"What the fuck Diego?" I dropped my head into my hands and peered out from my fingers. He was asking for my opinion on what type of necklace to buy Nina.

"Aiden, you know this is important to me, so please cooperate."

"I know that Diego, but why are you asking me of all people?" I muttered. "I have the judgment of a fish."

"I'm asking you because whether you like it or not, you're my best friend." He said with a dumbfound expression. "And as much as I hate to admit it, I value your opinion, no matter how suckish."

"Okay okay." I complained. "But honestly, I think she'll love whatever you get her."

"Shut up." Diego mumbled back. Truthfully, I was slightly apprehensive about Nina; I didn't want him to be hurt by her. I'd witnessed her charm and I'd also watched as Diego become oblivious to all else but her. Maybe it was my own selfishness coming into play; he was the only person who had stood by my, grew up with me, tolerated me and had kept me in check. I guess I was scared he would leave me.

"Aid, I know why you're pissed about Nina." Diego commented his eyes still glued to his phone screen. "You know I'm not going to leave you - or the pack."

"You confirmed my suspicions - you really are turning into a pussy."

April had been avoiding me since I kissed her and to be honest, I wasn't really sure what to do in that situation – girls usually chased me, not avoided me. I frowned to myself and tapped my cigarette on the ash tray. I'd even told her I'd wanted to kiss her and she was still skirting around me – I'm fairly certain that it was her first kiss. There was also something nagging at the back of my mind; the day we kidnapped her – a random girl from the street – I wasn't sure if it was that random anymore. There must have been a reason I took her, a completely stupid idea at the time that suddenly felt as though it made sense.

I glanced up at a disturbance in the corner of my eye. Diego also looked up in surprise, but a huge grin erupted on both of our faces as we realized who it was. Barbara walked towards us, a smile curving her lips upwards as she perched on my sun lounge at the edge.

I raised my sunglasses and whistled jokingly. She glared. "Shut up." Diego and I burst into laughter, our thoughts veering towards the same conclusion.

"It's just... it's been a long, long time since we last saw you and well... you look pretty different from your 14 year old self." Diego explained, leaning over to ruffle her hair.

I puffed my cigarette, my body automatically relaxing as the familiar feeling coursed through my body. Assessing Barbara, my eyes widened behind my sunglasses at how much she'd changed. Since I'd last seen her, she'd definitely blossomed into a woman – her body no longer belonged to a tall, lanky teenager and her face had also lost its baby fat, giving way to cheekbones. All in all she looked like someone I would typically find attractive, but that didn't appeal to me anymore.

She was my friend not a fucking conquest.

"So," Barbara whispered. "Your mate. You haven't fully introduced us yet."

"You only arrived yesterday, be patient." I pulled a face, standing up and stretching my muscles.

"Fine. But I want to meet her soon!" She yelled after me, a smile filling her voice. It was crazy how well me, Diego and Barbara had readopted our 14-year old friendship again. It was nice.

I ran another hand through my hair as my mind drifted back to April – instantly, her voice and frightening, bordering crazy humour filled my mind making me smile slightly. If she wanted to avoid me, fine. But it wasn't really fine. I'd confided in her too much when I kissed her and comforted her and spoke of my mother and that made me angry – she'd seen me at my weakest and left me.

Fuck Aiden. You've fallen for a geek.

I lay unmoving on the bed. I couldn't sleep for the past two days since Aiden has kissed me – I didn't feel any different – I mean the sky wasn't any brighter or the birds wouldn't suddenly burst into song, but I felt different. I'd avoided him for two damn days and I was planning to do that for the rest of my life. After he kissed me, we walked back in silence to the house, although I could see Aiden giving my worried looks as though I may faint again until I disappeared to the bathrooms for the rest of the evening.

I guess I just felt awkward – I mean, what do normal people do after they've kissed? I admitted to Aiden that I liked him and that simply made me more vulnerable, which was exactly what I didn't want. Do I carry on as normal when I see him again? Or do I ignore him?

In the end, after two hours of mulling around the room, I shuffled down the steps, wondering where everyone was. I was only here for another two days and truthfully, I didn't quite feel like leaving yet.

Voices floated from the kitchen and I began moving steadily towards it. Emma, Nina, Carlos, Daniel and Beau were seated around the table talking quietly to one another. They grinned at me as I walked in and automatically, almost naturally pushed out a chair for me to sit on. I accepted it and sunk into the chair, massaging the sides of my forehead.

"Ap, are you alright?" Emma asked, her hand placed soothingly on my arm.

"Beau, where's the aspirin?" A familiar voice said from the other side of the room. My head whipped up so damn fast, I was surprised I didn't get whip lash. Aiden was leaning against the counter, squinting at two packets of tablets in his hand.

"Aiden, you're holding the wrong packet. That's viagra, dude." A soft voice snorted from the doorway. It was Barbara. I took in her appearance, my eyes widening. Why did they always have to be so damn beautiful?

"Damn, Aiden. I didn't know April made you work that hard."

What. The. Actual. Hell.

Daniel, I hate you.

I froze at his words, silently cursing the blonde-haired twat in the corner of the room winking at me and silently face palmed. Aiden didn't laugh, flipping Daniel the bird instead, his eyes skimming over me completely as though I was invisible. Well screw him too.

"Daniel, dial the perviness down please." Emma grinned, throwing him a cookie. "And April," she turned to me now. "Where are you going?" Her voice was concerned. "I thought you had a headache?"

"Yeah, well, it's nothing really..." I trailed off, forcing a smile.

Emma squinted at me suspiciously, the olive in them catching in the light. "A headache? Well Barbara was just finding some aspirin for Aiden, you take some too." It was more of a command than a suggestion and when I simply stood there, trying to form a viable excuse, Emma got up and veered me towards them.

She shoved me in between Aiden and Barbara and I gulped, looking up at her first, ignoring the feeling of eyes on the side of my face from Aiden's side. She was tall and I felt like a freakin' hobbit standing next to them both model-worthy werewolves.

I'd only seen her from the back before and I could easily say she was extremely pretty from the front too. Her hair was more ombre than blonde and she had a heart shaped face that despite its softness, still intimidated me. I smiled weakly at her, unable to form any words since my brain decided to turn against me in that moment.

"Well, it's very nice to finally meet the girl that unfortunately," Barbara sighed heavily here, "ended up with Aiden."

I twisted my head to see Aiden glaring at her, although a smirk was already tracing his lips. I backed out of the constricted space between them, thanking Barbara and quickly filled a glass of water, swallowing the tablets with them.

I smiled a thanks at Barbara once more, ignoring the prickly sensation on my arms as I avoided eye contact with Aiden and quickly slipped out of the open patio doors into the sunlight, grateful I was away from everyone. I plopped onto a sun bed near the pool and leaned back, the sun warming my face. Now this is the life. I didn't even realize the soft chatter of voices coming towards me until someone's finger prodded me.

"What are you doing?" I and glared up at Aiden blocking the sun, angry that my welcome silence was interrupted.

"Getting fresh air," I snapped back, craning my head until I could see who was behind him; it was Nina, Barbara and Diego, all of their eyes wide and startled at our sharpness.

"Well, you're sitting on my sun bed." He replied, crossing his arms across his chest, his eyes hidden by a pair of dark sunglasses sitting on the bridge of his nose, making him look moodier and hotter than ever. April, did you just call him hot? You damn pervert.

"It doesn't say your name on it," I retorted.

"No, but it has my shirt on it," he pointed out, his finger pointing to a discarded t-shirt next to me. I frowned at it and looked back up at him and then grabbed the t-shirt and threw it at him. He caught it, his lips forming an unhappy pout.

"There. That's your t-shirt, so now it's not your sun bed."

"Move."

"No."

"Please move?"

"Why should I?"

"Just move already!"

"Make me." I instantly regretted saying those words. A cruel smirk twisted his lips upwards - almost attractively.

"You shouldn't have said that," he said, a dark smile playing across his features. I instantly recoiled, wrapping my arms around myself and leaning away from him.

"Ah crap, I didn't mean that!" I said quickly, my eyes widening as he reached out for me. He'd already taken hold of me, quicker than I could blink, and had lifted me easily – the move was so fast, I barely had time to suck in air. Then, he threw me straight into the unwelcoming water.

The gasp I was forming was cut short. Shock vibrated through my body. My brain could barely comprehend what had happened until I found only a cerulean world surrounding me and I realized I was in the pool. I quickly swam up to the surface, gasping for air, pushing wet hair off my forehead,.

My ears were instantly met with laughter and I had to blink several times until I could make out several forms bent double with laughter. I didn't have the energy to even glare at them, but instead quickly swam to the edge and clambered out, my clothes sticking to me like a second skin.

Shivering, I side-stepped everyone and drenched my clothes out at the side, spitting out the mouthfuls of water I'd managed to gulp down just as I was about to scream. I turned to them, glaring.

"That wasn't funny."

"Yes it was." Diego chortled back.

"You are idiots." I spat, deliberately shaking some water off on them, making Nina and Barbara scream. I turned on my heel and walked away from them. Then, I paused and turned towards Aiden, grinning and holding my arms open.

"Wanna hug?" I grinned at him.

He backed away, shaking his head. "As if."

"Come on, Aiden, don't be shy. I'm actually offering you something that's difficult to come by - my affection." I smiled sweetly, raising two eyebrows at him.

Before he had time to move, I lunged at him and hugged him tightly, making sure to get his entire body soaked with water. It took me a few moments to realize what I was doing and I quickly detangled myself from his unresisting body and moved back, stunned at what I had done.

Then, I whistled lowly at my work. He was soaked. And I had messed up his hair. "Aiden, I think you're a bit wet there."

"Shut up, April."

I laughed and flipped him the bird. "Pay back is a bitch." By now, my clothes were becoming stiff and it was becoming harder to move, especially since the sun was drying them too quickly. I grinned once more at him, quickly walking away before he decided to push me into the pool again.

"April! Wait." I heard a voice call from behind me. I didn't stop, but turned my neck slightly, seeing a tall figure running my way, ombre hair flying from behind her.

"Hi," I murmured quietly once she had reached my side.

"Sorry about them – Aiden's pretty evil when he wants to be." She apologized, smiling at me as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"When he wants to be? It seems like being evil is second nature to him."

She gazed at me, her eyes shining with amusement. "Do you say that to his face?" I nodded grimly. She made a low whistle and clapped me on the back. "Well April, I must say, you are a legend. I've never seen a girl even give Aiden evils let alone turn her back to him. I loved what you did back there as well. You should have seen his face when you were hugging him - I've never seen him so mad." She laughed.

I pondered upon that for a moment. "Aiden's not a god – he doesn't need people worshiping him at his feet all the time. He's an idiot."

She laughed. "I agree - somewhat."

She left me to it and called goodbye once we reached the patio doors. I gave her a small smile in return. I felt bad for judging Barbara so harshly – maybe she only meant well and I overreacted and turned evil in that instant. Stupid hormones.

I ran into my room and ended up washing my hair and taking a long shower, getting changed into clean, warm clothes and then plopping down on the bed, exhausted. My bed vibrated just as I closed my eyes and I groaned, blindly reaching for my phone.

I frowned, glancing at the caller ID. My mouth dropped when I saw who it was. The phone continued vibrating, shaking in my hands as I stared down at the caller ID: Kayla.