It was always the deplorable acts like these when Jake questioned the 'humanity' in humans. Times like when he witnesses a man hit a defenseless animal or when a sick woman has no one to support her and dies alone.

Times like when he's looking at the shredded remains of another dog, just like him. The evidence was there; blood at the mouth, the thin criss-cross slices across the body until the poor dog's guts... well, Jake didn't want to think about it.

Two facts were certain; this dog's death was violent and the dog's killer was human.

'Humanity' indeed.

Jake looked away from the corpse of the German Shepherd, trying to keep his breakfast, and studied the tabby cat sitting next to him. Candice remained stoic as her eyes examined the murder scene in front of them.

"What are we going to do?" he asked her.

He knew there was a plan. There had to be. Candice always had some reasoning behind her actions even if she never told the others.

For example, even after all these months, she never mentioned the reason why she brought on a newly-strayed golden retriever into her pack. Jake could spend an entire lifetime going nuts trying to figure that out.

Candice didn't answer Jake. Instead, her eyes moved to the group of humans on the far side of the park. From what Jake could see and hear, there was a young woman who also was murdered this morning.

There were six humans in jackets with bold lettering. They moved and swayed like flies, taking pictures and writing on papers. A couple of humans in different clothing stood around the area, guarding the pack from any distractions.

"Candice," Jake tried again. "What's the plan?"

One of the humans noticed the cat and dog sitting in the distance and started walking over to them to check them out.

Jake yipped, moving away from the corpse towards the safety of the forest nearby. Humans meant trouble for any beast, dog or cat.

He was halfway to the trees before he realized Candice wasn't behind him. He stopped and turned to find the cat wasn't moving. In fact, she was still sitting where Jake left her and was staring down the human as he moved closer. When the human was a few feet away from the cat and the body, he stopped and they both continued to stare at the other.

Jake whined in nervousness and anticipation. As the seconds passed in this ultimate stare-down, Jake realized he was witnessing something crucial that only the two alphas could comprehend.

The two looked nothing alike, being two different species and all. The human was an older man, evident in his graying hair and the way Jake saw him ordering the humans around earlier. Candice was a gray tabby cat and a stray, through and through. She clawed her way through the world and gained respect for it from any animal who knew her.

There were some similarities though. Both moved with authority and purpose. Both studied their surroundings for threats and turned in ways to protect the ones they considered their responsibilities.

They both were hunters.

'Oh, crap,' Jake thought. 'This is the human version of Candice.'

Maggie and Austin would go ballistic at the idea and he wished they were here to bear witness to this strangeness.

Just when he thought he saw it all, Candice looked away from the human first. She gave a short nod before getting up and walking to where Jake stood.

Candice conceded to a human. Candice actually backed down against at human.

Forget ballistic. There was no way Maggie and Austin would believe him if he told them. Even he couldn't believe it and he just saw it.

"Sit, Jake," Candice commanded when she got close and, ever the obedient dog, he sat. Jake got a little nervous when she continued by him. That nervousness was well founded when she called back to him, "Stay, Jake."

"What?" Jake nearly bolted to catch up to the cat, but her orders only made him pace in one spot. "Stay to watch, right?" he asked, hopeful that this was simply a recon.

Candice turned and flicked an ear, a sign they all learned meant that Candice was amused.

In fact, it was the only sign they knew.

"Nope," she responded. "Sit and stay right where you are."

"No matter what?"

"No matter what."

Jake looked back at the humans. The older man was already back to the others, giving out some more commands, probably telling them to look at the slain dog they found.

"They'll call Animal Control if I stay here," Jake whimpered. He couldn't handle that. Not again.

"No, they won't."

Jake's ears perked up in surprise. Candice seemed so certain. "They won't?"

"No. You're here as evidence. They'll take you in as evidence and I need you on the inside to keep track of their investigation. No Animal Control involved."

"They're humans. They have to call."

Candice's ear flicked again. "Trust me. They won't."

"Trust-" Jake yipped out before he realized she was already leaving to continue the investigation on their end. "Candice?"

Candice reached the nearest tree and climbed it like she was born in one. "Good boy!" she shouted to him.

Then, in a blink of an eye, she was gone.