"Not particularly. It's just more fun if I don't tell you, at least right away!" she replied.

Lucas shook his head.

"Well, as entertaining as this is, I should really unload this truck. I have to get it back to the depot by five," Rue said.

"Oh! We can help with that!" Claude said, brightening immediately.

"Oh, no, you don't have to," Rue protested.

"It's no trouble, really! What are neighbors for?" Lucas said, grabbing a box in each arm and hoisting them like they were nothing before heading towards her door.

"Easy work for us," Claude said with an easy smile as he also grabbed two boxes with ease and followed Lucas.

"But-" Rue protested weakly. She could feel the imbalance between herself and them as they did her this favor. She sighed, trying to wrack her brain for how she could repay this debt as she grabbed a box and fished the housekey out of her pocket.

She unlocked the door for them and gestured them inside, propping the door open with a light brass foot near the bottom of the door intended for such a purpose. The boys set the boxes in the foyer and raced back to the truck. Rue set her own box down with a shake of her head.

She glanced around the house briefly before heading back to the truck herself. She knew there were two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, and the kitchen, dining room, living room, and another bathroom downstairs. The house was very 1970s, with blonde wood paneling and wainscotting in some of the rooms, avocado appliances and plumbing, hardwood floors and sunny yellow tiling that matched the lemons on the dark blue wallpaper. It made Rue smile to see the classic look, which was something she'd always liked.

Rue and the boys unloaded the truck pretty quickly. They helped settle the dinette set, which thankfully was only a slightly different blonde wood tone from the rest of the wood in the house, and the small sofa, armchair (both a hunter green color), TV and TV stand in the living room. After that, they helped carry her dresser, desk, office chair, mattress and disassembled bed frame upstairs. They helped her put everything in the master bedroom, and even helped put the bed frame together.

"You guys really don't have to help me like this, you know," Rue said.

"Of course we don't," Lucas agreed.

"But we want to!" Claude added cheerily.

"Do you mind if I ask you guys some questions?" Rue asked after a shake of her head at their responses.

They both shrugged, uncaring.

Rue sat down on the couch and the boys also found places to sit. Lucas claimed the armchair and Claude awkwardly perched on the back of the couch opposite Rue.

"Vampire and werewolf, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. How could you tell?" Claude asked curiously.

"Well, I mean, the teeth and eyes aren't exactly human on either of you, and you are pretty pale," she said, waving a hand at Claude.

"Fair, I guess, but humans don't tend to notice," he replied.

"She could probably tell by scent, too."

"Good point."

"Yeah," Rue agreed, "your scents just confirmed it. So, you guys look around my age, so does that mean you also came to Shady Glen to attend Sacred Oak College?"

"Yes, we're both sophomores there when the semester starts," Lucas confirmed.

"Did the S.P.A. arrange for you to go there too?" Claude asked.

Rue nodded. The Supernatural Protection Agency was really the only reason she could go to college. They'd also secured her this house and paid for her furniture and household things. They were definitely going to recoup their debt from her though.

"Freshman?" Lucas asked. Rue nodded again, and he smiled. "We'll show you around sometime."

"I'm sure I can find my way around on my own," Rue protested.

Lucas' phone dinged and he looked down at it.

"Sure you can, but that doesn't mean we can't help out an underclassman!" Claude said.

"But, it's just-"

"Sorry," Lucas interrupted. "I would really love to stay and help more, but that was my S.P.A. handler. He wants to see me about something with the North Pack."

"Oh, nothing bad, I hope," Rue said, brow furrowing.

"Nah," Lucas chuckled. "They don't call on me for anything to do with the Packs when it's serious or dangerous. Hey, Rue, gimme the truck keys and I'll drop it off at the depot on my way." He held up his hand when Rue opened her mouth to protest. "Yes, yes, I don't have to, but it's on my way and you've been on the road who-knows-how-long." He held out his hand.

Rue heaved a long sigh and reluctantly tossed him the truck key. He flashed her a victorious grin and dashed out the door.

Rue ran her fingers through her bangs and shook her head again.

"Well, let's unpack the rest of your shit now so you can relax," Claude said, giving Rue an encouraging smile.

"Fine, fine," she said, defeated. Rue glanced at Claude.

"So what did he mean when he said they don't send him to deal with serious pack issues?" she asked.

"Oh, Lucas? Well, he was only turned a year ago, right after he graduated high school. So he's still pretty new to all this stuff and doesn't really have a solid grasp of werewolf pack politics and stuff yet. But he also knows enough to know he doesn't really want to get involved. Even so, for minor stuff, they listen to him better than to a human S.P.A. agent, so they take him along to deal with some of the petty shit that comes up."

The two stood from their seats on the couch and headed into the kitchen. Rue opened boxes and set them underneath the cabinets she wanted to empty the contents into.

"Oh, wow, only a year ago? A lot must still shock him."

"Well, he's handling it better than I did when I was turned, anyway," Claude laughed awkwardly. He sidled over to one of the boxes and started unwrapping plates from their paper padding.

"How do you mean?"