"If you can't face the Wolves, don't go into the forest."

-Alexandra Udinov

"Hate is a very exciting emotion."

-Rita Hayworth; Gilda (1946)

OoO

The woods did not disappoint.

There, in the muddy undergrowth, were Wolf tracks. They were impossibly large; so large that they could easily be mistaken for Bear tracks, and yet Mason knew that these were not Bear tracks.

"Do you think that these belong to the Wolves that Shay was telling us about?" asked Ezra, sniffing the air around them as Mason knelt down, uncaring of the mud that stained his jeans. He reached out a hand to trace the outline of one print, mesmerized by the sheer size of it. He couldn't help but marvel at it, a small part of him wishing to meet the Beast that had made it.

And yet at the same time, he couldn't help as a sense of danger washed over him as the hairs on his neck stood up, the Alpha Wolf inside of him beginning to grow restless as he stared down at the prints. Shay had been right about there being other Wolves, but Mason had not been prepared for this.

"These do not belong to wild Wolves," said Mason as he bit his lip, eyebrows creasing in deep concentration.

"Well if they're not Lycan then what—"

Snap.

Both Werewolves whipped around at the faint, but audible sound that echoed through the trees; too soft for normal human ears to pick up on but definitely loud enough for Lycan ears as they looked in the direction from which it came.

The trees were too thick to see anything. Still, the hairs on the back of Mason's neck stood straight up as a slight breeze rustled through the evergreens, bringing with it a scent that reminded him of wet dog. It wasn't an unpleasant smell nor was it overpowering, but it was foreign.

Unlike anything they had ever come across in their entire lives.

He couldn't help the feral growl that bubbled out of his chest as Ezra stiffened beside him.

Silence.

Whoosh.

Something shot past them in the woods, a streak of grey against a backdrop of green; too fast for human eyes to follow, but not for them as they watched it disappear into the thick undergrowth.

Whoosh.

"Mason?" came Ezra's voice. He could tell that his half-nephew was scared, although he wouldn't have been able to tell if it had not been for the pounding of his heart in his chest from the adrenaline. Mason, on the other hand, was far more composed as he hardened his gaze, staring into the depths of the forest as he willed for their silent watchers to make themselves known.

"They're watching us."

"Who?" asked Ezra.

"Them," said Mason, nodding towards the tree line where a large black Wolf sat watching them, his gaze never once leaving the two Lycans. He was flanked by two other Wolves who were just as large, all of three of them staring at them.

"There's more," whispered Ezra as he discreetly nodded to his left to where a large brown Wolf stood watching them as well with eyes that were far too human to belong to any animal.

Mason glanced back at the black Wolf, his instincts telling him that this was the Alpha as they both stared at each other, challengingly. It was almost as if the black Wolf was daring him to make a move against him and his pack.

"Why are they just staring at us?" whispered Ezra, eyebrows furrowed. "Aren't they going to attack us?"

Mason shook his head, "no."

"Why not? They outnumber us," said Mason before adding; "what are they waiting for?"

"Calm down, kid," muttered Mason under his breath. "They're not going to attack us. They're sending us a message."

"And that is?"

"That they're watching us," answered Mason, not missing a beat as he glanced at his half-nephew with an unreadable look. "Your sister was right. Those are not normal Wolves."

OoO

There were not enough words in the human language to describe the emotions that I was feeling as I watched Forks General disappear out of my rearview mirror. I felt as though I had stepped into the Twilight Zone, and I knew just from looking at Brenda that she felt the same way.

The sky at that point had turned dark and threatening as thunder clapped in the distance. Big, fat raindrops began to fall. Slow and steady at first until it was an all-out flood. I wish I could say that after a few days in this depressing little town that I was used to the insane amount of water that fell from the sky, but then I would be lying.

"Who were those guys?" Brenda's voice broke the silence as I drove aimlessly around, uncertain where I was going.

I bit my lip as I shook my head. I wished I had the answer to that, but no matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn't come up with a logical conclusion. I was at a complete loss, which only seemed to full my anxiety and irritability even more.

"I don't know."

"Do you have any idea what they are?" she asked.

"Do you?" I said as I looked at her, my grip on the steering wheel tightening as she pursed her lips.

We lapsed into silence. After a few moments of my driving and her watching the passing tree line with something akin to mild interest. The sound of the rain pelting against the windshield that only sound that could be heard save for the rhythmic motion of the wipers. I broke the silence. "Look, obviously there's something going on around here. Something that we don't know about."

"So, were you planning on telling us about those guys are not?" she said as she crossed her arms over her chest, clearly upset with me at the moment, not that I could blame her.

"To be honest, no," I replied before adding; "at least, not until I knew more about them."

"Shay—"

"I know," I said without missing a beat. "I should've told you guys about them. I just—" I paused as I bit my lip, uncertain how to phrase things, "there's something about them. I don't know how to explain it."

"Uh, besides them not being human?" she asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, which it should've been. But there was something else there as well. Something I couldn't explain. And boy, did it nag at me.

I wanted to say something more, but the words failed me.

Silence settled in between the two of us once again as the car rolled to a stop at the light. I let my head fall back against the headrest, the tension in my neck and my shoulders increasing as I gripped the wheel tightly, as if it were the only thing grounding me to reality. I closed my eyes as I inhaled deeply, allowing myself this small reprieve as I collected my thoughts.

"Do you think they're dangerous?" she asked after a few moments, snapping me out of my reverie and bringing me back into the present. I chewed my lip as I considered her question.

Every fiber in my body seemed to tingle with silent confirmation that yes, they were. My thoughts raced back to the Vigil, the way that he was staring at me. I could never forget the look in his eyes. The pure, unadulterated hatred combined with a hunger that made my skin crawl.

But then again, I remembered the look that he had given me when he saw me step out of the elevator and I could feel my body begin to relax again. I didn't know how to explain it, as if words could even begin to describe the full complexity of my thoughts and emotions.

Spoiler alert, they couldn't.

"Look, I can't explain it," I finally said after a few moments; "but every time I'm near him I feel like I'm going to snap and lose control."

"What do your Lycan senses tell you?" she asked.

That he was a Wolf in Sheep's clothing, only pretending to be what he wasn't. But then again, the same could be said about me.

"I don't know," I said as stared out at the shops that lined the streets. Even though it was raining cats and dogs, the people seemed used to it as they casually went about their business, completely unaware that death was stalking them. "I think it's this town. I think it's affecting me."

"What do you mean?"

I shook my head as I glanced in the rearview mirror, suddenly feeling very stupid as I realized that I was not making a lick of sense. Still, there was something I needed to get off my chest. "I don't know to explain it without it sounding crazy, but there's something not right about this town. I could feel it from the moment I stepped foot here. We don't belong here."

Brenda scoffed, "you're right. You do sound crazy."

"But you feel it too, don't you?" I implored. "The atmosphere here… Isn't it strange?"

Brenda chuckled, her gaze falling on the passing tree line with an ease that made me jealous. "Yeah, it's not polluted."

"That's not what I meant," I said as the corners of my lips tugged upwards. Brenda was right, the air here was the cleanest I had ever breathed in my entire life. It was a far cry from the cloud of smog that lingered over LA like a blanket. I admit, as much as I loved the city, my olfactory senses were relieved by the fresh, clean air of the Pacific Northwest. I swear I could smell the ocean and taste the salt, even from here.

She shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, I guess there is something— odd about this place."

I snorted, "maybe it's just something in the water. There is, after all, a lot of it."

"It's probably steroids," said Brenda before adding; "did you see how big those two guys were? I mean come on. No one gets to that size without help."

I laughed in agreement, but the eerie feeling that had originated from deep in my gut remained. I didn't know what it meant, but one thing was for certain.

Steroids or not, there was definitely something strange about this town.

OoO

Mason and Ezra were already seated by the time Brenda and I had arrived at the Carver Café, a small but quaint little diner that was apparently the most popular restaurant in Forks— and I could easily see why. The entire place was packed, the atmosphere loud and stuffy as I glanced around the place, the smell of grease and cooked meat assaulting my nose.

We were apparently just in time for the dinner crowd.

Barely anybody paid us any attention upon entering, but I could still feel a few gazes on us as we made our way towards the back booth where Mason and Ezra were waiting for us, neither one of us failing to notice the grim looks on their faces.

"So, should we share what we found out today or would you like to go first?" I asked as I slid into the booth, my hands folded neatly in front of me as I looked at them.

"So, your visit to the hospital was forthcoming then," said Mason as he leaned back in his seat, his hand resting easily on the table as he regarded us. I knew that he was trying to look relaxed, but I could see the tension in his neck and shoulders.

I inhaled, "the girl… You know, the one that was attacked last night and survived?"

"Yeah," said Ezra. "Is she alright?"

"She's infected."

"Did it take?" asked Mason, not even missing a beat.

I nodded as I sipped my water, my throat feeling suddenly very dry all of a sudden as silence lapsed between all four of us, everyone else taking the time to process the news.

Ezra shook his head, "this is bad. Really bad. This means—"

"He's trying to build a pack," finished Brenda as I nodded, my gaze immediately falling on my Alpha as he took in the news with as much composure as he could, his jaw going slack as he began to massage his temple.

"And if he's trying to build a pack, then he must know we're here," said Brenda, her eyes darting between Mason and I nervously.

"Not necessarily," began Mason, lifting his head and exhaling sharply.

I narrowed my eyes, "what do you mean?"

"Well…" he paused, lips twitching. "Let's just say, we found something in the woods."

"What?" I asked. "What did you guys find?"

"We found your big-ass Wolves," Ezra replied. "They were following us the entire time and they were— listening to us too."

I could feel my breath hitch at my brother's words as an involuntary shudder ran up my back. I wanted to respond, but the words died in my mouth as I thought back to the night of the accident, my hands curling in anticipation.

"I knew it," I muttered. "I knew they weren't Wolves, at least not real ones."

"Then what are they?" asked Ezra, his voice lower than normal.

"How am I supposed to know?" I asked in exasperation. "Why does everybody expect me to have all the answers? I'm as much in the dark here as you guys are."

"We can worry about where they fall in the supernatural animal kingdom later," said Brenda. "The first thing we need to do is find out if they had anything to do with the killings. If they're a threat, then we'll deal with them as well."

Paul's face flashed before my eyes as a low growl began to bubble in my chest. I didn't know why, but the thought of anything happening to him put me on edge, the Wolf inside of me growing more and more restless.

Why did I suddenly feel so protective of someone I didn't even know?

"I agree with Brenda," began Mason, firmly. "There's clearly more at play here than we know and I don't like it. But we need to careful as well. This is not our territory and they've made it clear that they are watching us, whatever they are."

His words lingered in the air as an uncomfortable silence settled between the four of us. I turned to look out the window at the passing cars, my eyes falling on the tree line that started just on the other side of the road. It was still raining, but it had turned into a slight drizzle by then as a sense of unease coursed through me.

"So, what do we do?" asked Ezra before adding; "the next full moon is coming up soon. You know he'll try to claim the girl and anybody else he bites by then. With a pack by his side, he'll be stronger than ever before."

"Even if we manage to get the girl away from him, she'll still be tied to him," I said. "He's her Alpha. He's the one who bit her and if he comes to claim her…"

"She can learn to resist him," stated Brenda, giving everyone a pointed look. "The Alpha bond can be broken. I broke mine."

I shook my head as I considered her words. It sounded all nice and dandy to just sever the bond that was between an Alpha and his pack members, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded. It was actually much more complicated than that. "She's not going to have any control and he's going to take advantage of that. Even if we managed to keep her away from him and trained her, it would take years before she had enough control to sever the bond."

"You were lucky," said Mason as he addressed Brenda; "Your Alpha never claimed you. It's much easier to break the bond if you're never claimed."

It was true that Brenda had never been claimed by the Lycan who had bitten her outside of a nightclub in downtown LA on her twenty-first birthday. Instead, Mason had found her wandering Caballero Canyon the morning after her first full moon, disoriented and confused. Her Alpha had never once tried to claim her, so we took her in and trained her. Just as Mason had claimed Ezra and I as children in the years following our parent's death, he had claimed Brenda as being a part of his pack as well.

But could we do the same with Lisa? Could we claim her as our own like we had Brenda? Was it possible?

A weight settled at the bottom of my belly as I realized that the odds were definitely not in our favor.

"But it is possible," Brenda insisted, "we just need to keep him from her. He can't claim her if he can't get to her."

"And how do you propose we do that?" asked Ezra, pointedly. "We're going to have a hard enough time controlling her and hunting him down at the same time."

There was a moment of silence between all four of us as we all considered his words, a shared sense of unease and apprehension settling between all of us. I could feel both Brenda and Ezra's eyes on Mason and I as they looked to us for guidance as Alpha and Beta of the pack. Mason was the Alpha and I was the Beta, the second in command. It was up to both of us to lead the pack and make decisions, even though Mason always had the final say. However, I did have a lot more leeway when it came to pack politics than either Brenda or Ezra combined.

I looked over at Mason, both of us sharing a moment of silent clarity as we came to the same conclusion.

"If we can't stop him before the next full moon," began Mason, his eyes never once leaving mine as he lowered his voice, "then we'll use the girl as bait."

"I am so not comfortable with this," said Ezra as he shook his head.

"It's the only way we can get him to come to us," I said. "If we don't stop him, he'll kill more people and he'll grow his pack until we're outnumbered."

"But using her as bait?" asked Ezra, clearly not on board with our plan. "That sounds like a recipe for disaster if you ask me."

"Does it look like we have very many options?" I countered, raising an eyebrow at him as he frowned.

"What do you think?" asked Ezra as he turned to address Brenda. "Do you think this is a good idea?"

Brenda thought about it for a few minutes as she bit her lip nervously, her eyes darting between the three of us like a dog caught between two Masters. "I think it could work. It certainly is our best bet for catching the man-eater, but Ezra's right too. This could go so many ways, not all of them good."

"See?" said Ezra before adding; "Brenda agrees with me."

I narrowed my eyes at his standoffish attitude. I couldn't help but feel as though he was trying to antagonize me on purpose, which he knew how to do really well. He was, after all, my little brother and for some reason, younger siblings always seemed to know how to get under the skin.

But then an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach as I realized that maybe Ezra was right. I thought of Molly, her face flashing across my mind as I realized that my drive to catch her killer was perhaps making me a bit irrational.

"We know that there are risks," said Mason. "But I agree with your sister. We're clearly not dealing with the average Lycaon here. This Alpha is smart, and he knows his only hope for survival is to surround himself with his own pack."

"And we know how rare it is for a Werewolf bite to take," I added. "He will not pass up an opportunity to claim someone who hasn't rejected the bite."

"Right," said Mason before adding; "it's obvious we can't defeat him with strength alone. We need to bait him, use his weakness against him. This is how we do that. And unless we call for backup, we're completely alone here."

"But we're not," shot back Ezra. "You know as well as I do Mason that we are not alone here. There are other Wolves out there and I'd bet my lucky stars that they give a damn what happens on their territory. I know I would if there was a homicidal Werewolf in the area."

I opened my mouth to argue, but then I realized that Ezra was right as a shudder ran down the length of my spin and all the way into my toes because I knew he was right. We are not alone.

I dared a glance out at where the forest began on the other side of the road, stretching for as long as the eyes could see. It was so vast and so green, and yet so… foreboding at the same time.

We are not alone.

Even now as I stared, I wondered if something or someone was staring back. I swore I could almost see glowing eyes, but as soon as I blinked, they were gone; nothing more than a figment of my overactive imagination.

Or was it?

We are not alone.

I didn't like this town or the way that it made me feel. I didn't like the fact that my Lycan senses were going nuts, the Wolf inside of me growing more and more unstable. I didn't like the cold, rainy weather that put most of my clothes out of commission and made my bones ache for sunshine. I didn't like Paul, who more of an annoyance than anything nor did I like his temperament. I didn't like the fact that Ezra was right about using the girl as bait. It was a shitty thing to do and I knew it. Was I still willing to use her as bait if it meant catching the thing responsible for Molly's death? Absolutely. I also didn't like the fact that there was very clearly something big going on around here that I did not know about.

I did not like Forks Washington. In fact, I didn't like the Pacific Northwest at all. I wanted to finish our business, kill the monster and put this place in my rearview as soon as possible and never come back.

But then my chest tightened at the thought of leaving and a sudden, overwhelming sense of despair filled me. Just the thought of leaving made my heart ache in a way that shouldn't have even been real.

And yet… It was real. It was more real than anything I had ever felt before in my entire life and I hated it.

Unfortunately for me, I would come to find out just how exciting hate could be.

OoO

Coming Next: Guns, crossbows, Shapeshifters, and Lycanthropes, oh my!

AN: This is definitely a filler chapter, but there is a lot of important information here for later. This chapter also provides a very small window into Shay, Mason, Ezra, and Brenda's relationship.

Also, thank you for all the comments! I don't think I've ever gotten this many on the first seven chapters of a story before and the motivation to write this story is unreal, so thank you!

OoO

Incorrect Quote of the chapter:

Mason: I have an idea!

Ezra: That's a terrible idea

Brenda: There are no bad ideas, Ezra. Only good ideas that go horribly wrong