Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait. A big thank you to everyone who reviewed, you guys keep me going. And another big thank you to my Beta Triscut. The title for this chapter comes from the poem Ulysses by Tennyson.

Chapter 4 - Come, my friends. 'T is not too late to seek a newer world.

I sat at the kitchen table in Anita's house surrounded by hungry Wereleopards, massive amounts of food, and the amiable banter that develops amongst friends. And I thought surprisingly, that it was true, they were all friends. For a moment I felt like I was back in Egypt.

"Hey Ari, pass the bacon, will ya?" Gregory called down the table.

That made me smile. "Sure thing." I said passing over the plate. It'd been a long time since anyone had called me Ari. I missed it.

Anita cleared her throat and took a sip of her coffee. "So Ariana," she asked, " have you found an apartment yet? Micah told me that you were looking for one." She asked.

I looked at her and shook my head as I took a drink of my orange juice. "No, not yet. I'm having a bit of trouble finding an affordable place in a shifter friendly area that is respectable enough that my job won't start asking questions."

"What do you do?" Cherry asked. She sat directly across the table from me.

"Well," I smiled, at her and looked around the table at the others. They all had a look that read 'insanely curious' stamped across their faces. "I'm an Archaeologist, well technically an Egyptologist, and I just got the job as the new assistant curator for the Ancient and Islamic Art wing of the St. Louis Art Museum." They all nodded their heads and mumbled a vague 'that's cool'. I grinned, that's what almost everyone does when I tell them what I do.

The front door slammed, unexpectedly signaling another arrival, but no one seemed concerned. Two wolves walked into the kitchen. Wolves? Oh yes, Anita is the Bolverk of the local pack. I didn't forget, no, certainly not. Both of them were slightly on the shorter side and with blonde hair, one looked just like Gregory, with his long hair and light blue eyes. "Hey!" The other one said plopping down in the empty chair next to Cherry. He was answered by an enthusiastic chorus of hey's and happy smiles. "So, is this the new girl? What's she like?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm sitting right here. Who asks about someone when they're in the room? At least wait till I leave to talk about me. Seriously." I hate it when people do that. He grinned mischievously his bright blue eyes sparkling. Ah, so he was pulling my leg, just trying to get a rise out of me. Well, he could try. I smiled and held out my hand to him. "Hi, I'm Ariana."

He took my hand and shook it firmly. "Jason. And that one is Stephen, he's Greg's twin." He indicated the blonde, who had taken a seat next to his brother.

"Ah, I was wondering." I grinned looking over and Stephen and Gregory. I wonder what the story behind them being different types of lycanthrope was. "There is a certain resemblance."

Jason laughed. "There is indeed." After that exchange, the friendly banter resumed, but it now easily included Jason and Stephen. The conversation turned to the welcoming ceremony and Nathaniel told Jason where I was placed power-wise in the pard. He let out a low whistle and turned to look at me. "That was a bit of risk, wasn't it, placing yourself on par with both Noah and Caleb?"

"Yeah," I shrugged. "I guess it's just what felt right, power-wise." He nodded in understanding. They had all been through the same thing, trying to find where they fit in their pards or packs.

"So, what do you lot do?" I asked. Someone snickered, I couldn't tell who, but my bet was on Caleb.

Jason grinned that mischievous grin of his and turned to the rest of the table. "Okay, raise your hand if you're a stripper for Guilty Pleasures." Jason, Nathaniel, Gregory, and Stephen all raised their hands. "Raise your hand if you're a bodyguard." Noah and Merle raised their hands. "Alright, now raise your hand if you work for one of Jean-Claude's other businesses." Everyone else except Micah and Anita raised their hands. "Anita's an animator, and Micah works for the Coalition for Better Understanding Between Humans and Lycanthropes. I think that covers everyone."

He looked at me with a cheeky and slightly expectant look on his face. He's just waiting for me to be shocked. "Really? That's Cool!" I laughed at the expressions of mixed surprise and relief displayed on the faces around the table that met my comment. "You shouldn't be so worried about it. At least now I know not to dance in front of you. Learned my lesson on that one."

Nathaniel frowned, a look of confusion on his face. "What do you mean?"

"Ah, yes." I took another sip of my juice. "Well, I had a pardmate in Egypt that was a professional belly dancer. And every time I danced, she would just start laughing. Then she would spend an hour or so teaching me how to dance properly." I couldn't help but laugh at the memory. We had so much fun. "As a result I can belly dance, but I'm pretty much hopeless at any other kind. Well," I conceded. "At least that's what dancers tell me." Jason and several others were shaking with laughter, and I swear that was a smile I saw flit across Noah's face. And I was right; he was handsome when he smiled.

I was alone in the kitchen, getting some air. The non-stop energy of this group was going to take some adjusting to. I couldn't believe how open and friendly this pard is. Apparently everyone had had they day off and they were making the most of it; all piled on the couch watching a movie and gossiping together. It was apparent even to a relative outsider that this was a common occurrence. This is how it should be, and it stood in sharp contrast to how things were in the Memphis pard. Someone cleared their throat behind me and I turned to see Noah leaning against the doorway to the living room. I grinned. "Hey."

A return smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, before he suppressed it. Why does he always do that? Can he not just let himself smile?

"Hey." He replied, pulling a slip of paper out of his pocket and held it out to me.

I took the paper and looked at it, there was a phone number written on it. "What's this?" I asked. Wondering whose number could it be. Surely not his.

"I know of an open apartment." he said. I could see that smile trying to come back. "In a shifter-friendly, yet respectable neighborhood. This is the number of the building manager. She's expecting your call."

I stared at the number on the paper, surprise and shock filling my brain. "Really?" Why would anyone go to such trouble for me?

"Really, you are part of our pard now, and we help each other when we can."

I couldn't help it. It'd been so long since someone had done something nice for me, that I spontaneously reached out and gave him a hug. "Thank you!"

As soon as I touched him, my beast woke within me. She had been quiet up till now, just watching everything and giving me time to make my own judgments. But now she was alert and assessing Noah. I released him from my arms and took a quick step back. The caution and worry that I felt was reflected in his eyes. What was she going to do? I felt Noah's beast come out to the fore. His beast and mine seemed to circle each other. I glanced at Noah only to find him looking at me. Our gazes locked. Please don't let our beasts fight! That is the last thing I need.

Cautiously my beast took a step towards Noah's. I tensed, as did Noah, anything could go wrong. My beast advanced till she was a hair's breath from Noah's beast, and stopped. For what felt like an eternity they stared at each other, the tension in my shoulders building with each moment. Then suddenly Noah's beast reached forward and licked the face of mine. My beast began to purr.

Relief flooded through me and a nervous laugh escaped my lips. Noah let out a heartfelt sigh and leaned his forehead against mine. "That was close." he whispered.

I grinned at this gross understatement. "No shit Sherlock." I took a step back from him, my smile still firmly in place. "Thanks again, for the help on my apartment search. I really appreciate it."

Any response he would have made was cut off by Anita's incredulous yell. "What the hell was that?!"

Startled, we both turned toward the door as the others crowded into the kitchen. Some faces had looks of concern, others, looks of curiosity. Micah and Anita, hands on her hips, we at the front of the group. I felt like a teenager who'd been caught sneaking in after curfew. And by the look and Anita's face an answer had better be made quickly.

"My beast was, sort of, assessing Noah's and um…" I didn't know what else to say. How do describe that kind of thing?

Luckily for me Noah had an answer. "Our beasts challenged each other," he said. "They found that they were equals, and decided not to fight."

I nodded in agreement, as did Micah. "That fits with what I felt and what I saw." He fixed us both with his serious gaze. "You were both very lucky that nothing bad happened here. I want you to tell me if this ever happen again, Understood?" We both nodded out assent.

Slowly everyone trickled back to the living room leaving Noah and I alone once again. "So," I said awkwardly, fiddling with loose thread in my shirt. "What now?"

"Now," Noah answered walking towards the doorway. "You go into the living room, learn the latest gossip, bond with the pard, and make your self at home." Almost to the door he turned and a ghost of a smile passed over his features. "This is your home now. Be welcome."