Disclaim: I do not and will never own any of the characters mentioned. They are the property of DC Comics and their respective creators.

~~~~~.~~~~~

"-and this hallways leads back to the stairs that descend into the foyer, and that's pretty much it," Jaime finishes explaining as he and Wally come out of what felt like the millionth hallway to the redheaded man. This place was even bigger than it looked from the outside, which was really saying something. The gym itself was almost bigger than Megan's whole house. No way in hell Wally would ever memorize the layout of this place, not that he planned on sticking around that long.

"Okay.. so this place has four bathrooms, two libraries, a friggin' gym, a ridiculously but beautifully huge kitchen, two living rooms, one storage room, Dick's office, and ten full bedrooms," Wally recites, more for his own memory than anything else, "Plus more halls and stairways than I'd care to count..."

"It's easier to memorize that you'd think, ese," Jaime replies with a reassuring smile. Wally just shrugs and follows the younger boy down the final set of stairs that would lead them back into the front foyer of the house, "It is a pretty big place though. During the first few months after Artemis brought me back here, I got lost in the halls at least twice a week."

"So you guys all got bit and just come to live here?" Wally asks. Jaime nods, and Wally starts to wonder how long Jaime had even been a Lycan. He seemed far too young to already have such a dark and secretive lifestyle. "Was she the one that turned you, or did someone else have that, uh… honor?"

"It was Artemis," Jaime replies, frowning at Wally's choice of words, "But she had no choice, ese. By the time she found me, she could either give me the bite or watch me die, and even you probably know by now that 'Mis wouldn't just stand by and watch a kid bleed to death…"

"Yeah," Wally found himself agreeing. He hadn't known Artemis for long, nor did he even know her well, but he still knew that Jaime was right. Excluding maybe Cameron, he doubted that anyone in this strange pack would've left a kid to die.

"So," Wally spoke up again as he and Jaime head back into the study to wait for the others, "How'd she come across you anyway?"

"She was tracking the Terrors," Jaime says as he flops down onto one of the couch cushions. Wally settles down a few seats away and props his feet onto the long coffee table in front of them as a distant look flashes in Jaime's eyes.

"Tracking them?" Wally repeats curiously, and Jaime runs a hand through his hair, looking a little uneasy before he nods back at the ginger man.

"Yeah… It's kind of the pack's secret history, but since you'll probably be stuck here for a while longer, you might as well know." Jaime says and sits up in his seat, "Years ago, long before I joined, this pack was a wandering one. They moved around from city to city, tracking and hunting down any vampyres or Lycans that had gone rogue, or were just stirring up trouble. I guess they were all vigilantes, if you like that word."

"A pack of people that can turn into giant wolves hunting other people that can turn into giant wolves. That's a little ironic…" Wally mutters to himself, but Jaime doesn't seem to pay any mind to his words.

"Anyway, the Terrors have always been rogues, I think, and no matter where they go they stir up trouble. A couple years ago, they went through El Paso while trying to lose Artemis. I guess they were supposed to keep a low profile, but they came across me when I was heading home from my friend Tye's house, and well... this probably isn't news to you, but Tommy knows an easy meal when he sees one."

Wally tries not to shiver at Jaime's words; he knew all too well what it was like to be staring up into the snarling jaws of a Lycan, and it was not something he ever wanted to go through again.

"At first, I thought they were bears or something, but when they attacked me I didn't know what to think," Jaime continues, and his gaze drops to the floor, "Tommy tackled me before I could run away, and I swear it felt like he broke every bone in my body with that one hit - and now that I actually think about it, he might have. I was so scared that I couldn't even scream out, but they were just…toying with me, tossing me around and tearing me open…" The Hispanic boy trails off and shudders at the memory. Wally frowns and considers stopping him, but then Jaime looks up and meets his gaze again.

"When they finally got bored Tommy just dropped me between his paws. I was almost praying for death then… I didn't want to die, but I was so ripped up and mangled, and the pain was just so bad that I wanted it to end. Tommy probably would've finished me off right there, but then Artemis arrived. The Terrors weren't looking for a real fight, so they ran. I guess while I was blacking out Artemis saw that I was still alive and that she had to choose between saving my life or going after her targets."

Jaime trails off again, but this time the corners of his mouth curve up into a small smile, "The next thing I knew, I was waking up a few days later in an old motel room with 'Mis watching over me. I was so sore, and more exhausted than I'd ever felt before, but I was alive, all thanks to her."

"Wow," Wally mutters quietly, unsure of what else he could say. Jaime had acted so open and friendly in the short time they'd been acquainted that Wally almost found it impossible to believe that he'd been through such a hell. "Guess you really lucked out that night."

"I guess so, ese," Jaime sighs, and the distant look comes back into his eyes, "I'll always be grateful to Artemis for saving me and giving me a new home, but I won't pretend that I don't miss my old life… My parents, my baby sister, all my friends… I had to leave everyone behind. Our bodies and our abilities are easier to control compared to the creatures in the Coven, but we still have flaws, and being around so many humans at one time was just too risky."

"Has everyone here done that?" Wally asks quietly as his mind wanders to Artemis and the others. How many people had they all unwillingly said goodbye to? How many of their lives had been torn apart just because they'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time, like Jaime?

"Almost everyone," Jaime replies with a touch of sadness in his voice, "Zatanna and Conner were both turned because they were dying, just like me. Artemis and Cameron inherited it from their fathers, but apparently neither of them were really paternal, so the road wasn't any easier for them. Dick was turned when he was young, by the former alpha male Bruce. He grew up with the affliction, so it's always been a lot easier for him, I think."

"I'll bet," Wally mutters under his breath. Jaime raises an eyebrow but doesn't retort.

"Anyway, I guess they all eventually got tired of that life, or they were taking a break. Either way, Bruce finally settled the pack down here, and it's been our territory ever since."

"That Bruce guy you keep mentioning," Wally pipes up, "Was he the alpha during that war between you pack and the Coven happened?" Jaime frowns and nods again.

"Yeah… luckily I joined up after the war, but I've heard enough about it from the others to know that it was the hardest battle they'd ever fought. Half the pack was gone by the end of it, including Bruce," Jaime replies, "The only reason that a peace was negotiated was because the Coven lost more than half of their members. Cameron says that Kaldur specifically lost someone very important so he saw no point in fighting further. But Dick knows that Kaldur still hasn't let those causalities go. The Coven's itching for another war, but they're not strong enough for another battle yet and if that happens, then we'll have to relocate. Dick won't meet them on a battlefield again."

A day ago the thought of the pack leaving the city would've thrilled him. Now, it just filled Wally with an odd sense of emptiness.

"So… going back to the first war, what exactly triggered-?" Wally starts to ask, but he quickly shuts his mouth when they suddenly hear a loud knocking on the front door.

~~.~~

"Why're we even out here, 'Mis?" Cameron asks Artemis with a scowl as they walk through the nearly-deserted downtown district of Central City, "Dick said to go back to the house and leave the Terrors to the Coven. It's almost sundown and I'm not spending all night with the taste of vampyre in my mouth."

"Ca, we both know that his concern for Zee took over his better judgment tonight," Artemis replies curtly, "And we can't really trust the Coven to finish the job any more than we can trust the Terrors not to kill anyone else."

"Big deal, Mis… The most damage the Terrors can really do is kill a few humans, and there's too many of them in this damn city anyway."

"Cam, every human that they hurt increases the risk of our kind getting discovered," Artemis sighs, "Maybe they're only attacking homeless bums right now, but what if they decide to turn their teeth on other civilians? Ones that'll be missed?"

"Fine, you're right 'Mis," Cam sighs in agreement, "I guess I'd just feel more comfortable if we had Conner here, or even Jaime to watch our backs. If we get jumped I don't know if I'll be able to protect you."

"Cam, I haven't needed your protection since I was eleven," Artemis says with a roll of her eyes, but she reaches out and sets a hand on his shoulder anyway. "Besides, if we see any vampyres, we make a break for the house, okay?"

"Okay," Cam nods, smiling as he sets his hand on top of the one she has resting on his shoulder, "Now let's get the rest of this damn patrol over with so we can... 'Mis? What's wrong?"

"You don't smell that?" Artemis replies, stepping away from Cameron and sniffing the air. Cameron frowns and mirrors her actions, and he soon realizes what had suddenly startled his blonde companion; the scent of fresh blood was thick in the air.

"This way!" Artemis calls over her shoulder as she breaks into a run, and Cameron sighs before bolting after her. He really wanted to be heading home right now..

The two dart through the familiar streets as the smell of blood grows stronger, and Artemis only slows down once they're heading further into the most poverty-stricken neighborhood. Cameron scowls and raises an arm to cover his nose; this whole block smells like garbage and piss, but there was no mistaking that they were near the origin of the blood smell.

"Definitely the kind of place the Terrors would hunt in," Artemis remarks after they notice a large group of homeless civilians huddled in an alley across the street. Cameron can see the sympathy burning in her eyes as she watches them shuffling around, and he knows that she's thinking of their youth, when spending cold nights on the street together were safer than staying with their fathers.

"Come on," Artemis finally says with a heavy sigh, turning and heading into the nearest alley before the humans can notice them. Cameron follows closely behind her but stays silent; there were a few times, like now, when focusing on the mission had to take priority over trying to comfort his friend.

"No scent of the Coven anywhere," Cameron finally notes after several long minutes of silence, "But if the Terrors are here, then Kaldur and the others could show up at any minute. We need to find the twins first and then get gone." Artemis suddenly freezes, her eyes widening a little as she stares into the dark street in front of them.

"There's a problem with that plan, Cam," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. Cameron frowns and follows her gaze, his breath suddenly catching in his throat when he sees the bloody remains of a human being torn into by a massive brown wolf that was even larger than Conner. "That's not the Terrors.."

~~.~~

"Um.." Wally starts, glancing over at Jaime when the knocking on the front door continues, "Were you expecting someone?" Jaime frowns and shakes his head, pushing Wally behind him as he steps forward.

"If they were hostile they probably wouldn't knock first," Jaime says, approaching the door, "But stay out of sight, Wally. Ally or enemy, it shouldn't be known that we're housing a human."

"Stay out of sight. Got it." Wally says, ducking into the closest room as Jaime pulls the door open. Wally leans closer to the doorframe, feeling relieved when he doesn't hear any snarling, but he perks up when he catches a quiet gasp of surprise from Jaime.

"What are you doing here, ese?" Jaime says before Wally hears the front door shut. "I thought you joined your step-father's pack?"

"I did," a deep masculine voice replies, "I'm actually here at his request. Or insistence, however the hell you want to look at it. Where's Artemis?"

"Out on patrol with everyone else," Jaime replies, and Wally really has to resist the urge to glance around the corner. "We've got tensions rising with the Coven and the Terror Twins are back in town."

"Figures," the stranger snorts, "I leave for two years and you guys have already let this place go to hell. Does Dick now that.."

Wally tenses when he feels a sudden tension in the air, and he shrink away from the doorframe when he suddenly hears a deep growling echoing through the foyer.

"Jaime," the voice speaks up again with obvious anger, and Wally swears he can hear Jaime gulping this time, "Is there a human here?"

"Um.. There's, uh.. Yes, there's a human here," Jaime hesitantly replies and Wally squeaks silently, "But he's here with Dick's permission! He got targeted by the Terrors, and-"

"Your alpha brought a human into your den?!" the stranger snarls, and Wally presses himself back against the wall when Jaime suddenly steps into view. A tall man with dark red hair is advancing towards him, hands clenched into fists. "Has this place turned you all rabid?! Dick's still on probation as an alpha as it is! If Ollie or Hal knew anything about this, they'd-!"

"They'd what? Kick me out of my own pack? Take over my territory? Try to turn my pack mates against me? They may be alphas as well, but we all know that neither of them have any authority in this city, especially not in my home." Jaime and Roy both whirl around to face the front door, and Wally pokes his head out of the room to see Dick walking in, his eyes narrowed as he approaches the tall redheaded stranger. "The human's not your concern, but you might as well come out and meet our guest, Wally."

Wally frowns but then sighs when the stranger turns to face him, and he's glad that he doesn't wince when their eyes meet; the taller redhead is glaring daggers at him with a scowl that could almost rival Conner's.

"This is the human?" he says, and Wally's face flushes in irritation at the scoff of disbelief the man makes, "You broke a sacred rule for that?"

"Aren't you here on business?" Dick says, rolling his eyes before looking over at Wally, "Wally, this is Artemis's cousin, and our former pack mate, Roy Harper."

~~~~.~~~~

A/N: Sorry that this is so late! Life's been a major pain in the dick lately but I've got my muse for this story back so updates should be more frequent now.