Ok formats changing a little.

Dreams are in italics, The convo's between Max and Akira are the same using single '.

Hope its all clear. Had some fun with this and the next few chapters, I hope I got Max's insecurities and self-doubt about right, Any confusions let me know.

Enjoy

Fight or Flight - FIGHT

The candlelight in the otherwise dimly lit room illuminated very little. Brown eyes shifted to a deep crimson, the stuff of countless horror films and nightmare. A second of pain as fangs pierced her neck before the venom got to work, gradually numbing her body. She could feel her blood draining, life force ebbing away by the second, slowly. She was dying. Her body struggled to remain active, mind flashing with images from her past. All she could do was watch them flicker like a film before her eyes. Weaker and weaker, colder and colder, breath becoming shallower and vision hazier as she drifted away into an eternal sleep. Lost to the world forever.

…

Max woke with a start, her heart pounding in her chest, water running down her face and over her fur. The air was thick with a dense drizzle as a lazy breeze swirled the drizzle into messy swirls that caught the afternoon sun, throwing a small rainbow stretching over the gap in the trees' canopy. Stretching out, Max let out a big yawn as she got to her feet. Walking with no real destination, she let her senses wander as she took in all the sights and sounds. Gentle dripping of raindrops off the leaves of trees falling onto the forest floor, accompanied by the soft rustling of leaves, and small scurrying critters.

Wishing she had someone to return to, Max let her mind wander to happier times. Running around Arcadia Bay as pirates with Chloe, Joyce's salmon surprise, Williams bad jokes... she would do anything to hear one of those right now. She'd even settle for her mom scolding her for raiding Joyce and William's wine cabinet. They were all just bittersweet memories. Before she realized it, she was on the edge of a small meadow, crouched down as low as she could, a large stag lazily grazing some fifty feet in front of her.

Coming to her senses, she realized her whole body was tensed, coiled like a spring. How? What was she about to do? Letting out a sigh, she relaxed her body and started to back off.

'Ya know, you should listen to your body a little more,' Akira advised. Max would need something more substantial than rabbits to snack on.

'I've already eaten today, besides... it's a little bigger than a rabbit,' Max muttered, nervous about going after something so large. It was a daunting possibility.

Akira needed to get her used to her instincts. Embrace them. If she kept brushing them aside like this, they would get nowhere. 'You'll be fine. Chances are, it'll try to run anyhow.' Max was about to say she wasn't hungry until her stomach let loose a small rumble, 'Don't even try to say your not hungry.'

'I...' Max paused, before sighing. She could argue with Akira all day long and get nowhere. It was better to just ignore the real reason behind her hesitation. 'I've already eaten today.'

Akira saw right through her lie but decided to humor her. If this was going to work, she needed Max to be honest with her by choice. 'You won't get fat if that's what you're worried about. Trust me on that.'

'It's not that…' Max admitted reluctantly.

'Then what?' Akira asked curiously.

'Everywhere I go I just see... potential food, it's driving me a little crazy if I'm honest,' Max hesitantly confessed. It felt strange to admit something like this.

Akira couldn't help but chuckle at that confession. 'You think you got it bad, how do you think vampires feel?'

'I'd rather not talk about those…' Max replied bitterly. She couldn't help feeling a small amount of hatred towards them, especially after recent events. Not that they were all the same. Still... it was hard overcoming her newly formed prejudice against vampires when she had seen their scary, destructive side. Her mother's murderer being the prime example.

'They're not all bad, Max.' Wanting to gain some trust, Akira decided to reveal just a little about her past. 'I used to have... someone. A vampire I trusted more than I ever have anyone in my life.'

'Oh?' Max replied inquisitively. There was a story here.

Akira sighed, not ready to talk about it more. 'I'd rather not talk about it if you don't mind.' Swiftly, she returned to her original train of thought regarding vampires more generally. 'They might have blood banks and donors, but all their friends, coworkers and passer-bys are technically walking happy meals.'

'Well, like them I don't have to eat everything in sight,' Max replied, turning to walk away.

Almost amused by Max's attempts to distance herself from vampires and her own animalistic nature, Akira pointed out the obvious. 'Why do you think you're so tired and hungry all the time?'

Max paused to think on this. The only comparison she had was Chloe... where that girl put it all was a mystery. Ryan often joked about her having a black hole in her stomach. The only other thing was what she read about dogs just eating until they made themselves sick.

'While I can't comment on Chloe's eating habits, your situation is a one-time thing... more or less,' Akira added as an afterthought.

'More or less, great more half answers. Do you ever give a full answer?' Max asked frustratedly.

They didn't really have time for a full-on biology lesson on Ahri feeding patterns, but Akira realized she had to give Max something. 'Ok, then. While it's true Ahri do have quite the appetite they do, to begin with at least, need to eat a fair bit more than normal. Simply put, your body is going through a lot of changes, mostly on the inside... I'm afraid a bunny won't do it.'

Max looked tentatively back at the stag grazing in the meadow, her stomach egging her on. 'Umm, Akira…'

Sensing the young girl's inner dilemma, Akira asked, 'What's wrong?'

'This might be a good time to tell you... I've never actually... been in a fight,' Max admitted hesitantly, sizing up the stag.

'I wouldn't worry about it. It wouldn't matter if you had. You're a wolf now, not human.' As expected, the ways in which wolves and humans worked was vastly different. Regardless of how skilled an Ahri was in combat in their human form, or anything else for that matter, it meant little to their wolf side.

Max didn't seem as convinced in her newfound abilities. 'But still…'

'Max, look, you're much faster and stronger than you were before... not nearly as much as you will be but enough for this,' Akira reassured, itching to surge towards the stag but holding off until she had resolved Max's hesitance.

Swallowing hard, Max turned around facing towards the stag, slowly inching forwards. She lowered herself to the ground as low as she could get so to hide in the long grass.

Feeling the apprehension emanating from the young Ahri, Akira decided to check on her. 'Are you going to be ok doing this?'

With a deep sigh, Max voiced her concerns. 'I'm gonna need to learn... I'm more nervous about fighting it than actually... ya know.'

'Trust in yourself, Max. And trust in your instincts. They won't let you down.' Nine times out of ten, decisions made based on instinct were the right ones. Admittedly not always, but most of the time.

'Is that what you told my mom?' Max snapped a little harsher than she meant. 'Sorry, you didn't deserve that…'

'Max...' Now was not the time to deal with this. Sighing, Akira simply replied, '...can we talk about this later, after you've eaten?'

Not wanting to agitate things further, Max turned her attention back to the stag that appeared to be on its guard. A gentle gust of wind blew across the meadow, bending the grass over in waves. The stag jerked its head around searching for something as Max caught wind of a new scent. Her muscles tensed as her hackles raised along her back. She had to stifle a low growl building in her chest.

'Max... be careful,' Akira warned, feeling uneasy. Max gave a subtle nod as she etched herself forwards slowly. 'You should be good here.'

Max eyed the gap between her and the stag, some twenty feet, feeling a little uneasy. She coiled her body as another gentle gust blew across the meadow, carrying the same scent as before. This time, Max got a better lungful. It smelled... appealing. Her stomach grumbled in agreement.

'Max,' Akira cautioned. This had the potential to go badly.

Max felt Akira trying to press into her. To say it felt unpleasant was an understatement. She swallowed nervously, determined to prove to both Akira and herself that she could do this. 'Akira, let… let me try. I have to learn.'

Akira debated this for a second, weighing up the pros and cons. That new scent worried her a little. Max wasn't at her full strength yet. The buck on its own might prove a slight challenge for her, but something else was hunting too, and it was close. Something large and dangerous.

Before Akira had a chance to answer she felt Max push her back as she lunged forwards, missing the buck entirely and instead slamming her shoulder into another creature as it too made a lunge for the buck. Both Max and her new target landed in a heap, quickly scrambling to their feet sizing each other up.

Max heard the startled buck behind her galloping away as she eyed up the new threat. In front of her was an all beige mountain lion, equal to herself in size, crouched down ready to strike, a deep low scream erupting from it. Max's mind went blank for an instant as she registered the beast.

'Max… back off SLOWLY,' Akira instructed, feeling the debilitating fear overwhelm the young girl. This wasn't good.

Max didn't respond, her eyes fixed on the cougar's. In a flash, the cougar lashed out at her with one of its paws. Max tried to turn her head out of the way but the cat's claws caught the side of her face, leaving a deep scratch behind and causing her to let out a sharp yelp.

'MAX!' Akira's sentence was drowned out as a deep snarl erupted from deep within Max's chest.

She turned her head back towards the large cat, her jaw slightly open, teeth bared. Max's entire body coiled and released in an instant as she lunged at the cat. They bit and scratched at each other, each blow adding another seeping wound to both parties. While Max's claws weren't as sharp as the cougar's, her thick fur offered a small amount of protection. As the tussle continued, Max found herself under the large cat, its teeth snapping angrily at her belly as she used her paws to keep it at bay. Akira was about to step in when Max got her hind legs firmly under the cat, flinging it in the air, before it flailed back to the ground. She was back on her feet and lunged for its neck, locking her jaws around its throat as the pair piled into the ground.

Panting heavily, she released the downed cat, taking a step back looking as it struggled to breathe. Unable to move, all it could do was let out a low drawn-out scream. Taking a step back towards the cat Max put her jaws around its neck, giving it a final firm bite and shake as the cat let out its final breath.

Collapsing next to her new kill panting, Max inspected the damage. The scratch on her face was fairly deep, she could feel the blood oozing out of the wounds. Her front shoulder hurt where the cougar had gone for her neck but missed, and she had various scratches over her back and belly which she instinctively began cleaning.

Giving her a moment to get herself cleaned up, Akira spoke. 'That was... unexpected.'

'Was that a compliment?' Max asked, panting from the exertion. Her entire body shook, her mind whirring.

'No... you could have been seriously hurt, Max.' She had to admit, she didn't even know where the cougar was, but Max did and she intercepted it. Not only that, but she didn't back down like she thought she would have, like Akira herself was going to get her to do.

'Hey, you wanted me to eat something bigger... I'm guessing this will suffice,' Max mentioned, still hocked up on adrenaline and, although she didn't want to admit it, a small amount of pride in being able to hold her own.

'Fair point well made... sorry, I just... I didn't think a mountain lion would be your first big kill. What's next, a grizzly bear?' Akira added, slightly amused. Max has lived to fight another day. That was how it worked.

Max scoffed. 'Even if I did win, not sure I'd be able to eat it all.'

'I wouldn't worry, nothing goes to waste in the wild,' Akira replied, drawing Max's attention to a pack of wild dogs at the edge of the woods looking in their direction.

Max let out another deep growl causing the opportunistic dogs to duck back into the woods to wait there turn. Akira let out a chuckle. 'What's so funny?'

'You.' Akira replied simply, going into more detail when she felt the confusion coming from her vessel. 'They wouldn't come anywhere near here until you leave anyways... feeling protective, are we?'

Getting to her feet, Max sunk her teeth into the hot body of the dead cat, ripping a large portion of streaming flesh out before laying back down. Using her paws, she held it in place as she began taking large bites.

'Hey, I earned this one, I got the wounds to prove it,' she mentioned through bites.

'I guess you're not feeling as guilty then.'

She paused in her eating for a moment, debating this before continuing. 'Not as much. The buck gets to buck again.'

'That's was terrible,' Akira groaned.

'You can blame William for that,' Max added sadly before going back to her meal.

From what she had seen of William through Vanessa, that sounded about right. 'That does sound like something he would say. In fact, I swear I've heard him say the exact same thing.'

'Wouldn't surprise me,' Max replied with a fond sigh as she got up and tore another piece of muscle from the cat. As she ate, a question popped into her head. One she couldn't wait to ask. 'Akira... why did that vampire… go after my mom?'

The danger had passed, for now, so there was no reason not to talk about it. Reluctantly, Akira sighed. 'Honestly... no idea. It's been going on for years. Before you were born, before I even met your mother. I still don't know why and to be honest... it's frustrating.'

'Oh…' Max was kind of hoping to at least know why her mother was killed.

Akira recalled the harrowing night, the image of the mystery vampire who had attacked Vanessa and her family sticking in her mind. 'The night your mother died... it was the first time I'd seen who was doing it. We knew it was vampires, just assumed it was several.'

'Looks like they only need one.' The fact that a vampire could overpower both her father and mother so easily was worrying. What chance did she stand? Fending off a mountain lion was one thing, a vampire… that was something totally different.

'Exception to the rule, Max. Ahri are just as fast, even in their human form. Where we really shine though is as you are now... once you have your orb and know how to use it of course,' Akira explained, trying to ease her worries as best she could.

'So, we're stronger than vampires,' Max concluded.

'Faster definitely. Physically, vampires and werewolves have the advantage,' Akira added thoughtfully, 'doesn't mean you don't have to be careful if you're fighting them, though. They're still dangerous. If you're ever outnumbered, go wolf. That way you can run if things go bad.

'Already wolf,' Max interjected as she chewed down another mouthful of flesh.

'One thing at a time, we'll get you human again. Might take a while, though, I spent nearly two years as a wolf once... I forgot what I looked like.' She had spent a good five minutes or so looking in a mirror, poking at her face when she finally changed back. Not one of her finer moments.

'Did my mom ever hunt like this?' Max asked curiously, wanting to know as much about her recently deceased mother as possible. It might hurt, but she needed to know.

'Once or twice, though she had it easier, I must admit.'

'Oh?'

'She had her orb,' Akira divulged.

Max shook her head, smiling. 'That is so cheating.'

'I suppose...' Pushing the complicated thoughts about Vanessa aside, Akira sighed. 'She would have been proud of you, ya know. Mountain lion isn't what most new Ahri go for on their first big kill, not in your condition anyway.'

'Thanks...' Max frowned, confused by the phrase. 'Wait, my condition?'

If Akira could, she would roll her eyes at the forgetfulness. 'Did you forget already? You're not at full strength, and you don't have your orb yet.

'Working on the eating thing, honest.' As she dragged the cat carcass to flip it over after stripping the other side.

Akira chuckled. 'So I see, thought you said you weren't hungry.'

'Hey, you told me to listen to my stomach. It says I'm hungry. There's food, so I'm feeding it.' Akira and Max both chuckled lightly, slowly settling into a comfortable silence as Max worked on eating her fill.

A short while later just as the rain had stopped, Max stretched herself out, trying to alleviate some of the pressure off her now very full belly as looked over what was left of the large cat. To her surprise, she had eaten most of it. Even more surprising was that she had actually enjoyed it. It tasted much better than the rabbit earlier. After cleaning her muzzle in the wet grass, she set off back to her... home, maybe den was a better term, passing a glance at the pack of wild dogs that were waiting patiently for her leave.

'Sorry doggies. There's not a lot left, but I guess I was hungry,' she thought as she made her way back into the woods hampered not only by her bloated belly but her shoulder too. It was late evening by the time she got back to the cabin, and Akira had been abnormally quiet. The silence was disconcerting.

'Hey, Akira.' No reply. She couldn't even sense her in her head. She didn't even say she was going. 'Thought she was supposed to teach me this orb trick. I did my part. I couldn't eat another thing.' That much was certainly true. On the way back while she heard several rabbits scampering around, she found her stomach for the first time in three days just wasn't interested, much to her relief.

Entering the cabin, she made her way over to the sofa, heaved herself onto it and stretched herself out. She could feel her belly bubbling as it slowly digested the rich meat within. She wasn't really annoyed at Akira if she was honest, just tired, sore and very full. She would be mad at Akira tomorrow. For now, she just let herself drift off sleep, full and satisfied for the first time in days.

Nom Nom, Well there's some action, And Max is growing up :D

lemme know your thoughts.

Thats ya lot for this week, see you on wednesday.

peace out