"Clarisse seems like she's extra pissed this week," Jason commented as he watched Clarisse tear out of the parking lot. It did make sense to him, considering her trainee had gotten the shit kicked out of her. Jason still felt terrible when he heard about it, and it angered him that Ma Gasket would go that far.

It also angered him that Thalia didn't have any answers for him. She just told him to trust her, and while he did, it still bothered him. A soft sigh left Jason as he surveyed the parking lot. They were the last ones to leave.

"I think she's mad that Reyna is still out," Piper said with a shrug. She looked up at the sky. Jason did as well, and his gaze focused on the moon. Most werewolves felt a special connection to the lunar object. Just seeing it would feel them with a sense of warmth, almost one of home.

He never felt that while looking at the moon. It made him feel like he just wasn't fit to be a werewolf. After all, what werewolf didn't feel something when they looked up at the celestial body? It was supposed to power them and was rumored to be the cause behind their transformations.

His mentor told him it was actually normal to not feel one. With him being a half-werewolf. There laid Jason's biggest problem that no one seemed to understand. Being a half anything usually wasn't a bad thing. Most creatures accepted a halfling into their community. But not werewolf packs.

Other than his mentor, there were no other werewolves in the city that weren't total pieces of shit. It just made him feel more alone. He wished there was someone he could talk to about his werewolf problems. Piper and Leo listened to him, but they didn't understand. Annabeth was smart, but she just didn't get how he felt.

Thalia was the only one who came close to understanding his feelings, but it felt like they didn't have enough time together as it was. Why would he waste the time complaining about things when he could just enjoy the time he had with his sister?

"I don't know why she would be mad at Reyna," Jason admitted. He looked at Piper. "It's not like Reyna should be working."

"She shouldn't be," Piper agreed. She leaned on Jason's car and studied him. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Nothing," Jason responded. Piper smiled as she watched him. Jason smiled back as he fixed his glasses, but he knew what Piper wanted. While it was great sleeping with Piper, it just wasn't something he wanted to do all the time. He always had to be more careful, and it felt like she wanted to be more than just friends with benefits.

Jason wasn't sure if he wanted that. Piper must have noticed his look because she grabbed his hand, "Something wrong?"

"No," Jason reluctantly answered as he opened his car door. "Just distracted for a moment."

"Well, do you want- Jason!"

Jason felt the blow coming before it hit him, but there was still nothing he could do as a fist slammed directly into the back of his head. He fell forward into his car, and a fist slammed into his kidney. A cry of pain escaped him, and his attacker wrenched Jason from his car and slammed him into the asphalt.

Jason's skull cracked against the unforgiving ground, and he started seeing stars. A face formed in his foggy vision, and red eyes glared down at him with hunger. Lycaon spoke, "How's the half-breed faggot doing?"

"Leave him alone!" Piper yelled. Lycaon turned and grabbed Piper's wrist. He twisted her arm, causing her to cry out from the pain. Jason stared up at Lycaon and saw three more of his goons approaching the car.

"Is this your bitch?" Lycaon questioned as he tightened his grip. His long nails bored into Piper's arm, shredding some of the flesh. Piper's face contorted intensely from the pain, but she didn't cry out again. Instead, she tried to pull away.

"Get away from her!" Jason snapped. He tried to sit up, but his world began to spin. The stars came flooding back. He still tried to sit up, and Lycaon stomped down on his chest. Piper slapped Lycaon, and a fierce and angry glare ignited in his features.

"You stupid bitch," Lycaon snarled. He grabbed Piper's shirt and pulled her forward, slamming his head into hers. Jason winced as he saw Piper's nose practically explode under the weight of the attack. She couldn't suppress her anguish and fell back limply.

Lycaon shoved Piper toward his crew. One of his cronies pinned Piper with a knee to the chest against the ground. Lycaon turned towards Jason and snarled, "Get up, faggot."

"You can do what you want to me, but leave Piper alone!" Jason wheezed. Lycaon looked at Piper.

"I can think of plenty of things we can do to both of you," Lycaon sneered. Jason felt his blood boil, and he tried to jump to his feet. His head alone would have stopped him, but two of Lycaon's cronies grabbed his arms and held him in place.

"Your whore could make a good treat," Lycaon threatened, hunger lacing his tone. Jason felt himself shaking from pure rage, but he couldn't break the grip of the men that held him. "Maybe, I'll make you watch."

Jason tried to lash out with a kick. Lycaon laughed and stepped back. Then, he propelled his foot into Jason's crotch. Pain erupted in Jason's lower half, and his knees gave out on him. Lycaon kicked him again.

Jason screamed in agony as molten fire spread throughout his body. He was shoved to the ground and crumbled like a house of cards. Both of his hands moved to his crotch, and he whimpered. Tears filled his eyes. Lycaon stepped on his head.

"That little bitch isn't here to protect you," Lycaon sneered as he grounded his foot into the back of Jason's head. A foot slammed into Jason's stomach. He cried out, and another kick caused him to wheeze desperately for air. "Tell her when I see her next, I'll reopen that scar on her face."

Lycaon nodded to his men, and they pulled Jason back up to his knees. Jason kept his hands pressed against his most precious asset and tried to ignore the pulsating tremors of pain. Something felt wrong, and he didn't know what it was. A foot slammed into his ribs.

Jason choked on his scream, and another foot slammed into his ribs. Trying to protect his midsection was met with his arms being restrained, and Lycaon was given free rein to kick him again and again. By the time Lycaon was done, Jason was a wheezing and coughing mess. He knew a few ribs had been broken, and something told him Lycaon wouldn't stop until he was dead or bent a knee.

"Now, are you going to join me?" Lycaon demanded. Instead of answering, Jason coughed miserably, and he spat up some blood. Lycaon grabbed him by his hair and jerked his head up to meet his eyes. "Are you?"

Jason didn't answer. Lycaon let go of his head and turned around. Jason slowly focused his gaze on Piper. She was trying to fight against the man that had her pinned, but he would not let her up. Her punches were futile.

"Now, one of you is going to blow me," Lycaon augured. An evil grin twisted his lips. "Which one of you is it going to be?"

Lycaon turned his attention to Piper, and she stared at him with terrified eyes. Jason spoke quickly, "I'll do it."

"That's a good bitch," Lycaon smirked. Jason gasped as he was pulled to his knees. His heart thumped in his ears as Lycaon started to undo his belt. His ears suddenly twitched, and he tilted his head.

Jason heard it a moment later: sirens. Lycaon slammed his foot into Jason's gut, and Jason collapsed forward. Lycaon snarled, "Keep this in mind as a lesson of what happens when you disobey me. You are going to join me and my boys. And our first act of business is going to be bending you over my desk and doing whatever I want. I know you'll enjoy it."

Jason was kicked back to the harsh concrete of the parking lot. He curled up on his side, pressing one hand against his crotch and the other against his chest. As soon as Piper was able to, she scrambled to Jason's side and cradled his head. Piper spoke, "It's okay. I have you, Jason. I have you."

"I'm sorry..." Jason whimpered. He coughed blood out onto Piper's jeans. "You shouldn't have been involved."

"It's not your fault, Jason. It's not," Piper whispered. She gently brushed hair out of Jason's eyes and looked up. Jason could see a police car pulling up to them.

"H...how did you call the cops?" Jason wheezed.

"I didn't," Piper began. Her eyes shot around the alley. Jason just rested his face on her lap and tried to quell the terrible pain. Miserable cries left him, and Piper held him close. "I'll call Thalia and tell her what happened. You'll be in the hospital soon. I promise."

"I didn't want you to get involved," Jason whispered. As bad as he physically felt, he felt even worse that Piper had gotten dragged into this. It was all his fault. "Just like I di...didn't want Reyna to get involved."

"What do you mean?" Piper asked quietly.

"She saw Lycaon confront me and told him to back off," Jason explained. He found it hard to speak and swallowed painfully. His eyes slowly drifted closed, and as he heard a car come to a stop, he passed out from the throbbing pain.