Chapter One

"Come here my child," A deep seductive voice called out from the shadows, toying with the young girl he considered his prey. The girl followed the voice as if in a trance, not sure exactly who was calling her, only knowing she had to find them. "That's right. Keep coming." The stranger's voice continued. The girl sighed, loving the way the stranger's voice wrapped around her and almost caressed her with each word.

"I'm here" She called out, anxious to hear the voice again. When no one replied she looked around her closely. Seeing a door off to the left, she walks toward it. When she reaches the door she puts her hand on the door knob, now a little hesitant to find out what was on the other side. Right when she goes to turn the knob, a different voice calls out to her, pulling her out of the dream.

"Leslie it's time for school. Don't make me come up there and throw cold water on you again," Leslie's mother hollered, causing Leslie to groan. She opened her eyes and looked around the room. She could swear she still heard the voice calling out for her. She shivered and pulled the covers more closely to her.

Leslie had had this dream for the past few weeks. Every day she progressed a little further through the dream. Tonight had been the furthest she had ever made it. She had been so close to opening the door and finding out who the voice belonged to.

"I'm up, mom, and I'll be down in a minute. I'm going to take a quick shower," Leslie responded to her mother. She groggily pulled herself out of her bed and grabbed some clean underwear and clothes to wear to school.

After deciding on tight fitting jeans and a light blue, low cut shirt, she makes her way to her bathroom. She had been so happy when her mom had decided to give her the room with the bathroom attached to it and not the room that was now the guest bedroom. Stepping into the bathroom, Leslie closes the door behind her and sets her clean clothes on the edge of the sink. She splashes cold water on her face, and then takes in her reflection in the mirror placed above the sink.

She looked tired, and had dark circles under her brown eyes. Her long brown hair had tangles in it and was sticking up in places. She sighed and started undressing. After throwing her clothes into the hamper, Leslie climbed into the shower and closed the curtain behind her.

When the water got warm enough she started lathering shampoo in her hands and then washed her hair. She was starting to feel more awake by the second, though she wished she could have slept in and missed the first day of school. It was her senior year, not like anyone would kill her if she did.

After a good ten minute shower, Leslie wraps a towel around her and steps out into the cold bathroom. She shivers and dresses quickly. She grabs her hair dryer and gets started on drying her hair. When she had most of it dry, she turns off her hair dryer and starts on her make-up. She keeps it simple today, only using eyeliner and mascara. When she's completely done, she walks back into her room and studies herself in the floor length mirror.

Leslie knew that a lot of girls envied her, but who wouldn't? She was the most popular girl at her high school, and every girl wanted to be her. She had the best boyfriend anyone could ask for, Josh Turner, the star quarterback and the star basketball player.

Leslie had been dating Josh off and on for about the past ten months. They had yet to go all the way, but they had gotten pretty close. Josh had tried to pressure Leslie, but she had been adamant about waiting until she was sure she was in love with him. She didn't feel like she loved Josh, or if he was even the right guy. She felt like she needed to wait, though for what she wasn't sure.

Leslie pulled herself out of her thoughts and gave one last look at her outfit before throwing on a pair of flats and heading downstairs. After glancing at the clock, she knew she didn't have time for a big breakfast. She looked for her mom, but didn't see her.

"I'm leaving now, mom." Leslie hollered to her mom – wherever she was – as she grabbed a piece of toast and headed toward the front door. She picked up her purse and slung her book bag on her shoulder.

"Ok honey, have a good day at school. I'll be there for your game at 6:00, right?" her mom asked, coming out from the basement carrying a basket of clean clothes. Leslie shook her head.

"8:00, mom, they had to make it later since the opposing team lost power in their town and have yet to get it to come back on. They will have traffic problems cause the power guys are working on the lines trying to get them fixed." Leslie smiled at her mom. "I was going to go get something to eat after the game with Josh, but knowing the teachers this year, I'll probably have homework."

Leslie was a straight "A" student, but no one knew that but her best friend, Kate, and her mom. She trusted Kate and knew she wouldn't tell anyone. The reason she kept it a secret was because she didn't want Josh to know. He thought he was smarter than Leslie and she wanted to boost his ego. She knew it wasn't really right of her, but she didn't want to brag and was a little embarrassed. Most popular people sucked at school and she wanted to live up to that expectation. She liked getting good grades, but she was embarrassed also.

"Ok, see you then," Leslie's mom replied, turning to head up stairs to distribute the clothing to the right person. Teresa trusted her daughter to do what was right and was proud of her. She never had to worry about what Leslie was doing and her daughter was always on time. She was a good kid, and had good morals. She was worried at first when Leslie started dating Josh, but she had been wrong in doing so. Josh was a fantastic boy and treated Leslie with respect. They were cute together.

Teresa was also worried about Leslie ending up like her. She had met Leslie's dad at a bar and had gotten pregnant on a one night stand. It had been poor planning and bad choices on her part, but she had gotten a miracle out of it. She loved Leslie with all of her heart and was glad that she had her. She had been seventeen when Leslie was born, and had been a kid herself, but she had grown up really quick. Her parents had disowned her, but Teresa stood strong and didn't let them talk her into an abortion. She never told Brad, Leslie's father, that she had gotten pregnant and hadn't seen the man since. She felt bad for not telling, but she didn't want his sympathy or his money. They were doing fine without him and Leslie didn't seem to care whether she had a dad or not.

Teresa's grandmother, Leslie's great grandmother was the only one who had stood by Teresa and her choice of not having an abortion. She had helped raised Leslie and had helped Teresa stay afloat when needed. She never told Leslie about her grandparents, leaving Leslie to think they were dead, or they had just lost touch, but she made sure that she knew her great grandmother.

She could see a little bit of herself in Leslie, and some of her grandmother. Teresa had given Leslie her looks, while Leslie got her spirit and smarts from her great grandmother. She was a lucky child and had been raised right. Teresa was proud of her.

Teresa shook her head, clearing her thoughts as she heard her daughter slam the front door behind her as she made her way down the front walk. She smiled to herself. She was lucky to have this house and wouldn't have gotten it without her grandmother's help. She owed that woman so much, and tried to repay her as often as she could.

Leslie climbed into her car and set her purse and book bag in the seat next to her. She closed the door and started her car. She glanced at the clock and seen that it read 7:15. She had thirty minutes to get to school on time and beat the late bell. She still had to pick up Kate, but she was sure she could make it. She turned on her favorite radio station and then put the car in reverse. She glanced out her rear view mirror and backed up into the street.

The next few seconds passed by in a blur. Leslie heard tires screech. She looked out the passenger window just in time to see a truck slam into the side of her car. After that everything went black…

Gabe pushed his foot down harder, giving his truck a little bit too much gas. He cursed as the person in front of him slowed down to a crawl, causing him to slam on his brakes. He had just moved to the little town of Wayne, West Virginia, and already he hated it. He was going to be attending Wayne High school, and was on his way there. He was running a bit behind, because he had gotten lost. He had planned on getting there early in order to find his locker and get his classes all straightened out.

Gabe was going to be in the senior class, and only had to get a few more credits in order to graduate. He had been granted special permission to leave school early and attend college classes. He had held back because his uncle had passed away, leaving him alone to take care of the house and the lumber yard he had owned. Gabe had to miss the last few months of his last senior year, causing him to have to repeat it. He lived by himself in a house about fifteen minutes from the school. He had no known living relatives except his cousin Joel.

Gabe had moved to Wayne to get away from his past and the problems his cousin had caused. He had to sell the lumber yard and his uncle's house. He had paid for his new house in cash and had gotten himself an older truck to drive to and from school. He was doing well off for someone his age.

Gabe felt his phone vibrate and reached down to get it, not taking his eyes off the road. It was in the cup holder and should have been easy to get, but at the exact moment he gripped it, he hit a bump and it flew into the floor. The phone started ringing, signaling a call and Gabe cursed under his breath.

"Stupid country roads," he growled, looking up to make sure the road was clear for a good stretch before leaning over and reaching for his phone. He cursed again as the call went to voice mail and saw the time change to 7:15. He grabbed his phone and looked back up at the road.

Those few seconds was all the time needed to cause an accident. A car had been backing up when Gabe reached for his phone, and he hadn't seen the car until it was too late. He managed to catch a glimpse of the young girl in the driver's seat. His heart sped up and he felt his wolf stirring in the back of his mind. He knew at that exact moment that he couldn't let anything happen to her.

As her lovely brown eyes stared at him in horror, he threw open the door to his truck and moved faster than the eye could see. He raced to her door, watching in almost slow motion as his truck kept moving forward. The cars hit just as he yanked the mysterious girl out of her car. He set her down next to the road, covering her body with his as parts off the cars flew all around them. She was unconscious, and he looked around to see if anyone had witnessed him moving at speeds unnatural to a human being, but saw no one.

As Gabe leaned back on his heels and stared at the girl, he realized that neither of them had any injuries and their cars were completely wrecked. He was going to have to fake some injuries, and hoped that people believed it when they saw him. Gabe had no clue what he was going to do to the girl. There was no way he was going to hurt her. He would kill anyone who dared. He felt his wolf nod his agreement. He heard a siren in the distance and knew the ambulance would be there shortly. Someone must have heard the crash. He heard a door open and then someone was screaming. It must have been the girl's family member. He would have a lot of explaining to do.

Leslie woke up with a headache and a lot of beeping. She tried to grab her head as she sat up, but found that something held her down. She opened her eyes to find bright lights above her. She quickly closed her eyes and gasped, turning her head to the side.

"Do those lights bother your eyes?" Leslie hears her mother ask. Instead of answering, Leslie shakes her head yes. She heard footsteps and then a click as the lights went off.

"Thank you," Leslie said, her voice sounding hollow and raspy. She swallowed, trying to speak once more. "What happened?" she asks her mother.

"You were in a car accident. How are you feeling?" Teresa asks her daughter. She walks back over and puts her hand on Leslie's forehead, making sure she didn't have a temperature.

"I'm feeling fine, just a little sore." Leslie looked down and moved her body to make sure she didn't have any broken bones. "I was in an accident?" It was then the memories of backing out of her driveway and then the sound of brakes and tires screeching. She remembered seeing a handsome young man driving the truck and then nothing. "Where is the young man?"

"He's in a room down the hall. He insisted that he see you, but I told him you were sleeping. I'll go get him now, if you want," Teresa replied. She had been scared to death when she heard the wreck and seen that Leslie was involved. She was so happy that she hadn't lost her daughter. Leslie made it out of the accident with hardly any injuries, which was a miracle all in itself. When Teresa had seen the wreck she had feared the worse.

When Leslie nodded, Teresa got up and walked out of the room to find the young man who had been so worried about a stranger.

Gabe was taken to a hospital room and thoroughly checked over even though he told the hospital staff that he was fine. They didn't believe him, after hearing reports about the crash. No human could have gotten out of that mess in one piece, yet the doctors were astounded when neither of the kids had any injuries. It was a miracle, they had been saying. Gabe was glad to leave then thinking that and not suspecting anything else. Luckily there had been no witnesses that had stepped forward.

Gabe had made sure that none of his blood had been taken and that no one got too close to see that the wounds he had given himself had already healed. He needed to get out of there before anyone started asking questions. He couldn't let people find out that he was a werewolf.

"What room is the girl in?" he asked, still not getting the answer he wanted.

"The young girl's mom said she didn't want any visitors at that moment, so you won't be able to visit her, if that's what you're asking," The young nurse replied to Gabe. Gabe studied the nurse to gauge if she was telling the truth or not. After a few seconds he could smell she was telling the truth.

"Thank you," he said, meaning it. She had been nice enough to him. "I'm feeling fine, so may I leave now?" he asked her. She started to shake her head no, but after catching the gleam in Gabe's eye, she hurried to change her answer to yes. Gabe hopped down off his hospital bed and changed back into his original clothes after the nurse evacuated the room. He made his way toward the door and was about to step out when he heard a voice a ways down the hall. He stopped as he heard his name in the mix of the conversation.

"Do you know where a Gabe Marinich is staying?" the voice was asking a doctor. He recognized it as the girl's mother. She was looking for him, so the girl must be awake. Gabe walked out of his room and down toward the doctor she was talking to.

"I'm Gabe Marinich. May I help you with something?" Gabe asked her, watching as she jumped a little at his intrusion. She hadn't been expecting him and he had startled her.

"Hi, my name's Teresa, and my daughter is the young girl you hit this morning. She wishes to see you," Teresa said to the boy. He looked about seventeen or eighteen at the most to her, but there was also a depth of knowledge behind his years that made him seem older than what he should have been. Gabe nodded and Teresa led him to Leslie's room.

Gabe entered the room a little after Teresa, gathering his wits and pushing his wolf to the back of his mind. As soon as his wolf had caught a small whiff of the girl's scent he had sprung to the front of his mind. He didn't know why his wolf's reaction was so strong, but he was going to have to keep him locked down or he would shift right here in this hospital.

He sighed and looked up at the girl as he closed the door behind him. She made his breath leave him in one look. She was beautiful. Her eyes looked a little tired, but other than that she didn't seem to be hurt. She smiled at Gabe and motioned for him to sit in the chair next to his bed. He immediately shook his head and stayed put. He wasn't going to take any chances on his wolf breaking free. He had to keep some distance between them.

The mother took one look at her daughter and then at Gabe and left the room, closing the door soundly behind her. Gabe sighed and relaxed a little. He felt the girl's eyes on him and looked up to meet her gaze.

The girl had brown hair and brown eyes. She was almost plain compared to some, but to Gabe she was heaven on the eyes. She looked like she would be a twig when she stood up and he guessed her height around 5'7". She was the perfect size. The blanket pulled almost up to her chin hid the rest of her body from his gaze, but he could guess she was busty.

Gabe's heard sped up as their eyes met and he found it hard to breathe. The girl smiled at him and then she spoke. "My name's Leslie, what's yours?" she asked.

"I'm Gabe," he said, giving nothing more. Her smile slipped and he cursed himself in his mind. That was dumb.

"I'm sorry, let me try this again," He said, surprising her. He bowed and then gave his name. Leslie laughed and he joined her. She was infectious with her glee and he couldn't help himself.

When Leslie's gaze first fell on Gabe, she thought him to be a figment of her imagination. There was no way a human being could look that handsome. He had taken her breath away. He had bright green eyes that stood out with his black hair. His shirt was tight and showed off the muscles his chest and arms had. She could see his abs and new he probably didn't have an ounce of fat on his body. She ignored the urge to walk over and touch him, and instead studied him and his reaction to her.

It took him a minute, but he finally glanced up at her again. She had been somewhat relieved when he hadn't sat in the chair she had indicated, but now she was wishing he had.

When he first spoke she was spell bound by the even flow of his voice. When he said nothing but his name, her smile wavered and she found herself wondering if this was a good idea after all. When he bowed and made her laugh, she felt her whole body relax and the tension flew out of the room.

After the laughter died down, Gabe walked over to the chair and sat down, moving it back so he wasn't so close. Leslie hid her disappointment and started the conversation once more.

"Is Gabe short for Gabriel?" she asked.

"Yes, though most just assume my name is Gabe." He kept it short and sweet just like the first time. She just took is as that was how his personality was.

"Well…" she paused. "The only reason I really wanted you to come was to ask what happened. I mean you seemed to come out of nowhere and then all I remember was seeing your face and waking up here. Can you tell me what happened and be honest? The doctors and my mom haven't been saying much."

Gabe immediately started to lie to the girl and tell her how he had managed to hit the brakes and slow the car down in order to not cause as much damage, but something inside of him wouldn't let him lie to her. He was confused and sensed his wolf's anger.

Mate. The wolf inside of him stated. The intensity at which the wolf said it and the meaning behind the word had Gabe's mouth opening and no sound coming out. He stared at Leslie and watched as her face went from a nice shade of tan to almost the color of a tomato.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked, embarrassment seeping from her pores. Gabe knew he had to get his mind under control or he was going to embarrass both of them.

"No, you didn't do anything, I'm just surprised no one told you what happened," He answered her, only partially honest. When the room grows quiet again and Gabe doesn't answer her, Leslie leans over and pats him on the leg. He jerks back from her touch and ends up tipping the chair over and landing on the floor. She gasps and covers her mouth, unsure of what exactly just happened.

"I'm so sorry," she said. The door flies open and her mother takes in the scene.

"What happened, Leslie?" she asked, moving closer to her daughter. One of the doctors files in and takes in the scene.

"Can I help you young man? What are you doing in here?" the doctor asks.

"Everything's fine, he just knocked the chair over. Mother I'm perfectly all right, honest," Leslie starts rambling, trying to get all the eyes off of Gabe. He was turning bright red and she was starting to get a bit embarrassed herself. "Can we have another few minutes alone?"

Teresa looked at the boy and noticed how embarrassed he seemed to be and realized that Leslie was telling the truth. She sighed, nodded, and ushered the doctor out of the room.

Both teens let out a sigh and then burst out laughing. "I'm sorry about that. I'm just a little jumpy after the crash." Gabe moved to sit back down in the chair.

"It's fine, I shouldn't have been so forward. I just wanted to let you know that I don't blame you for hitting me. We both could have been killed, and I'm glad we're both all right. Are you attending high school anywhere?" she asked.

"I'm going to be attending Wayne High. Today was supposed to be my first day, and I'm already way late. I should actually be going." He stood up and started backing up toward the door.

"It was nice meeting you and I hope I see you around the school," Leslie managed to get out before the boy basically bolted from the room. She shook her head and wondered what the heck had just happened.

Leslie, left to her own senses didn't know what to think. That boy was definitely crazy, but man was he hot. She had to get to know him better and hoped that she would see him at school. Yes she was dating Josh, but they could still be friends… right?

"Was that Gabe I saw run out of here like the hounds of hell were on his heels?" Teresa said, walking back into the room. "What happened?"

"Nothing, he mentioned being late for school and then took off. He's a bit eccentric don't you think?" Leslie laughed, remembering the whole chair scene.

"He is, that's for sure. Are you ready to go home? The doctors said you can leave now," Teresa said, opening the blind to let in some light. Leslie blinked, and her eyes adjusted to the bright light.

"What time is it?" she asked her mom.

"It's 11:45, why?"

"I'm just going to go to school. Can you drop me off?"

"Do you think that's a good idea," Teresa asked, pausing from folding Leslie's clothes.

"I'm fine mother, just take me please," Leslie said, rolling her eyes and throwing the covers back. She got out of bed and hurriedly got dressed.

After getting everything finalized and making their way out of the hospital, Leslie remembered to ask about her car. "Was my car totaled?" she asked.

"Yes, there was nothing we could do so they towed it away. Gabe told the police officer that his insurance would pay for it. He was really almost too nice about it, but we'll take what we can get."

Leslie didn't respond, too caught up in her own thoughts. She climbed into her moms car and remained silent the rest of the car ride to the school.

When Leslie got to school, she bid her mother goodbye and then made her way into the school. The lunch bell rang just as she stepped inside and she quickly made her way to her locker. Leslie had gotten all of her stuff at orientation and had already memorized her combination. After sticking her purse in her locker and locking it, she made her way to the lunch room.

When she opened the doors, her best friend Kate hollered for her and she made her way toward her. "Where have you been?" Kate pretty much pounced on Leslie as soon as she sat down. Leslie felt an arm wrap around her and turned to receive a kiss from Josh.

"Yeah, where you been babe?" he asked, pulling her closer to him. She smiled at him.

"This morning I had a run in with another car and ended up in the hospital," she replied. The whole table grew silent and then everyone was asking questions all at once.

"Did you hit someone?"

"Did someone die?"

"Are you injured?"

"Guys, calm down! No one died and no I didn't hit someone, they hit me. I'm perfectly fine, but my car got towed." She turned to face Kate. "Do you mind picking me up tomorrow?"

"No problem, I owe you for all the times you pick me up." Kate smiled at Leslie, reminding her again of why she was her best friend. They had been best friends since they were six, and were as opposite as you could be. While Kate was tall, Leslie was short. While Leslie was smart, Kate excelled in sports. They were the best of friends and always kept each other in line. Leslie couldn't imagine life without her.

When Josh started playing with Leslie's hair a little later in lunch and then moved to kiss her neck, Leslie pushed him off. "Not right now, I'm still kind of sore," She said, though she was lying through her teeth. Josh pouted, but kept his hands and kisses to himself.

When Leslie looked around the table she found that Kate was staring at her with a million questions in her eyes. She sighed and mouthed that she'd tell her later. Kate nodded and went back to the conversations at hand.

"Did you guys see the new guy?" Janice, one of Leslie's followers, was saying when Leslie finally tuned back in.

"I think he's sexy. I call first dibs," She said in a sing song voice. That soon led to arguments about who would date him first and who would sleep with him. Leslie rolled her eyes, but then realized they were probably talking about Gabe. If they were, why did her heart start beating faster and her palms get sweaty? She was dating Josh… She wasn't single… why did that feel like such a mistake?

A/N

Well here's the first edited chapter :)) Hope you all enjoy it! This has taken me forever, but I'm finally getting around to editing the chapters! On to chapter two!

EDITED 11/7/11

Haybell 3