Dandeline had given me the names and the descriptions as I did not recognise all the members by their names. There were quite some members who were in support of Diana and if this was on a vote basis, my odds would have been very low.

After dinner, Dandeline had retreated to her room, and I was standing by the wall-sized window which opened onto the balcony. It was risky to step out, even though the balcony faced the back of the residential area. I twirled the small mobile device in my hand, pondering whether or not I should Call Channing. My eyes closed before I made up my mind and called Channing.

The ring kept on ringing till there was a beep. Channing did not pick up the call, and it only made me overthink what was going on with him. I had no choice but to wait for him to return after two more days.

Now that the mobile was in my hand, I thought of calling Sam and confirming my previous doubts. There were only two rings when Sam picked up the call, "Selene! how are you, everyone was so worried about you. Suzan was at your house yesterday and we looked at the hospital as well, but you weren't there either. Where are you?"

There was panic in Sam's voice. Here I had thought he was the most level-headed one, but had forgotten that he was the mom of the group. "I am fine now, Sam. Channing had told me to come tomorrow to start the task for my Stage three, you will see me perfectly well then"

Sam sighed, bringing his composure back, "Ya Channing had mentioned you will be joining tomorrow." Sam was now calm while addressing the topic and I could understand why people called him the mother of the group. Where everyone else would panic, he took care of things with understanding. "The tasks that you are supposed to complete are with me on a sheet of paper."

"I see," this had confirmed my suspicions that it was indeed Channing in disguise that night. But this only got my worries riled up as he had given the tasks to Sam and went away. "Should I take it from you in the morning, then?" I asked.

"Yes," Sam said, which was followed by silence before he spoke again, "I hope you are alright Selene, the injuries were heavy and it would take you weeks to recover"

Sam's question had me bite into my lower lip. This person cared for me and yet I could not tell the truth to him. It was not like I did not trust him. Sam was a trustworthy man who would even put himself before the pack members' life, but it had been only weeks that I have known these people. If there was a watcher from the castle lurking around, which I was sure had contact with at least one of the pack members, then it would be dangerous to have my abilities slip to them and then my parents.

"Yes, I am alright," I said in a convincing tone. "Channing helped me return to my hometown. There is a practised healer here. She has done a great job. I would be as good as new when I arrive tomorrow"

I did not like lying to Sam, but there was no choice I had. It would be dangerous if I told it to Suzan as well, so I hoped that only the three people that knew about my blood noesis took it to their grave.

Dandeline was the first who knew about my abilities as I had experimented with my Blood noesis on her and then it was Channing whom I had to tell the truth. The third was a man that I despised and most definitely knew it from reading my mind.

Sam had an apprehensive tone, "That is good to know you have healed. I hope you don't strain yourself tomorrow if the injuries aren't healed properly"

"I promise not to strain myself unnecessarily, Sam," the more this conversation continued, the guiltier I felt because Sam cared for me. "I should go sleep now. Let's meet in the morning. I will come to the residential area to meet you by seven"

"Okay," Sam was still apprehensive about what I said. It was going to be really strange for people to see me this perfect and walking in just two days. "Good night, Selene, take care," he said in a gentle voice.

"You too, Sam," I cut the call and tossed my mobile on the bed. I sighed as I looked outside the window at the waxing moon.

There was serenity in the night's silence, but my worries about Channing only increased. With his blood noesis to increase everything he felt tenfold, I hoped he had not tumbled down the pit of depression after regretting what happened yesterday.

Sam's words, on the other hand, had warmed me and shown how there are people who cared about me.

He was a kind man who looked after everyone and occasionally pointed me out on my failed jokes or showed off his biceps in a teasing way about how he was stronger. His way of caring differed from Suzan, who went all out dramatic and overreacting, and that thought made me chuckle. These two people had shown their care towards me openly and I knew there were more who cared about me after stage one of Beta selections.

There was a peace in this life that the walls of the castle could not offer. A kind of care that was unconditional. It was a pity I would leave all of them behind with my marriage.

The ticking of the clock in the silence reminded me I had to wake up early. It did not take me long to drift into dreams, pleasant dreams that I had missed for years.

When it was morning, I had readied myself fast to go and wait near the fountain that stood in the middle of the residential area. Sam would surely come early and the last thing I wanted was for him to watch me come out of my condo here.

As expected, Sam arrived fifteen minutes early, holding a piece of paper in his hand. There was a smile on his face watching me all perfect and he went ahead for a hug, which I returned graciously.

I think I wasn't too sensitive about boys being around me, but people like Fang and Channing after the stunts they had pulled with me.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting you to be this healed in just two days!" Sam exclaimed, and I shrugged. I had been healed for two days now but it was better that they thought it 'took' me two days.

"I told you I was fine," I said, as if breaking ribs into fragments was nothing. My eyes went to the papers he was holding. "Are these the tasks?"

Sam held the papers out, and I grabbed them. "These are some duties that Betas of a pack should be able to complete even in absence of Alpha and Channing won't be here during this stage."

I flipped through pages and there were some expected and some unexpected tasks. "So Channing won't be around at all?" I asked, trying to get out of Sam how Channing was.

Sam shook his head, "No, that is the Stage three. To be able to fulfil the duties of a Beta in absence of the Alpha. Channing has left Winterwells to make it more realistic."

"Oh,' that levelled a lot of worries in my mind about Channing. But if that one worry was down, there was another that I saw in the tasks...

A trip to Waterwoods, and I was sure Fang was waiting with open arms and his wicked smile to welcome me there.