Oh my wonderful readers I'm back! You've all been so amazing considering my time off, and all the reviews you gave me were amazing i enjoyed each and everyone of you. So many of you saw the triangle as well-just so you are all aware it will only be one sided nothing will come of Clove's affections. i was shocked at how many people enjoyed my surprise that i wrote into the fic, but I'm glad you all enjoyed it

A.N-SHOUTOUTS!

Angel-Demon hybrid-I hope i got this out fast enough: oh and another thing: i just realized how close out names are funny huh?

Lea-I'm so glad you read both of my chapters and reviewed both of them, that right their is dedication, and the fact you liked both of them so much just reminds me of how much of a loyal reader you are: i hope i updated quick enough.

mimikopi-I have a trademark now do I...well that's different but i like it. i hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it oh and thank you for taking the time to read Thoughts of a Guiding Light it means a lot to me that you really love my verse that much.

inge1066-Aww thank you I'm glad you liked my little moments I'm managing to fit into the chapters: it's a lot harder than you'd think. I'm glad you like my hunter Peeta: i know it's not done very often.

Cheese and Crackers-don't worry it is a one sided triangle i am all for CatoXPeeta: it's for the win!

WoWHead-Haha I'm glad you enjoy the surprise and thank you.

SakuraDrops141-Thank you for reviewing-once again-and I'm not sure who'll be killing her just at this moment I'm undecided.

LabRat3000-Basically the remaining tributes were divided into 2 teams: the Career alliance and the Scattered Alliance and whatever tribute remaining after the two weeks will all be allowed to leave the arena alive so long as they are all from the same alliance-basically the original rule change but extended a little. I hope that helped clear a few things up for you: oh and thanks for reviewing.

Adam88-Awe thank you and i had a great time, i managed to plan out a few more chapters in my spare time.

The Few And Proud Marines-Welcome to my Author's note! Thank you for your review and your support it means a lot to me and helps me continue in my writing.

Alec03-Hello new reviewer: welcome to my appreciation shoutouts: thank you for your review and i hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the last one.


Peeta P.O.V

The night after we were given out marks by the game makers Clove and I had split up from the other half of our pack and scoped out the other half of the arena looking for any sign of our enemies that would be looking out for our presences. It was refreshing to be with the tiny district two tribute who despite the strong sarcastic front she had put up at the training center was more than willing to act like the young girl she really was. On the first day they had been together we had found the young boy from district five who had tried running from us only to be shot down by Clove's wicked aim.

When I inspected his arm I had felt disgusted at the falcon mark on his inner arm with the word Scattered underneath it, why I felt so happy he was dead didn't even really occur to me I was just glad there was one less of them left, plus Clove got another kill under her belt which meant she was making her district prouder which was always a good thing. Looking over at my partner I saw her eyes lock with mine and her eyes turn serious since we set off with one another earlier that morning. Only six tributes left before we could just wait the rest of the time out.

Moving away from the young tributes dead body I lead Clove through the forest until we reach a tiny creek where she could wash her knife clean, while she was busy I mentally count off the tributes left on the alliance team: there was Katniss, Thresh and Rue from Eleven, Foxface from five, the young girl from eight and the boy from ten. I could only hope that Cato would take out one of the other tributes for us because I didn't really want to hunt them down for much longer, I felt weak without our pack together and by the way Clove's eyes were skirting around the forest so did she.

"Come on we should keep moving" I said once a few minutes had passed, we had to keep moving and get as far as we could before the sun set, it was already getting dark and I didn't think Clove and I would be safe parading around in the dark.

Clove looked up at me and then nodded once before following me into the dense forest once again, I had left my jacket at the cornucopia so that I had easier access to my knives, I didn't like being left unprotected and in a place where six other tributes were vying for my death I wanted as much protection as I could get. "Peeta, we should make camp" Clove hissed as it began to get harder to see in the faint sunlight.

I knew she was right, I was used to the dark and forests but Clove wasn't she was used to shining academies and lights guiding her way, but even I could easily admit that I would have a hard enough time using my own knives in the dark so I knew Clove would be little more than useless. "Okay come on" I whisper guiding her to a small clearing that I had spotted that was surrounded by thickets all around so we were highly protected.

My partner gave me a relieved smile and sat down with her back leaning against a thicket closing her eyes tiredly making me frown, had we really be hunting for long enough to make even Clove exhausted, normally if she got a kill in Clove would be jumping around happily but when I look at her all I saw was a tired tribute wanting to rest before another hard day of traveling. I knew that out of everyone on the other alliance that Clove wanted to take out Katniss the most not that I blamed her, she was a big threat and while she hadn't done anything personally to her I knew that Clove felt threatened by her and now that she was on the other team I knew that she would hunt her down until she had caught the girl on fire and had a knife through her skull.

"You tired hey Clove" I asked quietly as I sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders pulling her close to my chest.

I heard her sigh and nod making me flood with guilt; I hadn't even thought of what Clove would be feeling as I dragged her through the forest with very little breaks and even less time to replenish what little supplies we had bought along with us. "Tomorrow we'll go a little slower okay: I promise" I whisper sleepily as my own body began to shut down.

Once again I felt Clove nod against my chest and then her breath evened out against my chest signalling her decent into sleep which I was gladly about to follow her into when the anthem of Panem plays and I'm shocked because I could swear that it actually wasn't that late and that Clove and I hadn't been resting for that long. Sighing tiredly I look up at the sky and see that the tribute respect show has become different what with the boy Clove killed standing in front of his alliance marking with his district under him. I knew that Cato, Marvel and Glimmer were probably going to rest easy now that they knew the one who fell wasn't one of them, it was one of the main disadvantages to splitting up: you never knew how the others in your pack were doing. Shaking my head to dislodge these thoughts I pull Clove tighter against me and sigh tiredly, if I wanted to get any rest then I was going to have to sleep now, so with a relieved sigh I close my eyes and before I know it I was falling asleep with only Clove to help keep me warm with her body heat.

The next time I woke the sun was still ascending in the sky and I could only guess it was nine in the morning, Clove was rubbing her own eyes as she woke and smiled tiredly at me, after going a full day with no food and only sleep and water to replenish their strength I could easily see that my partner wasn't going to be very strong this coming day and I knew I would have to hunt for us. "Come on" I whisper standing up and offering her my hand "let's get us some food"

At the sound of food Clove eyes lit up and I knew that we wouldn't be hunting tributes today, we'd leave that up to Cato and the others, we needed to keep strong and after yesterday I could easily say that we weren't at our strongest. We set off at a slow pace my eyes scanning everywhere looking for food anything I could kill to get Clove's strength up, I couldn't have her eyesight weakened because of a lack of nutrition I needed her at her best just as she needed me at mine. Which was why when I spotted a small deer I killed it instantly, I knew it was risky because now we'd need to make a fairly larger fire than I was comfortable with to cook it but the way Clove seemed to sag with relief when she saw the deer go down dead was more than enough to make me pleased with my decision to kill it.

Once I clean and gut the deer I almost freeze when I see Clove take a bite of raw meat, I send her a look of desperation which made her cover her mouth in horror and before I know what I'm doing I've bundled her up in my arms wiping the blood off her mouth "It's okay Clove: I know" I say because I do.

I know what it's like to be so hungry that you want to eat something that would make you sick just so you have something in your stomach, and I can clearly remember how excited Clove had been two nights go when we had all found out we were on the same alliance, she had forgotten to eat just like the rest of us which meant she hadn't eaten really for two full days and she was just a tiny tribute despite how much larger she seemed. "Peeta I'm so sorry" she whispered horrified by her actions.

Smoothing down her hair I pull back and smile at her warmly "Clove I know, its okay" I say calmly before turning back to the food and start a fire immediately.

It was actually strange how Clove could kill someone without flinching or getting that disgusted feeling flood her when she felt her victims life leave them, and yet as soon as she let her animalistic side flood her she had become a shaking shell. Although I could only guess that Clove had never had that side of her take over, never had she felt her needs so strongly that she lost control, so I wasn't going to judge her for it.

As soon as the food is cooked enough to eat I quickly cut off a slice and hand it to my partner who scarfs it down quicker than any of my brothers would have been able to, and I could almost see the light entering her eyes again, that shadow of hunger that had been following her for the last day faded from view. Once we ate our fill I scatter the rest of the deer for the carnivores I was sure were watching us from the forests and then we set off with a full belly intent on meeting up with our pack again. We travel for a few hours until it started to get dark again and Clove suggests we find a resting place again, unlike the clearing I had found easily the night before I know that shelter will be harder to find this time but luckily enough for me I find a monster tree with a hollow large enough for Clove and I to curl up comfortably in three hours later.

When the anthem plays that night no faces are shown in the sky and I wonder how the others in our pack are going, "Hey Clove?" I ask getting the smaller girls attention "How do you think the others are doing, I mean we've only found one of the other tributes since the alliances were made"

Clove frowns for a moment and then looks up at the fake sky above us and I could feel the weariness coming off her in waves "I dunno, I woulda thought Cato or the others would get at least one more you know, maybe they're just better at hiding than we are" she said smiling teasingly at me making me laugh.

"Oh come on I've kept us safe so far haven't I" I protest making her eyes warm and her smile to turn sincere, and for the first time I don't see a harden warrior in Clove I see only a teenage girl who was put through too much too early.

Nodding shyly Clove presses a kiss to my cheek and for a moment I think of freaking out, mostly because I know I care about Cato more than a friend and I don't want to get Clove's hopes up only to have them broken down in the end when we all walk free from these games in twelve more days. But I know that she cared, more scared than she's willing to admit, and that was more than enough to let her take comfort in his presence so long as she wasn't to forward he could play it off as being ignorant.

"That you have" she whispered as she tucked her head under his chin content to curl up against him much like she had the night before "My knight here to protect me" she breathed making me laugh.

"If there was anyone here who doesn't need a knight Clove it's you" I whisper softly my hand rubbing her back until she fell asleep and I felt my own eyes slip shut, I need more sleep than this if I want to be effective tomorrow.

I wake up the next morning to the feel of the sun on my face and with a grin on my face I carefully wake Clove and together with exit the tree and continue our trek through the forests. There was something about that day which just felt right, I didn't feel hungry or tired for the first time since entering the games and Clove was back to her sarcastic and peppy self. My mark was on display proud for all the citizens of Panem to see that I was a hunter, that I was deadly enough to take the lives of whoever decided to harm my pack.

"Hey Peeta, how do you view out…alliance?" Clove asked when we were taking a midday break at a stream I had caught a rabbit and was in the middle of cooking them "I mean I kinda think of the scattered alliance as a flock of birds, easier to destroy when you take them out one. By. One" she said throwing her knives into a nearby tree trunk while grinning happily at the dramatic effect it had.

I pause in my actions and then point to my wolf mark, the same one I knew that she had on her own skin that she had covered up with her jacket "We were given the wolf for a reason" I said simply "We are a pack" Clove watched me curiously as I turn back to the small fire I was using to cook the rabbit that we'd soon be eating and I suddenly wonder what this diet of just meat was doing to our health because I knew it couldn't be doing anything good for us apart from keeping our strength up.

"How do you figure" Clove finally said making me chuckle, she had last longer than any of the others would have, expect maybe Glimmer but she had the patience of a mother with a child so that makes sense.

Smiling at her I give her half the rabbit and settle down to eat my own "We're loyal and strong" I said before taking a bite of my lunch "We work together when we hunt making us more successful than if we hunted alone and we have a single leader in Cato our alpha" I said and I could see the understanding light up in Cloves eyes "Plus there's the fact we act more like a family than allies: we're more of a pack than a flock" I said grinning evilly as I stab my hunting knife into the log I was using as a seat "And wolves are the predator, we are the killers"

Clove grin turns blood thirsty and I can see some of the red juice I hadn't been able to drain from the rabbit stain her chin making her look even more deadly than normal. I could tell she was about to say something when a loud boyish scream ring out through the forest then followed by a cannon fire making me laugh: our pack just got some more prey. "About time" I say out loud laughing.

"Who you think got the kill?" Clove asked me licking her bloody fingers clean, I look at my own greasy blood stain hands and then stroke my chin ignoring the blood I smeared, I didn't care why should I: this was a game of survival not a beauty pageant. "I mean I think Cato but I know that marvel's been thirsty for a kill since the end of the bloodbath" she continued not phased at all by my new bloody face.

I shrug and lean back picking at my teeth "Dunno…I'm gonna say Glimmer, she's been wanting to take someone out with that bow since I gave it to her" I say nodding, if anyone was going to kill someone it would be Glimmer, and Cato would have been considerate enough to do so for her.

Standing up I stretch and motion for Clove to follow me, I knew that out of the two of us I was the dominate member of our partnership, I was the larger, stronger member and even my weapons were more deadly than Clove's so until we reunited with the other half of our pack Clove was my responsibility and she would take my lead. "You know I kinda want to take out that red headed fox from five" I said simply "Just so that she's out of my way"

This drew a laugh from Clove who nodded in understanding, no one had seen the district five female since the bloodbath where she had run off swiftly into the forests, but we knew she was in the scattered alliance, and killing her would mean that she was out of the way and wouldn't have to be worried over any longer. "Yeah I know she's so annoying I mean she doesn't even have the guts to come and face any of us, always hiding in the shadows" Clove said falling into stride with me.

I smirk at my partner and help her up over a huge fallen log, I knew this ever changing forest was a part of the hard effects of the new alliances; it was the game makers way of making us tired as hell each and every day, but I had taken to this kind of change like a fish to water, I had faced harder and if Clove stuck with me she's cope just fine. At the end of the afternoon I found us shelter in another tree trunk where we curled up again like the wolves we now considered each other and stared out at the night sky smirking when the face of the boy from district ten shone up in the sky. We weren't surprised that it had been him, the scream had been to boyish to be Thresh or any of the girls and it defiantly hadn't been one of our pack: we didn't scream.

"Tomorrow it's our turn" Clove whispered in my ear making me smirk and nod, we would sleep content with the knowledge that our pack mates had been given a kill that afternoon, but we were getting restless and needed to do something with ourselves and killing a tribute may be just what we need.

On the fifth day of the hunger games I wasn't woken up by the sun light streaming on my face of the feeling of another tribute boring down at me, it was to the smell of smoke, heavy all around me. Smoke meant fire and fire meant threat my eyes snapped open when I processed this and without missing a beat I shook Clove awake "Clove wake up fire!" I hissed pulling her out of the tree.

Turning around in the smoky forest I gasp at the wall of fire raging towards us and I hiss in annoyance, I guess this was another one of the game makers little plots. Without missing a beat I lock my hand around Clove arm and throw her in front of me, I had to protect her, that was my job. "Go" I snarl "Run I'll be a step behind you"

Clove nodded and then we were off racing through the forest while the flames leapt at us, it was so close I could feel the flames licking at my bare skin and it pushed me to go faster, and I would not die here because of a little fire. A large boom explodes behind me and I turn just in time to see a large fire ball hit the tree next to my head, and it actually scared me, I may be a wolf as told Clove just then but I was still a victim to the elements, spotting a light ahead of me I surge forward and grab Clove before pushing off with my feet and leaping.

It was a good thing I did because we had reached a rocky ravine and my leap got us across it just enough that when I landed I just landed on the rocks, "Keep going" I cough out scrambling to my feet with Clove only a few steps behind me.

I had no idea how long we ran but soon enough I began to notice the smoke thinning out and my surroundings becoming more familiar, we were heading back towards the Cornucopia and I couldn't feel it in myself to hate that, all I wanted was the safety of our home base and by the way Clove looked when I slowed us to a brisk walk, covered in soot and several scratches from the branches that had caught us on our dash through the woods I could tell she wanted us to regroup with the pack almost as much as I did.

A rustling sound interrupted my thoughts making me freeze and bring out one of the hunting knives I had on handy, I was about to let my knife fly when I heard a feminine gasp and then had my arms full of a heavily breath Glimmer who had just as much soot in her hair as I did turning her blonde locks dirty and grimy. "Oh thank god" I heard her breath as she tightened her grip on me.

Closing my eyes in relief I hug her back just as tightly breathing in her scent, it was good to be back with my pack, I slide open my eyes again and see Marvel pull a startled but very thankful Clove in a tight hug as Cato strode into the clearing his face a mixture of relief and weariness, it had been a long three days being separated from one another. I pull back from the archer and press a kiss to her forehead before walking over to Marvel and pulling him into a tight wordless hug which he easily returned as the two girls followed suit.

"We thought you'd been caught in the flames" my fellow male tribute breathed out in a worried breath as we parted his hands still locked on my shoulders as his eyes roved my face "We were waiting for the boom for so long when we heard you urging Clove to keep running a short ways back" he explained and I nodded as I remembered the feeling of someone following me.

I turn to Cato and without thinking twice about it throw myself in his arms nuzzling his chest as his arms tightened around my waist, I had missed him more than I was willing to admit to myself but being back in his safe hold I could feel the tension that had built up over the last three days fading away and I felt safe finally "It's good to be back with you" I breath out and I feel him nod "Can we not separate for that long again?"

"Please" I hear Glimmer shout and I remove myself from Cato's arms to smile at her, "I missed you two more than I thought I would, I mean we were put on an alliance for a reason" she said and I walk over and take her arm in my own making her beam.

Cato laughed at how easily we fell back into working so well together and without another word we set off towards the cornucopia as the pack we were, Cato at the front myself directly behind him protecting Glimmer who was on my arm and Marvel watching over the smallest member of our pack at the back while still looking out for threats at the back. When we reached our base I could almost feel the relief settle over the pack at the sight of the blood stained grassy field we had all started out on, it had been a long day and I knew we would set off as a pack that night to go hunting so it was no surprise when we all ended up curled up around one another to sleep, my head resting on Cato's chest and for the first time in three days we all fall asleep safe.

When we all woke up the sun was beginning to go down and all the excitement we had felt running through our veins at the beginning of the games was now back tenfold now that we were once again at our full strength. I bounce on the balls of my feet waiting for glimmer to replenish her arrows in the fading sunlight, the fire may have weakened the other alliance for all we know but it actually worked in our favour so we were going hunting to strengthen our bond again. It felt nice seeing Marvel joking with Cato and Clove, it was heart-warming to have Glimmer's sisterly presence by my side as I helped her understand the bow even further.

Once the anthem played Cato smirked at each of us and we set of at a walk laughing happily as we thrilled in the hunt, there was no need for us to be quiet, we were at our strongest and we knew we were the favourites to take our the new games. We still had all of our original members and we had already taken out two of the others, and hopefully we'd be well on our way to our third that night. Laughing at something Marvel said I almost miss the sight of a camp fire not too far away from me-you'd think after that afternoon people would be too scared of the flames, turns out not to be the truth, guess some people can't handle to cold.

"Look what I spotted" I say to Cato who turns and gives me a confused look until I point out the small column of smoke which stretches a grin over his handsome face. "Someone got a little chilly"

This drew a excited laugh out of the rest of the pack and then Cato whooped in joy running towards the smoke his eyes shining in blood lust as my own grin mirrors his blood thirst one, just for a moment I couldn't help but wonder what was happening to me, if I had changed so much from the kind hearted young man who had only taken glee in killing animals. Haymitch had warned me that I wouldn't be the same when I came out, that by joining the careers I would turn into someone different who hadn't been in district twelve when we left. But at that moment I couldn't think of what was happening to me, I as in the middle of the hunt and I needed to focus, smirking happily I let out a childish howl making Glimmer laugh from her position behind me, we all knew we were making noise but why would we care, if the girl ran it was just more sport for us.

When we were close Cato drew us to a crawling pace as our eyes lock on the huddled form of the girls and I feel my eyes roll, I know Seneca named the other alliance scattered but seriously couldn't the idiots tell that the best way to win these games was to work together? I mean just look at our pack. "I call kill" Cato whispered and I smirk at his eagerness, when Glimmer opened her mouth to protests the leader turned and gave her a firm glare "You got the last one Glimmer: start sharing"

I catch Clove's eye and smirk making her roll her eyes but incline her head as she admitted I had been right all along, as a group we move forward just as we did with the animal we hunted on the first day and then Cato strode forward and tapped the girl on the shoulder startling her to turn around. "Hi there little birdy, we were wondering if you could give us some directions" he said as he pulled out his gleaming sword "I mean you should know where we need to go considering the destination is your death"

The girl screamed and jumped up to begin running only to be pulled back by Cato who spun her around and buried his sword in her stomach "You really shouldn't have tried to run" he hissed in her ear while she screamed in pain.

I laugh at her expression along with Marvel who was leaning on a nearby tree and when Cato ripped his blade from her stomach with glee the five of us set of at a jog all laughing at the expression that had covered her face when she had seen the five of us surrounding her. "Did you see her face" Glimmer said in a fake concern voice as she turned to face us her mouth pouting.

"Yeah it was all like: please…don't kill me" Clove laughed jumping onto Marvel's back in joy.

Cato was looking very pleased with himself and was obviously going to put his own words in when I noticed something very important "Hey guys" I say making them all fall silent "Where's the cannon fire?"

All of them look at Cato who was openly gaping at me in shock, all of us had been so caught up in the hunt we had failed to notice that no cannon had been fired signalling the girl's death "S-she's dead!" he growled out in frustration "I struck her myself" he said holding out his bloody blade as if it proved the girl's death.

"Then we should have heard a cannon fire" Glimmer said wisely and then turned back in the direction we came from "I vote we go back and finish her off"

Despite being frustrated the girl wasn't dead Cato nodded and then looked at me with his blood thirsty grin which never failed to get a rise out of me. "You wanna help me finish her of eh twelve" he asked as my own blood rushed through my veins making my eyes turn wild with adrenaline.

I nod like a little puppy and then we're racing through the forests hooting and having fun when we came across the girl pitifully crawling in the opposite direction. I laugh at the sight of it and Cato threw his arm around my neck joining me, the sound of our laughter caused the girl to attempt to move faster but with a flick of my wrist a sent one of my hunting knifes into the gives lower calf making her scream at the sudden pain. "Look Cato she's crawling just like the bug she is" I mock making the girl whimper as I stride to her side pulling her up to her feet.

"Looks like we clipped the little birds wings" Marvel said as Cato ripped away her jacket revealing the scattered alliance mark "You ain't much of a bird of prey are you" he continued as I traced her jaw line with my blade.

I knew what I looked like, and it was probably getting me a hell of a lot of sponsors, but at the same time I could only imagine what everyone back home was thinking, I knew Haymitch understood, he had made me watch his own Games where he slaughtered his career pack and laughed madly the whole time. "You really should have died the first time" I said sadly before sliding my second knife in between her ribs making her cry at the on flowing pain "I mean then I wouldn't have had to waste my knives on you" then with a single motion my final hunting knife was buried in her heart and I had blood smeared across my cheek this time it wasn't animal.

A single cannon fire exploded through the night and the pack cheered at my show making me give them a mocking bow, glancing down at the now lifeless bod I grimace when I see the start of my knives, it would take forever to clean them now. "She's a bleeder" I said in disgust as I rip all three blades from her body.

Cato laughed and threw his arm around my shoulder running a thumb over my cheek smearing the blood even further while his eyes turned hot "I can see…gotta say though red is your color" I laugh at the typical response and suck on Cato's thumb making his eyes darken with lust.

I hear Glimmer hoot with Clove while Marvel wolf whistled, glancing back at the other members of our pack I see the two girls fanning themselves with their hands and Marvel grinning at me with a lecherous look in his eyes. "What…is there something you like" I ask the girls and walk over to Clove pulling her into a tight hug that had her flushing brightly.

I could feel Cato smirk a mile away, both of us love Clove like a sister and I'm sure that while maybe the tiny knife thrower may like me a little more than that she knew that I wasn't making her feel these things for her. "Get off" she squealed pushing me away and then scowled at the bloody hand prints I had left on her waist "Oh great Peeta, now I weakling blood all over me" she groaned crossing her arms over her chest pouting making Glimmer laugh and throw her arm around her shoulder.

"Hey don't worry about it when I killed that boy from ten a few days ago I got it everywhere and I'm not kidding he just kept bleeding" she said shuddering at the memory.

Cato turns to me as the girls continue to chatter and pulled me close to him as we walked through the forest, I could only imagine how much the capitol was loving our alliance, we were the hunters of this game and now that we were all covered in the blood of innocent children we would forever be the killers of the capitol: we'd forever be the pack of wolves they marked for their amusement and for some reason with Cato's arm around me I couldn't find it in my to care.


Please Don't hate me for what i made Peeta do: i did warn you he'd be changing!

Reviews are welcome:

Next Chapter: Childhoods revealed and the Pack goes ahunting.