December 3rd

Lenny's shift was very exciting. I had never been to any shift party. By the time Connor and I had our first shift we didn't have any werewolf friends and besides our Mom, no family either so my Mom just cleared the furniture in the living room and we had a slightly larger than usual celebratory meal afterwards. Nothing like what the Rosa had for organised for her son.

His wolf was a beautiful honey brown like colour with warm blue eyes- just like a lot of the family apparently. Soon after, Antonio took him for his first run in wolf form and families with younger kids started to leave.

"So what was that thing you didn't tell me earlier?" Leo asked as we sat on the stairs saying goodbye to people as they left.

Damn. I was hoping he'd forget about that.

"Can we talk about this later?"

"I'm not going to forget, Ells," he replied.

"Sometimes I wonder if you really are a mind reader."

"What can I say? I know you better than most," he said. "So come on. Spit it out."

"No, not here and not now. We're still supposed to be celebrating Lenny's 16th. I don't want to ruin his party," I replied.

"Then let's go upstairs," he said as he stood up and gripped my hand.

"Leo, no," I said pulling my hand away from him. "I'll tell you at home."

"Ella," he said deeply.

"Please Leo," I begged. "Don't do this."

"If it is important, which I assume it is, I would rather that you told me immediately," he hissed sounding as if he was struggling to remain calm.

"It isn't a big deal," I replied getting up to walk away from him and over to Elena and Bella who were by the doorway in of the kitchen.

Leo grabbed the upper part of my arm and pulled me back to him.

"Just leave it, Leo. We should be spending this time with your family. Not aruging," I snapped immediately regretting it.

He looked down at me with a pissed-off expression before taking my hand tightly.

Elena, who had seen the entire thing, was already marching over.

"What the fuck Leo?" she asked.

"Stay out of this, Elena," Leo grumbled.

"Stay out of you roughing up your mate in our house?" she hissed.

"I'm not roughing her up," Leo replied.

"You're being a bastard," Elena said.

Leo clenched his jaw before turning to me, "You are looking awfully tired, Ella," he said, "Perhaps we should head home right now."

I didn't say anything but allowed him to turn his back on his sister nad pull me into the living room where most of the Lorens were.

"We're gonna head off now," Leo announced.

"It was lovely seeing you all," I added.

"Leaving so soon?" Rosa said pulling me into a hug and then Leo.

"New moon syndrome," Leo explained wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"Ahh. Of course," she said. "Silly of me to forget. But Leonardo. Where are my twins? They were here for the transformation but vanished before I could get a hold of them."

"They will show up soon, Mom, don't worry," Leo reassured just as Marco and Carlos came through the door

Perfect timing.

"Talk of the devils and they shall appear," Rosa said before marching over to them.

She stood with her arms folded as she stared up at her sons, who were at least a foot taller than her.

"Where have you been?" Rosa demanded.

"The woods," Carlos said shortly.

"With who?"

"Some cousins. We were here for the transformation," Marco answered.

"I know you were and then you left straight after. Why?"

Neither of the twins answered.

"Look at me Carlos," she ordered. "You too Marco."

"Cosa ti ho detto di droga?!" Rosa shouted stepping closer to the twins.

Translation: What did I tell you about drugs?

"And Carlos! Have you been with a girl? You smell like cheap perfume and you've got lipstick all over your face," she said licking her finger and wiping his cheek. "Please tell me it wasn't one of your cousins. I'm still mortified from when Leo did that."

"That's my cue to leave," Leo said as the family sat awkwardly looking over to Leo. "Bye everyone."

"Bye," I said before accidentally making eye contact with Antonio, who I had been avoiding. His arms were folded across his chest and his blue eyes were cold and icy.

I then spotted Elena who was still eyeing Leo carefully.

She stood up for me. She had my back.

Now I needed to have hers.

Whatever the cost, I couldn't tell Leo about what Antonio and I were really talking about in his office.

Guess I have a very short time to formulate a very good lie.

The drive home was silent. I thought long and hard about what to say to him or what not to say but for some reason, I could not think of even the most unbelievable lie.

"I'm really sorry about earlier," I stated twiddling my thumbs. "I shouldn't have said and especially not with people around."

"It's okay," Leo replied before there was a long pause. "I perhaps should not have been so rough with you."

When we got back we went upstairs and I immediately changed and got into be, wrapping myself in the thick warm sheets which sheltered me from the cold of the night.

"Are you gonna tell me now?" he asked taking his shirt off by his closet.copy right hot novel pub