"Alicia?" my mom's voice called up to me from downstairs while I was on the phone with Jackson.

"That your mom?" Jackson asked.

"Jackson!" I then heard Mr. Scott call.

"And that'll be your dad," I laughed.

"Shit. I guess it is," he laughed before we would conclude our previous conversation.

"Are you gonna tell me bye or are you gonna let the line die out before I hang up?" I laughed.

"Hmph. Breaks my heart to know that you'd ever hang up on me," he dramatized.

"Boo who," I teased.

"Jackson!" Mr. Scott called again.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," I promised.

"Or tonight. Just because I have to go doesn't mean I can't text," he reminded.

"Alicia!" my mom called again.

"Touché," I commented. "Bye."

"Good bye," he returned heavenly before hanging up. Even though there was something I couldn't quite put my finger on, things between me and Jackson were what I assumed would be the normal building process of a normal relationship, even if we would inevitably settle into just friendship. I had to admit though, that I had a minor crush on him in the sort of admirable way like he'd be untouchable to actually date, but we still joshed around as if it was possible. Even though I had a feeling he sensed the weird, wall between us, he still returned the inklings of feelings back.

"How many times do I have to call you for you to come down?" my mom asked while appearing at my doorway. She stood in a nice indigo dress with silver jewelry and her hands on her hips.

"Sorry, sorry. I was on the phone," I said, rolling off my bed. "Why do you look all dressed and pretty? Let me guess. Another date with Collin?"

"Actually, it's time for a family night out," she informed.

"Family night what?" I asked, mistaken.

"We're gonna go out for dinner. You, me, and Zoey," she clarified before causing me to skeptically grab my bag and head downstairs to see an even more doubtful Zoey.

***

"I still think there's a catch," I commented as we were on our way to some restaurant for dinner after going shopping and watching a movie as a family. A whole day for us three girls was freaking me out no matter how well we've gotten along. The only thing close to days like this was when we would spend Dad's anniversary or birthday together and pretend everything was fine and dandy.

"Lili, can't you just be grateful?" Zoey retorted from the front seat. She was distracted and coddled by her bags and bags of new clothes. I wondered how simple her life must be not to question anything ever.

My phone vibrated and I saw profanities being cursed through my messages from Jackson. I immediately asked him what was wrong, but got no response. I wondered what happened because I knew he wasn't using the nasty words towards me. He usually told me what was bothering him—beside whatever mystery catastrophe between him and his sister—but something must really be wrong if he was acting so weird right now out of the blue.

Still not as weird as my mom though. We arrived at the restaurant and the waiter led us to a huge table.

"Why are there so many extra chairs?" I asked once we made it to the table. It seated six and we only had three.

"Maybe someone else is coming," Zoey shrugged, wiggling her eyebrows. Or maybe they just sat us here because it happened to be in the seating rotation the hostess permitted. It didn't really matter to me, especially since I excused myself to the bathroom. Two minutes later after I washed my hands, I found myself running into someone at the corner.

"I'm sorry—"

"Don't apologize. I think you had great timing running into me," Jackson laughed. I noticed that he was slightly dressed up in some nice jeans and a button down with the sleeves rolled up, meaning he expected to be at this considerably fancy restaurant unlike me or Zoey.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, hugging him. "And what was wrong with you earlier?"

"I have to meet the infamous girlfriend today," he groaned. "It's more serious than I thought."

"It can't be that bad," I shrugged as we began walking back to the seating area. But I had spoken too soon. My mom and Zoey were standing at our table as Mr. Scott and Halle greeted them. They all shook hands aside from my mom and Mr. Scott who smiled at one another before hugging.

"Uh, what's your dad's first name?" I asked Jackson suspiciously.

"Collin," he answered, but it wouldn't have mattered because my mom began flagging us over. Her hand was flailing as fast as I was putting together the fact that my mom was dating Jackson's dad.

"Hi, Mr. Scott," I greeted once I got over to the table.

"You know each other?" my mom asked with a confused expression that was also on Zoey and Halle's face.

"He's—"

"I'm Jackson," Jackson introduced to my mom.

"Oh," she said while piecing it together. She gave me a suggestive look. "You're Jackson..."

The son to your boyfriend and—very great—friend to your daughter, yes!

"What a small world," I commented.

"And getting smaller," Halle commented, gritting her teeth.

We all took a seat and I felt extremely awkward. Jackson kept sending me unreadable expressions and it made me wonder if those distant feelings we had about being untouchable was the universe basically setting us up for this moment.

"So this is Collin," I started.

"Yep," my mom smiled as I eyed their holding hands over the table. A whimper escaped my lips.

"The reason we thought you should all meet is because..."

"We're getting married!" my mom announced with a smile.

"What?!" every child at the table yelled.

"How could you?" I asked my mom while standing. It was a revelation of a relationship, but the destruction of any hopes of mine with Jackson. But I was too embarrassed for that. I had to find a less selfish reason to be appalled. "How could you do this to Dad?"

The table was quiet and then I walked off. After a few steps, Jackson's hand was laced with mine and we walked out together.

***

"Alicia, I know it's ironic for me to say this...but you have to be happy for them," Jackson tried to convince as I towed him through the forest that I had trekked through enough times with complicated feelings. I needed to think and I needed to be in my place. I stayed quiet at his attempts to calm me down. "Where are we going?"

"We're here," I informed as I stepped into the clearing. I felt the feeling of home.

"Wow," he commented.

"Gorgeous, right?" I asked, looking up at the stars.

"Yeah, you are," he commented. I looked over to him and he shook his head. "I mean, wow. How many times have you been out here if you know how to navigate through a forest to find it?"

"A few times," I replied. I took heavy breaths and started our conversation about our parents instead of remembering all the conversations I had here with Chase. Eventually Jackson had convinced me that our parents truly had to be in love if they were going through marriage. If that was true, we had to be happy for them. Even though I had made up the excuse of reluctance because of Dad's memory, it had sunk in that maybe it was true. I thought my concerns about a replaced parent was shared with Jackson, but he seemed to have another source for the disappointment.

"The only downfall is that we can't be together..."

"I know," I sighed, "we'll be step siblings."

"You think we'll all move in together?"

"I hope not," I snorted.

"Hurtful," he commented. He grabbed my waist. "You don't wanna live with me?"

"Jackson..." I whispered warningly because of his touch. "We're gonna be brother and sister..."

"Not until the wedding," he reminded. I looked up at him and he looked from my eyes to my mouth like he had done several times before. Only now was the first time that he decided to lean in. even though my mind throbbed with the notion that he was to be my brother and that there was an itching pain on my lips for something else, my eyes still closed. Apparently I wasn't the only one feeling the arrival of aching because after a moment of not feeling his soft lips on mine, I opened my eyes to see Jackson clutching his side in pain.

"What's wrong?!" I asked. He was hissing and breathing heavily. "Jackson!"

"Get out of here!" he suddenly ordered.

"What?"

"Get away from me right now!" he growled, his eyes connecting to mine. They flashed a silver color and a howl broke out in the woods. Oh no. You cannot be serious. I looked behind me and saw a pair of bright blue and a pair of dark black ones before two giant wolves stepped out. I looked up to see a full moon—not at its highest point, but still there—and panicked. The black wolf with blue eyes stared at me as the other brown and black wolf stared at Jackson. I knew the former had to be Wes.

"Get out of here!" Jackson roared again as he flinched on the ground in pain and crawled away from me on the ground. The black wolf barked and then appeared near me to lightly pushed me away from Jackson and then continue to stand between us.

"Don't. Touch. Her!" Jackson growled. With a few ripping and bone cracking sounds, a giant gray and brown wolf stood in Jackson's place. He lunged at us and then the brown and black wolf pounced in the way and fought wolf Jackson.

"Why the hell can't I find a normal guy?!" I found myself yelling. Wes' wolf looked back at me and then I looked around him to see the other wolf tackling Jackson to the ground over and over again. I didn't know who that wolf was but it was obviously someone in the pack. The pair of them fought and rolled into the forest as Wes continued to shield me from leaving.

Moments later, a wolf whimper let out and Wes trotted away from me. After a short pause, I sprinted into the forest and saw Jackson on the ground almost completely naked until a pair of shorts and a shirt was thrown at him. Wes stood over him in a pair of shorts. The other wolf was nowhere to be found. I turned around to let him change.

"Alicia—" Jackson said before he took me in a hug from behind. I turned around to hug him properly for a second before pulling away and smacking his chest. And then I smacked him.

"What the hell?!" I yelled and looked between him and Wes.

"I, uh, er—" Jackson stammered as I looked between them. "I'm a werewolf..."

Obviously. I paced back and forth briefly.

"And you're...not running away in terror," he added in confusion. I only rolled my eyes and looked to Wes.

"What the hell, man?" I asked.

"Jackson's the new werewolf I mentioned...surprise," he said, trying to act all innocent. He flashed a crooked smile as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked. "I could've died."

"You have always had a chance of dying since you met us," he muttered to me.

"Well that chance could've been avoided if you told me he turned into a werewolf!" I retorted.

"Well he hadn't turned yet. I was keeping an eye on him because Mr. Alpha is skipping town—" Wes shrugged.

"Wait. You knew?" Jackson asked over our conversation.

"Um yeah," I responded. Even though he had kept the secret from me (like he was supposed to), I was sure he was shocked with my involvement considering I had denied my belief in the supernatural world at one point and recanted it the next. "I know all about the pack."

"Why didn't you tell me she knew?!" Jackson roared at Wes instead of me for basically lying.

"That's your fault. You were told that when you were bit, you needed help, but you didn't listen. Not my f*cking fault," Wes retorted.

"You bit him?!" I yelled.

"No. I did not," Wes informed. "But this dweeb figured that since his family studied werewolves, he didn't need our help."

"No. I didn't need your help because werewolves don't exist," Jackson defended.

"Well now you do and you always will," Wes sneered. I scoffed and he looked to me. "What were you even doing in the forest at this time? Chase isn't even in town."

"I don't need Chase in order to come here," I said first. "And I needed to think."

"So you bring a young werewolf with you," he finished.

"Like that was my intention," I rolled my eyes. "It's not my fault you wolves keep managing to involve me."

"She's in the pack?" Jackson suddenly asked.

"No."

"Yes."

"I'm confused," he commented, rubbing his head. "You're a werewolf too?"

"She's—"

"I am a human," I corrected. "Mortal. No shape shifting or extra abilities other than attracting you wolves."

"You know you love it," Wes teased.

"Getting hurt various times by you guys and having my life constantly threatened as well as my love live, I'm gonna have to say no, I don't love it," I responded.

"Love life?" Jackson asked.

"Long story," I said like every other thing.

"She thinks that any relationship she gets into, the pack is gonna intervene," Wes explained. "Ha. I guess you're right."

"No thanks to you," I grumbled.

"You should thank us. You were about to kiss him and he could've bit your face off," Wes reminded.

I rolled my eyes mostly because I didn't want to be embarrassed by whatever there was with me and Jackson. I knew he wouldn't actually bite my face off.

"Shut up," I ordered. "You know what? Whatever. You stupid werewolves are annoying with your shifting and tempers and imprinting and—"

"That imprinting shit is true?" Jackson laughed. Wes and I nodded. "Yeah right. Where's the proof? I don't believe it."

"If you ever went to the house that you've been avoiding, you'd see at least three couples of proof or you could ask the people standing in front of you," Wes spat.

"You guys broke up though," Jackson reminded with a frown.

"The only reason we broke up is because my mate came back after a bunch of shit that went down all because Alicia's mate is an idiotically stubborn Alpha," Wes informed.

"We didn't break up because of Chase," I defended for some reason. Maybe it was because it was true, maybe because I didn't like slander against Chase unless it was coming from me.

"Chase," Jackson named in a new way. "I thought you said he hated you."

"Because he—"

"They're a complicated pair," Wes cut off and I glared at him to change the subject. I crossed my arms and began walking towards the house. They followed, but I knew Wes was closest to me

"My ex boyfriend is a werewolf...my best friend's mate is a werewolf...my newest friend is a freaking werewolf—" I complained beneath my breath.

"Don't forget your mate," Wes sang. I tossed him a look and he corrected himself.

"—and now my brother is a freaking wolf," I finished in a fury.

"Brother?" Wes asked.

"Our parents are getting married," Jackson informed from behind.

"Sweet," Wes commented.

"Not for us," I said beneath my breath.

"You should thank them," Wes suggested. "Do you know how much it'd suck if Chase had been the one to catch you two? At least now you guys don't have a chance to be together. Which means I don't have to endure his idiotic thoughts about it—"

"It's not about what Chase thinks," I mumbled. "I don't know how he found us at the park the other day, but it still doesn't matter and he's not even here."

Wes got quiet.

"It still doesn't matter and he's not even here," I repeated to convince him or ask for a confirmation.

"He got back tonight again," Wes informed in a mutter. I groaned at the complication. "Well I mean, he would've back soon anyways. I mean Dane f*cked up so Chase would have to pick up the pieces eventually—"

"I don't even care," I sighed. And then the awkward silence started.

"So what am I supposed to do?" Jackson asked as his arm was thrown around my shoulders as he limped on his way.

"About what?" I asked.

"Um about being a werewolf," he answered.

"You stay at the house until you can control it and then you act as a member of the pack until you're accepted," Wes answered.

"What do you mean stay at the house?" Jackson asked.

"Stay. At. The. House," Wes alliterated. "Just because you've been home up until now, doesn't mean you can go back."

"But my dad—"

"Can't know," Wes interrupted. "That's why you need to be trained."

"I just need to go home and do some research—"

"Researching won't help you do shit," Wes informed.

"I don't care."

"Jackson, please..." I mumbled. "It's better if you just stay at the house."

"While everyone's living their normal life, I'm stuck at some stupid runaway house?" he asked, incredulously.

"You'll be training," Wes corrected. Jackson scoffed.

"It's really not that bad," I whispered. "The guys are all really cool."

"How many?" he whined.

"Like two dozen in and out," I answered.

"And how many girls?" he asked.

"Well—"

"Any girls that hang around us are mated to someone or siblings, meaning you have no possible chance with them unless you want to die trying to get at them," Wes said, "or want some slut."

He meant Kayla.

"Or me," I teased.

"Alicia. You have Ch—"

"And we're brother and sister," he reminded.

"Not until the wedding," I reminded with a wink just before we arrived at the house.

"There are rooms on the far end of the hall. Choose one and it's yours," Wes said to us. He looked to me. "You know where they are." I bit my lip because he knew I didn't like roaming this house. "Go through the back. There's a meeting right now, so when you're all done upstairs, just go downstairs," Wes added. We nodded and headed up into the farthest room down the hall.

Once Jackson knew where his room would be, we went downstairs and he jokingly walked with his arm over my shoulders like he naturally did. I saw everyone was already there so I didn't think our arrival would be as distracting as it was considering everyone else was in their own conversations. However, when we officially sat down, everyone else stood and left. By the time we frowned and stood, thinking maybe we were meant to follow them, Wes arrived.

"You and you, come with me."

***

"I don't appreciate waiting for long periods of time," I complained as Jackson and I sat on the couch in the office as I sat on the couch with my legs propped on him.

"Just calm down," Wes replied while pacing. The door opened and he walked in. I gulped and tried to stay away from looking at his eyes.

"So you're the new werewolf," Chase started as he took a seat behind the desk.

"And you're the Alpha," Jackson responded as he played with my hair. My gaze still missed Chase. I didn't want to look at him.

"Yeah. I am."

"So what do you want, a cookie? A congrats? You don't own me," Jackson snorted.

"My brother bit you and I'm his Alpha so you listen to him and whoever else during training, but what I say goes. I might as well own you," Chase restated. Jackson still snorted and his sarcastic laugh made me giggle slightly.

"Why am I here again?" Jackson asked after a moment of laughter.