"I feel like everyone is staring at me." I remarked to Roxie as we walked down the hallway together. She had been my shadow all day, since the moment I had left my house this morning expecting to take the bus. She had been waiting. Apparently, Callum had given her strict orders to keep an eye on me. I didn't think he meant it to the level she had taken it to but I wasn't in the mood to complain. I was anxious enough as it was to be back at school after my small hiatus. 

Roxie leaned over, "Not everyone. Just them." She lifted her hand in a mocking wave. I turned my face to see Avery and her followers staring us down intently. I saw a flash of amber in the blonde ice queen's eyes and forced myself to look away. Roxie gave my shoulder a firm squeeze, "Don't worry. They won't bother you as long as you don't bother them. Rules are rules."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that while we are surrounded by all the mundanes that we must act like mundanes. That's why you've got this to help you..." She poked at the silver stud that Callum had pierced my ear with a couple of days ago. It batted at hand, scratching against the still sensitive skin. It was like a constant burning itch when I had it in. I didn't enjoy it but I knew it was necessary in keeping the beast living inside me tame.

"How come you don't have to wear one?" 

She grinned, "Because I've had a lot more practice and experience then you, my young Padawan." I frowned at her mocking, "Oh don't worry, I'm sure you'll lose your training wheels soon enough."

My grumbled under my breath as  my eyes scanned the hallway. I took in a breath and something hung in the air that tingled my senses. I tuned out Roxie, as I searched for what it was that was pulling at my mind. It was a familiar need to hunt and track down my prey, but I didn't feel any swell of violence. It was an entirely different sensation that swirled beneath my skin, one that I didn't have a name for other than longing.

The scent got stronger the closer we got to the library, my heart pounding in my chest. Whatever was causing this reaction in me was inside that room and I needed to find out what it was. I peered in through the windows my gaze gravitating straight to Alec. My palms felt clammy and my lungs constricted at the sight of his scowl as he feverishly wrote in a notebook.

I knew deep in my gut that he was the one causing these new sensations in me. I didn't know why I knew but I did. I took a step away from Roxie, my instincts in control.

"Hey. Where do you think you're going?" She questioned.

"I'll catch up. There's something I gotta do real fast." I waved her off. She gave me a hardened look, glancing toward the Library. I knew she could see Alec as plain as day through the glass windows.

"Just remember, he's one of them." I didn't realize there was such a huge distinction between us and them. She narrowed her eyes as she looked him over before sauntering away to catch up to her small group of followers that waited off down the hallway next to her locker.

I rolled my eyes, cutting through a couple of people in my way and pushing my way into the library. I walked toward Alec with a single-mindedness. I had planned to confront him again, now that I knew things. I hadn't accounted for how my body would react to him. It was like I could feel every pulse of his energy as it moved through his body. It was overwhelming me. I should probably have walked back out of the library, I couldn't be certain that what he was causing wasn't a bad thing. I didn't know enough about being a werewolf to know what was normal and what wasn't.

"Alec..." I rasped out his name, feeling short on breath.

"Mary-beth!" He seemed startled to see me standing in front of him. I watched his nose flare as he took in my scent. I watched his eyes began to glow amber, "You've..."

"Changed?" I supplied through the thick lump in my throat, "Your eyes..." I warned. He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. I watched as he seemed to be battling with himself to maintain control, perhaps I wasn't the only one who needed train wheels. I heard someone clear their throat behind me and I quickly pulled out a chair as his table and sat down. I didn't want to draw any more attention to us.

He opened his eyes slowly, meeting me gaze, "I'm sorry about..." 

I held up my hand, and he gave me a defeated look. I wasn't there to get another apology, "That's not why I'm here..." I had come in there to confront him about the woods, now that I saw the world through different eyes. The problem was that I couldn't seem to find the right words. Alec's presence was giant distraction, more so then it had been before my change. I'd never felt anything as intense as the feelings that surged through me as I stared into Alec's blue eyes, "Please, tell me that wasn't you in the woods...that you didn't kill that man..." 

His eyes widened, "You think I did that?"

"I don't know what to think, Alec. Everything is so crazy in my life right now. All I know is I can't rule anything out. I can't pretend like it's not a possibility." I leaned forward, pressing my elbows into the table. It was hard to be this close to him and not want to touch him. I could still remember the feeling of holding his hand in mine the night of our date or whatever. All those school-girl feelings I'd had before seemed amplified. Alec was a dream walking around the hallways of the high school, taunting me to come closer.

He searched my face, leaning forward toward me, "I did not kill that guy. I had no idea any of that was going to happen. I swear, Mary-Beth...you have to believe me." I couldn't sense any lies coming off of him. He seemed sincere in his declarations and my gut told me to trust him.

"Why did you take me out into the woods that night?" I pressed wanting to understand his intentions.

I watched the rush of blush as crawled up his neck to his face, "I wanted to show you my special place. It was stupid, but I thought you might like it. It's this abandoned house, it's all graffitied up...You know cause you like to draw..." I found myself smiling at his nervous fidgeting. 

I reached out and place my hand over his, feeling an electrical pulse race up my arm at the contact. I stared down at our hands, "Mary-Beth..." His voice sounded deeper, more mature than it had before. I lifted my face to meet the intensity of his gaze, "You believe me, don't you? I keep catching people looking at me like I might have done something. Even my own family sometimes..."

"I believe you. I do." I did believe him. I swallowed hard, trying my best not to be overwhelmed by the butterflies in my stomach, "But I think maybe we should figure out who did this soon. Didn't the first victim go to school here? Maybe one of her friends knows something..." I suggested. I had been thinking about it a lot. I knew that Callum and Lucinda would be upset with me for sticking my nose into things but I wanted justice for these people. Their situation reminded me too much of my own.

Alec sighed, reaching up and running his finger through his hair, "The police already questioned everyone connected to Maggie."

"Yeah but do you think that they'd tell everything to the cops? I mean, would you give away all your friends secrets if someone asked?" 

He blinked at my question, searching my face, "No, probably not."

"Exactly, my point. You might be more willing to talk to another friend...share things that you weren't willing to share with an adult. We need to talk to her friends or boyfriend, if she had one..." I felt a sense of excitement vibrating through me. Maybe I could make a difference here in Twin Peaks. Maybe I could help solve the mystery that was haunting this town.

Alec seemed hesitant for a moment, before nodding his head, "I know who we should talk too. Though I don't know if he'll talk to us."

"Alright, let's go." I pushed up away from the table.

"Right now?" He stared up at me in surprise.

"No, time like the present. Do you know where we can find him?"

Alec rose up from the table, gathering up his notebook and pens, "I do, but I don't know if this is such a good idea..." I watched him shove the items into his backpack.

"Were just going to talk to him, Alec. Relax." I turned and started walking toward the door. I knew that he was going to follow me, it was like there were magnets for each other. I was going to have to talk to Callum about this because I didn't feel this way towards any of the other werewolves I had met. I mean I could sense them, smell them, but with Alec it was intensified to a point that I didn't know if I wanted to run away from him or never leave his side.

He came to stand next to me, making me very aware of the small space between our bodies, "We're just going to talk to him, right?"

"Yes." I said shortly as he opened the door to the hallway, "Also..." I paused as I stood beside him, he lifted a brow in curiosity, "I'd like it if you took me there sometime. To your special place or whatever..." His perfect lips turned up at my statement and I quickly rushed away from him and through the open door, trying to hold back my own urge to smile, "Preferably in the daylight, though."

I'm sure that would break some kind of rule or cross a line between us and them...but at the moment I couldn't find the will to care.