AN: Yeah, I know, I'm a horrible person for not updating. You don't need to tell me, I already know, thanks to my conscientious, Hellix, and Creative Insanity. Not only was I sick over Christmas, but we also guest and it's hard to sneak away up to the computer. Also, I have this little thing called AP Chem that's taken over my life. The good news: It's over in two months! The bad news: I still have two months left. Two months of AP Chem and crew (rowing). So, in other words…I throw myself upon your mercy. Please forgive me! Plus, I needed to reevaluate this fic and see where I wanted things to go. I'll update ASAP.

Chapter Eight: Black Eyes and Blue Buicks

Brooke walked out of the theater with Helen.

"So, what did you think?" Brooke asked.

"Not bad," Helen replied. "But the plot was kinda weak at points."

"You don't watch James Bond for the plot! You watch it for the cool cars and explo—" As Brooke stepped off of the curb, an old, dark blue Buick nearly clipped her. Brooke jumped back up onto the side walk and swore loudly. "What the FUCK! Damn it! Can't people drive any more!" Brooke checked her rage. She didn't need to sprout claws in front of Helen and the other humans walking to their cars.

"Are you ok?" Helen asked. She seemed rather shaken.

"Yeah" Brooke took a calming breath. Both girls jumped slightly when they heard the screech of breaks and the rev of a car engine. The old Buick sped backwards and screeched to a halt in front of the two girls. Brooke glared through the tinted window in front of her. The window rolled down with a soft hum. A boy of about 17 sat in the passenger seat. He ran his fingers through his messy brown hair and smirked up at Brooke and Helen.

"So, what might I ask are two hot pieces of ass doing out so late without a date?" Brooke growled, but Helen got to him first.

Helen stepped in front of Brooke pulled back her fist and punched the guy right in the eye. The boy looked shocked and the other three boys in the car were silent.

"I told you you shouldn't—" said one of the boys in the back seat.

"Shut up Jess!" the guy cupping his eye. "What are you waiting for? Go." He growled to the boy in the driver's seat. The car whined and sprang forward. The girls stood there, watching the car drive away. Brooke studied Helen. She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring after the car. Was it just a trick of the light, or did Helen's eyes hold the golden gleam of the loup-garoux?

Brooke pulled into the garage and put the car in park. She turned the key and removed it from the ignition. Brooke shivered and sank into the warm leather seat. Brooke didn't want to admit it to herself, but she was shaken by the events of an hour ago. After Brooke had dropped Helen off, Brooke had driven around town with no distinct destination for half an hour before she realized she was completely lost. She had luckily stumbled across the high school and found her way home from there. Brooke shivered again. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was terrified of death. And narrowly escaping getting run over had brought those fears back to the surface of her thoughts.

Brooke shoved those thoughts to the back of her mind and tried to focus on Helen. She couldn't be the stray, but it was so blatantly obvious that she was. Brooke really wasn't sure what to do. So she did what she always did when she didn't know what to do. Brooke got out of the car and slammed the door behind her, but instead of going inside, she walked back out of the garage and toward the woods, stripping as she went. Brooke willed the change to go faster and it did. She winced as her bones crunched and she fell to the ground on all fours and took off running.

Brooke rolled over, trying to escape the sun light that was pouring in from the windows, but it was no use. Brooke pulled off the covers and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She winced as she put weight onto her swore and blistered feet. She had run hard and fast the night before and from that she had gained blistered feet and soreness. Brooke nearly tripped over the clothes she had worn the night before and made her way to the bathroom. Brooke shed her pajamas and turned the tap on full blast in the shower.

An hour later, Brooke came downstairs, her wet hair pulled into a messy bun and her in nothing but a bra and jeans, but Brooke had never been modest.

Brooke made a bee-line for the fridge and was about to fling it open and eat everything inside when she saw a note taped to the door. Morning Sunshine! I didn't want to wake you because I knew you went running last night. Anyway, I had Brian pick me up so you could drive yourself up to the Inn on your own. Try to get there by one or so. I'll see you when you get there! Love Chase Brooke turned the note over and there were directions on the back. Brooke glanced over at the clock on the oven. It was 12:55.

"Shit," Brooke swore under her breath. Brooke grabbed the keys off the counter and drove all the way to the high school before she realized she still didn't have a shirt on. After running back to the house to grab a shirt, Brooke sped all the way there and didn't slow down until she turned onto the last rode on Chases directions. Brooke looked at the clock on the dashboard. It was 1:45. Brooke thought that she had made good time considering it should have taken her an hour and forty minutes because she forgot her shirt.

When Brooke turned into the long driveway up to the Inn, she was amazed by how big it was. No, not big, huge, Brooke said to herself. It was three stories tall and well, there was no other word for it, huge. Brooke wondered how many people were in this pack. Brooke parked the car off to the side of the driveway behind a black mustang convertible. Brooke got out of the car and locked the door. Brooke walked up to the Inn and knocked on the door. Brooke could hear music and talk coming from inside. Someone opened the door.

"What are you doing here?" Liz demanded.