I ran into the forests of Texas. I had no thoughts. My mind was wiped of everything but the essentials. Breathe, blink, move, breathe, blink, move, breathe, blink, move. I let my most basic survival instincts take over. I would no longer think as a human – I would be a wolf entirely. I would be safer that way. He wouldn't be able to find me. He wouldn't be able to hurt me this way. I would be leaving friends and family behind, but I would be safe. Will wasn't here to protect me and I didn't trust anyone else enough to count on them. So I ran.

I ran until my breathing came ragged.

I ran until oxygen felt like fire.

I ran until I was shaking.

I ran until my body screamed for mercy.

I ran until it pleaded for a respite.

I ran until I couldn't take it anymore.

I ran from my memories.

I ran from the pain.

I ran until all I felt were my muscles burning.

I ran until it all slid out. The yelling, the stress, the memories flowed out.

I reached the creek and stopped. My legs had finally given out. I plopped down in it and let the soothing waters run over my sweating body. When I was cool and rested, I climbed out and shook myself. What to do now? What did wolves do? I wandered aimlessly through the forest, acquainting myself with my new home. I found a hidden cavern and ventured in.

"Cat?" I whipped around and saw Maya standing by the mouth of the cave. "They'll find you if you stay here. This is where we sleep when we stay out as wolves late at night. If you follow me, I'll take you someplace they won't go." I nodded my head and stepped out of the cave. She started to change. Soon there was a gorgeous white wolf standing by a pile of clothing. She began running in a direction I had yet to explore and I followed swiftly behind.

After several minutes of running, we reached a wooden fence. Maya ran alongside it, until she reached a spot where a slab had broken. She slithered in and I squeezed in after her. We ran for several more minutes until we reached a second cave. This one was a lot smaller. Maya entered as I sat outside, panting.

"Cat? Aren't you going to come in?" I stood up wearily, unused to so much exercise in one day and entered the cave. Maya had magically changed into human clothing. I stared at her quizzically.

"I keep clothes stashed in here for emergencies. I have some more if you want to change and talk." She held out a hoodie, some underwear and a pair of jeans. I took them in my mouth and hid behind a rock. It took me longer than ever to change back into a human. I must have been in my wolf form for too long. My mom had warned me that staying in wolf form for too long could have adverse side effects. I slid the clothes on and they felt scratchy to my now hairless skin.

"Hey" I said softly as I crept out from behind the rock. Maya was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the cave.

"Hey, Come sit!" I walked reluctantly to where she was and plopped onto the ground. "So, what's up? Who called?" I sighed.

"It's a long story. Parts of which I've repressed."

"Well, we have all night."

"I fell in love senior year…with a vampire. He...well…it doesn't matter. Anyways, we were on a date in Central Park and I said some stupid things and ran from him. There was another vampire in the park that night. He drank human blood. He kidnapped me. Will saved me by changing me, but I guess they didn't get him. That's who called – the evil vampire. His voice...it...ugh," I shuddered involuntarily and repressed the urge to throw up.

"Cat, that's horrible." Maya scooted over and wrapped her arms around me. I attempted to withhold my tears – I hated crying so much, it was cowardly – but I couldn't. They poured out.

"I was just so scared. I didn't know what to do. I'm so much safer as a wolf, at least until he's gone. I should call my brothers. They would get him." My sobbing impeded me from saying more.

"It's alright Cat." She soothed. "I promise we'll help." My tears stopped flowing and my breathing relaxed. "I'm going to call Sam on the walkie-talkie, he's the only one who knows about this place and we're going to make a plan. Ok?" I nodded and let her get up. She walked to the far side of the cave, where there was an almost imperceptible shelf on the wall. She picked up a black and yellow walkie-talkie and all I could think of was bees. Big bumble bees flying around my head, small wasps buzzing in the ceiling. My head started throbbing and next thing I knew I was falling backwards, my eyes saw black spots, and my world became dark.

"Cat?" The fuzzy feeling in my head began to clear. I opened my eyes and saw several faces. Maya, Sam, Sam's dad, Matt, Justin.

"What happened?" I asked as Sam helped me into a sitting position.

"A mixture of dehydration and anxiety caused you to faint. Here, drink some water, it'll help." Sam's dad handed me a water bottle as I vaguely recalled that he was a doctor. I sipped at the water slowly and rested against Sam.

I looked around me and realized I was no longer in the small cave. Maya or Sam must have moved me to the bigger one so that their family wouldn't find out about the other one. I tried sitting up completely, but my blood pressure must have still been high and I collapsed back on Sam.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Sorry? What for?" Maya asked.

"For being so much trouble. I shouldn't have come." Matt scoffed and responded.

"Nonsense. I'm glad you came."

"This vampire you told Maya about isn't the only one, Cat. There is a whole coven of them, which we have been trying to take down for several years. They're a cult and thanks to you, we have a way to track them." Justin said.

"A whole coven?" The world swam before my eyes as I imagined hundreds of them.

"Yeah, we've been picking them off one by one." said Mr. O'Reilley. "We go to a different state every summer to search for them."

"Well you guys go. The rest of us go to Michigan to learn "wolf" behavior. As if it wasn't already instinctual." Maya said. I could tell this was an ongoing argument.

"So while you were out, we discussed what to do." Sam whispered as the argument heated up. "My dad actually knows your mom, Leah right?" I nodded. "Yeah, my dad is Sam from the books and my mom is Emily – I know. She has no scar and her actual name is Leslie. Meyer just wanted to spice things up a bit. Anyways, so he called up your mom and she agreed. Clearly this madman has an obsession with you and so the best way for you to be safe is to be a wolf until we catch him. She'll speak with Alice and the college."

"Ok," I said. I didn't trust myself to say anything else. Everything was happening way to quickly for my taste. It was only Thanksgiving week. What was I going to do?

"For how long was I out?" I asked him as I realized how much they had gotten done.

"A good couple of hours. My dad said we should let you sleep it off. Don't worry, he monitored you as we talked."

"I thought that vampires didn't like human blood."

"That's true for the most part. Although it depends on your lineage – on who turned you. It's sort of like genetics. If the vampire who turned you doesn't like human blood, then you won't either. It's not a lifestyle choice."

"Oh so that's why - " I caught myself off. They didn't know I was half-and-half.

"Why you don't like human blood?" I opened my eyes wide.

"How did you know?"

"You told Maya you were saved from that fucking vampire because Will changed you. That plus the faint smell on you…well we're smart people."

"You don't care?"

"Nope." He said grinning. "It makes you even more interesting."

"Oh…okay. So now what?"

"Now, we teach you how to survive as a wolf."