"… Should be relocated. Imagine that, if it could lose control so easily, then why wouldn't it do it again?" The gruff voice of Mr Dalhart met my ears and I frowned. Where was I?

I turned over and felt the scorch marks in my side bother me. I let out a small moan of pain and held my side, cracking my eyes open. I was in the infirmary? No one was in here, the door closed and taunting me to get up.

"Theia… I never knew a Shape shifter could make such a transformation!" The papery voice of Mr Tokaj remarked and I blushed, "And the way young Tyler was affected; I can see why."

I felt tears prick my eyes at the mention of Tylers' name and bit my lip. I didn't want to hear anymore and carefully pushed myself up and into a sitting position. I looked down to find a huge pad of white gauze plastered to my skin and covering the wound completely. The bed I was lying on was strangely lumpy and I groaned this time, holding my head as a small ache twitched in my temple. "Hello?" I called.

The voice that had been speaking was cut off when I recognised Nurse Higgins shushing them, the door opening then and she bustled in. A relieved smile lit up her face and she came over to me, holding my shoulders as she helped me to lie back down, "You shouldn't be up, dear. You're going to need to rest for at least a day before you can even go back to classes."

I sighed, "It's not that bad, Nurse Esme. It just stings a little."

The nurse snorted, "I can tell when you are lying, Theia. You aren't very good at it."

I blushed and the two teachers came into the room, smiling. "How are you feeling, Eden?" Mr Dalhart asked with a smile.

"Better now. Thank you," I said with a smile.

Mr Tokaj assessed my side with a curious expression, "I thought that you might like to know that we have been trying to decide where to relocate the infamous Louis."

I gasped, "No! You can't!"

He frowned, "Why ever not? After all, he put you and your friends in danger, and the fact that his mate joined in the battle only means that they are very dangerous."

I shook my head, "They were protecting the eggs. That's why she joined in the scruple. And, Shape shifter is considered to strengthen their offspring, so it's understandable that they were intent on using me as a first meal for their children."

"Nest?" Mr Dalhart asked and I nodded.

"I saw it when I went up to get Tonya. There were about seven from what I could see. Besides, I think Louis and I see 'eye to eye' now. I don't think he'll attempt to kill me anymore. If he does, well, he's been here longer than me. I think that I can continue to take the back way out to the bank. It's no bother," I said, shrugging emphatically.

Before My Tokaj could say anything, Nurse Esme waved her hands, shooing them out, "Theia needs her rest, and with you two constantly asking her questions, how can she even close her eyes? Out!"

They left compliantly. Something told me they wouldn't want to get the witch angry. Shutting the door, she turned to me with a big smile, "Ah, peace at last."

I fidgeted nervously and looked up to her, "Could I ask you a question, Nurse Esme?"

She giggled, "But of course! What is it?" She scooted a chair closer to my bedside.

"Is Tonya alright now?" I asked in a quiet voice.

Nurse Esme nodded with a twinkle in her violet eyes, "Tonya is fully recovered, and has been for the last day. She just needed a good nights' sleep. You've been asleep for a day."

"Oh…" I said and looked down to my hands curled up in my lap.

"But that isn't what you wanted to ask me, was it?" She murmured and I nodded.

"I… It's about the Plithorus epidemic," I answered. "About the reason why you and… Tyler weren't affected."

The nurse clapped her hands together and squealed girlishly, shocking me, "Oh! I haven't been able to tell this story for so long! This takes me back so long ago! It was 84 years ago, and I was a student here."

"84 years ago?" I gasped and she nodded, "But you don't look that old."

The nurse giggled again, "Why thank you! I will have to get to that bit a little later on, but anyway, I was just starting at Wiccan Collage, and I was so nervous. I was walking, consulting my timetable, when I felt this brief 'click', or really, a pull. I looked up and found myself staring into the golden eyes of the most wonderfully gorgeous man I had ever seen! That was the day I met my soul mate.

"He was shy, and quiet, but my dearest Barlow would help me when I was in trouble. Such as when this Undead student was asking me to give him my umbrella. Oh, my hair frizzes much too easily in the rain, and it was pouring outside. I refused, seeing as he had just broken his own by hitting another student with it. He took it by force, and I had loathed to use my magic, and decided to just get it back later, while deciding to go find cover instead. What should happen? I felt this tingling feeling in my chest and looked around to find Barlow holding my umbrella out to me, his eyes on the ground. He was so considerate, and so gentle, that, as we met more and more, I openly admitted that I was in love with him, to everyone but the object of my affections. One day, we were sitting in here, my arm having been grazed against the stones of the cafeteria, that he said he loved me. I was sitting right where you are now, and he where I sit in this stool."

"It sounds so romantic," I murmured with a smile.

"It was! However, all good things come to an end; after three months of perfect bliss with my soul mate, the population began to fall ill. Everyone fell to the disease, everyone but me and the three Shape shifter siblings, who fled in the end. Barlow, the youngest of the three, refused to leave for my sake. I brought in Shape shifter blood from the bank supply in the school and ended up, inexpertly, nursing, while trying to convince Barlow to leave and be safe. It was only when he was nearly fatally mauled that I was able to drag him away and to the gates. The guards hadn't been infected. When he was pressured to leave, he promised me he would come back for me, and I believe him still. That last kiss was a promise to us, as well as this ring he gave me." Nurse Esme lifted a chain from her dress and the white ring glinted in the limited light. The small amethyst stone was a beautiful heart shape, perfectly cut.

"It's beautiful!" I gasped and she smiled. I frowned, "But why is it that you were uninfected, and the others weren't?"

"That is a very good question; one that I spent half a century finding the answer to. You see, Barlow was my soul mate, and I his. The answer is in that known truth. You see, the soul mating between Shape shifters is a very complex, and amazing thing; something that is known very little about. When a Shape shifter mates with a supernatural being not of their kind, it has similar effects. As I am a Shape shifters' soul mate, I am exempt from the contraction of any known diseases, and live the longevity of my mate. It is a simple thing, upon further thought."

I frowned, "So Tyler is the soul mate of a Shape shifter?"

Nurse Esme suddenly burst out laughing, in a very unladylike pitch, "My dear! I never knew that you would miss the point completely!"

I was about to ask her what she meant, when I froze. Oh! She meant that I… and he… The look on my face must have told her what I had realised and she broke into a fresh peal of laughter. But… that was impossible!

"It can't be!" I said aloud and the nurse sobered up to nod.

"Why do you say that, Theia?" She queried.

"Tyler hates me! He loathes me and my kind," I answered, unable to keep from wincing at the truth of my own words.

"That is a misunderstanding Theia. I'm sure th—" The sound of a buzz made me jump and I looked around to see that a skull was glowing.

I gaped, never having seen this before. "Nurse Higgins," the cold voice of Ms Phobia announced, "Principal Uno would like you to deliver the medicine supplies now."

Nurse Esme smiled down to me as she stood up, "Think about what I just said, Theia. You'll find out soon what is true, and what is all a façade."

I blushed as she bent over and kissed my cheek, shocking me.

Tyler, my soul mate, hated me. Why wouldn't he? Did he know already? That would only make him hate me more.

*O*

Tyler's POV

I clenched and relaxed my fists every now and then as I waited in the seat. "Tyler," Ms Phobia called in her quiet voice. This woman creeped me out, but I never showed it. As it was, I was still trembling from the fear of seeing Theia being crushed to dust, and then that burn? Her side had been a huge red welt, and she had still dared to carry Tonya down! I hadn't known who to run to and hold; Theia, or my baby sister. It was a stupid thing to say, right?

What was more terrible was that when my sister had been taken, I'd felt a small pressure of relief when I saw Theia drop down from the sky, having escaped the inflamed Louis. Really? What was wrong with me? I'd even gotten angry when she'd proposed to put herself in danger. I was still a little angry. I was even jealous that Tonya and the girls had gotten unlimited access to seeing Theia, when I had only seen her once over the day and a half! I'd even carried her back! I wished I'd been able to choke up more than that meagre 'thank you for saving my sister' thing. What kind of jerk was I?

"You may go in and see Principal Uno now, Tyler."

I jumped to my feet and quickly crossed the space between me and the door, walking right through it as the Principal opened it for me. He smiled as I began to pace, and went to sit behind his desk again, "I take it you are here about Theia?"

I froze, "Is she better?"

"Please sit," The Principal offered, but I shook my head, "Is she feeling better?"

"Yes, Tyler. She woke up not long ago, and is on her way to making a speedy recovery. You want to go and see her, don't you?"

I shook my head, "I wouldn't help anything. She'd probably be too scared of me, anyway."

Principal Uno steepled his fingers together. "So that's what you believe she thinks of you, then."

I nodded, "How else would she feel about me, sir? I am a Wolf, and every time I see her, I close up. I want to hate her, but I can't."

Soft chuckles made me turn my head and glare at the Principal. I growled, "Why wasn't I infected?"

He seemed taken aback for a moment by my sudden question, but relaxed to smile up at me, "Do you really want to know, son?"

I nodded, "Very much."

"Well, then, it seems I must send for Nurse Higgins."

Oh boy.