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Wolf's POV:

Battle Joy

My room is quiet except for the scratching of pencil on paper as I finish off my Algebra homework. It's not that hard, just practice stuff really. I should be done in about five minutes. Not sure what I'll do then. I have no other homework assignments, and I don't really play video games or musical instruments or anything like that, and I've read all my books at least three times each (though, to be fair, I don't have many books). Maybe I'll just grab some early dinner and go to bed. The police shouldn't mind. It's not the first time I've done this.

There's a quiet, almost hesitant knock on my door. I don't respond to it, just polish off the last problem and start shoving my school stuff to one side.

I hear the door creak as it opens and the thump of footsteps as the visitor enters the room. I raise my gaze to see who it is. Chief.

He looks a bit awkward, standing there. I cock my head to one side. This is new. Chief always looks right at home everywhere.

"See you're doing your homework." He mumbles, nodding at the disorganised pile of textbooks and papers on my desk.

I nod.

"Good lad."

He doesn't say anything for a bit, just shuffles his feet and glances around the room awkwardly.

"Is there a problem?"

Chief starts, obviously surprised that I actually spoke. What can I say, I'm not good at conversations.

"No, no, nothing's wrong." He chuckles nervously, "I just thought, well, are you sure you want to spend the evening at the police station again?"

I narrow my eyes but say nothing. What's he getting at?

"I mean, I know there's not much to do here exactly and it's pretty easy to get bored, especially when you don't work here as an actual officer."

I still say nothing, though I have to suppress a sigh. I see where this is going…

"You know, I heard that one of your classmates is throwing a party toni-"

"I'm not going."

Chief stops midsentence. He stares at me for a few moments before throwing back his head and groaning. I almost smile. That sounds like the chief I know.

"Come on kid! What's it going to take to get you to actually have fun once in a while?"

I shrug. "Parties aren't my idea of fun."

"And staying home and doing homework is?"

"I prefer doing homework to going to parties."

Chief pinches the bridge of his nose, obviously growing more and more exasperated by the minute. "Look, kid, you can't just live your whole life like a lone wolf. You've gotta socialise! Make some friends! Have fun!"

"I already told you, parties aren't fun for me. As for friends, kids at school avoid me for a reason."

"No, you avoid them!"

"True, but they also avoid me."

Chief snorts. "Come on, why on Earth would they avoid you?"

"I'm over six feet tall and covered in scars." I reply dryly.

Chief opens his mouth, considers for a few moments, then closes it again. I guess he's realised that I actually made a good point.

Finally, he sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Look, can we just admit the real reason you're not going to this thing?"

I say nothing, though I'm tempted to shake my head. No, we can't just admit the real reason I'm not going to this thing!

Chief steps forward and puts both hands on my shoulders. "I know that this kind of stuff is what brings on your… seizures."

I flinch.

"But you can't let them take over your life. I know they're painful, I've heard you screaming in agony when you first came to live with us, and Grant and Jace did an excellent job in describing what you were like when they found you. But they're also harmless. They only have so much power over you because you give them that power, and you're the only one who can take it away. You've got to stop being so afraid of them."

I glance away, not meeting Chief's eyes. This isn't the first time I've had this talk. Pretty much all the police at the station have given it to me at some point or another. But they don't understand. Just because I don't scream in pain anymore, or curl up into a shivering, senseless ball doesn't mean the pain is any less bad, it just means I've gotten better at hiding it. And the pain is bad. So, so, bad.

"Look, how about a compromise?" Chief suggests, "You know where this kid lives, right?"

I reluctantly nod. Everyone knows where Thorne lives.

"So why don't you just walk past his house, listen to the sounds of kids having fun, and then decide if you want to go in or not. Sound good?"

I tilt my head to one side, considering. I doubt listening to "the sounds of kids having fun" will do anything to convince me to go to the party, but a walk does sound pretty good, and it'll make Chief happy.

I nod.

I take the longer route to Thorne's place. I'm not in a hurry, and besides, it's a nice night for a walk. The moon is full and the air is pleasantly cool. I take in a deep, satisfied breath. It feels good to be outside, so relaxing and calm and quiet. So nice and quiet.

Sadly, the silence doesn't last. An eerie howl rings through the air, and I tense. Please tell me that wasn't what I thought it was. But that pitch, that way it slices through the air, it can't be anything else. And this might just be my imagination talking, but I think it's coming from Thorne's mansion.

I quicken my pace, feeling suddenly frantic. What are they doing here? How did they even get here?

I walk faster and faster, finally breaking out in a run. That howl wasn't a summoning howl, calling together allies. That's not the reason behind my newfound urgency. It was a hunting howl. And when that howl is near a large group of teenagers… that can't be good.

I'm a few blocks away from Thorne's house now. I've already passed several of my schoolmates screaming and running for their lives, which definitely doesn't bode well. My unease only grows with the introduction of a new sound to the mix: gunfire.

Somehow I manage to run even faster.

I'm almost at Thorne's now. The gunfire has grown more rapid. I try to take this as a good sign. Whoever's firing will probably run out of bullets soon. I just hope I don't see anything on the news tomorrow about a bunch of teenagers shot dead at Thorne Manor. When the gunfire finally stops, I allow myself the tiniest bit of relief. At least no-one else will die from that.

I turn the corner onto the lane Thorne lives on and come to an abrupt halt as something slams right into me. I let out a surprised grunt and glance down at whoever barrelled into me like that. A girl with bright red hair glares back at me.

"Scarlet?" I ask, blinking down at her, "What are you-"

There is a roar and the rest of my words die in my throat. There is a giant ginger blur and then something big and heavy slams into me.

I fall to the ground heavily, barely managing to catch the wolf's muzzle before it can sink its fangs in my throat. I let my instincts take over and curl up my legs, delivering a powerful kick to the wolf's stomach.

It makes a sound like a cough and tumbles off me. I hurriedly scramble back to my feet. The worst place you can be in a situation like this is on the ground.

I regain my footing just in time. The wolf is charging at me again. I dodge to the side and grab it by the scruff of its neck as it barrels past. Heaving a grunt, I toss it into a nearby gate. I hope that will be enough to knock it unconscious. It's the only way to get it to stop fighting. Well, that and killing it (which I don't want to do). But the wolf gets right back up, growling with frustration.

It charges again, and again I try to dodge. But it's gotten wise to my agility. I have just enough time to register the wolf's bunched-up muscles before it pounces.

It bites down on my shoulder and I stifle a shout of pain. I can't let it know how bad of an injury it just inflicted. If I can hide my seizures, I can hide this.

And I'm done playing nice.

I grip one of its forelegs and twist viciously. The resounding crack, the wolf's pained whimper, they sound… great.

I throw it off me and it clumsily gets to its feet. I've taken out one of its legs. It will be easy to beat now. I grin spreads itself across my face in anticipation. Victory is near, and it is mine.

The wolf charges again. I kick it in the chest and it retaliates by sinking its teeth into my outstretched leg. I grit my teeth against the pain and land a punch between its eyes.

It stumbles back, looking dazed. I can't hide my limp as I approach it. But I barely feel my ripped flesh, or the warm blood soaking through my clothes. Every cell is pulsing with energy and adrenaline. My fingers are curling and uncurling into fists. I'm pretty sure I'm smiling again, and I realise I'm having a seizure as I finally register the feeling of fire burning me up from the inside out, turning my bones to ash and boiling the blood inside my veins. The pain is hungry, vicious. And I welcome it. I allow myself to feel. And what I feel is ravenous, fearsome, joy.

The wolf bunches up its muscles, ready to pounce again. I don't give it the chance. I pick it up by the scruff again and throw it one more time into the gates. Only this time, I throw it hard. And it doesn't get back up.

The battle joy that had burned in my veins only moments ago drains out of me. I'm suddenly so much more aware of my throbbing leg and shoulder and of the lingering pain of the seizure. I slump to my knees and his in pain through my teeth. My leg hadn't liked that.

"Well." Said a shaky voice, "That was disturbing."

I raise my head and blink at Scarlet. I'd forgotten she was here.

She looks pale and her eyes are wide. I feel a wave of nausea when I realise they are wide with horror. Horror at what I just did.

With some struggle, I get to my feet again. I should go. I doubt Scarlet wants to be near me right now (or ever again for that matter).

My walk holds a heavy limp as I start on the way hope. Damn, that's really going to slow my progress.

Scarlet jogs over to stand beside me. "Where are you going?"

"Home."

"And where is your home?"

"In town."

"Yeah, you're definitely going to pass out from blood loss before you reach it."

I stop, realising she's right. The wounds the wolf inflicted are deep and bleeding heavily. The police station isn't exactly close, and my limp isn't going to help matters.

Scarlet sighs and moves so that she's standing on my weak side. She takes my arm and rests it on her shoulders. Wait, is she inviting me to lean on her?

"Come on," she mutters, "my place is only a couple blocks away, and there're bandages there."

"You're… helping me?" I can't help my surprised tone. She just saw me savagely fight against a wolf. How is she not running away in terror right now?

Scarlet rolls her eyes. "Well I can't have you dying when there's something I can do about it can I?"

A/N: Finally, and end to the cliff-hangers! And we've got some Scarlet-Wolf coming up as well! Who else here is excited for the next chapter?

Wolf knows what these wolves are, but we still don't. What are they? And how does Wolf know about them? So many questions that I won't give you the answers to!

Please review!