April's POV

An awkward silence hung over us as we sat at the table. "So," Diego began awkwardly. As he was met with silence, he sighed audibly. "Aiden, let's just get it over with, okay? It's not fair leaving her in the dark like this."

Aiden nodded imperceptibly.

"I don't really know how to begin explaining this in a way that doesn't sound crazy - but here goes," he took a deep breath before launching into the speech that changed my life. No exaggeration. "Yesterday I did bite you. And, yes, we aren't normal... We're something else... Something different..."

Emma interrupted. "The word 'mates' that you keep hearing means soul mates – Aiden biting you and leaving that mark means that you are mates. Soul mates. That won't ever go away – you belong together – if you weren't mates then you would be dead by now. A wer- I mean a guy can't mark a random person – they'd die. You haven't. So in real talk - you and Aiden belong together. When two souls find each other, like you and Aiden have, the mark symbolizes that."

"We know that we said you could leave after this deal was over. But it wouldn't be possible now. You and Aiden would always be drawn together, no matter what – usually werewo- I mean mates would fall in love quickly, but it's different with you two. We don't really know why. You'll be like magnets, attracted to one another but falling in love like humans."

Aiden clicked his fingers, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Let's just cut to the chase. She's going to find out sooner or later." He directed this to the group and they nodded nervously. "Yesterday, as you could clearly see, I wasn't human. Like you said, my eyes, my teeth – none of that could possibly be human. We're... we're werewolves." He said almost hesitantly, bracing himself for my reaction.

But none came.

I burst out laughing. "LOL. You can't be serious."

Everyone's mouths were hanging open. Maybe it was because I used that actual word LOL outloud. "B – but April.. We're not joking – this is real. It's serious." Daniel stuttered. I ignored his words and looked at Beau, searching his eyes for any signs of amusement. There weren't any.

"You guys made a few mistakes with this - this 'joke.' Werewolves - whatever the hell that's supposed to mean isn't biologically possible. How can two completely separate species breed and form a character from legend? If it's true, prove it."

Aiden grimaced and looked towards Diego. "It is possible April. Remember that an wild animal chased you in the woods with your friends – that was a werewolf. Remember my eyes and teeth last night – that was a werewolf. See that mark on your neck – you tell me, a human couldn't have done that, could they?" I cringed in my seat and dropped my hair over my shoulder.

"If you want proof, then we'll show you. Come on," Diego stood up, gesturing for me to follow. Are they really trying to convince me of this?

When we stepped outside, Emma stood beside me and took my hand, squeezing it reassuringly as she offered me a small smile. Diego stood some way off and I squinted against the sunlight at him, small and shadowy against the forest.

"Okay April. You wanted proof, well here's your proof. Just don't freak out," Diego yelled, his voice being carried faintly by the wind.

"Did you hear that?" Aiden asked.

"Yes, I'm not deaf." I snapped. He didn't answer. Then, slowly, the image of Diego in the distance almost distorted. He hunched over as though in pain and then he supported his weight on all fours. He writhed as though being scorched and I cried his name. What the hell.

The muscles in his back expanded and tufts of fur sprouted from all over him - he grew bigger, more powerful. A howl shot through the air, shattering the silent sky. The wolf that had taken Diego's place turned to stare at us, its bright green eyes assessing us demonically. I fell silent, shaking as my eyes met the animals. It looked human... Those fern-green couldn't be mistaken.

But that can't be possible!

Then, the wolf began to shift back to human – its body distorting until the faint figure of a boy was sprawled out across the floor, his black hair shining in the weak sunlight.

Diego began to rise and even without my glasses I could see his faint smile and thumbs up. Aiden rushed over to him and threw him a pair of jeans and t-shirt– he was stark naked but that didn't even disturb me. Not after what I'd just seen. I turned around and yanked my hand out of Emma's roughly.

"Ap –" she began, but I raised my hand stopping her as I stumbled away from them.

What did I just see? They aren't human... they're werewolves – actual werewolves. It is biologically possible... but how?

My steps began to fasten and I felt myself now racing towards the house. But then, my footsteps began to feel clumsy and I felt weak at the knees. The feeling from my legs went completely and my vision blurred. I felt my eyes close and my head spin as I dropped to the floor in darkness.

********

My eyes opened groggily and I groaned, sitting up. I turned to see figures huddling around the fireplace. The sofa sunk at my feet where someone had obviously sat down.

"April? Are you dead?" I looked over and saw Aiden staring back at me. I drew my knees up and stared back at him.

"I wish."

He stared at me and I could see him struggling not to laugh at my comment. "Well, I'm glad you're not." My eyes brushed over every inch of his face, looking for something that marked him out as different – non-human. But his skin was human, his eyes beautifully full of life, his frown lines making him even more life-like.

"So you're okay now?" Emma asked cautiously.

"What just happened?" I croaked, staring at Diego.

Aiden sighed irritably. "You fainted and could have hit your head really badly," he accused, "you saw Diego shift into a werewolf because you wanted proof and then you fainted. So we took you in and waited until you woke up." Aiden said, leaning over me to touch my forehead. "Do you need some aspirin?"

"I'm fine," I breathed back, leaning away from him.

"Anyway, so now you know we're werewolves, what else do you want to know?" Daniel asked lazily getting straight to the point.

"How do you expect me to react to this? I mean, I just saw Diego turn into a wolf. A wolf!" I yelled, flinging the blanket off me and swinging my legs off the couch. "How is this possible? I mean werewolves?"

"Werewolves have been around for longer than humans. We're a different race, a different species – similar but not the same as humans. Many humans don't know about us, but some do – that's how we've lived in harmony for so long without humans wanting to prod us and stick us in a lab. Werewolves are older than humans and thus humans have a greater sense of respect for us." Diego explained, ignoring my look of disbelief. "Packs are like different families, but bigger. For example, we're the Silvermoon pack – Noah's pack are the Pinewood pack. That's how we're split up – Alphas are the leaders of the pack. Aiden's dad, Antonio, is the Alpha of our pack – he leads us, making sure to protect our territory and keeps peace with opposing packs."

His speech left me with questions racing through my mind, but everything was too sudden to pick one single question out in particular so I nodded absent-mindedly instead. They are werewolves. They are dangerous. They kill. But humans kill as well, don't they? I paused at this thought and gazed around me at their expectant and supposedly worried faces.

"Okay, sowerewolves are split into 'packs' and an 'Alpha' is the leader – Aiden's dad is that." My voice was shaky. How am I speaking about this so calmly?

"Yes, and Aiden's dad is only the leader for the Silvermoon pack. There are other packs as well. The Pinewood pack, Noah's pack, isn't on good terms with us – there was an incident..." Beau trailed off, biting his lip angrily and I looked pointedly towards Aiden in a stony silence.

"Are you guys like Jacob from Twilight or Remus from Harry Potter?" I blurted out, my eyes widening at the stupidity of the comment afterwards. They all looked at me, hurt.

"We're like how Diego was when you saw him turn," Emma snorted.

"So - you won't kill me?" I asked hopefully. "I mean just because wolves are usually predatory species and I won't be surprised if you get the sudden craving of wanting human flesh. Can you guys shift all the time or only when there's a full moon? Does that mean I have to stay away from you like Caroline has to when Tyler changes in the Vampire Diaries?"

Carlos barked with laughter. "No, we won't kill you don't worry – only if you're annoying." A silence fell over us and they burst out laughing a few seconds later. "I'm joking."

"We're more powerful on a full moon but we can change whenever we want, so I wouldn't worry about us shifting during maths class, don't worry." Beau joked half-heartedly.

"It's a lot to take in, but remember, we're werewolves not wolves. We have human blood within us as well so we're not completely inhumane – we have hearts, but we're different to humans because we're more powerful than them. Wolves on the other hand are animals, free from duties and have no comprehensible consciousness, like us. We're part humans April, not animals." Daniel added. I can't laugh or joke or smile at a time like this. I now have to question every thought, judgment and part of my life – who the hell knows about werewolves? The government? The CIA? Johnny English?

"Look, April, go and rest. This is too much for one day, we know."

"Don't do anything stupid April. I know you probably will but I feel I should still warn you. I made an excuse to my father saying you were ill and needed to go home and rest, so dinner was postponed, but you guys meeting properly is inevitable." Aiden said in monotone from behind me. I nodded slightly and hurried away from them.

As I stepped outside, the weather matched my mood perfectly - still, grey, dark, a storm brewing on the horizon. I barely made it a few steps out of the room, before a hand touched my shoulder gently. I turned and looked up, meeting Aiden's dark grey eyes. He pouted slightly and leaned down towards me. I felt myself not wanting to pull away, to stay completely still, not even afraid.

His smirk was half-hearted and I felt something metal being thrust into my hands. I looked down in confusion and held up the keys he'd given to me in the air.

"Car keys. I know you want to run April – I don't blame you. But at least this way you won't run into the woods like some crazy woman and risk dying from something stupid. I'll see you at school... You know you can't leave properly, but at least this way you can get your head around it." He spoke softly, his eyes never once leaving mine. My fingers trembled as I accepted his offer.

"Thank you, Aiden."

"It's my pleasure, April."

Then, I turned away from him, forcing myself not to turn back, knowing he had probably already disappeared in the darkness, but wanting to see him nonetheless. I drove back in a stunned silence, the outside world a surreal blur to me – I would drive day and night if I needed to, just to get home. Just to feel normal.

Me and Aiden had to be together now. No matter what. I touched the mark on my neck and felt strangely calm. I whipped out my phone, suddenly hating the silence that shrouded the car and left me to my thoughts and dialled my home number in England. Despite it being so late in English time, I needed to hear their voices – it'd been so long since I'd talked to them.

I may as well talk away now. Who knows when I'll be able to see them next? I wish I never came to America – I wish I stayed in England and wasn't so damn stubborn. Maybe then all this would have never happened. A strangled sob escaped my throat when I eventually hung up and I was left alone again, my thoughts plaguing my mind.

He marked me – we're together. This is so weird, so different to what I thought they were and I'm accepting it because I know deep down this is my only option. Is this a commitment or a punishment? I couldn't figure out which, but I knew that it meant my life had changed completely now. I was driving towards my future – everything had changed.

And that meant that there was no way out – no escape – not for the both of us anyway. But is that such a bad thing?