“You know I will,” he said sounding tired. “I don’t understand why you won’t go to the community college here. Out of state is so expensive.”

“No, it won’t be,” I said, pulling away from him. “I have scholarships and aid because of being a foster.” I made my way to the coffee. A warm breeze brushed past the kitchen curtains to swirl around the room. As I poured him a cup, I continued defending my choice.

“Besides, you know very well why I’m going out of state.” It was an old argument. My place in pack society, forever the bachelorette, bothered me. I wanted out. No other female went through such a long Introduction period. Over the last two years, I’d become the one all the guys wanted to meet and hoped to Claim by the end of the weekend. Though they treated me with kind hopefulness, my attitude toward finding a Mate hadn’t changed. I didn’t want one. Besides, two years of being the family disappointment was enough.

“I want my own life before someone else tries to take it over. Sam, I’ve always had to follow other people’s rules. I want to live by my own rules for a while.”

Sam harrumphed. “What rules have I ever enforced on you?”

I gave him a steady look as I handed him the steaming cup.

“Besides insisting on the Introductions...” He dropped his gaze to the proffered cup and accepted it with a lack of enthusiasm. Not meeting my eyes, he blew on the brew and turned the cup in a circle on the table before he began to sip it slowly.

Suspicious, I continued to study his face as I waited for him to look up again. He seemed unexpectedly guilty for such an innocent remark.

Though I chafed at his rules, they were simple enough. Go to the Introductions. Spend the weekends getting to know the pack and the pack laws. Never stay out past dark without a way to get home, which meant a ride from Sam since owning my own car made him uncomfortable. How could he not see he completely controlled my life with those rules?

Though I understood the reason for the restriction, it didn’t make them more palatable. The very real draw men felt when near me had only grown stronger as I’d matured. It made time alone risky. Sam had insisted I take self-defense classes. Those had been great until the instructor suggested one on one training sessions a bit too loudly in class. Before I bailed on the course, I’d learned enough to keep men at bay...but not werewolves. Despite knowing I had no protection against them other than Sam, I still wanted to try it out on my own. Sam’s rules were simple, however, they weren’t mine.

“It won’t be safe,” Sam said, interrupting my thoughts. He looked up from his half-empty cup. “You know it won’t be safe.”

“Sam, I’ll get a dog.” I could see by his expression that he was gearing up for another round in an old debate. Why couldn’t he understand that I’d rather get a dog than be Mated to a werewolf? I hurried around him for the bathroom down the hall.

“I better go shower. We don’t want to keep the wolves waiting.” I spun into the bathroom and shut the door with a snick to stop any further objections.

Just before dinnertime, I pushed open the door of Sam’s old pickup and, ignoring its groan of protest, climbed out. My feet crunched on the gravel parking area. Not much had changed. Though, still rundown and in need of repairs, to me the familiar buildings exuded welcome. With a twinge, I realized I’d probably miss these frequent visits. I pushed the door closed, reached around to the bed of the truck, and grabbed my canvas bag.

“There a pack meeting tonight?” I asked Sam, looking at the other vehicles.

I couldn’t remember ever seeing so many cars before. Yet, for the number parked in the yard, the Compound was unusually quiet. Typically, before a meeting, groups of people stood outside to talk and renew acquaintances. I glanced at the buildings again. Though quiet outside, thin lines of light escaped from behind thick curtains in many of the windows on the main house. Definitely, a full house tonight. But why stay inside?

Sam just grunted in response to my question, shouldered his own bag, and headed toward the main building.

I studied Sam’s back. He certainly seemed rushed. He’d even sped so we arrived in just over seven hours. We’d only stopped once for a five minute, gas-up, eat, and pee break. I hadn’t questioned why, but it was unusual.

He’d stayed abnormally silent and pensive the entire trip, too. I didn’t mind the quiet, but he generally updated me on current pack activity during the drive. Bored, I’d alternated between listening to my mp3 player and watching the country pass in silence.

I turned a slow circle, studying the area while I breathed deeply, and began to focus. In two years, the area of my sight had expanded so I could see much further in the vast darkness of my mind. It didn’t exhaust me as quickly as it used to.

I closed my eyes and continued to turn a slow circle. At the Compound, focusing was harder. Typically, for humans, some sparks came in strong and glowed bright like a newly replaced light bulb while others were weak, more like a lightning bug’s glow. I didn’t know why; it just was. The lights of the werewolves were different. Their sparks tended to flash in and out of focus regardless of how bright or dim I perceived them. I considered the flashing a false perception. Instead, I believed I was watching the amazing speed at which they moved—there one second, gone the next, then back again. Since I hadn’t yet shared my ability with Sam, I couldn’t confirm my suspicion.

In the darkness behind my closed eyes, I saw the usual flashes of light, but they jumped around in a pattern that made me dizzy. I could see flashes in the Compound and many more in the surrounding woods and beyond.

I stopped turning before I made myself lightheaded. When I opened my eyes, I faced the woods to the right of the Compound just inside the gate. I felt watched. Not moving, I listened. Nothing but silence and my own breathing. I mentally shrugged and turned away from the trees to walk toward the main building. If any werewolves lingered out there, they would show themselves, or not, depending on their nature and if we’d already been introduced.

Several men exited through the main entrance as I stepped onto the porch. Two gave me kind, but dispassionate—perhaps even indifferent—nods of greeting. Mated. The other two watched me alertly and nodded politely. UnMated. I nodded a greeting in return and walked past them, safe with the Mated males nearby. Pack law: Protect unMated females from unMated males. Another pack law: Don’t place yourself in a situation where you’ll be alone with an unMated male or it could be seen as acceptance of his suit.

Inside, further down the long hall that branched from the main entry, more men headed my way. I kicked off my shoes, nodded, and walked past them. Again, a Mated male amidst the unMated.

“You’re early.”

I smiled at Charlene, who walked briskly toward me.

“He drove fast. Are Paul and Henry around?”

“I haven’t seen them, but I’m sure they’re around somewhere. I’ll see you at breakfast.” Charlene didn’t slow. She had a pile of clothes in her arms.

She seemed more hurried than normal. As a Mate to the leader, she tended to be busy, but she usually always made time to talk to me.

With a tingle of apprehension, I hurried toward our assigned apartment. The same one we’d first stayed in, but with big improvements. The once sparsely furnished apartment now made a cozy weekend getaway. A plush rug protected the refinished hardwood floors. Pictures decorated the walls and various knickknacks adorned the room, just a few of Charlene’s efforts to make it homier for those staying here. It also now had a small kitchen, which included a sink, dishes, and mini fridge. It still lacked appliances for cooking since we all took meals with the rest of the pack in the commons. The kitchenettes in the apartments were there for private convenience. Sam and I never used ours, but we weren’t the only ones who stayed here. Though we had priority on the apartment, I knew visiting Mated werewolves used it on our off weekends.