"What are you going to do Cypress? Kick my ass?"

"If I have to."

"I thought we got over the whole rule by violence when I challenged the position the first time."

"You know why it's usually the winner who takes over the pack? No right, you haven't been here long enough to learn that. The reason is that packs have threats, and at this school, we sure as hell aren't immune to that issue, especially now. With those threats you need a leader who is willing to fight to keep everyone safe, to the point where you would take down your own best friend if you knew it would impact the pack in a negative way. This, this is family, and for family I will fight any day."

"Who makes the decision that you would be a better leader than I will."

"All the people in this room, you know, the ones you didn't really give a choice to while you were in your monolog. What do you guys think? I will fight for this position, but only if you support this honor of me doing so."

I ask, directing my attention to the occupants of the room.

Brutus is the one who steps forward, the pack respects him and I know that, he's been here since I was 14, what he says next will probably be the deciding factor for the fight.

He sinks to his knees before looking up to speak to me.

"Cy I have been waiting for three years for you to do this, I don't know how you'll lead but there's a reason Theo took you under his wing, you should have done this sooner. The honor is ours.''

As those words slip out of his mouth, the rest of the pack is also kneeling following the position of loyalty.

"Lucky for you I am also willing to fight but you guys might want to get up, there's something very crucial that she left out. Jo told me a little secret about how she found you last night. Dead. You're a hybrid now, we can't trust you." Finch cuts in as a desperate display of trying to get the pack to side with her.

"That's true, but if it were affecting the way I would lead you would be dead by now." I say.

"I trust you Cy, we all do, because Theo did. If you still think you can do this, my opinions haven't changed." Brutus says yet again showing his loyalty.

Finch scoffs.

"How do I even have a chance to win against a hybrid that's not fair and you know it."

"You're right it's not, so we'll meet here later. I'll find a way to suppress my vampire side in the meantime. What do you say, meet back here in an hour?"

"Sure whatever."

Fuck. I really don't even know if this is possible. The only person who might know something is Pen. I ran up to my room to call her. She answers on the first ring.

"Hey fucker its good to know that you're alive."

The irony of her statement doesn't slip past me.

"Pen I know and look I am really sorry but I really need your help."

"With what Cy?"

"Do you know a way a hybrid can suppress their vampire side?"

"Why, who's the hybrid?"

I stay silent.

"Cy you're joking, what the fuck happened."

"I may have pushed no humanity Hope over the edge but I had a back up plan."

"Hope is a full tribrid and now has her humanity off and you didn't have the decency to fucking tell me the most terrifying thing on the earth killed you."

"Yes Pen but do you know a way?" I quickly get out my words knowing we don't have much time.

"Yes I have read something about it, but why would you want to suppress it, you would still have to drink blood."

"I just need it so it can be a more fair alpha fight."

"CY! Don't tell me you're fighting Jed."

Damn I should have really called her more often than this would be a lot quicker of a conversation.

"No Pen, Jed's hurt and the wolf Josie brought here is challenging me."

After hearing the fact that it's the female wolf Josie brought to the school, Pen was all too game to help me.

She sent me a picture of instructions of the spell so I printed it out but it all looks like gibberish to me.

Which leads me here, at this moment going to the only witch I trust to help. I'm standing outside Josie's door with a paper in my hand. I can hear her inside walking around. I raise my fist and knock 3 times.

When she opens up the door I can read the surprise on her face.

"Cypress, what are you doing here?" She pulls me into a hug and buries her face in my neck.

I know now that her love language is touch, but also being a new hybrid I can feel everything way more intensely and I can feel her breath wave onto my neck when she says the next part.

"I thought you were mad at me, I thought I overstepped earlier."

"No of course not Jos, I really don't think I could ever be mad at you."

"Me either."

Well I am about to test that statement. I pull back from the hug.

"Josie, I need your help with a spell."

"Of course, anything. What spell?" I hand her the paper.

"Why would you want to suppress your vampire side?"

"Okay I need you to keep in mind the fact that you just said you couldn't be mad at me."

She nods slowly, looking apprehensive about what I could say next.

"Finch wants to be the alpha so we're challenging each other for the position. For a fair fight I need that necklace."

She looks mad, no actually she looks pissed. I'm ready to bolt until she speaks up.

"Why would Finch not tell me she had plans to do this. She should know the pack wouldn't accept her without knowing the ways or being here long enough to learn them."

I take a breath of relief knowing I wasn't the one she was mad at.

"So you understand why I have to do this?"

"Yes this spell shouldn't take long, can I just siphon some power."

"Of course you can Jos you don't have to ask, thank you for helping."

"Jos?"

"You don't like it?"

"No I like it but I didn't think we were at the point of nicknames."

"That's okay if we're not."

"No Cypress, that's not what I am saying, it just seems very friendly, are we friends?"

This feels like a loaded question.

"I would like to think so."

"Great, then stand still."

She walks over to me and pulls me into a soft hug.

"This might be a lot and it might hurt, okay."

"Josie, it's okay, I trust you."

She starts pulling the power away from my body and I feel myself leaning against her, but not because it hurts, it actually feels kind of nice.

It feels like she's taking away all the new overwhelming power I have felt since I drank that blood. It's a nice pause that my brain needed since this all happened so fast. Then I feel the pull lessen.

"Are you alright?" She asks in a shy tone.

That's when I realize I'm still holding her and leaning my weight on her. I pull away.

"Right, sorry."

"No need to apologize, it didn't hurt, did it?"

"No no, actually it felt nice."

"Really? I've never gotten that reaction before."

"I wouldn't lie to you Jos."