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"Mom, Dad, I'm heading out." Katie called from the front hall. She was in the middle of shrugging on her jacket and shoes when her parents, David and Ashley came in from the kitchen, they too were ready for work; both dressed accordingly."Where's Jackson?" David asked."He went to see Lydia." Katie answered."Do you think that is a good idea?" Ashley asked. "Especially since he is supposed to be dead?""Was it a clever idea to take him to the hospital?" Katie asked.David tapped her shoulder and gave her a stern look. "You know how I feel about answering back," he warned."Sorry." Katie apologized. "But no, it's probably not a clever idea, but she has a right to know that he is alive. I mean, they may not be together anymore but Lydia does care about him. I, on the other hand, don't care much about her, which is why I am hanging out with Isaac and Jackson's with Lydia. Maybe they'll reconcile their relationship, who knows."Ashley shook her head and reached behind her daughter to get her coat. "Well, I for one hope that he does," she said. "He and Lydia made a cute pair, as for you and Isaac, I think we need to sit down and talk about the relationship.""Uh-oh." Katie murmured. "Talk about what?""How close are you and Isaac?" Ashley asked."Um, as any other boyfriend and girlfriend." Katie shrugged.Ashley grabbed her keys from the table beside the door, and turned to her daughter. "You're not advanced in your relationship, are you?" she asked."Define 'advanced'," said Katie, although she had a vague idea where her mother was going with the topic."I mean, have you...""Do we or do we not," interrupted David. "Nee to have 'The Talk.'"Katie scrunched her nose up in disgust. "Oh, gross!" she cried, pulling away from her parents. "No, we do not need to have The Talk, and trust me, if Isaac and I were doing that, I'd be extra careful to use protection."Ashley and David both sighed in relief."That's all we needed to know," said David. "Have fun with your friends, peanut." He kissed Katie's head and then pecked his wife on the lips."Oh, c'mon!" Katie whined. "Do you really have to do that while I'm still in the room?"Her parents chuckled as she snatched the keys from the table and rushed for the door. She swung it open and skirted around her uncle Sean, who had been out grocery shopping, and rushed towards her Aston Martin which was in the drive."Whoa, where's the fire." Sean called after her."Ask mom and dad." Katie called back. "Things are getting pretty heated between them. If they don't go to work soon, there is a chance you could have another niece or nephew."Uncle Sean grimaced. "Oh god," he muttered. "Not another one. Two is enough."Katie grinned and jumped into her car. She rolled down the window and looked back at her family. "I'll see you guys later," she called, blowing them a kiss as she backed out of the drive. "Love you.""Be careful." Ashley called, she was still nervous about her teenage children being on the road, even though both of them were careful drivers."This is me you're talking too." Katie smiled, waving again. "Bye."
~*Possessions*~
Isaac waited at the gates of the preserve. He was checking his phone periodically when a car rolled into view; he smiled as his brunette girlfriend slowed to a halt in front of him and climbed out of the driver's side."You're late," he said, holding up his phone to show her the timer."By three minutes." Katie pouted."What if it was an emergency?" Isaac asked. "Three minutes could mean the difference between life and death."Katie rolled her eyes and unlocked the passenger's side door. "Then be thankful that it is not a life and death situation," she teased, waiting for him to get in. She then leaned across and kissed him; he returned it and then pulled back."You're happy," he pointed out. "Why?""Can't a girl be happy?""What did you do?"Katie smiled and shook her head. "I didn't do anything," she said. "It's just... It's been a week since the Kanima incident. Jackson is showing signs of a full recovery, the doctors are still confused on how he's alive, mind. My parents are just happy that they have both me and Jackson back, safe and sound, my Uncle Sean... well, he's still slightly suspicious, but not enough that I have to worry about.""Are you still thinking about telling him about what happened?" Isaac asked, fastening his seatbelt."If he keeps digging then I'll have too." Katie nodded."And your parents?""What about them?" Isaac asked. "You going to tell them?"Katie shrugged. "If my uncle finds out," she nodded. "Then yes, I will be telling them too. It might be a stupid idea," she agreed. "But at least they'll have a clear understanding of what is happening around here, right? I mean, they shouldn't worry too much about me and Jackson if they know what's going on with us.""True, but, before you make any rash decisions, do try and remember that when Mrs. McCall found out, she wouldn't look at Scott for days.""I know." Katie nodded. "This is why I am going to wait and see what my uncle is doing. I won't tell them if he backs off and stops searching.""What if he asks you?"Katie smiled. "I'm obliged to say that I am a pretty good liar at this moment," she laughed.The car was silent for a few minutes, and then Katie spoke again."So, why does Derek and Peter want us to meet them at the Hale house?" she asked.Isaac shook his head. "I don't know," he answered. "He said there was something he needed to show us. Hopefully it doesn't take long.""Why? You got somewhere else you need to be?""Yeah. We both do.""Oh?""It's a surprise."Katie huffed. "I hate surprises," she pouted."You'll love this one," said Isaac. "I promise.""Fine."Turning onto the Hale property, Katie spotted Derek and Peter up ahead. She stopped the car and put it into park, before killing the engine and climbing out."What's the 'big emergency'?" she asked the Alpha."That." Derek pointed at the front door of the Hale House.Isaac and Katie frowned and walked forward. On the front of the red wooden door, Katie saw a swastika-like spiral pattern painted in black."What is this?" Isaac asked, climbing the steps and tracing his fingers over the spiral."It's a spiral." Katie answered. "A swastika-like spiral.""How do you know that?" Peter asked.Katie shot him a look. "School," she answered, simply. She knew that Derek and Isaac would understand that she had learned about it at Bales College, it was pretty much where she had gained most of her knowledge at the supernatural world."It's their symbol." Derek answered."Who's symbol?""Alphas.""More than one?" Isaac frowned; wondering if that was even possible."A pack of them." Derek confirmed."An Alpha pack." Peter added."What does it mean?" Isaac asked."It means they're coming."Peter shook his head. "No, they're not coming," he said. "They're already here."Katie, however, was staring at Derek."Are you 100% positive that it means 'they are coming'?"Katie asked."Yes. Why?""Because, if it means 'they're coming', then why is it carved on to the front of my Bestiary?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Allison squeaked as she opened the door to Katie's bedroom and was almost hit in the face with a pillow. "Hey!" she exclaimed, dodging the object as it soared over her shoulder and out onto the landing. She had come over to study for the English exam they had the following week, but was confused to see that she had walked in on a bombshell. "What the hell, Katie?""Oh, hey," said Katie, looking up and noticing her best friend standing in the doorway. She had been home nearly an hour, both her parents were at work, her Uncle Sean said he was running out to do a few errands, Jackson was still with Lydia - or was it Danny? Katie wasn't sure - Isaac had gone to find Erica and Boyd, while she had come home to search for her Bestiary."What exactly are you doing?" Allison asked. "You do understand the concept of clean, don't you?""Haha." Katie mocked, shooting the older brunette a glare. "I'm looking for my bestiary."Allison frowned. She had seen Katie's bestiary before. It was a work in progress, seeing as it had been started nearly five years ago, and never finished due to unavoidable circumstances. "Uh, why?" she asked. "I thought we were going to study for our English exam?""We are." Katie nodded pointing at the desk where her English notes were ready and waiting. "I just really need to find my bestiary.""Why?" Allison repeated."Because there is something that I need to see.""Like?"Katie sighed and straightened up. "You remember the pattern on the front of it?" she asked."The spiral." Allison nodded. "Yeah, what about it?""Well, I saw it again, today," said Katie. "And someone told me that the meaning behind it meant that someone was coming, but I don't get how it can mean someone is coming, if it is carved onto the front of one my most prized possessions."Allison looked thoughtful. "OK. I'm still failing to see how this is important that you have to turn your bedroom upside down," she said."Well, I have a picture of the spiral I saw today," said Katie, holding up her phone. "If I can find my Bestiary then I can compare spirals, see if there is any recognizable differences between them.""And if there is," said Allison, finally catching on. "Then you'll know that different spirals have different meanings.""Yup." Katie nodded. "You wanna help me? Or do you wanna go downstairs and set up for studying?""How about I go down and set up," said Allison. "And then I'll come back and help you put this room back into shape. We might be able to find the book easier if we didn't have all this junk to sift through."Katie gasped. "Junk?" she repeated. "Excuse me, it's not junk, this is my life!""Then you need to have a sort out." Allison smiled. "How about this weekend you and I'll have a clean out? You know, out with the old and in with the new? We could even go shopping. I need a shopping trip anyway, my dad's thinking about moving to a smaller apartment in the city, and I need new wallpaper and things.""Sure. Sounds fun." Katie nodded. "Maybe I can finally let go of Aiden and move on in my life.""With Isaac?"Katie smiled. "Yeah..." she nodded. "With Isaac.""So, it's Aiden out," said Allison, with a smile. "Isaac in?""Awesome."
~*Possession*~
After setting up their studying supplies and cleaning up the bedroom, both Allison and Katie found the Bestiary under the bed.They were both now sitting around the kitchen table with the bestiary and Katie's cellphone, with the picture of the spiral she had seen earlier, in front of them. Unfortunately there were no recognizable differences between the two."They're an exact match." Allison said putting the picture down.Katie sighed and dropped her head into her arms. "Then what does it mean?" she asked."It could mean something different depending on where it is carved, or painted." Allison suggested. "Maybe the meaning hides within how it's displayed?""What do you mean?" Katie frowned.Allison picked up the picture. "This spiral was painted onto a door, right?" she asked. Katie nodded. "So maybe because it was painted onto something, it means 'they are coming,' I mean, you can easily remove this spiral just by painting over it, right?""I guess." Katie nodded."But this one," continued Allison picking up the Bestiary. "It's permanent. You can't get rid of this mark, unless you get rid of the object.""O...kay."Allison put the Bestiary down and pointed at the picture. "This one means they are coming," she said. "Once whoever is coming has arrived, the spiral can be removed. This one," she pointed now at the Bestiary, "is permanent. Like its being marked... or signed. It's a unique pattern that means 'this is mine.'"Katie paused and sat up straighter. "Wait, what did you say?" she asked."This is mine." Allison repeated."No, before that," said Katie, shaking her head. "About a signature or a mark.""Oh, I said that maybe the spiral represents a sort of signature or mark," said Allison. "Something that will indicate that this specific book belongs to someone.""Son of a bitch." Katie scoffed.Allison frowned. "What? What is it?" she asked."He marked me.""Who?"Katie turned in her seat to look at her best friend. "Can you remember what I told you about my Bestiary? About where it came from?" she asked."You said that you started working on it in Bales College," said Allison. "That you and Aiden - Oh, My God..." she gasped as she realized what had caused Katie to swear. "This spiral wasn't to just make the book unique. Aiden wasn't just claiming it as his own work.""No. Aiden didn't mark the book to claim ownership over it.""He marked it because he couldn't mark the actual object of his desire.""The book is an extension of me. It is one of my most loved and prized possessions, I take it everywhere with me.""So in marking the book," said Allison. "Aiden was making you."Katie nodded. "It's why he was so pissed off when he met Isaac," she said. "Why he didn't want me to come home, why he kept telling me how much he loved me, how much he hadn't wanted to leave and that I was the reason he came back. Oh, god, Allison, what am I going to do?"Allison swallowed and shook her head."I don't know, Katie," she said, patting her friend's hand. "I honestly don't know."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Katie sat in her car outside the apartment building she knew to be Aiden's. She had come here to talk to him about the spiral. She wanted to know why he had marked her book as his possession, and did it really mean that he had marked her in extension. If that were the case, then she wanted to know how to break it."What if you can't break it?" Allison asked over the phone. Katie had called her after she had arrived downtown. The older brunette had offered to come with Katie, but the younger female had decided it would've been better to go alone. No one, other than Allison, knew that Aiden was a werewolf."I have too." Katie answered."But what if you can't?"Katie shook her head and stared at the screen. It was a facial call, which meant that she could see Allison, rather than just hear her. "There has to be a way," she said. "There just has to be. I can't think that there isn't a way to break it. I mean, werewolves and vampires mark their potential mates, right? Well, there has to be a way to get out of it. I didn't agree to be marked.""If you didn't consent to it," said Allison. "Then he should just let you go.""Yeah, but it doesn't work like that, does it?" Katie asked. "In real wolf packs once a male has marked a female it is for life, right?"Allison shook her head. "I don't know," she answered. "I could ask my dad, do some research.""Thanks." Katie nodded.There was a brief pause before Allison spoke again."So, are you going up?" she asked. "Or are you just gonna sit in your car the whole night?"Katie breathed heavily and looked up at the apartment block. Aiden was in the pent house with the rest of the Alpha pack. She remembered him telling her the night she had woken up there after being shot. What would he say when he saw her? What would the others say? Would they be angry? Ethan would definitely be angry."Katie." Allison called."Sorry." Katie jumped. "I'm just real nervous.""About what?" Allison frowned. "If you have the right to be anything, it's angry. He marked you without consent.""I know. It just...""What?""It's not Aiden, I am afraid of." Katie admitted. "It's Ethan, and the others. Kali and Ennis. Neither of them were pleased to have me there before, how pleased do you think they are gonna be with me just showing up out of the blue?"Allison shrugged. "Does it matter what they think?" she asked. "You're there to talk to Aiden, not them. Just go, the sooner you get it over with...""I know. I know..." Katie sighed, looking up at the apartment block herself. The sooner she got it over with, the sooner she could go home. "Right. Wish me luck.""You don't need luck," said Allison. "Just call me as soon as you're out, OK? I'll try and find as much information I can on marking and possession."Katie giggled half-heartedly. "Thanks, Allison, you're the best." She said, unlocking her car door and climbing out. "I'll call you soon.""Yeah. Good luck.""I thought you said I didn't need it?" Katie asked."Better safe than sorry." Allison smiled.Katie rolled her eyes and ended the call. She then closed and locked the door of her car, stuffed her phone into her jacket pocket and held her bestiary to her chest as she quickly crossed the road. She had come here for a reason, and she had never been one to back down.Even if she was terrified of the situation.
~*Possession*~
Allison bit her lower lip as she clicked on various internet links. She had been researching different werewolf legends and myths in hopes of helping Katie get out of the situation Aiden had put her in two years ago. The son of a bitch had marked something that he knew would become Katie's most prized possession, and he knew that once she had accepted it she would be his forever.Unfortunately for him, Katie hadn't been aware of what he was trying to do and therefore hadn't consented to being his 'prize.' She had agreed to be his girlfriend, yes, but she wasn't a trophy, she wasn't something that he could own or possess.Clicking on another link, Allison allowed her brown eyes to skim over the small black words on the screen. Everything was starting to blend together, that was a clear sign of how long she had been staring at the screen for; she blinked and looked away. Her eyes burned causing her to rub them and bright lights to spark to life in mid-air.Shaking her head, Allison groaned and pushed away from the desk. There had to be an answer somewhere, she had to find it, Katie was depending on her."Maybe I'll find something in ones of these." Allison murmured picking up one of the many books she had 'borrowed' from her father's study. She remembered the time when Kate had been around, her aunt, despite being psychotic, had been determined that she learn about her heritage. A few of her personal items had been kept behind by Chris while the rest of her things had been sold.Allison leafed through the books that had once belonged to her aunt Katie; it wasn't long until she found an entire chapter on marking.
Werewolves have mates. They can bite and scratch each other while fighting and/or during sex without meaning anything. But if a werewolf 'marks' the person they're with - bites the juncture between the shoulder and neck - that marks them as a mate. Once a werewolf as a mate they cannot reproduce with anyone but their mate and sex with anyone else isn't satisfying at all.
Allison looked thoughtful. Katie told her that her sexual relationship with Aiden hadn't been satisfying at all. Did that mean he hadn't marked her properly?"To mark a mate, a werewolf has to bite the juncture between the shoulder and neck." Allison read, tracing her fingers over the words as she read them. Was it because he hadn't marked Katiephysically the reason why her sexual relationship with Aiden not have been as satisfying as expected? Was that also because why Katie had seen it appropriate to start a relationship with Isaac?
Once a werewolf 'marks' their mate they are presented to the pack as a mated couple. It is the equivalent of being married in the eyes of the pack.
Again, if Aiden had marked Katie physically then she would be considered a pack member, but she wasn't a member of Aiden's pack, she was a member of Isaac's - and in extension, Derek's pack. If Katie had been marked properly then Derek would have known she was already mated, he wouldn't have allowed Isaac to continue his relationship.Another sure clear sign that Katie was safe from her werewolf ex-boyfriend.C'mon, tell me there's a way to break it, Allison thought as she carried on reading. She was starting to get desperate now. The book, she couldn't believe it was the first book she had decided to read and it had all the information she needed, had already provided her with enough information to conclude that Aiden hadn't marked Katie properly, which mean that she had nothing to really worry about.A mated pair can have their bond broken -"Broken..." Allison gasped, reading the word several times to make sure that she wasn't seeing things. A smile split across her face as she continued to read the rest of the sentence.
A mated pair can have their bond broken by the alpha in a ceremony. It's a painful physical and emotional experience so wolves have to be sure before they mate.
Allison sucked in a breath. That did not sound pleasing. But, again, this all came down to a physical mark. Katie and Aiden weren't physically bonded to one another. Katie had been marked in extension. But why had Aiden marked the book and not Katie? If he hadn't wanted to lose her then why hadn't he bitten her and marked her when he had the chance?Deciding to worry about the why later, Allison dived for her cellphone and quickly redialed Katie's number.She waited patiently as it rung... and rung... and rung...
~*Possession*~
Katie swallowed and shifted her weight from foot to foot.She was standing in the small apartment kitchen facing the alpha pack's leader, Deucalion. He had been the one who had answered the door to her, the one who had invited her inside. He had explained that Aiden was out at the moment and that she should come in and wait for him.Katie had told him that she would come back later, or asked if he could tell Aiden that she really needed to see him and she was giving him permission to stop by her house so they could talk, but Deucalion had insisted that she come in and wait. He had even grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the apartment."You're nervous." Deucalion said. He was sitting at the head of the small table in the kitchen. "Your heart is beating a mile a minute. Do I make you nervous, Katie?""No." Katie answered. Aiden had told her, the last time that she was here, that Deucalion was blind."Are you sure?""Yes."Deucalion smirked as he listed to her ever fast-paced heartbeats. "Aiden has told me quite a bit about you, you know?" he said. "Told me all about the fragile brunette human he had left in London. You know, after he and Ethan killed their pack members, the only thing he wanted to do was come back to you.""He mentioned going back to London." Katie nodded. "Its how he knew I had moved away.""Very disappointing time for him. He was so sure you would be there.""I would have been," said Katie. "If I had known why he had left in the first place. Not only did Aiden leave me, but he also lied to me for two years. All along he was a werewolf, and not just any werewolf, an Alpha."Deucalion laughed. "Aiden told me that you were smart," he said. "But you are sadly mistaken if you think he was an alpha when he was with you. No, my dear child, Aiden was nothing more than an Omega when he was in London. Do you not know his and Ethan's story?""Like I said," repeated Katie. "I never knew he was a werewolf.""Do you want to know his story?""I think if he wanted me to know his story," said Katie. "He should be the one to tell me. At least then, I'd have a better understanding on whether or not he is telling me the truth. You never know for sure when it is someone else telling you.""You're incredibly defiant, aren't you?" he asked."How long is Aiden going to be?" Katie asked."He shouldn't be much longer." Deucalion answered. "Can I ask what it is you need to see him about?""You can ask." Katie nodded. "Doesn't mean I am going to tell you."Deucalion smirked. "Contrary to belief, Katie, I already know why you are here," he explained. "I just thought I would give you the chance to explain it in your own words. You're here to Aiden about the spiral on your book. Yes, it his mark. Our mark. It is the sign of possession. He marked the book and gave it to you as an invitation to be his mate, when you accept the gift, you became his mate.""I didn't agree to be his mate.""You accepted the book," said Deucalion. "You accepted to be his mate. It is how the rules work."Katie shook her head. "You can't mark someone who doesn't want it," she said. "It's not how things work.""Its how it works in a pack.""I'm not a part of your pack.""Actually, you are," said Deucalion. "By extension, of course, but I can also sense a shift in your alliances. Your trust. You're also a part of another pack. Your alliance with them is stronger, I can smell it. You have been marked physically by one of their wolves, haven't you?Katie touched her neck. There was a faded bruise from where Isaac had bitten her last week. It was the night Aiden had taken her home, the night she had woken up after recovering from being shot in the shoulder. It was the only time in her relationship with Isaac that she wished hadn't happened."You regret that it happened." Deucalion said sensing a shift in her emotions. "You didn't want him to mark you, did you?""No less than I wanted Aiden to mark me.""You should have told him," said Deucalion. "You were already marked.""I didn't know!" Katie shouted. "I didn't know what the spiral meant until I saw it at the Hale House. I didn't look into the stupid thing until Derek told me that it meant that someone was coming, until you were coming. If I had known what it meant, I wouldn't have accepted it."Deucalion shook his head. "It is too late to back out now, Katie," he said. "You have accepted the mark. You are Aiden's mate.""Isaac bit me." Katie said. "You said it yourself; his mark is stronger than Aiden's because it is a physical bite. And if you were to ask me to choose my mate, I would choose Isaac in a heartbeat.""You would choose him now." Deucalion nodded. "But you may find, in a few months, you'll change your mind. You'll find yourself drawn back to Aiden just like you were drawn to him two years ago. What you two had is not something that easily disappears or can be replaced." He smirked. "You'll see, Katie, a bond between mates is stronger than anyone gives it credit for. I, for one, believe we will be seeing a lot more of each other in the upcoming months."Katie shook her head. Forgetting that he couldn't see her."You can think that all you want," she said. "But I will find a way to break this bond with Aiden.""There is no way to break it.""You're wrong." Katie said, defiantly. "If something can be done, there is a way to undo it too. I will find a way, mark my words."Deucalion nodded once."Consider them marked."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was nearing 9:00pm.Katie cast a glance over her shoulder. The front door hadn't budged an inch since she had arrived over three hours ago. Her only company in the apartment was that of Deucalion. The head of the Alpha pack, and while she wasn't scared of him in general, she was starting to become slightly nervous. Where was Aiden? Why was he taking so long? Had Deucalion called him to say she was there? Or hadn't he bothered? The thought of Deucalion wanting her alone made Katie's insides squirm."How long is Aiden going to be?" Katie asked looking away from the door, and spying the clock on the wall behind Deucalion. It read 9:05pm."He should be back any minute now." Deucalion answered."You've been saying that for the last three hours." Katie pointed out."What is the rush?" Deucalion asked. "Do you have somewhere you need to be?""Unlike Aiden and Ethan, I have parents." Katie answered. "Parents that are overprotective and jump to conclusions easily.""Why don't you give them a call?" Deucalion offered. "Let them know that you are safe and will be home soon?""It's also a school night." Katie said. "I have a curfew on a school night."OK, so maybe that wasn't completely true. She didn't really have a curfew on a school night, but she did really want to get out of the apartment. This whole waiting around for Aiden to come home was really starting to play on her nerves, and she was being restless and jumpy, also, it didn't help that Deucalion hadn't stopped staring at her, even if he couldn't see.As Katie was contemplating another excuse, the front door rattled open, and the rest of the Alpha pack walked inside. They stopped dead when they saw Katie, and three out of four of them growled."What the hell is this?" the female, whom Katie remembered Aiden had called Kali, asked. Her eyes were blood red and she was baring her teeth."She's here to settle things with Aiden." Deucalion answered calmly."Talk." Katie quickly corrected. "I'm here to talk with Aiden."She met her ex-boyfriend's eye; he was standing at the back of the group. He seemed to the only one who didn't look at all surprised to see her."Talk about what?" Ethan growled."This," said Katie holding up her Bestiary and showing them the spiral. She had nothing to hide. Why shouldn't they know what Aiden had done? Why shouldn't they know what she was there for? If they all knew, there may have been a bigger chance that one of them knew something on how to break it; if they could help her do that then they would see less of her after this moment.Kali, Ennis and Ethan turned to look at Aiden, they, of course, knew the different meanings behind the spirals, and that meant they knew what this one meant. They now understood why Katie meant so much to Aiden, she was more than just a friend - a girlfriend - she was his mate."What about it?" Aiden asked."I want to know how to break it." Katie answered.Ethan scoffed. He wasn't exactly happy that his brother had marked a human girl, much less this human girl, but he had and Ethan knew that he'd have to learn to deal with it."What?" Katie asked. She had never liked Ethan, and vice versa, but if he knew how to break the bond between her and Aiden, she would happily listen to him."You can't break a mating bond." Ennis answered. "Once a wolf marks a mate it is permanent.""There has to be a way." Katie said, shaking her head."There isn't," said Kali a little more forcefully. "You're one of us now.""One of you?" Katie repeated. "I don't want to be one of you. I'm already a part of a pack, and you're not in it. I already have a mate, and it's not Aiden.""Denying it won't make things better, Katie," said Ethan. "We know how much pain and grief you went through being away from Aiden. We know because Aiden went through it too. Being away from a mate is a stressful and painful ordeal. Everything Aiden went through, you went through."Katie shook her head. "You're wrong," she said. "You don't know anything about me.""No?" Ethan asked. "Aiden and I are twins, Katie, I didn't have to watch him suffer being away from you; I could feel it. Do you know how hard it was to convince him to leave you?""It didn't look that hard to me." Katie retorted. She had seen Aiden leaving with Ethan that night. He didn't seem to be putting up too much of a fight. He hadn't even acknowledged her call; he had just completely ignored her and followed his brother outside.Ethan smirked and shook his head. "You're so naive. The night we left wasn't the first time I had to try and convince him. I tried every time I was in town. Aiden, I think it is time you told her the whole truth." He looked back at his brother.Katie followed his gaze and met Aiden's. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know the truth. Would knowing the truth strengthen the bond she had with Aiden? Would she feel the need be closer to him? Her feelings were already haywire when she was around him, but she also knew that she didn't want to hurt Isaac any more than she already was with being marked by Aiden."Aiden?""I'm sorry." Aiden said.Katie closed her eyes and looked away."Don't..." she whispered. "Don't say you're sorry. Saying you are sorry is like trying to justify your actions. I don't want you to justify your actions.""Why not?" Aiden asked. "If you could understand why I did what I did; then maybe you could look past it, maybe we could try again.""I don't want to try again." Katie said, looking back at him. "I don't want to look past what you did. If I did then I will never be able to let you go. I didn't come here to tell you that I wanted you back; I came here to break whatever connection we have. I've passed all my stages of grief and loss. I'm done denying the inevitable. I'm done being angry with myself, angry with you for leaving. I'm over trying to bargain for the situation to turn out differently. I'm over being depressed because you're not there anymore. I'm ready to accept my new life."Kali smirked. "Now we all know that is a lie," she said. "You can refuse to accept it all you want, sweetheart, but we all know that if you still love Aiden. If you didn't then you wouldn't be here.""I'm here to fix up a loose end," said Katie."You're lying." Kali whispered. She was listening to Katie's heartbeat, and had noticed that every time Katie had said she didn't love Aiden her heart had skipped a beat. "We're the last people you should try lying too, Katie, we can tell when you're lying. Your heart is giving you away every second. If you just admit it... everything will be so much easier for you."Katie glanced from Aiden to Kali. "I'll admit one thing," she said. "You're crazy if you think I could love someone who lied and tricked me for two years.""Katie, I never -" started Aiden."You never told me who you were - what you were - all those times you disappeared, it was always around the full moon. I never clued on because at the time I didn't believe that werewolves were real, but all that changed when I came home and realized that they were, but by then I didn't have time to think about what had happened in England," said Katie. "I had more pressing problems on my hands than the behavior of an ex-boyfriend. As for tricking me, you marked me without my knowledge. You never bit me because you knew how much I didn't like the idea. So you gave me the spiral, if only I had known or if only I had looked into further, but I trusted you enough not to hurt or lie to me."Aiden sighed, looking guilty."So I guess the joke is on me, huh?""Katie, I never meant -""Like I've already said," interrupted Katie. "I don't need nor want an apology. An apology isn't going to do anything but make this worse. Just tell me how to break the bond between us.""You can't," said Aiden.Katie felt tears pool together in the corner of her eyes, but she refused to cry."Fine," she said. "If you won't tell me, I'll find another way."Aiden caught her arm as she tried to brush past him."It's not that I don't want to tell you," he said. "It's just there is nothing to tell.""Let go." Katie said."Not until you listen to me." Aiden said, forcefully.Katie's eyes widened at the tone in his voice, and tried to pull away from him. But Aiden was relentless and held on tighter. Katie felt the pressure on her wrist strengthen and pain shot down her arm, stopping at her fingertips, but turning her entire arm numb. She whimpered. Now she was starting to become scared.Sensing her fear, Aiden relaxed his grip."Katie, I -"But Katie didn't give him the chance to finish. She tugged her wrist free from his hand and bolted for the door. She had already reached the elevator before any of the alphas had realized what had happened. As the doors closed behind her, she could see Aiden's broken expression as he watched her from the doorway of his apartment.Katie breathed through the pain in her arm, and tried her hardest to keep her tears at bay. If she could make it to her car without anyone stopping her to ask what was wrong then she would be fine. Cradling her arm to chest, Katie rushed through the apartment atrium and out of the revolving doors. The sky was dark when she reached the outside, but there were still a handful of people - mostly teenagers - scattered around on the street.They paid Katie no attention as she crossed the road and unlocked the driver's side door of her car. She threw her bestiary onto the passenger's seat beside her phone, and climbed inside, locking all the doors behind her.Now that she was alone, Katie allowed herself to relax; only it seemed her body didn't want too. It was still on high alert. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute inside her chest, pumping adrenaline throughout her body and easing the pain in her arm. There was a thick black bruise around her wrist, which looked oddly disfigured. Was it broken?Katie had always known that she was a fragile human compared to Isaac and Aiden. They were both werewolves, meaning breaking bones wasn't a problem to them. Aiden's grip had been tight enough to snap her bones, seeing as they weren't as strong as his own, and she wasn't a wolf, meaning she didn't possess the ability to heal as soon as something was cut or broken.Tears dripped into her lap from her chin and the tip of her nose, and Katie finally realized that she had started crying. Aiden had always been known for being rough, but not to the point of breaking her wrist. He had changed so much in the last year that Katie felt like she hardly knew him anymore. While he had always been rough, he had never actually physically hurt her.At least he hadn't until now.But these tears weren't from the pain of not knowing who Aiden was, or from the pain of her broken wrist, even if her arm did hurt. But these tears were rather from the fear she could feel deep inside. The fear of what had just happened, the look in Aiden's face when he had grabbed her and said he would only let go when she would listen to him; he had made it seem that she wouldn't be allowed to leave him again, she had felt terrified and, while she knew it was stupid to think it, she felt terrified that she would never see her parents or friends again.After a few minutes, Katie slowed her breathing and wiped away her tears. She stuck her keys into the ignition and stated the car.Despite her mind still being a chaotic mess of racing thoughts, she pulled away from the sidewalk and drove halfway across town to Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital where someone could look at her wrist.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Sean Hartman was not happy to be back to Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital. The last time he had been here it had been because Jackson had been killed, this time however he was here for his niece. He had gotten a call from the hospital claiming that they had a Katie Whittemore being treated for a broken wrist.Katie was in the waiting room when her uncle arrived. She had been X-rayed, had a cast fitted from her wrist to her elbow, and now her arm was immobilized in a sling. The doctors had taken good care of her and, but now needed a parent or guardian to come and sign her release forms.Mrs. McCall sat with Katie while they waited for her uncle. She had been questioning the teenager on what had happened, but Katie had merely given her the same story she had told the doctors. It had been an accident. She had been getting into her car, pulled the door shut and caught her wrist in the frame."Katie, if you think that there is something you can't tell me," said Mrs. McCall. "If you broke your wrist another way.""A supernatural way?" Katie asked."Maybe." Mrs. McCall nodded.Katie shook her head. She didn't know why she didn't just tell them that it was Aiden who had broken her wrist, maybe it was because, despite trying to break her bond with the Alpha, she still didn't want to betray Aiden or get him in trouble with the authorities. In a way, Katie just wanted to keep the peace between her and the Alpha pack; she didn't want to give them a reason to come after her. Calling the cops on Aiden would definitely give them that reason."OK." Mrs. McCall said, patting Katie's knee. "Here comes your Uncle."The first thing Sean did when he saw his niece was pull her into a hug. Above all else, he was really relieved that Katie was OK. But when he pulled away, the look of displeasure came out and Katie knew that she was in for a long time."For starters," said Sean. "You can explain how in the world you broke your wrist.""I caught it between the car door and its frame." Katie sighed."How did you manage that?" Sean asked."I wasn't paying attention...""Obviously. What was so important that you couldn't remember to close the door from the inside?"Katie shook her head. "I'm sorry," she whispered."Sorry doesn't cut it, Katie," said Sean. "You're lucky it's just a break. It could have been worse.""What's worse than a break?" Katie asked."I've seen people lose limbs because of something a lot worse than getting them caught in car doors, Katie." Sean answered. "At least your arm will heal. At least you won't be driving for a while."Katie sighed. "Are you going to tell Mom and Dad?" she asked."Well, it is not like we can hide it from them, Katie." Sean said. "Look at your arm. It's covered in a cast and elevated by a sling. I think they may notice, and the first thing your mother will say is to hand over your keys. Looks like you'll have to get used to us hauling you around."Mr. Whittemore?" a doctor came over. He was carrying a clipboard of papers and a pen. Sean turned away from his niece and started going over the paperwork with the doctor. Katie was thankful for the distraction and used it to quickly text Allison and fill her in on what was going on.Sean nodded and signed the sheets under the title "Guardian.""Oh, so you're not her father?" the doctor asked."No. I'm her uncle." Sean answered. "I'm her legal guardian when her parents are unable to make it."The doctor nodded. "That's OK. As long as we have permission off of her parents for you to take her." He assured."How long will she need the cast?" Sean asked."A couple of months. She may need it for the summer."Katie's eyes widened. "The entire summer?" she cried jumping to her feet."It is possible." The doctor nodded."Oh, c'mon!" Katie whined. "It can't be that bad a break, can it?"The doctor looked sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Miss. Whittemore, but according to your x-rays it is lucky you didn't completely crush your wrist. The pressure that was added to your bones was enough to completely shatter them. I still find it bewildering that you did it in your car; I would be more inclined to believe it if you said you'd caught it on an elevator door, or a revolving door, but not a car door."Katie gave out a loud groan and turned to grab her cellphone from the car. Great, she thought. Out of commission for the entire summer. Aiden, you suck.After Uncle Sean had signed all the forms and thanked the doctor, he led Katie out to her car. As soon as the hospital had told him that she was there, he knew that she'd have had to driven herself to the facility, which mean that she had her car available. He had arrived by cab, leaving it vacant for him to drive Katie home afterwards.Only when they were inside, and the doors were closed, Sean turned to Katie."You want to tell me what really happened to your wrist?""I told you." Katie sighed. "I caught it in the car door."Sean shook his head and turned the car on and drove out of the car park. "You heard the doctor," he said. "There simply isn't enough force behind a car door to break your wrist. So, how did it really happen?""Let's slam the car door on your wrist and see how much force it takes to break the bones, shall we?" Katie snapped."Katie..." Sean growled."No. Scold me all you want," said Katie. "But I told you what happened. Whether or not you believe me is your choice, but that's the truth. I have nothing else to say."Sean sighed and shook his head. "Fine," he said. "I'll believe you. For now. But believe me when I said that I know you are hiding something. I will find out, Katie, mark my words, and you know that your mother is not going to let the subject drop, so I hope you are able to come up with a better excuse."
~*Possessions*~
Jackson checked his phone as he left Lydia's place.They had been talking about the past few months, and everything that had happened. He had even told her about the Kanima and Werewolves that were running around Beacon Hills. At first she didn't believe him, which was a given considering believing in the supernatural wasn't something a normal sixteen-year-old could do.To Lydia, the supernatural was just some stupid fairytale creatures that parents used to scare their children on with on Halloween and when they wouldn't behave, but after Jackson had shifted in front of her, Lydia found it impossible to ignore.After that the conversation had switched to the ruins of their relationship. Jackson had asked Lydia if she still loved him, and she confirmed that she always had loved him and that was something that would never change. No matter what he said to her, or what she said to him, she would always love him.When Lydia had asked him if he still loved her, Jackson had responded with "I never stopped." This had made Lydia's heart swell and her eyes water. She had tried to speak, but no words would come out of her mouth, despite her mind racing, the only thing she could do was lean forward and kiss him, a motion that Jackson was more than happy to return.It was nearly 11pm. Normally, when he was with Lydia he would stay later. But a message from his uncle Sean asking him to pick up Katie's medication from the hospital pharmacy was something that no one, especially a doting brother like Jackson, could ignore. Why did Katie need medication from the hospital? What had happened to her this time?"Are you sure you can't stay?" Lydia asked as she followed him out to his car. She was eager to rekindle what they had lost over the last few months. Time spent apart was something she wanted to get back.Jackson turned to her and kissed her once. "Katie's been in an accident," he explained. "I have to pick up her medication on my way home.""What kind of accident?" Lydia asked. She didn't really care for Katie, but she knew that Jackson did."She's broken her wrist." Jackson answered."How?""I didn't ask." Jackson shrugged. "But I'll see you tomorrow. OK?""At school?"Jackson shook his head. "My parents are keeping me home for a few days. I mean, the whole school thinks I am dead. I don't think it would make matters easier if I turned up alive, it'll probably just make people question what really happened that night. Do you want to be bombarded with questions about what happened?""I don't know what happened." Lydia pointed out."Well, that won't stop the questions." Jackson said. "Besides, it better to be safe than sorry, right?""What about Danny? Are you going to tell him what you told me?"Jackson shrugged. "I don't know. Katie suggested telling you because you've been kept in the dark for so long, and you've been attacked by a werewolf. She believed you deserved to know. Danny, well, Danny doesn't need to be involved any more than he already is." He explained."But would you tell him, if given the chance?""Yes. He's my best friend."Lydia nodded. "OK. Well, I could skip school tomorrow," she suggested. "We could spend it together.""Sounds like old times." Jackson smirked."See you tomorrow, then?"Jackson nodded and leaned in to kiss her again."Tomorrow," he said against her lips.
~*Possessions*~
Katie walked into her room, closed the door behind her and threw her Bestiary and cellphone onto the desk. She reached for the table beside her bed and flipped the switch on her night light, jumping almost a foot in the air as she came face-to-face with Isaac, who was sitting on the edge of her bed waiting for her."Jesus!" she said, feeling her heart beating a mile a minute in her chest. "You scared the crap out of me.""What happened?" Isaac asked his eyes drawn instantly to her arm."Caught it in the car door." Katie answered. The last thing she wanted was for Isaac to know that she had been to see Aiden.Isaac eyed her wearily. His sensitive hearing zoned in on her heartbeat."You're lying," he said, hearing the blip.Katie rolled her eyes."Don't roll your eyes at me," said Isaac. "Where've you been?""Allison's.""Well, that's funny," said Isaac, "because I've just come from Allison's."Katie shot him a look."Why were you at Allison's?" she asked."Because she called to see if you were with me," he said. "She's been trying to call you all night. Why haven't you been answering your phone?""No phones allowed in the hospital.""Yet you text her to say you were there.""Yeah, and then I had to knock it off."Isaac shook his head. "Katie, I saw the messages," he said. "She was texting you and phoning you three hours prior to your message coming through. You couldn't have been at the hospital for that long. So, where have you been?"Katie hesitated and turned away from her boyfriend."I'm gonna take a shower," she said, opening her bedroom door to leave.Isaac crossed the room and closed her door; he then grabbed her uninjured wrist and pulled her back inside. He could tell she was hiding something from him, something that she didn't want him to know, it was starting to give him a pretty good idea of where she had been. He'd already had an inkling of it, but didn't want to believe it was true."Isaac, let go," said Katie. "You're going to break my other wrist.""Like he broke your first one?" Isaac asked. He turned to face her and held her wrist up to his shoulder, his grip tightening around it. "Did he do this to you? Did he hold you like this? That's how your broke your wrist, isn't it? It wasn't a self-inflicted accident. He grabbed you, didn't he?"Katie struggled to release herself. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "I don't know who he is! Now let me go!""Aiden." Isaac growled. "You were with Aiden, weren't you? You went to see him about your Bestiary, about the spiral on the front. Peter told me, after you left, that the spiral means different things. That the Alpha pack use it to mark things. You once told me that Aiden gave you the Bestiary, that he helped you create it. If he put the spiral on your book then it means it's his mark. His possession. You're his possession, aren't you?""Seriously, Isaac, you're starting to hurt me.""Aren't you?" Isaac repeated.Katie sighed and stopped struggling. "Yes," she cried, frustrated. "Yes. He marked me. I went there to try and get him to break it. He told me that there isn't a way, and I insisted that there had to be, and that I would find it. Things got out of hand when I tried to leave and he grabbed me; I don't think he meant to break my wrist, he just wanted me to listen, and I wouldn't. When he realized how much pain I was in, he let go.""But it was too late," said Isaac. "He still hurt you. Why are you telling everyone that you did it in your car? Just tell them he hurt you.""I can't," said Katie, quietly."Why not?""Because I want to keep the peace." Katie answered."Or maybe it's because you still love him."Katie shook her head. "We share a bond," she said. "I can't - until I find a way to break it...""What? Until you find a way to break it... you're going to still love him?""No. I love you! I've loved you since the moment I met you.""Then why are you still holding onto Aiden?""Because I don't have a choice." Katie answered. "The bond between us is too strong. I have to break it before I can move on."Isaac sighed and released her uninjured wrist, although now it was slightly painful, but not broken."What about us? What about our bond?" he asked."We have a bond," said Katie. "But it is overlapping with the one I share with Aiden. Our bond is stronger because you actually bit me, which I have to admit that I hate you for, I hate being bitten, even Aiden knows that, which is why he gave me the spiral, it was the only way he could mark me.""But..."Katie sighed. "But now that Aiden is back in my life," she said. "I can feel the bond between me and him growing stronger.""So?""So, as I said, unless I find a way to break it, I'm not going to be able to stay away from him."Isaac sighed and tilted her head up so he could see into her face. "Well, we'll just have to find that way," he said. "I mean, how hard can it be?""That's what Allison was trying to find out for me. It's probably why she was trying to call me all evening.""Why didn't you answer?""I left my phone in the car when I went in to see Aiden.""It took you three hours to see him?"Katie shook her head. "No, but it's a long story," she said. "You sure you want to hear it?""I got nowhere else to be." Isaac shrugged."OK," said Katie. "But first... I really need a shower or a bath."Isaac smirked, his eyes sparking mischievously. "Do you need any help?""Well, I highly doubt that I can undress myself with a broken arm now, can I?" Katie grinned, pushing herself up onto her toes and kissing him.Isaac responded by sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her closer.