AN: Like I said, happier times soon... [shifty eyes]. I am loving writing my little story xD Thanks to everyone for checking it out and leaving comments. It pushes me forward, motivating me to finish this story :D I hope you enjoy this one! It's a good 'un!

Riza was jolted awake roughly. She coughed and spluttered, desperately trying to fill her lungs with oxygen. There was a huge pressure on her chest, restricting her movement. However, after pushing it aside, she managed to raise to a half slouch.

Her chest burned intensely, almost restricting her ability to breathe. She gasped as it burned, bringing her hand up to it. The crossbow bolt was gone, but it left a pain behind, one that radiated down into her bones.

She glanced around and found herself still in the cave-like room she had woken up in. A person, a human, lay to her left, looking terrified. The woman who had threatened her stood at the cave entrance, watching her movements closely.

"What the hell is this?" Riza gasped. She backed away from the woman, her back striking the stone wall. Her movements were slow and clumsy, as if her limbs were made of lead. Riza felt like she was moving through soup.

"Just a little test I was running. You guys sure are strong." Her words were vague and cryptic, but Riza couldn't spend time and brain power trying to figure it out because another wave of pain washed over her. It stole her breath away again, leaving her gasping and choking on the floor. Her veins seemed to burn under her skin.

"What is this," she hissed, her vision greying.

"A new poison we have been working on. I wanted to test it out." Riza felt rage build within her at the woman's casual tone, as if they were discussing the weather. "It won't kill you. I won't let it. I have much more to do before you die, Riza Hawkeye."

At the mention of her name, Riza matched her smug gaze with her own glare.

"Oh, we know all about you and your little pack, don't worry. My guys are already out there hunting down the rest of the beasts."

"Why?" Riza asked. "What have we ever done to you?"

The woman considered her question before shrugging. "Nothing to me personally. The money is simply good. It helps I enjoy the work too."

This woman is a psycho. The grin on her face certainly looked psychotic. Riza studied her eyes and saw a slightly crazed look within them. Her anger rose once more at the thought of her pack being hunted and killed simply for what they were.

"If you touch any of them, I will kill every last one of you," she snarled.

"Ohhh, I am shaking in my boots." The woman unfolded her arms and snapped her fingers. The person at her side – who was a lot closer than Riza remembered – clamped something around her wrist. A shackle. Before the other could be placed, Riza kicked them in the chest, sending them crashing against the cave wall. Her movements may have been slow, but she was pleased to find her reactions were still quick enough to defend herself if need be.

In a flash, the woman was at her side and clamped the other shackle on her free wrist. She nodded behind her and Riza was yanked off the floor. She was jerked backwards, her arms were stretched behind her, straining her shoulder joints to the point of intense pain. Her legs kicked out in a desperate attempt to both strike the woman and gain purchase on the ground once more. The woman was too fast. She grasped one leg and lifted it off the floor. With a strength she didn't think the woman was capable of, Riza was pulled forward by the leg, increasing the pressure on her arms and shoulders.

She cried out in pain, biting her lip. If her eyes had been open she would have seen the pleased look on the woman's face.

"Why are you helping them, vampire?" Riza panted. "They will kill you too."

"Ha." The woman's cry was amused. She let go of Riza's leg, dropping it roughly to the ground. It slammed down painfully. Riza winced once more before bringing her eyes up to meet the gaze of the vampire. She was very, very close now. Riza could smell the blood on her breath. The blonde's nose wrinkled in disgust. "I'd like to see them try."

There was a sharp pain in Riza's side, causing her to flinch away from it. Unfortunately, it jolted her tightly restrained arms. This hurt a hell of a lot more than she would have liked to admit, even to a werewolf. If she wasn't being held at such an awkward angle it would have been easy to deal with.

"What is that?" Riza gasped as the pain receded from her body. It seemed too good to be true.

"Something to help with the pain. You can't die just yet. We have a lot of work to do."

Unfortunately for Riza, a lot of work meant more experiments from the vampire. The blonde never saw anyone else apart from her, after she kicked that man into the wall. It happened for hours each day. Her only reprieve was a couple of hours at best. She was never let down from her restraints. Her arms had gone numb days ago.

Riza knew it was all in her sleep deprived, pain filled, and drug infused brain, but time seemed to pass sporadically. The light from the cave's entrance was her only indication of time passing. With each day and each needle that was pressed her skin it was harder for her to maintain her grip on reality.

She was no further forward in what the vampire and the Hunters wanted from her. The things she was being injected with, she guessed, were varying strengths of wolfs bane poison. Each had a different effect. From day one her senses had been dulled. Her mind was constantly foggy and she found it harder to react to questions. She received beatings for that. Her burst lip had healed quickly, along with the bruises on her cheek, but the repeated strikes left a constant dull ache behind.

Her only solace was that with every poison injected into her blood stream, there was a vaccine. They needed her alive to continue their experiments.

Riza guessed it was day number seven when the vampire woman returned with her final vaccine. Riza's body was on fire. Every movement, every breath, was agony. This was more intense than anything she had ever felt before. Either they were getting ready to kill her or they were nearing the end.

"Let her down," the vampire commanded. Riza's eyes were closed. It was too much of an effort at this point to keep them open. Someone walked behind her and loosened the chains that held her. Her battered arms refused to cooperate and Riza crashed painfully to the floor, banging her face on the unforgiving stone floor. The cold seeped into her bones. For once in her werewolf life, Riza felt the cold. An affect, no doubt, from the various cocktails of poison.

Riza couldn't move. This is it. There was a prick in her right shoulder, but Riza barely felt it. All she knew in that moment was pain.

Riza didn't know how much time had passed, but, slowly, the pain in her body simmered and disappeared. Her arms tingled as the blood returned to them. It was incredibly painful and the vaccine did nothing to help with that pain.

When she finally was able, the blonde opened her eyes to find a new face watching her intently. Their posture was relaxed, which meant they didn't deem her a threat now. Hell, Riza wouldn't even call herself a threat. She had the strength of a new born as she lay helplessly on the floor.

Grabbing her roughly under her arms, they hauled her to her feet. All thought of maintaining her strong front disappeared and Riza cried out in pain. Tears pooled in her eyes as she was moved against her will. She feebly tried to struggle out of their grasp, but to no avail. She could barely keep moving one foot in front of the other, never mind escape.

This is really it.

A single tear fell down her cheek.

Well, if she was about to die, she would turn her thoughts away from the awful prospect. She thought of Roy and how much she had missed him. She knew the pack had gotten away from his house. She still felt his wolf deep within her soul, it was calling to her, so at least Riza knew he was still alive.

Thank you God.

That was all she ever wanted.

He was safe.

The cold air bit at Riza as they exited the cave. The wind whipped at her matted hair, throwing it in her face. She shivered against the sudden drop in temperature. Sluggishly, she glanced around and found they were in a mountain cave. Straight ahead, a black range rover with no license plates and blacked out windows waited for them. The engine was already running as they approached. Riza was tossed roughly into the back seat. The leather was a comfort she sorely needed. She may be about to die, but she would take some relief in this sudden pleasure.

Raising her head, Riza tried to look out the window as the car begun to move, but couldn't see anything. Her arms ached, so did her chest from her old wounds. She wanted nothing more than to rest. For a while, Riza fought the waves of unconsciousness. However, as she felt herself succumbing, she thought of Roy. She wanted her last thought to be of the man she loved.

Once more, Riza was jolted awake, her rest short lived. Elation flowed through her for a moment at the thought of still being alive. Someone was grabbing her shoulders. Their touch was rough and Riza groaned as pain shot through her. Light flooded the dark car, blinding her. Blinking furiously, she desperately tried to clear her vision. If this was her death, she wanted to face it head on.

Instead, she was pushed into a seated position and something struck her back, throwing her from the vehile. Tumbling, Riza hit the cold, snow covered ground, hard. The car sped away, tires kicking up the snow and partially covering her.

So this is it, huh? The cowards couldn't even kill her themselves.

Riza tried to push herself up off the ground, but her poor arms couldn't handle it. She could barely move. Panic filled her once more at the thought of dying. She didn't want to die. She wanted to be back in her cabin in the warmth and listening to Roy and Rebecca tease each other up.

She heard something thundering towards her, like horses hooves. Confusion flooded her, but her brain wouldn't cooperate enough for Riza to comprehend what it was. Turning her head was such a feat that she groaned in pain, closing her eyes against the pain.

Hands ghosted over her body as someone called her name. She was lifted off the ground and placed on something soft. Someone gripped her hand tightly. The pressure hurt, but Riza didn't have the strength to complain.

"Roy?" she whispered, desperate from him to be there.

"You'll see him soon, don't worry. Just hang on." Her brain couldn't discern who the voice belonged to, but it held a tone of familiarity. She found a calm wash over her at the sound. She felt safe. Riza had forgotten what that felt like.

A distant shout drew Roy from his sleep. He didn't know why. There was nothing remarkable about it. There was an urgency to it, but he was too far away to make out any words. After a week at this werewolf settlement he had gotten used to activity during the night. Unfortunately for him, due to recent events, he was unable to get rest of any kind. When asleep, nightmares of that night plagued him.

Another shout went up, followed by another. Someone called Grumman's name. There was a few distant cracks as werewolves changed. The thunder of paws led away from the settlement. Roy could just make out the sound of a car engine over the chaos.

Dragging himself out of bed, it was the cracks that caught his attention. Since arriving here, not one of these people had changed into a werewolf so near the main part of the settlement. The man who had led them to their cabins on that first day, Heymans Breda, had explained it was to ensure no Hunters were drawn to their main base of operations.

Tiredly, he stepped out the door into the night air. If sleep wasn't an option he may as well see what was happening. It was cold against his skin, but left no affect. The snow was sparse on the ground thanks to the thick foliage above them. Moonlight barely peeked through the pine trees. However, the majority that lived here had good enough eye sight that they didn't need any light. Nevertheless, solar lights lined the pathways casting a soft, white glow.

Someone came running up to Grumman and the main building. A flash of blonde hair caught his eye.

"It is her!" the man carrying her called.

Jean was beside him, hope on his face. Roy watched as Grumman looked at the woman, tears filling his eyes. He was looking at her as if she was someone very precious to him.

"Get her inside," he commanded. "Raise the red alert. I want a werewolf at every entrance. Form our emergency barrier. No one gets in or out of here!"

There was a chorus of "yes, sirs!" and a burst of action.

"They are not here, sir," Jean explained, his tone urgent. "She was dropped off by a black range rover. Two of us came back and I sent the rest to follow him."

Roy felt hope fill his chest.

Was it… Riza?

"Good idea. Breda!" The man was at his side in an instant. "Take ten wolves and follow Falman. Give them hell."

Breda nodded and turned, running away. He barked people's names as he did so, changing into a wolf. Ten people followed him obediently and disappeared into the trees.

Roy staggered forward and caught Jean's gaze, grasping the railing which enclosed his front porch. He nodded to the black haired man, a relieved smile on his face.

Roy gasped and found himself sprinting forward. Everything was blocked out of his mind. His only focus was the woman currently being carried away from him. He almost fell over his own feet in his haste.

"Roy," Grumman called, stepping in front of the frantic man and blocking the door to the small hospital. "It is Riza but you can't go in there right now."

Roy looked at him incredulously. "Like hell I can't!"

Grumman put a restraining hand on his chest. "You will not like what you see. There is no telling what condition she will be in. Especially mentally."

Roy narrowed his eyes, staring at the old man. Something clicked within him. "You knew she was alive. You knew they were doing this to her." Grumman said nothing and that was the only answer Roy needed. "Get out of my way."

This time, Grumman didn't stop him.

Bursting into the room Roy's eyes found Riza's form. Her eyes were closed. She was unconscious. Three people worked over her but Roy wasn't sure what they were doing. He only had eyes for her.

His knees shook both in relief and panic. He almost fell to the floor. She was back but the woman he loved wasn't out of the woods just yet. The door banged against the wall behind him as it flew open but Roy barely registered it.

"Oh my god," Rebecca whispered, placing a hand over her mouth in shock. Her free hand had Roy's forearm in a vice grip. Together, they watched as the people moved around Riza, bringing her back to them.

"Come on," Grumman urged softly as he tried to usher them out the room. "They will be working on Riza for some time. Let us give them peace."

Roy turned to face the old man. He knew about this. That was what he had been hiding. Without another word Roy brushed passed him to sit in a chair behind the door. He heard Grumman sigh as he crossed his arms defiantly over his chest. He wasn't going anywhere. Not now.

"I didn't know if she was alive," Grumman began. "I had a hunch and I kept it to myself because I didn't want to get your hopes up or risk you running off to seek out revenge."

"What gave you the right?" Roy spat. He still refused to look at him. Roy was afraid that if he did, he might just rip the man's head off. His anger towards Grumman was unparalleled in that moment. This was nothing like he had ever felt before.

"I had every right," he stated. "If you had run off to them, what was to say those bastards wouldn't have killed their prisoner under the threat of attack?"

Roy opened his mouth to interrupt, but Grumman's question stumped him. Was he right?

"You should have still told us," Rebecca replied. "We had a right to know. Who else knew?"

Grumman was silent for a moment. "Havoc." Rebecca stiffened and Roy's fists clenched. "Leave the poor boy be. It was under my orders. If anyone is to blame, blame me."

"Well, you don't have to twist my arm," Roy muttered darkly.

"Look, these people have done countless terrible things to the people they have captured under my care. I couldn't let it happen to anyone else. It was bad enough when I found out Riza was… Was possibly being held by them. I went through this once with my daughter. I didn't want to lose my granddaughter to it as well."

That piqued Roy's interest.

"Your daughter?" Rebecca questioned. "Riza said her Mother died when she was a child."

Grumman was silent, pain flashing over his face.

"They killed her. Dumped her body on my doorstep. Tortured her with different poisons to see what worked and what didn't. Her Father left after that." At the mention of her Father the two stiffened. "He left to protect his daughter and I don't blame him."

The pair shared a confused look. That didn't sound like the man they knew.

"So believe me when I say," Grumman continued. "I did everything in my power to get Riza back. I couldn't have you two running off for revenge because I was afraid of what would happen to you two as well. I couldn't watch it happen again."

Silence reigned, both Roy and Rebecca too stunned to say anything in reply. Roy finally met Grumman's gaze and saw the raw pain and regret he held in his eyes. This was the real Grumman. Open and honest. No secrets.

"Will… she die?" The end of Rebecca's question trailed off quietly.

"Only time will tell. I don't think so, but there is no telling what her mental state will be like. Some who come back alive aren't themselves."

"Shit."

"Just… Stay strong. For her sake."

He left them there in companionable silence. The pair waited and prayed for the outcome they wanted. It would be a long night, but Roy and Rebecca were steadfast. They weren't going anywhere until Riza woke up.