My name is Annabeth Collins. I find comfort in returning to Lake Lynn daily to skip rocks. I sit on my log and read. I've always had the feeling that I wasn't alone at the lake, but I could see no one so I brushed the thought off.

One day, I got in a huge fight with my parents. That same day, my boyfriend hit me and broke up with me. He was abusive all the time, but I've always been afraid to do something about it. I flunked a major math test and a science quiz. On top of all that, Jake, a big bully, decided he'd target me today. My day was miserable.

I escaped to my little piece of paradise, the lake. Instead of my usual rock skipping, I was aggressively chucking rocks into the lake, screaming out with every throw. my eyes were so teary from my sobbing. I could no longer see, so I sat on my log and cried. Horrible, dark thoughts pulsed through my head. I wasn't thinking straight.

I got up off the log, got on my hands and knees, and crawled to my death. Suicide was the only thing on my mind. "I'm going to kill myself. I'm going to drown. Don't even hold your breath, just lay down." My conscience whispered to me. So that's what I did, I laid down in the water and drowned. The last thing on my mind before I blacked out was that I truly wasn't alone.

When I awoke, there was a boy who looked about my age, seventeen, hovering over me. His face had gone pale, but color returned to his face slowly as he grinned at me. "You don't know me." He said. "I know you Annabeth, and trust me, it's not worth it. I have been following you, studying your lifestyle for weeks. You haven't seen me but I've been there, protecting you." he continued.

I tried to sit up slowly, my head was spinning. The boy supported my back and helped me up. I coughed up water until my lungs were cleared and I could breathe again. "You didn't mean to harm me, did you?" I asked. "You meant to watch over me. You're different. You saved me. What's your name?" Though he didn't have time to answer me.

Suddenly, a second boy launched himself out of the woods and on top of me. He morphed into a wolf creature and tore at my skin. The boy who saved me was caught off guard. The wolf figure sunk it's teeth into my arm, sending writhing pain through my entire body. I doubled over in agony.
The boy turned into a wolf and attacked the attacker. They tumbled into the gravely bank. The pain in my arm was unbearable. I felt the bones in my arm crunch and grind together. I screamed out.

"How could you! How could you turn her!" One of the wolves growled. "I was hungry!" the other grumbled. One wolf raised it's heavy paw and brought it down across the others face. It was hard to tell who was who.

A wolf whimpered off into the forest. The wolf that was still in the gravel walked up to me and stared me in the eye. He looked mournful. When he changed back, it was the boy who had saved me. "Anthony." He int interrupted my thoughts. "We have to get you to the sanctuary. You need help. You didn't deserve this."He continued.

"I didn't deserve what?" I was confused. "You didn't deserve this!" Anthony became frustrated. "You've been changed into a werewolf! You had a good life ahead of you." He fumbled with his words.

I was speechless and in excruciating pain. It happened so fast. He scooped me up in his arms and ran. He probably could have outrun a car! I saw him look down and smile at me just as I passed out. I couldn't take the pain anymore.

"Wake up!" I heard a voice say, it wasn't Anthony though. I sat up and blinked. I felt so alive and energetic. "I'm hungry!" I found myself screaming at the girl in the room. "I'm starving! Give me food now! I'm going to kill you!" I was going to kill her, but I was restricted. I was tied to a table with cuffs on my hands, feet, and neck. "Let me go!" I threw a spastic tantrum.

"I can't let you go, but I can feed you." The girl's voice sounded so innocent. She smiled, turned around, and left, closing the door behind her. In minutes, she came back with the largest platter, piled with juicy steaks and meats. I went berserk.

After I ate, I felt much better. The girl introduced herself, her named was Lola. She had long black hair with blue and red streaks in it. She was beautiful. She could go out with anyone if she wanted to. She was nice, and she was the one who set me free of my restrictions.
"Anthony will be in here in a little while to talk to you. For now , you and I are room mates. What's your name?" Lola asked. "Annabeth" I replied. "Cool name. It's unique." Lola commented.

A few minutes of silence later, Anthony entered the room. His face lit up when he saw me, awake and alive. Last time he saw me was when I blacked out in his arms. "You're up" He stated. "Yeah, I am. What's going on?" I asked.

"You haven't missed anything." Anthony sounded sad all of a sudden. "I haven't?" I asked. He replied with a "nope". "I'll leave you two alone." Lola excused herself. She walked out of the room and shut the door behind her. She seemed very polite.

"What's going on?" I asked again. I could just see it in Anthony’s eyes, he didn't want to say anything. He felt guilty. "It's not you fault, whatever it is." I said, still confused. Anthony approached the table I was unstrapped from.

I was still laying down, since I was shaken up and dizzy. Anthony put his arms around my shoulders and asked, "Do you want some help up? Here, try to sit up." He helped me up and I smiled, even though my head was rushing. I was dizzy, and I saw the room spinning as I fell off the table, retching on the floor.
"Go away." I begged Anthony. He shouldn't have to see me like this. "I'm not going to leave you here." He said, pulling my hair out of my face. "Here, let me help you." Anthony said, as I was done gaging. He scooped me up in his muscular arms as if I were a feather.
"Catch me up, I'm lost. What's the life of a werewolf?" I asked, as Anthony set me down on the table. Anthony's smile left his face. This happens every time I bring up werewolves.

"Tomorrow, there's this tradition our clan has every year. We battle it out in a war to see if the Alphas are still alpha. Our pack wants it to be fair, since wolves tend to grow stronger, every wolf has a shot to be alpha. Do you understand?" He paused. I nodded.

"We don't kill each other, if that's what you were thinking. We fight to see who's stronger. Yes, people have died before, and that's why I wish Brute hadn't turned you. You aren't prepared. You will die. I don't want to lose you." Anthony explained. I felt bad. A whole clan of werewolves clawing and biting at each other, trapped in a room until an alpha is found. I realized that I will be one of them, and I will die.
"I'm not ready for this. You're right, I'll die." I became depressed. "I won't let you die. We can cram in as much training as possible and Lola could try to test which flowers and roots make the potion to make you human again." Anthony was desperate. I agreed to it. Anthony found Lola, turns out she's an alchemist. He begged her to make a potion, so she worked all night.

We started training as soon as I was able to stand. We went through many fighting scenarios. Anthony showed me effective moves in combat that are used to survive. Then he told me some of the common moves he usually sees in combat. "Once you're thrown in there, your adrenaline kicks in and you can't stop. It's an instinct to want to kill. Control that instinct and don't let your fear take over either." Anthony advised me.

I lunged at him and tackled him to the mat. He laughed and said I did good. "You said look for an opening, and you were open." I giggled. At that moment, the world seemed to stop. It was just me and Anthony.

"I got it! I got the potion! Let's hope it-" Lola burst in but stopped and apologized when she saw us. "We were just..." I couldn't finish. "Training. We were just training." Anthony finished my sentence. "Let's try that potion." I broke the silence that followed, and Anthony helped me up.
"Anything?" Lola asked , after I guzzled the potion down. I threw the bottle down and it shattered on the floor. "Nothing! Nothing happened!" I screamed , frustrated. "I'm going to have to die!"

"I'm going to bed." I curled up on the table, not even thinking about finding my room. "I'm going to our room. I'm so sorry it didn't work." Lola apologized in a hushed voice. It wasn't her fault. The least I could have done was thank her.

Anthony stayed. I could tell, though he didn't make a noise, I felt him there. "You are not going to die." He finally said, unsure if I was asleep or not. "I promise I will not let you go. I love you." He bent down and kissed my forehead right as I drifted into sleep.

I dreaded waking up. My dreams were full of terrors and I was restless all night. I woke up knowing I would die. I looked over and saw Anthony asleep in the chair next to me. I got up off the table and was stiff. Never again will I sleep on a table. I accidentally woke up Anthony.

We didn't even get breakfast. They wanted to starve us. We'll fight better hungry they say. I hate werewolf culture, I'm starving. I was restrained once more and Anthony was drug away. I heard him say he'd find me in there no matter what, as the door closed behind him.
"No don't take him!" I screamed. In a lower voice I said, "I love him." I screamed at the wolf guarding me. "You're going to die! You pathetic excuse of a wolf." The guard yelled. He grunted and growled as he struggled to throw me into the room. I put up a fight, it wasn't working, so I gave up.

As soon as I was shoved in there, I wanted out. I turned around and a door was slammed in my face and I heard it lock. It was dark, only the light of the full moon, shining through a single window. It was a maze in there, walls everywhere. All I heard were howls and growling and barking. You could hear jaws snapping into bones. I could smell the blood mixed with sweat, even death.

Werewolves have amazing senses. I was able to pick out Anthony's scent and heard him calling for me. Before I could get to him, a large wolf pounced on me, clawing at my throat. That's when I changed into wolf form and attacked back. I wasn't dead, I must not be too bad at this.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Anthony, pushing his way through the raging mass of fur and blood. He stopped in front of me, shocked that I was alive, but already fighting. He was about to jump in and help, when the alpha male jumped on top of him, biting at his ears. That distracted me. The wolf I was fighting slashed my chest open. I raised my paw and slit his jugular. he bled out and blood covered my fur. Not all of it was mine.

I ended up lunging my body on top of the alpha male. I had to save Anthony, he had saved me, now I need to repay him. I used all my strength to tear at the alphas' neck, I just couldn't get the right spot. The alpha turned his attention towards me and bat me off of him. I flew into a wall and lay crumpled in a heap on the floor. The alpha barreled towards me. I thought I'd die right then and there.

I saw Anthony race towards us, rage in his eyes. He couldn't reach me in time. I looked back to the alpha, after an agonizing pain wrenched in my calf. The alpha had my calf in it's mouth and ripped it off. Blood was everywhere. I blinked in shock and blacked out right as Anthony attacked the alpha.

I must have been out for days. I woke up and thought I was dead. I was looking around a completely white room, laying on a hospital bed. I heard a noise. "Anthony? Is that you?" I asked. It was a nurse. "Who?" She asked. "Glad to see you're up." She said. "Thanks. I thought you were a friend of mine." That's when I realized I wasn't a werewolf. "There is a visitor here for you. If you feel like having visitors, I'll let him in." Said the nurse. "Sure." I said, wondering who it was.

To my surprise, it was Anthony. He smiled as I said hey. "You're ok?" He said, sounding concerned. I told him I was fine but I felt human again. He explained to me that he beat the alpha then wrapped my leg up and carried me to the infirmary to have me injected with the potion, since Lola finally figured it out. Then as soon as I was human again, they took me to a hospital where I had major surgery and got many stitches. That explains the soreness in my leg. "The nurses asked how this gash was in your leg, so we said you were attacked by a shark but couldn't remember, since you passed out from blood loss. " He said. That made me laugh.

The next day, I was allowed to go home. My parents didn't care about my accident, go figure. I graduated the next month. Anthony and I starting dating and I soon moved in with him. I was soon proud to say I was the new alphas' wife. Anthony is the man of my dreams, my savior, and my life. I love him.