I held true to myself and put distance between me and the werewolf world. I was still really good friends with Wes—we teased each other back and forth at a friendly level instead of how we initially met. Eli was still a bundle of joy and eased any tensions that were around that had to do with anything other than typical teenage life. Mason's behavior was a tossup; some days (like most) we were just acquaintances, but other days it was like he purposely mentioned Chase or Dane or something that had to do with the pack. I didn't need him threatening my sanity for me to put distance between us.

But by now Christmas and its associated break from school had passed along with other joyous moments and I was now sitting at home on the last day of December drawing while sitting on my bed in pajamas.

Somehow, I had actually been in more contact with the other girls despite not going near the pack's grand wooden house. I was fine and vague with them most of the time, especially when I noticed I had been gaining more and more dislike for Kayla. Maybe it was because she was with Chase, maybe it was because he was the one to tell her to act like a bitch towards me. I didn't know and I didn't care. We acted like we were friends for Carina and Tori's sake, but we had enough shared glares to know we would beat each other to a pulp if we were alone and given the chance.

Because Jasmine—not the group as a whole—was hard to say no to, I reluctantly rolled off my bed, threw on a pair of skinny jeans, a t-shirt and hoodie, a cute knit hat, and some black boots that covered the bottom part of my jeans up to my shins. I walked over to Starbucks, trudging my feet along the ice-covered sidewalks with my iPod playing. I reached Starbucks and ordered a hot chocolate before sitting with the girls at a booth.

"What's up?" I greeted. They all greeted me back without fail...even Kayla.

"I'm glad you made it," Carina smiled to me like she wasn't harboring hostility that I pretty much flaked on all our plans in the last month. "We have some business to take care of," Carina announced with a sad sigh. "As you may, or may not know, one of our own has passed away—"

"You didn't tell me that," I heard Kayla hiss towards her.

"Who?" Jasmine frowned and looked to each of us as if counting us all three times before realizing that none of us were gone.

"You already know that we all tried escaping from being kidnapped," Carina started, looking to April briefly. "Well obviously I made it out, but April was taken back..."

"I thought they took Jaylen back, but then when I was the only one there, I thought she escaped too," April ranted.

"And I thought that she was still there..." Carina added.

"Wait. Jaylen's...?" Kayla trailed. Carina and April nodded. She was dead...

"How is this possible?!" Tori shouted, but then brought her voice down.

"You know who Riley's parents are. They weren't there when we snuck out so they must've gotten to her," April said. Again, Riley's parents were brought up and I didn't understand their relevance unless they were vampires with a particular yearning for werewolf death.

"So they...?" Kayla started to ask. Carina nodded sadly. I got up and started to leave.

"Alicia—wait," Carina called. "What's the matter?"

"What's the matter?" I repeated. "The matter is that one of us died out there. And we're not even the real werewolves here. Don't you see how dangerous this is? I don't want to be a part of it. I haven't been a part of it for a few weeks now. I'm done, okay? I wasn't a wolf girl to begin with anyways. I think I've had my share of injuries from this shit, don't you think? This is just another thing—"

"But Alicia—" Carina called.

"If she wants to go, let her," Kayla stated, crossing her arms.

"But she—" Tori tried to speak.

"It doesn't matter if she understands shit or not," Kayla interrupted again. "If she's not going be the one to stick it out, then Chase is right. Maybe she didn't deserve to be told. By knowing their secret, you have to make sacrifices and if she's not going to—"

"Sacrifices?" I asked, incredulously. "Coming from you, that's a load of shit. I was told for some reason unknown to me, but according to everyone else in this pack, it was for a reason. Unlike you who was only told because they didn't have a choice. So don't say I have to sacrifice shit to know the secret when the only thing you've sacrificed was your virginity to a boy that hasn't, doesn't, and won't love you."

With that, I left. I stomped around in the mushy snow-melting ground as I went home—or at least somewhere else. It didn't matter to me. I wanted out of this. It was like some eternity gang that I had no point in being in. I kept walking, now in the park, and ran into something. When I hit the ground and looked up, I saw that it was Riley Sean. I immediately flinched away.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he said at first, but I thought to the vervain bracelet that hadn't left my wrist since it was given to me. I stood up and kept my distance. He looked different. His face was pale—even with the distraction of his sunglasses and hair that slightly covered his face. I could even see a couple veins on the side of his neck. He wore his infamous hoodie and a backpack over his shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, acting as if I wasn't afraid of him.

"I leaving town," he announced.

"Good." He should've done that weeks ago.

"I'm not leaving to go track down more people to potentially kill," he said, rightfully assuming that's what I thought his life goals entailed. "I'm leaving this place so people don't have to suffer through a vampire-infested town for what Roger and I did."

"Why would more vampires come here?" I asked, sort of worried.

"Are you kidding? I went crazy over just a want to revise a treaty and get privileges to feed here without getting killed by those dogs," he reminded. "Dozens—maybe hundreds of covens hate stupid naïve vamps like me. They'd kill me if they could. But maybe a coven full of vampires is what those stupid werewolves need."

"Why the hell would they need that worry? You kidnapped four girls from random pack members and one turns up dead—"

"She died on her own—"

"She died because of your parents who you probably told," I interrupted. He smirked and looked down to me.

"You don't know the reason behind all of this, do you?" he asked.

"No, I don't," I answered. "Just like I don't know why the hell I trusted someone like you and you turn out almost getting me killed."

"What can I say? I like power," he shrugged like this wasn't a big deal. I rolled my eyes.

"Get a life," I commented with disgust.

"Oh. I have one that'll last forever," he mocked, causing me to roll my eyes. "And maybe if you hadn't pulled that stunt, I would've shared that glory with you."

"I wouldn't want to be one of you," I sneered.

"Oh. But you're willing to be a filthy mutt?" he asked. "You know what...I thought Roger was crazy to think you were Wes' mate. Maybe you'd be an actual stab in the heart other than April, but then I realized that I wanted to see how their limits would be pushed."

"Excuse me?" I asked, confused.

"You're of value to them, I just don't know how," he clarified. "For months they didn't come for the others, but three days after you showed up missing, they came and found you. It's truly intriguing."

I didn't realize that before, but he was right.

"I thought the first part of battle was the strike the heart of the strongest warrior, but I didn't know who that was so anyone sufficed," he hissed down.

"And yet you were wrong about half of those assumptions and one girl turns up dead."

"Speaking of which, when you get back to them, tell them to keep in mind that when my parents are looking into all of this shit and it leads back to them...it's karma from Eliza."

Before I could ask who that was and what importance his parents had, he vanished. I immediately called Wes.

"What do you want?" he sighed like he just woke up.

"I just ran into Riley—"

"Are you alright? Where are you? Just find a wooden stake—or break something and—" he immediately changed his tone to be of concern.

"Wes, I'm fine," I laughed at his concern.

"Oh..." he said and calmed down. "Then what do you want, loser?"

"Riley's skipping town and might turn himself in. He wanted me to tell you that the pack has karma from whoever Eliza is and his parents are probably going to look into all this," I informed. The line was quiet. "Hello...?"

"Is that all he said?"

"Yeah," I replied. He also mentioned how it took you guys three days to find me, but months for your alleged "mates."

"What's wrong?" he asked as if he sensed my uncertainty.

"Nothing," I lied.

"I can sense you lying through the phone," he informed.

"That's not possible," I laughed. It was silent. "Wait. It is impossible right?"

"Impossible like werewolves and vampires existing," he joked. He was silent for a while and I sighed. "Speaking of lying, how long's it been since you talked to Chase?" he asked. And then I was the silent one. Anytime someone asked me that I had to lie and act like it didn't affect me. "You know you're gonna have to talk to him soon."

"No. I don't have to talk to him soon," I denied.

"Yeah. You do. For English class," he reminded because we had a project due soon. "And Jaylen's funeral is next Friday."

"And...?"

"And you're going," he informed.

"Why? I don't know her. It's not like I would go to support Dane considering he's hated me since day oe, so what's the point?" I grumbled.

"Um how about because this isn't about you and someone literally died? You can support a deceased member of the pack and the other girls or at least be considerate—"

"I got it," I interrupted. Even though Wes was the only person to actually call me on my behavior, it was what I needed. Outside of this scope of me and Wes and Chase, someone's life was actually affected because of all of this. "Fine. I'll go."

"You were gonna go anyways whether I had to kidnap you and drag you there myself or not."

"Don't joke about that."

"I'm kidding," he assured.

"The second I feel any drama stirring between me and Chase or me and Dane or Chase and Dane, I'm out of there," I promised.

"There won't be," Wes declared. "Dane's not even going. And I'm sure that Chase has enough shit on his mind to think about before starting any drama with you."

I bit my lip because I instantly began caring about what exactly Chase had going on. And more than that, I was concerned for why Dane wouldn't be going to his own mate's funeral.

"I'll give you a ride if you want," Wes offered during my thinking process. I absent-mindedly agreed though. "Cool. I'll see you tomorrow," he concluded. "Stay away from trouble—that includes all injuries, vampire related kidnappings, and random chain saw massacres."

I laughed at his odd humor before responding.

"Really? Getting sawed in half with a chainsaw at a vampire's expense sound a hell of a lot of fun," I joked back.

"Whatever loser," he said as if I was the one with the crazy jokes.

"Bye," I ended.

"Love you too, bye," he said as if offended that I didn't say "love you" first. I playfully rolled my eyes and then hung up the phone in laughter.