All I could think about was Tyler's face when he left. For the first time, it was him who built the wall around his head for me. He wasn't letting me in, but I couldn't exactly blame him. He didn't even know everything, but I didn't want to break his heart.

I was so close to rejecting him so many times. I would be standing on a branch, simply watching him talk to me at the lake. My voice would be so low, it would carry itself into the wind and I pro the Goddess herself, breaking the bond.

"I, Lena Dupree, reject-"

But I could never finish it. I would always stop myself midway, because I would see the side of his face. Memories of watching him would crush into me, it honestly drove me wild. He was the love of my life, even before he met me.

I remember the glint in his eyes as he chased around his father in their wolf form. The way he laughed when his mother pushed him into the pool, only to be pushed in herself by her mate. His first kiss, with a girl he swore was his mate until he actually turned 15, and she wasn't.

I walked away from the hospital and found my way to his room. I curled up into his bed, pressure building behind my eyes as I didn't let any tears fall. But like everything in my life, it eventually crashed and broke.

Sobs racked my chest, sobs I didn't even know I had inside of me. I tried to curl into myself, make myself as small as possible, anything to take me from this world. I lay there for so long, until my tears ran dry and the sun had set, leaving me in a dark room that smelt like him.

The door swung open as the scent of Tyler and vodka crashed into the air. I wrinkled my nose as I sat up, the air flashing on as I took everything in. Tyler looked a mess, his eyes glassy and his hair everywhere. He clutched onto a clear bottle, halfway full. He smiled lazily at me, staggering in a few steps.

"Tyler?" I stood up off the bed, taking a slight step towards him. He bared his teeth at me before bursting out laughing.

"You're supposed to protect me, but yet I got drunk!" I reached to him as he stepped back, his hand leaning against the wall to support him. "Yes you love me, you love me."

I nodded my head, taking small steps to try to not have him notice. "I do Tyler, I never lied about that."

"Liar liar pants on fire." He looked at the shorts I was wearing, scrunching his nose at me. "You're pants aren't on fire, maybe you're not lying."

I took the last step and hoisted him up, dragging him to his bed. I pulled off his shirt before leaning over, taking off his shoes and socks. I reached to unbutton his jeans when his hand grasped my wrist, my eyes finding his. They were black and glassy, showing jus how drunk and horny he really was.

"If you wanted me to fuck you you should've just asked!" He giggled, pushing his fake hair from his face. "I mean, I haven't had sex with anyone, and I'm a horny teenage wolf. We gotta at some point ya knoooow."

I rolled my eyes, slapping his hand away. I pulled his pants down and pushed him into his bed, pulling up the covers around him. I sat at the edge of the bed and pushed his hair away again, twirling a wavy lock around my finger.

"Tyler, you're drunk. You were mad at me literally a couple of hours ago." He growled lowly, halfway through the growl it turned into a chuckle.

"Pfft, who cares. As long as that's the only thing that you lied about, I at the moment, do not care the foggiest." I chuckled at his drunk demeanor, running my thumb over his cheek. "Why won't you let me mark you?"

I froze in he middle of touching him, my eyes staring into his forest green eyes. "For your protection. If anyone found out about you being my mate, you'd be dead."

He rolled his eyes before trying to lean off the bed, pursing his lips towards me. "Go to sleep Tyler, were going to school tomorrow. Think of it as your punishment."

He groaned before flopping back on his bed, my fingers betraying me as they traced his collarbones. I felt his breathing hitch, the wolf inside of me demanding we take him right here, sober or not.

"That's a bad idea little angel." I grinned as I leaned forward, capturing his lips with mine.

"Goodnight my big bad wolf."

***

Everyone laughed as Tyler staggered down the stairs the next morning, especially his mother and father. I don't think he noticed me yet, mainly because he didn't know I in fact lived here, and was actually right next to his room. I stood in the doorway, watching as everyone ate. He simply slumped in his chair, grimacing at the sight of the greasy sausages and eggs in front of him.

"Hey man, did you fix everything with Lena last night?" Alex asked as he sat down, taking a big bite of his eggs.

"I don't even remember. I remember vodka, and lots of it." He groaned as he sipped his water, wincing at the loud conversations around him.

"Are you mad at her?" John sipped on his coffee as he stared at Tyler, Tyler's hair sticking up in every direction manageable.

"No, I could never be. How'd you take it?" He directed towards Alex. He shrugged, taking a few more bites of his food.

"Better than you obviously. She explained everything to me," he looked up to catch my eyes, flashing back to Tyler as he began to speak. "And I do mean everything, and while I don't understand why, I can't get mad."

I stuck my tongue out at him, causing him to shake his head. I released my scent, dropping my walls. I felt his wolf fully meet mine, God was she in love. I heard her sighing out of happiness inside of me, purring as she reached out to him. I released my hold on my scent, watching his body go rigid.

I don't know what I expected. Him to turn around and smile at me? To run and hold me and tell me just how much he loved me? He didn't do anything like that, he made himself eat some pancakes. I watched him for a minute or so, his back never relaxing under my gaze.

I grit my teeth and turned. I made my way out of the front door, taking keys from the rack next to the door in the garage. I climbed on top of a motorcycle they kept to the side, swinging my leg over it as I turned the engine on. I kicked up the kickstand and sped off, my hair flying behind me as I rode without a helmet.

I couldn't care honestly.

I was so, upset? It wasn't anger coursing through me, more like disappointment. He said he wasn't angry, by why wouldn't he even acknowledge me? Was he suddenly ashamed of me? Because I'm a stupid fucking hybrid that happens to have a deranged brother after me for some goddamn reason?

I clenched my jaw as I pulled into the parking lot. I turned off the bike when pack cars rolled in, turning on them as I made my way into the front of the school. I passed a smug looked Starla, her red hair fanned over her delicate shoulders.

Why the fuck did she have to look so perfect?

Seriously, I have linebacker shoulders and too big of boobs while she was dainty and small, she could fit into Tyler's side perfectly while he was only half a foot taller than me. I was tall, sure, but I didn't have long legs than ran on for miles.

My legs were short while I got stuck with a longer torso. My feet tripped over themselves almost constantly, unless I was running through the forest or climbing through trees. My whit hair was messy curls, not the cute kind that every girl vied for, now they were the frizzy kind that would break millions of ponytails and brushes if they could.

I rested my forehead against my locker, hiding my scent again. I could honestly care less right now, I was tired and everything that had happened in the past 48 hours or so was draining on me. My wound was still healing, not slow enough for me to be excused, but not fast enough for me to shift just yet.

I groaned when the bell rang, making my way to English. I walked in and forced myself not to look at him, although Starla was way too close for comfort. I pushed my growl down, dropping my head against the cool wooden desk. I squeezed my eyes shut, opening them to find I wasn't in the classroom anymore.

The castle was dark and unfamiliar. I looked down to the blood red dress I was wearing, my fingers clenching it in bundles. Scars ran down my forearms, a smudge of blood on my wrist catching my attention.

I looked up to the empty corridor. My bare feet took me down the carpet, my fingertips trailing along the walls. I don't know how long I walked, the hallway just kept twisting and turning until I reached a library.

The library wasn't as grand as the one in the pack house, books strewn across the floor with no musical instruments in sight. A figure stood in the shadows, my heart fluttering as I prayed it was Tyler.

But it seems no one was listening to my prayers tonight.

A man stepped out with white hair like mine, long and tumbling down his back. He looked cold, pale skin stretching right across his bones. He grinned, his fanged teeth glinting as the moon caught them. The most frightening thing was the fact he had my eyes, blue as the sky when it reaches the edge of the ocean.

"My dear Leona."

"My name is Lena, not Leona." He snarled at my words, his fingers clenching into a fist.

"It is Leona, you will not disrespect me!" The back of his hand smacked across my cheek, pain blazing through me.

"What the hell do you want!" I screamed at him, my eyes blazing silver as I bit my tongue.

"Your mate." I snarled, taking a step towards him.

"You will not lay a hand on him!" He laughed, closing the distance between us. His fingers wrapped around my throat, cutting off the airflow as he lifted me inches above the ground.

"If that's what it takes to get you, then yes I will."

I flew up from my desk, everyone's eyes snapping to the sudden noise. The teacher raised her eyebrows to me, her mouth open as I had just interrupted her.

"Yes Ms. Dupree?" I flew out of my desk and jumped on top, pushing one of the tiles out of the ceiling.

I heard gasps as I pulled myself in, grasping onto my bow and a small gun, sliding it into my boot. I closed the tile as a growl ripped through the room, crouching as high as I could. I lightly ran across the ceiling on the school. I heard shouts as I crossed rooms, my pounding feet alerting others.

'I have to find the queen, get Tyler and protect him st all costs. Wait for further instruction."

I finally pulled another tile back and hopped into a full classroom, John snapping his eyes to me in surprise. I grimaced as I opened the door and ran out the building, my bow strung across my back. I heard the door opened just as I reached the first line, turning to find a very pissed off Tyler, Alex, and a confused looking John leave the school in handcuffs.

I smirked and stuck my tongue out to Tyler when he saw me, a growl ripping through his thick chest. I turned and ran to the castle faster than I could think, trees and other life blurring past me. I ran through the front gate and into the garden, catching Ashe and Xander's eyes. I raced in front of Ashe, my eyes darting in between the two.

"I had a vision, why?" I gritted my teeth, trying to desperately stop my tumbling hands.

Ashe paled, looking back to an equally pale Xander. "Oh no, it's begun."

"What the hell does that mean! What's begun!" Ashe sighed as she gripped Xander's hand, jealously hitting my heart.

"Certain Vampires can receive visions, gift from my mother. But, it usually means something." I threw my hands up as she paused, motioning with my hands for her to continue. "Usually means one of two things, she thinks you need the help and cares enough to show you, or you or your mate will be close to dying soon."

"Oh fuck."