Shifting last night felt like this huge weight lifted off my chest. I felt lighter. Salvatore finally felt content with spending time with his mate. Half of me felt so at peace, but the magic side still fought with me. It was getting out of control a little more than I anticipated. Mom always told me magic will come out in ways you don't want it to if you suppress it.

I could feel it starting to slip.

When I checked my phone I gulped. Mom called 5 times.

I'm dead wolf meat.

Taking a moment before I pressed call, Mom answered me on my first ring.

"Where have you been?!" she exclaimed.

"Hi Mom I'm alive and well," I greeted her, the sound of her voice making me instantly in a good mood.

"Hold up you're on speaker," Mom's voice got muffled for a second.

"Glad you're alive and well West," Dad spoke through the phone.

"We heard about the rogues in the elementary school and Maddox texted us saying you went inside?!"

"Yeah, I-" how did I explain that, though?

"West Stryder!" Mom sputtered. Oh no, she's using my full name. "You know better than that!"

"I know, but I wasn't at any point actually in danger," I tried explaining myself. If my magic wasn't effective, Salvatore was going to shift. What that meant to everyone else was doom, but it would have protected Edith.

It would be easier if I just told them I was protecting my mate. Actually, everyone would have understood. Everyone. Especially my parents. Especially Dad.

But I couldn't, and here we are. My parents thinking I'm making my thousandth mistake in life.

"I couldn't leave my friend behind," I closed my eyes.

"I know sweetheart, and we're so proud because that's exactly what we want from you."

My eyes flew open. "Uh what?"

"You think your dad or I would leave one of our friend's behind a rogue attack?" Mom asked.

"In fact, your mother sometimes was borderline driving me crazy because she wanted to risk her life to save some wolves, but if that wasn't your thought, then we hadn't raised you right," Dad said, and I smiled.

"So you're not mad?" I asked hopefully.

Dad laughed, "Oh no, we're definitely mad."

The next day, I met Theo up for breakfast at the cafeteria. He was already standing by the table with some granola bar in his hand. A well balanced meal.

"Good morning," I said to him as we walked to the line.

"You seem happy," Theo commented.

"Don't know what you're talking about. I'm always happy." For the most part.

"Yeah, that's a problem within itself," Theo chuckled, but he shook his head. "But something else. Something that might have to do with a certain pretty wolf."

"What do you mean?" I asked testily. I promised Edith I wasn't going to tell anyone we were mates. Even if Theo was my best friend. It killed me not to tell him. Him especially. I knew he would tell me as soon as he figured out.

Theo frowned, "You were going to a place filled with rogues- risking your life- for her?"

"That's what I do with all my good friends."

"Good friend?" Theo asked. "I've never heard you talk about her until you heard that she was in the elementary school. Then I thought I'd have to actually try to contain you. Care to explain?"

I shrugged, "We've both have gym and the after school detention thing."

"The detention you got for her when you broke Jared's jaw."

Oh. Right. That. "Where are you going with this?" Theo's smart for his own good. Wyatt can read me like an open book, but Theo comes pretty close too.

Theo stared at me for a second before he shrugged, inspecting some food on my plate. "Nothing really...just would like to meet her is all." That's the last thing I wanted. "A good friend of yours is a friend of mine."

"I have plenty of friends you hate."

"Well I hate everyone, so they're nothing special."

Nervous to see Edith after she saw me-saw Salvatore- I tried not to seek her out during lunch. But I knew gym I'd see her.

"Did you hear what I said?" Abby asked me. She was sitting across from me. Theo on the other side and Jax sat at the far end- I made sure he and Theo were far apart.

"Hear what?" I asked, glancing at Maddox. Hoping maybe he could help me. Maddox only shook his head.

"Homecoming. We're going as a group. We need matching colors. It's next week. I've been planning it for ages. You're going to need to come to the student body meeting to hear how to help."

Homecoming.

"We're going as a group because none of you guys have dates," Sophie said.

"Hey! I'm an attractive male Alpha, in his young years. I've been asked a lot, I just rejected everyone," Theo said.

Maddox signed and I snickered.

"I'll ask someone right now. If that person says yes, you owe me dinner."

Abby rolled her eyes, but we all watched as Theo stood up slowly to the poor wolf he was eyeing. She was tall, a brunette with blue eyes talking to her friends, laughing. The laughter stopped when Theo came up to them.

"Hello ladies, how are you guys?"

The target cast her eyes downwards, and I had to blink again. Really?!

"Well, I couldn't help but notice your beauty from all across the lunch room so I just had to ask you- would you come to Homecoming with me?"

The brunette's eyes widened just as the wolf of the hour- Keaton- came to her. I remember what a douche he was to Callie in gym. How he still was. Definitely has some issues he needs to solve. Definitiley still obsessed with Callie who rejected him.

"Why are you talking to my girlfriend?" Keaton demanded. Possessive. This smelled like trouble. Theo never liked when someone's tone was harsh. This was a fight willing to break out.

"I'm just asking her out to Homecoming, especially now as to seeing how she could do much better," Theo's innocent polite tone angered Keaton even more.

Keaton's eyes narrowed to slits, "You asked my girlfriend out?"

Theo nodded, turning to her, "You didn't say yes or no. so I'm waiting for my answer."

"How about I say it to you? No." Keaton was now trying to get in Theo's face, and Abby's eyes drilled holes into me. I had to stop it. I know I did. But with Theo, all his confrontations were like a train wreck. You couldn't help but to keep on looking.

"West!" Abby hissed, seething. Theo wouldn't hit first. I was just waiting to see if Keaton would be wolf enough to actually hit first. To me, it didn't seem like Keaton would because as much of a front he put up, he was all talk and no bite.

Besides, Theo would wipe the floor with this guy, and I'd like to have front row seats. I'd help Theo if I think he actually needed it. Which he never does usually. He knows I'll back him up in anything. It's better if I stay put before I punch Keaton.

Luckily, a teacher called them to break it out before I could even move a single inch.

Keaton didn't move from Theo's face. Even though Keaton was taller, Theo's small Cheshire cat like grin made him seem like the bigger wolf.

"I said both of you to move it along!" the teacher snapped again. I tensed, wondering what Theo would say to make Keaton angry, but as dumb as he looked, Keaton balked out first.

Theo shrugged at him, still smiling. He turned to the she-wolf again, "Call me if you want a real Alpha." With all the dignity someone could have, he sat back down at our table.

"Are you crazy?!" Abby nearly shouted at him. Theo gave her a what-do-you-think look. "Yeah, don't answer that because you are! Why would you even do that!"

Theo turned back to his roasted vegetables. "It's fun."

Before going to gym, I saw Blaine by his locker, looking like he was scrubbing it with a towel.

As I stepped closer, I could tell there was the words "Loser" written on it with red paint.

"What the hell is this?" I'm ready to fight someone.

Okay, fine, I'm always ready to fight someone.

Blaine stopped scrubbing and desperation was in his eyes. "Don't tell Edith," Blaine's eyes trained on me. "Please you can't."

"Blaine I don't-" I shook my head, clenching my fists. "Who's doing it?"

Blaine stayed silent.

"Blaine."

"I don't need you or Edith fighting my battles."

I sighed. He's a tough one. Trying to be independent. I get it. "It's okay to ask for help sometimes, you know."

Blaine threw me a humorless look. "Yeah, that's why I asked you to train me in basketball."

"Nice way to stray from the conversation."

"I can handle this myself," Blaine's still stubborn.

"Fine. I'll give you a week to tell your bully or bullies to bug off. If not, I'm telling Edith and I'm going to ask every single freshman in this school if they have a problem with you. Got it?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Wow the Alpha jumped out," Blaine mumbled. I didn't crack.

"I'm serious Blaine," I warned. "If no freshman confesses, then I'm going to ask the whole school on the announcements. Don't think I won't." I was already going to drill the freshman basketball team.

"Okay, okay." But Blaine smiled a tinge. "So dramatic."

The class session for gym was the worst because the gym teacher decided her wanted to be creative and separate two groups to do different activities. One group outside and one inside.

Of course my group wasn't with Edith or even Callie, so I was solo.

After class, I finally got to see my mate who was leaving the locker room.

"Hi," I told her. Salvatore satisfied and happy for the time with his mate made me happy too.

"Hi," Edith's dimples popped out, giving me a full smile which left me unable to form a coherent thought. Since the elementary school closed after the rogue incident, we didn't have to go after school for detention.

"Ready to go?" Edith asked me. Oh yeah. Drug vampire guy.

I could tell Edith was eager to track down the one at school dealing with the wolfsbane. There was something more to it than she was telling me, but if she was going to go this route, I'd be there too.

"What if somehow, rogues were involved? The ones that were in the school?"

I took a deep breath in, "Then...this is some serious stuff."

Both of us were apprehensive with the whole situation and meeting him. What were the chances we stumbled upon a vampire near school grounds? On the same day of the rogue attack?

Edith suggested to take separate cars, telling me Penelope was going to take Blaine back. I hope that guy wasn't going to keep thinking he had to do this alone.

We both got to the pizza place, and before we entered, I informed her, "I don't trust him."

Edith nodded slightly, and I was surprised that she was agreeing with me.

Surely enough, he was there sitting in the corner. His dark eyes landed on the both of us and he put his menu he was holding down slowly. Positioning myself in front of Edith, I walked up to his table.

"Nicholas?"

Nicholas gave me a weird look. "You're him?"

"Who?" I looked at Edith.

"The white beast," Nicholas' eyes narrowed slightly. "Who wanted to eat me for dinner."

"Not sorry about him," I slid in the booth, Edith following suite. I know Salvatore didn't take too much of a liking towards him. The same applied to me.

"You're both Alphas?" he asked. How he could tell was beyond me. His hair was cropped short, and his dark skin contrasted with his yellow shirt made my eyes hurt. Like a typical vampire, he was nearly perfect. Prime and proper. And that accent is British.

"Yes we are," Edith answered after a moment because I wasn't going to give him anything.

"Huh. Interesting. There is something about Alphas that I can't quite put my fingers on, but I hate them."

"Hey," I started. "We're not all the stereotype everyone thinks."

"But we mostly still are," Edith added. "At school especially."

"Entitled jerks you mean?" Nicholas so unhelpfully inputs.

I wanted to correct him and say we're not all entitled, but the fact of the matter was Alphas were. We were. I was only raised well because of my parents. But most Alphas from the previous generation and the one in mine still have the ugly Alpha mindset. I can't argue with that.

"Yeah, I guess we are," I was reluctant to say. A waitress came by, asking for our drinks, and I asked for coke and some garlic cheesy bread sticks.

"I know Alphas like to dominate just as you two are. But I don't see any dominating from you-" he points at me. "It's like something I just can't put my finger on."

I shrugged, not caring to know what this guy thought.

"So tell us everything," Edith said. The only reason why we're here. Our waitress gave our drinks and we ordered what kind of pizza we wanted by the slice.

"Well," Nicholas sighed deeply. "There's been some wolfsbane infiltrated through the vampires. Once you get hooked on that stuff, it's hard to get out of it as I'm sure you both know. Some vampires just go wild for it, and I've noticed the slow but steady increase of it. In our clubs, in some parts of the coven. It's something I've noticed myself recently. The higher up vampires don't know about it."

Grandpa didn't know anything? Uncle Zeke was somewhere in Costa Rica right now, exploring and living his life. What if I did tell Gramps and he already knew? Or what if this was nothing to be really concerned about and I just made it worse? What would an Alpha do? What would Dad do?

I straightened, and noticed Edith looking at me with interest. "We'll try to find him then. How'd you get into contact with him anyways?"

"Some vampire in the club gave me a point of contact, but alas, it failed. When I tried calling the number again, it failed."

"What would you have done if you saw him?" I asked carefully, but got cut off when the waitress came with all of our food.

"Delicious!" Nicholas said happily.

"Vampires can eat?" Edith asked cutely.

"The movies, I tell you." Nicholas shook his head. "I don't eat for sustenance, but the enjoyment- the taste." He excused himself to wash his hands in the bathroom.

Right when we were sure he was out of earshot, "We can't let this crap get into the packs," Edith stated lowly to me.

"I'm with you on that one," I agreed. Nicholas came back, and we all just started eating.

After we finished eating, Nicholas gave us his number and told us if we snooped and found anything to let him know. Same applied for him. I paid for Edith, much to her trying to argue with me, and Nicholas looked us with peak interest. I don't like the way he was looking at Edith.

We made our way out the restaurant. Nicholas commented, "Who would've guessed I would be working with two young Alphas."

"Who knew I'd be working with a vampire," I said, lying. I wasn't going to tell him who I was related to. He can figure that out all on his own.

All of us stopped in the parking lot, and Edith had to go to work, and I made sure she got out safely. Edith drove off, and before Nicholas could make his getaway, in a flash I had him by his collar. His brown eyes looked mildly surprised, and my fists tightened around him as I pushed him roughly against the back wall of the restaurant.

"If you try anything funny with Edith or if you hurt her and if I have any reason to suspect you're going to betray us even for a second -make no mistake, I won't even hesitate to kill you." Abruptly, I released him. As soon as that happened, he vanished. There was only one thought that really bothered me.

He never told us what he was going to do with the student he was going to meet.