One night prior, just outside of Serenity's cabin, Dwayne finally admitted to David that he'd been sniffing out a werewolf in the immediate area and hadn't yet placed a face to it. He also told his pack brother about the heavy smell on the manuscript Serenity had loaned to her new friend, which gave immediate suspicion and claimed Marie as the suspect.

However, David had told him to wait until the girl agreed to meet with them, because he didn't want to upset Serenity any more than they already had, at least until he knew for sure what they were dealing with.

When Paul alerted David with a mental quick note about finding Serenity on the boardwalk the next night, he also let him know the time and place for that meet up had been set.

It worked out perfectly for the two older vampires, who after feeding nearby, stood ready in the shadows.

As soon as Marie took her position, her scent instantly gave her away, and they stalked past the rides and games towards her, keeping their human guise.

David remained calm, steady, with an ambiguous smile on his face and blue eyes that could have deceived anyone, considering they still looked amiable. He even stuck his hands behind his back, placing one foot slowly in front of the other to let Dwayne take charge and arrive first.

The second in command couldn't keep his cool like his sire. Instead he marched forward, his long black hair swaying, almost covering the sharp frown on his forehead as his eyes held Marie's figure firm in front of him. He pointed towards her and growled the word, "Werewolf!" His claws tore into the clothing on her arm as he reached for her and pulled her into a tight grasp to keep her from changing or trying to run away.

"Hey!" Marie cried in dismay as the rough encounter caused her to drop her nacho tray to the ground. The cheese covered chips spilled out of their container and she accidentally kicked it aside as she struggled to free herself from her predicament. It was no use. The stranger's grip was like a steel trap and his body was just as hard.

"What is your deal...!?" she demanded, lifting her head up to see who the person was, anxious to yell at him some more, yet mildly shocked when she recognized him.

The guy from the coffee house the other night! She thought. The one who asked me about that girl who got a free drink…what's his problem?

"You're my problem," Dwayne snapped back in a low, threatening tone, refusing to relinquish his tight hold on her. Only for a second did he allow her to fuss as he switched positions so that her back was completely against his chest.

"All that description and you don't know who we are?" David asked, mildly insulted as he pointed out towards the beach. From the corner of his eye he could see Serenity approaching full boar, surprised there wasn't a whirlwind of sand behind her from the furry he felt approaching.

The sand was a burden, making her legs ache as she dug in with her toes to go faster, scooping away the path, determined to stop the chaos that had already started. "What are you doing?" she shouted before having the chance to grab hold of the railing. "She hasn't done anything!"

She felt Paul right behind her and had to stop the moment she was face to face with David to catch her breath and hope that the adrenaline rush wouldn't force any of her abilities to go haywire. Not that the brief vision of sending David and Dwayne flying through the air didn't give her pleasure for attacking Marie.

"Your friend here is a werewolf," David said, in a manner that made it almost impossible to argue. "I bet she didn't tell you that." His brows rose with curiosity as he glanced at Paul for half a second and then turned back towards Marie as if expecting her to say something.

"What?" Serenity sounded as if she'd had the wind knocked out of her and couldn't do anything but frown in response.

"Yeaaah, not good," Paul said as he placed a hand on her shoulder, acting as if he wanted to pull her behind him for her own safety. He knew this was not the time to argue with the boss man, especially if their mortal enemy was smack dab right in front of them.

As soon as the announcement was made, Marie ceased with her struggling. Fear and concern vanished from her face, and was replaced with a blank expression. The will to fight oddly gone in the moment.

"Does it really matter what I am?" she asked, focusing only on her friend, the one person she felt she could count on. "It shouldn't, because I want to help you in any way that I can. What I am is my business, nobody else's."

Paul leaned against Serenity some, but unlike David and Dwayne, he wasn't coming off as aggressive toward Marie when he spoke up.

"Yeah, well, see it DOES matter because werewolves and vampires don't mix. Serenity's one of us and we gotta protect each other no matter what."

Serenity closed her eyes to gather her thoughts. It was hard to concentrate when Paul's touch was still electrifying after their little interlude on the beach. She felt selfish in wishing this problem would magically disappear in order to spend more time with Paul talking about the subject.

Still, she had to participate, even if the news was a shock, considering everything she had revealed about herself to Marie. "But why didn't you tell me?" Frustration showed in her voice. "After all I shared with you, it…" she didn't finish, but she knew that in the boys' eyes it was suspicious. There was no reason to hide if the threat wasn't real.

"Because I was taught to be absolutely normal no matter what!" Marie exclaimed, somehow managing to control her own body so it didn't exhibit anxiousness. Her face remained void of emotion but her voice was filled with passion. Memories of her parents using strict discipline to make her act normal came back in quick flashes in her mind. "To fit in with humans and to just be another face in the crowd is the best way to survive. I'm still the same person you met on the train. I'm the same person you confided in. I want to help you because I like you Serenity!"

Wasn't that exactly what Serenity's new family had always done? Blending in with the crowds on the boardwalk to make the humans around them believe they were one in the same? Yet the advantage of that was deadly.

Serenity was at a disadvantage, yet she looked back at Paul with pleading eyes. "I believe her!" Out of all of them it was important that he knew that, but when she turned her gaze back to David, she said, "Can't you tell? I mean, why go to all this trouble if she was just going to…" she shrugged, "hurt me?" Of course Howie had come across harmless as well, and ended up being an employee of Max's, but Max wasn't around anymore and Serenity didn't see any reason as to why a werewolf would want to cause her harm. Especially when her powers were temporarily dormant.

"It's still a chance we can't take," Dwayne said, even keel for the first time since he'd taken hold of the girl. He stood wide behind Marie, but let her drop her arms a bit. "Packs are sneaky. They'll try to find any way in they can."

"What does that mean for her? I won't let you hurt her!"

"Hey, Seren, calm down," Paul made a move to sooth her, hoping it would keep the peace, but she would have none of it.

David smirked at her aggression, for deeper reasons. "She's coming with us. That should make you happy, shouldn't it? It is what you wanted after all. We'll keep her until we know for sure the coast is clear." He stepped around and faced Marie. "Does that sound fair?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "Coming from our view point, our kind have been enemies for a long time. Taking your word for it isn't an option."

"What're you talking about pack?" Marie questioned as she brought a hand up to rub at where the coffee house guy held her. She swore he put indentations in her skin with that vice grip of his. More importantly, she didn't like the way David was looking at her. His eyes gave her the creeps and she averted her stare.

Paul couldn't help but chime in while still keeping a protective, yet loose hold over Serenity. "What, you don't have a bunch of wolves that you travel with? You guys always stick together, don't you?"

"Well, seeing as how you can't take my word for nothing," Marie replied as she crossed her arms defensively over her chest, "I'll still answer your question since you and Serenity are the only ones being decent to me. Packs are not for everyone. Not everybody likes to be told what to do. Some of us prefer to carve our own path in life and not be bound by stupid history or tradition."

"I wouldn't have a problem believing that if the situation was different. Thing is, we still don't know you, but you know a hell of a lot about us, and that doesn't sit well with me," David countered. He gave a small nod to Dwayne before he stuck his hands in his pockets like he was about to pull out a smoke.

The wind started to blow, creating a small dust around the group comprised mostly of sand and suddenly the boardwalk felt deserted. Nothing and no one was going to break the meeting up, even if for half a second, Serenity expected the howling of wolves in the distance to break up he awkward chill settling between the five of them.

"If she had a pack, wouldn't they be here now? Defending her?" Serenity asked, her body finally giving in to Paul's protection in case David had some kind of fierce backlash, considering she knew nothing about werewolves.

David noticed her reaction and in the blink of an eye, placed himself directly in front of her, giving Paul the signal to back down. His fingers graced her chin and despite the brutal cold of his eyes, a hidden sadness surfaced. "Who's side are you on, Serenity?" He made a tsk tsk sound and shook his head. "After all this time, you still think I would keep you from having an opinion here." It wasn't a question, rather a statement, but he let it slide shortly after and backpedaled a few steps before giving his feedback on the other questions she'd asked. "Depends on why they're here. Word on the streets travel fast, and anyone with a brain will be after your power now, remember that."

"She's coming with us!" he said, letting the verdict carry on the breeze.

"Let's go, girl," Dwayne said quietly, nudging Marie from behind to get her to move. He stopped in front of Paul, leaning into his younger brother as though Serenity wasn't molded to him. "We got a lot to talk about back home."

"Aw, what? About what?" Paul half whined, still reeling from David's silent order to back off the girl. He hadn't realized that he'd instantly pulled her closer to him again as they started to follow the others.

"There's more to Serenity than just her powers!" Marie retorted. One last rebuttal as she looked over her shoulder, past the coffee house guy's arm, whimpering as she saw what was left of her food on the ground.

"I was looking forward to enjoying those, too..." she whispered in lament.


"Take her back and make sure she's secure, Dwayne," David said once they reached the cave. "We don't need a pack of animals coming in here trying to take what's ours. I have enough to deal with as it is."

Dwayne knew what he meant. His two younger brothers were about to walk right into a shit storm with each other now that Serenity was well aware Paul's affection. As suspected, she seemed to reciprocate the feelings, which wouldn't make things any easier for David who still seemed weary of Sasha's warning.

Now they had a werewolf on their hands, a possible spy come to cause trouble by

befriending Serenity. Dwayne hadn't decided if keeping her against her will was a good idea. If there were a pack behind her, they might come looking. Still, he couldn't disobey David.

Marie was bound and gagged as he walked her down the dark tunnels; one hand on her wrists while the other carried a lit torch. Every now and then the ambers would fall and brush off his shoulder turning to ash that sprinkled itself over the girl's hands. He wondered if she could feel it. They were like his footsteps, light and silent, unlike hers. Her tennis shoes made noise as she dragged them and stumbled forward, most likely on purpose. He pulled her up right with a sharp tug. "Move it, girl!" he growled, knowing full well he wasn't hindering her movement.

Marie wanted to scream and cry out of frustration, but she couldn't. The night didn't want to end, as seconds seemed to stretch on for agonizing hours. Not only was she gagged and prevented from making much noise, she had to preserve what little pride she had left, still confused over what the mullet creep was saying about "pack of animals." What animals? The only ones she saw in her mind were the feral vampires taking her hostage.

She particularly didn't care for the one who was pushing her around either, although admitting silently he did have more manners than some of the others. She picked her feet up to appease the dark vampire and wondered for the hundredth time, what in the HELL it was that Serenity had gotten herself into by getting involved with these weirdoes.

Dwayne laughed at the girl from behind, but there was no humor in it. It was dry and resounded in an echo around them. He could tell she was in a state of indignation by the way she faltered and breathed. He was sure that if she could look at him, she would try to set him back with just her anger. It wasn't something he cared about. In fact, for being insolent, he pushed her forward a little harder until they reached their destination.

It was a small hole in the wall with an old wooden door that still had a lock, even though there were no keys, but Dwayne was sure he could rig it to where she wouldn't be able to escape and even then, her chains would keep her from it. He pushed her through the entrance and let her sit abruptly without a choice while he gathered her tethers. The bound was removed, as was the gag. "Do not speak unless spoken to," he warned, pushing a finger in front of her mouth. He took one hand and clamped the cold metal chain around it, locking it in place. One around her ankle followed. They were loose enough to where she could move around the room freely if she wanted, and then there were other issues to take care of. He picked up a bucket and pulled a water bottle from it. "Drink." There were a few other essentials in there as well. "Toothpaste," he pointed towards a large hole in the back, "Toilet," and the bed followed after. He had taken a few Native rugs from his personal room and made a bed for her on an old mattress. "When I know you won't run, I'll take those off," he said, pointing to her chains while looking her over.

The girl was young and didn't impose the feeling of threat, but he couldn't think about that. He couldn't let her soft features cloud his judgment, not when it came to protecting the pack.

As much as Marie wanted to call this jerk every name in the book, she wasn't stupid. This guy was capable of mangling whomever he wanted. Yet he honestly thought she was a real danger by chaining her up like a beast! She actually had to bite down on her lower lip until she bled so she wouldn't laugh out like a loon. She was as much of a fighter as a bunny rabbit... Just minus the fact that she COULD change into a man-eating wolf and she probably could fight off a number of individuals who attempted to take her down. However, she didn't know the first thing about fighting or even basic self defense, but these vampires were sure she was a killing machine or some nonsense. Maybe it was best just to play dumb and go along with whatever they wanted, to a point.

All she knew then was that the next time she saw Serenity, she would demand an explanation and then some. This wasn't the kind of treatment given to someone who had offered friendship and help.

"Nothing to say?" he asked, looking rather surprised as his dark brows rose. Then he looked down at the decorative collage of rope he wore around his neck and fingered over the bones and teeth. "This was one of your kind. I took him down right outside the cave here. That's what happens." He left it at that and then, "Are you comfortable?" It was slightly mocking but he also meant it and was curious to know.

Hadn't this guy said NOT to say anything until he gave her permission? In his eyes, she was a dumb mutt. Jeez, these vampires were egotistical. Instead she simply looked away and shrugged her shoulders. What did it matter how she answered if she answered? He didn't care about her, and why should she care about another werewolf? Did these guys actually think all wolves stuck together?

He chuckled and this time it was domineering as he tilted his head back and let his true nature shine through his eyes. "See, you're already catching on like a good girl." He stepped away and through the entrance. "I'll bring you a snack later."

The door was shut and barred, but he didn't like that he couldn't see her through it, which meant making his own peephole with his fist. Immediately he sent it through the broken down wood, sending splinters everywhere. Now he had the perfect view whenever he wanted it.

Marie flinched over the loud crunching sound of wood shattering. That could of just as easily been her bones if she wasn't careful. A couple of the splinters landed on her shoulder and in her hair, but it wasn't as if she could brush them away. She just remained where she sat and unleashed a flurry of cuss words inside her head as a way to relieve the stress.


Serenity waited until she knew Dwayne and David had stepped out, and then made her way back into the tunnels using a small flashlight she had found, that way, if anyone saw her, she could hide the light. She was kidding herself, considering she knew vampires could see perfectly well in the dark, but she had to make sure Marie was all right.

The makeshift door Dwayne had created looked almost frightening when she finally found it. "Marie?" she whispered. "Are you in there?" Immediately she moved to push the bar across the wood, unsure if her strength could lift it, but with determination the door creaked open.

Sitting back against one of the cave walls, Marie's eyes flashed yellow the moment she picked up on Serenity's scent. How much time had passed since the vampire left? She hadn't been too sure, as she'd forced herself to fall asleep after he disappeared. But Serenity's scent and the sound of her footsteps alerted the werewolf of her presence, and by the time she stepped into the room, her anger had risen to a peak.

"Thanks so much for everything that's happened," Marie said to the blonde with a sarcastic, bitter undertone. It wasn't like her to rage, but after everything that went down, she wasn't sure how else to react. "Yeah, maybe I should've told you about what I really was, but why couldn't you have done anything to stop this? Aren't we friends?"

Serenity felt the dread rise up in her stomach making her feel sick. "I AM sorry," she declared. "I tried to stop them. I still am." She glanced up at Marie and caught the yellow in her eyes but it didn't sway her intentions as she glanced around the room and decided to have a seat on the bed. "I'm not even sure I have the ability to stop them right now. They're stronger than I am, and they protect me, what was I supposed to do? It's four against one." She sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, remember David killed me the first time I laid eyes on him? Well…at least I thought it was the first time I had seen him. I guess it doesn't matter. I'm going to get you out of here one way or the other."

The werewolf mumbled something with confusion written on her face. The anger temporarily subsided and she reached up to touch the collar around her neck. Could she break out of these if she shifted? Perhaps, but she was too scared, too unsure of her abilities, and she feared that testing such waters would land her and Serenity in serious trouble. Never the less, Marie was comforted knowing that even with the protection of the vampires, Serenity wanted to see her free.

"Unlike vampires," she said as she sat back against the cave wall and folded her legs together, "I didn't get a choice in being a werewolf. I was born one. Sure, you get the humans who are cursed by getting bitten by a wolf, but for the most part we're just born like any other living creature." She paused, wondering if she should continue, but even with everything that had happened so far, she still felt comfortable around Serenity.

The girl had placed her faith and trust in Marie by sharing her twisted past, and it was only fair that Marie to do the same, regardless of the situation.

"My parents had issues with the pack they came from, so they turned into lone wolves and left the community. Loners aren't seen as good things in the eyes of those who run in groups. They think we're trouble makers who don't like to get along with others. Mom and dad forced me and my sister to live like normal humans. They gave us preventative drugs to keep our bodies from shifting during certain phases of the moon. I'd often go to bed real early so I wouldn't be exposed to it at its fullest..."

Marie gave Serenity a sad smile. "I found myself relating to you when I read your manuscript, you mentioned how those scientists were treating you like some kind of lab rat. Looking back, I had no idea that what my parents were doing to me was abuse. They were grooming me into something I couldn't be, no matter how hard they tried to drug me up. So, after some... stuff went down, I decided to leave."

"Shit." It was all Serenity could manage to say. The back-story of Marie's child hood had silenced her, humbled her, and yet they shared this in common. Serenity couldn't remember ever being held against her will as a youth because of her power, but she could relate to the small amount of time she had spent in Max's facility. The reminder made her stomach turn. "Do you still have to take those drugs?" She regarded her friend with caution in her eyes. "I remember the ones Max gave me made everything fuzzy. I felt numb all over. It's not something I would ever want to experience again. Sometimes I have to wonder though about the side affects, you know, considering my abilities haven't been as strong lately."

"Numbing sounds familiar," Marie replied weakly, recalling the many days and nights where it was the only thing she could feel. Growing up, the beast within her was constantly restless, threatening to emerge during the day, ready to hurt or kill someone, if not for the drugs that were constantly circulating in her system.

"I actually stopped taking the drugs on my eighteenth birthday," Marie revealed, and that was when her voice started cracking. "It took a lot of will on my part to disobey my parents, but it turned out to be the best thing I could ever do for myself."

She brought a hand up to wipe at the corners of her eyes, as tears were ready to fall. Despite not revealing everything just yet, she was relieved to get that secret out. Other than her sister, she had nobody to talk to about her struggles.

Blinking slowly, she continued to smile at the blonde. "I don't want anybody or anything to get in the way of this relationship that you and I have growing. Even if I meet my fate in Santa Carla by whatever means, I just want you to know that I believe in you and whatever you decide to do with yourself, or who you pick to be with, you're one in a million."

Serenity swallowed as a bubble had risen in her throat and she felt tears of her own welling in her eyes. Aside from getting Marie in trouble with her newfound family, she hadn't really done anything to help her and felt the compliment was undeserved. Still, the impact of the words alone made her heart swell and she fell from the bed, reaching for Marie. With a sob, she embraced her, feeling as if she had gained more than just a friend, but a sister. "We'll find a way out of this. I promise. David is testy, but he's not stupid, just cautious." She pulled back and swiped at her eyes with a silly smile, knowing how red and burdened her face was. "Once he knows the truth, he'll let you go. He has to."

The sentiment between the girls was disrupted before either of them could say another word as sound of chains dangling from a belt echoed into the room, followed by Paul's intrusive announcement.

"Seren, c'mon, time's up!"

The flamboyant vampire appeared at the doorway, but stopped short of entering the room entirely. He'd caught a glimpse of the two girls hugging, and a small twinge of guilt hit him inside. Beyond him and his brothers, he'd never seen Serenity so emotional with anyone else. It was weird, but at the same time, not such a bad thing. Why? He wasn't exactly sure, but it did make him feel good to see Serenity happy with another person, even if it was a supposed enemy.

Marie slowly relinquished her hold over Serenity, but said nothing upon the tall blonde's arrival. Out of all of them, he was the one she felt she could tolerate the most. Tolerate in the sense that he wasn't a complete bully towards her, and from what she'd observed on the trek to the cave; Paul could've easily been mistaken for a human. He acted remarkably 'normal,' in spite of the foul stench of blood that cloaked him and his brothers.

"You better go," she insisted quietly to Serenity as she adjusted herself in order to sit on her knees. The collar felt tight against her neck, but she resisted the urge to fiddle with it with Paul as close as he was.

Serenity was still reluctant to go and looked back longingly at Paul. If she wasn't facing Marie's condition she would be facing the truth about the way she felt for him, and she wasn't sure if he would openly admit it to Marko or deny everything. Knowing how close knit the pack was, she could only guess that going behind the back of his older brother wouldn't be tolerated, even if Marko had expressed their nonchalant ways of going about serious relationships. The small voice inside told her it was a much bigger deal than that, especially when marks were involved.

"I'm scared," she threw her feelings out quick, but it was the truth. "I'm sick of being scared. You know that. You can see that she's innocent, right?"

Paul leaned against the doorway and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. It killed him to see Serenity so distressed, and deep down, he didn't think this wolf girl would be any real trouble, but he couldn't admit anything out loud just yet. If Serenity was that taken with her, if she was getting that worked up over her, and if she had nothing else to hide, then things would work out.

Right?

"David knows what's best for us," Paul said, defending his buddy and leader. "C'mon, girl, don't be so sad. Cheer up! You believe in us, don't you? Don't you believe in me?"

Once again Serenity felt her heart swell and a big smile replaced the burdened one. If anything were to alter the course of her actions, it would've been the love she had for the monster in front of her, reaching inside her being at that moment with invisible fingers to pull her to him. "Of course I do."

I believe in you.

Trying her luck, she pushed the mental emotion right back at him and took a deep breath as she got to her feet, dragging a little in order to brush up against him before turning back to bid Marie a farewell for the time being. "I'll see you soon, Marie, I promise."

Marie's smile never wavered. She didn't want her friend to get into any more trouble on her behalf. She even gave her a look that silently said, "I'll be okay."


A special thanks once again to you wonderful people/friends who have left reviews, firstcome-firststaked, guests, Kate, Felix, Lyanna L, AngelaAngieAng, J Berry Smith, Chantal, Edicts Galore, JakkiiSukaru, Animarie93, and I have to give big time credit to my dear friend Erzsebeth Bathory as she is just as big in this story as she is with her others. She brings life to Marie and helps me fall in love with Paul all over again every single day. I actually got choked up a little going over this chapter this morning as I feel it's one of the more emotional ones. I hope you guys like it and let me know what you think. I really enjoy chatting with all of you!

As always, reviews make my heart sing!