"Matt why do I have to be paired off with Brian? He's mean to me. Can't I go with Zacky or Johnny?" I asked sitting down in front of him.

"No, there have been too many hunters spotted around here and they'd just love to bag themselves a wolf, you need someone who will protect you if something goes wrong. Besides you and him have to learn to trust each other." He replied.

"I know but."

"No buts, Brian is a better protector than those two. You will go with him. Got it Krista?"

"Fine." I snorted. Matt's our leader and I didn't want to upset him too much. I walked over to Zacky and Johnny and I jumped on Johnny's back.

"So you wanna play huh?" He asked playfully rolling over on top of me. When we finished the roll I was still on his back and I playfully grabbed his ear and pulled a little. He whined. Suddenly a shadow was cast across the both of us blocking out the moon light. I looked up and saw Brian. He snorted in disgust at me.

"Yeah, I'm not too happy about it either." I said and he turned and walked away. "What the hell is his problem with me?" I asked getting off of Johnny.

"I have no clue, I think he has trust issues." Zacky said sniffing the air and then sneezing.

"Everybody ready?" Matt asked. We all paired up with our hunting partners and headed into the mountainous and heavily wooded terrain. At first we stayed close together then split off into twos to make it easier and safer to hunt. "Oh, Brian." Matt called after him.

"Yeah?" He asked pausing to look back at Matt.

" I know you have a habit of being a pig but make sure Kris eats, she's been looking a little thin as of late."

"Got it." He said as he trotted to catch up with me. I'm the smallest wolf in the pack, Brian's the second largest, Matt being the first, and it looks so funny when he's next to me.

"Brian? Why do you have such a problem with me? I've never done anything to you." I said as we picked our way down the side of a mountain.

"Exactly, I don't know that I can trust you. I've fought many battles with the guys, you're new to the pack, I've never fought against anything with you. I know I can trust the guys but how do I know that at the first sign of danger you won't turn tail and run?"

"I guess you don't, but I would never…"

"Shh… there's a deer right down in that clearing." He said getting down in crouch position. "Watch the master work." He said launching himself and bounding down the side of the mountain side at break neck speed. The poor deer didn't know what hit him. I trotted down after him. "You can eat after I'm finished. Go keep watch or something." He growled at me.

"Great I go hungry again." I said turning and walking up to the bottom of the mountain where several large boulders lay. I climbed up on top of one of the bigger ones and laid down, ears perked up listening for any movement. My stomach growled."Damn it Brian hurry up." I thought to myself even though I knew there wouldn't be much left for me.

Suddenly I heard a twig snap, my head turning immediately towards the direction of the noise, my nose twitching for a scent. Then I saw something shining in the woods. I squinted and realized as it got closer that it was moon light glinting off the barrel of a rifle, and it was aimed directly at Brian. He was standing completely still, his ears twitching trying to pick up any noise. He had heard the twig snap but I guess he couldn't tell where the noise had come from. Howling out a quick warning to the rest of the guys I jumped off the boulder and took off toward Brian.

"Run Brian, run." I yelled to him. The hunter stepped out of the woods and I jumped between him and Brian, next thing I know there's a loud bang and pain tears through my left shoulder. "Come on Brian, move it!" I snapped at him to get him out of his state of shock. We took off for the woods. I looked back and saw the hunter aiming at Brian again. I slammed into Brian as the gun went off and once again I took a bullet, in my side this time. I yelped in pain but kept running. As we were running I started feeling dizzy and I was losing a lot of blood. I started to drop back from Brian, just cause I couldn't keep up anymore.

"Brian!" I yelled to him coming to a complete stop. "I can't…" I said before falling over. He came running back.

"Kris?" I asked. I just whined as he checked my wounds over.

"Just leave me here, save yourself." I said weakly. He looked around.

"No chance in hell. Can you get up?"

"I think so."

"Good, come on." He stuck his nose under my unwounded side to help me up. He led me to a tree that was hollowed out. There was plenty of room to fit both of us and then some. "Inside." He instructed me. I stepped inside. "Stay here, and don't move."

"You're not staying with me?" I said laying down in the shadows.

"No, he will find us. I'll lead him away."

"But Brian…"

"No buts." He said. "I'll be back for you, I promise." He nuzzled my cheek, which is something he's never done before, then turned and walked out. A couple minutes later I heard the hunter footsteps, then he came into view. He looked around and noticed the tree hollow that I was staying in, though he couldn't see me. He took a few steps towards the tree, then I saw Brian come running up behind him and he jumped on the hunters back and knocked him over. Brian barked at the hunter before taking off, the hunter stood and took off after him.

An hour had gone by and I was fighting to stay awake, the blood had made a little puddle on the floor, though I had stopped bleeding a while ago. I was shaking though I couldn't tell if I was just cold or going into shock. Suddenly I heard footsteps and then Brian appeared in the entrance way. I couldn't even pick up my head.

"Kris?" He asked approaching me. I answered him with a low whine. A shiver ran though out my body. He quickly went around to my uninjured side and laid down next to me so I was curled into his side. "Better?" He asked washing my face with his warm tongue.

"Yeah much." I replied.

"How are you feeling?"

" Weak, cold, and very tired."

"Well don't fall asleep, you might not wake up. The silver in the bullets is slowly poisoning you, we need to get them out, but we need to get you home first."

"How? You can't carry me."

"I will if I have to." I just sighed and closed my eyes.

"Kris?" He asked but I didn't respond. He bit down on my one ear and pulled. I yelped, but it was affective. " I said don't go to sleep."

"Sorry." I sighed again. Just then Zacky and Johnny appeared in to entrance.

"Krista, girl, what the hell happened?" Zacky asked nuzzling my face.

"Saved the numb skull from getting shot. " I said. I could feel my eyes drifting closed again. This time it was Zacky who chomped down on my paw to wake me again.

"Do not fall asleep. We're just waiting for the all clear signal from Shads, him and Rev are leading the hunter away."

"I'm trying not to. It's hard."

"I know." He replied nuzzling my face again.

"Just hold on a little longer, we'll have you out of here soon. "Brian said. I nodded but my eyes slowly closed again. "Kris? Kris open you eyes."

Brian's POV

No amount of biting or yanking on her woke her. She was still alive but barely. Shads appeared in the door way with Rev.

"Let's go we lost him." He said. I stood up.

"Zacky, Johnny, both of you pick up the front half of her body. " I said. Zacky grabbed her scruff while Johnny pushed up from under her ribs and I wiggled my way under her. "Good now get her back half up." Using their noses they pushed up her up completely onto my back. "Good let's go. Keep an eye out and keep moving. " We headed out towards home. "Zacky, is there any hope for her?" I asked.

"As long as she's alive there's always hope." He said running on ahead.

The first rays of sunlight came over the horizon as we reached the house. As soon as we were inside we shifted into the men and woman that we are, naked as the day we were born.

"This way." Zacky said as I picked Krista up and followed into the little medical clinic we have just incase. We can't exactly got to the hospital if one of us gets hurt, or the vets for that matter, and as scary as it sounds Zacky's the doctor. I laid her down on the table. "I'll let you know when I'm done." He said scooting me out the door. All we can do now is wait.

Normal POV

I opened my eyes slowly and realized I was in little medical clinic. A sudden pain shot through the left side of my body and memories of the night before came flooding back, although I wasn't entirely sure how I had gotten home. I looked around and saw one of those kidney shaped medical pans on the instrument tray, inside there was two bullets, the water inside the pan was tinted red. Looking around again I saw Brain asleep in a chair in the corner of the room. I was about to call him but Zacky came in.

"Hey, you're awake. I wasn't expecting you to wake for a while yet." He said.

"Oh, well I can always go back to sleep if you want." I replied.

"Nah, that's ok." He laughed. "You in any pain?"

"A little, nothing unbearable though."

"Good. Just let me know if it get's bad I'll give you something."

"Thanks Zacky. Hey how long had Brian been here?"

"Since about 9:00 yesterday morning."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I told him you were gonna be fine, but he insisted on sleeping there." Memories of him laying down with me in the tree came to mind and how his attitude towards me changed. "He claims it was his fault that you got shot."

"Well no, I chose to jump between him and that hunter. It's not like he forced me or anything, it wasn't his fault. Got it Brian?" I asked when I saw he had one eye open but quickly closed it. "Don't even pretend, I know you're awake." He smiled and stretched before standing.

"Hey Zac would you mind leaving us for a moment, I need to talk to Kris." Zacky nodded with a smirk on his face and left.

"So." I said unsure what to say.

"So." He said. " I don't think you realize how lucky you are to be alive."

"Excuse me?" I said crossing my arms.

"You're excused. Anyway like I was saying it's a good thing I was there to lead that hunter away otherwise you'd be as good as dead."

"I don't fucking believe you." I said looking away from him.

"Let me finish. Also I don't think you realize how lucky we are to have you in our little dysfunctional family. " I slowly looked back at him, he had made his way to the bed while he was talking and now was standing next to it. "If you hadn't have jumped in front of those bullets I would be dead." He said sitting down on the edge of the bed. He reached out and gently caressed my check before sliding his hand to brush back a few strands of my hair. "Thank you for saving me." He said before gently bringing his lips to mine. I froze. "Sorry, I don't know why I did that." He laughed nervously.

"You know you're kinda cute when you're nervous. I kinda like this new Brian." I laughed. " And I know why you did that, cause somewhere deep down inside you, you like me, even if it's just a little bit, you like me."

"Never didn't like you, just didn't trust you, until now."

"So it took me taking two bullets for you before you could trust me?" I joked.

"Pretty much." He laughed. "If there's anything I could do to make it up to you then all you have to do is ask."

"Actually, two requests, first off from here on out we are friends and you'll never be mean to me again."

"Done. What's next?"

"You're gonna go out and get me a cheeseburger cause I am fucking starving." He laughed.

"You got it."