"So this guy knew Veruca?" Buffy asked.
Willow sat on Giles' couch. The gang was all there. After Buffy had come back to the dorm to make sure she was all right, they headed straight for Giles' to discuss this new possible threat.
"Yes. He said he was her boyfriend. Also, he's a Were." Willow told them.
"Aware of what?" Xander asked.
Willow gave him a look. "A Were. As in, a Werewolf."
"Oh." Xander responded sheepishly. "But what does he want with you?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. He was looking for Oz. Then he said he had a better idea. Something involving me."
"Well, I don't like it." Xander stated firmly.
"Neither do I." Buffy frowned.
Giles adjusted his glasses. "Yes, well, we must use caution if he is a Werewolf. However, if he did not harm or threaten you-"
"He may not have threatened me, exactly, but I don't think he's up to any good. I felt bad evil vibes off of him, you guys."
"I'm-I'm afraid that unless he threatens you in some fashion, there is little we can do about him." Giles stood up and thumbed through a book from one of his shelves. "Did he mention why he was looking for Oz?"
"No." Willow stared down at the floor, willing herself not to cry. Thinking about Oz always brought an onslaught of emotions these days.
"If he was looking for Oz and he claims to be Veruca's boyfriend, then we're probably looking at some sort of revenge scenario." Buffy decided.
"Revenge? But, he doesn't even know Oz! And-And even if he did, he doesn't know what happened." Willow cried.
She felt the fear rising in her. What if Zach tried to hunt Oz down and hurt him? He was a werewolf, too. And Willow knew what could happen when two Weres got together. Violence inevitably ensued.
"Will, he could have found out. People talk." Buffy scooted over next to Willow and put a comforting arm around her friend.
Anya spoke up.
"And if he found out that Oz ripped Veruca's throat out, he'll be hunting Oz down like the animals that they are and tearing him to shreds." She continued, oblivious to her own lack of tact.
"It reminds me of the time this girl asked me to turn her boyfriend into a Hulickas Beast. They're these really nasty creatures who feed on human flesh and-" Anya cut herself off when Xander squeezed her shoulder. "What?" She turned to Xander. He shook his head.
Giles cleared his throat. "Yes, well, um, not to alarm anyone, but. . ." He was skimming through the book.
"Giles, never start news off with the word alarm." Buffy scolded.
"Sorry."
"So what's the alarm?"
"In this book on the condition of Lycanthropy, it states that when a werewolf chooses a mate, they are fiercely protective. If something happens to a werewolf's mate, the wolf will seek out whomever is responsible in order to kill them. Now-Now here is the bad part. . . "
"Bad part?" Xander spoke up. "What do you call a werewolf out for a kill? 'Cause if we're calling that the good part, I'm thinking we should send Will away. Someplace safe. Like, say. . . Terceira."
"Where's Terceira?" Buffy asked.
Xander sat up and pointed at her. "Exactly!" He settled back down next to Anya.
Giles adjusted his glasses as he sat down on a nearby chair.
"The werewolf would only kill the one who had harmed or killed his or her mate. Since the, uh, object of said event is not currently in Sunnydale, he is most likely safe. However. . ." Giles glanced up at Willow was looking fairly unnerved.
"However, if satisfaction in this fashion is not able to be reached, the werewolf may take other measures to ensure revenge. He..." He paused, looking up at Willow.
She couldn't read his face and it bugged her. "He what, Giles?" She prompted.
"He will go after it's mate."
"He'll kill me." Willow said quietly.
"What if he can't find her and decides to go after her friends instead? We could all end up dead!" Anya cried. She sent them each an accusing look. "See what happens when I hang out with humans? I become a meal for other, more adept creatures like vampires and werewolves. I should have never let myself get involved with a human!"
"Ahn, you're human." Xander pointed out. Anya slumped down next to him, pouting.
"Well, we'll just have to make a plan. A plan that ends with me beating him to a bloody-" Buffy was interrupted.
"Uh. That's not quite," Giles started. "That's not quite what I meant. By 'go after' the other's mate. He lures her away in order to punish the killer of his mate and simply uses her as a replacement."
Everyone absorbed this new information.
"How about a new plan? One that ends with me killing him." Buffy decided.
"He steals her away and makes her his mate?" Xander exclaimed. "Okay, that's it!" His voice started rising. "Willow, go pack your bags. Terceira, here you come!"
"Xander." Willow sighed. "It's not like that would ever happen."
She looked at Giles. "I don't see what the problem is. This guy wasn't exactly Mr. Charming. There's just no way I'd fall for him. I love Oz." She stated matter-of-factly. "If that's all he's going to do, then maybe we shouldn't be worrying about him."
"That, uh, may not be quite so easy." Giles' voice was soft. "From what I've been led to understand. Werewolves are notorious for getting what they desire." All eyes turned to Willow.
She stared back a moment. "Wait. That's insane! I don't care what he does, I'm not going to go with some strange guy I don't even know! Stop worrying." She had enough. Standing up, she looked back at Buffy. "I'm going back to the dorm. Are you coming with?"
The others exchanged looks that Willow missed. Finally, Buffy nodded and stood. "Yeah. Let's go. We'll worry about revenge-hungry werewolfies later."