Author's Note: So I had the first of this chapter typed up already and my computer deleted it when I was trying to copy and paste. I was so mad because I had to rewrite it. I know what it said but it's the fact that I had to rewrite it. So I poured me a big glass of chocolate milk and here I go.

I have been teaching myself Korean. I am slowly able to read Hangul! Now that I have somewhere I can study, I have a feeling I'm going to absorb the language pretty soon. I already known the consonants but the vowels are giving me some trouble. I'll just have to make flashcards so I can memorize them. I spent three hours teaching myself today.

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Dasha ran the treadmill with ease. She had woken up a couple of days ago completely human. Somewhere in the middle of the night she had changed back. The angry red wound and stitches were still there but she wasn't in as much pain as she had been before.

Ji Hoo had come to see her as soon as she had woken up. She had been a bit annoyed because he had decided that he needed to see what her strengths were. It boiled down to the fact that he wanted to be nosy and see how far he could push her. Unfortunately for him she was very fit and well trained. She could handle just about anything he threw at her.

Thankfully he had decided to wait until she could actually move. When she had first woken up she hadn't wanted to move. He had noticed that and had told her he would wait. Although his patience had worn thin over the week and a half she had been there he wasn't going to push her. Leo had been her guardian through it all and she had suspected on more than one occasion the doctor was a little wary around the man.

Currently she was strapped to a long tube that pumped oxygen into her lungs as she ran. The blue plastic was connected to a tank that was plugged into the wall. She also wore heart monitor to see how fast her heart was pumping. She felt like she was being tested for heart disease. But all Ji Hoo wanted to know was if she was healthy and able to defend them if she needed to. She could have told him she was but he had to see it for himself.

So she ran, and as she ran, she sweated. She was certainly glad that he had told her to wear shorts, a light tank top or sports bra, and tennis shoes. She was drenched from head to toe. Her bronzed skin glistened, the tattoos on her shoulders and abdomen more than anything. She was running at the second to last highest speed and incline the treadmill could go but she wasn't paced out.

Ji Hoo clicked his pen as he made a note on his clipboard then reached for the treadmill. Slowly the incline raised to a forty-five degree angle as the belt turned faster ever so slightly. Dasha pulled up onto her toes as her shoes found traction with the belt. Her legs pumped harder as she ran uphill. She heard the heart monitor scream as her heart rate skyrocketed. Her ears buzzed with the thrill of a blood rush. She felt like she was on a hunt.

Her abdomen started to sting. She had taken the bandage off at Ji Hoo's request to let the wound breathe. As she had run, sweat had started to pour down her entire body. Even her legs were wet. The wound had been affected as well. Since Benji had stitched her up on the run, she had kept it covered and hadn't moved too much. Now the wound was being agitated because of the salt in her sweat.

She wriggled ever so slightly as the throbbing burn became nearly unbearable. No sooner had she done so, she felt the skin pull as the stitches ripped. She glanced down briefly as blood flowed freely down her side into the waistband of her shorts. The nurse panicked as Ji Hoo quickly cut down the machines and went for his first aid kit and medical bag. Dasha was walking at an easy pace when he returned and turned the treadmill off completely.

The doctor kneeled in front of her as the nurse unstrapped the oxygen mask and pulled off the sticky tabs from her chest. Dasha grunted as Ji Hoo removed the remaining stitches that hadn't pulled apart. He used a local anesthetic to numb the oozing wound and stitch it back up. She stood there, grateful for the pain. It was so much more bearable than being stabbed and poisoned. She could handle a needle sliding through her skin any day.

She wondered why her wolf was eerily quiet. Usually the beast would be itching to get out. She didn't like needles or anesthesia so she tended to fight. As Dasha looked inward, she saw her animal completely at peace. It baffled her. The normal humans in the house had been wary of her because of her dual lineage, the other wolves had ignored her save Jenissi, and the Guardians were weird. The only ones who had had anything to do with her were the Dark Guardians of Leo's group and Yi Jeong. Not that it had bothered her since Benji, Creed and Jin were here.

But why was her other half so quiet? Could she feel how easy this man was compared to Jun Pyo whom she hated? She had a good sense since she was an animal. Was it because Ji Hoo was trying to help while Jun Pyo tried to cause fights that he couldn't win? Whatever the reason, Dasha the human and Dasha the wolf were completely at ease around this man.

Ji Hoo looked up and she knew he had seen her thinking face. With her riotous curls pulled away from her face, he could see it clearly. She had had her lips pursed out as she had thought deeply, but not deeply enough to push her thoughts to anyone else. She had a bad habit of doing that when she was in deep, deep thought. Benji scolded her more about that than she did for being reckless. If she pushed far enough, Dasha could fry the brain. Who knew what she could do now that all her powers were synced.

"Try not to rip these," he said as he slapped a huge bandage on the stitches.

"Last time I checked that was your fault. You're the one who wanted me to do the tests," she retorted. He made a face at her. "How long do I have to keep them in?"

"They'll dissolve within a week. Don't get them wet."

She nodded and accepted the towel his nurse gave her. "Can I go eat now?"

Ji Hoo looked her up and down. "You may want to go put a shirt on first. I don't think any of the women in the house want you walking around like that."

She made a face then left the medical ward. Not normally concerned about physical appearance, Dasha pulled on her loose tank top as she walked. Living in a group of four was completely different than in a group of thirty or forty. Three other people didn't particularly care if she ran around the house half-naked. They did it as well so they couldn't say anything.

She ventured into the kitchen to see parents giving children lunch. Glancing at the clock, she realized she had spent more than two hours in the clinic running. Her stomach growled in anger. It was just as unhappy as she was.

Striding further into the kitchen, she went to the fridge. Dasha was a picky eater so half the stuff in the fridge she wouldn't eat. Fruit and vegetables were the only items she would consider eating. Though she was half-Taiwanese on her father's side, she didn't really like noodles or dumplings or any sort of wheat or yeast products. The only yeast bread she ate was pita bread and it had to be smothered in hummus.

She felt a tug on her knee and looked down. Hyun Joo looked up at her with her big golden brown eyes. Rubbing her wet fingers on her shorts, Dasha reached down and picked up the toddle, resting her on her hip as she went back to her food selections.

Without asking, Yi Jeong took the fruits and veggies from her and began cutting them. She watched him silently as Hyun Joo played with her hair at the base of her neck.

Leo and Baye came around the corner from the living room and stopped in the doorway. They watched Dasha as she stood by the sink with Yi Jeong and Hyun Joo on her hip. Jealousy ripped through Leo as he watched the scene closely.

"It seems like Hyun Joo really likes her," Baye said. She waited until Leo looked at her. "Jealousy doesn't suit you. Yi Jeong is married and Dasha seems to like you. If you can't figure that out, you're dafter than I thought."

Leo watched her roll into the kitchen to her husband and children. Before now, Leo had always felt jealous of Jeongmin. Not because he had been in love with Baye, he had had always been grateful that she had saved them. His love for her was completely different than the younger man's.

But what he had longed for was something Jeongmin had already been given. He had a family. He had two beautiful sons given to him by a wonderful woman. He got to do everything a father could do.

As his eyes shifted around the room, they finally landed on Dasha. She was watching him closely, her eyes steady. He felt his heart stutter when she looked away and made noises at the girl on her hip.

"Appa!" Hyun Joo squealed then wriggled free of Dasha's grip and slid down her leg before scuttling to her father. Jenissi scooped her up and she pointed back at the woman. "Nice."

Jenissi followed her chubby fist. Dasha raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't understand why she likes you."

"We're the same," Dasha said as she bit into a pepper.

"Have you always been alone?" Hansol asked. He was busy feeding his daughter Han Byul a bottle.

Benji slung her arm around Dasha's neck with a hop. "I've been with her since we were twelve. That was nearly twenty years ago."

"Eonni is nearly thirty-two," Jin said when everyone's faces registered shock, even her brother's. "Creed is twenty-six in American age, twenty-seven in Korean."

"I thought you were younger," Baye said. Dasha looked at her sideways. "We're the same age. Or there about."

"There are many things you two have in common. Why don't you get along?" Yi Jeong asked.

Dasha and Baye looked at each other. It wasn't that they didn't get along. They didn't know each other. As far as she knew, Dasha had pissed everyone off. Normally she wouldn't come in guns blazing. She was usually pretty passive. Not too many people tried to kill her on a regular basis. Only when she hunted was that the case.

"She's not too bad," Baye said. "Although I don't exactly know what her power is or what it does."

"I would show you but there are children in the room," Dasha said. "I don't hurt children."

"Even if they're trying to kill us," Benji added. "Remember that girl in Somali who held that AK to your head? You had every option to take her out but didn't."

"Why didn't you take it?" Jeongmin asked. He was busy making sure the twins didn't throw food across the room like they were known to do.

"She was twelve and trying to protect her family," Jin answered, to which Donghyun glared at her. She quickly held her hands up. "I was an hour away at our hotel. We wear cameras to monitor each other. I saw and heard through the camera and ear piece."

Dasha and Benji glared at her until she looked at them. Slowly Jin shrank back into her chair. Those two stares could melt metal.

"Don't get us in trouble," Benji scolded. "We don't have any family to answer to about our whereabouts. We're not the types to stay in any one place for too long."

"Are you saying you won't stay?" Baye asked.

Dasha shrugged. "Who knows. I've never belonged anywhere so it's kind of odd having people other than Creed, Benji and Jin to count on."

She didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings, but Leo felt his heart twist. She was going to leave no matter what happened. She wasn't going to stay. She had flown all the way around the world and wasn't going to stay.

He wanted to say something but his chance was taken away from him when Woo Bin, Jun Pyo and Kang Hee Soo led someone else into the kitchen. The wolves were up instantly and bowing respectfully. The Guardians stood at attention as the man looked around.

His eyes fell on Dasha. Glancing at her, Baye noticed her face had shut down as she watched the man walk over to her. Dasha and Benji didn't bow; they didn't do anything. They stood where they were and stared. Benji's emotions weren't as schooled as Dasha's so they could tell what she was thinking.

"What's going on, Kang Hee Soo-ssi?" Baye asked.

"This is James Meredith. He has come to talk to you from the Alpha Association," Hee Soo explained.

Benji snorted. "Is that what you're telling people nowadays, James?"

"You know him?" Baye asked.

The other woman nodded. "He was part of Dasha's pack when she was younger. He was also trained with us when we went to become Hunters. Unfortunately he has one minor flaw. He thinks he's allowed to have any woman he wants because his father is an Alpha."

Yi Jeong looked at Dasha. "Was his father the one who killed yours?"

Dasha shook her head but didn't say a word. She stared at the guy like she was going to kill him. Jin got up from her seat and crossed the kitchen. She touched Dasha's hand gently then stepped behind her. Creed came in the back door and hoisted herself up onto the counter directly behind Dasha as Benji sat on the stool in front of her. The three were daring James to come closer.

James just smiled. "It seems you would rather keep your gaggle of girls rather than join me on the council. You could do so much more good if you were just in the top spot."

"You mean if she was your wife," Jin corrected. Donghyun was up and standing behind his sister. "I don't know why you're here, James, but it's obviously not to simply say hello."

"We got word from the Underground that the four of you were going to help defend the Wild Power against the Makers. I've been sent to tell you that if you do that, you will be cut off and your protection rescinded."

"Do you suits not realize what the hell is going on?" Creed demanded. James's eyes narrowed on her. The things in the kitchen began to shake, forcing the parents in the room to remove their children. But Creed never backed down. "You people sit up there in your brass house not knowing what's really going on out here. What makes you think that once they take out the Wild Power they won't turn to us? They will take out the Alphas first then go after us."

"They've made a deal with the Halflings," Dasha said.

All hell erupted in the kitchen when James attacked. Shoving Jin into her brother's arms, Dasha jumped to meet him. She dove low and caught him around the waist. Spinning around his back, she pushed her weight forward and drove him chin first into the ground. She grabbed his arms and pulled them up behind his back. Benji tossed her a piece of twin from the chicken that was going to be fixed for dinner, and Dasha tied his hands behind his back. Then she sat on his back and draped her arms over her knees.

"And you wonder why I wouldn't marry you," she muttered. Sighing, she ran her hands over her face. "What was all promised?"

James tried to lift up but she sat higher up on his shoulders. "Why would I tell you?"

"Don't make me rummage around in your head. It would only be worse."

"We could always make things worse for you and your father," Benji said. He tilted his head so he could see her. "Boy, you better be afraid of me more than Dash. She's the nice one out of us. She's just sitting on you while I would have gutted you for running at us from across the kitchen."

Dasha looked over her shoulder. "Jeongmin, can I borrow your power for a minute?" The younger man didn't waste any time. He strode over and crouched in front of them, one hand glowing faintly and arcing with electricity. "If he touches you, he can send you into convulsions so violent you'll change back and forth from your human to animal form. If you're lucky you won't have brain damage or die. Now what are you going to do? Are you going to tell me what was promised to the Halflings, or am I going to allow Jeongmin to fry the hell out of you?"

Behind the Hunter party, Shinhwa Group looked nervous. They had never had too many dealings with the Alpha Association. The two groups had stayed separate since the days the Guardians had wiped out almost all of the Wolves. The remaining Wolves had formed the Association and had refused to discuss any details with the Guardians when they had reached out. They held longer grudges than most of the Dark Guardians did.

But Dasha was a mix of both groups and she had been shunned by both. Yet here she was defending one group who hadn't had anything to do with her while the other had killed her parents. No one had asked her to and no one had watched out for her when she had needed it the most.

Baye locked the wheels of her chair and pushed herself up. Jun Pyo and Woo Bin steadied her then let go when she took a step forward. She pushed her husband gently out of the way and sat in the floor in front of James. Jeongmin made a noise before Jin and Donghyun pulled him back. They did so just in time because Baye reached out and took the arm of James, whose skin suddenly began to smoke and burn. He let out a scream and thrashed about as he tried to get away.

"Hunters! Wolf Hunters and Guardian Hunters that have been trained from childhood until adulthood," he confessed.

"How many?" Dasha asked. When was gritting his teeth against the pain, she grabbed him by his hair and yanked his head up. "How many kids are you sending to them?"

"Thirty, thirty of the best and brightest from around the world. Dasha's name came up as well. They want you," he spouted.

Dasha looked from Creed to Benji to Jin to Baye. The two women looked at each other. They didn't know each other. They hadn't said more than a few hateful words to each other, and yet Dasha decided to defend the entire house without anything other than hateful words.

Making up her mind, Dasha rose up and gripped James's chin and forehead. With a violent twist and a sickening crack, she broke his neck without remorse. Baye fell backwards on her butt as she stared down at the lifeless body in her kitchen floor. Shakily she looked up at the woman who had caused it. Dasha looked at her without remorse.

"First rule about hunting, when you get information, kill the informant if they will be an issue," Benji said.

Jeongmin glared at her as he held his wife around the shoulders. "I thought you said she was gentle."

"She is, but she's not afraid to kill."

Dasha stood and untied the deceased's arms. "Benji, arrange for disposal." As her team moved, she looked at the nervous couple. "You can be afraid of me. I'm used to that, but don't say I killed unnecessarily. If I had let him go, he would have come back and killed you."