Ladies and Gentlemen....

has been a long time coming...so here you go. :)

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"Paul. He's here," Jacob's voice was low and urgent in my ear. I flipped my phone closed with a snap. Fury shot through my body at the thought of that—that thing out there just waiting for Fiona.

Hell no.

I pulled Fiona off my lap and set her on the couch my body shaking with rage. Her face already so white paled even further in color. Her lower lip trembled and she looked at me with wide gray eyes. I inhaled deeply trying to calm myself.

"He's here. I'm going out. Do not move from this spot. Understand?" I said intensely looking into her eyes.

She chewed her lip. "Yes," was her whispered answer, "please, please come back to me. I don't . . . I don't think I could stand to lose you."

She hadn't said she loved me but her admission that she would miss me if I was gone made my heart sore. I took her tiny face in my large hands and bent down so that we were level.

Fiona didn't move, didn't flinch away as I stared into those beautiful eyes of hers. My gaze softened—I wouldn't allow her to be hurt again. Even if I had to come back from the dead, I would return to her. Not that I was counting on dying. This bloodsucker was new to the game, he'd fail.

"I'll come back," I said smiling. "Besides he's nothing against me." I placed a kiss on her forehead and started for the door. I had almost reached it when I heard a quite sob and her voice choke out.

"I—I know I can't ask you not to k-kill him," she said her voice breaking on the word 'kill'. "But please, make it quick. Please." Her tears were coming in earnest now. I longed to go back and gather her up into my arms and kiss all those tears off her face. But I had work to do.

Stopping at the door I turned again and looked at her. I was torn. On one hand I wanted to go out there and have the pleasure of ripping that bloodsucker apart piece by piece. I wanted to feel his blood on my paws and wanted to see his life drain from him by my jaws. I wanted to make him hurt.

On the other hand I wanted to do nothing more than hold Fiona in my arms and tell her everything would be okay. The rest of the pack could handle one bloodsucker on their own. And I would be able to protect Fiona should anything go on.

In the end my thirst for vengeance won over my wanting to go holding Fiona. I hoped she'd understand.

"I promise," and without another word I left.

………………………………………………………………..

Where is he? I growled my nose to the ground searching out his scent. I was impatient though and so I was resorted to asking for help.

By the river, Paul Jared's voice warned me, Don't do anything stupid.

You guys back off and let me handle this alone and I won't. I want to tear this leech apart with my jaws. None of you will interrupt me. The anger in my mind flashed making everything red.

We should be there too—

No. I will handle this on my own!

Let him do it. Jacob, the alpha said cutting off any further argument.

I let out a howl as I hit the leech's trail; he wasn't that far from my apartment. It smelled like he was heading back to it. My legs have never moved faster than they did at that moment.

The leech was waiting for me. I knew he would be—his scent was too strong, too deliberate. He was standing in the woods adjacent to my apartment. I stopped facing him my lips curling over my fangs as a growl rattled through my teeth. He dropped into a crouch with a smirk.

I lunged at him with all my force. My teeth snapped air as he moved out of my way at the last second. He was faster than me!? Anger radiated through my body fueling me to spring at him again.

Again he moved at the last second appearing behind me. Before I could react he ran at me, ramming into me. All my breath was extinguished with a whoosh as I flew across the woods falling into a tree. With a resounding crack it collapsed on top of me.

I stood and shook the splinters of the tree off me before bounding back again to the bloodsucker. This time he stood perfectly still until I opened my jaws. As I opened my mouth he reached out and grabbed my front left paw and yanked. I suppressed a howl of pain as he broke my leg.

I pulled back trying to buy some time. This blood sucker was different from the rest—he was faster and stronger. Something to do with his gifts I supposed. I would have to try something new.

He circled me and I just watched him waiting. Shifting from one paw to the next I favored the one he had broken. Obviously he didn't know that werewolves heal fast.

The bloodsucker smirked and lunged. I reached out to swipe him with my claws but they missed instead raking air. I turned my head when I was hit from behind. Falling to the ground I scrambled trying to get to my feet.

A sharp pain started in my back and I looked to see the bloodsucker standing there with blood on his face. He had bitten me!

I snarled and ran towards him but the pain that spread through my body was debilitating. Instead I stumbled towards him aware that a fire was going through my veins.

Paul! We're coming—

NO! I WILL DO THIS ALONE! I mentally screamed cutting Jacob off.

The leech hovered over me and gave me a kick in the side breaking a few of my ribs. I barely held in a snarl. The pain from the bite he had given me and from the pain of my shattered ribs was getting to me and I could only growl at him as he leered over me.

"You were never a match for me, you know that?" he said slinking towards me.

I snapped at his legs but he was too far. The fire in my blood roared and I could feel my eyes starting to close.

The leech kicked me in my injured ribs and I let out a tiny whimper of pain. This caused him to smile.

PAUL!

NO! DON'T COME NEAR! I WILL DO THIS OR I WILL DIE!!!

"Poor little puppy," he sneered at me, "I guess it's time that someone sent you to the doghouse." He laughed at his own pun.

My breathing was labored and my wounds weren't healing probably due to the poison running through my veins from the bloodsucker's bite. He dragged his nails across my fur creating welts that started to bleed.

"So sad that your blood holds no appeal to me," he looked almost apologetic, "I guess I'll simply have to kill you and take what's mine."

He circled me a few minutes longer before his lips curved into a large, vindictive smile. I wanted to move away from him but he placed two freezing hands on back keeping me captive. I twisted to try to bite him but my broken ribs prevented me from moving far enough.

He leaned down to bend his face to my back—probably to deliver the killing bite. Suddenly he stopped his eyes flicking to something beyond my line of sight. A smell reached my nostrils and I howled my sorrow.

"Leave him alone, Mikasi," my angel said.

NO! NO! NO! NO! My mind screamed in anguish as I tried to move to protect her. The pain in my side and back along with the adrenaline my body was pumping causing my movements to be restricted and slow.

I heaved to try to face her gasping with breath. I shuddered as I felt my body start to shrink my bones collapsing in on themselves with a crunch. My snout shortened and I lost my fur until I was my human self. Naked and bruised and dying.

Fiona stood at the edge of the woods staring directly at the leech. Her tiny body still in my clothing a determined look on her face.

"Fiona!" I croaked, "Run, leave!"

She looked at me sadness and something else shimmering in her eyes as she gasped at the sight of my broken body. She made to move near me but the leech came to a halt in front of her.

"My love," he murmured, "my love . . ."

"Leave him, please. Please don't kill him!" tears started pouring from her eyes.

The bloodsucker walked back towards me and placed his hands on my back. I shuddered at his touch and tried to move away. Inadvertently a hiss of pain escaped my lips.

"Don't kill him, my love? Why, do you love him?" his voice was bitter.

"Please," she muttered staggering towards us, "please don't . . ."

"TELL ME!" the leech's voice rang out. When Fiona was silent he dug his hands into the flesh of my back and ripped a piece off of my body. I couldn't hold back the shriek of pain. Fiona fell to her knees a look of horror on her face.

"STOP IT! STOP!" her high pitched scream echoed in the silence following my outburst. Fiona's lovely figure swam in my vision as blackness slowly descended. I fought to keep my eyes open.

"TELL ME! DO YOU LOVE HIM?" Mikasi's voice was stern and angry.

Fiona crawled on her hands and feet till she was only a few feet away from me. She reached out and touched my face with her hand the wet tears from her eyes splashing onto the forest floor. Her gray eyes locked with mine before my lids grew heavy and fluttered shut.

"Yes," she whispered through her sobs, "yes, I love him . . ."

There was a smacking sound and I heard Fiona cry out in pain. I fought to open my eyes but all I could manage was to look through slits in my eyes. A blurry image appeared to me. Fiona was lying on the ground beside me cradling a broken arm her face streaked with dirt.

"You bitch," the bloodsucker said quietly, "you'll watch him die for that."

There was a high keening sound coming from Fiona and I realized that she was weeping tears for me. Even as I knew I was going to die, I knew that she loved me and her tears were for me. Peace settled on me.

The cold hands settled on me once again and I realized that this was it. I was going to die.

"I," my voice was weak and my breathing labored, "love . . . you . . . Fiona . . ."

Fiona stood in my vision and I saw her bring something out from her pocket. The silver flashed in my sight. She held the knife to her throat.

"NO!" the leech and I both shouted at the same time.

"If—if you touch him . . . I'll—I'll kill myself!"

"Fiona! Don't do it!" the bloodsucker was actually pleading with her.

Her body shook with resolve and pain. "Move then. Move!"

The bloodsucker moved away from me and I felt his cold hands leave me before Fiona's warm ones replaced them. Her tears covered my body and she placed tiny butterfly kisses all over me.

"Paul, Paul!" she cried, "Please don't leave me! Don't leave me!"

I moved my good arm slightly to try to comfort her. I wanted to hold her to me and tell her that everything was alright—I wanted so bad to lie to her. But I knew the truth, I was dying.

"Paul! I love you . . . please . . ." her voice cracked. "No--!"

Her tiny hands were wrenched away from me and there was a scream and then a grunt. The bloodsucker locked in an embrace with Fiona fell over my body. There was a knife protruding from the bloodsucker's heart and Fiona was on top of him trying to stab him over and over again.

"PAUL! HELP!" she shrieked her voice one of sheer panic.

Somehow I got the strength and phased one last time feeling my body expand and fur cover me. I crawled forward on my stomach every ounce of my being screeching to stop. I pushed Fiona off the leech that was far from hurt but was more stunned at the fact that his former love was attempting to kill him.

My jaws curled around the bloodsucker and with a satisfying crunch his body broke in my mouth.

Jake . . . I called wearily in my mind, finish . . .

And then my world went black. The last thing I heard was Fiona calling out my name.

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Please don't kill me. I really don't want to die. Tell me what you thiiiiink. :)