The next day, I stood at the window watching the rain fall down. It was just Emily and I in the house today; no boys. Not even Seth. He hadn't even called.

"Nani?" Emily said carefully behind me.

It was time I find out what was going on. "How did you get those scars?" I asked quietly.

She paused. "Nani, I-"

"Just answer me honestly." I said, turning to look at her. "How did you get those scars?"

She sighed. "I knew you'd figure it out sooner or later. The guys didn't want you to know, but-"

"Emily..."

"Sam." she said simply. "Sam gave them to me."

I nodded, my suspicions having been confirmed. "Don't try to follow me." I said, walking out the door and slamming it behind me. The moment I was outside, all the anger and terror I was suddenly feeling burst out of me in the form of running. Running as fast as I could. I had gotten what I wanted. I knew what they were hiding. Was everyone here a monster?

Yes.

. . .

Sam walked into the quiet house, looking around. "Emily?"

"I'm here."

He walked over to her and noticed her distressed expression. "What happened?"

"Nani left." she said. "She knows, Sam. She figured it out. Maybe not the details, but..." She turned to look at her fiance. "Sam, I couldn't tell her everything. She walked out before-"

"I have to find her." he said quickly. "This is the second time she's run off on her own. It's dangerous out there, Emily! The pack is phasing without even trying, and they become feral. We were lucky Bella picked her up yesterday, but today we might not be."

"Well, she might have gone to the beach." she offered. "She's been going there a lot lately."

"What? No she hasn't, she's been going to the park."

"But she told me she was..." They looked at each other, realization dawning on them.

"Seth."

Sam was headed for the door, already stripping his shirt off. "I need to get her."

"But she's safe, isn't she? I mean, Seth won't hurt her, right?"

"Emily, at this point, if I don't find her soon, she's as good as dead." he answered, taking off.

. . .

I climbed up the ivy on the side of the Clearwater's house, stopping at Seth's window and tapping on it. He came to the glass and looked at me, then shook his head. I motioned for him to open the window, but again, he said no. I gestured more violently, and finally he pushed it up. "Go away, Nani." he said.

"Not until I get some answers." I said, forcing my way through the window.

"I'm serious, Nani, get out!"

"No!" I snapped. "What is wrong with you? You've been avoiding me all day!"

Seth looked like he was trying as hard as he could to stay calm. "Look, if I tell you, do you promise you'll leave?"

I nodded and sat on his bed. He sighed again. "Fine. But don't interrupt. Because we're a little short on time, I'm just going to come out and say it: We're werewolves. Jake, Embry, Jared, all of us. Sam is our leader."

I took a breath, but this wasn't as hard to digest as it might have been. I'd been suspecting this. Not werewolves specifically, but something close to it.

"And now, something is really wrong with the pack. We're phasing unintentionally and we're starting to give in to our instincts and I know it's going to happen to me soon so if you don't get out of here we'll be in a lot of trouble and I can't let you get hurt because – Because I-"

"You what, Seth? Spit it out!" I snapped.

"I've imprinted on you." he murmured almost so quietly that I couldn't hear. Then, something began happening to him. He started shaking, and I couldn't figure out why. He looked like he was in pain, like he was resisting something powerful.

Suddenly, someone was banging on the door. "Nani?" came Sam's urgent voice. "Nani, are you in there?"

"They can't get in." Seth spat through gritted teeth. "Door – locked – Arrgh!" He was shaking so fast his outline was blurred.

If I had blinked, I would have missed it.

I didn't blink and I still didn't understand.

Where Seth should have been, there was a massive wolf growling at me. I didn't scream. I didn't move. I hardly even breathed. I just pressed myself against the door, hoping against all hope that this monster wouldn't eat me. It was sniffing the air, tasting my scent. I closed my eyes, praying to every god I knew to save me.

"Nani?" someone called, this time Embry.

"The door's locked." I said as quietly as I could.

"Open it."

"I can't move."

I heard Sam swear. "Somebody get a hammer! Something to get this damn door open!"

At the sound of Sam yelling, the wolf snarled and pushed its head in my face. "Wait! No! Stop!" I pleaded, looking into its eyes. Its dark, brown eyes. Seth's eyes.

"Seth, please," I whispered. "It's me."

He blinked and paused, the sound of his name seeming to calm him down slightly. "That's it." I said, tears in my eyes, I was so scared. "See, Seth? Nothing to go crazy about. It's just me. Don't hurt m-"

Someone on the other side hit the door full force. It didn't break, but it caused Seth to rear back with a snarl, swinging a paw and catching me on the shoulder. Three long, red scratches appeared, and pain exploded in my arm. When he came back down, his paws landed on either side of me, and then he was Seth again, staring at me with wild, frightened eyes. The force of his wolf form, though, had hit the door so hard that it fell. I fell on top of it, the abruptness of hitting the wood jarring me. Someone pushed Seth off of me, but everything was looking blurry. The colors were too bright, and there was a ringing in my ears that blocked out most sounds.

Then everything went black.

. . .

Before anyone says anything, yes, Seth was naked at the end of the chapter and, no, I'm sure they really didn't care.