“I wish they would hurry up and decide.” Complained Walter as he peered through the kitchen window trying to catch a glimpse of the pack. Shaking her head, Tessa continued pacing her school shoes squelching in the grass. At least the rain eased off. 

“Yeah, it must be a real nail-biter for you, waiting to hear whether I have a death sentence or not.” Rye tipped his head back with a thud onto the tree trunk, shifting his legs so they were sprawled in front of him. 

“Someones got to be panicking,” Snapped Tessa, biting her thumbnail, “You're too calm. Why are you so calm?” 

“Look at your hands.” 

Yellow veins streaked her fingers, running into the cuff of the sodden blazer. Growling she stripped her blazer throwing it over the wall, the veins creeping further to disappear under her jumper. Closing her eyes she counts to ten. It doesn’t work. She focuses on the smells around here, even in the pinnacle of her pack’s territory Rye’s smell is still the strongest. It must be because his scent is new, Tessa thinks. Still she focuses on the sage green scent, pulling it apart and wrapping it around her. Flickering her eyes open the veins are gone and she sighs, flopping besides Rye. 

“Your still way to calm.” She grumbles. 

“I have to be calm otherwise your pack isn't going to let me stay.” He tips his head upwards. “Besides, how can I be agitated when looking at this?” 

She looks up. Thick branches trickle into twigs supporting hundreds of leaves. Leaves which are beginning to turn an umber red, intermingled with the lucius oak green leaves swaying in the wind. Soon they will all turn golden and with a shudder of the wind they shall all drop. It is their destiny. 

Pulling her knees to her chest Tessa cannot look at the leaves anymore. They make her heart heavy in her chest and tighten her throat like an allergic reaction. The leaves are dying slowly and she is sure Sally will make Rye’s death slow as well for having the audacity to ask to join the pack. 

She shouldn’t have let this happen. Should have found another way to protect him.

“They are coming out.” Stumbling away from the window, Watler lurches towards them. Biting her lip, Tessa pushes herself up, standing shoulder to shoulder with Walter, his warmth bleeding into hers, but it doesn’t stop her hands from shaking. The door creaks open and Rye snaps his gaze to meet the three women, rubbing the scar on his lip.  

“It’s getting dark.” Stated Sally. Whenever her mum talked about pack business her voice would be devoid of emotion, unless it was anger. Tessa doesn’t think she will ever be able to do that when she is leader. Pack is heart and soul, how can you take emotion out of that? “The moon will be up soon. Tessa and Walter you should come eat your tea beforehand.” 

“No,” The whisper feels like a curse leaving her lips, “I’m not leaving him alone with you until you tell me what’s going to happen.” 

She can’t look at Sally. This is a diversion. They would not kill Rye in front of them. 

“The only thing that is going to happen Tessa,” Delilah glares at her over the top of her flamingo glasses, “Is we going to take Rye to Mrs Clare’s for tea and then we’ll bring him back here for the full moon. The last thing we need is Mrs Clare calling the police when Rye doesn’t come home.”

“So…you're not going to kill me?” Rye peeks at them through his fringe with eyes which sparkle. A chill dances over her spine. It’s the first time she’s seen hope in his eyes. 

Demi lets out a short laugh and shakes her head, dangling the car keys from her long fingers. 

“We are werewolves, not monsters.” 

“So you are letting him join the pack?” Ask Walter. 

“On a trial basis,” Sally’s face hardens and she stares at Rye. “You have until the next full moon to prove you can be a worthy wolf for our pack. If you try to run then we will hunt you down and take your organs out one by one and feed them to you, understand?”

“Yes.” Rye smiles at her. Sally nods. 

The three women walked to the Discovery, well actually Demi skipped, and Walter slipped into the house to help Serena with the food. Tessa sighed and stared at Rye who had yet to follow the others. 

“I, I-um wanted to say thanks.” When he lifts his head, the light catches the snowflake scar. “Most people wouldn’t stick their neck out like that for a stranger.”

 Tessa smiled. 

“Most people are boring.”