They'd gone about five kilometers when they rounded a bend to see a tiny roadside store with a gas bar.

"Yes!" Corey said, pumping the air. "We are now, officially, rescued."

Asaya jumped, startled, and Corey held her, kissing her quickly, feeling the joy of being rescued soar inside of him.

"You think?" Hayley said with a venomous look at Asaya which she pointedly ignored, clinging onto Corey's arm. "I'm not seeing any vehicles."

"Because it's out in the middle of freaking nowhere. They're probably lucky if they get three cars a day."

"No, I mean transportation for the person running the place."

Corey peered at the empty lot surrounding the small building. He was forgetting a lot of things. He just wanted to be rescued and now that he had Asaya back, he didn't care as long as they were rescued. "Oh."

The shack had one gas pump out front, and a diesel one around the side.

"But it should have a phone," Maya said. "Or maps to show us where we are. Also, there must be cottages nearby if there's a gas bar."

"Ha!" Corey said, spinning and pointing at Hayley before lifting Asaya up, which caused her to smile. "Ha!"

He took off dragging Asaya after him, refusing to let her leave. Corey stopped a few feet from the door. "Open weekends after Labor Day," he called. "What's today?"

"Not the weekend,"Asaya said.

Corey walked to the barred window, then turned to the rest of them. "The window's filthy. I can't see anything."

"How about we try the door?" Sam said.

She was walking toward it when Hayley grabbed her arm and pointed to a window sign warning that the place was armed with security alarms and cameras.

"Um, yeah," Corey said. "Which will bring the local cops. If we're lucky."

"At this point, I'll take any ride out of here," Maya had said. "Even handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser."

The front door was unlocked. A bell jangled as he walked in, holding Asaya's hand.

"Hello?" Corey called out to the empty store, still holding her hand. She followed him, holding onto him tightly. The dirty floor had a path worn down the middle. Beside the door stood a cooler. It was unplugged and filled with pop cans and bottles. A handwritten sign advised those looking for milk to check aisle two, for the powdered and canned variety.

"No beer?" Corey said. "What kind of place is this?"

"Corey..." Asaya murmured.

"The kind that knows better than to leave anything that'll make it a target for kids like you," Maya said.

Corey grabbed a Coke, giving one to Asaya who grabbed it and drank it greedily. He smiled at her, wondering when she had last eaten. He made it a mission to feed her like she was a damn queen.

"Hey!" Hayley said.

"If they aren't here to man the shop…"

Daniel reached into Corey's back pocket. He plucked out his wallet, took out a still-damp twenty and put it on the counter. Corey grabbed for it, but Daniel gave a look that made him withdraw his hand.

"It's okay, Corey." Asaya murmured, touching his chest which helped him calm down and relax into her touch. Hayley shot them a look that he ignored.

"Fine," Corey said. "Drinks and snacks on me, apparently. Chow down, guys."

Asaya smiled and leaned up, kissing him gently and he decided to 'rob' stores more frequently if it meant getting a kiss each time from Asaya. Hayley huffed and stomped away.

"I'm a little more interested in finding a phone," Maya said. "And figuring out if that open front door means someone's here."

"Nah," Corey said, pulling away from Asaya reluctantly to answer Maya. "They were so eager to get out of this dump that they forgot to lock up Sunday night."

"Hmm."

Maya walked behind the counter as Asaya walked around, grabbing things as she ate them. Corey was quickly following her, nearly stepping on her feet with how close he was to her but he refused to let her out of her sight.

"When did you eat?" Asaya froze, swallowing a twinkie before looking away. She looked nervous and scared and he leaned down, lifting her chin to force her to look into his eyes.

"Two days ago." Rage exploded in him and he had to take deep breaths to calm down and not hunt those bastards down and rip them to pieces.

"Baby," He murmured, wanting to rid her of her pain. She yanked her chin away, body tense now. "Why didn't you-"

"I got used to it. Physical pain isn't the only torture they did to me." She said hotly and made him wince. He wished she never had to get used to going hungry.

"Eat up, okay? Don't go hungry. I love you too much."

She sighed and nodded before ripping into another piece of twinkie. He looked around without leaving her side as she ate. "I don't see a bathroom," Corey said. "Maybe he's outside, taking a leak."

Kenjii let out a sharp bark.

"Sounds like someone found him."Corey said as he walked to the front door. When it didn't open, he put his shoulder into it and pushed.

"Um, try the handle," Hayley said.

"Um, there isn't one."

It was the kind you pushed open from the inside. He hit it harder. It didn't budge. Daniel went over and they both heaved on it. The door groaned, but didn't open.

"Is anyone else getting concerned?" Hayley said.

"Look for another exit." Maya walked toward the back. "Corey? See if you can get a window open."

"Corey..." He turned to see Asaya had gone stiff and her face had gone pale. She was frozen and she looked terrified. It took him a moment when he realized why she was like this but it was too late to announce.

"How about a side door?" Sam said. "There's one right here, behind—"

She swore and jumped away from the window.

"It's a trap," she said, backing into the middle of the room.

"What?" Maya walked behind the counter and found the door. Beside it was another filthy, barred window. She cleared a spot on the glass. "They might not be—"

A loud buzzing sound made them all jump. Maya found a radio tucked under the counter but Corey did not pay attention to the conversation, he paid attention to Asaya who was shaking and gasping heavily. He rushed towards her, pressing her to him. He refused to let her go. He would go down fighting if he had to.

"I won't let them take you. I won't."

"Corey."

"Shh," He said, gripping her face, forcing her to look at him. "I won't let them take you away from me again. I lost you once. I won't lose you again."

She looked at him desperately and he wished he could magically transport her to a magical place where there were no enemies or problems, where it could be just the two of them.

"There isn't another exit, is there?" He heard Maya ask and he remembered he had saw one.

"Got a trapdoor over here." He said, waving them to the storage room while he held Asaya's hand which was now cold and clammy. He pulled aside a filthy carpet. The trapdoor had been secured with a padlock, but he'd managed to pry the whole thing off.

"Does it lead anywhere?" Daniel asked.

"No. It's just a hole where they stash the beer and smokes. Big enough to hide in, though."

Daniel shook his head and they walked back into the store, where the radio was buzzing again. Corey was rubbing his hands up and down Asaya's back as she hid herself in his chest. He refused to let her go.

"If you don't answer that, he's going to come in here." Sam said. "They all are."

Asaya shuddered and Corey quickly kissed her forehead, bringing her closer to him.

"And if she does, they'll come in anyway." Daniel said. "He's hoping she'd lead us out peacefully, but obviously that's not happening."

"I could fake it." Maya said.

"He'd know you were up to something." Daniel said but was now talking to Sam and Corey. Corey gave in ideas as he held Asaya, who was tense and shaking in his arms. Daniel said something about causing a distraction to which Maya heard.

"That's probably our only hope." She said.

"The question is how to pull it off." Daniel replied back and gave her his idea.

"No." She immediately said. "Absolutely not. No one sacrifices themselves for this."

"We don't have time to argue." Daniel began. "I'll be fine."

"But we won't." Sam said. "We need you to get us out of here. It has to be someone else."

"And you're volunteering, right?" Corey said.

She opened her mouth but nothing came out. They all started arguing who was going to distract them while Corey had let go of Asaya without realizing it.

"Corey!" They all turned to see Asaya on her hands and knees, dry heaving and Daniel cursed. Corey rushed to her and touched her but something felt wrong, and when he looked closer, he realized she was changing. Her back was arching, her arms and legs sprouting fur and getting bigger. Her face was morphing.

"No, no, no. Come on, baby. You need to fight it." Corey begged because he knew if she changed, she would let her animal instincts rule over, especially if they were in danger.

"Me...it...has...to...be...me..."She heaved out letting out an agonized groan as he heard a bone snap and he felt like vomiting at the sound of it.

"What the hell?!" He heard Hayley yell and Sam shush her.

"No, I won't let you do this. You need to be here. I need you here. I can't lose you again." He begged, voice thick with emotion. He refused to let her be the sacrifice. He refused it. He could not lose her again. She was more animal than human, even her voice was deeper, almost unintelligible and he wanted to take her pain away.

"I...find...you..." She murmured until collapsing and Corey rushed to get to her but Daniel had grabbed him.

"Let me go! Let me go!" He yelled, frantic as he fought against Daniel's hold and Maya's words. A loud deep growl erupted from the store which caused Hayley to scream before they all dropped to the ground.

The sound of glass breaking had them ducking down more, even Corey. Another crash sounded as a second window smashed, glass tinkling. Shouts could he heard.

Corey saw that Asaya was nowhere to be seen. He leaped to his feet just as he saw Asaya, now a leopard running towards the window.

"NO!" He yelled just as Asaya leaped up and out of the window, growling as she did so. Corey ran towards the side door but Daniel caught him, hauling him back. Corey fought back and took a swing. He was desperate to get to her. Asaya had just gone to the same people who had hurt her.

Daniel ducked and wrenched Corey's arm behind his back. Corey was bucking like a wild animal, each growl that Asaya let out and each shot being heard hitting his heart, bruising him. She was going to die. She was going to be taken away from him again. He just got her back. He couldn't lose her.

"She did this for us," Daniel hissed in his ear. "Don't blow it or she's given herself up for nothing. She'll be okay. We'll get her back."

Corey did not believe Daniel. He didn't know the terror he saw in her eyes when she had heard them. She feared them and yet she had gone back to them.

To save them.

Corey hesitated, fighting against his instincts to go after her and dropped his chin, defeated.

"I'm not letting that bitch get all of his attention." Hayley said and before they could react, she blew past them and out the side door yelling. "Guys! Wait up! Please, don't leave me here."

Corey started to go after Hayley also but stopped when Daniel tightened his hold. Guilt now ate his insides when he heard snarling growls and Hayley's voice as those men chased her.

Corey wanted to cry and scream and punch. He lost his girlfriend and his friend. He cared for Hayley, of course he did. She was his friend but Asaya had his heart and it was being wrenched apart with every shot that was heard.

He let Daniel lead him to the trapdoor, feeling numb.