*Annabelle's POV*

After Adam left, I waited for Fred to come out of the bathroom. I had no idea how to tackle this. Telling her I already knew will probably break her trust, but at the same time pretending not to know at all will eventually do the same thing. There were not good options.

Freddy walked into the living room wearing a pair of my sweatpants and a hoodie I gave her. "Hey, thanks for all this. I think I would have been terrified if I had been at my apartment right now." She spoke up.

I gave her a smile as she sat down on the couch next to me, "You'd do the same thing for me."

Fred cringed, "I wouldn't wish my situation on anyone really."

An idea popped up in my head, "Do you really think it's that bad? I mean, I'm not trying to tell you this is all ok but there are plenty of novels out there praising werewolves into high heaven. Most of my students would sell a kidney to date a werewolf. I'd know, we literally had that conversation the other day."

Fred let out a sigh, "It's just terrifying. Jasper has always been so calm and collected and then he suddenly turned into a massive animal. An animal with sharp teeth and claws. It was way bigger than normal wolves too! You should have seen it, Anna. He looked so scary!"

I bit the inside of my cheek as I saw the fear in her eyes. I mean, Adam told me that his wolf form is bigger than a regular wolf because he's an Alpha and I can't really see Cade as scary. Then again Cade is usually just asking for head pats. I bet he could be absolutely terrifying if he wanted to be.

"What if he's actually really sweet? Like a dog? A really... big dog?" I asked her.

Fred actually shivered from fear, "He definitely didn't look like he wanted a hug."

Oh, if only you knew Fred. All a wolf wants is to cuddle with their mate. "Maybe you were so freaked out you didn't see it."

Fred frowned, "I don't think so. By the way, where is Adam?"

I smiled, I was already prepared for this question, "Walking Cade."

"Ah, ok." Fred responded before looking out of the window, "Anna, what am I supposed to do now?"

"Do you want my honest opinion?" I asked her.

Fred nodded and I gulped, "I'd say talk to him. Don't get me wrong, he terrified you and sure, if he can really transform into an aggressive creature then by all means break up with him and tell the police about it or something," I blabbered, trying to make Fred see she had a choice in this,

"But at the same time, I don't think he would have told you about this if he didn't really care for you. Being a werewolf must be some sacred secret to humans. If he was willing to tell you a secret, that no other humans know, then that must mean that you mean a lot to him, and that he trusts you fully." I explained to her.

Fred was silent for a few moments. Chewing on her lip while she thought about my words, she then sighed, "Do you really think he trusts me that much?"

I nodded, "I can only think so. Maybe he felt bad for keeping such a big secret from you and he wanted to show you that he trusted you with anything. Maybe he was planning on explaining better after he transformed or something."

"You know, for someone who's supposed to be on my side you do like to defend Jasper in this don't you?" Fred teased, and I had a small victory moment at seeing her smile. I was making progress.

I shrugged, "I'm just trying to see it from both of your perspectives. I often have to do that since I'm a teacher, so I guess it's natural for me. Besides, not to be rude but you and Jasper are a really cute couple, would be a shame if that went to waste." I told her with a wink.

Fred shook her head with a smile, "You're crazy." She then sighed again, "What am I supposed to do? Call him? I don't feel comfortable being alone with him right now."

"I can go with you if you want?" I suggested.

"And have you get killed too? No way!" Fred exclaimed.

I smiled, "If he wanted to kill us don't you think he would have already?"

Fred hummed, "I guess that's a good point. Still though, we need some form of protection."

"What if we take Adam along? He can protect us!" I suggested

Fred frowned, "Did you forget that we have to tell him about the werewolf thing? He'll think we're crazy!"

"Adam will believe us." After all, he is one himself.

"How can you be so sure?" Fred asked with a pleading look in her eyes.

I sighed. "I don't know. He's always been accepting of my quirks."

"You welcoming yourself home and being afraid of squirrels isn't the same as asking him to believe in werewolves!" Fred countered.

I huffed, "We can always try?" I suggested sweetly.

Fred groaned, "Anna, the fact that you're in love or whatever doesn't mean that your hubby believes everything you say."

I frowned at her comment. Was that meant to be rude? I shook it off, this wasn't the time to get angry, "I'm not saying that. I'm trying to help." I said softly.

Fred paused and looked at me before biting her lip, "I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm just stressed out."

"I know, it's ok. It's just a weird situation. I'm not really sure how I can be of help." I spoke truthfully.

Fred let out a chuckle, "Yeah, I'm not even sure how you're so calm about this. It's as if you already knew about... this."

I gulped as I could see Fred frown slowly. Now, Fred has always been the smartest one in the group. She figures out everything faster than light. We were honestly surprised she found her way into our friend group, since she's clearly miles above us in terms of intelligence. Right now was a terrifying situation. I could see the wheels in Fred's mind turning, and then, what I had been afraid of happened. Something clicked in her mind.

"You have been too calm about this. Too accepting of Jasper. All this teacher stuff be damned! No one accepts werewolves this quickly." Fred started.

I took in a deep breath before grabbing my shirt, "Promise me you won't run Fred."

Fred's breathing visibly picked up, "Y-You're not one of them right?"

I shook my head, "No, but I am in a similar situation to you."

Fred pushed herself back slightly, "What do you mean?"

I sighed and pulled my shirt down and gave her a sheepish smile, "You're not the only one with a werewolf boyfriend."

A thump sounded through my apartment and I cringed. Great, she fainted.

I guess showing her my mark wasn't the best idea...

Now what?

'Uh... Adam? We have a problem.' I linked him.

'What's wrong?' Adam's concerned voice filled my head.

'She fainted.' I told him.

'What? Why?' Adam asked.

'She might have figured out I already knew and when I showed her the mark she just lost consciousness.' I explained.

Adam was silent for a bit before he cursed in my head, 'Shit, trouble incoming.'

'What?' I barely finished the word before the door was slammed open and Jasper ran into the room.

"Is she ok?" he asked frantically.

I stood up, "She won't be if she wakes up to you being here."

As if on cue, Fred groaned and she slowly opened her eyes. Jasper was about to turn to her but Adam grabbed his arm and held him back. "Don't." He spoke in a dangerous tone, and it seemed to freeze Jasper in place.

Fred, who was trying to figure out her surroundings spotted Jasper and Adam, she then looked at me. Her eyes were full of fear, "You're with them" she breathed out.

"I am, they're not dangerous." I told her.

Fred let out a shaky breath, "B-but they're wolves. You have a b-bite mark."

I smiled, "It's not what you think it is. We can explain it to you. The bite mark isn't something bad, I promise."

Fred glanced at Adam, "He's one too." She whispered.

Adam nodded, "I am, we won't hurt you Fred."

She then glanced around the room, "He's Cade, isn't he."

"That's his wolf form, yes." I explained.

Fred then glanced at Jasper, "W-what is he doing here?"

"I just want to explain. I'm sorry for the way I went about this! I never meant for it to happen this way!" Jasper exclaimed panicked.

Fred looked back at Adam and me, "The phone call, the two of you lied when you said he didn't know I was here."

"He figured it out himself Fred, we were just trying to calm you down." I explained my reasons.

Fred started breathing heavily and I figured she was starting to get a panic attack. I turned to Adam, "Get him out of here. She can't use all this."

"No! I'm not leaving her." Jasper yelled out as he tried to escape Adam's grip.

I reached for my necklace, took it off, and held it in front of him, "Do I have to silver you to make you listen?" I threatened, "Your mate is not comfortable with you being here. Leave her alone until she does. Any good mate would respect that."

I knew it was a low blow, but it worked as Jasper stopped struggling. His eyes showed defeat as his fire died down. He bared his neck to me in submission, "Ok Luna. I'm sorry."

I just nodded before looking at Adam. He gave a nod and pulled Jasper out of the room.

I turned back to Fred who had been watching the situation carefully. "What just happened?" she breathed out between her heavy pants.

"I figured you'd be more comfortable without them here." I told her.

Fred shook her head, "Not that, he called you Luna. What are mates? Silver?" she blabbered out.

I blinked, at least the questions seemed to calm her down. "Let's sit down on the couch again. I'll explain everything."

Fred gave a wary nod before getting up. She stumbled over to the couch and sat down.

I sat down next to her, "Well, the easiest question to answer is the necklace, which is indeed silver. Silver is the weakness of a werewolf. Adam gave it to me so I could protect myself in case of emergency." I explained.

Fred just nodded and I took that as I sign to continue, "Then, Lunas. The Luna is an important position in the werewolf community. Werewolves live in packs which are led by an Alpha and a Luna."

"And you're a Luna?" Fred asked perplexed.

I smiled, "Sort of. Adam and I don't really have a pack, but that's not important right now. What is important is that Jasper has a lower rank than us, so he listens to us."

"That's weird." Fred said.

I chuckled, "It is. I feel like I'm not worthy to be a Luna at all. But Adam keeps telling me how important it is."

Fred nodded with a soft smile on her face. We were once again making progress, "How do you become Luna?"

Well... here we go, "The Luna is the mate of an Alpha. Which brings us to the topic of mates. Every werewolf is blessed with a mate. And a mate is short for soulmate!" I explained.

Fred frowned in confusion, "Soulmates? They exist?"

I smiled, "In the werewolf world they do. Every wolf has a soulmate, someone they're meant to be with for the rest of their lives. They take it really seriously and it's really romantic."

Fred nodded in understanding, "So Adam is your soulmate?" she caught on.

"Yup! And the bite mark is called a mark. It's a way mates confirm the bond." I told her.

"Wow... didn't that hurt?" Fred asked.

I blushed, "N-no it didn't. It actually feels really good." I mumbled.

Fred raised an eyebrow and I shrugged it off, "Well, anyway. That's the basics of mates." I tried to change the subject.

"That's weird." Fred mumbled.

I let out a chuckle, "It really is. A lot of things are very different in the werewolf world. I'm still learning every day. Adam has been really supportive. I couldn't wish for a better mate."

Fred smiled, and I suddenly knew everything would be ok. Mates somehow always cheer everyone up. "S-so they're really not dangerous huh?" Fred asked.

I shook my head, "Of course there are exceptions. But I know Adam would never hurt me. And neither would Jasper to be honest, when he found out about Adam and I he has been nothing but supportive. And I know he cares about you as well. He's been talking about telling you ever since I found out about all this a few months ago." I told her, hoping this would finally flip the switch towards positive things.

"Why is Jasper so set on telling me?" she paused and took in a deep breath, "Is it because we're m-... mates?"

I nodded, "Yes, Jasper is your mate." I confirmed.

For a second I was afraid she'd faint again, but she took in deep breaths as she processed it all, "He's my soulmate?"

I smiled, "Yup!"

"I have a soulmate." She whispered to herself.

'She does, and that soulmate really wants to see her. Can we try this again?' Adam's voice entered my mind.

'Has he been listening?' I asked.

'No, we're too far away for him to listen in. but he's been pacing like crazy and it's driving me insane.' Adam complained.

I rolled my eyes, 'Can't handle him Alpha?' I teased.

Cade's growl entered my mind, 'Watch it mate.' His rough voice entered the link.

I smiled, 'Aww Cady you know you love me.' I teased more. I swear teasing Cade is my favorite thing to do.

"Are you ok?" Fred asked, snapping me from my mind, "You've been smiling like that for a while."

I shook my head, ignoring the lecture Cade was giving me about respecting pack ranks, "Sorry, I was talking to Adam."

Fred frowned, "Talking?"

I nodded, "Yes, werewolves have something called a mind-link. They can talk in their minds."

"Like telepathy?" Fred asked.

"Yes! Normally, humans can't use it. But once your mate marks you, you can mind-link with your mate." I explained.

Fred's eyes widened, "So you can just talk to Adam whenever?"

"Something like that. If there is too much distance it gets cut off." I told her.

"Wow... that is pretty cool." She mumbled softly.

"You'll be able to do it too if you give Jasper another chance and he marks you." Fred squirmed in her seat, "Of course, you can wait with the mark. I waited a month before letting Adam mark me. It happened at the Halloween party."

Fred seemed to relax at that, "Oh... ok." Fred started fidgeting with her hands, "What did he say?"

"Jasper is apparently pacing around like a lost puppy and Adam is getting sick of it so he asked if they could come back in again." I told her.

For the first time that day, Fred busted out laughing, "He's been doing what?"

I smirked, "Pacing around like a puppy. If there is one thing you should know about mates is that they take it really seriously. When they get worried about their mate it's like an atom bomb has gone off. They'll go insane."

'I heard that, mate.' Adam linked me.

I smirked, 'You apologized the entire day when you accidentally pulled me into a grip a week ago, I'm not lying when I say those things.'

'I had hurt you!' Adam countered.

'Oh it barely hurt!' I shot back.

Adam huffed and shut off the link. Another victory for me it seems.

I grinned as I looked back at Fred, who was once again looking at me in question, "Sorry, just won an argument against my mate." I spoke, knowing Adam could hear me.

As on cue, he spoke up again, 'As if!'

'Oh? Do you have anything new to say?' I teased.

'You, my Luna, are trouble.' Adam groaned.

My smirk grew, 'And yet you love me.'

'That I do.'

"You seem happy. With him." Fred spoke up. "You never seemed this happy with your last relationship."

I gulped as I thought about my ex. "My relationship with Adam just feels right. Everything about it does. We've only known each other for a bit but it feels like years. I'd trust him with anything and I know I love him." I told her.

Fred smiled. She paused for a second before nodding, "I feel the same way about Jasper."

Suddenly, tears started forming in Fred's eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm starting to cry."

I hugged her, "You don't have to apologize. Today must have been a rollercoaster."

"It really has been." Fred confessed as she started sobbing into my shoulder, "But, somehow after everything, I miss him."

I smiled, "That's the mate bond for you. It's stronger than anything you'll ever feel."

Fred nodded as she kept crying. "Can I see him?" she asked.

"Of course you can." I told her. I didn't mind link Adam, I knew he heard us.

Not a minute later, Jasper barged in again. When he saw Fred crying I could see his heart almost break. His eyes full of regret and pain. "Freddy." He whispered.

Fred looked up and let out another sob, "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed.

Jasper didn't waste any more time. As I pulled away from our hug Jasper took over. "It's ok baby, I'm sorry too." He whispered.

I smiled and stood up, Adam was by my side and placed an arm around me. 'You handled well my Luna.' He spoke and I could see the pride in his blue eyes.

I beamed up at him and didn't waste time pulling him in for a kiss. 'I couldn't have done it without you.'

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Thanks for reading!