A/N: Thanks to all those who've reviewed. nice to hear from people. Teell me what you think so far. I'm on holiday for a week so updating a little early this week. Enjoy

Chapter 5

"Giles, what does that mean?" Willow asked, her voice shaking.

"I…..I'm really not sure."

"But you have an idea." Buffy challenged making Giles wish he'd allow himself to tell her to shut up more often than he did. He glared at the slayer before he turned his attention to the young witch.

"It appears to mean exactly as it says. All werewolves come together to create a sort of family, a pack, I suppose."

"So the wolves Fang-boy told us about in the woods are werewolves?" Xander asked. "But I've seen those things running down my street they look like normal dog-like things not Oz-on-a-full-moon."

"Hmm there-in lies our problem. What did Angel say exactly?"

"That the wild dogs weren't wild dogs, and that Oz was with them and in a bad way, he was changing fast."

"But if the other wolves really are werewolves why does Oz look different to them?"

"It may be that they are no longer human. Spells to Gods have to be precise and carefully planned otherwise they tend to have unfortunate outcomes." Giles slid a glance at Xander.

"Yes, yes we all know I'm the walking advert for spells gone wrong, can we move on, please?"

"So if the Gods took the spell as it's written…?" Buffy questioned beginning to feel nervous.

"Well, bear in mind I may not have this translated correctly. If it was taken literally, Luna will have taken the thing that makes them hurt, their humanity. Which would explain why, if the wolves in the woods really are werewolves, they look like normal animals." He sighed grimly.

"There's no humanity to make them a half breed. And Oz is going the same way." Willow nodded numbly.

"Now we don't know that Angel is right or that Oz is in that kind of trouble." Giles pointed out before Willows mind ran away.

"But he is missing." Xander said dumbly.

"Yes, Xander thank you for pointing out the obvious. But Oz may well have just gone for a walk to clear his head causing us to miss him."

"But it does look less like we are being set up though, right?" Buffy said hopefully.

"Yes, it's possible. It's always been a possibility but we need to be vigilant."

"Shouldn't we go and investigate the woods near where Angel said Oz was? I mean we can't do anything here and it sounds to me like we should get Oz away from them."

"We can't go off unprepared, Buffy. We don't know what we're up against." Giles sighed.

"Well all the more reason for me to go and see 'what we're up against'. Look I'll just do a sweep of the park, if there's anything I'll make a mental note then go home to bed like a good little slayer and not do anything that could be conceived as dumb." She pulled the most innocent look she could. "Well it's not like I can track them without any leads," she reasoned seeing the look on Giles' face.

"Yes, well I suppose we could all do with rest."

"Great, I'll see you all tomorrow." Buffy said brightly and bounced out the door.

"Wow, she really does brighten up when you give her something to do." Xander muttered.

"I guess I better go home too. Homework and …… stuff" Willow said grabbing her jacket. She avoided Giles and Xander's eyes as she retreated to the front door.

Giles and Xander sat in silence as they listened to Willow's fading footsteps.

"They're not going to do what they said they were going to do are they?" Xander said his eyes fixed on the front door.

"I think it's safe to say emphatically no."

"So, Buffy's going to try and find them, Willow's going to stalk Buffy and neither of them have anything that would be useful in a crisis."

"That would sum up the situation." Giles agreed.

"You see any problem with that?"

"You mean apart from the fact they are both likely to find themselves in serious danger, alone and unprepared?"

"That's what I thought." Xander turned to Giles, took an exaggerated bow and swept his arm towards the door. "Shall we?"

"Yes, I believe we shall." Giles grabbed an old, leather bound book and took the lead. "This however may be useful." He patted the book as he made his way to the stairs leading out of the courtyard.

XxXxX

Buffy walked briskly along the walkway through the park heading for the woods. She could feel something following her and it was beginning to annoy her. Looking round she saw nothing move but the branches of the bushes and trees in the mild night breeze.

She carried on walking until she could take no more. Stopping abruptly she didn't turn.

"This is really stupid. Will, you really are rubbish at the whole stalking thing. Xander, you're the last one I'd expect to follow and Giles, Giles what were you planning on doing with that book? Throw it at them or bore them to death by reading aloud?" She waited until she heard them come out of hiding before turning to face them. "So what, you don't trust me not to go investigating alone? In the dark?"

"No" Xander said simply. "You're the Slayer I wouldn't expect anything else."

"Uh, guys?" Willow said, her voice shaking. "I don't think we have to go any further. In fact I think going home to my homework is the best idea I've had all night. No really, I really, really think it is."

"Will?" Buffy looked round and spotted a pair of glowing eyes in the bush. They all watched as a large grey wolf emerged from the bush, growling as it neared the Slayer. "Hey Giles? You know that book? Now might be a good time to throw it."

"I don't think so Buffy. The best we can do is run." He said distractedly.

"It's only one wolf. One extremely large, angry wolf." She said backing away from the animal.

"No, there are more. The rest are in the bushes surrounding us. Look."

The teenagers searched the bushes and saw more pairs of eyes glowing at them from the dark cover of the undergrowth.

Willow looked from one pair to another wondering if any of them were Oz. Part of her hoped Angel was right and that he was amongst them, that way she'd know where he was which was more than she knew now, and another part hoped Xander was right and that the vampire was trying to fool them so that if these creatures attacked she'd know Oz wasn't involved. Either way the outcome wasn't one she particularly liked.

"Running it is then." Xander hesitated before running back the way they came followed by the others.

"Everyone run home. They can't follow all of us. Phone when you're home and safe." Giles panted throwing his book back at the wolf as it gave chase.

"Don't need to tell me twice." With that passing comment Xander leapt over a flower bed and disappeared in the direction of home.

XxXxX

It watched from the undergrowth as the teenagers ran. It's automatic reaction was to follow but something held him back. An invisible force inside told it to stay put. The young man gave a little amusement as he stumbled and weaved as he ran away from his stalker.

The red-head had been looking right into it's eyes before their hasty retreat. Her eyes burned into his so strongly it was hard to break away.

Noticing the book Giles had thrown and edged towards it, a strong urge to follow the watcher surged through him. Grasping the book tightly it skulked off towards the old man's residence.

He heard the door to Giles' apartment slam. Creeping down the stairs it listened at the door. Hearing the phone ring a few times, one by one it heard Buffy, Xander, and Willow's names all mentioned. They'd all made it home, part of him was glad but a feeling of annoyance that were all safe stirred. He felt his claws ripping at the leather. Dropping the book on the doorstep, the dull thud echoed off the walls. It heard movement inside.

"Hello?" Giles' voice called.

It scrambled up the stairs and into the dark street, away from the watcher.

XxXxX

Giles slowly moved towards the front door. He heard movement outside; he was sure of it but as he cautiously opened the door there was no one there. The courtyard was empty and still. Giles spotted the book on his mat. Picking it up, he ran his fingers across the claw marks.

"Oz?" He whispered more to himself than anything. He was sure the boy was there in the park earlier, hiding in the trees. Just as he was sure it was Oz who brought the book back, he wasn't sure, however, how much of their situation Angel was involved in or what part he was playing.

"I hope we're wrong." He muttered as he closed his door.

XxXxX

Watching the old man study the book cause a growl to bubble in his chest. He held his breath until the man turned back into his apartment.

What had possessed him to take that book to the watcher's door? After all the old man was partly to blame for his situation. If it wasn't for him the Slayer would never have survived this long and the others wouldn't be involved in any of the messes that have plagued their existence and, most importantly he would have what he wanted.

Soon, a voice whispered in his head, it'll all be over soon.

XxXxX

A/N: hope you're all still enjoying it. Please review. until next time.

"Catch ya obn the flip flop"