The locker made a loud bang as Claire slammed it shut with more force than necessary.

Who did they think they were?

Pieces of the threatening letter rained down into the trashcan. Claire wiped her hands on her jeans and stared in satisfaction at the remains. Never before had she been so glad to have a smelly garbage can by her locker.

You won't last much longer.

Claire grabbed her books that sat on the top of the trashcan. She shifted them to her side and trudged down the crowded hall to her third hour English class. The constant chatter and gossip in the hallway started to get to her. The voices were too loud. The passing period was six minutes too long.

Your little innocent act has gone on for too long. You're just a pathetic little she-wolf with disgusting hair and a family you don't deserve.

She tried desperately to block the voices out, but her sensitive hearing made that almost impossible. Usually, she could handle it. She could handle the humans that yelled just to be heard by their friends. But not today. Today, her patience meter was already cracked, the dial way past full.

Watch your back, slut.

She picked up her pace, pushing past people and hoping to be the first in the classroom like always. Because she didn't have many—zero, actually—friends here, she never dilly-dallied like the rest of the students. She was ordinarily the first person in the classroom.

But not this time.

A cute little blonde girl with black-rimmed glasses talked politely to Claire's teacher, Mr. Johnson. Her shoulders were straight, her legs long, and she sported a designer bag that probably cost as much as Claire's family's car.

"Of course, I'll have all the work you've missed so far gathered and brought to you by tomorrow," Mr. Johnson told her.

"Okay. Thank you, Sir."

Mr. Johnson's cheeks reddened slightly, taken aback by such good manners. Yet he blossomed from the respect given. His eyes flickered to Claire standing in the empty doorway. "Ah, hello there, Claire."

She mumbled a greeting.

"Do you think you could help Miss Giles here find her next class?"

Claire held back a grumble and nodded. She led the girl out into the hallway, her hand outstretched. "Can I see your schedule?"

The girl handed her a small slip of yellow paper from her expensive-looking jeans pocket.

Claire immediately began slinking her way through the quickly dwindling crowd and headed towards the science wing. She expected the girl to follow. According to the list, she had Earth Science with—

"I'm Savannah, by the way." She caught up and stuck her hand out.

Claire maneuvered around a couple kissing and hesitantly took Savannah's hand. "Claire."

Claire's wolf stirred inside her. Her eyes widened in realization. "You're—"

"I know." Savannah's smile turned a bit wicked. Her voice lowered. "Nice to finally meet you, Omega."

"Are you new to the pack?"

The girl pushed her glasses up. "Yup. My family recently petitioned to join and move in."

By now, the hallways were empty. Claire could just imagine tumbleweeds rolling their way around. She shifted awkwardly on her feet.

Savannah's expression turned thoughtful. "You don't seem like an Omega, though."

"I'm not. I'm adopted."

"Huh. I would think that would make them back off a little," Savannah muttered, more to herself.

"Excuse me?"

Savannah waved her hand. "Oh, nothing. Do you know I've only been here for two days and I've already been warned three times and threatened once to steer clear of the Omega family?"

"Threatened?" Claire questioned, somehow shocked. Part of her hadn't expected the pack to do something such as this. "By who?"

The bell rang shrilly, stalling Savannah's reply. She shrugged. "Some girl named Ashley, I think. Said you were some kind of crazy bitch and too ugly of a wolf to associate myself with."

Claire's wolf growled and hissed inside her. She begged to be let out so that she could make Ashley pay. Was that why people ignored her? Were they scared away by Ashley?

Savannah must've seen the anger in her tense stance and clenched fists. "Relax. I told her I enjoy the company of crazy bitches...and you don't look hideous to me."

The animal side of her hated the slightly sympathetic tone of Savannah's voice. She didn't need anyone's pity—she could take care of herself. "Look, I don't care what you think about me or how I look," she half-lied. "But don't you dare pity me." Her inner beast wouldn't allow it.

Savannah's mouth twitched with a suppressed grin. "I never said I did. Though, it seems you may need at least one friend."

Claire had never heard those words before in her life. This strange girl was bringing out her worst side—the unending pride deep within her. The qualities of her wolf side that she'd gotten good at repressing.

No one bothered Claire with the idea of friendship. Especially someone she had only met five minutes before. Not since...

She didn't know Savannah from Hades. She wasn't sure where this girl's loyalty laid. Or if Ashley had put Savannah up to it. After all, Ashley did get to Savannah first.

Her beast spoke the words for her, though, still, her heart ached. "I don't need friends." Lie.

Claire saw a flash of something behind Savannah's glasses. "Maybe not," she said, hand now on the doorknob to her Earth Science classroom. "But you do need an ally."

She watched as Savannah entered the classroom, not looking back. The class all broke out in whispers as she entered. Some of the guys were already telling their friends about the hot new addition to their class, as if they couldn't see it for themselves.

Claire blocked out her extra hearing and trekked down the hall, back to Mr. Johnson's room.

***

The after-school daycare was a mess. Plastic cars were scattered all over the carpets, stuffed animals were piled uncaringly in the corner, and toy teapots and fake kitchenware were either chewed or destroyed on a small table that probably went up to Claire's kneecap. Resting against one of the walls was a bookshelf with opened bins of broken crayons and tattered coloring books.

The noise level in the room was astounding. Children ran everywhere with no rhyme or reason. Girls shrieked, boys laughed, and a select few were yelling and fighting over ripped teddy bears.

My goodness, Claire thought, it's like World War III in here.

The lady at the pick-up counter tapped away at her computer keyboard, her eyes glued to the computer screen like she'd been hypnotized. Her entire face was blank, set in a mold of boredom. She was either completely oblivious to the happenings in the room or she was ignoring the destruction.

Claire rapped on the desk with her knuckles. "Excuse me?"

The lady grunted.

Claire tried again. "Excuse me?" She put more attitude into the words. The obvious lack of respect pissed her wolf off and had the animal stirring restlessly inside her, wanting to be free.

"Hmm?" Still, she didn't look up.

Her wolf growled deep within her. Claire slammed her hand down on the counter, making the woman jump and look at Claire.

"What the heck, lady?" she asked Claire, sounding outraged. She fixed her with a glare.

"I'm sorry, were we having a discussion before?" Claire asked innocently. "I couldn't figure out if we were, since you wouldn't even look at me."

The lady bit her tongue, her eyes flashing a warning. Claire almost laughed at the woman's attempt to be scary.

"What can I help you with?" she hissed through her clenched jaw.

"Oh, I'm just here to pick up my little brother and check him out. If that won't bother you too much."

"What's his name?" She turned to the computer screen and clicked some keys.

"Charlie Masters."

The woman nodded, typed some words, and clicked the wireless mouse a few times. Then she pulled away from her desk and wandered into the chaos that was the daycare. Claire watched with amusement as she dodged, ducked, and leaped over kids.

"Care!" Charlie tackled her legs.

Almost instantly, a smile plastered itself on her face. She kneeled down to Charlie's height. "Hey, Charlie. Did you have a fun day here?"

Half of Charlie's curls were matted to his head while the other half stuck up in random tuffs. She ran her fingers through his hair a few times, trying to coax the hair to do something better than what it was.

Charlie nodded. "Care, I made a friend! My first friend!"

Her heart lifted. "Really? Wow, that's wonderful, Charlie. What's their name?"

"Phillip!" Charlie spun around and pointed to a gangly little kid his size with a pirate hat and eye patch, who was running around the plastic ship in the corner. "He said he'll be friends with me forever! And I just have to do whatever he says!"

Her hope plummeted. "Oh, Charlie, no. You can't be his friend then. He's going to exploit you."

Charlie's blue eyes grayed slightly. "Care, what does 'exploit' mean?"

She grabbed his chin softly. "It means he's going to use you to do the stuff he wants. I'm sorry, Charlie, but I don't want you to be friends with him. He's only going to hurt you."

Her adopted brother's shoulders sagged. "Oh. Okay," he said calmly.

"Okay?" Claire didn't like Charlie's tone. She'd rather have him sit there and sob or throw a fit than take this so...easily. It worried her. Was he so used to the idea of not having friends?

Would it really be so bad for him to be friends with Phillip?

Yes. Charlie needed a true friend. Someone who liked to hang out with him for him, not so they could make him do the things they wanted all because Charlie was too gullible.

This would be the right decision in the end.

Charlie shrugged and grabbed Claire's hand in his tiny grasp. "Can we go now? I don't wanna be here anymore, Care."

"Of course, Charlie. Let's go." Claire signed her little brother out and walked him outside, preparing herself for the walk home.

She let Charlie climb onto her back and gave him her bag to hold. "You want to know something, Charlie?" she asked him as she walked on the gravel by the side of the road. As soon as they got to where the forest started, she could shift into her wolf and let Charlie ride on her back the rest of the way home.

Charlie didn't reply. His head was buried in her neck. She could feel a slight wetness on her shoulder. She prayed that it was sweat and not tears, though the second possibility was more likely.

She told him anyway. "You're my absolute best friend ever."

Charlie sniffed once. "Really?"

"Of course. I don't know what I'd do without you. And I have way more fun with you than anyone else."

Charlie's little grip tightened around her neck. "Thanks, Care."

"When we get home, do you want me to make your favorite?"

Charlie's demeanor brightened. "Yes!"

She chuckled at his excitement. "Well, then, we'll have to get home as soon as we can."

The gravel crunched under her crappy sneakers. Cars veered passed, some of them blasting music that made Claire want to cover her ears in pain. Not one of them slowed or stopped to consider helping the two kids walking on the side of the road. Of course, it didn't really help when half the town consisted of werewolves.

Green forest was approaching ahead. If it were anyone else, the darkness and odd creature sounds from within would freak them out. But not Claire and Charlie. Being part animal themselves, they found comfort in the wildlife. They enjoyed the crickets, the smell of oak, and singing birds. They welcomed the darkness. They loved using it to cloak their movements so they could hunt prey better.

Claire carefully maneuvered around a large rock and stepped over a tree root. When they were a decent way in—enough to where the sounds of trucks and cars seemed to be a whole distant world away—Claire set her little brother down by a tree. "Stay here for a second, 'kay?"

Charlie bobbed his head.

She picked a bigger tree a small distance from Charlie and went behind it.

Her t-shirt and jeans came off easily. It was her undergarments that gave her a bit of trouble. The walk to the forest with Charlie on her back caused her to sweat a little more than she had thought. Even though the sun had begun to set and the temperature was dropping slightly, she was still warm.

But she still loved the warmth. Like the darkness, she took comfort in it. She stood there for a moment, memorizing the groves in the bark of the tree in front of her. She inhaled deeply.

The Change started.

Her muscles tensed and froze, her blood rushed, and her heart beat frantically. The physical effects were always the worst part. The ending, though, made it all worth it.

She shook her head, clearing her tiny bit of panic—the panic that always arrived as her human body fought against the Change. It was always the pain and panic first, then the overwhelming freedom.

The bones in her fingers and toes broke first, followed by the rest. Tingles rushed through her skin as red-brown fur sprouted all over her. She could feel her skull cracking, the skin on her face stretching. A wave of agony washed over her as her spine broke into place.

It was done.

The world was different on four paws. The light was brighter, the sounds more detectable, and the smells way more potent. With just one sniff, Claire could track the path of the squirrel that had passed not long ago and pick out which tree it considered home.

Her paws dug into the ground as she headed over to where Charlie stood.

Charlie was beaming as he looked at his older sister. His excitement was contagious and as he crawled onto her back, she couldn't help but catch his enthusiasm. She couldn't wait to start running.

Once she was sure Charlie was secure, she took off.

***

He didn't normally do personal check-ups on pack members. Before he'd left, pack meetings and gatherings served as a great way to catch up with the wolves under his protection. A few minutes here and there was more than enough time to hear about the happenings in each family. Within two minutes, he'd know who had found their mate, and who was expecting. Within three, they'd share their concerns and vent about pack issues.

The pack's Omega family was different. Marcus told him they didn't often make an appearance during pack functions. They were quiet. Kept to themselves. Which meant if he wanted to meet them, he'd have to pay them a visit.

He parked his Dodge Ram next to a large white pine tree down the street from the address Marcus had given him. This was the edge of the territory—a wooded area with few houses dotted along a gravel road.

Not too many pack members lived in this area. The houses were tiny, and almost falling apart. Wolves were social creatures. They went on runs together, hunted together, ate together. Living this far from the pack house meant that pack runs and group hunts were few. And the distance to the heart of their territory was greater—they'd have to travel at least 20 minutes by car to meet at the pack house.

He slammed his car door and winced at the loud sound. That was one thing about this area that was nice—the quiet gentleness. Already he could hear the squawking clump of geese in the distance. The backfire of engines and rumble of motorcycles were absent.

Peace. There was a peace here that made his wolf rumble with contentedness.

He walked over and behind the Omega house to the back door. While he wanted to pay a visit and introduce himself, he needed to double check a few things first.

No one was home. The driveway was empty, the lights out. His wolf confirmed that with one sniff—no one had been here for at least six hours.

He needed to make sure these Omegas weren't in any dangerous exchanges, weren't involved in something fishy that might kick back onto his pack. He had a duty to keep his people safe. The fact that these Omegas didn't attend pack gatherings meant they didn't want to be noticed. And those that tried to fly under the radar often did so because they had something to hide.

The back screen door of the house had broken off, the screen itself ripped and curling in on itself. Instead of replacing it or fixing it, someone had unscrewed it and rested it against the back siding.

They obviously didn't care about keeping their home together either. If they couldn't spare the time to keep their house from falling apart, where was all their effort going?

Just what were these wolves doing?

He turned the knob, surprised the door was left open. Frowning, he flicked the light switch—broken.

Technically, this was breaking and entering. But on pack territory? Any home that belonged to his wolves belonged to him. He was responsible for all his members and their lives. Their homes and cars and safety. In return, the pack extended their welcome to him in any capacity. They knew of this upon entering the pack. It was part of the contracts and paperwork done when they applied to move onto his territory. If a pack member died without an heir or family, the house and all their assets went to him for distribution.

Still, while he could walk in like he owned the place, he often respected his members by not doing so.

The Omega family wasn't home. He'd do some quick...recon...and then come back when they were present for a proper introduction.

The inside smelled like dust, fabric softener, and...spackle? He was careful not to touch anything. It would help his cause if he didn't leave his scent behind. But damn, he wanted to touch everything. Get a deeper look. Find out who they were.

This house...the sight made his chest ache. The colorful, messy drawings on the fridge meant a pup lived here. In this atrocity. The kitchen had a few chairs but no real table. In the living room was a couch and a box TV on a tiny nightstand.

He moved into the hallway and up the stairs. If the downstairs was this minimal, what did the upstairs look like? He frowned at the wall next to the stairs. It'd been painted over recently—nothing more than a thin white coat. If anyone cared to look closer, they'd see the red spray paint underneath. Though he couldn't make out the words.

His wolf whined. Hating this. Hating the idea of a pup living in this condition. What the hell were they doing with the money awarded to them from the pack?

At the top of the stairs, a soft scent had his wolf perking up. He'd smelled it around the house, though it was much stronger up here. He followed the smell to a door at the end of the hallway and let himself in.

***

"Why don't you go sit on the couch while I turn on The Lion King?"

Charlie headed over to the living room, dropping Claire's bag in the hallway.

She stared suspiciously out the back window of the kitchen. For some reason, ever since they stepped foot on the property, Claire's wolf had become restless. She twitched nervously inside her, making Claire nervous. All her senses were on high alert. She'd just have to be extra careful.

But why was her wolf so...anxious?