I didn't need to, since dingoes are considerably smaller than people, but I stripped down to run. Bran had made sure to find me somewhere to live with my "father" Asil. He and Anna were the only two who really liked me, the others didn't care in the slightest it seemed.

I gave in to my dingo and shook myself off to get rid of the tingles. I don't know who my father is because my mom and he were only dating for a month or two before my mom got pregnant. I know they didn't stay together, but even when my mother visited she never talked about him.

She might have written about him in the journal she gave me, but I never read it. I picked up my backpack carefully, I wasn't a retriever, my teeth were dangerous and not accustomed to being soft.

Dashing through the green trees and all the way through half of the United States, I thought about my life thus far and about my options for college. Well, actually, I didn't have much option. Bran had decided for me on a college and it's where I was off to.

Columbia Basin College.

I have no idea why he picked it, but I guess I'll learn soon enough. I just knew that I was studying Emergency Medical Services or something stupid.

I finally reached the little motel I'd be staying at-arrangements were made by Bran-that was on the territory of the Emerald City Pack. It was dark out so I changed and walked into the scent markers to be met moments later by growling. Something dark brown tackled me and we rolled. As a human, I was way smaller and lighter than the wolf and had no chance what-so-ever.

"Enough, she is a guest." I suspected it was the alpha. Although, he didn't look to happy either. It literally felt like home. I nodded and held out my hand.

"Alex."

The man didn't move to shake it.

"Angus."

I tried not to snort or laugh or anything at all, his name was kind of...different? Funny? Try drop dead hilarious! I settled for a smile.

"Hello, Angus!" I finally figured out the reason his eyes were steadily getting lighter was because I was staring in his eyes. I tend to forget about the technicalities and mannerisms of werewolves. I didn't do anything about it anyways because it didn't matter to me. If he killed me hopefully Bran would kill him...but then again...

I watched him struggle to settle down and he turned sharply around with a growl.

"Follow me."

I slung my backpack over my shoulder, stuck my tongue out at the brown wolf on the ground, and followed him.

After ages I was in my room and drifting into an uncomfortable sleep. I was in unfamiliar territory surrounded by unfamiliar wolves. I subconsciously found myself sleeping facing the door on my belly. I woke up every time I started to doze, and I did it out of habit and instinct.

In the morning Angus attempted to feed me, but his face gave me reason to not trust the meal. So after about an hour of fighting, he called some of his wolves to escort me off. I smiled in triumph but he didn't trust me either because he showed me off with his wolves. Of course, at that point I was a dingo so my tongue lolled out the side of my mouth when he ruffled the fur on my head and told me to get my furry ass out of his territory.

It took until sunset to reach my destination. It was a quiet place, but people were walking down the street and I was too lazy to find someplace to change so I wiggled into the collar in my bag. I hadn't checked the address on it before I left and Bran had been the one to change it so if I ended up on a doorstep, I had no idea whose it was. I just know I was lucky to be a dingo like I was, we look like normal dogs, we almost have that domestic dog face, mine more than normal which was helpful. Of course, it almost looked like we were crossed with say...a coyote or something because of our ears which were pretty stupid looking. Of course, I suppose our teeth are a little...absurd as well. I mean they're unnecessarily long for a house dog, but whatever.

I held the pack in my jaws and trotted briskly down the street before my senses picked up on something...wrong. I paused, a few people walked by me before I spotted my problem.

She was covered in tattoos and her face looked...familiar, reminded me of a little girl Bran has a picture of in his house.

That similarity was not my problem.

Her smell was. She smelled like I did except, not exactly. You know what I mean? Like it was so close, so much the same, but there was a big difference.

She smelled like coyote.

Maybe she owns them? I tried to convince myself. No, that's a stupid thought. My eyes widened when I realized she was staring at me too. I turned around and ran the other way.

Shit, shit, shit! I yelled at myself as I took a sharp left into an alley where I was forced to scramble up a fence and jump down to the other side. I had to throw my backpack over first.

Don't run me over, don't run me over! I ran out into the street like an idiot and crossed to the other side.

Find somewhere to change and find your place. I told myself. I finally found a spot to change and emerged fully clothed with the backpack back over my shoulder.

"I think you dropped this." There was a voice behind me. I froze and spun around, shocked that I hadn't noticed anyone's presence.

It was the same woman from before and she held my locket. I immediately reached up to my neck, it had never fallen off in a chase before this. I snatched it away without a word, putting it around my neck where it belonged.

"Who are you?" She stayed where she was, careful not to make any sudden movements.

"Lynn." I smiled.

"First name?"

I grimaced, I had kind of hoped it'd slip like it had last time.

"Alex."

She nodded.

"So, Alex, what brings you here?" She questioned and I realized suddenly that I had crossed a border somewhere because I could smell wolf.

"I live somewhere around here." I shrugged, taking my collar off and handing it to her along with the paper I had been given with my address. "You know the address?"

"Well, there's two different ones here." She looked amused as she read them, "This one is mine." She held up the collar, I had figured that one wouldn't have my address on it.

"And the other?"

"Around the corner." She gave me them both back.

"From your place or from here, because there are no corners here." I snorted.

"From my place."

I nodded.

"And what is your name?" I frowned.

"Mercy." She laughed, probably thinking I was stupid not to ask sooner, which I was.

"Full name?"

"I didn't ask you for yours Alex. Or, should I call you April?" She watched me.

Apri? What is she... I took out the collar and read the name.

"No, no Alex is fine." I made a face and returned the collar to my backpack.

"Would you like me to show you to your house? Or would you rather avoid cars on the freeway?"

I sighed.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Yes."

I rolled my eyes.

"Show me my house then leave me be."

We didn't talk at all as she brought me to my new house, well...until we reached the block I was supposed to be living on. That's where I freaked.

"Nope, I'm good actually. What do you think the odds are I can move my house here?"

"Considering it's in the middle of the road?" Mercy stared at me.

"Well, I'll take the old cardboard box then." I crossed my arms and glared at her.

"You're house is that blue one." She pointed.

"That's my problem!" I yelled at her. "I will not live on a block infested by wolves and lived in by the pack's alpha! There are way too many scents for that to be a normal pack member's home!"

"Why'd you buy the house then?" She looked at me like I was crazy.

"I didn't that's the problem!" I stopped and stood still for a moment before letting out a growl and tearing through my pack for my cell. "He did this on purpose. I HATE HIM!"

"Who are you calling? Who did this? Alex, what are you DOING?" Mercy pulled my backwards to the other street we had just come from so as to get out of the way of any and all cars. Then she stopped when she heard the keypad tones I hit and I idly wondered whether she knew him or not.

"Alex, you've arrived at your-"

"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL?" I screamed into the phone, "You did this on purpose! How could you? You and my father! YOU BOTH KNEW! Fuck this, Bran, I'm not living here. Do you know how tense the short visit to Emerald City was? They hated me more than Aspen Creek did! And you put me next to the alpha's house! Does he even know that I'm going to live there? Or am I a complete surprise?"

"Calm down, Alexandria." Bran said calmly, "Yes, Asil knew. No, Adam does not know, I suspect you'll run into his mate before you run into him however. She'll be curious about you, her name is Mercedes."

I looked up and my eyes met Mercy's.

"And let me guess, she goes by Mercy." I growled.

"So you have met her? Well, it's settled then. Adam knows of your arrival." Bran sounded happy.

I put the phone down without hanging up.

"You're the alpha's MATE?" I glared at her, she stood her ground. "You didn't even warn me!"

"I assumed you knew."

"Alex, Mercy was unaware of our arrangements." Bran sighed.

"Tell my father...never mind I'll call him myself."

"He's with Anna at the moment." Bran warned me.

"Damn it, Bran! You couldn't have warned me? Or Adam?" I stopped again when I said the name which had rung a bell. "HAUPTMAN?" I screeched.

"Yes, Hauptman." He agreed.

"I have number four living next door!" I groaned.

"And number three lives in the backyard of your next door." Bran told me.

"SAMUEL LIVES HERE? YOU SAID HE LIVED IN NEW YORK NOW!" I was furious, no, I was beyond furious. "I'm leaving. I'm done. I'll go to college in Australia. I didn't want to be an emergency medical care person, that was your idea. Now I know why."

"You bought her a house?" Mercy finally broke in.

"No, actually, Asil did. And he's helping her pay for college."

"Okay, Bran, that is no fair." She grumbled.

"You two enjoy the company." And he hung up.

"I guess I'd better move in."