I

Jane wasn't sure how much time had passed since the plane took off. Everything around her was so quiet; all she could hear was her own breathing. Her guards stood unmoving as if they were carved in stone. That unnerved the human even more.

All her thoughts revolved around her mate. She knew Maura would blame herself for what was happening and Jane hated that.

She felt unusual courage and determination. Felt like if she had been a little more power she'd rip these chains off and make Valeria and her group regret setting foot near them.

Why in hell wouldn't Maura turn her into a vampire? This could have been easily avoided. 'Or maybe not' Jane hung her head in frustration. She felt so useless now.

The human wasn't even sure she had managed to blink properly when three of the guards dropped dead all of a sudden. Her eyes almost fell out when they landed on a tall dark figure. 'Arian' Jane thought in dread. Even though the figure looked nothing like the girl she had met on the deserted street. The creature was seven feet high, stood on two legs and ripped through vampires' throats like they were made of clay. Everything was over before the guards could make any sound.

Jane had never thought that vampires could be so easily killed by a werewolf. Now she understood why the council was trying to avoid any kind of rise of the lycans. If one werewolf could take out ten vampires in seconds, imagine what united packs would do under the right leader. But this was not an ordinary werewolf, thought the detective as she watched the lycan change form and turn into the strange young woman from the street.

"We meet again, Jane Rizzoli." Her smile, even though her face and clothes were covered in blood, was pleasant and friendly. She walked closer and stood in front of Jane.

Jane felt divided. Along with relief she felt scared and intimidated by the display the werewolf had just put on. She waited for her to unchain her, but the girl stood unmoving.

"Aren't you going to unchain me?" She asked impatiently, eager to save her mate and the others.

"No," Arian slowly shook her head, "We can't afford to lose any more time. Full moon is rising tonight." She added like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

But Jane didn't understand what it meant or why the werewolf wasn't freeing her. Arian saw it in her expression and continued, "You can only become a werewolf when the full moon's shining and I can't wait another month for that."

"You are going to bite me now?"

"It's for your own good. The faster it's over the better." Arian was almost face to face with her now. "I'm going to leave you restrained and please try not to tear the place down." Jane was about to chuckle but the expression on Arian's face told her she wasn't joking at all.

"Can't it wait a little longer? We must free the others first."

Arian smiled, "Trust me, Jane, only thing that keeps Maura restrained now is the fear that something will happen to you. Once she knows you're safe she'll be here faster than you say farkasember."

"Say what?" Jane asked raising one eyebrow, "That's not an easy word to say."

"These chains aren't easy to tear." The lycan answered raisin both eyebrows, "And killing vampires will probably take some time too."

Even though Jane remembered the heavy situation they were in, she still felt better. Arian's self assured and calm demeanor had effect on her and she smiled.

"How's Maura gonna know I'm safe?"

"I'm going to howl after I bite you. She'll know."

"Can't you bite me after she's here?" The human knew she was about to take a huge step into unknown and couldn't help wishing her mate was near when it happened.

"You think she's going to let me do that?" Arian chuckled. "She'll insist on doing it herself."

"So it doesn't matter if I become a werewolf or a vampire?" Jane was taken aback. "Why didn't she bite me earlier then?"

"It matters, Jane, but maybe not in the way you think. She knew that, vampire or not, I still needed you and the council would still come after you."

The lycan wanted to say more but Jane interjected' "But I would have been stronger."

"I don't know if Maura has told you this, but they don't turn into a vampire just anyone. It's considered to be a privilege." Arian saw the human was going to say something again and quickly continued. "The council knew Maura had someone in Boston, but as long as you remained human they thought it was nothing serious and therefore had no reason to worry. If Maura had turned you they would have come for you sooner."

"Why did they come now?"

"Maybe they got suspicious, maybe one of my men couldn't hold back his tongue." Arian shrugged at Jane's questioning glare. "Traitors are everywhere. You just have to know how to use them to your benefit. Got any more questions, detective?"

"Just one; why do you wear such large clothes?"

Arian, whose been looking at her expectantly, laughed. "So I don't rip them off when I turn. It limits my movement, but otherwise I'd have to run around naked, not that I mind that, but it'd gain me unwanted attention."

The lycan came even closer and Jane could feel her breath. "This is going to hurt, but you'll live." She said with a smile. "Ready?"

At first Jane shook her head, but then nodded, without taking her eyes off Arian's darker ones. She watched as the blackness in the lycan's eyes expanded and took over other colors. The human's gaze fell lower at the werewolf's teeth, which now were twice their original size and were hanging out of her mouth like spines. Semi-turned Arian was not a comforting sight to see, decided Jane.

The human felt the sharp teeth sink in the flash on her wrist. The bite was followed by blazing heat that quickly spread through her body. She thought she was about to combust when everything slipped into red darkness and she blacked out.

II

Maura almost didn't believe her ears when she heard that very familiar sound she hadn't heard for a very long time, but one look at Valeria told her that she was correct. The change on the red-haired woman's face was instantaneous. Her green eyes grew wide and pale face became even whiter. Maura saw fear and excitement battle for dominance on the beautiful vampire's face.

Arian was on the plane and hopefully she was with Jane.

Before she knew what she was doing Maura's hands were free and she was making her way to her mate slaying the vampires who dared to stand on her way. Amelia and Thaddeus joined her soon enough. Before long shocked Valeria was the only living vampire among twenty corpses in the cabin.

Amelia and Thaddeus went to free other captives, while the honey-blonde went straight to her lover.

She was almost there when she heard loud, repetitive pounding on the wall. Seconds later Maura saw her unconscious mate pulling on her restraints and hitting her head on the wall behind.

Maura ran up to her and tried to hold her head to prevent Jane from injuring herself. She had seen transformation countless times, but seeing Jane like this scared her still. She feared that the brunette's torture would never end, when her rational mind kept repeating that the convulsions were going to stop in mere minutes.

The vampire could feel her mate's body change under her hands. Her muscles and bones were getting larger and longer and then returned to their original size. Jane's skin changed colors and texture. One minute it was olive and smooth, the next it was black and rough. Her wide open but unseeing eyes changed from brown to black and then to brown again.

Thirty minutes later Jane calmed down and slipped into a deep dreamless sleep. Maura breathed out a relieved sigh and for the first time noticed there were others in the room.

Her gaze fell on Arian. The vampire was just as angry at her for putting Jane in this position as she was happy to see her alive. She turned around to face the rest of the vampires. Amelia was sent to check on the pilot. Thaddeus was asked to help her release Jane from the restraints and lastly, her butler Rufus (Maura was very surprised to find him here) was sent to bring Valeria with him.

After the two vampires went to fulfill their orders and Thaddeus gently laid Jane on the blankets on the ground. After making sure Jane was as comfortable as one could get in a situation like this Maura went to Arian, who had been observing silently.

For a moment the werewolf felt like she was a child again, about to get scolded for stealing Maura's telescope or ruining her books with paint. She shook her head slightly to clear her mind.

"I don't know what I want more; to hug you or to punch you."

"The first option's just fine." Arian nodded to back up her words and earned a smack to the head. "Aw, Maura, you know I had to do it sooner rather than later." She explained as she rubbed the smacked area.

"I know, but I still want to slap you." The vampire confessed. Then she pulled the lycan into a tight embrace, "Oh, Arian. Where have you been? I thought you had died!"

Arian returned the embrace with even greater force. "I'm sorry I made you worry. I only wanted to get away from everything. I'm sorry." She repeated.

Maura slowly pulled back and looked in the werewolf's eyes, "I'm so glad you're alive."

Arian smiled but her face quickly became serious. "We need to talk, Maura."

"Yes, we do." The vampire nodded and motioned other vampires to leave them, except for Thaddeus, who was sitting next to Jane. "How long have you been following Jane?"

"From the time you got back from the castle. My people had informed me that the council suspected something. I didn't want her to be alone in the streets. The time she spent with you I used to organize the werewolves and send them to Romania. You'd be surprised at how easily they all agreed. Either they're really tired of hiding or they're really afraid of me." The werewolf chuckled as if it was nonsense, but Maura had no doubt Arian could scare just about anyone.

The vampire wanted to say something, but she was interrupted by very uncomfortable-looking Rufus, who had returned with Valeria. "We'll continue this later." She said instead.

The werewolf nodded once and headed to another room in one swift stride.

The red-haired vampire tried so hard not to look at the passing lycan, but just for a second her eyes disobeyed her and fell on Arian. For a fleeting second she thought (or hoped?) she'd stop and say something, maybe just look at her. She even took a shaky breath to prepare herself… but the werewolf didn't stop, didn't turn, didn't look at her. She just walked out of the room.

Earlier, when Maura's servant came and told her Maura wanted to see her unexpected dread took over her senses. She had been afraid many times before, even if she would never admit it to anyone, but this feeling… this intense, all consuming fear she had never experienced before. It was like a dead weight lying on her chest; making standing, moving, existing almost impossible. Yet, it was different. It excited her. She wanted to turn around and run as far as possible from that room, but another, much stronger force pulled her towards it. She gave in to the desire and followed the man to the place that held someone she never thought she'd see again. The walk from the front cabin of the plane to the lower part was the longest one she had taken in her life.

And Arian just walked out. The red-head felt all emotions leave her. Only regret and sadness remained. For all those times she had felt Arian's gaze, she never once returned it. Of course the werewolf wouldn't forget that. Maura's voice brought her out of thoughts.

"Why were you taking us back?"

"We've heard about the mythical creature werewolves were looking for. We wanted to make sure it wasn't her," Valeria looked at Jane. "But I guess it is."

"What happens now?" Maura knew the answer, but wanted to hear what the council thought about it.

"There's going to be another war. It will decide everything." The red-haired woman answered simply.

"There's no avoiding it, then?"

"You know them as well as I do. They won't go down without a fight."

Maura had to agree. She told Valeria she didn't have any more questions and went to sit with Jane for the rest of the flight. The vampire pulled her mate's head in her lap and gently ran her hands through her hair as she waited for her to wake up.