You read right, nigga! I'M BACCCKKK! Ooouu ouuu ahhh BOOTY DANCE! DO THE BOOTY DANCE! BOOTY DANCE! DO THE BOOTY DANCE! I cannot apologize sincerely enough for the inexcusably long delay in updating! When I tell you LIFE! has hit ya girl HARD these past few months, I just couldn't... ugh!

But I'm so happy and relieved to FINALLY be back on here and blessing you with a new chapter of my newest story! I love all the feed back I've gotten so far about it! And I appreciate you guys soooo much for being patient!

To my faithful Reviewers: Chel29, RabbitMelody, GREENPEACE1990, ThatBlackGirl
You all are AWESOME! And if I had the money, I would buy you all Starbucks! But I'm broke... so... yeah. BUT YOU GUYS MAKE ME FEEL RICH DAMMIT! XD XD But fr, I love ya'll! You da best!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE BOONDOCKS OR ANY OF AARON MCGRUDER'S CHARACTERS MENTIONED IN THE BOONDOCKS

Without further ado!


Riley, Caesar and Hiro threw their bags into the trunk of Caesar's Ford Explorer, preparing for the drive through Montana, while Huey was speaking to the county sheriff, Ramsey Burwood, who was also a loyal member of the pack. Being a werewolf himself, and also an elected public official, Sheriff Ramsey has taken special care of the welfare of the compound while being the mediator between the human population and the werewolf population, making sure there was little to no interferences between the two.

Ramsey was born and raised in this pack, The Crescent Pack, and has seen its ups and downs growing up, the downs being more frequent than the ups. The structure and strength of the pack has fluctuated more times than he can count, from the constant, unorganized fights for rankings, undisciplined werewolves wreaking havoc on the city, and some even being shot and killed, nearly exposing the werewolves' presence in the human world. Ramsey was just a deputy at the time, but even then, there was only so much he could do to keep the pack from unraveling into chaos.

Needless to say, the past PackMasters of The Crescent Pack have been lousy, greedy, and sometimes even narcissistic and power-hungry, only in the position for that one thing, not for the good of the pack.

Then, shortly before Ramsey's election to county sheriff, Huey and Riley Freeman joined the pack, at eighteen and sixteen-years old. Two orphaned and wandering werewolves who very quickly rose in the ranks and soon became the strong, solid and just leaders they were today, giving The Crescent Pack the leadership they so desperately needed.

They got straight to work in expanding the compound and creating a new atmosphere, a cleaner, stricter, and safer one. Ramsey and Huey have successfully worked together in keeping the pack's existence concealed over the years. Ramsey heavily enforced the strict no-hunting policy outside of permitted hunting seasons and within local borough limits, and covered for "wolf" sightings within the city.

Huey established strict laws of his own against running around the city in wolf-form, shifting where humans could see them, and the most important, making their existence known to humans. Only imprinted humans were allowed to live in the compound, the very few there were, and even they were forced to uphold complete discretion.

Luckily enough, the average human was gullible as hell. Sheriff Ramsey did an excellent job in dismissing rumors of "wolf-people" running around the city and even bantering such "nonsense" himself publicly. The thought of supernatural folklore such as werewolves, vampires and shapeshifters were still just a big ole' hoax in the public eye, so they had that to be thankful for. This county trusted their sheriff and it may go against his elected duties to lie to the public, but he had a deeper loyalty to his pack to uphold to and he would do any and everything to ensure their safety. In a way, it did tie into the safety of the human society as well.

This was now a civilized pack, but werewolves in general, were still overly aggressive and sometimes even hostile. Keeping a wolf's composure when provoked was like trying to keep water from boiling at 500 degrees Kelvin. Even in human form, a werewolf's strength could mangle a human body in five clean punches. Thankfully, it hasn't come to that, at least not recently. For all the humans know, just don't mess with the weirdos that live up on Sandy Hill. And to the werewolves that resided there, controlling one's temper was paramount, or you will have to answer to PackMaster Freeman.

"A possible Pure-Blood huh?" Sheriff Ramsey asked swishing his giant brown mustache back and forth on his lip.

"Yeah, up in Montana. It's a long shot in finding her, but we're up for the challenge. There's no telling if she even wants to be found," Huey shrugged.

That was his most reoccurring thought. There was no telling how this she-wolf would react to them just intruding upon her life, but Osena didn't sense a ruthless vibe, and her predictions never failed before. But those visions didn't involve an untraceable, abnormally strong, hybrid werewolf who looked to have a more wolf-like mentality than human.

"You all just be careful, Master Freeman. And don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things. How long you think you fellas will be gone?"

"No more than three days. Just until the end of the weekend."

"Okay, good. I don't have to tell you, these pups get ruthless when they notice that the leaders are gone. I can only be so hard on them, you know," Ramsey said lifting his belt.

He had a leadership streak as strong as the next Alpha. He may have been the sheriff, but he wasn't Alpha. The respect one gives was nowhere near the same. He was over twenty years Huey's senior, but what Huey lacked in age, he made up for in strength and wisdom and this was something every member of his pack knew.

"Don't worry about that, sheriff. If anything or anyone gets out of line, you just report them to me when we get back and I'll handle it. Besides, Lady Gamma and Lady Delta will be here to look after things as well. And they got just as firm of a grip as I do."

"WOOHOOO! ROOAAADD TRRIIPPP!" Ming shouted, swinging her bag over shoulder.

"LIFE IS A HIIIGHWAYY! I'M GONNA RIIIDEE IT ALLL NIIGHTT LONNGG!" Cindy sang loudly as they ran out of her and Caesar's house with her blue suitcase in hand.

"Shit, you probably already did last night," Ming side-marked.

"Bitch, AND?!" Cindy retorted.

"Yeah, uhh.. they're real model guardians…" Ramsey rose his eyebrow behind his dark sunglasses. Huey just sighed irritably and shook Ramsey's hand, thanking him again before going back towards the truck.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hol' up! Where ya'll think ya'll goin?" Riley stopped them holding up his hand.

"Uhhh, we're coming on this little scavenger hunt too! What you think?" Cindy said in an obvious tone. Huey and Riley shot daggers at Caesar and Hiro.

"What? It's not like we could hide it from them!" Hiro shrugged tapping his temple. Wolf-telepathy was useful, but sometimes its usefulness worked overtime.

However, a mated pair's telepathic connection was even stronger, as open and accessible as the clear blue sky. Like normal wolf telepathy, they could feel each other's presence and hear each other's thoughts, except, with a mated pair, they can pick up each other's presence and thoughts even from across the globe. They could sense a deep thought or emotion the other was feeling just by looking at each other. They trusted each other, fully and completely.

But the girls weren't about to just sit back and let the guys have all the fun. No way!

"Besides, you don't expect this chick to just casually go along with a full group of male werewolves do you? Ya'll are going to scare the bitch away! Hell, she might even kill ya'll!" Cindy continued as she threw her and Ming's bags on top of theirs.

"Cindy's right. If this is a real pure-blood like you think she is, you'll need all the strength you can get. Hopefully it doesn't come to anything extreme, but face it. You're going to need "female" influence with this. So we're coming." Ming reached up and pulled the trunk door closed, finalizing the decision, letting them know that they weren't going to change their minds.

Caesar and Hiro crossed their arms and smirked at their valiant soulmates. They were the true definition of 'Ride or Dies.' They upheld their positions that they shared with their male partners without hesitation and were more brave and passionate about the well-being of their tribe than they were given credit for.

"You're just too amazing for me, you know that?" Hiro wrapped his arms around Ming's narrow waist and brought her in for a kiss.

"Of course I do. And I love you all the same… you mutt," Ming gave him another sweet peck.

"And I would LOVE to get on the damn road!" Riley grimaced. "This ain't no damn bae-cation!"

"Riley's right. If you two are coming, we all need to have a clear head for what we're getting into. We don't even know for sure ourselves. We got to be focused and alert. For all we know, she's going to be on her guard unconditionally," Huey said in a serious manner.

Everyone nodded in agreement. They wouldn't go out and search for some single wolf hundreds of miles away if Huey didn't sense a powerful and vigorous presence in her. That kind of influence would strengthen his pack as a whole, an attribute every Alpha wanted for his tribe. He just hoped he wasn't underestimating.

"Well then, let's hit the road!" Caesar opened the back door for the ladies and Riley and Hiro followed, while Huey got in the passenger seat and Caesar got in the driver's side. They started on their journey to Montana, blindly seeking out the valiant pure-blooded she-wolf.


Wolf-Jazmine trudged up her porch steps and cautiously observed her surroundings before shifting back to human form with an exasperated sigh. The sky was turning a light purple from the rising sun and the birds were meeting it with their early morning songs. She got out her spare key from under her welcome mat and unlocked the door before lazily pushing in and then pressing her back against it, closing it with a loud slam.

The past couple of nights have all been a blur since she's been out overtime with her pack. First, she tackled a kicking and thrashing eighteen-point buck by herself and was only left with a single scrappy rib and a sprained wrist for it. Thank goodness she could heal herself, because that shit hurt like a bitch!

Then, she had to fight off two mid-rank wolves from ganging up on Sparkle, who was only trying to find a suitable spot to relieve herself. She seriously needed to start sticking up for herself. She was nearing six years-old and was fully mature. She had to gain confidence down the road one way or another and Jazmine couldn't always be her security guard.

The following afternoon, she reluctantly helped Moxie burrow a den. She was careful to keep her distance though. Moxie was more moody than usual. She didn't think Jazmine knew, but she did. From her incoming teat and swelling tummy, to the weariness in her eyes and the amount of time she spent secluded from the pack spoke for itself… She was expecting.

Since Twilight lost her mate, it was up to the Beta-mated pair, Moxie and, who Jazmine aptly nicknamed "Motor", to ensure the future offspring of the pack. And with that status, came even more power in the pack. That made Jazmine nervous. She knew Twilight was getting older, slower and weaker. She had to have been at least twelve years old. The wolves' dependency on her was enough, given the strength of the pack as a whole. But with her Beta daughter's rising strength and furthering bloodline, there was no telling how much longer the Alpha mother of the pack would remain as such.

Jazmine shared a connection with Twilight. And she knew, that Twilight knew, she didn't have many moons left.

Last night, they went hunting again, but this time, Diesel made the kill. As if his fluffy head wasn't big enough already, that just boosted his confidence up to the maximum. The whole rest of the night, he's been brushing up against Jazmine, flirting with her, nipping at her fur, licking at her mouth and face. Jazmine couldn't for the life of her get him to back the fuck off! She snapped, growled, and snarled all she could. The son of a bitch wouldn't leave her be! Jester tried to intervene, but that just earned him a mean, nasty bite on the muzzle. Thankfully, Twilight came to her rescue and got him to settle down. Even though she was aging, her pups knew better than to overstep when their mother got involved.

Jazmine stepped into her shower and leaned up against the cold tile wall as the steaming water soothed her aching body. It felt so good, she nearly fell asleep standing up. As much as she loved her wolf family, these long nights always got the best of her. Their nature was like clockwork, a schedule that didn't have delays, nor time for taking breaks. The drive was addicting while she was amongst them. But when she got home, her human body had to pay for it.

At times, she felt more beastly than human from how much time she spent in the wilderness. When she returned to her human environment, it was like she forgot to flip the switch. Sometimes it scared her how her wolf tendencies appeared in her human life. It made her feel unbalanced and even more lonely than she already was. No one could ever understand who she really was and how she really felt, except Twilight and Jester of course. But they were wolves. And that was the problem. There was no one here who she could really confide in about her true self. It sucked.

She quickly washed herself, dried off and threw on an oversized T-shirt. And as soon as she collapsed on the bed…

There's a She Wolf in your closet,

Open up and set it free, Ahh-Oooouu!

There's a She Wolf in your closet,

Let it out so it can breathe

Jazmine's head snapped up when she heard the alarm blaring from her phone speakers as it vibrated across her nightstand.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me.." she mumbled. She forgot she would open for breakfast at the diner this morning. She buried her face in her pillows and let out a long, exasperated growl. She lifted her head again and swiped the button on her screen, turning the alarm off. She then went to Jaime's contact and hit the dial button. It rang three times before he picked up.

"Yes, I'll clock you in," He answered in an annoyed tone. Jazmine's mouth fell open. She was about to say something else until he interrupted again. "AND I'll start your prep."

"I-i…I was just…ughh..thanks…" Jazmine stammered with a roll of her eyes.

"No problem, Jazmine. It's going to be a slow morning anyway so take your time getting here."

"Oh right, the rodeo!"

"Yeah, people are going to be busy all morning preparing for it and headed into the city, so chances are we'll be slow for breakfast."

"Thank goodness. I'll be in shortly. Thanks again Jaime," Jazmine said sincerely.

"Anytime hon'. See you in a minute"

"Alright," they both hung up. Jazmine put her phone on the charger and plopped her head back down on her pillow.

More like twenty minutes, she thought out loud as she closed her eyes for a light power-nap.


"Little mothafucka' just ran right out in the middle of the damn road!" Riley shouted as he kicked the now-flat tire.

"AYE MAN WATCH IT!" Caesar hollered back. "Had you been watching the damn road, we wouldn't be in this damn mess! Awwww man! Look at my baby!" He scoped the whole right-front side of his truck, where there was a dent just below the left headlight.

"I WAS watching the road! Did you not here what the fuck I just said?! The little shit just ran out in front of me like he had a damn suicide plot!"

"After I done told you five times to slow the fuck down nigga!"

"I was barely going five over dude! The fuck you talm' bout!? Not everyone be drivin' like an old bitch like you do nigga!"

"Yo, Reezy, on NATION you my dog, but I'm for real trying my best not to take ya ass to da fuckin' grass right now G," Caesar growled with his eyes closed and his heel tapping.

"Caesar…" Cindy warned lowly, trying to get him to calm down. She could feel his temperature rising and his heartbeat accelerating. Caesar was a way cool and collected individual. He could look one way, but feel the complete polar opposite on the inside.

"NIGGA WHAT'S GOOD?!" Riley shouted unnecessarily, already starting to lift his shirt.

"Will you two shut the fuck up?! 'Damn!" Huey exclaimed while he and Hiro rolled out the spare tire and the car jack. "Nobody is fighting anyone! That's not going to fix the problem at hand! We need to preserve our strength and be resourceful. We're already running behind schedule."

Within the past two days and nights, they've passed through three towns and hunted through its forestlands within the Cabinet Mountain range, with no luck. They've followed the howls of the night, attempting to get as close to a wolf pack as they could to scope out any peculiarities without disturbing them. No luck with that either. Wolves could pick up human scent for miles, even on werewolves. They fled before they could even get close.

It was supposed to be their last full day of searching, but it looks like the trip would be extended, since a certain fox decided to venture out in front of their 80 mph speeding truck, leaving them stranded on the side of the road.

"I think something's leaking," Ming pointed out the trail of liquid pouring out from under the truck.

"Shit, that's not good," Cindy shook her head. She looked under the hood of the truck as Hiro began pumping the carjack. "It's radiator fluid. I think it got busted when the sum' bitch went under."

"Meaning?" Ming asked.

"We're fucked…" Cindy threw her hands up. "From how much fluid it's already lost, I'd say we got only fifteen miles left before it starts overheating." Caesar groaned painfully as he rubbed the side of his precious suv.

"So is it worth even putting a spare on?"Hiro rolled his eyes.

"Unless you strong wolf-men want to push it the rest of the way," Cindy said nonchalantly. All the men shared a look and Hiro just continued to switch out the wheels. Pushing a truck was nothing to them, but fuck that! They'll take their chances.

"Someone look up an auto parts store," Huey said.

"Already on it. We're twenty-five miles from an AutoZone in a town called Libby," Ming said pulling up her navigation app on her phone.

"Twenty-five? Ssss.." Cindy hissed uncertainly. "Well, as long as we don't go above 40 mph, we should be good."

"So basically, it's gon' be midnight by the time we get there!" Riley complained.

"You definitely don't have the right to be complaining right now." Huey scowled. Hiro finished tightening the wheel lock on the spare and lowered the carjack, helping Huey put it and the flat tire back in the trunk cubby.

"So what's the move then, boss?" Hiro asked dusting his hands off.

"We cruise to this next town, get the car parts, get the tire repaired and probably going to have to stay the night. Cindy, you think you can install them by then?"

"I can replace a radiator faster than a fat kid chasing an ice-cream truck… I just don't have my tools," Cindy sighed.

"Your tool kit is in the trunk too baby," Caesar smirked. Cindy snapped her head towards him with her mouth open.

"You little sneak," Cindy giggled as she hit him playfully on the arm. Cindy may have been a feisty she-wolf at night, but during the day, she was a total grease monkey. She's worked on cars, trucks and motorcycles all her life. "So you was just gon' take off with my tools? What if Ming and I were still back in Oregon? Then what were ya'll gon' do?" The guys all shrugged dumbly while Huey just shook his head.

Sometimes, he wondered just how in the hell these mutts were his top-ranked wolves.

"Pay over a thousand dollars just to have some amateur fuck ya shit up even more! That's what!" Cindy rolled her eyes and nudged past Caesar who only smirked at her even more. Yeah, he was truly blessed. He got in the driver's side and pushed the auto-start button, thankfully it turned over.

"Let's just hurry up and get there before this bitch blows up wit' us in it," Riley grumbled as he followed the rest getting in.

"Nuh-uh! You don't get to suggest to nobody 'bout 'hurrying up' nigga, wit' yo lead-foot havin' ass!" Caesar shouted, looking at him through his rear-view window.

"Okay?,"

"Damn right,"

"Sho' nuff,"

"Pssshh," Ming, Hiro, Cindy and Huey added simultaneously.

"Aye! Ya'll ain't gotta gang up on a nigga!" Riley rolled his eyes and pouted as he glared out the window. "Fuck ya'll…"


Jazmine sat on the barstool of the diner, resting her elbow on the bar counter with her cheek resting in her hand. Her eyes got heavier and heavier while her head started to slowly slip from her hand. She snapped back up and shook herself out of it before taking another sip from her coffee. There have literally been only six customers in the past five hours and it was nearing lunchtime, which meant she was so close to clocking out. That was until Jaime came out of his office and walked in with a pleading look on his face.

"Daphne called in…said she's feeling sick," he said putting his hands in his pocket. Jazmine rolled her eyes before slumping over the counter. When was she never calling in?! Nope, she couldn't do it tonight.. Nope! No way in hell, ABSOLUTELY NOT! "Please, Jazmine? It's going to get crowded really quick this evening when everyone starts heading in from the rodeo. I could really use your help," Jaime pleaded like he could hear her thoughts.

"What about Treasure?" Jazmine whined.

"She should be here soon for lunch, but I can't have just her working the floor tonight. We'll get slummed."

"Mmmmmm," Jazmine groaned. She was seriously so… fucking… tired! Next time she saw Daphne, she was going to rip her a new one. "Fine…" she grumbled.

"Ahh, thank you, Jazmine! You're the best! Look, Treasure should be okay handling the lunch shift by herself. Why don't you come back at around 4:00-4:30 in time for dinner shift. We should start picking up speed by then."

Jazmine's pointed ears perked up under her red scarf that was wrapped around the nape of her head and tied cutely at the top in a small bow, covered further by the stray curly hairs that fell from her bun. Since she would be working a double, she got to have at least a three and a half hour break before dinner!

"That sounds perfect!" Jazmine stretched up before hopping off of the bar stool. "I think I'm just going to go across the street to Bill's for a nap." She let out a huge yawn into her sleeve.

"Another sleepless night?" Jaime knowingly asked.

"Yeah, it's just… animals and stuff… keeping me up at night," she half-lied, rubbing her head.

"Well, I've suggested it before. Bill and I can scatter some traps around the perimeter of your cabin if.."

"NO!" Jazmine roared a little too loudly. She saw him jump back slightly, and quickly calmed herself down. "No, thank you Jaime… but that's not necessary. I don't want any poor animals getting hurt unless it's for actual hunting purposes. It's not right."

"Ohh-ho-ho, she's got a conscience now?" He teased as he crossed his arms. Jazmine scoffed at him. "You know, Jazmine, there's been more reported wolf sightings in your part of town over the years. And you can't just SHOOT our wolves out here," Jaime said concerned.

"And I never would! I haven't had any problems with wolves, Jaime. They've never been a problem. And don't worry about me. I can hold my own, I promise," Jazmine said assertively.

And this he knew to be true. He's seen her trapping and shooting skills in person, with a rifle and a bow and arrow, and he was quite impressed. This past hunting season, she caught two does, three bucks and one elk, and trapped countless furries. If only he knew just how much meat she's racked up outside of hunting season, and without opposable thumbs.

"Oh, I know you can. You got serious skills girl. You can process an entire buck by yourself without throwing up! I don't know a single man or woman in this entire county who cures deer jerky like you," he complimented. "How do you even have the meat most of the time?" Jazmine pursed her lips and smirked. Wouldn't he like to know?

"Family secret…" she shrugged with a weak grin. "At least what I remember about them anyway..." she trailed off. Jaime heard the sadness in her voice.

She never brought up her past life from before she came to Libby, and he never asked. He could tell from the first day she appeared in his diner, that this young woman was different. She stayed to herself, didn't really socialize that much outside of work, but she carried a certain warmth in her wherever she went. Like a natural, almost primal, intensity that radiated from within. It was like she always had this certain drive inside her, always on the go, always looking for the next thing, never settling down.

She had an unusual way of knowing things, almost like she could sense if something good or bad was going to happen. And every time he asked her how she knew about it, or how she did it, she gave him the same response every time: "I had a hunch." It was almost scary. Despite her mysterious ways, she had a certain charisma that brought a lively vibe to his diner and to the faithful customers who dined here.

"You know… you always have a home here, Jazmine… a family" Jaime said genuinely. Jazmine looked up with a modest grin.

"I do know that. You and Bill gave me a life here, when I had nothing, and I will always be grateful to you for that. It's just that I've been on my own for so long, I've never really known life outside of what I got, what I've grown used to. I feel like something has to change… something will change," Jazmine softly trailed off. Her instincts flared on that last phrase, confirming what she almost knew to be true.

"Change is good," Jaime shrugged. "Is this your way of telling me you're looking to quit soon?" he said with a smirk. Jazmine chuckled and shook her head. He was a significantly handsome man: just shy of forty, tan skin, dark blue eyes, sandy-blonde hair just starting to turn grey, light scruff on his face, and was pretty fit.

"Who says I'm going anywhere?" Jazmine smirked back. "You know you couldn't run this place without me."

"Someone's got a high opinion of herself," Jaime scoffed.

"Oh, Jaime, that's not an opinion, that's a fact!" Jazmine winked. "But I AM, however, going to go and take this good ole nap! Try not to be jealous!" Jazmine sashayed right past him and waved her slender fingers at him, walking towards the back of the restaurant.

"Oh, I'm gonna try," Jaime said back. Neither of them intended to flirt, but they both knew it was just friendly. "4:30 Jazmine, I mean it!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Jazmine shouted back once she was out of sight. She punched her time out, took off her apron and placed it in her cubby and grabbed her jacket and purse before walking out the back entrance.

She headed towards her old, beat up pickup truck, taking her keys out of her purse while she was at it. Then, a flashy red Toyota came flying down the gravel road, blasting folk country music, and whipped onto the parking lot, coming to a screeching stop right next to Jazmine's truck.

"Hey Treasure! Bye, Treasure!" Jazmine chucked up the deuces as she opened her dented truck door, which gave a loud creak, then a pop!

"And where ya think you're goin' lil' missy?!" Treasure complained in her thick country accent as she got out of her car. She was a thirty-three year-old, short, thick white woman with curly locks of golden hair that was pulled back into a low bun today, and bright blue eyes. She had a cute gap in her front two teeth and wore her signature hoop earrings almost every day.

"Just over to Bill's for a nap. I worked breakfast, Daphne called in, said she's "sick", so it's gonna be you and me for the dinner shift," Jazmine explained reaching for her duffle bag from the passenger seat. She always had a back up pair of clothes whenever she worked doubles or had to go straight to her bartending job. Most cases she needed the extra clothes in case she had to shift unexpectedly. She's ruined and lost a lot of clothes over the years.

"No surprise…" Treasure shook her head before pulling out an Altoids case from her purse and opening it. She took out one of the two rolled up joints from it and reached in her pocket for her lighter. "I swear, I don't know why the hell Jaime won't just fire her ass. Bitch gets on my damn nerves!" She lit the joint and took two big puffs, holding the smoke in her cheeks before inhaling. She took another quick puff before holding the joint up to Jazmine.

"Mine too," Jazmine grumbled as she took the joint from her, taking a few puffs. "Didn't get a wink of sleep last night, and yet I still made it here… to be paid to do nothing."

"Honey, try being at the hospital all night because your daughter got a nasal infection from secretly giving herself a nose piercing, 'just like how she saw on Black Ink Crew'" she quoted her idiotic daughter with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh my God, is she okay?!" Jazmine asked concerned, taking a puff then handing it back to her.

"Her nose is, yes. Her backside?...Not so much." They both laughed out loud.

"Hey, she better learn!" Jazmine chuckled. "But we got this tonight. More money for us!"

"I know that's right. Make sure you wear that pink lip gloss you pop out in every once in a while! That'll leave the tips on the table," Treasure winked.

"Treasure…" Jazmine blushed. Jazmine wasn't a vain person, but she wasn't blind neither. She knew it wasn't the food that most male customers came in for.

"Hey! Gotta work what ya got! Ain't nothin' wrong with it!" She handed Jazmine the rest of the doobie and reached in to her purse, taking out a travel-sized Lysterine bottle and taking a swig from it.

Jaime was a pretty laid back guy and he even smoked some pot from time to time himself, so the girls didn't worry too much about getting in trouble. Just as long as they didn't do it out in the open, or came to work so completely stoned that it interfered with their work.

"True, true," Jazmine took a couple more puffs and threw the finished joint down to the gravel and stepped on it. Treasure handed her the Listerine, and she took it and waterfall-poured some of it into her mouth, swishing the liquid around and gurgling before spitting it out.

As she began to wipe her mouth, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she felt a her instincts raise an alarm. She furrowed her brows concernedly as her ears wiggled underneath her red scarf. She looked up and out towards the long gravel road that merged from the interstate. Something's coming… she thought

She saw gusts of dirt coming from the distance, and heard the sound of heavy duty tires peeling along the gravel and an unsound engine that was on the brink of shutting down. Then, down the road, a maroon Ford Explorer came into view, that looked to have a significant dent just under its headlights.

"Aw lucky me, my first customers of the day," Treasure mumbled sarcastically. But Jazmine kept her focused gaze on the unfamiliar suv. She lifted her head slightly and sniffed the air a couple more times.

"They're not from here…" Jazmine mumbled absentmindedly.

"How can you tell?" Treasure asked looking back and forth between her and the approaching truck, but then she remembered who she was talking to. "Why do I even ask? You and those "hunches".." Treasure chuckled shaking her head. She, as well as Jaime, has witnessed Jazmine's peculiarities. And though it was pretty neat that Jazmine had a way of knowing things, it was downright creepy.

Like one time, when Jazmine notified Treasure that she somehow had a "hunch" that the two edgy customers Treasure was serving, were planning on 'stiffing the check'. Treasure didn't think anything of it, but when they suddenly bolted for the door while her back was turned, Jazmine had already sneakily locked the front door, trapping the two freeloaders to answer to the authorities. It was surreal, to say the least.

As the truck got closer, Jazmine could already sense that these out-of-towners were under some sort of distress, what from the dent on the front, the spare tire on the driver's side and the rickety engine that was obviously overheating, they must be just passing through for repairs. Not only that, she sensed actual stress, like the truck was oozing it. Beating hearts, heavy testosterone, rising temperatures, elevated voice patterns. These people were not happy campers.

As the truck sped past them, she tried to make out who was inside, but the windows were tinted. She could have easily used her wolf vision, but Treasure was standing right there. However, she could still feel a set of eyes lingering on her from the other side of the passenger window. Then, a flood of shivers coursed through her body, followed by a series of white flashes that showed brief visions before her eyes, which lasted for all but two seconds.

She saw jet-black fur as dark as night, a pair of human maroon eyes beaming into dark-red irises that shook her to the core, razor-sharp fangs barred and snarling. The last image of the vision ended with this monstrous beast growling and then lashing out at the visionary, snapping its fanged jaws into a violent bite. Jazmine released a startled gasp and jumped back.

"Awh…well I guess not," Treasure said to herself with a shrug as the suv passed the diner, but then looked over at her coworker who seemed like she'd seen a ghost. "Uhh, Jaz you okay darlin'?"

"Uhm.. y-yeah…" Jazmine said unsurely, holding her head. "Just got… light-headed all of a sudden."

"Lightweight," Treasure shook her head.

"No, it's not that… it's just… I don't know. I must be more tired that I thought," Jazmine tried playing it off. She's smoked weed for a while, and never tripped out in the way she just did. Although, Treasure's dope was some demonically strong shit.

"Well, girl hurry up and go over to Bill's and lie down! I don't need you passing out on me tonight! I'll see you at dinner time okay? You rest up," Treasure said in her mom voice.

"Okay, I'll uh.. see you tonight," Jazmine said, still uncertain of what just happened. She threw her duffle bag over her shoulder and began walking across the road, stopping in the middle of it to watch as the suv made a right turn onto Main Street.

'What was that?' Jazmine thought. 'Who are you?...'


"It says turn right onto Main Street in one mile and it should be on our left," Ming instructed from the back seat with the Navigation on her phone.

"Thank God!" Caesar exasperated. "We're gonna get there just in time." He looked down at the engine temperature gauge and the needle was on the second to last dash before the H.

"I just pray they have the right model in stock. Otherwise, it looks like we're getting back to Sandy on our paws," Cindy shrugged in the middle row of individual seats.

"Who the hell finna walk all the way back to Oregon?!" Riley argued in the seat next to her.

"What? A two-day hike is too much for Lord Roadkill?" Hiro taunted from the back seats.

"What you say fool?" Riley turned around in his seat facing him like he obviously must not have heard him correctly.

"Ah-di d-d-did I st-st-STUTTER?" Hiro twitched his eyes, mocking Riley further.

"Aite nigga! Keep gettin' smart! Wait 'til we pull over!" Riley snarled and pointed at him before turning back around.

"Nah, come on! What's up? You been getting on my nerves all fuckin' day! PLEASE do me the honor!" Hiro unbuckled his seatbelt and began lifting his sleeves.

"Awh nah, mothafucka' you done lost yo fuckin' mind.." Riley muttered in a disbelieving tone as he unbuckled his seatbelt as well and was about to hop over his seat.

"Will you two quit it?! You are NOT about to be fighting in this here truck!" Ming shouted in an annoyed tone as she shoved Hiro back into his seat and Cindy did the same with Riley.

"Riley! CALM THE FUCK DOWN! It's not that deep!" Cindy held her arm up against his chest, where she could feel his heartbeat accelerating rapidly.

"FUCK DAT! Dat sound like a fuckin' Challenge to me! One I'd be MORE than happy to accept! Watch out!" Riley roared as he leapt up again, pushing her off of him.

"STOP IT RILEY!" Cindy shouted threateningly.

"Nigga don't you be shovin' my girl!" Caesar shouted from the wheel. "If you so much as SCRATCH her nigga, I'm fuckin' you up!"

"HIRO! RILEY! STOP!" Ming pulled Hiro back by the collar and began cussing him out in Mandarin. He was Japanese, but ever since they became united, they could automatically understand the other's native language; A surplus to imprinting on someone of a different culture.

Huey just closed his eyes and breathed out slowly through his nose, chanting his most effective mantra in his head as the screaming and shouting continued. He was about two seconds from going completely ballistic on all five of them, and then they wouldn't be headed anywhere anytime soon. It was like they were perfect model leaders when it came to the pack, but when they were amongst themselves, all hell just naturally broke loose.

You would think since they were all such close, committed and trusted friends, that they would naturally get along better…WRONG! When you have six hungry, tired, agitated, top-ranked werewolves all crammed inside a truck for two days , with an engine that could blow up any second, let's just say, wolf nature tends to overcome all civilities. Which was why Huey stayed clean out of the pointless argument and just stared out of the window.

They were passing a diner that was right across the street from the inn they would most likely be staying at. Huey caught the glimpse of two women standing next to each other in the parking lot, both seemingly watching them go by, but one woman caught his attention more than the other.

A reasonably tall, black, light-skinned woman with curly copper/blonde hair. And just for a brief second, he could have sworn she was looking directly back at him, like she's been expecting him or something.

And then, suddenly, Huey felt a chill course through his body. It immediately threw him off, and he went stiff. Then, he had the same brief set of flashes before his eyes, except he saw white and silver fur, those same green human eyes that transformed into beaming golden irises, and the silhouette of a wolf sitting alone, on a cliff, lifting its head to the moonlit sky and releasing a long, melodious howl.

Huey sat back in his seat with a start, releasing a hard huff and shaking his head a couple times as his eyes readjusted.

"Yo, Alpha man, you a'ite?" Caesar asked as they got to the end of the gravel road. Everyone else immediately stopped their bickering at the sound of Caesar's concerned voice and turned their attention to their leader.

"Y-yeahh.." Huey answered lowly, still trying to shake off the haziness. "Ya'll didn't feel that?"

"Feel what?" Cindy asked.

"Of course not," Huey muttered to himself. He turned all the way around in his seat and peered over the bags and suitcases in the trunk and out the back window, where he saw that same woman walk in the middle of the street and stop and watch them continue down the road.

"Feel what, boss?" Hiro repeated as he and everyone else turned around and looked out the back window as well, except Caesar, who peered out his rear-view mirror. "Who's that?"

Riley slowly turned back around and faced his older brother, who had an unreadable blank stare on his face, like he'd seen a ghost or something. So, he took the liberty of fishing around in his head.

Huey absolutely hated it when he did that, but as Alpha and Beta, who were also brothers,it was a necessary intrusion. Riley's eyes widened when he caught a glimpse of what Huey briefly saw. The same fur, the same eyes, the same lonesome feeling they experienced with Osena's vision. Riley gave a slight shudder as well. Since they could sense the tension, Hiro, Ming and Cindy turned around as well.

"Yo…" Riley let out in realization, still sharing the images in his mind.

"Enough, Riley!" Huey growled with a shift of his neck as if he was really trying to shake Riley's presence out of his head.

"My bad, my bad, bro," Riley said genuinely as he broke the connection.

"Guys, what's going on?" Cindy asked looking back and forth between them.

"For real! Can ya'll let us in on what's got ya'll acting so weird?" Caesar asked as he made the right turn. Huey turned back around and stared ahead.

"Stop the truck…" Huey said lowly.

"Huh?.." Caesar said confusedly.

"STOP THE TRUCK!" Huey ordered. Caesar slammed on the breaks and the truck came to a halting stop with some clattering coming from the engine. Everyone just looked at Huey in silence, unsure of what to say.

"Umm, why are we stopping?" Cindy asked cautiously.

"We found her…" he muttered. "She's here." Everyone's eyes widened.

"Real shit? How you know?" Caesar asked next.

"I think… we just shared a connection," Huey said in disbelief. Everyone shared a look of confusion and surprise.

As an Alpha, when an outside wolf shares a connection with him/her, it was basically an exchange of trust and loyalty for one's official admittance to his/her pack. The Alpha shares connections with all official members of his/her pack, and that trickles down into a solid network of wolf-telepathy. If a werewolf comes of age and does not open a connection to his/her Alpha, the admittance will be void, and he/she will not be allowed to join the ranks until he/she does so, or unless he/she nullifies his/her allegiance and finds a new pack.

"But, you haven't even met her yet," Caesar said.

"No, but I saw her, and that supposedly was enough. How far away is the auto parts store?"

"Just 0.3 miles on the left," she answered immediately.

"Good. Let's go Riley…" Huey said as he randomly got out and closed the door.

"Yeeah, YEEAAH!" Riley celebrated as he got out as well.

"Wait, ya'll are going back?" Caesar asked.

"Yes, we can't risk losing her. Pop the trunk," he said. Caesar did as he was told and Huey and Riley grabbed their sporty duffel bags. "We'll go scope out what we can, while you all get the needed repairs. Meet us at the inn. We'll stay the night there. If anything happens, I'll summon ya'll immediately, but under absolutely NO circumstance do you shift in the eyes of the human public," Huey said authoritatively. Everyone nodded in agreement. "This is my final word."

"Your word is law," everyone said simultaneously.

"Let's go," he said to Riley.

"'Esketit!" Riley said excitedly as they started heading back down the gravel road and towards the only two establishments along its route.


Jazmine wearily walked through the lobby of the reception building, of the inn she once used to call home and rung the bell on the reception desk. While she waited, she looked out the clear glass doors she just entered, still trying to fathom what just happened. Her instincts had warned her that something was coming, and she was still unprepared for it. Whatever it was, she's never experienced it before. It all just happened so fast! She didn't know what she saw, or what it meant. It was unnerving.

She shook it off and turned back to the front desk. Billy Gunther, a fatherly figure to Jazmine, still hasn't came out. So, with a mischievous smirk, she began tapping the receptionist bell repeatedly. She heard an exasperated sigh, followed by the sound of a worn-out squeaky chair, signifying he was getting up, and labored breathing as he trudged to the front desk. Jazmine kept her mischievous smile on Billy as she continued to ring the bell until he irritatedly grabbed it and slid it out of her reach.

"Can I… help you?" Billy asked with an unamused look.

"Billyyyy! Long time, no see! You been missing me?" Jazmine batted her long eyelashes at him. He just kept his signature blank stare on her.

"Well it's certainly been more quiet around here," he mumbled, meaning yes. "You should probably visit me less so I can appreciate it more." Jazmine rolled her eyes in a playful manner.

"Awwww, Billyyyy," Jazmine cooed. "You do care!"

"Dahhhh," Billy screwed his face up as he waved his hand off at her.

He was a heavy-set, widowed, sixty five year-old white man, with green eyes and still had a full head of silver hair, combed in a 50s fashion. He was level-headed, pretty serious, and not one someone could easily fool or get around on. He hardly ever smiled, and he was very direct, not one to beat about the bush. He would do his business and go about his day. But no one cracked his hard exterior and got to his sentimental center like the giddy and jubilant Jazmine.

"Now, what reason could you possibly have to come in here and annoy me?" Billy asked her as he blinked slowly.

"To do just that, Billy! To ANNOY YOUUU!" Jazmine teased in a sing-song manner.

"Well, consider your visit successful," Billy rolled his eyes as he readjusted some papers on the desk. Jazmine giggled and shook her head. She's grown to get used to his sarcasm and his irritable attitude, which was something everyone else found intolerable! She just knew how to vibe with him and talk to him. Even grumpy old men deserve warmth and compassion.

"I was actually coming to see if I could Please nap in one of the rooms you have vacant? Just for a few hours before my next shift?…" Jazmine asked sweetly and politely. Billy gave her a reluctant frown. "I'll pay, too. It's nothing to it, Billy," Jazmine baited him, reaching into her purse.

"Dahhh, put your money away, Jazmine!" Billy reached over the counter and swatted her hand down. He got out a room card and did some typing on the computer before swiping the card reader. He handed it to her and closed her hand around it. "Family doesn't pay." Jazmine grinned softly at him and was about to open her mouth to say something. "Don't!.. start thanking me again, or else I'm going to have a migraine," Billy said holding up his hand.

"Then maybe you should stop spoiling me!" Jazmine stuck her tongue out childishly at him.

"Never gonna happen darlin'" Billy said softly, finally lifting his face into a soft grin. "All you need do is ask. That was Mrs. Gunther's only admirableflaw… she never asked help from anyone." His voice slightly cracked as he looked downward, his smile disappearing.

"You know, she was one lucky woman to have someone like you, Billy" Jazmine smiled solemnly at him, before looking up at the beautiful black and white self-portrait of his deceased wife hanging on the wall behind the desk.

There was a metal banner above it that read: In Loving Memory of Leigh Anne Gunther, 1947 - 1966. Her porcelain mocha skin shined beautifully from the angled light, highlighting her cheeks and her nose. Her natural black hair was straightened and bumped at the ends, reaching past her shoulders, with bumped bangs that came down to her eyebrows. Her smile was dazzling, bright white teeth, all straight and perfectly aligned. And she wore a silk, button-down blouse, with the top two unbuttoned, displaying her protruding clavicle, which by the looks of it, showed that she was lean and slender. She was magnificently breathtaking!

"I bet you just showered her with luxuries, didn't you?"

"If anything, I was the lucky one," Billy Gunther turned and looked at the portrait of his deceased wife like it was his first time gazing upon it. "She never cared for luxuries, or expensive materialistic things. She said she only wanted three things from me: my affection, my loyalty, and my last name. I proposed to her a week later…. Most beautiful and bravest woman I've ever known." Jazmine felt her heart shatter. Every time he spoke of her, it sounded more and more devoted. After all these years, he still loved her more the same.

Billy Gunther was once a high-spirited, heavily-involved community man. He was more cheerful, more outgoing, and damn was he a looker! With his fit frame, enchanting green eyes and platinum blonde hair, he was the most sought after bachelor in all of Libby. Until, rumor got around, that he was seeing and courting a black woman. News spread like wildfire, and Billy found himself caught in the middle of it. He wasn't allowed in certain stores, restaurants, or even gas stations because he was known to be affiliated with coloreds. His own family and friends turned their backs on him, and he faced public jeering everywhere he went, but he didn't care; They were married in secret at the young age of nineteen. He loved her for the beautiful soul that she was, and the fact that she was black was NEVER a factor to him.

Then, one tragic evening, Leigh Anne hadn't come home from her visit to her mother's. He had nagged and nagged on letting him drive her, for he didn't want her walking alone, but she insisted that she walk and get the exercise. It was starting to get dark out, and Billy was getting worried. So, he called her mother's house to make sure everything was alright. Her mother told him that Leigh Anne had already left her house four hours ago! And her house was only two miles away! Billy immediately sent out a search party with his remaining loyal friends, and within the next hour, they found her… hanging on the end of a rope by the neck from a tree branch, her naked body completely mangled, with her hands suspended behind her back. She had no chance. And what was worse, they found out she was pregnant! The killers were never found, justice was never served, and the community went on like nothing ever happened. But, Billy was never the same.

Jazmine held a heavy heart for her dear old friend and his losses. There was always that sadness in him, a dark cloud that loomed over him every second. Which was why Jazmine always had a bright attitude with him, no matter what his was. It was well apparent that his pain would never subside, but if she could successfully make him at least smile, then that would be more than enough for her.

"I'm sorry Billy…" Jazmine said softly.

"Yeah…but hey! Life goes on. You can only move forward," Billy humbly nodded his head.

"This is true!" Jazmine agreed. She sure knew it to be. "Well, I'm headed to my room now. Thanks again!" She said on purpose.

"Uh-huh," Billy mumbled nonchalantly before going back into his office. But he was anything but nonchalant about her.

Since that first night she walked into his inn, and she looked up at him with those humongous, bulging, emeralds for eyes, he was absolutely smitten. She was just a sad, lost and neglected kid who was in desperate need of help and he was more than happy to give it to her. In a way, he saw it as redemption for failing to protect his dear Leigh Anne. Of course, it wouldn't bring her back, but it diminished his guilt immensely. And through it all, he's watched Jazmine grow into a radiant, intelligent, polite, and breathtakingly beautiful young woman.

In all honesty, he loved her like a daughter. Had Leigh Anne been alive today and that their unborn child was a girl, she would probably look exactly like Jazmine. He liked to think that anyway.

He reached over to the corner of his desk and grabbed a small picture frame. Inside was a photo of him and Jazmine. He was sitting at one of the tables in Jaime's diner across the street, with a fat plate of spaghetti and meatballs in front of him. Jazmine was bent down beside him, in her work clothes and apron, small golden hoops and that same red scarf she was wearing today, with her arm around his shoulder and her other hand on her poked out hip. She had the widest and cheesiest smile on her face, so big, her cheeks were bulbous and her eyes were completely squinted shut, while Billy just kept his unamused grimace at the camera.

Looking at this picture for the hundredth time, and he's never noticed how sharp her teeth were, at least her canines. He's never seen such a smile, let alone such a set of teeth! She was a wild one, that was for sure. Wild, free and spirited. She consistently thanked him for taking her in and "saving her", she once said. But little did she know, she was the one who saved him.


Jazmine walked outside and around the corner of the reception building, heading to the fourth door out of the ten bed&bathroom rooms. As she swiped the room card and twisted the door handle, she suddenly got a whiff of that same scent. Her alerted state immediately took over again. She stopped and turned around, still keeping her grip on the handle, but she didn't see anything. She stayed like that, observing her surroundings for a moment longer, before rushing into her room and locking the deadbolt and securing the swing-bar door lock. She closed both the inner and outer shades on her window.

For some reason, she felt like she wasn't going to have the successful nap she wished for.


The two brothers approached the exact spot on the road where they saw the mystery woman stop at, and they immediately lifted their noses in the air.

"You smell that?" Huey asked between sniffs. Coffee beans, vanilla perfume, cocoa-butter lotion, pine-sap from the thick wilderness, cannabis?, and the most prominent smell: Wolf dander.

"Hell yeah…" Riley confirmed, tilting and swiveling his head. "That bitch is definitely here…*sniff sniff* somewhere…*sniff sniff* ..very close." They circled around each other sniffing the air like they were truly in wolf form. Had anyone been outside, they would've been looking at these two all kinds of crazy.

"She was coming from the diner, stopped here," Huey walked to the opposite side of the road, looking down at the ground, sniffing some more. He looked up at the inn just a few yards away. "It's getting stronger, over here." Huey began sniffing harder as they made their way towards the inn. Whoever this she-wolf was, she smelled amazing! He found himself striding even faster towards the inn it riled him up so much.

"Damn nigga, slow down!" Riley shouted as he chased after him.

Billy had just taken out a frozen meal, now heated up, from his microwave and set it down on his desk. As soon as he was about to sit down, he heard three dings from the reception bell.

"Dahhh, for the love of!…" Billy grunted as he stood back up and made his way to the front desk, to be met with two strikingly tall black men. One had a ginormous afro and the other with long cornrowed braids reaching down to his chest. Billy would be lying if he said he wasn't taken aback at first from the presence and demeanor of these two men. "What can I do for you fellers?"

"Hello sir. Do you have any rooms available?" Huey asked.

"Sure do. How many will you be needing?"

"Well it's six of us. Two double-bed rooms should be fine," Huey answered getting out his wallet from his bag.

"Not a problem. I'll need to see some i.d. and a credit card to keep on file for incidentals." Huey handed him his cards and Billy got them checked in. "And how long will you all be staying?"

"Just for the night," Huey answered. Billy nodded and continued typing and clicking away at the computer. The sound of their perpetual sniffing made him look up from his computer, where he noticed them looking around quite intensely, almost in a jumpy type of way. "You fellers ain't from around here are ya?"

"No sir. We're just passing through. Had some car troubles some miles back," Huey glared at Riley, who just smacked his lips. "So we're repairing it here, then we'll be on the road in the morning."

"Ya'll got WiFi here? Can't get a damn signal!" Riley said lifting his phone in the air. Billy lowered his eyelids at him before swiping and assigning two different room cards in separate small envelopes.

"Your room numbers are written on the inside and underneath are the WiFi passcodes. My name is Billy Gunther and if you need anything, please hesitate to ask…" he said in an uninterested manner, handing Huey his cards and the room keys.

"Thanks...I guess," Huey took them and stuffed them in his wallet. They picked up their bags and headed back outside, more like sprinted.

"Yo, she's fucking here. It's like she's right in front of us!" Riley said agitatedly looking around him.

"I know! Her scent was fresh in there, like barely ten minutes fresh. She's gotta be here somewhere," Huey coincided. "Come on.

They turned the corner, walking along the strip part of the inn towards their designated rooms, following their noses along the way, until they came to a halt at door number four. They both looked at the door, then back at each other. Riley crept closer to it, sniffing along the cracks of the threshold, before gently and silently placing his ear on against the metal door.


Jazmine shot up in her bed, after just had letting her guard down enough to doze off. Had it have been three seconds later, she would have missed it. She felt a commanding presence right outside her door. She threw the covers off of her and tip toed to the window, peeking out the smallest sliver of the drapes. Then, in a flash, she quickly separated the drapes, to be met with nothing but the afternoon light. She went over to her door, unlatching and unlocking it, before swinging it open and stepping outside.

She looked to her right and her left, but saw no one. She wiggled her ears, trying to catch even the faintest sound, but nothing was stirred. However, that same damned scent was now ten times stronger than before. A hefty musk with a stimulating cologne, motor oil, cinnamon?, turmeric?, testosterone and a whole lot of it, and the most noticeable: Wolf dander? How was that possible? Unless wolves started a movement to start wearing cologne, she definitely didn't get that message.

She felt a presence looming over her. Actually, it felt like more than one presence, like she was expecting an ambush!

Jazmine rushed back into her room, locking and closing everything again. She ran and hopped back into bed, pulling the covers up to her chest. It wasn't like her to be paranoid, and it definitely wasn't like her to be afraid! As she played those images in her head again, her grip started to tighten around the sheets.

She was really starting to trip right now.

She reached for her phone next to her on the bed and looked at the time. It had just past 2:30 pm. She had two hours left until having to return to work. And she knew, if she didn't get some sleep soon, she would be a mumbling zombie she took several deep breaths, slowly sunk herself deeper into the bed and relaxed her head into the pillows. She tried to focus on literally anything else to try and find some sleep.

She thought about the distinct harmonious howls of her pack. Yes, that works. She thought of the warmth and comfort in Twilight's rich, brown eyes, the solace Jester brought her when he groomed her, the long naps with the pack under the shade in the summer sun.

"Hmmmm…" Jazmine sighed as she closed her eyes. With each deep breath, she felt her head getting heavier and heavier, her worries getting fainter and fainter, until sleep finally found her and she was soundless.


The rest of the gang eventually made their way back to the inn with the truck, more or less, in one piece. They parked on the perpendicular side of the inn, in front of the doors numbered nine and ten. Hiro and Ming got out of the back, while Cindy annoyedly kept her hands up in front of her as she waited for Caesar to come and open the passenger door. He told her she wasn't allowed to touch anything on the interior, since her hands were completely covered in grease and tire dust.

"You are unbelievable," Cindy rolled her eyes as she stepped out of the truck. "After all I did for your precious baby, and this the thanks I get?" She was about to walk away until Caesar snatched her back by the waist.

"You are the most precious to me above all else. Don't you forget it," Caesar leaned in for a kiss, but she just held her greasy, black hand up in front of his face. "Cinnnn, come on bae, don't be like 'dat!"

"Whatever. Get off me fool," Cindy tried pushing him off but he had a secure grip around her.

"What if I showed you my appreciation tonight?" He whispered, kissing behind her ear. He saw her tough front slacken just a bit. "Show you just how precious you are to me baby." He licked her earlobe.

"Don't ya'll start!" Ming shouted. "We gotta share a room and I'll be DAMNED if I gotta hear ya'lls slurps and moans!"

"When are you going to stop being such a PLAYER HATER, Long!" Cindy retorted breaking out of Caesar's grasp.

"When you stop being such a greasy, raging bitch, McPhearson!" Ming clapped back.

"Ohh! Nice one babe!" Hiro high-fived her.

"Greasy? Awe, okay! You want greasy?!" Cindy simply walked up to her and smeared her finger across Ming's cheek.

"EEEEWWWWW! GROSSS! WHAT THE FUCK CINDY?!" Ming screeched in Mandarin, wiping her face off. Hiro and Caesar couldn't help but bust out laughing from her girly reaction.

"Yo!" Riley swung open his door as he whispered loudly. "Quiet the fuck down and get ya'll asses in here!" He waved his arm inside as he held the door open.

"Ugh! You're fucking disgusting," Ming pushed past Cindy who gave a sinister giggle.

"You love me though," Cindy sneered.

The four of them quickly got out their luggage and made their way inside. Riley observed across the way at the fourth door to make sure nothing has changed before closing and locking the door.

"The hell were ya'll tryna do?! Let the bitch know we here?!" Riley scolded.

"I thought you said she already does," Cindy pointed out as she made her way to the sink and began washing her hands.

"We said we think she does. She may not know about other werewolves, but she definitely seems to be knowledgeable of her own strengths and abilities. Plus she knows when she's being threatened. And in terms of our search, I have no doubt that we've led her to feel as such," Huey expertly informed them.

"Damn!...so, there's no telling if she's truly dangerous or not?" Caesar asked, sitting down in the armchair.

"Not really, no," Huey answered uncertainly. "At first, I didn't catch a ruthless or dangerous vibe about her, but now that we can actually feel her presence, it's a lot stronger than I anticipated."

"Sooo.. we're just waiting for her to come out of her room? Then what?" Hiro asked.

"We catch her in a social setting where we can properly introduce ourselves. Get a feel of who she is and what vibe she gives off. If we're lucky, she'll put two and two together. If not, then we have to break the ice to her subtly and smoothly. She might be frightened at first, but that's when we have to reassure her that we're here to help. Let her know we're not her enemy. We must be tactful and careful from here on out. Got it?"

"Yes Master," everyone agreed.


Jazmine gave herself a once over in the mirror. She fixed up her sloppy bun at the back of her head, with her usual tendrils falling down the sides of her face and her edges laid damn near to perfection. Instead of the red scarf, she had a black and gold one wrapped under the nape of her head, over the helices of her ears and tied into a loose bow at the top of her head. She applied more mascara, some eyeliner and broke out the pink lip gloss Treasure advised her to wear, which amplified her already plump, round lips.

She wore a light blue, short-sleeve T-shirt with the downtown Libby logo on the right breast, 'City of Eagles' and a wing-spanned eagle above it. Then she had on black, high-waisted jeans and her favorite, most comfortable black and gold Nikes. She was looking extra good.

Those two solid hours of sleep were a life-changer! Her body felt rested, her mind felt rested and she didn't feel like a demented, paranoid schizophrenic anymore. She figured it was the lack of sleep that was getting her brain all worked up. Those images must have just been hallucinations from spending too much time with her pack, who knows. She was just focused on getting this bread tonight and getting her ass back home.

She had cleaned up her counter mess, and remade the bed, even though they had to be changed and cleaned anyway. She still wanted to leave the room how she got it. She grabbed her bag, her purse and jacket, and headed out the door.

As she walked out, she was met with a different sight than last time, and it nearly shook her to the core. There, parked on the horizontal side of the 'L' shaped inn was the same maroonsuv truck she saw from earlier! Jazmine gave a quick glance around to make sure no one else was around, before switching to wolf vision, her eyes illuminating into gold. Her pupils magnified to the license plate on the back of the truck, which read 'Oregon' with a Douglas fir tree in the middle.

Well, she was right about them being out-of-towners . But what were they doing here? And why were they following her? Jazmine's blood slightly started to boil. If these people were looking for a fight, they got the right one.

She shifted her gaze to the window, where there was a slight opening, like someone was watching her. She could even make out the frame of a face. She didn't have time for this. She's had enough. She released a low, slow growl from her chest, before releasing a violent snarl as her eyes flared even brighter into an inferno type of gold. The curtain immediately closed.

'That's what the fuck I thought,' Jazmine smirked as she turned and made her way to the front office.


"SHIT!" Cindy exclaimed as she swung the curtain closed. Everyone's head popped up and looked at her. "She saw me! Fuck! She saw me! And let me tell you, the bitch is MAD!"

"What.. did I say… about being careful?" Huey growled.

"I-i know…" Cindy sighed shakily as she hung her head. "I messed up. I'm sorry Master," she said meekly. These were the ONLY times Cindy 'Fearsome' McPhearson showed her submissive side. Huey may have been her good friend for a long time, but as mentioned before; There was friendship, then there was Wolf Nature.

"Great! Now she DEFINITELY knows we're here and she's being watched! Way to go Cindy!" Riley shouted.

"Yo, ease up man! It was an accident," Caesar tried reasoning with him.

"An accident 'dat's gon' get us all KILLED!" Riley retorted.

"Well, now what do we do?" Hiro asked Huey, who was already thinking it over.

"We move in… now" Huey commanded.

Jazmine stopped at the front office to see Billy again before she headed across the street. Thankfully, he was sitting at the front desk already so she didn't have to drag him from the back.

"Here ya go, Billy Gunzzz!" Jazmine laughed as she slammed her room card on the counter.

"I didn't like that nickname the first five hundred times you called me it, and I like it even less now, so please, huh?" He stood up and deactivated the card.

"But it's so catchy! And it fits you so well! Look at those guns! Show me 'em!" Jazmine flexed her arms, where she had significant lean muscle mass on her biceps and forearms.

"So full of it," Billy mumbled as he shook his head.

"But anyway, I saw you got some new occupants down there at nine and ten! When did they come in?" Jazmine asked, trying to hide the anxiety in her voice.

"Oh, about… ten minutes after you got your room? Said they're just 'passing through' but God knows how many times I've heard THAT before," he scoffed.

"W-what did they look like?"

"There's six staying there altogether. But, it was just two of 'em that came in. Both tall, very strong, young, black lads. They looked like brothers to me. About your age," Billy described. Jazmine's eyebrows rose in surprise. Black men? Passing through here? In Libby? That certainly sounded odd. "Interestingly, I noticed they do that…thing… you do."

"What thing?" Jazmine asked worriedly.

"That… intense sniffing and looking, and looking and sniffing, the rapid tilting and turning of your head, like you're all a bunch of bloodhounds or something," Billy shook his head. Jazmine's eyes widened.

Oh dear God…she thought as she came to a realization. The brief visions, the particular reoccurring smells, the feelings of eyes lurking on you from every corner. And now Billy describing how these strangers act so similarly to her.

These weren't hallucinations from a lack of sleep. She wasn't going crazy. She's been through all this before, eight years ago, with Twilight and the persistent scouting from her pack to get her to join them! But, these strangers weren't wolves. At least not…

No.. no it can't be!...she thought to herself in a panic.

"Jazmine? Are you listening to me?" Billy spoke louder as he rose his eyebrow.

"Huh?...Oh! Yeah, uhh! That's crazy! I don't do all thattt! Pshh!" Jazmine waved her hand at him in a silly manner, desperately trying to mask her potential incoming panic attack.

"Yeah, well. I must say, you sure got instincts like one. Sharpest gal I've met," Billy said genuinely.

"Awwww, Billy! Was that an actual compliment?" Jazmine asked, actually pretty amazed.

"Go to work, Jazmine," Billy grumbled. She giggled and said bye to him before skipping out of the lobby.

But when she finally got outside, she dropped her front and leaned against the brick wall as she took a few deep, slow, breaths. Even still, she could feel the pit of her stomach tightening and hear the sound of her heart beating. She's never dealt with anxiety like this before. She's never felt like this before. What was really going on? Could there really be… more people like her?

As she walked across the street towards Jaime's, she saw headlights already coming off the interstate and more headlights coming from the opposite direction down the gravel road. She thought that once she reached the diner, she would feel more stable, considering it was a public place where she could block out any distractions and just focus on work. However, this wasn't the case.

For, she still felt a distinct pair of dark-red eyes stuck on her.


Ohhh yesss! They're getting closeeerrr! And of course, I had to leave ya'll with a cliffhanger, yesss I did! You can hate me that's fine lol. I already got the next chapters lined up for ya so if you want those updates, YKWTD! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

I'm still working on Silent Beauty, it's honestly going to still take some time. I'm so sorry for all the Silent Beauty fans, but i promise I'm doing my best! Keep a look out for it though!

SPECIAL S/O! to ThatBlackGirl because when I tell you, she has encouraged and inspired me to keep writing, go with my flow, and just take my time in creating my vision, She has REALLY helped me in keeping my passion for my stories and not just throwing my hands up and abandoning you all! I COULD NEVER! She is an excellent writer, and a really good friend! Go check out her story Gangster Love if you haven't already! She JUST updated a few days ago, so go read it!

Other stories i've been pretty obsessed with: In the Eyes by queenlomarie, Friends First, Benefits Second by Schweetpea1870 and Death Note by Lucypher-From-Southcide

Again, please REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! The more reviews, the sooner the update! I love all your feedback!

Until next time! Xoxoxoxo

-BDF234