Meeting The Pack Of Players

The bell rings, signifying the conclusion of another tortuous day. My locker, unfortunately next to "Mr. Popular" himself, winks at me as I walk out of the classroom towards it. Xavier is overwhelmed by his fans, leaving me ample time to collect my baggage. I grab my stuff, waiting for him to dissipate the crowd and make his way towards me. Which he does, with a big smile on his face. "Are you ready?" he questions.

I look away, trying to make my voice sound convincing. "Can I go to the bathroom first?"

He nods, staring at me with his electrifying green eyes. I feel, suddenly, as if he can stare straight through me, seeing what my true intentions are. Keeping my head down, I plow past him into the ferocious crowd.

I slip through the halls, enduring shoving and pushing along the way, and pause by the bathroom. Consisting of only a tiny hall of stalls and two meager sinks, it is a sorry excuse for a bathroom, but it will suit my purposes just fine.

I walk to the end of the bathroom, right at the last stall. A small window, about the size of a half-piece of poster board, perches about four and a half feet above the floor. My escape route. It is at about chin level on me, clearly at a height I can't climb to. Carefully, I reach forward and open it, the glass swinging outwards. Now I am ready.

Placing my backpack on the tile floor, the contents tumbling out of its confinements, I begin to stack my books and binders on top of each other. Then, I put the tower of school supplies in the backpack, the zippered top of it open. I grasp the handles on either side, stepping onto the tiny mountain like I had planned hours earlier.

The two foot tall pile sways and almost collapses underneath me, but I catch the window ledge before it gives way to gravity. Propelling myself upwards, my butt hits the ledge, leaving my backpack swinging below me because of my hold on it. Pulling the handles, I force it to reach my current elevation. I turn, my feet now swinging over the edge, towards the outdoors as I pack the binders and books back in my bag.

The scene before me, a plain view that includes a blue sky and a bunch of dead grass, has never been so beautiful. For now, it symbolizes freedom. I feel elation pounding in my chest, a burden disappearing from my shoulders. Nothing I have ever experienced amounts to this emotion, this feeling of liberty.

The feeling vanishes when I look towards the ground.

I mentally smack myself in the head when I survey the thirty feet between me and the tops of the prickly bushes directly below. There is no way I am going to be able to get out from here. Well, unless I want to break an arm and a leg.

Laughing, I let my whisper escape into the cool breeze, "Looks like my perfect plan is a total failure." I know I should have chosen the back door route, but the bathroom idea was too crazy to resist at the time, and Xavier wouldn't get too suspicious in the process. But how could I have known that this bathroom is actually thirty feet above the ground, and that a patch of thorny bushes grovels below?

I hear some chattering behind me as some figures enter the bathroom. Shutting my eyes, I squeeze my backpack tightly, hoping that they won't notice my back in the window. Unfortunately, I can't see anything from my position; facing outwards. Fear enters me, the thought that they might laugh at my form chilling me to the bone. I shift slightly, thrusting my head into the afternoon air, leaving only my back and butt in the window. From my position, the bushes might as well be a sea of sharks.

The noise suddenly ceases, the chattering halting so suddenly that the air freezes as well. My body stiffens, and I suddenly find it hard to breathe.

There are steps, ones that grow increasingly louder to my unwilling ears. I can tell they are heading my way, sensing the foreboding hiding behind each small movement. Finally, they stop as well, leaving only silence. Dangerous silence. Time seems to pause, even my breath suspended in anxiety.

Light and incredibly thin fingers, hundreds of them, brush across my back as the figure leans close to my ear. The person's hot breath, full of menace, dwindles upon the back of my neck. There is another painful pause, the suspense eating me whole, and then a sound that makes my blood run cold.

"He is mine," a malicious voice whispers. A pair of two soft but strangely strong hands collide with my back, the carefully manicured nails clawing into my skin. The force pushes me forwards, and I start to fly.

Only for a second, though, before gravity takes its course.

The air rushes past me, my backpack serving as a weight to pull me down even faster. I release it, hoping crazily that somehow it will slow me, but that doesn't stop my plummet. I am toppling face down, my view of the deathly bushes absolutely electrifying. Death looms before me once more, a familiar figure I have come to recognize in its previous two visits. I marvel at the fact that Death has come for me three times so far, when the average teenager doesn't even know his face. The ground runs to meet me, and I shut my eyes tightly.

Muscled arms, strong and sinewy, wrap around my form right before the first prickly leaf mars my face. He, for surely these perfect arms must belong to a man, cradles me, embracing my suddenly fiery hot skin. Electricity shocks me in every place that he touches me, a strange, arousing feeling searing through my veins.

I stare into the face of my savior, and grimace. Somehow, I know even before I look that the mysterious man is Xavier.

"Why would you do something stupid like fall out of the bathroom window?" he asks confusedly, his tone a little accusing. Setting me down, away from the thorns, he steps out as well. Streaks of red blood pulsate from his knee down, thorns sticking into his leg.  He seems not to notice the demolition of his beautiful calves, continuing on with his "why are you so stupid" talk. "I had to run from the front of the school," he complains, "to you in three seconds flat, and avoid a group of annoying girls along the way! Why were you in the window? I thought you were in the bathroom! And don't they usually keep those windows shut? How could you fall out of a closed window-"

"I was trying to escape, wolfboy. Get it right," I say, without energy or menace. A near-death experience takes a lot out of you.

Xavier looks at me, his eyes wide... and begins to laugh hysterically. I realize now that the fact that I was trying to escape makes me look even stupider than if I had just fallen out of the window. "Mona," he speaks, his voice like melted butter as it slips through his lips, "you can't escape from me."

Anger pumps through my veins, sparks flying. Who is HE to tell me I can't escape? Even though he's probably right…

"Oh and Mona," he says suddenly, "take this." He offers me a small ring, with an emerald on top. It sparkles in the light, as beautiful as Xavier's eyes. I slip it on my finger, though dubious.

"Is this an engagement ring?" I ask suspiciously. He shakes his head.

"If it was, I would propose," he says obviously, making me feel stupid again. Anger courses through me as I think of the endless amount of days I was going to have to endure this werewolf; one that thinks he is all that...

However, all doom and gloom evaporates as I survey the blood running towards his foot. It is worse now, the thorns growing irritated in the skin. "Xavier," I tell him, squatting down to examine the injury better, "we have to get you a bandage!" I have to admit, it was very nice and heroic of Xavier to save me, and I owe him at least this much concern.

Xavier shrugs, "I'll get it fixed at the mansion. It can wait." His careless attitude is completely opposite from what it should be, reminding me once again that he is not normal.

"No," I say fiercely, "It can't." Opening my backpack, I take a small supply of napkins out of a pocket. Brushing it across the blood, I wipe most of it off so I can get a better view. The thorns protrude from his skin, big ones that would have me in tears. Using my fingers, I carefully pull each one out, trying to ignore the desire pulsing through me. The vulnerability I am displaying to the over-affectionate werewolf.

Xavier shoots me a smile as I take out the last thorn, offering me a hand to help me stand. "Thanks, Mona," he says softly, as if my tiny action means a lot to him. Knowing Xavier, it probably does.

"What about the blood?" I question, looking at his red stained ankles. He shakes his head.

"Don't worry about it. It will heal soon," he assures me, his voice confident. I roll my eyes, and then look to the window. It is dark inside, so I can't see the face, but I am sure the figure is still in there, watching us both. It seemed to be a girl, but I am not sure. All I know is that the person, whatever the gender, wants me dead. The chills are unceasing, biting at me with terrible force.

Xavier turns to the forest behind us, right beyond the meadow. "It's this way," he declares, his tone certain. He whirls back to face me, his arms spread out wide. "Come here," he demands. His eyes are fierce, ordering obedience. Not knowing quite why, I oblige him. He sweeps me into his arms once more, strangely comforting me with his warmth. There is a silence as Xavier grits his teeth, and then he begins to run. Blindingly fast, his legs zoom into the vast underbrush, destination unknown to me. However, at this moment, I don't care. Xavier is the least of my troubles.

The voice still echoes in my head, stirring up fear in my heart. "He is mine."

***

I watch the scene around me, a blur of green, blue, and brown, with awe. It is so strange, the way everything changes so quickly. It is a collage of the senses, everything mashed together, unable to observe. The only thing that's constant is Xavier, and his huge arms around my form.

Feeling like a baby in a cradle, I rock in his arms, marveling at the way I seem to fit in his embrace. For once, I am thankful for my small size. His hands offer constant heat as they radiate to my skin, warmth and desire blended together. It is an ordeal to him, I can tell, to just hold me like this, for the temptation is huge. For us both.

I look to Xavier's masculine features, at the way his azure hair sparkles in the breeze. When the sun hits it just right, it resembles the rainbow, all the colors shining in each strand. It is the most magnificent hair I have ever seen in my life.

His eyes, too, are incredible. They are also the only things about him that are truly abnormal. They are so amazingly bright, it is just hard to believe that they belong to a human. And, of course, they don't.

He casts a look at my face, rough and ragged, covered by thick glasses and bangs. I feel discomfort in his measuring gaze, though it is full of unbelievable affection. I don't understand why he loves me so much, but I can't help but admire his enthusiasm.

The violent air slapping at us both stops as Xavier comes to a gentle halt. Everything around me becomes clearer, focus regaining. "What is this place?!" I say with absolute awe, practically jumping out of his arms. It is amazing, a feat of nature standing before me.

A gigantic mansion stands before me, resembling a castle really, with turrets and a moat. It is in the center of the forest, trees surrounding the clearing where the mansion lies. It is ferocious and forbidding, reminding me of a haunted mansion. A door stands at the front, unnecessarily large, closed and most likely locked. A bunch of those prickly bushes are located around the mansion walls, most likely to prevent the same thing I tried to attempt today.

"Who are you werewolves defending yourselves from?" I ask in wonder, noting the turrets that most likely house a ton of arrows, guns, and grenades.

Xavier bows his head, his voice soft. "You just don't worry about it, Mona. You don't need to get involved in this," he assures me, though my temper is only sparked by a comment like that. However, after a few seconds of huffing and puffing, I quell my ferociousness.

We start walking to the moat, the bridge across it stable and wooden. "Why do you have a bridge and not a wall?" I query. All of the castles I have seen in books are similar in that aspect.

"Because we don't need one," a mischievous voice answers for Xavier, alerting me to another man's presence.

This man is handsome also, with the same electrifying green eyes that scares yet always manages to seduce me. However, unlike Xavier, he is Chinese, with black hair and a somewhat wider face. He is also taller, tanner, and skinnier. This man is almost like a stick, yet with good muscles for a man his size. He is wearing a ripped t-shirt, with rugged jeans that fit him almost as well as Xavier's does. All in all, another devastatingly handsome man with a whole different type of appeal.

"You have to remember, we are werewolves," he speaks again, his voice teasing, "so we can do stuff like this." In one sudden movement, he takes the bridge and flips it upwards, propelling us both high in the air. All I can see is blurriness again, fury ripping through my system. How dare he flip me into the air? Xavier is by my side, looking at the smirking man dubiously. I wrap my arms around my knees, waiting for the inevitable thump.

I land in a pair of arms for the second time today, except this time they are different. Slender and altogether graceful, these hands are soft and almost like a girl's. However, they are unbelievably strong, the fact that he flipped us both into the air with a huge, wooden bridge awe-inspiring. His face, as he looks down on me, is amused and taunting, completely unlike Xavier's affection.

However, that changes when he perks up his nose. "What is that delicious aroma?" he asks, his voice alluringly smooth and sweet. Xavier walks up behind him, unharmed by the stranger's mischief.

"It's her," he says, pointing to me. I shrink when the man leans his head closer to mine. He breathes in, sighing deeply.

"I haven't had a morsel like this in ages!" he exclaims dreamily, "she smells absolutely delectable." I start to shiver as I notice that he almost regards me as food, not an actual person.

Xavier rips me away from him, wrapping his arms around my body. "She is my mate, Yi. Don't touch her," he growls.

He surveys me, whistling loudly. "Xavier, this doesn't exactly seem like your type of girl. I thought you were going to mate with someone maybe more model-like... and she is a human. Ray is going to be furious," he almost sings that last part; as if he is actually happy that Xavier is going to spike this person's anger.

"Butt off," he snaps, "I can choose whoever I want to be my mate."

"Liar," he laughs, "you probably got mated to her because of her smell. It is amazing... I haven't experienced a smell like that in a long time. I don't blame you, Xavier." He leans in, his voice so soft that I almost can't hear it. "Even though the ugly chick's your mate, you could still eat her. I bet she would be delicious, and Ray wouldn't care," he whispers. I jump away from Xavier, punching Yi in the face. My movement is so fast that even he can't react, my fist hitting home. Yi rubs his jaw, his face of laughter. "I'm just kidding," he chokes, "mates don't eat each other, and werewolves rarely eat humans in the first place. Nice punch, by the way."

Xavier just stares at Yi, fire alight in his eyes. "Don't joke about that sort of stuff, Yi. It's scaring her," he says. I step closer to them both, my temper twice the size of Xavier's.

"Do not make assumptions," I poke him in the chest, and then I turn to Yi, "you are an idiot. Go bother someone else." I pretend to act unaffected by his remark, but in truth I am furious. I know I am ugly... but I don't like hearing a handsome werewolf say it. "Come on, Xavier, let's go," I take charge, pulling away the growling wolf.

I look back... to see Yi's devilish smile. "You just got a whole lot more attractive," he smirks, invoking redness to my cheeks. I turn back to Xavier, embarrassed.

His face is twisted with laughter now, his anger died down. "I was going to punch him for you," he says in-between chuckles, "but you beat me to it. And you were fast, too! I mean, Yi is pretty weak, but he usually has better reflexes." Weak? He smiles at me, his white teeth glistening. "Don't listen to Yi," he whispers, "you aren't ugly at all."

I laugh, though inwardly shaking. "Thank you, Xavier." He reaches to grab my hand, but I pull it away. Even though I like Xavier more than Yi, this doesn't change anything. I am still not in love with Xavier.

We enter the mansion, the doors opening as if prodded by an invisible hand. The inside is just as beautifully creepy as the exterior; with two huge flights of stairs in the back of the lobby that is parted by a colossal sculpture of a wolf. The floor is tiled, the ceiling over fifty feet above us. The whole room is very spacious, probably doubling as a ballroom. "Where do those steps lead?" I ask, clutching his arm subconsciously, "they are so big!"

"To the other rooms," he says plainly, "that is the only way to get to them."

"Wow," I gaze at the beautiful chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling, noticing the mural painted above me. It is of wolves in the forest, chasing a bunch of humans. But the strange thing about them is that the human's eyes are red, bright like the werewolves' green eyes but a different color. They are really scary and intimidating, sending recognition into my chest. I... have seen those eyes before.

Pain flashes through me, realization searing. I yell, but that does not dissolve the hurt. The terror.

"Mona!" a voice rips through the air to my ears. I grab the man's hand, pressing it against my heart.

"Help me," I moan, "my heart is hurting." It is throbbing, pounding against my chest.

"What's wrong?!" a beautiful voice says anxiously, one I don't recognize. I raise my hands to my ears, trying to block out the noise, but the screams don't cease. The terrible screams...

All I see is darkness now, slipping into the endless void.

***

"Mona," the same voice from before, the one that doesn't belong to Xavier or Yi, wakes me. My eyes flutter open, consciousness returned.

"What happened?" I ask, the blurry images coming into focus. Hovering right above me is an unbelievably handsome man, with bright green eyes. My eyes grow wide as I survey him. With each strand like a clear crystal, sparkling like rainbows in the light, his hair reminds me of Xavier's but without a definite color. His short buzz cut of this spectacular hair gives way to pale, perfect skin and lightly reddened lips. His eyelashes are thin and shiny black, long and enticing. His face is heart-shaped, and he almost looks like a girl.

"You lost consciousness," he informs me, his gaze disconcerting. It is slightly pleasant, but still strange. I still have not gotten used to all these pretty guys looking at me.

I sit up, my back against the headboard. I look around the room, at the splendor surrounding me. It is absolutely gorgeous, a bedroom with surprisingly modern furnishes.

"Well, thanks," I say, getting up from the bed, "I am fine now." My hair is matted, falling past my shoulders. The man grabs my arm, his expression of concern.

"Are you sure?" he questions, peering into my eyes.

"Of course," I nod, though I am anything but. My head hurts, a throbbing pain that nearly swallows me whole. It is diminishing slowly, yet not quite slow enough. I truly have no idea what just happened. My mind seems to be fuzzy, only the pain and the strange screams echoing in my head over and over...

Xavier rushes into the room, his expression of pure alarm. "Mona!" he cries, coming to meet me. He demolishes me into a huge, bone-crushing hug. It is comforting... more than I can ever admit. "I was so worried..." he whispers, his breath dancing along my cheek. I smile, tilting my head downwards so he can't see it.

The rainbow man stands up, watching me with a warm smile that makes my heart go fuzzy. "So she really is your mate," he says, without any doubt, "I'm glad. This will stop our alpha from being such a player."

Xavier blushes slightly, my eyebrows rising. "Xavier was a player?" I rip away from him to ask the man. It is hard to believe, for the way he shows me such devotion is not like a player at all.

"Was," the handsome man winks, "but now that he is mated, all he can think of is you."

"You are a player too!" Xavier protests, his voice ignored by us both.

"So mating makes you instantly fall in love with each other?" I ask dubiously. He nods matter-of-factly. "Then we didn't mate," I say confidently.

"What?" they both stare at me, Xavier frowning as I back away from his grasp.

"I am not in love with Xavier," I firmly state.

The man looks at me, and chuckles. "Yes you are," he says, "I can see it in your eyes. You just won't accept it because you still don't understand it. Your body is probably trying to reject these foreign feelings."

I stare at him for a second, and then I begin to laugh.

"Think whatever you want," he grins, "my name's Jake, by the way. Wes said that he wants to meet you, so he will be coming soon..."

A figure bursts into the doorway, his breathing heavy. "Where is she?" the guy asks, and then his eyes find mine. Grinning eagerly, he crosses to be by my side. "My name is Wes. And your name, my beautiful lady...?"

"Mona," I can't help but grin, instantly relaxed by his playful attitude. Also, his entire appearance is enchanting, invoking awed silence. His hair is a bright blonde, almost pure gold, and he has those green eyes that seem to be the common thing between all these werewolves. His skin is as tan as Yi's, with nice lips and a thin but strong body. His face reminds me of Xavier's, with a likeness to a lovable puppy.

"She's my mate," Xavier carefully informs Wes, and he rolls his eyes.

"Oh really? I haven't figured that out yet." After snapping at Xavier, he turns to me. "Your smell is so wonderful... have you met Yi yet? Because he will love you."

"Why?" I ask. He certainly doesn't seem to love me.

"Because he likes stealing other men's girlfriends... as do I. And especially one who possesses an intoxicating fragrance like you," he smirks, casting a white-toothed, glistening smile that shines brightly. I blush, the red rushing to my cheeks. I snap my hand away, a scowl decorating my features.

"I'm not anyone's girlfriend!"

"Ooh, you're feisty." Wes only smiles brighter, his enthusiasm unstoppable. "I like it."

Xavier grabs my arm. "You're jealous aren't you?" I laugh, letting him start to drag me towards the door. He blushes slightly, a cute expression on his face.

"No, why would I be?" he asks. Wes and Jake cheer behind us, obviously amused that Xavier is experiencing that kind of emotion.

Just before we exit the room though, a huge form fills the doorway. "Hey," he nods at Xavier, and then turns his gaze to me. "I'm Ray," he introduces himself, without a smile.

"I'm Mona," I note his similarity to Xavier, their likeness almost startling. Ray is muscled, even more so than Xavier, and sinewy. He is tall with brown hair, his face an almost perfect copy of Xavier. However, a thin scar stretches from his forehead to his cheek, marring his otherwise beautiful face. If Xavier was the Prince of Light, Ray would certainly be the alluring Prince of Darkness.

"Now I guess you've met all of us, Mona," Wes says loudly, "this is our pack. We used to call it the 'pack of players', but now that Xavier is settled, we can't exactly say that anymore."

"No girls?" I question, only to see four faces shaking their heads no.

"We like to be free of all women," Jake grinned, "love 'em and leave 'em, I always say."

"You people are terrible," I laugh, instantly feeling at home with these handsome men. After a second, I nearly jump in alarm at the realization that I can barely recognize myself. The old Mona would have run away by now. The old Mona would have never fallen for these wily werewolves' tricks. It must be those strange feelings Jake was talking about.

Ray just stares at me, a forbidding expression on his face. "She needs to leave for a minute while we have our meeting," he says, his voice rough and completely unlike Xavier's.

"Come on," Wes protests, "she's not doing any harm! Let her stay-"

"No," his voice is firm, insisting, "she isn't part of the pack." His words are forbidding and fierce, striking me cold. I turn, walking out of the door. Xavier sticks his head out after me, issuing a warning.

"Don't go outside of the grounds," he says, "it isn't safe." Then, Yi comes up and brushes past me into the room. Right before they shut the door, I see their faces, turned serious by something Ray said.

He's not exactly a ray of sunshine.

How could he be a player? Maybe he's the strong and silent type all the girls like to go for. He certainly is handsome enough… I mean, they all are. Especially Xavier, having an authority hanging over his head like a crown. Everyone in the pack seems to respect him.

Looking up, I wonder how they all live in such a big place. It is so old-fashioned, obviously not built by these handsome teens... oh, of course. They are probably fifty to a hundred years old. However, most of them don't even look nineteen, though Jake might pass for being in his twenties.

After gazing at the beautiful artifacts for about ten minutes, I decide to head outdoors. Xavier said I couldn't leave the grounds, but he never said I couldn't take a walk in the grounds. After searching for a while, I find an exit, going through it to find that I am now located in the mansion's garden. It is beautiful, alerting my senses with sweetness and beautiful colors. I circle it, but soon dismiss it to be too uninteresting. Just like the mansion; old fashioned and dreary.

The stars wink at me as I survey the area once more. A small path to the side, strewn with pine needles and leaves, catches my attention. Slowly I begin to walk it, not knowing quite where I am going.

The moat is nowhere to be found, leading me to believe that I am not outside of the mansion's boundaries. However, when I spy the dark, forbidding trees that remind me of the forest Xavier and I traveled through, I am not so sure.

Quickly I dismiss my doubt. Of course I am still in the borders, for I haven't passed the moat yet. Surely...

Everything is quiet now, the only whispers being the ones of the rushing wind. My hair brushes behind me, blown by its frightful gales. I squint, wondering how a wind this fierce could have just started up out of the blue. It is strong, but I hold my stance against the invisible monster.

However, my troubles only increase as a white apparition appears before me, coming out from behind the trees. The fear, the pain... it begins to pound again as I gaze in surprise upon the curious creature. It has no shape, a white ghost with the same red eyes as the men on the mural I had seen earlier. Suddenly, memories start flooding back to me, ones I can't stand to remember.

My scream rips into the night as the creature starts flying my way, the familiar eyes delving into my soul. I definitely know those eyes. But where? When? Who?

The haunting eyes that are causing me to have a serious migraine pause, the white blob still. Then, they squint slightly, and the ghost-like form charges towards me. Escape is impossible. I am frozen, still with shock and remembrance.

My parent's murderers...