Author's note: I'm so sorry it's been so long since my last update. I've just been very busy with school and my Glee Big Bang (which won't make the due date but I'll finish anyway) but anyway excuses excuses. Here's the next chapter as a bribe for forgiveness.

-line break-

The skyline was shadows, dark and pulsing, writhing and hateful bursts of shadows that clawed at the space around them and greedily ate whatever it could catch. Blaine stood in terror, frozen with a fear he'd never realized he had known he had as he took in the dark sky.

A hand lands on his shoulder and he jerks back, stumbling away. It takes him a moment to realize it's just April, she's only trying to be comforting. He wants to say sorry but he doesn't. "What is that?"

April looked up at the cloud of black that covered the sky. It wasn't exactly shadows or anything real it was just darkness. "That? That thing that you can see is magic. It's the left over residue from years of spells and curses, years of pain and suffering and mischief." She looked at him carefully. "It's what's in your veins right now, pumping in with your blood and keeping the curse going. Tied so closely with the very core of you."

"Is it dangerous?" he asked without thinking and then scowled. Of course it was dangerous. It had made him hadn't it? It was the cause of his pain, it was the crux of it all. How could it not be dangerous?

"By itself left over magic isn't dangerous, it's not anything- it just is. But something very dangerous has happened here. The magic has combined throughout the years and something recent has triggered this, has caused it be semi-sentient and now it's feeding off of the city and the people who live here."

Blaine looked away from it at last, "And what would that be?"

April shrugged. "Hell if I know. I have my theories but they're just theories."

"Enlighten me then. I'm sure anything will help." It's worse now. The heat under his skin, the prickling at being so close to something so powerful and so dangerous and being aware of it.

"The fey." She said bluntly. "The ones you fear, don't deny it, I can see it clearly in those big puppy dog eyes of yours. They're the cause. All of their spells and curses have polluted the city but it's taken a toll on them. They've grown weak and weary from centuries of magic and no strong source of fear and hate to live off of. So they use more magic, they cause more chaos and they kidnap more people in the hopes of getting stronger but it's just making them ill and feeble and reckless."

"Like Kurt." he says immediately and then added almost awkwardly, "and Karofsky."

April smiles wickedly at him but then it turns into something gentler. "Yes like Kurt but not exactly so for Karofsky."

"Can it be fixed?" Blaine asked, heat strumming in him and an edge of something prodding at his mind. It almost felt as if this was meant for him. He had some purpose here. Something was meant for him and he would find it.

"The way of magic is this; what is done can rarely if ever be undone." She sighed, looking down at her hands and the threads of unseen magic tied to them and reaching out a great distance to the vast endless sky. "This however can be undone. It can be fixed but only if someone would be wiling to sacrifice."

"Are you prepared to sacrifice?"

Blaine didn't stray away from her gaze. "Yes." He'd already pledged his time to helping Santana and Brittany, pledged his life to saving Kurt. What else had he left to sacrifice?

She smiled but it was grim and suddenly turned, starting back for the road home. "Congrats on your choice, it is a valiant one." she murmured quietly and he followed after her, with one last glance at the sky that only those touched by fey magic could see.

Santana and Brittany were sitting at the table when they got back. Brittany greeted Blaine with a wide smile and a hug. "Did you have a fun time watching the ink well up?" she said cheerfully and he wondered what she meant until his mind went back to the pitch black inky sky.

He looked over at April but she shrugged, grabbing a pitcher of something likely alcoholic. "Yeah, Britt it was informative."

They slept at April's that night. All three of them crammed together in her guest room. Santana had grown tired of the place and of April though she said that they were leaving to find more leads in the morning. Unlike his friends he didn't fall asleep easily or quickly. He spent hours lying awake thinking about what April had said to him and what she had shown him. The light of the moon from the window was a constant reminder of the choice that he would have to make.

Though he did not know it Blaine had already made his choice. He'd already chosen his own death.

"Thank god that's over with." Santana muttered as they drove away from April's, the woman herself standing outside and waving at them, a margarita in her hand.

"She was fun and she made us sandwiches." Brittany said fondly, happily. Blaine slept next to her, still human for a brief while longer.

"They're probably poisoned."

Brittany laughed. "Can't you ever be happy San?"

Santana looked at Blaine in the front mirror and only spoke when she was adequately sure that he was asleep, even then it was still quiet but no less true. "I'm happy sometimes." she admitted.

Brittany's smile widened and she couldn't contain the joy on her face. "I'm happy with you too." she said and then curled up to get comfortable, joining Blaine in sleep and leaving Santana to her thoughts.

On Santana's face was a small-half smile, barely there if you hadn't been looking for it. She always loved that Brittany knew when she needed space, that she would never push her.

They tracked Sylvester's next lead for three and a half weeks, going through city after city but Blaine never smelled anything important, not the way it had been back at April's. All of them were getting frustrated, even Brittany who'd snapped at Blaine when he'd stolen one of her candies at a gas station.

It was worse for Blaine who had to deal with constant itchy feeling on his skin. It got worse the more they searched, growing more intense and spread out and he couldn't make it stop and he knew it wouldn't stop until they found whatever he kept smelling. That damn untraceable smell.

"Pull over." Blaine said, "It's somewhere around here."

"That's what you said about the last place, with all the birds." Brittany replied with her eyes closed and resting her head on his shoulder. "Besides it's nap time."

"Just pull over. Alright?" he said exasperated. It was definitely here. Like before he could feel the pull of the chase in his blood, he could hear the sound of paws against the gravel, he could practically see it.

Santana slammed on the breaks. "Happy?"

Blaine was already out of the car, searching for the smell. It was bitter and sharp and he knew what it was but he couldn't place it. It covered the town and the trees, it was on the streets and the park and it was just everywhere and all around them and he didn't know which way to go.

"You can't figure out the source can you?" Santana said dryly thinking of the long wait from last time and already pulling out her phone. She knew this was going to take a while. Brittany snuggled further into the cushion of the back seat.

Blaine huffed. Of course the one thing he was useful at and he couldn't even do it right.

"Brittany, come on!" Santana yelled, pulling, tugging the blonde behind her. She ran as fast as she could twisting between people and through alleys, following after Blaine. The wolf was quicker but she could still make out his defensive ears, could still hear his growl and it only spurned her on faster.

They stopped abruptly and she opened her mouth to speak, ready to yell at the goddamn idiot to move when she realized they'd hit a dead end. "Fucking hell." she cursed angrily. "What do we do now?"

Blaine barked suddenly, haunches tensing and he lunged forward suddenly, covering Brittany and Santana. In response she pulled Brittany behind her, as close to the alley wall as she could get. If whatever this was wanted a fight well they would fucking give it to them.

She knew when it came because the wolf, not Blaine, but the wolf, growled low and guttural, a fierce raw sound that made her bones ached.

All she could see at first in the dim light of the alley was yellow eyes, bright and piercing and strangely familiar. Then the rest of it appeared slowly, body slinking out of the darkness with a strange kind of grace.

Of course Blaine with his damn wolf nose and damn magical hints had found another fucking wolf. It was smaller than him, grey and looking more like a regular wolf than their overgrown mutt but it was more used to itself, a control that Blaine didn't have. Half preoccupied with fear and impatience she wondered if it was Karofsky though she disregarded the thought a few moments later when Brittany's hands tightened around her arm. "San, is he going to be okay-" she was cut off by the sound of snarling.

Without their notice Blaine had moved forward until either he or the other wolf had launched at each other, jaws first and snapping at anything they could reach. Blaine tried to use his weight to slam into the grey wolf but the other was faster and twisted biting at Blaine's neck and pulling him roughly down.

It was easy to see who was winning. The grey wolf was quicker and used to his body, able to use it to his advantage even if Blaine was bulkier but Blaine was clumsy and always just a second behind, stumbling over his feet and fighting hopelessly.

One of them-Blaine? whined sharply but they kept fighting, growling and biting and bloodying each other and all Santana could do was watch with wide fearful eyes. Hey she sure as hell didn't like the kid but that didn't mean she wanted him to die.

The grey wolf snapped forward with a particularly painful bite, jaws closing tightly over Blaine's foreleg and pulling sharply in the other direction-Santana thought she heard a crack but she wasn't sure. Blaine yelped but it was worse than before, it sounded like someone was killing him. He stumbled back hitting the alley wall roughly, dazed and confused.

The grey wolf didn't waste anytime, moving closer and getting ready to bite. Santana saw glimpses of its admittedly impressive and intimidating looking teeth. They were covered in blood. Blaine's blood.

Oh fuck. This was it wasn't it? Anderson would kick the bucket and she and Britt would be torn to pieces as a snack.

She didn't have that 'life flashes before your eyes moment' she didn't have anything close to that because she was still caught by terror, horrified and frozen by it and there was nothing she could do.

Something flew past her ear, a rush of air too close to her and the grey wolf whined in pain, swaying unsteadily on its legs. "Leave him alone." Santana looked behind her in surprise, forgetting about the wolf. Brittany stared at the wolf defiantly, another rock in her hand.

The grey wolf stared at her in confusion and then moved as if to step forward and Brittany raised her hand, fingers tightening around the rock. "I said leave him alone." she snapped sounding angry and fierce, so unlike Brittany that Santana wanted to pinch herself just to make sure this wasn't a really messed up dream.

At last the grey wolf cocked its head and then stepped back a few feet, until it was at the edge of the alley, partially hidden by the shadows. Immediately she dropped her rock and rushed past Santana running over to Blaine who by now was lying on his side, panting heavily and wincing.

Santana scowled at it, "you touch either of them and I'm making you a mount for my living room."

she touched his wounds carefully, biting at her lip as she tried to think of what to do. "I think he needs a doctor, San." she said quietly petting his fur gently and uncaring of the blood getting on her hands. "He's really hurt."

Santana cursed and pulled out her cell phone still staring at the fucking grey wolf who hadn't move a single inch. "What do you want Boobs Magoo? I'm very busy trying to figure out how to incorporate a fireworks display, a fencing fight, and a shark in our next Cheerios performance."

"Your dog got his ass kicked." She said quickly, speaking low enough so that Brittany wouldn't hear her. If anyone had connections in some random ass city it'd be Coach Sue Sylvester.

"You mean the munchkin from the Lollypop Guild?" Sue paused, "What happened?"

"Another dog decided to play." she said simply not wanting to upset Brittany and not a hundred percent sure how to phrase the fact that they'd been attacked and cornered out of nowhere. And Blaine had lost. He'd lost badly.

"Karofsky?" she said going back to Santana's own theory.

Santana frowned, looking at the other wolf. It didn't look like Karofsky and it didn't act like him but what did she know? The hobbit over there didn't act like himself when he was a wolf either and he sure as hell didn't look like it. "I don't think so." she said at last. "Not unless he's gone batshit crazy."

"Come on Blaine, try to get up." Brittany said comfortingly. "And we'll find some place safe okay?"

Blaine whined low and pained, but slowly at her urging got to his feet, almost topping over as he did. He leaned against Brittany and she smiled at him before looking up at Santana for further guidance.

She sighed and ended the call with a "Right, Coach, thanks" before turning to look at them. "There's a place Sylvester knows a few blocks away from where we parked. She's going to make some calls and they'll let us crash there for a night or two."

"Thanks San." Brittany said rubbing at her face and smearing a small bit of what might have either been dirt or blood on it. And without another word, without another look at the other wolf they left, both of them supporting Blaine as he struggled to move.

A few minutes later when they were far enough away the grey wolf looked around the alley and padded away disappearing once again into the shadows of the city.

A howl curled through the air, shaking the windows and the door, vibrating through the floor and almost through the quiet city. Towards the end it changed becoming not a howl but a scream that was just as inhumane, just as animalistic as its predecessor.

On the bed of their small and dirty motel room Blaine slowly and agonizingly changed back into his human shape, limbs cracking and shifting painfully as they tried to change around the wounds.

Blaine gasped breathless like someone had sucker punched him. His arm was inflamed with pain, burning bright and hot and somehow just as bad as the change had once been. Though the change was over he couldn't escape the white hot heat and he moaned in pain, trying not to move.

His now human arm was definitely broken. Actually in Blaine's mind broken didn't cover it. It was worse than broken, knives were digging in at the raw skin and muscle, delighting in his pain.

"Shit, I think I can see bone." Santana said digging in through the first aid kit. She'd had one packed in her car along with various other supplies.

"Should we take him to a hospital-" Brittany asked but she was cut off by Blaine who'd suddenly shot up, looking around wildly.

"No hospitals." he said frantically thinking of doctors and tests and impossible horrible situations of being captured and studied and dissected. He'd never been to a doctor. Not even when he'd lived with his parents, they'd always had their own someone who knew about his family. Someone the Family controlled. "No hospitals." he said a moment later, a little bit calmer.

"Okay, okay no fucking hospitals." Santana said but even she looked uneasy. "Just calm down before you hurt yourself."

Brittany took the first aid kit from her, pulling out the gauze and got ready to work. Slowly and carefully wrapping it around Blaine's arm. It wouldn't do much bur at least it would help him for now.

"You think you'll survive the night?" Blaine panted harshly, lifting his head to look up incredulously at Santana who by now had done her limit of good deeds pulled out a magazine and started to flip through it.

He huffed out a laugh wincing at the pain in his body. "Y-yeah, I don't think I'll kick the bucket for another day or so."

Santana and Brittany left a little while later to get food and more medicine leaving Blaine alone to his thoughts and bad television.

God he'd gotten his ass kicked. Why had he thought he'd been able to do it? He'd never fought anyone in his life and he'd tried to take on another wolf. He'd been surprised (as surprised as he could feel) seeing the other wolf but he'd been even more surprised by being soundly thrown into the dirt.

The wolf had been faster and stronger moving in a way he couldn't even imagine. Would he ever become like that one day? So in touch with himself and his damn wolf? No, he'd probably die before that. And besides did he even want to be like that? Sure the wolf had been faster and stronger but who was to say that he hadn't lost his humanity in the process?

He shook his head, trying to push the useless thoughts away, and then cried out suddenly at the pain. "Damn it." he muttered moving slowly onto his side and pulling the blanket tightly over him.

He was passed out in a deep sleep by the time that the girls came back with take-out. The smile on his face was the only sign of it's peacefulness and if pressed he'd admit that he'd felt unusually warm, strangely safe as someone or something had kept watch over him.

"You think he'll be okay?" Brittany said and Santana could hear the tone of worry in her voice. She sighed and pushed away her carton of chow mein looking at it mournfully. Even when he was sleeping Anderson was causing her trouble.

"I'm sure the puppy will be fine." she said sourly. "In fact if he's not I'll kick his ass and send him to obedience school."

Brittany giggled and flopped onto the bed, leaning against Santana and stealing a bite from her noodles. "I'm sure you will San."

The next evening Brittany helped Blaine change his bandage and she barely held back a shriek at seeing how much blood he'd lost. "We need to get you some help." she said firmly. "I don't want you to end up like Lord Tubbington's brother Duke Chubbsing. He lost his arm and had to go live down in Florida where they bring fish to you in a basket."

"Oh, I guess I wouldn't want that." Blaine said unsure of what to say though Santana just rolled her eyes.

"Our options are kind of limited since you won't go to the damn hospital."

"If you were me would you go to a hospital?" he shot back.

Santana laughed. "I'd kill myself if I were you Anderson."

Blaine rolled his eyes and carefully pulled on his shirt not bothering to change out of his worn and dirty jeans. "If I thought it would have worked I would have done it already." he muttered quietly.

Her eyes narrowed and he waited impatiently no doubt for the next acidic barb she could send his way but she was cut off by an impatient, rapid knock at the door. Brittany looked at her confused but hopeful, "Do you think Coach Sylvester sent us someone to help?"

"Be real Britt, she's more likely to send someone to kill us for failing then help." Santana said pulling open the door and barking out an irritated "What?"

"Who the hell are you?" she said looking the stranger up and down. He was dressed in an old band t-shirt and faded jeans that were short at the bottom. He was tall with tanned skin and a mohawk that somehow didn't look ridiculous. She'd never seen him before and if she thought anything of him she didn't show it.

He smirked cockily at her uncaring about the fact that she was glaring at him and looked ready to jab her nails into him. "Name's Puck."

She scoffed. "Well Puck you've got the wrong room." she said and started to close the door only to have him catch it. "Need something?"

His smirk widened as he openly ogled her. "Your phone number would be a good start."

Santana's eyes narrowed and Blaine could hear her nails clenching around the wood of the door threatening to crack it. "Salir antes de que una patada en las bolas."

Puck just laughed, "I'm sure you will. Mind if I come in?" he said and then without waiting for a reply walked into the room. Brittany frowned at him and Blaine struggled to think, thoughts heavy and plagued by a strange feeling.

Suddenly he realized what it was; the bitter and somehow familiar musky scent. It was one he'd carried with him all his life. "You smell like a wolf." he accused and the wolf howled inside him. Instinctively some part of him wanted to reach up and strike out. Another wolf was in his territory even if this was only his temporary territory. He wanted his blood in his mouth, he wanted to feel the weight of bones snapping, he wanted-

"Blaine." Brittany touched his arm, staring at him with concern and he smiled uneasily at her before looking up at Puck, the other fucking wolf.

"Why are you here?" he said gruffly as his arm wasn't throbbing in pain at the very thought. "One arm wasn't enough?"

By now Puck had settled comfortably into a chair and was flipping through channels on tv like he owned the place. He paused in his pursuit for bad hotel porn, "I'm actually sorry about that. I didn't think I bit that hard."

Santana rolled her eyes. "Tell that to the bone sticking out of his damn arm."

Puck frowned and leapt up from his chair until he was less than a hair's inch away from Blaine and his arm. "Is it really that bad?" he said trying to lift up the bandage only to have Brittany smack his hand away.

"Enough." Santana snapped. "What do you want? I have very little patience and I'm not afraid to use my manicured nails on your face."

He grinned at Blaine. "She's feisty."

In response Santana lazily waved her nails.

"I'm here to apologize for beating up the midget over here. I thought you were something' else and I reacted accordingly." He frowned again. "But I didn't think it was that bad."

Blaine shrugged, rubbing at his arm lightly. "I'll be fine. I've been through worse." He hadn't actually. Not physically. He'd never even broken a bone before and now he had one practically sticking out of his arm.

"Well how about I make it up to you?" Puck said cheerfully, snapping back into what Blaine assumed was his normal chaotic personality.

"And how exactly are you going to do that?" Santana said and she most definitely was not plotting out ways to torture this son of a bitch. Brittany and the mutt wouldn't allow it.

Puck paused for a moment and then snapped his fingers, grinning at his own brilliant idea. "I'll get your friend's arm fixed and then I'll give you a tour of the city." he smirked. "I know all the best places."

"I'm sure you do." Santana said dryly but even Blaine could see the way she was itching to explore the city, to not be stuck in a car or a hotel room.

They packed up quickly, efficiently and with a pang of home sickness Blaine realized that they'd grown used to this. Sometimes all he wanted to do was go home. It was sick really. He wanted to go back to his cage. But it'd been his after all. He thought he missed Wes and David the most. Even if he was growing closer to the girls they didn't understand him the same way, they didn't get some of his jokes or they didn't get what the reserved look in his eyes meant. They just weren't the same.

Santana was the last to leave the room and as soon as she was sure Brittany and Blaine were far enough away she grabbed onto Puck's shirt and jerked him back. "I don't know what your deal is, I don't actually care what it is. But listen to me very clearly. You hurt either of them and my threat from earlier applies." she said staring him down and not looking away until the good natured grin on his face disappeared.

"Got it." he croaked and then, confidence quickly coming back to him. "But if you pull any shit in front of my pack then we're gonna have issues."

She just rolled her eyes. Damn it of course he had to have a pack. She just absolutely couldn't live in a world where the was only two of them.

Blue eyes snapped open staring into the consuming darkness of his cell. Slowly he sat up trying to stretch as far as his chains would allow him. The chains were short and ended in shackles around his wrists and feet, binding them together and making it impossible to escape. With his bruised and pale skin, the dark circles around his eyes, and his bloodied hair he was a far cry from the boy he'd been only three months ago. Had it been three or was it four? What if hadn't even been a month?

He sighed the sound echoing around the empty space. Time wasn't the issue and if he kept thinking about it he'd drive himself crazy. Or rather even crazier than he probably already was.

But maybe time was the issue? He needed to find a way to get out before time ran out-no he was thinking backwards again, he'd already thought of a way out he just needed to use it.

He paused for a moment and then nodded to himself. Yes, now was the time. Without another thought he reached down and twisted his thumb, not letting go and tightening the pressure until he heard a snap. If he felt any pain his blank impassive face didn't show it.

It took him a few more minutes to get the rest of the shackles off and then he was at the door of his cell. He looked around his room once last time and then held out his hand straight in front of him.

The door blasted off it's hinging, landing on the ground with a loud bang and above him there was a roar of voices but they were no different than the ones already in his head and he stepped out towards his freedom, ready to fight and even kill. He wasn't going to be put back into his cage.

This time no one would beat Kurt Hummel down.

-chapter end-

Author's note: What Santana says is basically "Leave before I kick your/ you in the balls." but I apologize if it's wrong, I haven't done Spanish in roughly eight years.

Sorry again but the small hiatus but this chapter length should make up for it.