina stepped closer to Riko and she didn't back away this time. Riko seemed frozen as the girl slowly removed her hood.

Karina gasped and covered her mouth. Riko was still nursing a black eye from Mitch, but from her escapade in the woods, she also had several cuts across her face.

Karina pulled them away to behind the bleachers where it was more private. "Did he do this to you?"

Riko shook her head. "No, he only gave me the black eye. I got the scratches from, uh, running through the woods to clear my head."

Karina looked at her injuries questionably. "You run through the woods to clear your head?" Riko nodded. "Well at least you do something to clear your head. C'mon, we need to treat you." She then started dragging them out of the stadium.

"What're you talking about?"

"I'm going to patch you up and then we're going to get ice cream like you agreed to the other day."

Riko yelped in panic. "I-I didn't bail on you! Mitch caught me! He said he wouldn't let me anywhere near you."

Karina stopped next to her car and looked at her. "And where are you right now? He doesn't control me or you for that matter." She ushered Riko into the passenger seat and then opened the trunk and fumbled around for something. She finally returned with a first-aid kit.

Riko rose a brow. "You're prepared for anything, aren't you? You really don't have to do this."

"I'm doing this because I want to, not because I feel bad for you… The feelings are mutual."

Riko went wide-eyed at the confession. Karina's face turned deep red. Riko went numb as Karina treated her wounds. She nervously rubbed ointment over her cuts and even placed a bandage on a deep cut across her cheek. She then held her hands anxiously. Riko numbly glanced down to their interlocked hands.

"Is this real?"

Karina chuckled. "It is real, Riko. Now do you want to go get that ice cream?"

A wide smile stretched across her face. "Sure, let's go!"

Karina smiled excitedly and hopped into the driver's seat and drove them to the local parlor.

The restaurant was completely empty thanks to the football game. Riko cautiously followed behind Karina as she led them to a booth.

"You can pick whatever you want to eat. It doesn't have to be ice cream. It's kinda late and I haven't eaten yet anyway." Karina spoke.

Riko nodded, growing red in the face again. Was this a date? "Um, so what's good here?"

Karina smiled at her. "They have amazing hamburgers and pancakes, so they have options depending on what you're itching for."

Riko looked at her questionably and confused. "So, uh, what're you ordering?"

Karina covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. Riko's nervous behavior was cute in a way to her. "I'm just going to order a burger and fries." Riko looked at her incredulously, making her laugh again. "Yes, I do actually eat, unlike other girls."

Riko began to smile and looked at the menu. "I think I'll just have what you're getting."

Karina smiled and motioned a waiter over to order. The waitress rose a brow at the condition of Riko's face but said nothing about it. When Riko finally took a bite of her food, she gasped. "Woah, this is amazing!"

Karina giggled openly this time. "You don't get out much, do you?"

Riko blushed and smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. "No, I don't. I'm mostly at home when I'm not in school."

Karina pursed her lips in thought. "What do you do at home?"

Riko groaned in her head. 'Why does she keep trying to dig into my personal life?' "Um, I hang out with my family. Er…"

"And what do you do?" Karina smirked and leaned onto her palm.

"Uhhhh, stuff?" Riko answered.

They had a short stare-off before Karina returned to her meal. "I know you're hiding something. What I don't understand is why?"

Riko narrowed her eyes, deciding to bite the bait. "You wouldn't believe me." She said as a matter-of-factly.

Karina scoffed and rose a brow. "I've lived here my whole life. There isn't anything I don't know. So go ahead and try me."

They eyed each other again for a minute. Then Riko just looked back at her plate. "Maybe another time."

Karina followed her gaze and went wide-eyed. "You're already finished eating?!"

Riko blinked and realized that she had in fact eaten all of her food. She chuckled nervously as she looked up again. "I, uh, may not have eaten a lot in the past few days."

"What? Why?! You can order more if you like."

"I wasn't feeling good."

Karina cut her off. "That's a lie. I know Mitch came after you. So why don't you tell me the whole story while I order your another plate?"

"What? No! I'm fine, really! I don't need more to eat. I don't want to impose on you either."

Karina sighed. "You're not imposing. I told you I wanted to help you, remember?"

Riko pouted and fumbled with the straw of her drink. "I know." She whispered.

There was an awkward silence.

"Can I meet your family?" Karina asked abruptly.

Riko immediately looked up. "What?"

Karina frowned and messed with her fork. "Well it's just, I've met your brother and your mother, but not your father or anyone else for that matter. I'd just like to see where you live."

Riko nervously shuffled in her seat. "I don't think that's a good idea. They don't like unexpected visitors."

Karina scowled and placed her palm on the table. "Then make a plan with them. I'm sure they're not that unreasonable."

Riko began to panic. She was running out of lies. "Look, this is a sensitive subject, so could we just…not?"

Karina slouched back in her seat with her arms crossed. "So that's it."

Riko glanced up with one brow raised. "Huh?"

"It's your family. You're trying to hide your family."

Riko gasped and sat up straight. "No-"

"I still don't understand why, though. The ones I have met seem cool."

"Why do you care?!" Riko shouted, standing up from the booth. "You think you can just dig through my past?! Just because you want to be my friend doesn't mean anything to me!"

She then began marching out of the parlor.

"Riko, wait! I'm sorry!" Karina shouted back, running after her.

Riko suddenly stopped and turned at her. "Why did you even start talking to me?! I'm just a loner that gets beat up every week! I'm a nobody!"

Karina scrunched her face up as she her hands curled into fists. "I don't know! Okay?! For whatever reason, I'm drawn to you. I have been for a while, but Mitch pushes everyone else away from me!"

"Then don't put up with his shit! I can't always be there to protect you!"

"I don't need you to protect me!" Karina stomped up to Riko and grabbed her face. "I just need you with me."

Time froze. Riko couldn't fathom what was taking place. Karina's lips were on hers. Did she realize what she was doing? Because Riko couldn't.

They might've stay connected all night on the sidewalk, but someone had to ruin it.

"Hey mutt. Looks like I get to beat the crap out of you again."

Riko and Karina quickly parted. Riko's heart was racing. Mitch was approaching them. He looked like he had showered after the game and had on his letter jacket on over his daily clothes.

"I thought I told you to stay away from Karina. I guess mutts don't listen very well."

Riko was scared, but she was growing more pissed with every second. She hated being called a mutt. It was what everyone called her when she first joined the Avatar pack. Her alpha side was roaring to come out to shut his trap. She grimaced from trying to contain herself, but Karina read it as fear. Karina stepped in front of her to protect her.

"Mitch, this is nonsense. You don't own me! I can do as I please, even if that means spending time with Riko."

Mitch chuckled. His hands were tucked into his pockets with his thumbs hanging out. "Oh is that her name? I didn't think she had one."

Riko growled. Karina was now pushing Mitch away. "I've had enough of your bullshit! Just leave us alone!"

Mitch really wasn't a man for words, because the next thing Riko knew is that she had the quarterback pinned to a wall and Karina was slouched on the ground holding her cheek. Rage boiled over in Riko. She felt her wolf clawing at her and felt a shift happening.

Karina's cheek stung and it was already turning red. Mitch didn't have a chance to hit her again when Riko tackled him. She'd never seen someone so determined to protect. It was almost a welcoming feeling. But then the air became heavy.

Riko suddenly let go of the football player and stepped back while clutching her arms. "Karina, let's go, now."

Karina knew the change in attitude wasn't meant to be controlling but that's how it sounded. "Riko, what's wrong?"

Any reply was cut off when Mitch punched her. Riko slammed heavily onto the concrete.

"Riko!"

"The mutt's gonna learn her role." Mitch growled as he approached her again.

Riko leaned up on her elbows with her back to them. Karina was stilling yelling at him, but he was determined too.

"My role?" A growl reverberated from Riko. The other two immediately went quiet. "That's funny, because you have no idea what role I play." Karina's eyes widened as she witnessed the other girl's transformation. She heard the legends from the elders, just like everyone else in this town, but she never thought they would be real.

Riko barred her teeth at her enemy. Mitch seemed frozen. He became a stuttering mess. "You're a monster! No wonder you're a loner!"

Riko ran after him with her padded paws and tackled him. She pretended to take menacing bites at him. Of course he panicked and tried to push her off of him. Mitch got a few solid punches in before completely throwing her off. Riko may be in wolf form, but she knew not to injure him. Her presence alone should be enough to scare him away.

She was right. As soon as he was back on his feet, he ran away and hopped into his truck. Riko hung her head scared to look at the other girl. Karina was still in shock and frozen to the ground. Riko was about to run away when she heard an engine roar to life. She quickly looked up and saw bright lights headed her way. She contemplated just letting it happen. It would be so much easier for everyone around her. No one would have to worry about letting her family's secret out. No one would probably believe them anyway.

However, someone jumped in front of her. She looked up and saw Karina shielding her. Inside she was panicking. There was no time to think it through. She dashed in front of Karina, half-shifting in mid-sprint.

"NO!" Both Karina and Riko screamed.

Riko had shifted back enough to use her arms to stop the truck. She didn't have the strength to stop it immediately and so it hit her hard in the stomach. She dug her feet into the ground, leaving two deep trenches. The truck screeched to a halt just mere inches away from Karina.

Karina's surprise never left her since this whole incident happened. Mitch was just as appalled and sat dumbfounded in his truck. Riko grimaced as she pulled herself out of the crumpled metal of the hood and sat on the curb. She was still in half-form, waiting to see what Mitch's next move would be. Apparently he had given up because he backed up the truck and drove away fast.

Riko gasped for air and clutched to her sides. She was in a lot of pain after taking that hit.

Karina stood still for a few minutes to digest what just happened. Then she cautiously stepped up to the wolf-girl. "Riko?"

She almost couldn't hear it because she was so quiet. She looked back and Karina was shakily standing behind her. She tiredly smirked. "I could use some more treatment."

Karina finally let a small smile grace her features and she hesitantly kneeled down next to her. Her body was riddled with more bruises and scratches and had some deep cuts along her stomach. Karina could tell because blood was seeping through her shirt. "You need to go to the hospital."

Riko scoffed and looked off into the sky. "And what am I gonna tell them exactly? Oh I'm a werewolf and I got hit by a truck. Yeah I'm sure they'll take that well. I don't need to go. We heal fast and there's a healer back home."

Karina quietly scanned her injuries. She sighed roughly. "If you say so. I'll help you get home."

Riko rose a brow as Karina began hauling one of her arms over her shoulder. "You're not freaked out? I mean you should be running like Mitch is right now."

Karina chuckled sarcastically. "I am scared, but that doesn't change how I feel about you. We'll talk later. Let's just focus on getting you home."

The words died out of Riko's mouth and she let the other girl carry her to her car. "I'm going to get blood on your seats."

"I don't care right now. Get in!"

Karina finally got her buckled in the car and began driving. "Okay, give me directions! Which way?"

Riko hesitated but gave in. "Go past the school and take the road on the right."

Karina followed her directions until she told her to stop. She rose a brow. They were at Asami's workshop. "Riko, I swear if you're playing games right now it's not funny. You need medical attention."

Riko waved her off. "I'm not playing games, but you can't just drive into the pack land. They'd be all over you. C'mon." She then got out of the car.

Karina followed her but froze. Riko had shifted back into her wolf form. "Riko! What're you doing?"

Riko was limping on one paw but still staring right at her. She motioned with her head to get on her back. It took a minute for Karina to understand and when she did understand she didn't like it. "Riko, I can't get on your back. You're too hurt."

Riko snorted and tucked herself underneath the girl. Karina yelped as Riko forced her onto her back and began running through the woods.

It scared her at first, but then it was quite thrilling. The forestry flashed before her eyes at such a fast rate that she couldn't comprehend everything she was seeing. She let out a chuckle and held tighter to the wolf. "Now I know why running through the woods clears your head!"

Riko let out a huff that acted as a chuckle.

They were almost to the pack land but Riko was tiring fast. Her running had slowed down to a cautious walk. Karina had gotten off of her back awhile back and laid a hand on her back to rub her fur.

Suddenly Riko let out a whimper and crouched down to the ground. "Riko, what is it? You can make it."

Then they heard something else shuffling through the woods. Karina gasped and hugged Riko. The wolf grunted and lifted her head to see who was coming. She recognized the scent and quickly stood in front of Karina to shield her.

A large grey wolf appeared out of nowhere. Karina noticed the size difference between it and Riko. She fisted Riko's brown fur as the alpha stood to protect her. The grey wolf huffed and flared its nose. Riko responded with a growl but also lowered her head. Karina suddenly realized that she could possibly be killed by Riko's "family".

The two wolves seemed to have a quick argument filled with grunts and growls. Suddenly the grey wolf shifted and now there stood a short, tan woman with short hair. The woman ran towards the brown wolf and grabbed the sides of her face. "Damn it Riko! I don't care about that right now! Just shift back already, you idiot!"

Riko hung her head and started shifting back to human form right in front of them. Karina gasped as the fur escaped her hands.

The pain hit Riko full force when she finished shifting. She fell into the woman's arms, writhing in pain. "Don't kill her!"

Karina and the woman stared at each other. The tan woman then looked back at Riko. "I won't do that dear. She helped you get back home to us." The woman wasted no time in hauling Riko into her arms and started running. "C'mon girl! You don't wanna get lost out here!"

Hope began to creep into Karina's chest. She quickly ran after them.

"'Sami! Is Kya here yet?!" Korra announced as she barged into the cabin with her daughter in her arms.

"Yeah, in here! I called her as soon as you left! How is she?" Asami asked.

"It's kinda bad."

"Lay her on the couch, Korra. I need to get started." Kya ordered.

Everything happened so quickly to Karina. Apparently the woman who met up with them was Korra. And Kya is the healer? Yep, that's definitely some blue magic coming out of her hands. Asami was here. So they must be part of her family, though she's not sure exactly how they're all related.

Asami dragged Karina out of the living room and into the kitchen. "I know all of this is probably really shocking right now, but I need you to tell me what happened. I know Riko went after you to make sure you were safe."

Karina shook her head a bit. "Oh, umm, uh, Mitch, he found us. We were at the family restaurant and he saw us…" She decided to leave the part where they kissed out. "He got mad and they started fighting… She turned into a giant wolf. Mitch ran away but he got in his truck and hit her with it."

Asami gasped. "She got hit by a truck?!"

Karina had to replay in her head for a few seconds. "She changed back and tried to stop it with her arms, but it was going too fast and hit her in the stomach and drug her down."

"Okay, okay! Thanks!" Asami seemed to be panicking too and ran back into the other room to share the new information.

Karina waited in the kitchen. Even when she heard Riko's cries of pain and wanted to run in there to hold her, she stayed put. This was literally new territory.

After an hour or so, Riko's whimpers disappeared. Karina picked her head up off of the table and saw Korra carrying the girl upstairs. Asami came into the kitchen and sat down next to her. She dug her hands into her hair in nervousness. Someone peeked around the staircase and ran up onto Asami's lap. The woman laughed and hugged her son tight. He looked over and smiled at Karina. "Hi Karina."

Karina smiled softly at him. "Hi Kohaku."

"What're you still doing up, bug? I put you in bed over an hour ago."

Kohaku pouted up at his mother. "I went to bed early and you know it. Besides I knew something had happened to Riko. I wanted to make sure she was okay."

Asami tickled the boy's sides. "Well that was awfully nice of you. You're such a good brother. Did you see her on your way down?"

"Yeah, but she'll heal. She always heals."

Asami glanced up at Karina. "Karina, are you okay? How are you handling this?"

"I think I'm doing better than expected. Honestly I'm not all that surprised. I knew Riko was hiding something. I just didn't realize how big it was."

Asami nodded. "She's been hiding it for a long time now, to protect us. I'm not sure how Korra's going to handle this."

"Who is Korra anyway? How's she related to Riko?" Karina asked.

Asami blinked, then laughed. "Riko didn't tell you? Korra's her mother and the alpha of our pack."

Karina scooted back quickly. "Mother? But you're…"

"I'm her mother too. We're not her real parents. We simply took her in as our own when she was abandoned."

Karina's eyes widened a bit. "Abandoned? What do you mean? Who abandons a wolf-kid?"

Asami's smile disappeared. "Her parents were rouges, meaning that they didn't belong to any pack. They were on the run and couldn't take care of Riko, so they abandoned her in town. They hoped that because our pack was close that we'd find her and kill her, because rouge wolves are almost always killed upon finding. But I wouldn't let Korra do it. And that's basically how we took her in."

Tears were brimming Karina's eyes. "That's horrible! I can't believe she was left to die…"

"She's been through some pretty tough times, but she's a survivor."

Steps could be heard coming down the stairs. Korra and Kya spoke together quietly and then entered the kitchen.

"She's pretty beat up, but I think she'll heal just like every other time. You know the drill by now don't you, Asami?" Kya said.

Asami chuckled. "Yeah I do. Thanks Kya."

Kya waved her hand as she walked out. "It's no problem. I'll be back in a few days."

The room went silent again. Korra sat down across from Karina. The girl's heart was beating as fast as a herd of elephants. Korra sighed. "I'm going to keep my word. I won't kill you." Karina let out a sigh of relief she didn't know she was holding. "But, you cannot tell anyone about this, about us! Is that understood?"

"Of course! I'd never do such a thing!" Karina exclaimed.

Korra chuckled. "Good, 'cause if you do I won't have a choice about killing you."

"Korra!" Asami scolded.

"What?! It's true! The pack would be in an uproar."

"It's okay. You have nothing to worry about. I promise." Karina smiled sincerely.

Her vision was blurry went she came to the next morning. She recognized the fuzzy sheets of her bed underneath her. She looked around. A shadow stood in the windowsill, blocking the sun from reaching her. She groaned and rolled over onto her side to see it better.

The shadow whipped around. "Riko! You're awake?!"

"Karina?" Riko whispered in return.

Karina rushed to the girl's side. "How do you feel? W-Wait here! I'll go find Asami!"

Riko quickly grabbed her hand before she ran off. Karina froze and glanced back at her. The werewolf smiled weakly. "Thank you."

Karina softly smiled in return. Then she leaned forward and carefully pressed her lips to hers. Riko leaned into the girl's touch and pressed forward to meet her. They pulled away and stared into each other's eyes. Then Karina quickly backed up off of her in embarrassment.

"I-I'll, um, I'll go get Asami!"

Riko chuckled as Karina rushed away. As silence took place, she began to hear a commotion outside. She rose a brow and cautiously crawled out of bed. Her breath hitched when she saw members of her pack standing angrily outside of their cabin.

'That's what Karina was looking at. Oh no.'

"How did this happen?" "You can't let her live!" "It's go against our oldest laws!" "This wouldn't have happened if we never took in that mutt!"

Korra's fists tightened as she fought to control her anger. The pack was in a rage, even under the promise that Karina wouldn't expose them.

"I understand your frustration but the girl has promised to keep it a secret!" Korra hollered to the group. But they roared back even louder.

Karina and Asami watched from the kitchen window. "They're gonna kill me, aren't they?"

Asami shook her head. "No they won't. Korra and Riko won't allow that."

Just then they heard something stumble down the stairs. Both women turned around and gasped. "Riko!"

Karina rushed forward to help her walk. "You should be in bed!"

Riko breathed heavily and pressed her hand into her side. "Not when you're in danger." She then proceeded towards the front door.

Asami jumped in front of her. "You're not going out there. You're in bad condition and they'll destroy you. Korra can handle it. She always does."

Riko shakily took a breath and prepared to back off due to Asami's silent order. However, then the pack began to uproar again outside and Riko couldn't stand by quietly.

The front door slammed open and Korra jumped to look behind her. She had told them to stay inside. She gasped when she saw her daughter and ran to aid her. "Riko, what're you doing?" Korra whisper-yelled. "You can't be out here right now. The pack is unstable."

"I'm putting them in their place." Riko growled lowly.

When the crowd saw her, they went rampant. "What're you doing out here, mutt?!" "Only you would get beaten by a human!" "What a loser!"

Something struck Riko's heart. Would she ever be really accepted anywhere? She's been tossed around her whole life. The only people who truly care for her were her mothers and little brother, but even Korra had her moments still.

Riko hung her head as the wolves kept throwing mean remarks at her. Korra gripped her shoulder and proceeded to yell at them. Tenzin had saw the mob forming and hurried to Korra's side.

"Korra, we have to get this under control."

"I know Tenzin but they won't listen."

Tenzin then started trying calming the crowd down in his own peaceful ways, but the wolves continued throwing words right back at them.

"Shut up!" Everyone went quiet and looked to the youngest alpha. Riko slowly stepped forward. "Korra has already stated this, but I'll repeat it. The girl will not expose us! She's my friend. I'll take responsibility for her. And if for some reason she does tell someone, I'll take care of it."

Everyone just stared at her for a minute before a single wolf commented. "If she tells anyone, we'll be the ones who will take of it."

Korra growled at him, but waited to see what her daughter would do. Riko eyed the young man who spoke up, but then quickly walked up to him and punched him in the face, knocking him out.

"Do you think this is some sort of negotiation?! No! I promised I would take care of this and that's final. I do not take orders from you!" Riko yelled for the whole pack to hear.

Everyone gasped and went wide-eyed. Korra slowly smiled as Riko finally embraced her role.

Riko continued on. "For those of you who have forgotten, I'm an alpha! I give orders, not take them! So right now I'm commanding everyone to return to their homes and let Korra handle this like the alpha she is!"

Members of the pack slowly backed off and walked away. Riko's exuberance hung high in the air. They stood there until every last wolf left. Korra quietly approached her daughter from behind and placed a hand on her shoulder. "That was impressive, kid. I'm proud of you." Korra said.

"Good job, Riko. That was quite amazing for such a young wolf." Tenzin commented.

Riko tiredly looked back. "Thanks guys. I don't know where it came from."

"It came from inside of you, where the alpha part of you lives." Korra said, turning her around and placed a hand over her heart. "And it came out more than you think."

Riko rose a brow at the sight of Korra's smirk. "Huh?"

Then Korra playfully flicked her ears. "You still need practice."

Riko jumped in alarm and grabbed at her wolf ears that had appeared. She reached behind and felt her tail. "Gah! What?!" She twirled around, trying to see her tail. She saw something by the window and blushed. Karina and Asami were giggling behind the kitchen window. Riko's blush deepened and she hastily covered her wolf ears.

"I think it's cute."

"Cute?! I'm not cute! I'm a monster, literally!"

Karina was badgering Riko while her mother treated her wounds. Her ears and tail still protruded from her, but she didn't have the energy to undo it. "I'm a ferocious beast! Ow!"

Asami had ripped off one of the bandages on her stomach. "Yeah, a ferocious beast, totally…" She whispered mockingly.

Riko pouted and winced as she rubbed salve over her wounds.

"Hey, look at me. So I can distract you from the pain." Karina said.

Riko confusingly looked up. "How's that?"

Asami rose a brow as she listened to them. 'Distraction' had a different meaning in her mind, but the two had only been talking for a week now.

"Umm, I just want to say that it was really brave of you to stand up to the pack. You really showed them whose boss. I've never seen anything like it in you."

"Yeah well, I'm a different person at school. I push the alpha side of me away so I won't hurt anyone."

Karina smiled and rubbed the werewolf's cheek. "That's so courageous of you. I didn't know you were an alpha either. You haven't really explained pack terminology yet."

Riko perked up. "Oh yeah! I can do that now! So…"

And so Riko spent the rest of the morning explaining how the pack works, going on even after Asami was finished treating her wounds.

Riko had just finished explaining the basics and sleep was catching up to her. Suddenly a thought hit her. "Won't your parents be worried about you missing since last night?"

Karina jumped up. "Oh no! I totally forgot! I need to go check in with grandpa. To answer your question, I don't live with my parents. They moved a few years ago, but I wanted to stay here so I moved in with my grandpa. And I sure am glad I didn't leave." Riko blushed again and Karina giggled, but then she paused. "How am I gonna get home? Surely you can't carry me back to my car."

Riko frowned and thought for a minute. "Um… Maybe Asami can take you. I heard her say something about picking up some materials from the workshop anyway."

The werewolf pushed herself off of the couch. Karina was surprised that she wasn't wincing when she walked anymore. The girl really did heal fast.

"Mom! Can you drop Karina off when you swing by the workshop later?" Riko asked when she found her mother in the kitchen.

"Huh? Oh of course! But won't you stay for lunch?" Asami asked as Karina walked in after Riko.

Karina smiled. "Sure thing."

Riko sat in her truck in nervousness. It was Monday and she was back at school. She really didn't want to be here, but she had already missed a lot of school lately. She shakily breathed in and out, trying to gain some composure before walking into hell.

Suddenly a knock came on her window, starting her. She jumped up, but paused and pressed her hand to her heart in relief. She opened the door. "Damn Karina, you 'bout gave me a heart attack."

Karina giggled and began pulling her out of the truck. "Sorry. I was waiting for you at the end of the parking lot but you were just sitting here. I figured you might've needed some encouragement."

She pressed her lips to Riko's before the girl had a chance to respond. She hastily pulled away and gently grabbed her hand. "Am I coming on too strong?"

After shaking the shock off of her, she laughed. "No, not at all. Maybe I needed it after all."

Karina smiled and started dragging her inside, and Riko let her. The human led her to the cafeteria, where the normal kids met up before class. Riko pouted and hid behind Karina. She didn't usually hang out in the cafeteria because of the bullies, so meeting Karina's friends here made her nervous.

"Now I think you're coming on too strong." Riko quietly joked.
Karina smiled back at her, trying to encourage her to socialize. Riko gulped and hesitantly stepped up beside Karina. The human girl gripped her hand tight and her friends smiled brightly at them. Come to think of it, Riko couldn't remember any of these girls ever bullying her. Maybe this wasn't so bad.

Karina pulled her closer to her ever so slightly. "Girls, this is Riko…" She cautiously glanced to the werewolf. "My girlfriend."

Riko felt her heart jump in excitement and smiled brighter than ever before. Karina saw this and returned the joyful smile. Her friends awed and began introducing themselves.

Soon the bell rang, signaling first class. Karina happy walked with Riko hand-in-hand to their first class. Many of the students were filing in at the same time and went wide-eyed at the sight of them together, but none said anything.

Eventually, Mitch dragged his feet into class. His head was down, but he looked up when he heard hushed murmurs throughout the room. His heart nearly stopped, but not in anger, but in fear.

Karina was in her normal seat, but Riko was sitting on top of Mitch's desk, staking her new claim. The message was loud and clear even to a human. He carefully walked down a different row to find a new seat. Suddenly whoops and hollers erupted throughout the classroom. He looked over and a cold chill took over him.

Riko slid off of her new seat and hastily pushed Karina onto the steel bar of her seat as she pressed their lips together. Karina closed her eyes in ecstasy and grabbed Riko's collar, pulling her closer.

"Okay that's enough!" The teacher yelled as he entered the room. Riko and Karina quickly broke apart and both blushed slightly. "It seems our loner is finally coming out of her shell. Thank you for joining us today, Ms. Sato, now can you and your 'friend' please take a seat."

Karina chuckled and pushed Riko back. The werewolf looked to the back of the room. The only seat left in the room for Mitch to take was her old desk and he clearly hated the thought of it. She smirked at him and couldn't help but to bare her teeth at him a little. He gasped and quickly sat down. Riko chuckled and hopped into his old seat. She looked over and saw Karina glancing at her lovingly while she got her supplies out. Riko smiled at her and started doing the same.

'I should've done this a long time ago.'