Chapter 1

"So, what do we got, Frank?" Jody asked her deputy as she made her way to the ledge of where the body had been found.

"Leftovers," he answered dryly. Jody shot him a look and he smiled and chuckled. "Take a look for yourself, boss," he said as he pointed toward the opening. "They're bringing up the body now."

Jody peered over and saw the gurney being pulled up by a quickly assembled pulley system. As she saw the remains she felt herself become momentarily sick. Suddenly Frank's description didn't seem like it was enough. Scraps would've been the better word, she thought.

"No one thought a bag would've been easier?" she asked.

"M.E. felt the body could handle being lifted in one piece," Frank replied.

"Barely," Jody muttered. "So, what does he think it looks like?"

"He's thinking bear or mountain lion," Frank told her.

"Mountain lion, maybe. I don't think I've ever seen a bear do that much damage. Usually they just eat their fill and move on," Jody surmised. "Have the M.E. narrow down what it was quick before I end up with a crap load of hunters out here killing anything with claws and fangs."

"Will do," Frank said as Jody started walking back to her truck. Lord, let it be a damn mountain lion, she thought as she made it back to her truck and started it up.

Things had been relatively quiet in the three months since the vampire attack from Alex's boyfriend and the school janitor. Her leg had healed up and she was walking without a limp, so she was celebrating that. The girls were doing okay, Alex was doing alright, trying her best to put the whole thing behind her, especially with the school year coming to a close. She'd poured herself so much into her school work that it looked like she might finish the year with straight A's. As happy as she should've been over that, Jody was hoping that she didn't need to step in soon and stop Alex from burying herself in her studies in order to not actually have to deal with what happened. Claire was dealing with what happened in her usual way – trying to go out hunting. Luckily, this time she was showing some restraint and allowing Jody to give her some training so she didn't end up in over her head or dead, or both.

Jody was almost to Alex's school to pick her up when her phone started ringing.

"Mills," she answered.

"So, what was it?" came the excited female voice on the other end.

"Claire?"

"Yeah," Claire confirmed for her. "So…what was it? Werewolf? Wendigo? Skinwalker?"

"Right now, we're thinking mountain lion," Jody answered her firmly, hoping Claire took the answer.

"Since when do mountain lions nearly eat an entire body?"

"How did you know…?"Jody trailed off. Oh my God, she got another one, she thought. "Claire, as of right now, the official theory is that some poor man got hurt or lost in the woods and ended up dinner for some animal. End of story. And when I get home, you and I going to have a long talk about you getting another police scanner."

Before Claire could respond back, she hung up on her eldest. I swear, sometimes I think that girl wants every crime or body to be monster related, Jody thought as she continued her way to the high school. She drove for a while longer in silence until she finally reached Alex's school. She parked across the street and watched as the bell rang and students started filtering out. After a few minutes, she spotted Alex walking out, a couple of friends with her. She obviously couldn't hear them, but she watched them laugh a couple of times before Alex spotted Jody's truck and came and got in.

"Hey, Jody," Alex said as she buckled herself in and laid her backpack in the floorboard.

"Hey," Jody greeted back. She started to pull away and once she was a safe distance started her questioning. "So, how are things at school?"

"Good. Classes are winding down."

"You know what I'm really asking about," Jody told her with a smirk.

Alex nodded.

"Yeah, the other kids have more or less moved on from the murders. Right now, the only reason Henry gets brought up is because it's the end of the year and people are saying how sad it is that he won't get to graduate or live his life," Alex said.

"Do they ask you about him?"

Alex nodded again.

"They ask how I'm holding up since he died. Do you or the deputies know anything. Did I have to identify his body…or his head?"

"I'm assuming you're sticking to party line?" Jody pressed.

"Yeah, I'm doing better, and no, I didn't have to see his body," she said answered in her best weepy voice. "I especially didn't have to see his useless head," she finished, her voice far more sarcastic.

Jody let out a laugh. That's my girl, she thought.

Alex made her way into the kitchen late in the morning. It was Saturday and the only day that Jody really let her or Claire sleep in unless it was a day off from school. It was especially helpful that Jody had to go in today meaning she wasn't going to get on her for sleeping past noon. In fact, Alex would still be in bed if it weren't for the smell of food luring her.

She looked into the kitchen and saw Claire pouring something out of the blender and into a mug. There was a bag of food on the table. It wasn't from a fast food place since it looked like a Styrofoam container in a plain "thank you" plastic bag. "What are you doing?" Alex asked her sleepily. "What are you doing awake?" she asked when she realized that for once, on a Saturday, Claire was up before her.

"Just thought you'd be hungry when you woke up, so I got you some breakfast," Claire answered cheerfully. She then shot a quick glance at the clock on the wall. "Or more like lunch."

Alex looked at Claire suspiciously. "You want something. What is it?" she accused.

Claire let out a small chuckle. "Can't I do something nice for the girl who's very quickly becoming like a sister to me?" she asked, adding as much sweetness to her voice as she could.

"Now I know you want something," Alex told her. "Spill."

Claire sighed and let out a frustrated grunt. She motioned for Alex to sit down. Once Alex was seated Claire took the chair across from her.

"There was a body found yesterday in the woods, totally mutilated, flesh torn, meat ripped off from bone." Alex gave Claire a disgusted look and fought to not picture in her mind what she'd just been described. "I asked Jody what kind of monster it was, but she just said that the official theory was that it was a mountain lion."

"Sounds good, case closed," Alex reasoned.

"Animals don't mutilated like that, at least, I'm certain they don't, but I can't be sure without the photos from the crime scene."

"Jody's never going to let you see them," Alex informed her.

"But a deputy might," Claire smiled.

Alex looked back at Claire like she was talking nonsense.

"All the deputies know not to give you anything – Jody's orders." Claire just smiled a shit eating grin toward her fellow teenage ward. "What?"

"True, they won't give me anything, but you, you can get me a copy of the photos, hell, you could get me a copy of the whole file probably."

"What are you talking about?" Alex wondered.

"That new deputy that Jody hired? I think his name is Derek. He's got a thing for you," Claire revealed.

"What? No, he doesn't," Alex argued.

Claire nodded her head. "Ever since you turned eighteen a couple months ago, anytime we go down there to meet up with Jody, he can't keep his eyes off you." Alex made an "eww" face. "What? He's cute…ish. Okay, he's not the normal hunk you go for, but he's still cute enough that you could flirt your pretty little butt off and get me those photos. Or the whole file, whichever works for you."

"No," Alex told her flatly.

"Yes," Claire told back.

"No, Jody will kill us. You for hunting, and me for helping."

"She'll never know," Claire said.

"She's the sheriff. We're asking one of her deputies. Of course she'll know."

"Will you just trust me," Claire beseeched her.

Alex just stared back Claire, her look plainly stating that that was not going to happen.

"I brought some incentive," Claire smirked.

"What could you possibly have?" Claire pushed the bagged plate toward Alex. Alex just stared down at it, unconvinced, and definitely unimpressed. "You really think I can be bought with some cheap take out?"

"Cheap? I went all the way to Brookings for that," Claire revealed. She smiled when she saw Alex stare back down at the bag and quickly licked her lips.

Brookings, South Dakota wasn't far from Sioux Falls, maybe a ten or fifteen minute drive depending on traffic. Truthfully, it was a place Claire our Alex probably never would've even given a second thought about, unless they happened to be there for a tour of South Dakota State University for Alex. On one of the days that weekend, they had eaten at this little diner just off campus. It wasn't too fancy, just a place a that looked like a hole in the wall with cheap prices. But Alex still found herself in awe of their bacon avocado burger and sweet potato fries.

As she pictured the burger and side inside that foam container, she felt her hunger dial up to eleven in mere seconds. The smell of it became more pronounced now that she knew what she was inhaling.

"So? Will you help me?" Claire asked knowingly.

"I really shouldn't," Alex hesitated.

"Did I mention that I also got you some that apple cobbler they serve?"

Alex's head shot up, her gaze straight at Claire. Her eyes were wide and she looked like she was about to start licking her chops. If the burger and fries left her in awe, the apple cobbler was practically a religious experience.

Claire was nodding her head, a wicked smile on her pretty face. "It's in the fridge."

"Uh, fine, I'll do it," she relented. Claire practically grinned evilly as she slid the bagged food over toward Alex and then placed the smoothie she made in front of her. "I really hate you for this," Alex said as she fished the Styrofoam container out of the bag.

"You say that now, but you're going to enjoy this, I promise," Claire grinned.

It was late in the afternoon and Claire and Alex were waiting inside of Claire's car. They were parked about a block away from the police station, watching as some of the officers came in and out. There were a few cruisers and a couple of SUVs parked in front. All signs pointing that the place was crawling with other deputies that would surely tell Jody that the two of them were there even if Derek the Deputy did keep his mouth shut.

"There's too many deputies," Alex said. "This isn't gonna work."

"Sure it will," Claire told her as she reached into the bag of takeout she'd picked up since Alex refused to share any of hers and popped a fry into her mouth. "Most of them are probably too busy to even notice if we walk in, and if they do, we'll just say we're looking for Jody."

"Who just pulled up," Alex said in surprise.

Claire looked back toward the station and saw Jody's truck pull up to her reserved space. They watched her get out of her truck and begin looking around. Both girls quickly ducked down, hoping Jody didn't recognize Claire's car. There are lots of '83 Dodge Omnis in Sioux Falls, Claire thought, just look past us Jody.

After a couple of minutes, with no Jody knocking on either side window, both girls sat back up. They breathed a sigh of relief when their saw an uninhabited parking lot with Jody now inside.

"Told you this wouldn't work. We need to just go home," Alex said annoyed.

"It will to work," Claire said, though part of her was starting to believing Alex. "We just need to get her back out of there for a little bit."

"And how are we supposed to do that?"

Claire went silent, thinking of what to do. She needed Jody gone and for a good amount of time for Alex to work her magic. What emergency would draw the sheriff out for a while? And not cause a massive incident when it was discovered that it wasn't an actual emergency. Suddenly, Alex watched as a light bulb practically went off over Claire's head.

"What now?" Alex asked concerned.

"Get me the phone from the glove box," Claire instructed. Alex did as she told and was surprised by the sight an old flip phone. She handed it to Claire and watched as Claire dialed. "Yes, hello…police?" Claire said into the phone in a frightened country girl accent. "Oh my God, you have to help me. My name's Kitty Forman, I'm at Empire Mall and I can't find my son. This…oh God…This guy's been following us, he kept staring at my little Eric and…please help. Yes ma'am, I'm at the food court. Yes, I'll stay right here."

A second later, Claire hung up. Both girls looked back at the station and watched as Jody, and what was probably almost every deputy in the building, came running out of the department and to their vehicles. Seconds later, they were racing out of the lot, lights flashing and sirens blaring.

"Oh my God, I can't believe you did that," Alex said dumbfounded.

"I figure that'll buy us at least a little over half an hour. Maybe even forty-five minutes."

"And probably a few years in jail," Alex said as she watched as the last of the deputies drove off.

"No, Kitty Foreman will get a few years in jail, if she was real," Claire said with a chuckle. "Now come on," Claire said as she got out of the car without waiting for Alex.

I've got to be insane to going along with this, Alex thought as she followed after Claire.

Deputy Derek Farris was sitting at his desk, manning the now empty station house. Sheriff Mills had ordered everyone not handling something immediate to follow her out after a call about a possible kidnapping at one of the malls. Other than some reports that needed completing and filling there wasn't much for him to do and he quickly found himself bored. He'd have much rather gone out with the rest of the department, but seeing as he was still the rookie deputy, he usually got the job of staying behind.

He heard the door open and started to greet whomever it was walking in.

"Hi, how can I help – oh hey," he perked up as he saw Claire and Alex walk in. His attention went straight to Alex who, unbeknownst to him, had dressed for the moment in a denim skirt with black leggings and a white form fitting, long-sleeved V-neck blouse that showed just enough skin to get the deputy's pulse up a few beats. "What can I do for you, two?" he asked standing up and walking over to the main desk. Claire looked at Alex with an "I told you so" look as they watched Derek straighten out any unseen wrinkles on his uniform shirt.

"Hi, it's…Derek, right?" Alex asked with a shining smile.

"Yes, ma'am," Derek smiled at her, the expression somewhere between goofy and endearing. "And you're Alex," he said to her, reaching out his hand.

Alex shook it and looked over at Claire who had decided to inspect the wanted posters. Claire shot her a look and motioned with her face for Alex to get started.

"Is Jody here?" she asked.

"You just missed her," he answered her. "Is there anything I can do for you though?"

Here goes nothing, Alex thought.

"Actually, yeah there is. Jody was going to give me and Claire a copy of a file to take home, so she could work on it there."

"Wouldn't it have just been easier to take it home at the end of the day?" Derek thought out loud.

"You're right about that," Alex said.

I thought she was good at this, Claire thought as she started to wonder if maybe she had overestimated Alex's abilities.

"But she thinks we've been flaking responsibility a lot lately and she's trying to get us to be more responsible again," Claire smiled at Alex's. "So, do you think you could help us out? I mean it would be awesome if we could deliver without her having to hand us the file to make sure we did what she asked. Wouldn't it?" she added, her voice changing just slightly into a flirtier tone while she absently played with her hair.

"It definitely would. Um, what file did you need?"

"She said it was a case about a body found in the woods a couple of days ago. That he'd been mauled or eaten or something," she answered him. Derek's eyes widened just a for just a second.

"That case?" he asked, hoping he'd heard incorrectly. "Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure," Alex smiled.

"It's just that, well, she was pretty adamant that no one outside this office have any kind of access to that case unless she personally said so," Derek told her apprehensively as he leaned onto the desk. God, why couldn't he have made this easy, Alex thought. She leaned into the desk to keep eye level with him. His eyes shot slightly downward for a second and suddenly she was glad she decided on the push-up bra. She caught him swallowing hard, and thought it would've been a little bit funny if she'd heard the gulp.

She put her right hand over his and stared straight into his eyes. "You know, it says a lot that you want to follow Jody's rules. A girl just loves a man who wants to impress his boss," she said with a flirty smile and a tilting of her head. Derek smiled back, this time not as goofy, but still not with the cockiness that she had come to expect from guys ever since she'd started paying more attention to her appearance. She'd be lying if she thought it was a nice change to have a guy genuinely smile without looking like a wolf – or vampire – licking his chops.

"I'm just trying to do the same, you know, prove that I'm not the same delinquent problem child she took in. You get that right? I mean being new here, you just want to show Jody that you can handle the responsibility. Do you want to help me prove I can do the same?" she prodded him, running her finger back and forth over his hand intimately. She lowered her head, used her other hand to push some hair behind her ear, and looked up at him with big, sad looking doe eyes that could rival Sam's puppy eyes.

"I could get into trouble with her," he hesitates.

"She already knows we were coming. She might not even ask. All I need is a quick copy and I look like an awesome daughter. Please?" Alex asks with a pout and a batting of her eyelashes.

I'm gonna regret this, Derek thought, but…

"Just give me a few minutes."

"Thank you so much," Alex says happily, giving a big shining smile. At the sight of her smiling at him, Derek feels himself blush and give her a smile of his own. Where hers is confident and lights up her face, the kind of smile that one would expect to see looking back at you from a magazine cover, his is more the awe shucks type. And once again, Alex was finding it hard not to say that it made him look somewhat endearing. Damn it, Claire was right, she thought, he is kind of cute.

"I'll be right back," he tells her.

After he walked off, Claire joined Alex at the desk, a victorious grin on her face. "Wow, you are good."

"Eh, I couldn't done that faster – and probably better – but I'm rusty," Alex admitted.

"If that's you rusty, I really want to see you at full strength."

Alex looked sideways at Claire, and Claire stared right back. They didn't speak, but after a few seconds started laughing. This might just work, Claire thought.

Helen Roark was walking home from her job at the library. It was a walk she'd made hundreds, maybe even thousands of times, over the years. She never moved too fast, enjoying taking a leisurely pace home. But tonight, had a different feel than all those others. She didn't know what was different. The air smelled crisp from the sun beating down all day and the heat now slowly rising away. The night was quiet as the birds had gone to sleep when the sun went down. The crickets were chirping. But instead of feeling like the stress of her day was disappearing, she felt uneasy. Like there was an overwhelmingly sense of doom. By the time she'd made it back to her house, she was clutching her purse to her a little tighter and moving much faster than normal.

She was just climbing the porch steps when she heard a rustling on the side of the house. She stopped, straining her ears for another sound and heard silence. She climbed the last two steps and was now on the porch when she heard more rustling, louder this time and accompanied by a scraping sound. She made two small steps towards the sound, and then, in a moment born of self-preservation, scrambled to her door, unlocked and threw it open, and ran inside. She stopped just inside living room, trying to catch her breath and make her heart stop beating like jackhammer.

Suddenly, the light from the lamp posts outside was interrupted by a shadow crossing by the window. Suddenly, she heard the doorknob turn. It began moving violently when whomever, or whatever, was outside found it locked. Helen knew she should be running, but she stood facing the door, paralyzed with fear. Then, before she could react, the doorknob turned until there was a snapping sound from the bolt being pushed too far and breaking. The door flew open and Helen stared back at the blackest eyes she had ever seen. She screamed as the intruder charged in, slamming the door behind it.