A/N: So clearly, I missed a Sunday, but to make up for it, you get two updates today! Enjoy!

Hunter had tried to stay the night, but Eleanor insisted she was fine, that there was no reason to worry. Really, she didn't want to spend an awkward night wrestling with nonexistent feelings for one of her best friends.

Whatever she felt was misplaced, she decided. Hunter had just stepped up, as a friend, for her a couple times, and she felt grateful. Yes, she was going with grateful. And that was all.

After Mr. Sands picked the boys back up, Eleanor went around double checking all the locks all over the house. She called her mother, who didn't pick up, predictably, but she left a message all the same. Around midnight, Eleanor felt tired enough to go to bed.

The next day, Eleanor peeked into the backyard again, feeling rather stupid as she ventured out on the back porch clutching a kitchen knife. There was nothing there, of course, but she still couldn't shake the feeling of wrongness.

She was so caught up, she almost ran late, but her phone chimed with a text from Natalie, asking how she was. Eleanor answered as she ran out to the car, before gunning it down the drive way and over to Hunter's place.

He was already in the doorway waiting, talking to a drop-dead gorgeous girl. Her long brown hair hung in perfect waves all the way down to her elbows, framing her pretty face nicely. She noticed Eleanor first and waved, sending Hunter on his way. Shyly, Eleanor waved back, moving her backpack. She must've been Hunter's older sister, Jordan.

"Hey!" Hunter said, sliding into the front seat. "Sleep okay?"

"Yeah, it was fine. I told you it was no big deal," Eleanor assured him. Hunter's sister went back inside, and Eleanor was off, making her way to the boys' place.

When Rob and Rich were picked up, they were arguing about something, but Eleanor couldn't make out what.

"I just think the whole gang should know, I mean it's life or death right now," Rob argued. Rich shook his head, sighing like he'd had this argument plenty of times.

"Not a good option, dumbass, too many variables!" Eleanor tried to catch Hunter's eye, but he was on his phone, frowning worriedly.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked, half distracted by parking. Rich and Rob debated silently while they made their way into the building, so Eleanor asked again.

"Oh, nothing, we just started a new show—"

"A Canadian show!" Rob interjected.

"Anyways, yeah, a Canadian show, and we're just talking about a major decision that… the characters are making, and we have differing opinions," Rich explained smoothly. Eleanor raised her eyebrow. While it wasn't out of the ordinary that the boys could often invest themselves into shows, they were acting shifty, even for them.

"Right," Eleanor said slowly. "What's it about?"

"Okay so there's this group, right, and one of them is a werewolf—" started Rob.

"Dude!" Hunter interjected. Eleanor raised her eyebrows at him, watching him go red. "I just meant, like, spoilers."

"Anyways, one person in the group doesn't know, but the other two do, but I think everyone should know," he finished. Rich shook his head.

"The only reason the other person doesn't know is because ignorance protects her. If she knows, then things get hard, and lives are at stake," he countered. They loitered outside their first class, waiting for the bell to ring.

"Lives are already at stake!" Rob argued.

"Enough," Hunter said, causing the boys to go silent. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"What the hell is this show?" Eleanor asked, feeling far too confused. Hunter shot her a charming smile.

"Don't worry about it," he said, opening the classroom door. "After you."

Of course, Mrs. Bright didn't allow for conversation during lectures, purely because she was speeding through the material and no one had any time to do anything other than take furious and messy notes.

"So, what does the group do?" Eleanor asked Hunter on their way to European History. He went pale and looked at her frantically.

"What?" he asked, voice ragged.

"In the show? What does the group do?" Hunter relaxed, running a hand through his thick locks. Eleanor refused to think about how soft his hair might be.

"Dunno, I haven't gotten that far yet," he said. Today was another worksheet day, so she and Hunter partnered up, working through the finer points of the French revolution.

"Hey, listen, do you wanna come by after school? Everyone's coming, my sister's visiting for fall break. My dad and Jackie thought it'd be nice to have an early dinner all together. It'll be over around 7," Hunter stretched, far enough that his shirt rode up, leaving Eleanor to stare at the strip of creamy muscle he'd exposed. "E?"

"What? Yeah, dinner sounds good," she said, pushing back her curls. Hunter tugged his shirt back into place and Eleanor tried not to die of mortification. She resolved to keep her eyes to herself from now on.

After that, classes went on pretty normally, and Eleanor took notes she could actually be proud of. At lunch, however, Rob and Rich had resumed their argument. Eleanor tuned them out, but then Rob something particularly interesting.

"I mean, we've already had two incidents so far, the Paulina thing—"

"Paulina?" Eleanor asked. Rob went almost translucent and squeezed his eyes tight. Rich smacked him hard over the head, looking worriedly to Hunter, who clenched his fists.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded, crossing her arms. Hunter shook his head fast, trying for a signature Hunter Sands smile and falling short.

"Nothing, just another character on the show," he said, though his voice wavered. Eleanor shook her head but decided to drop it. This was going to take more than a lunch time conversation. The boys tried for normal conversation—well, Rich and Hunter did, Rob stayed suspiciously silent.

In mythology, Eleanor ignored Rich, who looked guilty but resigned. It was clear that they had some huge, monumental secret, but they didn't think she could handle it. The "show" was clearly a cover up, an allegory for them, and it had something to do with the woman stalking Hunter's family. The only thing Eleanor couldn't figure out, however was how werewolves fit into the equation.

The ride back home was almost excruciating, the only noise came from the radio. Hunter sat shotgun as per usual, but he kept his eyes squarely on the road. They reached Hunter's place before Eleanor worked up the nerve to say anything.

"So, are you going to talk to me?" she asked. Hunter stayed quiet. "Hunter!"

"What do you want me to say?" he asked.

"The truth, Hunter! What's going on? Who is Paulina, and why won't you tell me anything?" she exploded, slamming her hands on the steering wheel. Rob and Rich exchanged looks in the backseat, and suddenly, it became too much.

"Okay!" she announced wildly. "Everybody out! Now! I'm not coming to dinner, Hunter, tell your dad sorry!"

There was a moment of tense silence, but the boys rushed out of the car. Eleanor tore out of the driveway fast, breathing through the tears threatening to fall. The drive back was far too fast, but Eleanor didn't care. Once inside, she locked all the doors and threw herself dramatically on the couch finally allowing herself to cry.

After about half an hour, Eleanor pulled herself up from her pity party, swiping away her tears and heading for the kitchen. A flair for the theatrics was hereditary, it seemed. She reached into the pantry, snagging a package of cookies before settling back on the couch. Her homework was already done, so she threw on the TV, flickering through channels without really watching anything.

Steadily, the sun set, and the moon rose, bright and full. It looked beautiful, shining against a backdrop of velvety dark sky dotted with twinkling starts. At least the skies were a lot clearer in Sioux Falls. Eleanor made herself a cup of tea and grabbed a blanket to protect against the first chills of the fall and headed outside.

She felt better, enveloped in warmth, admiring the gorgeous moon. She thought about her dad, how it had been so long since she'd last called him and resolved to do so soon. She'd kept up with her old friends on Facebook, but as the semester wore on, people were finding less and less time to chat.

It felt like this was the first time in months that she'd gotten to truly think about herself, and her life, outside the context of Hunter and their friends. She liked them well enough, but sometimes she missed being friends with just girls. Natalie was sweet but eating lunch with the hordes of zombie cheerleaders unnerved her.

Eleanor finished her tea and set the mug aside, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself. Suddenly, she heard a strange rustling in the bushes on the far side of the backyard. Maybe it was the warmth, or the time spent being introspective, but Eleanor ignored the voice in her head begging her to go back inside. She pulled up the flashlight app on her phone and made her way over to the bushes, only to find nothing.

The tinkling of crushed ceramic made her whip her head around, to stare at the empty back porch, covered in broken mug pieces. Eleanor stood stock still, and that strange feeling of other, settled over her skin.

Her breathing grew shallow, but Eleanor knew the only way to feel safe was to go inside, turn on all the lights, and call… her mom. She needed to call her mom.

"Going somewhere?" Eleanor squeezed her eyes shut, and suddenly, she was back at Natalie's party, pinned against the wall, squirming away from someone's unwanted attraction. She'd know that voice anywhere. Her heart raced but she couldn't move.

"Come on, pretty girl, I'm talking to you," he said, louder this time. "Turn around, I like to see faces when I do this."

Eleanor stomach twisted itself into sick knots, burning tears slipping down her cheeks. Still, she made no noise.

"Now!" He commanded. Eleanor jumped, but did as she was bid, slowly spinning on the spot to face him. He was unnaturally pale, skin gleaming in the moonlight. His eyes were dark and hungry, like a feral dog. It wasn't an expression you'd find on a human face.

"Please," Eleanor whispered through thick tears. "Please don't."

"I love it when you guys beg," the man laughed, stepping closer. Eleanor took an involuntary step back, her foot landing on a fallen piece of wood. Suddenly, sharp clarity bloomed in her mind, her blood running hot in her veins. She needed to hit the man, incapacitate him somehow, then go inside and lock the back door. All the other doors would already be locked. Then, she'd call 911.

Eleanor moved back a little further, then sank to the ground, pretending to trip. The man watched her with amusement, moving slowly towards her. Out of nowhere, a howl pierced the air, loud and insistent. The man looked away and Eleanor took her chance. She grabbed the piece of wood and slammed it into the man's knees, scrambling away even before he'd fallen. The door was only ten feet away.

"I don't think so, sweetheart," he said, materializing in front of the door. Eleanor screamed, jerking back then turning wildly. There was no where to go, she was trapped—

Something big and dark moved fast past her, with enough force to send her sprawling. It lunged at the man, but to Eleanor's absolute astonishment, the man batted it away. The massive animal went sailing, yelping in pain. In her confusion, Eleanor thought it sounded rather like a dog.

"No!" He screamed. "This is my kill!"

"Eleanor, come on, we gotta go!" Eleanor jerked, looking up to find Rob, who clutched a nerf gun.

"What?" she asked. She'd died, she thought. The man killed her, and this was a strange, post-death hallucination.

"Up! Eleanor, come on!" Rob grabbed her arm and pulled up sharply, dragging her to her feet. She stumbled after him, closely followed by Rich, who also held a nerf gun. They moved past the dueling animal and man, which was a sight Eleanor hadn't ever imagined, even in her wildest dreams.

The slammed and locked the door before depositing Eleanor on the couch. Rich stayed by the door, nerf gun held aloft. Rob stayed close to her, though he kept his own nerf gun at the ready.

Eleanor watch in silent horror as the beast, a huge hulking thing covered in dark fur, ripped into the man. Maybe it was a testament to the beast's killing capabilities, but the man didn't bleed, not even when his limbs were tossed about Eleanor's back yard.

"Oh my god!" Eleanor cried, leaping up from her spot. Sure, her reaction was delayed, but she was starting to think her fight-or-flight response was broken, stuck somewhere in the middle, on "freeze". "We have to call the cops!"

"No cops!" Rob insisted. Rich nodded his agreement but didn't turn away from the door.

"What!? We have to! That man was going to attack me! I could have died!" Eleanor made the mistake of looking out the window, where the beast had just ripped the man's head from his shoulders. Eleanor gagged, but nothing came up. "Animal control."

With that, the world turned sideways and faded to black.

00000

Ever since she was a child, Eleanor always suffered from vivid night terrors, the kind that had her jolting awake in the middle of the night, screaming like she was being murdered. Tonight was similar, though she didn't scream when she woke.

She sat bolt upright, gasping through the surge of adrenaline. Just a dream, she repeated to herself, clutching desperately to the mantra. She was behind the couch, which was odd, but she figured she must have fallen asleep in the living room.

Slowly she got to her feet. There were nerf guns on the couch, and suddenly, the flood of memories came back to her. She remembered being hunted, trying to run, but being caught out. She remembered the animal leaping past her, latching on the man and ripping him into pieces. Eleanor gulped, but screwed up whatever courage she had left.

She made her way to the back porch, where Rob and Rich lay passed out. She looked out to the backyard, taking note of the smoldering remains of what looked like a bonfire. A little past that, she saw the oddest thing.

Hunter Sands lay prone in her backyard, completely nude.

Eleanor blinked, but there he was, naked and passed out in her backyard. She couldn't dream this stuff up.

"Guys?" she said, voice gravelly with disuse. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Guys?" Rob stirred first, looking around languidly. He saw her and smiled for a second before the smile slipped off his face and a look of horror over took it. It would've been funny, if not for how confused she was.

"What the ever-living fuck is going on?" she asked, wrapping her arms around herself. Rich woke then, but he got his bearings much fast than his brother-to-be.

"Eleanor!" He leapt to his feet, looking around wildly. "Hey, girl, how'd you sleep?"

Eleanor gestured around the backyard, then rather vehemently at the still naked Hunter. "Care to explain?"

Rob and Rich exchanged looks, having a silent argument once again. Huffing, Eleanor sat down forcefully in a deck chair. Maybe it was the noise, or the sunlight peeking through the clouds, but Hunter began to wake, and everyone went silent. He stretched lazily, and Eleanor was momentarily blindsided by the unreal abs. Then he stood.

"Oh my god!" Eleanor exclaimed, staring, determined, at the sky. "Why are you naked?!"

"Oh my god!" Hunter echoed, sounding panicked. There was a rustling, but Eleanor just shut her eyes, praying this was some strange dream. Although, she was worried about the state of her mental health if she was dreaming about a naked Hunter.

"Okay, you can look now," Hunter said, sound much closer. Eleanor opened her eyes to find him just a few feet away, clad in low slung sweat pants and a t-shirt. Rob smiled charmingly at her, zipping up the duffle bag.

"I guess I win," he said, prompting Rich to smack him again.

"I just want to ask," Eleanor started slowly. "Why the hell was Hunter naked in my backyard?" The boys all exchanged looks, before all launching into incoherent explanations. Rich babbled about sleepwalking, Hunter talked about a dare gone awry, and Rob babbled about monsters.

"Enough!" Eleanor yelled, startling them into silence. "I want the truth, all of it, now! Hunter, start talking!" Hunter took a deep measured breath.

"Eleanor," he started. "I'm a werewolf."

A/N: Aaaaannnnndddd now, everyone's caught up!