A/N: Hey, it took a while because poor gbrowne had to spell check and grammer-ize everything. If something is spelled wrong, I'm so sorry. Read and review please.

Echo

"There's no way you're going with him," Theo's voice startled me out of packing. I closed my eyes, feeling cold and empty. "I have to," I rasped.

"No, you don't. When the moon comes we-we'll lock you up somewhere. I don't know. We'll make it work, but you're not going with him. No one is making you do this."

"I'm making myself do this. For me. For everyone I've hurt and their families. I'm doing this because I can't go around knowing that I could hurt someone at any given moment." My voice was hard, edging on anger. Theo was pissed. So was I. that didn't change a thing. I was still going. I'd made up my mind. Morrie knew I was stubborn as hell, and she'd told Theo as much, but he'd kept arguing with me.

"Echo, you're not going to hurt me."

"I hurt everyone." I let the acid drip into my thought and color my words. I was sick of arguing. "Besides, this means I get to keep Nick away from Morrie. It's a win/win situation."

"Not for me," he shook his head.

"This isn't your decision, Theo. It never has been. You don't know what I do. You don't know what I am," I growled.

"I know you. I know that you hate the wolf. I know that you love your sister and that you'd gladly lay down your life for her. I know that you'd fight until your last breath for something you beeline in. Face it, Echo. I know you. Your angry, bitter, sarcastic, and a bit self-loathing."

I scoffed, "Thanks."

"But you love your sister, your protective, passionate, determined; a fighter."

I shoved a sports bra into the bag…. Then shoved in all of them. I was going to be doing a hell of a lot of changing. Elastic worked better then a normal bra, I could keep it on longer. Ugh- great, I shuttered. Morrie's boyfriend was basically going to see my naked. Yippy. My humiliation was complete. I'm sure Morrie would be thrilled.

"I'm going, Theo. I'm sorry that you don't like it- but I'm running out of options- hell, I've never had any. The full moon is coming, and there's no stopping it. So I need to figure out how to stop myself instead."

"You don't need to do this-"

"Yes. I do."

I scoffed, like I was being a stubborn child, and sat on the edge of my bed. The mattress creaked, the springs were old.

The anger roared into pure frustration. He would never understand. He wasn't listening. "When I was…. Bitten- I didn't scream. I didn't cry when it dragged me down and tore at me. I didn't cry because I wasn't afraid. It was like; well, no use in that now. You're going to die and you know it. There was no reason to pity your self. I was so sure I was going to die- but I fought it off and managed to make it to my house, passed out on the lawn. Even when Morrie was screaming her head off I hadn't been afraid, yeah it was painful- but I hadn't cried or screamed."

"Mora said you couldn't remember," he whispered.

"At first I couldn't. For the longest time I even lied to myself and said I didn't, but I always have." I shook my head, staring at my hands. "After my first change, when I came to… I did know what happened at first, of course. But when I found the bodies I knew what I'd done." I sat down next to him, leaning my head on the wall. "I screamed then. Cried, too. I'd just murdered my parents. I guess I killed apart of myself then, too. I locked Morrie out of the house, cleaned myself up the best I could. I was covered in their blood. My mother and my father. I couldn't live with myself. I still can't."

"Did anyone look for you? People must have known there were four of you in the house."

"No. I had left enough of my own blood at the scene for anyone to think Morrie and I had both been killed." My mouth tasted like sandpaper and knives I at the thought.

"How did you…"

"How do you think?" I challenged. What I'd done to myself back there I didn't like to bring up.

"Echo…" he wrapped his arms around me, pressing his lips to my forehead.

"Do you see now?" I mumbled into his shoulder. "Do you see why I have to kill it before it kills me?" I'd do anything to be free of this. And that made me dangerous.

"I do," his voice rumbled deep in his chest, vibrating against me. "But I don't want you to go with him. I'm not the slightest bit happy about this."

"I know. I'm not asking you to be, but if this works- if he's telling the truth- I will be."

He nodded. I sipped the duffel bag and hung it over my shoulder. "Thank you, Theo. You're a good friend. I cant remember the last time I've had a friend, really. Its just been Morrie and me for so long, I guess I forgot what I was like to have someone else." I turned and walked out the door. The screen slamming behind me.

Morrie looked sad, her eyes on Nick like her heart might just break. "It'll be a week tops," I put a hand on her shoulder. She still just stared at nick, looking like a thin glass. I gave her a hug that she tried her best to return. She felt tense, like all she wanted to do was run to Nick. I bit my tongue. I was her sister. Blood first, right?

I got into Nick's car, wishing it was my jeep.

The whole way we drove in silence.

Nick had a shed similar to the ones the sifters used; it was way out in the woods, still in La Push territory. The differences I noticed as I walked in were the hard, thick walls, no windows, not even the high up ones. Ropes and chains were fashioned against the wall. There were deep gouges in the wood, like claw marks.

"So just how long have you been here?" I asked, looking at everything at once.

He shrugged, "Few months."

I walked over and picked up the chains on the left side of the wall. They rattled across the floor as I dragged them up. I drooped them and- feeling extremely uncomfortable- pulled off my shirt and my jeans, setting them out of the way so they wouldn't get caught in my claws. Nick helped me fasten the chains onto my wrists and ankles while I did my neck. This was going hurt.

"Ready?" he asked.

I took a deep breath, "Yeah."

"Remember to focus, don't shut it out or blackout. Stay conscious."

"I know."

Then it started. The eclectic tingle down the spine that fractured into pain as my vertebrae moved under my skin. My spine arched and twisted. My fingers clawed at the ground, the claws ripping off the skin of my fingertips. I felt the change crash though my body, my legs, my arms, and my face. Like the bones were being smashing to my place with a jagged, burning hammer of acid until they fit the picture. I knew I was screaming, I could feel it in my thought, burning up my lungs with the change. No one could here me, at least that what he said.

I tossed my head up, screaming until it became a howl. I twisted, pulling against the restraints until I bled. It was too much. I was going to black out. Every bone in my body was snapping and bending, poking against the skin, trying to turn my inside out. My eyes rolled up in my head, my face was braking now. Smashing in. My legs were snapping and twisting. My shoulders crunched. I could feel my ribs and breast bone press against my skin. My teeth ached, clenched and crackling. The fangs pressed into my lower and upper lip, sending blood into my mouth and the thunder roaring. I screamed again, a long, painful sound from the bottom of my thought. A battle cry, a wail of hunger, the howl of my hunt. Pulling, ripping, tearing again the restrains, needed free, hunt, prey, run. Need needed. Needed. Gone.

I came to on my stomach I'd changed 16 times so far. With shaking hands I pulled on a pair of jeans and a bra before I collapsed shaking and bleeding where the restraints were.

"It didn't work." I croaked, I'd gargled blood and rusty nails.

"No." he looked up. "I'm so sorry echo. Your hunger is too strong."

I closed my eyes, tears threatening. I couldn't kill it. I was so tired. I would hurt for weeks after this. "Can I have the key?"

He nodded and un-hooked the color and cuffs, pulling my up from the ground where I'd been forced to change continually for hours on end—splotches of blood, I couldn't tell then apart from when I'd stared to vomit up blood and from the times I'd torn my skin with the restraints.

Nick, noticing that I was out of shirts, draped his leather jacket over me, I pulled my arms though the sleeves.

"Do you want to try again?" he asked.

Do I want to? No. But- "I have to." But my eyelids were already drooping, my legs falling out from under me. I was just so tried. If I could lay curled up on the floor for the rest of eternity - I would have been content.

But Nick fell back, slamming against the wall, sending me falling.

"Nick?" my voice shook.

"We need to go. Now!" He pushed me out the door and into the car, revving the engine to life and tarring off.

"What the hell is going on!" I yelled.

"I don't know! All I know is that Morana is in trouble!"

"Then what the hell are you doing? Drive faster!" I was wide-awake now, my mussels burning and throbbing under my skin. Nick tore down the highway, speeding way over the speed limit. I wasn't complaining.

We arrived a few hours later, Nick swerved into the drive way and grabbed a phone. Morrie and I didn't have cell phones so I called up Theo, who had clearly been asleep.

"Mmh?" he answered.

"Where the hell is Morrie?" I snapped.

"Wha-? Oh, she's having diner with a friend of mine," he sounded more alert.

"Is she ok? Nick flipped out and called off the whole thing."

"She's fine, a vampire across the border got a bit pissed at her, but he was just playing around. Mora got scared, though. She's alright now."

"Where are you then? I told you to stay with her."

"Relax, I'm sitting in the parking lot waiting for her. Your car is very comfortable by the way," I could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"Yeah, well, rest up because Nick is going to kick your ass when you get back. He's having a break down in the corner as we speak." To tell you the truth, he was pacing like a mad man, but he was a second short of a break down.

"Okay, tell him she's fine. I'm sure she'll be done soon. If you want you guys can meet us down here. We're at the dinner."

I relayed the message to Nick, who looked relived enough to pass out. Nick said he would meet them, but wanted to shower first. I hung up with Theo, who was falling asleep as I spoke to him. That guy needed to get more sleep.

Speaking of sleep…. The kitchen counter was looking very welcoming. I pulled up a chair and closed my eyes against the cold marble. I just couldn't seem to fall asleep. I walked over to the cabinet and made some tea, in hopes that it would calm me down. Before I knew it, the screen door opened and I was up like a shot.

"Thank god!" I ran over to Morrie, pulling her to a hug. "I was so worried about you! Never do that again! You could have been killed!" Morrie looked at me confused for a moment, the horrified. That's when I noticed I was wearing a bra, and an opened jacket. Self consciously, I held the sides together. Great, it looked like today was officially lets-see-Echo-in-her-bra-day. Who next? I asked myself hypothetically… and then Theo walked into the room. Great, my mind growled. Lets just have a big party; I'll keep the outfit on too.

Morrie stated to shake, falling back. Theo grabbed her arm, "Are you okay?" It was spoken like some sort of code. She didn't answer. Theo's eyes widened and he jumped forward, grabbing me by the waist and pushing me out of the way. Morrie was going to shift.

"Morrie!" I yelled.

"I trusted you! How could you? Goddamit! I gave up everything for you! Everything. I'm nothing, you took all I have left. You stole my humanity. Can't you see that I'm bloody, I'm bleeding! I'm hollow just like you!" Her skin rippled, like snakes trapped under skin. I felt the breath leave my lungs, some invisible force pushing it all out until I was lightheaded and dizzy. I twisted trying to reach her. I had to tell her- had to tell her- that I'd never meant to hurt her. I wasn't even sure what I'd done to upset her, but I would never hurt her. She was my sister, I loved her with every bit of myself until all I had left in me was her, but while my sister had been my humanity, I had been hurting her because she had had to be strong when I had been weak. Once a month, she had to put up with all the hell I put her tough. I felt tears stinging. I'd been poison. Killing morrie with out even knowing it.

"Morrie!" I shrieked.

"Just let her run it out, it'll be okay Echo."

I spun, "No!" I shoved him back, but the changes had left me weak, so it didn't do much more then nudge him. He still held onto me, refusing to let me run after her. "Nothing has ever been ok! I hurt her! She never had to go with me - but she did! I poisoned her in return! I hurt my sister! Don't you get it? I hurt the only person that means anything to me!"

At the worst possible moment, Nick ran in, in nothing but a towel. "Where is she?" He yelled panic-stricken. "Morana?!"

"And you-" I stated in, "you hurt her too! She loves you and you hurt her, doesn't that mean anything to you?" I stormed out of the room fuming, aching, and bleeding.

I kill everything I touch.

Morrie wouldn't have allowed me to even think that before, but maybe not— maybe now she would agree with me. I had taken everything from her. Sure, maybe she didn't have to break every bone in her body, or wake up a bloody mess, but she had to take care of me then. The aftermath. I guess I'd always compensated for that by protecting her, by guarding her every breath. Now other people were taking care of her, and, I realized, I didn't have Morrie to take care of me. Once I'd left her live, even for a small amount of time- she realized just how much of a burden I was. I realized just how much I relied on her.

With out her it was almost like I couldn't function right, I didn't know how to. Morrie, she could adjust, but I didn't know how to adapt.

"I'm hollow just like you!"

I'm sorry that I made you that way. I never meant to harm you. Please, please, please I swear. I never meant to. But you did, you did and if she leaves you alone- then you've gotten what you deserve, if you have to change with out her this month, then you deserve it. You dammed monster. You deserve to suffer.

I closed my eyes, sliding down the wall of the bedroom. I let the hair hang in my face. I was so tired, everything hurt. But most of all my heart, which I was pretty sure had died back in that room. It was even getting hard to breathe; maybe I should have been a bit concerned. I didn't care. I didn't care what happened to me, if I lived tomorrow or died today.

And that scared me.

I slid over to the bed and pulled the covers up over my head. I needed to sleep, I needed to eat, and I needed my sister. God I was going to throw up, I rolled onto my back, feeling sick to the core. I'd focused so hard on physically protecting my sister that I hadn't noticed she was breaking inside. I have never been good with emotions or reading people- that was Morrie's strong suite, but I knew my sister and I should have known I was hurting her. I should have known.

And I was an idiot; I was lying in bed, trying to sleep while my sister was hurting somewhere. I should really give Nick back his jacket, which was tossed across the floor, but it hurt to breath so I could only imagine how it would hurt to move. But I did, I slid off the bed, morning as I hit the floor. I grabbed a jacket, I'm not sure who's, since I was fresh out of clothes and inched it over my head. I scooped up Nick's jacket and limped out of the room, making pathetic little sound of pain with every step I took.

"What happened to you?" Leah asked, noting my pain.

I hesitated for a moment, she couldn't know about me, "Cramps," I complained, finding the irony suiting.

"I don't have anything around here, but if you want I can run to the market and grab some Tylenol for you."

"Thanks," I said earnestly, it would help the sore mussels. "That'd be great."

She head out, and I heard the rev of her car's engine. I tossed the jacket to the ground. There was no way I would make it three steps out side but I had to try. Nick was already out looking for her. I didn't really want to see anyone right now. I just needed to find Morrie.

I pushed opened the door, and tired to close it. My arms were too weak, and I only got I half way shut. The cold air met my like a slap.

"Need a hand?" Theo asked, catching the door and pushing it shut. "I figured you would come out here for her. I also figured you wouldn't make it far and you freezing to death out there is not exactly appealing. Morrie would kill me." I nodded, walking towards the woods, Theo training behind. The snow was fluttering down, coating everything. It was frigid out and everything was too thin, Morrie's jeans were too short, but my snow boots covered that.

I was up my knees in snow, trudging though. I got father then I thought I would have, we made it pretty deep into the woods. My head was throbbing and my vision was flickering in and out. My legs kept failing and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep getting up. I fell back against a tree. If moved my entire being would unravel and I would turn to acid and flame.

Theo sighed. "Hold this," he handed a bag full of clothes. He stepped back a good ten feet. The shift poured over him like water, dark fur washing over him. He was bigger then the average wolf, with thick chocolate fur and eerily human eyes. I stepped forward, toppling over on a slippery patch of ice. The wolf leapt forward and caught me before I could fall completely. I stared at him for a moment. My hands buried in his fur to keep from falling.

"seriously?" I laughed. "You want me to get on your back? You're a wolf- not a horse," I scoffed.

Theo chuffed, the wolf equivalence of a laugh, dipping his muzzle into a nod. Reluctantly, I climbed on his back, the fur was warm and thick. When you looked close enough, you could see all the colors mixed into it, the blends of reds, blacks, browns, and blond fur creating a mosaic of oil on water. Mine was just straight black. Perhaps it was a shifter thing though, Morrie was gray and white, a spectral of shades. Maybe shifters just got nicer fur. I leaned forward, resting my head in between his shoulder blades, breathing in his sent—as odd as that may sound. It was something I used to identify people. Morrie was sugar, nick was pine needles, Leah was an ocean breaze, and Theo smelled like rain and the mountains.

My long, curling black hair fell over my shoulders and against his fur, swaying with every step Theo took. He was much faster as a wolf, the powerful canine legs propelling him though the dense groves. When I changed, the legs were longer then an average wolf, my teeth were bigger, and my claws were also bigger and sharper.

What would it be like when I changed this moon? Who would I kill? Morrie and I had tried the chained-up-in-a-cell thing before. I got too strong on my change-moons. Nick's shed wouldn't work for me. From the research we'd done, we had found that females were especially blood thirsty and uncontrollable, so what worked for him would not work for me. I wasn't at my strongest when Nick forced me to change, but soon I would be. I shuttered.

Slowly, I drifted off to the thoughts of wolves and monsters burning into my mind...