Night of Shadows, Days of Light

[La_Reina]

His words stopped her in her track. Was he trying to prove something to her? That he could control her? Malia turned around very slowly her eyes dark with anger. If you look closely you could see her shaking she was so angry and trying to control her rage. She took in a deep breath held it for an impossibly long time and released it.

"You, Drake, can go fuck yourself. I should have left you dead. I will not make that mistake twice. You hurt any of these people in my city or try to go after my pack and I'll make sure your death is a painful one." Malia held his gaze for a long time. She wasn't sure why she was so angry or why she felt an underlining feeling of hurt. Nothing here made any fucking sense. So she held onto her anger. Anger made sense.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vladimir Kozlo

He grinned at her and clicked his tongue as he finished his second pack and disposed of it,

"You need to relax wolf, anger is the worst way of losing your mind."

He turned away from her,

"I have things to do, coffins to sleep in. No time for idle threats."

He walked away, not caring if she followed, he needed to buy property to get a new place to sleep. He needed rest to restore some of the powers he had bled out. He opened the third pack as he walked away, seeming to melt into the shadows, only his movements betraying that he was there.

 

[La_Reina]

Malia gave Drake a one finger salute to his comment about her anger. "Where not done here? You said you would give me answers? Hell, I fucking saved your life you at least owe me for that!"

Malia stared at him her eyes easily picking him out through the shadows knowing that any human would think she was talking to herself or crazy. The blasted vampire was a headache and if she didn't find any useful information from him she would have to explain to her Alpha how there's a werehunter VAMPIRE on the loose and she had saved his fucking life. Not good. Not good at all.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vladimir Kozlo

"You want answers Wolf? Then come along like a good puppy dog and ask what you want to know. Just remember the other vampires you seek to destroy is not as weak as I am now."

He grinned over his shoulder at her, blood still clinging to his teeth,

"And pretty soon I will be back where I was and then you and your little pack better beware of what you eat if you wish to keep on living here."

He kept walking, finishing the rest of the blood and threw the package into a dustbin. The beast was happy, his body was converting the blood into what passed as vampire blood and healing the wounds from the shotgun blasts he had taken. A few more days would see him back at peak. He had been so close before his fatefull meeting with Malia...the wolf, she is just another wolf Vladimir...OK so she is hot and smells delicious and tastes even better. She is a wolf, your sworn enemy.

"Time to start."

He haven't meant for the words to come out loud, but they did. He shrugged, not that it would make sense anyway if somebody had heard him.

 

[La_Reina]

"You call me a puppy again, slug, and I'll gut you." Malia managed to get the words out through clenched teeth in a way he could understand and hear. "Psh. At your best you were bested by humans who are infinitely weaker than one of us. I don't fear you. Or your kind."

Malia stopped when he assumed they ate people. Malia used her abilities to catch up to him and stop him in his tracks. Her hand pulling him back so that they were so close she was lost in his shadows. "Don't get the wrong idea, slug. We don't eat our neighbors or the city. We may take down a rapist or a killer that saunters into our city, but we don't eat people. We hunt rabbits and other wild life. This is the safest city in the US for a reason."

He was too close. Suddenly Malia felt that strange attraction to him, but she shook her head and stepped back. "Besides according to you my blood hurt you so you are even easier to kill." Malia added as a side note.

Malia nodded when he said time to start. "Good. I want to know everything. I want to know how many there are of you and why you and these manhunters are in my city. They're obviously not residents and hunting you so I want to know how much danger you pose to my pack and my city." Malia's stomach grumbled and she growled. She hadn't eaten and she needed food.

"Can you digest actual food?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vladimir Kozlo

He sighed,

"You have no idea about the wars do you? You have lost more bretheren than you know, you can start with a figure of hundred thousand and work upwards from there. We are bested by humans because wiping them out would kill us too."

He made a show of sniffing and gave her a bemused grin,

"In the US there is twenty, in the Americas there is one hundred and forty give or take a few, in the world?"

He shrugged,

"Four hundred plus, you see wolf, we are enough to start a war and end it as well, the little trick I pulled with that female at the bloodbank is child's play compared to what we can do with Wolves. As for me being easier to kill, just because I can not change my shape, it does not deduct from my powers."

He ran a hand over his jaw,

"I think it will be interesting to kill you, you are not like the others, but as for your other question. There is a lot of hunters everywhere, the group that came after me is the Van Helsing group, yes like the Van Helsing you read about in Bram Stoker's book. The good doctor was not total fiction."

He caught a moth by it's legs, allowing it to flutter around and then let it go,

"They are here because of the Fledgeling, that is why we do not just turn anybody, that is why I have no vampire with me. I have chosen to not make a fledgeling, to do my work and kill Wolves that harm humans. Humans are too weak-minded to understand that we really do walk among them."

He sniffed at her question,

"I can eat it, but not digest it, it lacks nutrients. It would be like eating rock."

 

[La_Reina]

Malia sniffed. They're might be thousands of their kind, but she knew her own kind either equaled or was greater than his. Than again they did have a lot of loners too. Packs weren't odd, but lone wolves were also very common. Besides, for her instance, her own pack weren't too keen on picking up strays. She assumed other packs were the same. All in all she didn't care for Drake's words and she was sure that whole zombie hypno shit wouldn't work on her or her pack. Or so help anyone who tried they would be killed or targeted instantly.

Malia's stomach grumbled again as he continued on his little monologue. She would have interrupted, but in case he was giving away any good information she didn't want to cut that off. In the end she thought she should have as he was spewing the same BS as before. She couldn't care less and she was hungry.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Humans almost killed you're ass and you want me to believe you would do better against my pack." Malia wasn't paying attention to Drake she had just caught the scent of grilled burgers. It seemed O'Mally's was opened.

"You don't have to eat, but I do." She wasn't really inviting him along. She figure she was through with him as he seemed so hell bent on leaving her in the dust and she kept begging to tag along. That wasn't like her and hell she would have to tell her pack and then accept the consequences later. Right now she needed foot and she was going straight to O'Malley's.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vladimir Kozlo

He watched her go and shook his head, so ignorant the wolves had became. He shrugged and walked to the office of a Realtor who stayed open, a few minutes later he came out and stood under the lamplight, a car slowly drove past and the youths inside laughed at him.

"Hey dude, get a tan man! You look like a zombie!"

He grinned at them and shook his head, silly humans, they just had no idea, they thought they knew the truth, but they could not handle it. He looked at the diner and found his gaze drawn towards Malia. Wolf godamit Vlad, she is a wolf. He sighed and shook his head. What was with him and this wolf. A precense was drawing closer and he turned to find one of the younger wolves coming closer. He knew that it would be futile to try and hide as he have already been spotted. The young one came close and sniffed at him,

"Say...you're no were."

Another sniff and the eyes widened,

"You're a vamp, Malia have harbored a vamp!"

Before he could turn to flee, Vlad caught his gaze and smiled,

"Now Now, no need for that is there?"

The young wolf nodded,

"No need at all."

Vlad looked deep into the brown eyes,

"You have forgotten what you have found out and will go to the diner to have that burger you wanted."

The young wolf blinked and gave Vladimir a smile,

"Hey fellah, nice evening."

He walked over to the diner and Vlad sighed, at least his and Malia's hides was safe for now.

 

[La_Reina]

Malia had ordered a dozen burgers knowing she could eat them all. That would look strange to the humans when she seemed so tiny. So she was going to eat 3 claim she was stuffed and say she was going to feed the family before leaving and eating the rest. She was on burger number 2 trying to take her time eating it when she wanted to devour the thing. She glanced up hearing the bell jingle and waved Wrex over. He was one of the cooler pups.

"Hey Malia." Malia stared at him. He usually used slang when talking with her. He shook his head and stared at her for a moment. "I want a burger."

"Aiight," Malia said to him. He reached out took a bite and slowly chewed. It was literally 60 seconds later when he swallowed and he started to seem more Wrex. His body language relaxed and he started to talk a mile a minute which is what he usually did.

"Wrex dude. What the fuck just happened."

Wrex shook his head. "I had already eaten. With that hot ass Jessica. I don't know why I'm eating again." Wrex took another bite of the burger. "Anywho I wanted to find you and ol' boy. I wanted to talk to Ol' boy. See if this loner wolf man is down for what's up. Can't be havin no drama in the package. Naw mean. You can't be mixing Doritos and Lays man. Now if he's Cheetos or Fritos than maybe, but if he's Lays man than naw. Naw ain't gonna work."

Malia laughed. She understood Wrex when few people did. Wrex was saying that He wanted to get a feel for Drake and see if he was cool to be Malia's man. If he was lame or wasn't good enough than there was problem. "Wrex man my dude is BBQ Fritos or that Spicy BBQ Doritos." (translation=Drake is cool)

"That Lay's looking dude. All uptight. Naw." (translation=Drake doesn't look like he's relaxed. Too tense and serious to be cool)

"Fo sho. Yummy too." (translation=I'm serious. And since they were making food reference she was saying the sex is good too. Even though Malia and Drake hadn't had sex; the pack assumed they were)

"Dude TMI! But word as bond. I still wanna holla," Wrex exclaimed. (translation=Way too much information. He's asking her if she's lying. Since not he'll take her word at it. He still want to talk to Drake.)

"Maybe. He might be hitting bricks." (translation=They could be breaking up.)

"Word? Feel that. Let's kick dust." (translation=Seriously. Sorry to hear. Let's go)

"Bet." (translation=okay."

Malia and Wrex got up with Wrex carrying the rest of the burgers. Since they were leaving Malia grabbed a 4th burger and started eating it as they continued talking and walking across the street. Hell, Malia didn't mind going home and trying to figure this out. Hell, right now she had to figure out how to tell the pack she knew of the whereabouts of a vampire and he might be dangerous to them. Especially if her suspicions were right. Wrex had seen and found Drake for that talk and had become weird. Was that Drake's way of proving to her he could control her pack? Or maybe she was blaming Wrex's weird behavior on Drake. Either way she had to come clean and she might be killed or worse banned from the pack.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vladimir Kozlo

It did not take long for him to get the coffin moved from his now destroyed cabin to the new property he had purchased. The house was old, but well cared for, more a place that you could raise a family than one that should suit a vampire, but for now that was of little concern to Vlad. The families of tomorrow can have this house after he turned into an elder vampire...a daywalker. He smiled, so many people though that sunlight killed vampires, which is true, but when they ascend and become elder vampires, they can walk in sunlight and their powers increase.

He got into the coffin and shifted into a comfortable position, as he laid there with the lid open he couldn't help but think of the soft bed that Malia had allowed him to rest on, the smell of her rubbed off onto the clean sheets. The kiss came to mind again and he had to admit that he pulled away because he was getting turned on. A strange thing for him overall. He shrugged and closed his eyes to sleep, the lid slowly closing to lock out the approaching daylight.

 

[La_Reina]

Wrex and Malia split ways at her house. She was in her home looking at her hands when she realized that sneaky Wrex took the last of her burgers. She wasn't famished, but she could still eat. Weres had huge appetites. Oh, well she didn't feel like chasing the pup down. Malia pulled of her clothes as she walked to her room. She would pick up her clothing in the morning. Her shirt was on the floor followed by her pants. She passed the second bedroom and caught just a tiny scent of Drake. Only, because she knew his scent so intimately was she able to catch it. Otherwise she would have never noticed, but because she did know Drake intimately; not as intimately as she would have liked. Whoa! Where did that thought come from? Malia hurried to her room.

Malia was sitting up in bed trying hard not to try to decipher the smells in her house so she could smell Drake one more time. Damn, woman what was wrong with her. Maybe she was in heat. Fuck! She hated being in heat. Hell, she already fucked she should be sated. She growled and rolled out of her bed landing onto the floor. She immediately started doing push ups. Eventually she'll get so tired she'll pass out which is what she needed right at this moment.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vladimir Kozlo

Again he entered that trance-like state that vampires called sleep. Happenings from all around came to him, they got sorted out by his brain, all that really came to him was the images and actions of the Wolf Malia. He awoke a bit disgruntled, he had no wish to see the wolf, yet his mind thought otherwise. He heaved a sigh and looked up at the lid of his coffin, what made this wolf so different from the others?

He thought of the way she rubbed up against him to mask his scent, the last time he could smell her arousal, the kiss had caught him unawares. It stirred memories inside of his body, just reliving it now did exactly the same. He snorted in derision and closed his eyes again, again images of the wolf came to him, this time he allowed them. You can say he was spying on her.

 

[La_Reina]

Malia watched the sun peek from the mountain ridge as she did her chin ups. She wasn't sure how many she was on as she lost count somewhere after 200, but before 400. Her muscles was strained and fatigued and she knew she was going to hurt when she stopped, but she couldn't sleep. Any time she felt sleepy and closed her eyes she saw Him. So she was going to stay busy and keep going until her body learned to behave itself.

She quickly showered and dressed and was out of the house. She was walking through her "backyard" which was acres and acres of woods and forestry. She was trying to come up with a plausible excuse of why she saved a vampire. Okay so she didn't realize he was a vamp until she had already saved him. That was plausible. The problem she had was nursing him back to health in her home and keeping him alive. She couldn't even come up with a good enough lie.

"FUUUUUUUCK!"

Malia started beating up a tree. Her fists pounding into the bark sending pieces flying. She was so banished.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vladimir Kozlo

Vlad watched patiently, her actions proved to him that she was in trouble. Perhaps he should step up and help the Wolf...what are you thinking Vlad? It is a Wolf, your sworn enemy. He awoke again and heaved a sigh, if he was going to sleep like this, waking up every two hours...at least now he knew why the Wolf looked so good.

He frowned at that random thought, now why would he think that? He had seen humans and vampires of all creeds and races...but this Wolf...she intrigued him, peaked his interest. She was the first Wolf to actually save him and not touch him in combat. What was her reason for helping him apart from information? She wanted to fight him when he was at his peak. He closed his eyes, fangs revealed as he smiled,

"Silly pup, sexy, but silly"

 

[La_Reina]

Malia was too tired to move. She had exhausted herself beyond reason and knew she had fucked up. If a rival came at her they had a good chance of killing her. Still, this was her backyard and she wasn't afraid. So instead she stayed on her knees, with her head against the tree, breathing deeply as she thought.

She must have gone into some sort of meditation or maybe she finally entered the realm of dreamless sleeps. It didn't matter. What did was that when she opened her eyes it was getting dark. She stretched and her muscles popped and groaned. She was famished and needed food, but first she had made up her mind. She was going to tell her Alpha what she had done.

Malia stood up and watched the last of the sun rays disappear. Now was as good as a time as any. She slowly started to walk as she tried to gather her thoughts. Finally, she decided to just be honest. So that she could be honestly banned. Man this royally sucked.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vladimir Kozlo

As the sun started to sink he opened his coffin, when Malia Wolf passed out he found his rest, he could now feel the conflict inside of the Wolf. He sighed and made his way to the blood bank, getting more blood, he went to the graveyard. It was close to the Wolves' ground, but his smell would mingle with the smell of the deceased. He sat on a Family Mausoleum and started to drink his meal, reaching out with his mind he found Malia,

"Malia, be careful, if you get banished your pack will be weakened enough to provoke an attack from the other vampire I have told you about."

He paused, he could feel her fighting his mind, but she had no training and it was easy to talk to her,

"If you prefer that we talk this over, bring your Alpha...Jayne was it? Bring him to the cemetery. He needs to understand the truth."

Like that he slipped out of her mind and sat there waiting.

 

[La_Reina]

Malia was staring at the edge of the forest watching the pack move. What was she without a pack? She couldn't be a lone wolf or a rouge. Pack life was her world. She needed to belong and she needed the pack. Banishment. She prayed they would kill her, but Jayne probably couldn't do it so instead would banish her. Would he understand that banishment was worse than death? Or maybe he would and that was her punishment?

Malia took a step when a voice not her own entered her head. "What the fuck?!" Malia grabbed her head. He kept talking and Malia immediately recognized who it was she just didn't like it. She whimpered and knew the others were looking at her. It didn't matter. She had to get Drake out of her mind. She fell to her knees and ground her teeth mentally telling him to get the fuck out while screaming it as well. When she finally felt like it was just her in her own head she looked up. To see everyone. Staring. At her. oh shit!

Jayne didn't have to push his way through. The crowd just stepped aside and he was there. Asking her what's wrong. Malia shook her head. "I'm so sorry Jayne. I'm so sorry. I don't know how this happened, but ...." Malia shook her head even as Jayne grabbed her and shook her shouting what. "Vampire. Come with me."

Malia led and was aware Jayne and 4 other big wolves were in tow. She led them to the cemetery and as if she would always be able to find him her eyes went to Drake. She pointed at Drake. Jayne led and the other flanked. "Drake what the hell is going," Jayne started, but than the scents filtered and Jayne knew. "Vampire." He turned on Malia and began laying into her. Malia just stood there and took the tongue lashing. If Jayne wanted to hit her she would take that as well. She deserved it.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vladimir Kozlo

He sensed them, luckily if things went belly up he had his weapons on hand, as Jayne started shouting at Malia and the other wolves flank him, he pulled the last blood bag from his coat, slit it open with a nail and drank on it slowly. Then he could take no more, when he spoke there was command in his voice, command which made every creature stop and listen when they heard it.

"Oh shut up Jayne."

Of course not the best words to use, but it did the job,

"When Malia first found me, she thought that I'm Human. Only after she had saved me did she find that I'm a vampire. I am a werewolf hunter, where there is a pack that steps over the line, I am there to wipe them out. I knew of your existence here, but never had any trouble with you."

He nodded towards Malia,

"She have shown me that your pack is one that I will not have to harm. So maybe it is time for you to be a leader and listen before you decide."

He finished his blood pack and placed it with the other, he slid from the mausoleum, landing so light that there wasn't even a sound, the only sound was that of his coat slipping into place. He walked closer to Jayne and Malia, as he move the other wolves closed in,

"Due to almost having bled out, my plans have been set back a few days. It has come to my attention that...how did you describe her? A fucking vampire...is planning to make a move on your pack. She is not just pure evil, she is the one that created the fledgeling that Malia killed. Now you have a problem, this vampire is stronger than me at the moment and as I know you are fully aware of, my kind can control yours. But what she intends? That is just nasty. She wishes to use your pack to kill all other weres that she can find and then after having used the lot of you as sex slaves for her own demented needs, you will battle each other in a tournament as entertainment for her and her kind."

He spat on the ground and stopped close to Jayne,

"I have come to offer a truce between your pack and me, I have no love for werewolves, but what she plans is just...dishonorable. I wish for your help to kill her."

 

[La_Reina]

Malia heard Drake's voice, but could easily ignore him. It seemed her Alpha and the others could not. She saw them turn and listen as one and it made her think of Wrex. It was eerie and she wondered why it didn't effect her the same way. It had to be the curse. Even still she wasn't going to let some Were speak to her Alpha like that. "Watch your words Drake. Have some respect for my Alpha or we'll beat it into you." Her lip curled in a snarl. It was his fault she was in this mess.

Jayne listened to Drake and the story of how Malia was somehow the hero. Malia shook her head. It wasn't quite true. She turned to Jayne. "Drake did most of the work. Fledglings are very strong. I got my ass beat, but with Drake's help we managed to put him down. I just assumed the threat was over. I'm sorry."

Jayne didn't say anything just stared at Drake. "How good is this intel? Why should we trust you." Jayne paused as he looked at Malia with something akin to sorry on his face. "The only way a truce will stand with us bloodsucker is if you have a wolf with you at all times. I would hope it would be a wolf immune to your charms. I don't think there's a wolf in a 100 mile radius, especially my pack. Malia screwed ya and that could have been you making her want to get you in her panties. She wouldn't date a vampire otherwise." Malia's mouth dropped open in astonishment.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vladimir Kozlo

He arched an eyebrow,

"How good is my Intel? Gee whiz maybe you should try and kill me now, if you succeed you can always see if I was wrong and can't read the minds of other vampires. Or you can agree and gain victory over a vamp with the least amount of loss to you and your pack."

He snorted,

"I have not "screwed" anybody for hundreds of years. So far Malia have proved quite resisyant to my control charms, so perhaps you should keep her with me as I will struggle to control her and you know she will not hesitate to kill me if I endanger the pack."

He looked at the shocked Malia and then at Jayne,

"So do we have truce? If indeed we have I would like you to keep close tabs on the city dwellers, any strange and eratic behaviour could mean that more fledgelings have been created."

He grinned that fanged grin of his,

"I can't sense her anymore, the bled out have made her stronger than me and she can now cloak herself. Others like fledgelings will be easy to pick up, but with your help we can stop her creating an army."

 

[La_Reina]

Malia wanted to smack her Alpha. He basically called her a slut and a mindless slut in the same sentence. She shook her head. "I won't go with him."

Jayne turned sharply to her. "You can't stay with us." Malia's face fell and her heart literally stopped beating. "You can come back when every vampire is dead."

"In our city?" Malia was starting to think that would take forever. That was a huge fucking challenge. What if they came back would she be banished again.

"No. Everywhere. Every vampire." Jayne looked at Drake. He meant everyone.

"I can't come back til..." Malia's throat closed. Technically she was still a part of Jayne's pack. Technically she was banished. She nodded quickly. "My things."

"Will be sent..." Jayne waited for Drake to give an address. Once done he spoke to Drake and basically ignoring Malia. She saw her pack brothers look embarrassed and sad at her. "...we'll keep an eye out and get the word to you. You both will handle this. We'll see about alerting other wolf packs about this problem." Than he left. No good bye, no hugs, nothing.

Malia didn't feel the first tear fall. Or the second. Or third.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vladimir Kozlo

He snorted as Jayne left,

"Foolhardy idiot, should have just let her do what she does with weres."

He looked at Malia and noticed the tears, strange things these wolves, so pack bonded that it was their everything. He shook his head, gathered his empty blood bags to dispose of and walked away. He did not care if she followed or not, he needed to gain power, get rid of the curse and then do what he does best...

He grinned, the thing was that the thing he did best is to hunt weres and right now he had the location of a huge pack. He could send out the right signals and they would vanish, two flies with one stroke...but...Malia...

What about her? She's a wolf, just like the rest...no she wasn't, she was tough as marble on the outside, but soft on the inside. She saved him, she did not attempt to kill him when he was at his weakest, she fed him. Most important...she was different. He sighed and stopped,

"Come along Malia, I may have something that would lessen your heartache."

 

[La_Reina]

Malia stared after them. She knew she was going to be banished. Had thought she had prepared for it and it sucked. Royally. She just stared until she couldn't see or smell them anymore. They were gone. She would never see the pups grow up, or see the new marriages, attend meetings; all things she hated and loved and took for granted. Why? Why had she save a vampire? Why hadn't she killed him when she had the chance? Why?

Malia heard Drake's voice and she angrily wiped the tears from her face. She would not show weakness especially to this slug. She lifted her head, but realized being indignant wouldn't save her. She had nowhere to go and all the money she had was pack money. Everything was shared. Well, except her house and even if it was needed in an emergency she would have given that up as well.

Malia turned and stared at Drake. She followed behind him at a distance not saying anything. There was nothing this man ... no he wasn't a man. He was a black void that ruined her life. That smelled good in a weird vampy way and looked good and she was sure the se-Malia growled. What the hell was wrong with her. This ... thing could do nothing for her. She was banished because of him. She needed to hold onto her anger.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vladimir Kozlo

When he was sure she followed him he started to move, faster than any human could see, but he was sure that the wolf could keep up or at least keep him in range. When he finally stopped it was on a hill overlooking the pack's ground, he leaned against the tree with his back and looked down, he could even hear some of the wolves, but that was not how good his hearing was, it was just all his senses. Sentries was posted and he watched as they moved about through the woods, invisible to the normal, visible to their own and his own. He heaved a soft sigh and looked at Malia,

"Your things will go to your friend at the bookstore, the warlock. This is the best I can offer you for what you have lost."

He said nothing more, just looked, when he spoke again it was some time later,

"I am going to get more blood, I need to grow strong enough to sense Gloria again."

He pushed away from the tree and walked away, back to the city and his supply of blood.

 

[La_Reina]

Malia followed after Drake as he ran. She was ecstatic that he was running at full speed which made her have to run at first speed so that she was exerting herself. She needed this. She wasn't far behind him and she didn't want to catch him, because she was still pissed at him for uprooting her life. Though, it wasn't his fault. No, she can't think like that. She had to stay angry at him. Hate him. Hate him.

He stopped and Malia stopped feet away from him. Her senses were on high alert. She could smell her pack nearby. That unnerved her. She was banished. She shouldn't even be this close. Why was he so close? Was he going to attack her pack? Should she warn her pack? Were they even still considered her pack? Malia felt ice cold ...than he spoke. She turned her back. She couldn't endure this. She started to run away, but his words floated to her on the air. She stiffened. "Thank you," she said in response to her things.

She didn't move when he ran past her to get his blood. She stayed still for a very long time. She slowly turn and went to the edge looking over her pack. They must have sensed or smelled her as slowly they all stopped and looked at her. She felt tears swell in her eyes. She slowly turned and heard the first howl. Slowly others joined. She took a step as her pack wished her goodbye.