"Why isn't anything happening?!" I asked in desperation.

"I don't know. I've only ever met one other person with James' condition and they turned almost as soon as they were bitten." Lucien replied.

"Then why hasn't James?" asked Alex.

"I don't know. I . . . I don't know." Lucien mumbled, the frown on his face only deepening.

It had been almost twenty minutes since I bit James and there had been no change in his condition. The blood on his shoulder had even begun to clot and the wound was starting to scab over.

I didn't know what to do. My Mate was suffering and I couldn't work out what to do to help him.

I felt a hand on my leg and looked down to see James gently gripping my thigh and smiling up at me comfortingly. I smiled back as I felt tears running down my cheeks. At some point, I must have started crying.

"Stupid. Worrying about me when you're like this." I say taking hold of his hand and squeezing it tightly as he intertwines our fingers.

"Lucien. Is there any chance that you could have been wrong? That this isn't because of James' Werewolf blood but some sort of disease or something?" Alex asks all of a sudden.

"This is no disease. No this is definitely something supernatural. I had thought that it was his Werewolf genes trying to change him like the other young wolf I once met. I mean he is obviously trying to change but it's like something is stopping him and forcing him to stay human. I don't understand." answered Lucien.

Alex frowned and briefly put a hand on Lucien's shoulder to make him feel better before coming over and kneeling down beside me and James.

James? Is there anything we can do to stop the fever and make you more comfortable while we try to figure this out?

Ben . . . Forest . . . Walks . . . Can't think . . . Voices. James replied disjointedly.

Alex nodded and started searching through James' pockets.

"What are you doing?" I asked confused.

"Looking for his phone to call Ben." Alex replied calmly.

With a small sound of triumph, Alex pulled out a dinged up looking cell phone from James' left back pocket and started scrolling through the contacts list. After finding the number he put the phone to his ear and waited patiently. Ben picked up on the third ring. I used my advanced hearing to listen in to what he was saying.

"James where the hell are you man?" Ben whisper-yelled under his breath.

"Ben. This is Alex. We met this morning. I'm here with James, my sister and Lu- Mr Coleman. James is having one of his episodes. When we asked him what we should do to help he said your name." Alex replied getting straight to the point like always.

"Damn. Ok, where are you guys? I'm coming to get him." Ben said louder now.

I heard rustling and banging sounds in the background of him gathering up his stuff and getting ready to race to wherever it was that we were.

"You can't. We're in the forest right now and it would be too difficult for you to find us. For now, just tell us what to do and you can come see him once we get him home." Alex explains quickly.

"That's ok. We both have GPS trackers in our phones so we can find each other if we ever get lost or into trouble while running off track in the forest. I'll be there as soon as I can. In the meantime try to cool him down and make sure he has plenty of water." He said hanging up before Alex could get another word in.

We both sat there looking at each other for a moment wondering what the hell we were gonna do now.

"How are we gonna explain this?" I asked motioning down to James and the bite mark on his shoulder.

"We won't. I'll go get water and bandages. We'll treat the wound then put his shirt back on and act like nothing happened. The changes will be harder to hide but we'll think of something." Alex said determinedly then got up and went back inside.

Lucien came over and took up Alex's position kneeling on the ground.

A moment later Alex returned carrying bandages and a bottle of water. The three of us worked together as a unit to get James cleaned up and the wound bandaged, falling into a rhythm just like before in the kitchen.

Every now and again James would regain consciousness and try to get up while mumbling incoherently. Each time I would have to calm him down and talk to him softly till he slipped back into unconsciousness. As time passed his fever began to break and the tremors going through his body calmed down to slight shivers even the changes stoped as well.

We had just finished pulling his shirt over his head when I heard tiers coming down the drive. A minute later Ben's car emerged from the tree line and came to a stop behind Lucien's.

"How is he?" Ben asked jumping out of the car and running over.

"He's calmed down quite a bit. He should be fine by tomorrow if not this afternoon." Lucien replied getting up to meet Ben halfway.

"Haaaah. Thank god." He sighed in reply. He then started looking around before turning back and asking. "Now someone wanna explain where the hell we are and what your all doing here?"

We all looked at each other.

What do we tell him?

We should have thought of this before.

I was more worried about the blood than the location.

We could say we just found this place by coincidence . . .

Then how do we explain how we got this far away from school?

Point taken.

We need to hurry up and say something before he gets suspicious.

Too late for that.

What now?

Just say something!

What?!

"Guy's? Someone wanna answer?" Ben demands.

"This is my house." Lucien said after a moment's hesitation.

"Your house Mr Coleman? How'd you guy's get here?" Ben replied

"We drove." I answered casually.

"If you drove then why didn't you just go to James' house? And what are you two even doing here in the first place?" Ben ...

I could tell he was getting more and more suspicious and angry with each moment that passed. We needed to do something and soon or this was gonna go badly.

"It's okay Ben. They were just doing what I asked them to." James said as he struggled to sit up.

"James! You're awake!" I exclaimed in happiness.

Alex and I helped James to sit up. Ben rushed over and grabbed the bottle of water that was left from before and handed it over to James who took it gratefully and drank what was left of its contents.

"Hey man. You okay now?" Ben asked taking back the empty bottle.

"Yeah, I'm good." James replied with a lopsided smile.

"What happened, dude? Why aren't you home?" Ben questioned.

"I was with Alex and Laiela when I started to feel the fever coming on. I had Laiela go get Mr Coleman and he said he would drive me home since no one else was available. The twins came with us to help Mr Coleman get me in and out of the car and 'cause they wanted to make sure I got home safe. On the way there it started getting really bad and I passed out a couple of times. None of them know my address so they brought me here instead." James explained.

It was perfect. I could physically see Ben relaxing. It was detailed enough to be true but vague enough that we wouldn't have to be worried about messing up and exposing the lie later on.

When did you come up with that? I asked impressed.

Just now. He replied.

"You should have called me. I could have driven you home or at least given them directions." Ben chastised shaking his head.

"Sorry. I was just really out of it you know?" responded James.

Ben nods in reply before getting up and dusting off his jeans.

"Come on man lets get you home." He says offering James a hand.

We all get up and head over to the cars. James sways a little bit at first but after a moment is walking normally with a little assistance from Ben. 

"James don't forget your bag!" called Alex, retrieving said bag from the cab of Lucien's truck.

"Thanks. Sorry about all this." replied James.

"It's totally fine. We're happy to help." Siad Alex before mentally adding;

Don't worry. We'll figure out what went wrong and how we can fix this. Can't have my Beta passing out all the time now can I?

I guess not.  James laughed.

"I'll see you two later. Sorry, we couldn't go on that walk I promised." he apologised out loud.

"We'll reschedule. Now go home and rest." I told him softly.

"Will do."

He and Ben then got into the car and drove off. The three of us that were left stood and waved till they disappeared through the tree line.

"Shall I take you two back to school now?" Lucien asked after the silence had stretched for long enough and the birds had started up their chorus again.

"Let's go back inside. I've still got lots of question." I replied turning and heading back towards the homey little house which I was beginning to remember like a happy childhood dream.

                                                               ***

"Okay, dude. Spill." Ben demanded as soon as we were back on the main road.

"What do you mean?" I asked feigning nonchalance.

"Something was going on back there. You guys kept looking at each other all weird."

"We weren't looking at each other weirdly." I said. 

I had meant to come off as casual but I knew I sounded defensive.

"Oh yes, you were! Every now and again you'd all just zone out while staring at each other. It was getting kinda creepy."

Shit, he's talking about when we were mentally communicating.

"Come on man. You know I zone out sometimes. Especially after an episode. Doesn't mean anything weird was going on." I tell him trying to sound lighthearted.

"Yeah? Well, that's exactly what you would say if something was going on! So I repeat my question. What was going on back there?" He said now in full on interrogation mode.

"I told you! Nothing!" 

"Yeah? Then how come your shoulders bleeding? Huh?"

Oh shit! How does he even know that?!

"Come on man you can talk to me!" He exclaims frustrated.

I don't say anything and instead, keep my mouth shut.

Oh shit, he's really got me now. What the hell am I supposed to tell him? "Oh, by the way, Laiela and Alex are Werewolves and so is Mr Coleman! The freakiest part is that my sickness might be caused by the fact I'm one too." Yeah right!

"If you in some kind of trouble I can help! We could talk to your mum or . . ."

"Oh god no, it's nothing like that!" I say cutting him off before he can get any further with that thought.

"Good, good. Just promise me that if something bad does happen you'll talk to me about it?"

"Of course. You're my best friend." I reply solemnly.

"That's great." He sighs.

What followed was a moment of silence. The air felt heavy and there was a weight pressing down on my chest.

Then Ben suddenly burst out laughing.

"What the hell man?" I exclaimed in confusion.

"I just realised that I sounded like your mum just then!" He explained through fits of laughter.

I sat there thinking about it for a second before I too started roaring with laughter. It was probably slightly hysterical considering the day I'd had but who cares? It was better than the silence.

Ben pulled the car over and the two of us sat there laughing our asses off for a solid ten minutes before pulling ourselves together and getting back on the road. 

We spent the rest of the ride joking around and doing shitty impersonations of each other's parents. But even though the mood was lighthearted I knew that this wasn't over. 

He'd let it go for now but eventually Ben would want to know what was going on with me. 

I had to work out how I was going to keep this from him while still maintaining our friendship.

But deep down I knew that he was going to find out.

The only question was when.