The smell of blood was the first thing that hit him when he opened his eyes.

The aches in his body followed second that were not dulled by the coldness wrapped around him.

Blaine weakly pushed himself up to a sitting position. The sudden movement caused the world to spin around him preventing him from gathering his bearings. Once his surroundings tilted back into place Blaine realized he was in the parking lot of his school. And he was completely naked and covered in blood.

His hands ran over his slippery skin frantically in search for any injuries. After several minutes it became obvious from the lack of cuts that the blood did not belong to him.

Large hazel eyes searched through the dimly lit parking lot for any source of danger. The blood on him had to belong to someone who was severely injured. He was relieved to see no immediate threat but it was short lived. Horror filled him when he spotted two bodies sprawled out a few feet from him. The pavement slick with their blood, dark pools reflecting the street lights around them. Their blank eyes wide open but seeing nothing.

Hot, acidic bile rushed up Blaine's throat at the sight. He frantically got to his feet to take in the scene. He knows what happened with the same absolute certainty he knows that there will be no possible way for him to escape blame. With a sense of urgency making his hands tremble Blaine gathered the shredded remains of his clothes and ran.

He tears through the back alleys, keeping to the shadows in order to remain unseen. How long he was unconscious for remained unknown to him but thankfully it's the dead of night meaning no one is around. He reached home in recorded time scrambling to open the back door as if he was being chased by a wild beast.

Which is ridiculous because Blaine knows the beast resides in side of him.

The door slammed heavily behind him as he throws himself inside the house. He now stood in his dark and quiet kitchen the sound of the wall clock ticking echoing in the empty space.

"Blaine?"

The soft sound of his mother's voice called out to him. The light from the hallway spilled into the edges of the kitchen. The shadow of his mother's slight form was cast large against the wall.

"Blaine, I smell blood."

Her voice faltered with concern and Blaine shivered in disgust at what she will soon see.

"Are you alright, swee-"

The sentence is cut off by a sharp gasp of fear. Blaine knows that the lack of light will be no problem for her eyes.

"Oh, Blaine."

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut as the tears begin to fall. He collapsed to the cold tile of the floor, curling around himself to become as small as possible.

"I'm sorry," He cried out in a broken voice, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

His mother gathered him into her arms but it provided no safety or protection. The real threat lied inside of Blaine. No matter what he can never escape the beast the lurked beneath his skin.

One Year Later…

The expanse of the dark forest stretched out at all sides. Sebastian had a perfect view from the inclined slope he was standing on. He had been exploring this forest for the past hour, checking to see that no humans had trespassed and that there was plenty of game to keep his Pack occupied.

The Elders had sent their fledging Pack of newly adult werewolves to their estate in Ohio for several reasons. First there was the necessary process of their inner wolf reconnecting with nature. It sounded ridiculous; the sort of thing humans obsessed with New Age philosophies would be interested in. But Sebastian could not deny its importance. Majority of werewolves could not afford to spend their lives wandering about the forest especially in America where those forests were decreasing at a rapid rate. For centuries his kind had been integrating themselves into human society. On the surface they lead normal human lives, from taking on jobs or going to the movies. But it was a shallow game, one played only to protect themselves and the Pack from outside threats. While this lifestyle often forced werewolves to live in cities or even suburban areas they often took extended vacations to get back in touch with what they truly were. Fortunately for him their Pack was powerful and rich enough to own several remote estates across the country for that purpose.

The forest was as perfect as Sebastian remembered. The trees that had stood tall for hundreds of years covered in lush green moss. The dried leaves and brown pine needles that concealed the ground crunched underneath his feet. Streams of sunlight slipped past the dense foliage. His Pack had visited the Ohio estate several times when he was a pup but never when he became a full grown werewolf. The wolf inside him thrived at the environment around him. Here he felt content, here was where he belonged.

Satisfied that there was no immediate danger in his territory Sebastian turned to walk back home. Sebastian was a boy of above average height and in his opinion above average looks. His long legs easily navigated the uneven terrain while his blue almost green eyes remained sharp for any potential threats. He was enjoying his solitary walk when a flash of grey moved past the corner of his eye. Sebastian kept his pace easy, not bothering to halt in order to find out who was following him. He already knew who it was. After ten minutes of pretending not to notice anything amiss Sebastian suddenly whirled around to face a large grey wolf. The animal was in mid crouch prepared to pounce. His brown eyes that seconds ago were narrowed in concentration were now wide in surprise.

"You seriously thought you could sneak up on me?" Sebastian asked, cocking his head to the side in amusement.

The wolf's long pointy ears twitched in annoyance as he snorted dismissively. The wolf gave an exaggerated stretched of his front legs pretending like he hadn't been caught in an offensive position.

"Stop playing games," Sebastian rolled his eyes at his weak attempt to cover up his failure.

Despite the broadness of his shoulders and the long length of his body the wolf darted quickly away with surprising speed. Sebastian had barely caught a sliver of his grey tail that disappeared into the bushes. He stood there waiting patiently until his ears picked up the sound of footsteps carelessly knocking aside rocks and pinecones. Apparently his attacker no longer cared if he Sebastian could hear him coming a mile away.

"You're really no fun anymore," Puck groused, pushing aside the bushes he hid in to changed back to his human form. His very naked human form.

"I'm assuming you lost your clothes," Sebastian asked because there had been a few times when Puck did misplace his clothing.

"Like something you see Smythe?" Puck smirked back striking a body builder pose.

There was no denying Puck had an incredible body. He was nearly as tall as Sebastian; hard muscles thickly compacted in his arms and shoulders, a stomach flat with a six pack. His features had a rugged and overtly masculine quality to them. All that remained of his hair was a long strip similar to a mohawk that Puck proudly declared was the source of his badassness. However despite his many eye catching features Sebastian never found himself attracted to Puck in that way.

"Keep flirting with me and I'll start to think you have a crush on me Puckerman."

Sebastian continued to walk down the path towards home with Puck following up behind him. He silently listened to Puck prattle on about how clean the area was and that he had already spotted several bucks he'd wanted to hunt down.

"The hunting will make up for the love shack atmosphere back home."

Sebastian couldn't help but smile at the pained tone in Puck's voice.

The second reason the Pack has come to their Ohio estate was to provide privacy for the soon to be mated members of their Pack. There were eight members in the Pack with six of them about to mate in two weeks at the next New Moon. Werewolves who recently mated tend to be insatiable for each other. That meant keeping them away from the general public who might find it offensive seeing a couple literally tear each other clothes off.

Sebastian was not one of the six taking on a mate. Unlike most werewolves his age Sebastian had no interest. He enjoyed the freedom of being unattached provided him. The option to sleep with whomever he wanted was too heady to give up yet. Maybe one day he'd find someone to settle down with but right now he'd continued to be a lone wolf. However he was the Pack leader which meant he was required to come and protect the others. Puck tagged alone because he hated the idea of being left out.

Their family estate slowly began to peek through the thicket of trees and wild bushes that grew all around it. The house was a large Tudor style home consisting of seventeen rooms with six of them being bedrooms. The white brick of the home seemed even more pristine washed in the late morning sunlight. It had a bit more of a cottage feel then Sebastian usually liked but for a vacation home it was acceptable.

Sebastian and Puck were just crossing over the bridge that had a winding river below it when he spotted the rest of his pack. Or to put it more accurately he saw the other three Alphas.

"We have a situation," Quinn immediately announced the minute he was within ear shot. Quinn was Sebastian's Second in Command and his most trusted advisor. He selected Quinn for her cool and collected manner that could withstand large amounts of pressure. On the outside Quinn didn't look the part of a werewolf. She had short light blonde hair stylishly cut that framed her heart shaped face. She had fine features to the point of looking almost delicate but woe to those who interpreted that to mean she was weak. Quinn was probably one of their fiercest fighters who tended to have the least amount of empathy for her enemies. If Quinn thought something was wrong Sebastian would have to take heed.

"I've just been gone for two hours," Sebastian said to the small group, "What could have possibly happened?"

"I smelled a stray," Santana interrupted not bothering to wait for Quinn to explain, "When I went into town."

Santana had the same slim figure as Quinn but was otherwise completely different. She had dark mocha brown skin that contrasted perfectly with her long raven black hair. Sharp brown eyes gazed challengingly up at Sebastian. It was no secret that she wanted the role of Second in Command and Sebastian had considered it but for one problem. Out of all the Alphas Santana was the most hot tempered and ferociously independent. At times Sebastian wondered why she bothered to be in the Pack if she often complained about its restrictions. Sebastian needed a Second that would not just challenge him but support him too. He'd be constantly concerned that Santana was plotting behind his back to rely on her.

"Perhaps he was just passing through." Sebastian wasn't about to go tearing through town searching for a Stray who had just made a pit stop in Westerville.

"No I have to agree with Santana," Nick the last remaining Alpha shook his head in disagreement.

Sometimes it was hard to remember that Nick was an Alpha by his appearance. He had shaggy black hair that curled softly around his ears. His personality was easy going and friendly with him going out of his way to help out the other members of the Pack. However Sebastian relied on his unyielding loyalty.

"The smell was in a few concentrated areas but it was permanent part," Nick concluded.

Sebastian nodded silently now having to accept the likelihood of their being a Stray. Majority of werewolves were born into a Pack and remained there the rest of their lives. Amongst their numbers a few did not belong to one. The reasons were varied; some were exiled, some left voluntarily, some had their entire pack killed. Strays were usually not a problem as long as they behaved. Generally Strays wandered from town to town never staying in one place for too long. The fact that there was a Stray nearby and close to Pack territory was disconcerting.

"I suggest we kill him," Santana simply announced.

"Yes, that won't draw attention to us," Quinn responded in an undeniably sarcastic tone. "Especially considering what I found in the local newspaper this morning."

Sebastian turned his attention back to where Quinn was holding out a newspaper towards him. He accepted it and quickly found the article that had the Alphas in his pack on edge. It was front page news after all.

There was a picture of a teenage girl with her rounded features and wide eyed look that only one very young could have. The article explained that she had been missing for days before a jogger found her dismembered remains in the park last night. The journalist went into detail on how no knife or saw could have replicated the jagged tearing of the skin. Nor could it explain the prominent claw marks down her back or the teeth marks on her neck. Though the police were classifying her death as a homicide the journalist did not seem as convinced that a human had done this horrible act. The article pointed out that the method of killing was similar to one that occurred a year ago which many had speculated to have been committed by a wild dog.

Sebastian's blood ran cold. The article didn't outright blame werewolves but it did further wonder why a wild dog would savagely decimate a girl but not eat its kill. The article concluded that the police and animal control should start scouring the forests around Lima for any signs that a pack of wolves who were about to claim their next victim.

"I agree that this is a problem." Sebastian folded the newspaper and handed it back to Quinn, "Obviously we have a rabid Stray on our hands that can't control himself."

"I think we should reconsider my plan of taking the mongrel out," Santana restated.

"No Quinn is correct," Sebastian firmly countered, "We can't go tearing into town and pile up more bodies. For all we know the Stray has integrated himself in the community and his disappearance will be noticed."

"People are already suspicious," Quinn added, "We can't do anything that could draw attention to us or the Pack."

"What do you want us to do then?" Puck asked.

"I'll take one of you into town and investigate," Sebastian decided after a moment, "Assess how big of a threat there is and go from there."

"Let's do it then," Puck began to walk towards the main entrance with a determined gait.

"Uh Puck I think I'll take Nick instead," Sebastian called out to his retreating form, "You know considering his wearing clothes and everything."

Puck immediately halted, whirled around to stare Sebastian down. He thought for a minute his order would be challenged but then Puck shrugged his shoulders easily.

"I was hungry anyways," Puck then changed direction to enter the house instead.

Nick and Santana snickered in amusement. Sebastian would have too but Quinn caught his eye.

"Be careful Sebastian," She whispered lowly, "An uncontrolled Stray could mean big trouble for us."

"I'll handle it," Sebastian gave her a cocky grin, "What threat could a Stray possibly make against a Pack leader?"

"Famous last words," Santana sneered before following Puck into the house. Sebastian rolled his eyes at her comment but deep down hoped that her words wouldn't turn out to be prophetic.

"Can you believe the idiots in this town?"

Blaine lifted his head to where his best friend Kurt reading the local newspaper. Kurt's bright blue eyes scanned the text rapidly the content which marred his face into a frown. He smothered his laughter by taking another sip of coffee.

The morning rush at the Lima Bean comprised of students like themselves and professionals bustling around. It was a tradition for the two to get coffee before school, one that Blaine held on to very dearly. At the start of the year Kurt transferred to Dalton and the two quickly became friends. In truth Kurt was Blaine's only friend. The rest of the student population avoided Blaine as if they knew instinctively he was different from the rest of them. Kurt once said that's why he was drawn to him because they were both misfits. Kurt had been bullied at his last school for being the only out gay student. However, Blaine had yet to tell Kurt that it was more than their shared sexually orientation that made him an outcast. The fact he was secretly a werewolf kept him apart from everyone else.

You'd think it would be fun to be a teenage werewolf but Blaine knew that no movie or television show would want to portray his life. He had a father who hated what he was, attended a school that ignored him, and had no chance of making friends out of fear they'd find out what he was. The reason Kurt managed to slip past his defenses was because of his stubborn and persistent personality. Also because Blaine was terribly lonely so he let him.

"Why are they idiots?" Blaine asked in amusement.

He expected Kurt to decry someone's horribly fashion choice or that someone in the opinion section had connected homosexuality to bestiality again.

"You know that local girl that went missing? Well she turned up clawed up and missing a few limbs." Kurt pulled a disgusted face as he took a drink of his mocha, "So naturally they blame it on wolves."

"Oh?"

Blaine tried to sound casual but inside his heart was racing.

"Yes," Kurt shook his head in disappointment, "It's been the go to cause of any trouble in Ohio since a year ago."

Blaine's skin broke out in a cold sweat. The wolf inside him had its hackles up in fear of being discovered even though Kurt hadn't accused him of anything.

"There was a supposed wolf attack last year at a Sadie Hawkins dance in Westerville." Kurt did not notice Blaine's uncomfortable reaction due to him focusing on the newspaper. "Two boys were killed I think. Which granted is tragic but doesn't mean wolves are wandering the streets at night."

Blaine gave a shaky nod, trying hard to control his breathing.

"Anyways enough of- Blaine, are you okay? You're very pale."

"I think I'm coming down with the flu," Blaine quickly covered up.

"Maybe you should go home?" Kurt gazed at him sympathetically. He reached out to touch Blaine but he pulled his hand away in time. Blaine was extremely careful not to allow anyone to touch his skin. The monster inside him craved touching which meant Blaine had to avoid it at all costs. Who knows what would happen if he gave into what his wolf wanted.

"I'm fine," Blaine smiled perhaps a little too widely.

"If you're sure," Kurt gaged him silently for a few minutes before launching into a story about his father's eating habits.

Blaine turned himself out to an almost meditative state. It was a method he used whenever his restraint weakened. His enhanced senses were one of the many burdens of his condition. He couldn't always keep them at bay; it was a continuous struggle to suppress them. However right now he needed to allow himself to drift amongst the sea of words; the conversations between the baristas about their unfair boss, the couple next to them discussing weekend plans, one businessman talked to his secretary on his cellphone. In particular he concentrated on the soft tone of Kurt's voice.

Normal, Blaine was immersing himself in the normal concerns of everyday people. Perhaps he hoped by doing so he would become like them.

Blaine had become so focused on this activity that he did not notice the intruder walk in. He didn't hear the silent footsteps that crept through the coffee shop, the walk of a predator. However the scent of pine and wood and fire cut through the dense clouds of smells crammed into one space.

Blaine snapped his head to the side to see where the scent was coming from. The scent that no human could possibly possess. Anticipation curled in his stomach at that scent.

Blaine scanned each face in the crowded coffee shop. Most of them were lost in their own world not paying attention. Except for one, a boy who Blaine locked eyes with instantly. The boy was close to his age, tall with long limbs and an angular handsome face Blaine usually saw on runway models. Those attributes alone would have caught Blaine's attention but it was his eyes that had Blaine spellbound. The irises were a beautiful combination of green and blue. The clarity and sharpness of those eyes startled Blaine. He was used to the eyes of humans that were often clouded and muddy as they stared out into the world, never seeing past what they wanted to see.

The boy blatantly stared at Blaine. A slight smirk twisting at his lips.

"Blaine?" Kurt's elbow nudged into his side, "Do you know him?"

"No," Blaine whispered unable to tear himself away, "But he seems familiar."

The last part was actually not a lie. Blaine had never met this boy in his life but he could sense a connection between them. His mind put together the details he collected; the eyes and scent that no human could have. The knowing expression on the mysterious boy's face as he instantly picked Blaine out from the crowd.

The truth then slammed into him; the boy across the room from him was a werewolf.

His mother had warned him constantly since he was a child to run if he ever crossed the path of another werewolf. She never explained why he should be afraid but the terror in her eyes imprinted itself on Blaine.

Blaine forced himself to jerk out of the trance the boy had him under. He stumbled to his feet not caring if he nearly knocked over his chair.

"I have to go," He mumbled to a confused Kurt.

Blaine turned to make a beeline for the exit without waiting for Kurt to catch up. The panic of being trapped in such close quarters with another werewolf fueled a desperate need to run away. On his way out the door Blaine caught the stare of the boy one last time.

His blood ran cold at the expression on his face. The boy continued to gaze openly at him and was unfazed by Blaine's frantic escape. What unnerved Blaine most was the boy's head tilted to the side and his one eyebrow arched up that nonverbally declared, 'really? You think running away will work?'

Blaine hoped he was reading too much into it. That the question he saw on the boy's face was simply a reflection of Blaine's own fears. But as he pushed open the door to the outside he had a feeling the boy was right. This time running away wasn't going to work.

"Who was that?"

Sebastian turned to his side to where Nick stood next to him. Like Sebastian his eyes had followed the boy who ran from the coffee shop out into the street.

"Please don't tell me that you hit on him," Nick sighed out, "That you came on too strong and scared him off."

"I've never scared anyone off with my flirting," Sebastian corrected, "But I didn't even get a chance to talk to him."

"He seemed pretty freaked out, "Nick pointed out, "Is he who we're looking for?"

Sebastian doubted the boy was the Stray who tore apart that human girl. He had come across a few Strays in his travels and this one didn't fit the bill. Usually they were rougher around the edges, a cold and hard glint in their eyes, and a ragged appearance of someone who travelled often. There was no question the boy was a werewolf but one with a very strange disposition.

He seemed tightly wound but at the same time well put together. He was accustomed to being surrounded by humans and yet Sebastian noticed him drifting off and detaching himself from his surroundings. He also smelled odd to him like he had doused himself in soap and cologne. No werewolf Sebastian had known would ever wear any strong smelling fragrance. The nose of a werewolf even in human form was very sensitive. Scented soaps hindered their ability to smell and prevented other werewolves from recognizing their scent. However it would make sense for a Stray who didn't want to be found to mask their scent.

"He's a possibility," Sebastian affirmed.

"What now?" Nick stared up at him with a questioning look.

Sebastian always favored bringing Nick on these sorts of excursions. If Santana or Puck came along they would have argued at every turn or simply chased after the boy. At least Nick waited until he received an order before acting.

"I want to go to the park where the girl was found," Sebastian decided, "See if we pick up a scent."

The unknown Stray in the coffee shop could wait till later. Despite the room crammed filled with people and the disgusting fragrance the boy wore Sebastian remembered his true scent and could track him down. It was the smell of rainwater and sweet grass and sunlight. Actually it was one of the more intoxicating scents Sebastian had ever come across.

The walk to the local park didn't take long but Sebastian was displeased when they arrived. The area was closed off with yellow police tape with two policemen standing guard no doubt to scare off unwanted visitors. He doubted two teenage boys would be allowed to get close look.

"Looks like we're going have to do Operation Fido," Sebastian informed an uneasy looking Nick.

"Guess I'm playing Fido," Nick stated not even bothering to ask what he knew the answer to.

"You have the better chance of passing off as a dog, "Sebastian teased back.

Nick grumbled under his breath but obediently walked towards the secluded wooded area. Sebastian waited patiently taking in the near abandoned park. This time of day a place like this should be teeming with the elderly feeding pigeons, mothers playing with their children, and the occasional jogger out for a run before work. Now the place was abandoned without a soul in sight. No one wanted to be around a place where a corpse had been found except journalists and sickos.

A black wolf with a grey underbelly suddenly darted from the trees and made his way to Sebastian. Nick was the smallest in wolf form in comparison to Puck or Sebastian which meant he could occasionally come off as a dog. As well Nick had a much sweeter disposition and didn't mind if someone patted him on the head. Puck would likely bite someone's hand off if they tried to scratch behind his ears.

"Good boy," Sebastian affectionately called when Nick reached him. He patted him on the head, Nick flattened his ears in annoyance but otherwise remained still.

"Let's go," Sebastian smirked in amusement.

He then bent down to find a random stick on the ground that he could use to throw in the direction of the crime scene. Stick in hand Sebastian waited till the police officers were looking the other way before launching the stick with perfect aim. Nick shot out to give chase the way a normal dog would have.

The two police officers jumped in surprise, one even yelped in fear, when Nick tore passed them. Sebastian regretted the plan the second he saw one of the police officers reach for his gun. It made sense after all, the entire town was afraid of killer dogs and now one had just appeared in front of them.

"Wait stop!" He called out, "That's my dog!"

He jogged up to the two freaked out officers who glared openly at him.

"This your dog sir," The older police officer pointed to where Nick was snuffling happily around in the grass.

"Yeah sorry," Sebastian gave them a charming grin, "Our game of fetch got a little out of hand."

"Please remove your dog sir," The younger one aggressively pointed at him, "This is still a crime scene."

"Of course, no problem." By now Nick would have picked up any lingering scents of a werewolf which hopefully would lead to the real perpetrator before the police. Though if these two were the best Westerville had to offer Sebastian had no doubt they'd get to the killer first.

"Come here boy, come here." Nick perked his head up and wagged his tail as he trotted back to Sebastian's side. "Sorry about that officers," Sebastian apologized sincerely before dragging Nick away like he was a disobedient dog.

The two walked casually away even though Sebastian desperately wanted Nick to transform back to his human form. Sebastian wasn't known for his patience and right now he wanted his answers. Nick led Sebastian into the wooded area he had disappeared to change earlier. Nick quickly disappeared into the underbrush to where he left his clothes. Sebastian paced impatiently for Nick to become human and put his clothes back on.

"There definitely was a werewolf here," Nick announced as he crashed through the bushes, "I could smell him everywhere."

"Fuck," Sebastian swore in frustration. He had hoped the girl did die from being attacked by a random dog it would a far easier situation. The Pack had come to Ohio to relax not chase after killer Strays who had a taste for human flesh.

"What do you want me to do?" Nick asked.

"I want you and Santana to return to this park tonight," Sebastian ordered decisively, "Pick up the scent and scour the town to find the source. Keep to the shadows and away from humans. I don't want to hear on the news on how a brave town's folk killed the rapid dog that was roaming the streets."

"What are you going to do?" Nick inquired curiously.

"I'm going to track down that Stray in the coffee shop," Sebastian decided.

It was a long shot but that Stray might be the key to figuring out what was going on in this town.

Blaine woke up earlier than normal or to be more accurate he never had gone to sleep. The mysterious boy from the Lima Bean from yesterday kept invading his thoughts regardless of how hard Blaine tried not to think about him. Small details kept surfacing every time he closed his eyes; the sharp slopes of his cheekbones, the beauty marks dotted across his neck, those unrelenting blue-green eyes.

In order to distance himself from the events of yesterday Blaine decided to take his time with his morning routine. For most people it consisted of getting yourself clean and dressed for the day but it had a whole other meaning to Blaine. For him it was placing layers upon layers over himself to create a mask that no one could see past.

It started with him thoroughly cleaning his body with heavily scented soap that his mother told him would distract other werewolves from pinning down his scent. Blaine added cologne as a safety measure especially now that his mother's fears had proven to be valid. Then he tamed the wild dark curls with copious amounts of gel. After ten minutes Blaine was satisfied that not one curl could break out of the slicked back hairstyle. Contacts were then placed on to help cover up the near inhuman golden coloring of his eyes to a normal brown. With great care he put on his school uniform; making certain that the lines in his pants were crisp, his white button shirt had no wrinkles, and his tie was perfectly straighter.

The last part of the process didn't involve soaps or clothes but Blaine himself. He would stand in front of the mirror and stare at his reflection. The features and expressions on his face had to be smoothed out and controlled. Any glint that revealed primal urges had to be wiped from his eyes. His smile had to be easy, his voice calm and soothing and his personality unobtrusive.

Now he was prepared to face the day.

He had just gathered his Science homework into his book bag when he heard a knock on his door. It was Kurt; Blaine knew this because he recognized his brand of cologne through the door. Blaine took in a deep breath before he plastered a smile on his face.

"Good morning," he politely greeted Kurt. He slipped out of his dorm and shut the door quickly behind him.

Kurt didn't smile in return. His blue eyes traced over Blaine's tired features with a critical look.

"You okay?" Kurt asked, "Because it looks like you didn't sleep at all."

The fact that very little could slip past Kurt's eyes was the one downside to being friends with him. Try as he might there were some days Kurt could see through Blaine's lies. He could only hope that Kurt thought Blaine was too reserved when it came to talking about his personal life not that he was hiding his true identity. There really was nothing fun about being a teenage werewolf.

"Working on that science project," Blaine sighed tiredly, "I don't think I'll be winning the Nobel Prize in science anytime soon."

Kurt didn't seem totally convinced but he gaze Blaine a weak smile at his self-deprecating jokes.

"Me either," He admitted, "Guess we'll have to settle being huge Broadway stars."

"Sounds like a plan," Blaine laughed in return.

Blaine kept it to himself that he probably would never be on Broadway or any kind of stage. Having a job where he would be constantly in the eye of the public would increase the chances of people finding out about him. No matter how badly he wanted to be a performer he knew it could never be.

The two walked to class chatting about mundane things like upcoming papers and the unseasonably nice weather they were having. They decided to cut across the quad to enjoy the beautiful sunshine before being stuck in school for the rest of the day. Other students were milling about on their way to class the same way they did every day. Blaine could feel himself relaxing into the idea that everything would go back to normal. For all he knew that boy at the Lima Bean was a normal boy and not a werewolf. He probably was freaking out over nothing. In a week he'd forget about the entire incident and go back to living his life in peace.

The desire to believe this was true was so strong that Blaine was in denial when that scent from yesterday filled his senses. He tried to convince himself it was his imagination until he saw the boy standing over by the science building. He seemed out of place with his casual clothes but no one seemed to notice but Blaine. His eyes stared directly into Blaine's making him feel rooted to the ground. After several tense seconds the boy inclined his head backwards in an invitation before disappearing around the corner.

"Blaine?" Kurt's voice cut through bringing him back to reality.

"I um…I forgot something at my dorm," He stuttered out.

"Let's go back then," Kurt offered.

"No, no I'll just go. You don't want to be late."

"Are you sure?"

"Completely," Blaine stated perhaps too enthusiastically, "I won't be long."

He didn't stick around to see if Kurt would agree. He broke out into a half jog towards his dormitory but when he was certain Kurt wasn't looking he veered to the left. Behind the science building was the outdoor sports shed where equipment used for track and field were kept. The area was usually empty except for the few who came out to sneak in a smoke. Not that anyone at Dalton would admit to smoking. Casually leaning against the shed is where Blaine found the boy from yesterday.

"My name is Sebastian," the boy instantly introduced.

"Blaine Anderson," Blaine replied out of habit. He had to push down the urge to hold out his hand to shake Sebastian's the way he had been taught to.

"Now let's avoid the clichéd teen novel game of denial." Sebastian turned to face Blaine straight on, "I'm a werewolf and you're a werewolf."

Sebastian tilted his head to the side as he regarded a surprised Blaine, "You're a strange werewolf but one nonetheless."

Blaine wasn't exactly fond of the sentiment behind that blunt statement. It was bad enough that Blaine felt like an outcast amongst humans now apparently other werewolves found him odd.

He considered countering with a cutting remark of his own but Sebastian abruptly moved forward giving him no time to react. Blaine froze in place as Sebastian began to circle around him. The action unnerved Blaine who couldn't shake off the uncomfortable feeling of having his back exposed to the other boy. To counteract Blaine started to turn in order for them to be facing each other again. An unintentional game of dominance broke out between them with each trying to outmatch the other. After several minutes of spinning around Sebastian's hand shot out to grab Blaine's arm and hold him in place. Sebastian's incredibly hard grip was due to his werewolf blood but that wasn't what stopped Blaine in his tracks. It was those eyes that bore directly into Blaine's pinning him to the ground.

"Stop moving," Sebastian ordered in a low tone. There was no anger in his voice but firm enough that it left no room for arguments.

Blaine remained motionless as Sebastian inspected him. Satisfied by what he saw Sebastian stopped directly behind him which made Blaine's skin crawl uncomfortably at how vulnerable he was. A long silence stretched out between them that intensified the already awkward situation. Blaine was about to step away to put space between them when Sebastian leaned forward.

The tip of his nose lightly grazed along the curve of Blaine's neck. He froze in terror not knowing if Sebastian was going to attack him or do something inappropriate.

"You do smell delicious," Sebastian murmured as he pulled back, "Or you would if you didn't wear that disgusting cologne."

Blaine shivered, suddenly cold now that Sebastian walked a few paces backwards.

"Why do you do it?"

"What?" Blaine asked in a daze. He turned around to face Sebastian now that Sebastian was no longer there to stop him.

"The cologne, the hair gel. All of it." Sebastian wrinkled his nose in unsubtle distaste, "What do you gain from hiding yourself?"

Blaine could feel the hackles on the back of his neck rise at Sebastian questioning his motivations. What right did the other boy have to criticize him?

"I have my reasons," he snapped.

Sebastian blinked in surprise but otherwise was not flustered by Blaine's anger.

"Do you belong to a pack?" Sebastian asked, acting as though his questions hadn't just invoked a negative reaction from Blaine.

"What do you mean?" Blaine had the barest idea of what a pack was.

"If you have to ask then you don't," Sebastian pursed his lips thoughtfully as he stared at Blaine, "You must be a Stray then and yet I'm assuming you've lived here your whole life."

"I have a home," Blaine feebly offered.

"A werewolf can only have a home if he belongs to a pack," Sebastian explained with an air of superiority, "Which means you're a Stray."

Blaine didn't appreciate the way Sebastian said the word 'stray' in such distaste. Or the way his eyes filled with pity when he gazed at him .For seventeen years Blaine had made it just fine without a so called pack. Yet this Sebastian acted as though he found out Blaine had a terminal disease.

"However Strays don't usually stay in one place, " Sebastian continued, "Maybe two years at the most."

"Guess that means I'm not a Stray," Blaine countered.

"I honestly don't know what to make of you," Sebastian finally concluded, "I can't decide if you're a threat or not."

"I'm not a threat," Blaine protested but his face fell for a second when unwanted memories pulled him back to last year at the Sadie Hawkins dance. Unfortunately Sebastian noticed his falter and zeroed in on it.

"Have you been killing humans?" Sebastian demanded.

"What? No, of course not." Blaine couldn't believe the boy thought him capable of that. Blaine knew he wasn't normal like everyone else but at least he hoped that 'killer' wasn't written all over him.

Sebastian's muscles tensed and his eyes narrowed at him. For a brief second Blaine wondered if he should run because he was about to be attacked. The two stared each other down and Blaine wondered if he should just cut and run. The two were alone in a secluded area if Sebastian wanted to overpower him Blaine was afraid he could.

Then Sebastian relaxed his stance but kept his eyes locked on Blaine.

"I can tell you have no control…"Sebastian started but Blaine interrupted.

"Yes I do!"

His entire life was based on control. On resisting urges and desires in order to keep himself together. For Sebastian to casually discredit that infuriated Blaine.

"No you don't," Sebastian spoke with the authority of someone who was confident of what he knew to be true. Blaine envied him of that.

"You're pretending to be in control," Sebastian gestured at Blaine's entire person, "You play dress up to make yourself feel better to deny what you know to be true."

"Which is what?"

"That you fear the wolf inside of you. You wake up every morning wondering if today will be the day you can't hold back anymore."

Blaine stood there silently, knowing he had no argument to counter that statement.

"You can understand why I would be suspicious of a Stray who had no control of their wolf."

"Listen maybe you're partly right," Blaine swallowed thickly from his nerves, "But I would never hurt another…I didn't attack that girl."

Blaine found himself staring up at Sebastian with a pleading look. Though they barely knew each other it was incredibly important that Sebastian believed him.

Sebastian seemed to waver, the frown on his face more from confusion than distrust.

"I don't know what to believe." Sebastian sighed, raising a hand up to rake it through his hair in frustration. Since the start of the conversation it was the first sign of Sebastian being openly uncertain.

"I don't think you're a threat, "He took a step forward, "But I need to get to know you better to be sure. Will you allow that? Can you trust me?"

He reached his hand out towards Blaine waiting to see what choice he would make.

Blaine stared at that hand not knowing what to make out of it. Earlier today Blaine had felt utterly alone. Filled with the kind of loneliness that came from having no one the same as you. Now this beautiful and frightening boy that carried himself with an air of authority was giving him the opportunity to change that. However, if he agreed he might lose everything he'd come to know, everything that made him safe and secure. Sebastian might be his downfall. The one who would pull out the threads that held Blaine's life together.

The human part of him told Blaine to run. The wolf wanted him to give in.

Blaine hesitantly raised his hand and slipped it into Sebastian's.

"Yes," He nodded in reply, "I'll try to trust you."

A/N: Well looks like I'm embarking on another Seblaine multi-chapter cause apparently this ship has yet to let me go. Tell me what you think so far :D

PS: For those of you wondering I will be updating "I'm Already On My Knees" next week.