I burst out the door, searching anxiously for Mason. But he was nowhere to be found.

"Mason? Please Mason, if you're here, talk to me."

"He's not here," said a low voice.

Christian emerged in his werewolf form. I took a step back; I did not have a good track record with werewolves lately.

"Relax," he said, leaning against the brick wall. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jacket and offered the packet to me.

"I don't smoke," I told him.

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

He lit one and took a few puffs. It was a weird scene. I stood there, watching him blow rings of smoke as he watched me watching him. If that makes any sense at all.

"Can I ask you something?" I said suddenly. Now was as good a time as any to get answers.

"Shoot," he said with a small smile.

"Why'd you save me?"

He dragged his cigarette from his mouth and made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a cough, as if he'd choked while inhaling the stick of poison.

"Why are you so curious?" he asked back, smirking before taking another puff.

"Because I am," I retorted. Now I knew how Mason felt; Christian was frustrating and annoying. "Nate's your friend and you hunt humans right?" I was vulnerable and ready for the taking. What stopped you?"

"Did you want me to take a bite out of you? Because if you still feel that way, I would be all too happy to oblige."

I rolled my eyes. "Answer the question."

He sighed as he dropped his smoke to the ground and stepped on it.

"Look, no matter what Mason may say about me, I'm not that much of a jerk as he'd like to believe." He stepped in closer and this time I didn't move away. "He loves you and….you're a bad influence on him. I like that," he said, smiling wickedly.

I almost cracked a grin. Mason had a habit of always being too nice. Yesterday, I would've said he didn't have a dangerous bone in his body. Now I knew better.

"You're joining them too, aren't you? I said, realization dawning on me.

He didn't nod but it was easy to tell from his face. "Alex, even if I didn't agree with what they're doing, it doesn't change anything. Rebelling against them won't make a difference. They'll kill him if he doesn't side with them."

"Not if he turns himself in," I said defiantly.

He laughed frostily. "Are you willing to be responsible for them locking him up? You'll never see him again and he'll die eventually when they run out of ideas on how to turn him completely human. He has a better chance of survival siding with the wolves."

"They won't kill him," I said weakly, but my faith in Daniel's promise not to hurt the good werewolves was fading.

"You know better than that Alex."

I sat down on the pavement, too weak to stand anymore. He sat next to me, which usually would way too close for my liking but I didn't care.

"I'll make sure nothing happens to him when the war starts. I promise, I'll protect him," he said strongly.

He had such conviction in his voice, I believed him. "Thanks," I whispered.

He stared at me strangely for a moment before placing a fleeting kiss on my forehead. I was so surprised that I didn't even move. His hot lips grazed my skin and then, he was gone.

I headed back upstairs some time later, still unnerved from what had happened. Justin was waiting patiently for me. "Did you catch up to him?"

I shook my head as I sat down next to him. He watched me carefully before he spoke next.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to let him decide. It's his choice, not mine. What decision he makes affects him more than it affects me."

"I don't think you should be around him now that he's dangerous," Justin blurted out, sounding very much like an overprotective brother.

"That's not your decision to make Justin. You can't make my choices for me just like I can't make Mason's," I said gently.

He looked resigned to the fact that I was right and was probably thinking the same thing I was; it didn't happen often.

I swallowed hard and clenched my fists. This was it. Now or never.

I'd slept restlessly last night, images of Alex cropping up in my dreams. I was close to losing her, losing myself and I wasn't ready to let her go again. I realised now that this was my only choice now, whether I liked it or not; the only way I could keep her. It was the right thing to do, no matter what Christian or any of the other wolves said otherwise.

I took a few steps forward and braced myself.

"Hello, can I help you?" the wizard at the front desk asked.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm the rapid beating of my heart; it was so loud, I could hear it pounding in my eardrums. I tried to gather some courage together and remember exactly why I was here.

I'm doing this for you Alex. I'm doing this because I love you.

"Yes you can. I'm a werewolf and I'm here to turn myself in."