3.

"And where have you been?"

I slowly shut the sliding back door, flipping the lock and kicking off my muddy shoes. I frowned at the loaded question, thinking back of the last couple of hours I had spent in the woods.

My heart was pounding in my chest, but, finally, in a euphoric way. The wolf side of me was relishing in the freedom it had so long waited for. I kept my human side close, but at bay. In case the bloodlust got too much for me. Only being changed for a month made everything almost unbearable and I knew the full moon was nearing. Without the help of him, I was worried that I was going to do something I regretted. I only hoped that I would suffice until I was able to gain control.

My head snapped towards the left. With my enhanced sight, I was able to watch as I disrupted the woods. Critters running as far away from me as possible, afraid of my scent. It confused the hell out of them; kind of human, but animal as well. They had learned to run far and clear when I came bounding in the distance.

I slowed down to a walk, pushing a few strays out of my face. The sun was long gone, replaced with a crescent moon, reminding me of the full moon. This would only be my second one. With a brush of my thoughts, I figured I would be able to find some heavy chains and locks to keep myself from hurting anyone. The location would be the problem, but I felt like when the time came, I would handle it.

I froze when the wind shifted. I had a lung-full of animalistic smells, but what sent my body rigid was that it was also combined with a distinct human aroma. The same scent I had. I didn't assume I would be the only werewolf around, but I didn't know I would be able to detect them so fast. Fear rushed through me.

Despite my curiosity to see who is was, I turned and sprinted home. The longer I stayed hidden, the later he would find me.

Back in reality, I yanked the elastic out of my hair and brushed my hair out with my fingers. I peeled off my damp hoodie, peering over my shoulder to see my mom sitting in one of the arm chairs. Bags were collected under her light blue eyes, still dressed in her work uniform and her light hair was pulled into a loose bun at the nape of her thin neck. She looked exhausted. Before speaking, I took a quick, inhale of the air, testing to see how pissed off she was at me. I made a quiet noise of surprise when I found out it wasn't anger she was harboring, but sadness, even grief.

I dropped down on the dark, leather couch that faced her and pouted slightly. "I know, I know. I'm late." I murmured. She glared at me, crossing her arms. I moved so my head was propped up by my elbow, my chin resting on my palm. I fluttered my eyelashes, cocking my head slightly to the right. I knew the puppy-dog look would work tremendously on her and I hoped just seeing my okay would ease the sadness that penetrated the tiny room. "I went for a run and lost track of time. I'm sorry."

I waited for her response. She looked up at the ceiling, letting a long sigh escape her lips. "It is one in the morning, Calla." She hissed when he eyes finally landed on me. "How long were you running for?"

I thought back, shrugging. "Probably about three hours." I continued the pitying look, hoping it would crack her. "I was just nervous about tomorrow and couldn't sleep." I paused, watching as her expression changed—slightly. "I'm sorry."

"You're already said that." My mom relaxed into the chair and I knew that the storm had passed and I wasn't going to be in too much trouble. "I wish you would've left a note, or done something to let me know you were safe."

I dropped the act and sat straight. I looked down at my feet before tucking them under me. I understood where she was coming from, though I didn't want her to ever come looking for me. If I was to go 'missing' again, it would be because of him, coming to bring me back to his pack. I knew he could be extremely dangerous and would do anything that stood in the way of me becoming his Beta. He wouldn't flinch, hurting my mother and that scorched fear through me. I just hoped that if he came back for me, my mother would be able to move on.

"Next time. I promise." I lied easily. I gestured for her to come join me on the couch. She studied me for a moment before giving in, rolling her eyes and dropping in next to me. I wrapped my arms around her and she placed her head on my chest. "I'm really sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"You're forgiven." She muttered, nuzzling deeper. "But you're still in trouble. I'll sleep on your punishment." I let out a noise of disagreement and she looked up, grinning. "What? You thought you were going to get away with this scot-free? Funny." I scoffed and she laughed. "Oh, you shush." She eased her head back before taking in a deep breath. She then paused, sniffing for a moment before pulling away. "Oh lord, Calla. You stink!"

She moved away from me, scooting to the other side of the couch. I looked down at my damp shirt, biting the inside of my lip and giving her a small smile. "Oh, I do?"

"Ugh," she waved the odor away with a scowl. "Bad. Go take a long shower and go to bed. You have a big day tomorrow."

I leaned into the couch, getting comfortable, avoiding going to bed. "So, how was work?" I purred and she gave me an annoyed look. I quickly injected before she could. "I wanted to know before bed."

She rolled her eyes, shrugging and letting out a heaving sigh. "It was work, Calla." I looked over at her, shaking my head. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It was fine. I met a woman that was on-call. Her name was Melissa. She was very nice." She tapped her long fingers on the armrest, biting the outside of her lip. "She mentioned having a son your age. Raved about him, actually. I wish I could think of his name." She frowned. "It's escaping me for some reason."

"No worries." I gave her a large smile. "It went well, then?"

She nodded. "Yeah, very well. Now I need you to go shower and go to sleep, please." She instructed, slowly getting to her feet, letting her bones crack. I stood as well, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. She smiled at me before I turned and bounding up the stairs.

Once in the bathroom, I stripped down naked while turning on the shower. I waited for the water to heat up before jumping in and washing all the mud and grime I had gotten during my run. I watched my hair twice to try and rid myself of the smell my mom had mentioned. By the time I had gotten out, a steady heartbeat greeted me from the next room. I grinned, my mom was asleep and had stopped worrying about me.

I wrapped a nubby towel around my thin body, the other I shook through my hair until it was mostly dry. I collected my dirty clothes and dropped in the sink as I studied my reflection. Long, brunette hair, bright blue eyes, pink lips, just another pretty face in the crowd. It was something I was used to be proud of. Now, as I was becoming more and more strange, it was quickly becoming a nuisance. My eyes wandered to the wolf tattoo on my right arm and I frowned at it, wishing it away. It was the main reason my life was currently in shambles and even though I liked the artwork, I couldn't bear to look at it for longer than a few moments. I turned away, flicking off the light and heading to my bedroom.

In my room, I was forced to walk over various strings attracted to bell and alarms. It was my precaution to not let him muddle his way into my dreams and convince me to go back to Oregon. When I reached my closet, I dropped the dirty clothes and towels in a nearby hamper and quickly dressed in pajamas before climbing in bed with still-damp hair.

I proceeded to lie there for the next five hours, never letting myself fall completely asleep.

I was barely entering REM when my alarm went off. Startled, I sat up and ran a shaking hand through my tangled hair. My eyes burned from lack of sleep, but I still climbed out of the bed and trudged through the maze of my room to my closet. I considered my options before grabbing a pair of soft, dark-wash skinny jeans. I knew it was supposed to be a relatively warm day, but I still preferred jeans over any shorts or skirts. I paired it with short, light brown boots. Wearing a bra, I studied the shirts that hung in the closet, trying to find something that would match my lower hair. Nestled between a bright crop top and a thick winter sweater was an off-the shoulder maroon top. I pulled the thin fabric off of the hanger and pulled it on.

When I went to study the outfit in the mirror, I thought it looked alright. The shirt was adjusted so a little piece of my tattoo peeked out. I deemed the comfortable outfit acceptable before rushing to the bathroom.

I quickly brushed and straightened the few curls in my hair, flicking it out of my face. I lined my eyes with eyeliner to top off-set the redness, topping it off with mascara.

Finally, I picked up a pink, perfume bottle, dousing myself. I knew the overly-floral scent would hide the musky smell the wolf brought out in me and I hoped I wouldn't suffocate that many people with it. I knew there were other werewolves in town and I didn't need to let them know of my presence.

Omegas never last. A voice echoed in my head.

I gritted my teeth in frustration, wringing my hands together. Shut up! I finished some lasting touches in the mirror before grabbing my school schedule and bag from the floor, hurrying down the stairs. I looked around at the ground floor, finding that my mom had already left for her morning shift at the hospital. I quickly made myself a piece of toast and put some slightly-cooled coffee in a travel mug. I shoved the toast in my mouth as I locked the front door, heading to my car.

I drove to school, taking various sips of my drink as I felt better than I did yesterday. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, maybe I would make some friends and start to feel normal again.

Once I pulled into the parking lot, I knew that this wasn't going to be true. My heart pounded at the sight of all the students mingling outside, gushing and greeting each other. I concentrated on my breathing, careful to not let it get too out of control as I slowly got out of my car and shut the door behind me. I locked up, dropping my keys in my bag as I turned to face the school. I wrapped the strap of my bag over my shoulder and began the walk inside. I kept my head down; weeding through the students, staring at the map Ms. Morrello had given me of the school.

As I stepped on the curb, a green dirt bike pulled up next to me. I sent it an unemotional glance before continuing on my way, glaring at the map that gave me no direction. I pushed open the double doors, leading to the hallways and quickly moved to the side to allow traffic run. I bit my lip, scanning the room, trying to find the office as I let various voices attack my hearing.

"Freshmen." Some girl was purring at the end of the hall, though I could not see who it was. The room was packed by many students, varying in color, size and gender. "Tons and tons of freshmen."

"You mean boys." Another responded as I found a door, leading to the office.

I quickly ducked in, barely missing getting run over by a couple of boys. The aging secretary within looked up at me when I entered. I walked up to her and she raised her eyebrows, curious to what I needed. "Hello, I'm Calla Akers." I spoke clearly, even though my heart was pounding a mile a minute. I then waved my schedule since it had my full name printed on it. "I'm new."

She studied me for a moment before turning to her computer and typing for a second. I shifted to one foot to the other as I waited. Finally, she looked back up with a warm smile. "Welcome." Her voice was slightly shrill, though it held a kindness most people did not have. She pointed to one of the nylon seats behind me with a fuzzy, pink pen. "You can take a seat and wait for the principal."

"Thanks." I dropped in the seat, letting out a sigh. That wasn't so bad, but then again, that was only the first two minutes of my eight hours here. I moved my leg up and down.

A few minutes later, a door opened, revealing a man with light hair and a receding hairline. He made a beeline towards me with a large smile. "So, it's not just my first day today, it's yours as well." The man had a slight English accent. I stood, my face growing red. "Hello, I'm the principal here. Mr. Casta." I reached for his hand and he grasped it tightly, giving it two formal shakes. "It is very nice to meet you, Miss. Akers. Your transcript is just glowing and Beacon Hills welcome you!"

"Uh, thank you." I squirmed uncomfortably from the over-eager man.

"Anyway, we're starting a bit late today, so I'm afraid your first period has already begun." He peeked at the couple of papers in his hands before giving me another smile. "English with Ms. Blake, alright, you can follow me."

"Okay." I grabbed my bag from where I had dropped it and followed him out into the empty halls. Mr. Casta spoke the entire way there, but I was too preoccupied by my nervousness. I was never good at first days, always fearful and anxious. I only hoped that it would get better as the hours passed. A few steps later, he stopped in front of a looming door.

"Here's your first class. I won't be able to escort you to your every class, but luckily, this school isn't very big. You have your schedule and your map." He patted me on the shoulder, as if his map wasn't shit. "And don't be shy to ask one of the staff members or students for assistance." He paused for a moment, before he peered down at his notes. "I have a student I need to pull out of here, so let's get you settled before I do that." I nodded, feeling overwhelmed.

He pushed open the door before I could say anything and twenty pairs of eyes fell upon us. I walked in after the principal, brushing the hair out of my face. "Class, this is Calla Akers, this is her first day here. I expect you all to treat her kindly." He looked over at the teacher.

A young looking woman with pinned back hair walked towards us, giving me a warm smile. "I'm Ms. Blake. Welcome Calla." I nodded as a hello. "You can take a seat next to," she looked over at her students before looking down at her attendance. "Miss… Argent?" A pretty brunette with short hair looked up. She was in the second row and there was an empty seat next to her. "Right there, Allison, please do make her feel welcome."

I shuffled in that direction, sitting in the seat quietly. The brunette sent me a quick smile before turning around her seat, facing the front again. I could feel the tension in the air between her and the student behind her and I hoped it wouldn't be too awkward for the school year. The principal exchanged a couple of words with the teacher. "Mr. McCall?" The boy next to me raised his head. She gestured for her to come in the hall with her and he quickly packed up before doing so.

Once they were out of the room, the room erupted in noise as everyone turned to each other and began chatting. I bit my lip nervously, pulling my notebook out my bag along with a pencil. I tapped the eraser on my desk as the girl looked over. "Hi, I'm Allison." She looked at my panicked expression, repeating what I already knew. "I used to be new too. It'll be okay. It's a … nice town."

I nodded. "Thanks. I'm Calla." I paused, giving her a shy smile. "Which you already knew,"

Allison gave me a smile. "It's nice to meet you." She peered over at the other side of the classroom. "You don't know anyone?"

I shook my head, shrugging. "I just moved here three weeks ago."

"Oh," She thought for a minute. "Maybe we could hang out sometime."

I nodded, wringing my hands. "That would be cool."

With Ms. Blake strutting back into the classroom, it cut our conversation to an end as Allison turned away. I was pleasantly surprised by the encounter, curious to why she seemed so nice. The teacher began the lesson and I quickly tried to keep up, scribbling notes on the pages. I wondered how I was going to keep up, since this class was further ahead than the one in Oregon, but before I could stress about it more, a loud bang at the window caught the attention of the class.

I looked over to see a splatter of blood. I frowned, a bit shocked. Ms. Blake walked over, her eyebrows furrowed. Another bang came suddenly, along with the splatter of blood. I jumped to my feet just as another bang came. I was now able to see a large flock of birds heading in the direction of the English class. Many students got the same idea as I did, all getting to their feet and letting out screams when they saw the view. Fear filled the room as I flinched from the scent.

When another bird hit the window, it exploded open with a spray of glass. Fear was quickly replaced by panic as everyone scrambled. "Get down! Everyone!" Ms. Blake screeched as she grabbed a student, forcing them down. I dropped to the cold, tile floor as I was attacked by a small group of birds. They scratched my face, cut open the skin on my arms. I scrambled to the back of the room, trying to fight them off, but also trying to hide my healing wounds from the humans that surrounded me.

Suddenly, just as the panic had started, it was cut short as they birds ran into various objects in the room, snapping their neck and ending their rein. I quickly used the sleeves of my shirt to cover my arms as they healed and placed my hands on my face, as if I was crying. There were a few gashes on my face and I heaved my chest, hoping that no one would bother me until they were gone.

I felt someone touch my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

I recognized the voice as Allison. I cowered deeper in my hands and nodded. My heart pounded in my chest as I felt the flesh covering the open slash. Once it was done, I looked up. "Yeah, I'm good. You?"

She nodded; her eyes wide. "Yeah. Looks like you didn't get hurt too bad," I nodded, shrugging. "Except…" I froze my hands on my knees as she reached over and placed a finger to my cheek. "Just one cut." I internally cursed myself. I turned my head away.

"I'll be fine."

A girl's voice called Allison's name quietly and she looked up. "Sorry, I'm going to make sure my friends are okay. You'll be alright?"

"Yeah," I waved her away. She got to her feet, shaking before stumbling towards her friends. I watched as a small redhead as helped up by a boy wearing plaid. The class was still in shock as I quietly got to my feet and slipped out of the back door.

I only hoped no one had noticed me leaving.

A/N: Thank you again vtennis2010 for your review! It made me so happy to see you liking it so far! (: You're awesome!

Thank you for reading! If you get the chance, please review and tell me what you thought!

This will be an OC/? pairing, but I'm not sure who yet, so we'll leave that to the future.

I'll try to update as soon as possible. There is no updating schedule yet, but I will let you know when I come up with one. My work is very chaotic with my hours, so I'm never quite sure when they're going to call me in.

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