Riley could feel the refreshing night air swirling over her clammy figure, as the window was slightly ajar, blowing through the loose tendrils of her mahogany hair as her sensitive hearing picked up the unusual sounds of the forest. Normally she would hear the rattling of the leaves in the wind or the barking of deer, but today the forest was eerily silent. She had perched herself to the dense wall of her balcony, the stars twinkling in the clear dark blue sky, the moon shining vibrantly over Stonehaven and Bear Valley as she collapsed her back further to the wall that was supporting her. She had unintentionally dozed in one of the chairs in the lounge, hoping to have stayed awake in hopes of her Pack arriving home after their searching, and the dream that had plagued her had also terrified her.

She had quickly sought safety in her bedroom, not wanting Jeremy to see the fear in her eyes and the clamminess of her skin considering the temperature was barely above 5 degrees. So sitting outside in the freezing cold, with a thick layer of sweat covering you're body wasn't the cleverest idea she had ever had, but she really needed some time to comprehend the images she had seen. She moved her arms around her legs as she hugged her knees closer to her chest in hopes of retaining at least a little of her body heat.

The soft material of her pajama top was blowing gently in the wind, her covered arm spotted with goose pimples as Riley absentmindedly played with the patterned material that could be found at the hem of her pajamas. Her internal temperature was cooling in the night air as she wrapped the loose hair around the outer shell of her ear. Her mind still elsewhere as she unconsciously thought back to the series of troubling circumstances that had led her here to the States; unfortunately those circumstances had only gotten worse since her arrival.

However, she was bitterly pulled from her thoughts when she could hear the clattering of the back door in the kitchen slamming open and then closed. She couldn't stop herself from hearing the grumblings and belligerent statements uttered by her missing pack mates as they arrived home, and they were anything but happy. Even though it seemed the others were a little stressed, she couldn't stop the smile from washing to her lips knowing that her family had arrived back home, even if they were very very late.

"Riley!" Antonio screamed from the bottom of the stairs. The young Doctor simply bolted from her spot, careful not to slip on the long trousers that she was wearing as she ran through her bedroom and onto the landing, conscious that her footsteps were echoing around the house as the ancient floorboards creaked under her weight. She felt the stair banister in her hands as she leant around it in hopes of keeping her balance as she pounded down the stairs and towards the kitchen.

When she rounded the corner, she had no time to slow her heart when she watched as Nick and Clayton struggled to lift the body of an unconscious man onto the large kitchen table that Elena was frantically trying to clear. Riley herself ran to Clay's side, making sure that the mans head was gently placed to the wood before rushing to grab the jumper Nick had draped across the back of one of the chairs so she could let his head rest on it.

Nevertheless, it was when the rest of her pack were running around trying to get hold of Jeremy, or sort out her medical supplies, did she really get the opportunity to study the fellow laying before her. He must've been in his late fifties, with his sideburns starting to turn grey and flecks of grey could also be found in the unshaven hair that was covering the strong masculine jaw. She washed her hands and gloved up as she paid her attention to the deep cut that transected the left of his forehead and into his hairline. His black hair was short but held a side parting which made it a little difficult to see the length and severity of his wound considering it seemed to get lost in the surprising mob of thick hair he had.

"What happened?" Jeremy asked calmly as he finally moved through the archway of the kitchen, surprising his Pack with the quietness of his approach. Riley again lifted her eyes away from her studying and towards her Alpha, the anger in which she hoped she had lost slowly rising considering she could've helped this man sooner.

"Elena picked up a scent pretty much as soon as we made it into the east part of our territory." Clay started as he passed his wife various bowls so she could prepare some hot water for Riley who would need them to clean her patient's wounds.

"But it was difficult to distinguish what was old and new as the scents were too badly interwoven. I had us tracking the wrong scent for most of the evening." Elena uttered as she looked towards Riley, her eyes displaying her emotion and sadness. The young Doctor gave her a small smile knowing that Elena had wished to have her with her to try and follow the right path.

"Not that it mattered." Karl grumbled "The damn thing almost took us out when he swoop in with this guy in his talons."

"He saw you?" Riley asked, unable to keep the surprise and worry from entering her voice as she looked towards Nick and his father.

"We we're lucky." Nick said gently

"Clayton knew he was there before any of us did and we managed to find cover." Antonio interjected as he looked towards Riley and then Jeremy.

"Was there evidence to suggest this creature was staying in our territory?" Jeremy questioned, his features an expression of eerie serenity as if the news of this terrifying creature was nothing to worry about. At time he could seriously rival Riley's ability of keeping her face blank.

"Not that we found, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that they keep returning to the forest." Elena expressed as she rested the bowls of water to Riley's side. While Riley half listened to the conversation she continued to look for any other distinguishing or serious head injuries that the man may have sustained and apart from the small lump present on his parietal bone he was otherwise unscathed. His hands told another story, but were not causing his unconsciousness. However, all the while she studied him she couldn't stop a nagging feeling of familiarity washing to the front of her mind, as if her mind was trying to remember him.

"Nick, can I have my pen light please?" Riley asked him gently as she moved her attention from the man in front of her to the man next to her. He simply nodded his head gently, his warm hand pressing between her shoulder blades as he rummaged through her bag looking for the silver object. He found it within moments and passed it towards her.

"And you're sure of this?" Jeremy asked again.

"Well no." Elena stammered as she fluttered her eyes towards Clay and Antonio who was uncomfortably shuffling on his feet. It seemed the entirety of her pack, baring Karl, did not agree with the order of keeping Riley behind. Inwardly this had the Doctor's spirit soring.

"Don't lie to me Elena." Jeremy warned, his expression turning dark as he faced the blonde.

"I'm not lying Jeremy." Elena expressed through gritted teeth. "I don't know what to say, if I had Riley helping me track we would've had the advantage. She knows what she's looking for, she knows how these things think and you ordered her to stay behind. What else did you expect? That we would find and kill one of these things?" Elena exclaimed, her anger and frustration rising considering she had never been one to control her emotions. Maybe that was why when Clayton and Elena fought the whole of Bear Valley knew about it.

"I expected something more than another problem."

"He may know something." Riley expressed, refusing to look away from him as she continued to feel around his skull "Like why was he found being dragged by this creature in the first place. Very curious to me." Riley finished, failing to notice the peeved expression Jeremy shot in her direction. Nick simply squeezed her shoulder to make her realize that she needed to watch her mouth. It seemed Jeremy was no in the best of moods.

Riley lifted his eyelids; astonished by the deep brown of his eyes and the sudden onslaught of familiarity as she tried to read his pupillary light reflex in hopes of no sensory or motor damage. She shone the torch in his left and right eye and relaxed when she watched his pupils constrict. He hadn't lost any brain stem function. Next was his heartbeat and as soon as Nick handed her her stethoscope and was preparing to listen to his heart, Riley jumped back in surprise when she felt his body tense and jump up.

Nick and Clayton were on him within seconds, their hands going to his shoulders as they tried to calm the man who was struggling and screaming for them to let him go, however his hand found Riley's wrist and as soon as his fingers curled around her appendage he stopped and dragged her towards him, forcing her through Nick and Clayton's arms so she was almost draped across him. Riley had to try not and wince as the man put added pressure on her healing wrist and the scabs that had only just covered the injury she had received from when the creature tried to carry her off.

"Let her go." Nick ordered, his hands trying to prize his fingers from around Riley's wrist, the young Doctor fighting all the time as Clayton continued to wrestle with his shoulders.

"Ayleth." Was all he said, the harsh tones of his voice cracking due to the use.

"I think you may be confused." Riley replied, still struggling but nowhere near as much as she tried to get over the frantic beating of her heart as she tried to comprehend the situation.

"They're coming for you princess and this time Percival cannot help you. Ayleth, you must heed my warnings."

"My name is Riley Thompson not Ayleth." Riley urged again, feeling his strength waning as he slumped into Clayton's arms

"Where is my lady? The lady of the lake." He whispered before falling to unconsciousness once again. Riley uncurled his hand from her wrist and took a cautious step backwards, her heart shuddering in her chest as she moved towards Nick, seeking out his hand for comfort, as the enormity of the few words spoken with him seemed to overwhelm each member of the pack. The Doctor moved her eyes towards Elena and Antonio who were just as concerned as she was but it was Jeremy who pulled them from their reprieve.

"Get him upstairs, you can do a better job at keeping him comfortable in the spare bedroom." Jeremy voiced. Watching as Nick and Riley nodded their heads before Nick hauled the guy into his arms and headed towards the hidden stair case just to the other side of the oven whilst Riley collected her medical supplies and the warm water and followed suit.

0-0-0

The man found unconscious in the woods had been left in her care for the last hour. She had managed to clean and dress the wounds on his hands and his forehead and had also made sure to use one of her trusted ice packs for the swell on his head. Right now, the best thing for him was sleep, and as she sat in one of the chairs by his bedside he was doing just that. She herself had managed to treat her own wrist injury in the time she had been sitting on her own.

For the past hour she had been looking at him, studying his features in hopes of trying to come up with an idea as to why she knew he was. It had proved fruitful; as she believed the man lying in the bed in front of her was Gregory Bostel, a druid that worked with Ayleth. It was not surprising that her brain was trying to tell her who he was considering she had seen him on many occasions in her dreams.

He was one of the main protagonists of her dreams. He was always there when information was needed or Ayleth and her father needed guidance. But he was also a formidable warrior and was well versed in both magic and weapon handling. He had been a formidable ally and Ayleth and Percival considered him to be one of their closest friends. However, he also had a habit of disappearing on them and it had taken them years to locate him the first time. So was that why he had only just appeared to them now? And how on earth did he happen to be alive and relatively okay in the twenty-first century? Why was he here? Was he going to help them? And why had he called her Ayleth and not Riley? After all she looked very different from Ayleth.

Riley felt a warm hand encase the shape of her shoulder, finally managing to pull the werewolf from her thoughts. Riley looked up to the form that was Nick who had concern shining deeply in his brown eyes, the young doctor giving him a small smile, following his eyes as he perched himself to the edge of the bed, making sure not to disturb the slumbering Bostel as he rested one of his hands to the wood that was the bottom of the bed.

"You alright?" Nick expressed gently, his comfort vibrating within the tone of his voice as he took in the stress that was visible on her expression.

"I'm always alright." Riley replied with a forced smirk, watching as Nick placed his warm hand to her knee, allowing Riley the chance to observed his movements before looking back towards him.

"If alright is special Doctor code for not really all right, then I'm alright too." Nick soothed and gave her a gentle smile when he watched the small smirk gracing her lips as she looked away from him and towards the man lying very still under the duvet. "You're wrist okay?"

"It's fine, really Nicky everything's fine." Riley said as she forced the air into her lungs as she moved her eyes back towards Nick whose own sadness and dejection was visibly showing. He inclined his head to the left, trying to get a better look at her as he raised his hand as he tried to move her long side fringe away from her features, his eyes momentarily drawn to the Celtic symbol forever etched to her collarbone that was on show due to her pajamas.

"But it's not. We really needed you out there tonight and if I had fought your corner and asked Jeremy…"

"He would also be annoyed with you too." Riley interrupted "He's still angry about how I dealt with Sophie and I don't want you getting mixed up in all of that too."

"And what if I want too?"

"I would say you're braver than me." Riley smiled, but she was cut short when Bostel moved around in his sleep. Riley looked back towards Nick and motioned towards the door. Nick in return nodded his head and followed his companion towards the door. Riley was consciously aware of how Nick held open the door and rested his hand to the bottom of her back.

"You still don't think we need you." Nick whispered when he finally heard the clicking of the bedroom door latch. It seemed that Riley was unable to hide her emotions from the man; but was it really a surprise considering he knew her better than anyone.

"I fell asleep while waiting for you. I shouldn't be sleeping, I should've snuck out and helped." Riley hissed back as they headed down the stairs and towards the living room and the roaring fire.

"But then you really would be in some serious shit with Jeremy."

"Better than being tucked up in here all safe. Sometimes it's worth breaking the rules when you're fighting for something you believe to be right."

"Then why didn't you?" Nick questioned as he sat in one of the armchairs while Riley took a chair next to the fire.

"Because I'm a coward."

"You're not a coward. Stubborn and sometimes irrational but not a coward."

"If you were, do you really think we would try to make you stay?" The voice of Elena sounded as her slender form moved in from the kitchen while her husband was following closely behind. The pair took up a seat.

"Despite what you might think of us, we really do need you here." Clay responded, saying words Riley had never thought to hear.

"No, what you need is the free drugs and painkillers!" She retorted with a small smirk.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"I'm sorry, but I just don't see what you guys see."

"That's because you don't think you're worth it." Nick expressed with his own gentle smile and expression.

"Well I'm not."

"Trust us when we say you are. You've faced this thing more than any one of us, you know how it thinks, how it moves and how it hunts. You were scratched by this thing and by some miracle you survived. But if it weren't for you I wouldn't have gotten through my first changes or have agreed to stay. Half of us have benefitted from your medical expertise which has saved us so many times."

"So why is Jeremy keeping me locked up in Stonehaven?"

"He thinks it for your own protection." Clay voiced from his position. His figure relaxed as he draped himself into the corner of his chair, his arm curling around his wife while the other was rested on the arm of the chair.

"Which is absurd as it'll only frighten her away." Nick imputed.

"And it's working." Riley sighed as she looked away from her friends and towards the fire.

"Maybe you just need to prove that you can provide more to the pack." Clay expressed, failing to notice the dark expression that suddenly overtook Riley's features.

"I've been trying to do that for the last fourteen years." Riley snarled.

"Then try harder." Clayton retorted stubbornly failing to notice the hard stares given to him by both his wife and old friend.

"It's easy for you to say. You' re intimidating and built like a house."

"But you're clever and cunning." Elena smiled. "Getting the guy upstairs to see what he knows is a good place to start. Maybe then Jer will realize he should be using you, not scaring you away."

"Clay? Elena? I need you!" Jeremy's voice sounded from somewhere in the depths of the house. Elena and Clayton just looked to each other and bought in a lungful of air as they got to their feet.

"Just think about it okay?" Elena whispered to Riley as she pressed a kiss to her cheek and followed her husband to find their alpha. Riley just watched them leave before she turned her attention towards Nick's studying expression.

"You already know who he is don't you?" Nick questioned, a smile gracing his lips as he said it.

"His name is Gregory Bostel, and he fought with Ayleth." Riley sighed with resignation.

"Good guy or bad?"

"He's good, definitely good." Riley smiled as she crossed her legs to her side and placed her hands between her thighs to try and warm them.

"How'd you know who he was? Did he wake up while we were away?"

"Not exactly." Riley expressed cryptically. Again, Nick narrowed his eyes as he took in the contours of her face as he tried to get an accurate read on her.

"You've seen him in you're dreams." Nick said, watching as Riley nodded her head.

"They're getting worse. The things I see are so confusing but the whole of my being is screaming for me to listen and understand because it's so important. How can I prove myself when I don't even think I know who I am anymore?"

"Well I can tell you if you like." Nick expressed as he held out his hand, thankful that she took it and allowed him to guide her onto his lap, his fingers moving the hair away from her features as he made her look at him. "I think you are a strong and beautiful woman who is intelligent and knows right from wrong. You will do anything to help you're friends or family, even if it means sacrificing yourself."

"I'm glad you have such a high opinion of me." Riley uttered as she moved her eyes away from him and started playing with the hem of her sleeve.

"You don't see it?"

"Not really."

"Well you'll just have to trust me. Which I wish you would; why won't you tell me about your dreams. I could help."

"I think this is something I have to do on my own."

"There you go again, doing it again." Nick cried, an edge of annoyance and sarcasm in his voice.

"Do what?" Riley asked with a frown.

"As soon as anyone offers you help you refuse them and retreat back into yourself to suffer on your own."

"I don't know. I guess it's a way to protect myself and not get hurt."

"It's also a sure way of being alone. You need to start listening to us Riley, because people care about you, and the moping is starting to get old."

"I do not mope."

"My sweet Riley, you really do. I mean we're trying to help but everything bad that's happening to you right now you think it's our fault. We can't help if you won't let us."

"I don't think that Nick."

"You don't?"

"Of course not."

"Then let us help. That's what we're here for. For the pack to look out for each other."

"We both know that I haven't been part of the pack for years."

"Then change it. Let us see what you're really made off. Let go of your past and tell us what's holding you back. We might surprise you and accept it."

"I highly doubt that."

"What is so terrible that it's stopping you from accepting us? I'm not being funny but it's starting to get boring."

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you. All I want to do is forget it and look to the future."

"Your past will catch up with you. Are you ready to face yours alone?"

"Who says I'll be alone?"

"I do, because if you keep pushing us away you'll have no one to save you. Look, I know you're scared and emotional right now, but you need to understand that it's not just you that this is happening too, but all of us. I'm terrified that dad could get scratched but I don't sulk about it. I'm trying to do something to protect him, to protect you."

"I don't need protecting."

"I know you don't because you're pretty handy in a fight. But I care about you and I just wish you would let me do this one thing for you."

"It's not easy to just let go of years worth of barriers and let someone in."

"I know, and I accept that, but this is me were talking about. What harm could it do?"

"Oh I don't know." Riley started with a smile "You could run off with the next pretty blonde you see and let me get eaten alive."

"Eaten alive? Where's the fun in that." Nick replied with his own smile "Burning alive on the other hand, that's much more fun." The werewolf finished before resting his cheek to the top of Riley's hair as she snuggled in closer, the pair of them really starting to feel the biting chill of the house as they held each other in their arms.

"Thank you." Riley voiced from her position.

"For what?"

"For just being you."

"Always and forever sweet, always and forever."