Three hundred bucks.

Paige was out three hundred bucks. It almost felt like a robbery. One charm should not cost that much, but Hollie did seem worn out when she had left. Maybe this spell involved more magic than she previously thought.

It had better work. So far, Paige couldn't tell. Hollie said it could take a while before the spell worked its way into her system. She didn't know what she would do if it was useless. Maybe check herself into a looney asylum?

Venturing off the street, Paige cut across Bullene Park, which was a mix between a garden with flowers that never seemed to die, and a park with a small playground and skateboarding rink.

Sidestepping a teen speeding across the paved ground on a skateboard, Paige looked down at the charm once again. It looked like a dull, ugly mess at the moment, but at the shop, under the bright lights, the ropes almost seemed to glisten. The magic inside had lesson in the last few minutes. That didn't breathe much hope for Paige. Was the magic fading? Was it ineffective? The spell a dud?

It was too costly to be a dud. It had to work.

If it helped with her magic, if it did anything at all, then maybe she didn't have to be the troublemaker with the dysfunctional magic. The broken witch. While all that seemed promising, she couldn't help but wonder about the consequences.

She had even mentioned the melius imperium with Valentina once, but she had been dead set against it. It's why Paige had to go elsewhere to query the charm. She knew Valentina wouldn't help. She said this type of magic was like stripping part of yourself away. She said it wasn't worth it.

Paige disagreed. If it allowed her some control, allowed her to go to school without constantly worrying about her magic, then it was worth it. She would do anything for the kind of control her fellow students had. They never had to worry. They were never called a loose cannon.

"Hey!" Paige yelped as the skateboarding teen returned and almost barrelled right into her. "Watch where you're going!"

The teen lost his balance and flaunted around trying to stay on his skateboard. His attempts proved useless as the board shot out from under him. "Thanks a lot," he said gruffly retrieving his board.

Paige gave him a rude gesture. "There's a rink, idiot. How about you use it?"

The teen looked up, his brown eyes moving from irritation to curiosity. "Paige?"

Paige hesitated at the slightly familiar voice. The face was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

"David," he said, sensing her struggle to recall his name.

"Right," she said slowly. "You're in my Magical Heritage class."

He nodded and leaned the board against his thigh. "Quite a display you put on today."

Paige scowled and crossed her arms. She had no desire to relive today with someone she's never even spoken to.

"Hey," he said, raising his palms in surrender. "I'm just saying, it was impressive." He laughed as a memory occurred to him. "You should have seen the look on Ivy's face. That bitch was fuming for the rest of the day. You did magic that she could never even dream about."

Paige couldn't help but smile at the visual image. "I bet she was pissed."

"She was. We spent the rest of the day trying to figure out what you added into the spell to make it react the way it did." He gave her a pointed look. "Care to let me in on the inside scoop?"

"No." Paige turned and walked briskly away. If she hurried, she might be able to ditch him, but he did have a skateboard. While Paige moved fast, she wasn't fast enough to outrun his four wheels.

"Come on, Paige," he whined, skating circles around her. "It must have been some kind of power booster. Was it a wand? Those things carry wicked power."

Paige stared at him and contemplated kicking the board out from under him and watching him tumble to the ground. "You were there, David. Did it look like I had a bloody wand?"

He shrugged and slowed his speed to a crawl. "Must have been something else then. I'm curious. We all are."

"Not my problem. Now, get out of my way."

"Don't be like that – Aaah."

Paige may not have touched him, but someone else did. The skateboard rocketed off into the darkness and David ended up on his knees. David struggled to gain his bearings before a knee collided with his spine, driving him face first into the ground. It didn't look that painful, but it was forceful.

"Aaron?" Paige was speechless at the boy that towered over David.

Aaron seemed to appreciate her stunned state. He looked up from the dishevelled witch at his feet. He had one of his cocky smirks on his face. Unlike earlier today, he was clean-shaven. From where she stood, Paige could detect the faint scent of the cream he had used.

What are the odds that he would be here? Now? "Are you . . . following me?"

His smile only grew. "You intrigue me, Little Witch. No one has ever intrigued me before. Certainly not enough to gain my attention."

His words were innocent. Friendly, even. But Paige couldn't help feeling her distrust for this werewolf grow. "Do I even want your attention?" Great. A werewolf stalker. Just what she needed.

He thought about her words for a moment, then answered honestly. "No. Probably not."

His attention was drawn towards David who was spluttering out incoherent words as he desperately tried to raise to his feet, but with Aaron's hands on his body, David didn't seem able to move at all. Despite his best efforts, David was powerless.

Holding onto him for a moment longer, Aaron's grasp lessoned and he drew the other boy to his feet. David flopped around limply, helpless, like a ragdoll. Aaron jostled him roughly, before shoving him aside.

"Leave," was his only command.

David didn't waste a moment. Without a backwards glance, he bolted off, his discarded skateboard remaining lost somewhere in the darkness.

Paige gave Aaron what she hoped was a vague expression. "Was that entirely necessary? I think you gave him a fright."

Aaron turned towards her. If he noticed her rough tone, he didn't acknowledge it. Unlike Paige, he met her with a friendly expression. It seemed strained. Paige didn't buy it. "He was bothering you. He won't do it again." His eyes narrowed. "What's the problem? Please don't tell me you have a thing for that witch."

Paige wrapped her arms around herself. She didn't like the way his eyes roamed over her body. "I don't do things." She didn't feel the need to mention Finn. He was an occasional fling.

Aaron didn't believe her. About her lack of connections, not the witch. "Good." His eyes swept over her body once again. "You are way out of his league. Beauty and magic-wise."

Paige knew she was pretty. She didn't spend hours in front of the mirror for nothing, and her cosmetics weren't cheap brands either. "Magic-wise?" She questioned.

He nodded with all seriousness. "I've never encountered a creature with magic quite like yourself." That wasn't much of a surprise. Aaron had no idea what she could do. He didn't know how much power she was holding back, deep inside.

"Tell me something," he continued. "I see you, Paige. I've seen you struggling to contain it. Your magic. Have you ever just let go? Let it all out? No more barriers. Just release every drop of power in your exquisite body."

Paige was thrown off with his line of questioning, but she knew her answer. "Of course not," she said. "I . . . I can't."

He tilted his head. "Why not? Let the world see you."

Why not?

Paige knew exactly what would happen. The earth splitting open, windows exploding. Her magic today would pale in comparison. At least, that's her assumption. Pretty valid one, considering the kinds of magic she has used so far. If she used all her magic, who knows what would happen.

"I . . ." She struggled to form any words as she slowly backed away from his towering dark form. She felt trapped. She didn't like it. Her face darkened. "Last time I checked, you're not my bloody therapist."

Paige turned from him, ready to run if she had to. She could feel his eyes on her back as she moved further away, and it wasn't until she was near the roads, then did she dare a glance back. She expected to see him standing there, submerged in darkness, but he was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he had taken her subtle hint and took off. Somehow, she didn't think it would be that easy.

She turned back towards the roads and swallowed a scream as something dark and inhumanely fast materialized out of the darkness. Aaron was suddenly in her face, his strong fingers clasping her hands and holding them near his body.

With wide eyes, Paige could do nothing but stare into his dark eyes. There was a hint of humour there. Paige didn't like that. She was nothing more than entertainment for this werewolf. "How'd you . . . You were just . . ." His magic felt numb. It was hard to get a reading on it. Maybe Hollie's charm was finally kicking in.

His grin widened as he leaned closer. His nostrils flared as he took in her scent. Paige felt like she had shrivelled on the inside. Wolves were unparalleled trackers. "I'm a werewolf. Of course I'm fast."

Paige's eyes narrowed. Did he think she was naïve or just stupid? "Not in human form, you're not meant to be." She tried to pull away, put some distance between the two of them, but Aaron held on, refusing to release her just yet. "Let me go."

"Not yet," he murmured. "Why won't you let the world see you for who you are?"

Seriously? Back to this. Then a thought occurred to her. "I could ask you the same thing." She's asked around school, everyone sang nothing but praises for Aaron. He has it all. But there's more to him than he shows. She wasn't the only one putting on a front. A mask.

He didn't like her answer. A vicious look crossed his face so fast Paige thought she could have imagined it. His grasp tightened. Paige felt her knees buckle as a wave of darkness swept through her. Aaron was the only thing keeping her on her feet at the moment and she had a feeling he knew that. He knew exactly how he made her feel.

"I'm scared," she finally admitted, unable to look away from his blank face. "I'm scared of me. Of my magic. Of what it can do. How it makes me feel. So alive. So empowered. Unstoppable."

He had a small smile on his face by the time her rambling came to an end. "I know the feeling. Being so different. Powerful." Paige glanced up at him. "Deadly." He finally released her hands.

Now was the chance. She could make a run for it, but something told her Aaron could easily catch her. Even if she wanted to, even though her body was screaming at her to flight, she couldn't get her body to obey her.

Aaron reached up and looped a single strand of dark hair around his finger. He was playful, toying with her. "Perhaps we're not that different after all." His finger grazed her cheek, before he turned and walked away.

***

Paige grabbed a box of cereal from the pantry and joined her father at the table. Adding milk into a bowl, she ignored the worry in Shane's eyes. He had been sneaking glances at her all morning, ever since she emerged from a shower.

She was halfway through her cereal before Shane folded the paper on the table. "I spoke to Mr. Mendes this morning."

Paige felt her stomach flop. This was the last thing she wanted to talk about, but she suppose it was unavoidable. She continued chewing, waiting for more. An inkling. Was she expelled? Suspended? What?

"Mr. Mendes agreed with me." Of course he did. "The spell obviously pushed you the wrong way. It was an accident. Nothing more. You won't be punished."

Paige stabbed her spoon into the bowl of sloppy cereal. "And if it happens again?"

The worry from his eyes vanished. "It won't."

Paige fingered the bracelet on her wrist. Her magic felt off, weaker, but it was still there. "But, hypothetically, if it does?"

His eyes softened. Paige didn't discuss her magic that often with her father, but he knew she had trouble with it. "Just try. Okay?"

Paige nodded, her eyes fixated on the milk in front of her. If only it was that simple. She rushed through the rest of her cereal, stacked the dishwasher, then was out the door in just a few minutes. She couldn't handle her dad's stare any longer. She would much rather head to school early and tackle the stares of her classmates. Them, she could handle.

She thought of Aaron. Him, she didn't think she could handle.

Paige arrived at school long before the bell was due to ring. That wasn't much of a surprise. She found an isolated bench on the edge of campus and settled in with Wuthering Heights. She wasn't even a few pages in before a wolf sprung out from the trees.

With a startled lurch to her feet, Paige flung her book at the blonde-furred wolf. She couldn't help but envision Aaron. Was he back to finish her off? Or did he just want to play with her again? One of his sick games?

The wolf dodged the book and sat on the damp grass. His green eyes held warmth. Definitely not Aaron's dark pupils. Paige had never seen Aaron in his wolf-form, but every time she imagined it, she pictured his fur to be as dark as his hair.

This wolf wasn't Aaron. But the wolf was familiar.

"Lucas?"

With a sound that could only be a chuckle, the wolf raised himself onto all fours. His body convulsed as his magic took over, and in one swift motion, he was human again. "You're here early."

Paige took a step away from him. She didn't get the same menacing feeling towards him that she did with Aaron, but she was still weary. "So are you."

"I'm here for practice. What's your excuse?"

"Had to get away from my dad," she admitted. Lucas was an arrogant jerk, but he wasn't an asshole like some of the other guys in this school. "Practice?"

Lucas nodded and gestured to the racetrack on the far side of the field. From where she stood, she could make out the blurry figures running up and down the track. "I'm on the track team. Gone to regionals three years in a row."

"Not that you're bragging or anything." Paige couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. She was never able to go to regionals in years because of stupid Solace Academy. That school doesn't participate in anything involving other schools or towns.

"Of course not. I've heard you've been asking about the track team."

Paige crossed her arms and sat back down on the bench. "I run."

He nodded and sat beside her. His arm grazed her. He didn't seem to mind, but she scooted over a few inches. "Clearly. I've seen you. You ever been on any teams?"

"I used to."

He frowned. "Why'd you stop?"

Paige snorted. "Solace Academy doesn't exactly do teams. I used to be on my school team before I changed schools. I was good. Really good." She had trophies and ribbons to prove it, but she threw it all out a year ago. Just another bad reminder of what she could no longer have.

"I was thinking about joining here," she added.

With a smile, Lucas stood. "Well, then, you're in luck. Coach Leems is the one to talk to. Follow me."

With much less enthusiasm than he had, Paige stood and followed Lucas across the field. As she rushed to keep stride with him, she asked, "How'd you know I was here?" She already had one werewolf stalker, she didn't need another.

He tapped his nose. "I recognised your scent."

While that freaked her out somewhat, it gave her the perfect opportunity to ask some other burning questions she had. Maybe finally get to the bottom of this whole Aaron issue. "What about your other abilities? Are they enhanced too? Like speed or strength?"

"Of course. As a wolf, everything is enhanced."

Maybe Aaron's inhumane speed and strength wasn't that unusual after all. Just another werewolf quirk. "What about as a human?"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "In human form, we practically are human. No powers in this form. Apart from alphas, of course."

"Alphas?" Paige knew about werewolf alphas, of course. She had never met one before. Maybe Aaron was an alpha? She thought she would have heard about that. And alphas were rarely this young.

Lucas nodded but said nothing more on the matter as they reached a beefy man, his arms covered in tattoos. "Coach, this is Paige Davis. She wants to join."

His pale eyes swept over her. Even with Hollie's charm wrapped around her wrist, she could still sense his magic. As far as she could tell, this charm did nothing but dampen magic. It didn't stop it like she wanted. She really needed to get her money back.

The Coach was a vampire. Paige couldn't see any fangs, even though she did try to catch a glimpse as he spoke. "Ah, the famous witch who is causing all the trouble around here."

Paige felt like arguing back, but Lucas spoke before she could. Probably just trying to defuse a possible conflict. "I've seen her run, Coach. A little untrained, but she has real potential."

"If you say so, Baker." Coach Leems nodded, his eyes focused on the group of runners as they passed. "Beckett, get over here!" he hollered.

Paige felt her heart come to a standstill as one of the runners disbanded from the group and jogged over to the Coach. Aaron looked good fully clothed, but he was practically drool-worthy shirtless. Sweat glistened off his tanned shoulders, his chest raising and falling evenly, as if his workout didn't bother him.

"Aaron usually represents our team," Lucas explained, his tone bitter as Aaron came to a standstill. If Aaron was surprised to find Paige here, he didn't show it. Paige briefly wondered if anything actually bothered this boy.

"We have a new recruit," Coach said.

A small smile flickered over Aaron's face as his eyebrows rose. "Really? I didn't see you as the athletic type. Well, we do have a girls' team you're welcome to join. I'd love to watch you practice sometime." Lucas stiffened at his suggestive tone, but the Coach didn't even seem to hear. He was back to shouting orders at the other runners.

Aaron was on the frigging team? Of course he was. She knew he was on several sport teams, but she didn't think track was one of them. There was nothing worse than spending hours with Aaron nearby. She couldn't do it, no matter how much she wanted to join, she wouldn't do it with him leading the team. Hell no. Not happening. Ever.

She felt her magic flare with the raise of her panic, but as sudden as the spark ignited, it was snuffed out. Her wrist felt warm from where the bracelet clung to her skin. Huh? So maybe Hollie's charm wasn't totally useless after all.

With the sensation of magic gone, Paige finally found her voice. "Nope," she said, shaking her head as she backed away. "No . . . Not happening. I'm out." She backed away a few more feet before she turned and began treading towards the school building.

She heard someone chase after her, and at first, she expected it to be Aaron, but then Lucas's face came into view. Paige risked a glance over her shoulders. Aaron hadn't moved. And neither had his smile.

"What's wrong?" Lucas asked, stepping in her path and drawing her to a sudden stop. "I don't get it. You sounded so eager before. What changed?"

Paige couldn't look away from Aaron. "Not worth it."

"What isn't?"

Paige couldn't explain without Lucas thinking she was insane. She thought she was losing her mind too, but she couldn't admit that. Maybe she could to her new shrink, but definitely not to this cute werewolf in front of her.

"I just can't."

***Hope you guys liked this chapter!! I'll keep posting. let me know what you think!!***