Author Note: Thoughts are in italics everyone.

Chapter 2: The life he left...

Rhett sat in his office sipping his morning coffee in silence, his thoughts deeply troubled. Sophia's most recent e-mail had disturbed him, and he had not bothered to go home for the night. Ruby had once again fled Wolf Lake, and, apparently, the new Alpha wasn't as forgiving as her late father. He wasn't surprised, though. Vivian Cates had never been fond of Ruby, that was no secret around town, even before he himself had left. Her mouth must be watering at the chance to get rid of her once and for all, Rhett thought.

As Rhett mused about Ruby's circumstances, he couldn't help but think back to the events that had brought him to L.A. Unlike Ruby, he had never harbored any great desire to experience life beyond their sheltered home. Oh sure, he'd had his share of wanderlust in his youth, but nothing so great that he considered leaving. He loved being a member of the pack, being a skinwalker. He felt special, powerful even. In that respect, he was much like his nemesis, Tyler Creed. Both he and Tyler felt privileged to be what they were, although unlike Tyler, he didn't feel superior to humans, just different.

Humans, humans had always been his problem, as it were. Like Matthew Donner, Rhett had no issues with humans, no disdain for them. If a skinwalker wanted a human as a friend, lover, or mate, who really cared? The simple answer to that question was a great many people.

Rhett pulled out his wallet and retrieved the small news clipping he had carried everywhere since before he left Wolf Lake. His fingers brushed over the wrinkled article, and the lone picture that accompanied it. Allison, her name echoed in his mind even now. Once upon a time, she had been his obsession. Long, straight, blue-black hair, blue eyes like the deepest part of the lake, and a stage presence that was profound. She had been a townie, a simple human from a poor family. And she could sing, man could she sing! In high school, she had been the lead singer for a local band, Psychotic Wolf. Needless to say, the name wasn't a big hit with the Wolfen population- at least not most of them.

In the end, though, she had gotten too close, and he had gotten careless. He made what was, for her, a fatal error in judgment. He told her what he was, and she had paid for it with her life. Tyler Creed had seen to her demise personally. Rhett knew he should have died along with her, but Willard Cates had a soft spot for him. Besides, the pack Alpha had reasoned, with Allison dead, there was no further need for bloodshed.

He had gone after Tyler, of course, but had been thwarted in his attempt to avenge Allison's death. He could still feel his jaws clamping down on Tyler's neck and the satisfaction that brought. But then Willard Cates and his tranquilizer rifle had snatched victory from him at the last second. I was so close to killing him, he thought, angrily.

His anger at such memories was compounded by the fact that he wasn't likely to get another shot at Tyler, and even if he did, he wasn't sure he'd win. After all, Tyler had nearly killed him the first time they tangled. By all rights, Tyler should have bested him easily, but Rhett had embraced his wolf more fully than even Tyler did. He had been wolf to such an extent that the man was almost completely gone, and it had nearly worked.

It was always like that when he flipped, even from the start. Perhaps, it was his first change that made him embrace his wolf so totally. His first flip had been long and brutal, taking days to complete. If not for his parents hiding the fact that he was undergoing the transformation, he would have been killed after a mere day at best.

Even when the pain subsided, he was left only half-turned. His own father was about to end the nightmare when he had pulled loose of his restraints and escaped into the forest. Only then, when he realized he was about to be discovered by a group of fellow wolfen, did he manage to fully flip. To this day, every shift from human to wolf and back was difficult, and potentially fatal. But regardless of the risks, he continued to flip. He wouldn't, couldn't give it up like Donner had. The rush was just too great, and, for once in his life, he felt powerful. Sure, even as a wolf, he was scrawny, but it was still better than being a human, in his opinion.

"Boss?" Jenna Reese's voice snapped Rhett of of his reverie.

"Jenna! Oh, you startled me," he said, quickly replacing the article about Allison's death back in his wallet. "What's up?"

"You've got a visitor waiting for you downstairs," she stated.

"I'll be right there, just tell them to wait a minute," he said trying to regain his composure.

"No sweat."

A couple minutes later, Rhett made his way downstairs to the major crimes task force war room. It was early in the morning and he headed straight for the coffee pot, ignoring all else- including the figure waiting expectantly for him.

"You've always hated mornings, haven't you," a female voice remarked from behind him.

Coffee in hand, Rhett spun around to face the familiar speaker, his eyes wide with shock. "Ruby," he gasped.

"Been a long time, Rhett," Ruby observed.

Rhett didn't respond, he didn't know how to.

"You're not exactly happy to see me, are you?" Ruby continued.

"Not really," Rhett agreed.

"Boss!" Tim Metzger nearly shouted, astounded that Rhett would be so cold to an attractive woman like Ruby. However, stern looks from several other team members put a halt to further interruptions on his part.

"What do you want here, Ruby?" Rhett fairly growled.

"I came to ask if you'd be willing to help me with my...divorce," Ruby explained.

Rhett knew by the way Ruby paused before saying divorce that what she really wanted was something more permanent. "You want Tyler dead, do it yourself," he nearly spat. "I'm not an assassin."

"But you are a soldier," Ruby countered. "And one who serves my family, or so you use to say," she added.

"How the hell did you find me?" Rhett asked, changing the subject without warning.

"Does it matter?"

"Considering what will happen if anyone else from back home finds me, you bet it matters," Rhett snapped. "Besides, you tried to talk me out of going after Tyler once before, remember? Why the hell should I bend over backwards to help you now?"

"Because we are clan," Ruby replied simply, using the same strategy her stepmother had employed with her earlier.

Oblivious to the curious stares from the others in the room, Rhett and Ruby locked eyes. Neither member of the Wolf Lake pack liked the current situation, but neither was willing to back off either. In the end, though, it was Rhett who blinked. Whether he liked it or not, Ruby was right about his attitude towards pack life. He had left because he had been disgusted by the town's handling of the Allison situation, but he was still clan at heart.

"You want me to go back?" Rhett finally asked.

"We'll talk about it over dinner, Rhett. I left my number with the officer at the front desk. Call me when you're finished here," Ruby answered, already on her way out of the war room.

Rhett watched Ruby leave, a frown on his face. The last thing he wanted right now was to be dragged back into pack life. He certainly wanted to make Tyler pay for killing Allison, but he wanted to do it on his terms, not Ruby's. He had faked his death in order to escape, but now he had been found- and by the Alpha's daughter no less! More than anything, Rhett had dreamed of a quiet life in Wolf Lake, but that dream had never materialized. I guess this is what I get for surviving my first flip when I should have died, he lamented. Without a word to his confused coworkers, Rhett climbed the stairs and returned to his office. He needed to focus on work, not on his impending return to pack politics.

TBC.

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