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"I'll be back by midnight," Jasmine assured Zoe as she finished buttoning her worn jeans, knowing full well that the flame haired teen would be the only one still awake at midnight. Already, Angel had dozed off, and Cat was completely engrossed with watching some sort of nature show on the small colour TV. "You remember how to call me if something happens?"

"Yup." Grinning, Zee held up the dog whistle that hung around her neck. "Two short and one long whistle equals 'come save our asses, bitch'."

The mutant chuckled, a low wolf-like chuff of laughter. "Just try to stay out of trouble. Keep the door-"

"Locked and the guns loaded," Zoe finished, smiling at Jaz as the mutant threw a hoodie over her tank top. "I know the drill." Sparing a glance at Cat, she silently pressed a fifty into Jaz's right hand, ignoring the annoyed look her friend gave her. "Go. Get some fresh air and some food before you get any twitchier than you already are. Ah! No arguing. Either you go, or I spend all night playing 'Mary had a little lamb' on this here dog whistle."

Jasmine scowled at her for a moment, then sighed and shook her head. "You're an evil, evil little pup."

"You know it. Now get!"

Amused at Zoe's mock commanding tone, Jaz ducked her head to hide a smirk and slipped out of the front door, waiting until she heard Zoe lock it before making her way across the parking lot. Tired, hungry, and feeling trapped in her own skin, she slipped her blue tinted sunglasses on and, choosing a direction at random, wandered away from the hotel.

Even though it was nearing autumn, the sun was only now disappearing beneath the horizon, and it was just quarter to six. She had plenty of time to grab some sort of food and seek shelter in the nearby Golden Gate Park. Though, as much as her wolf wished to stretch even more, Jaz knew that Shifting was out of the question. While she wanted to shape-change into her wolf form, her broken arm, a serious lack of sleep, and poor diet was working against her. She'd only end up draining herself of what little strength she had.

It left her uncomfortable and twitchy, her wolf far too close to the surface of her thoughts. The sunglasses would hide her golden eyes, and she was hiding her black taloned hands in her hooded sweatshirt's pockets. Her lengthened fangs, well, there was no way to hide them. She'd just have to be careful how she spoke.

The area of the city she was in was much quieter than the other districts she was used to being in. Her hackles weren't raised, the feeling of danger that usually made her bristle surprisingly absent. Of course, there was still the slight undercurrent of crime - a few scents of human predators, muggers, rowdy teenagers - but nothing like the scents she knew filled the worst areas of the Tenderloin. Or the underground Fight Rings.

The fleeting thought of the fights instantly brought up her misgivings surrounding what she had done. Oh, sure, Jaz knew that the fights were illegal. And that they probably funded most if not all of the crime syndicates and gangs, but considering that she didn't like having to steal money, it was, to her, an acceptable recourse. Not that her Pack wouldn't disagree.

But she had betrayed the ringleaders of the fights. Not only had she told Venom about the fight's location, but she had actually helped him catch some of the higher-ups. That was going to come back and bite her in the tail. Jasmine - or rather, Stray, as she called herself in the fights - was rather well known in the underground. She had been taking part in fights for almost four years. And she knew that betrayal did not sit well with any of the contributors, the fighters, and especially any who stood to gain from the fights.

There was probably a price on her head. She wasn't too worried. She had fought and beaten most of the ones who would try to cash in on the bounty. The rest, well, she could handle herself. No one outside of her Pack knew that she was a mutant, more wolf than human, and possessing the ability to shapechange into not only her wolf form, but something that resembled what most movie-goers considered a 'werewolf'.

Jaz only hoped that she wouldn't have to play that hand; that her normally heightened strength, speed and agility would be enough. It had certainly helped when she was being chased by Venom. And that had been while wounded, tired and starving. Oh, for the days when I was living in the forests...

A mess of scents suddenly caught her attention, her head snapping up as she stopped on a street corner. She inhaled, drinking in the smell of burgers and fries, and while her wolf wanted fresh prey - fangs ripping into flesh, licking warm blood from her muzzle, - Jaz stubbornly squashed that urge, ignoring her wolf's mental grumbles.

Burgers would have to do.

Twenty minutes later found her in the arboretum section of the Park, safely seated in the highest branches of a massive Maple tree. She had wedged herself against the trunk, her left leg stretched along a branch while her right casually dangled over the long drop to the ground below. A fast food bag was carefully balanced on her left thigh, one empty hamburger wrapper already shoved in with the remaining three.

It was a sad, sad alternative to actual meat, but the four double bacon cheeseburgers would go a long way to fill her stomach and give her back some strength. The extra large fries and the three small cartons of chocolate milk were just side-dishes.

Somewhere, Jasmine imagined that a human doctor was having a fit over her meal. The thought pulled an amused rumble from her as she polished off her second burger and started on the third. Slowly, her wolf's mental grumbling complaints faded, her wild side's predatory instincts calmed by not only a full stomach, but the much needed calories her body had been craving.

Her thoughts derailed moments later, the scent that suddenly entered the area sending a wave of surprise through her. She spent a moment choking and pounding on her chest as the mouthful that she had been in the process of swallowing tried to relocate itself into her sinuses. Coughing, Jaz fumbled for a carton of milk, drinking greedily until the tightness in her throat passed.

Wonderful, she thought to herself as she wiped her hands on a napkin. I can survive being chased across the city by a wacko, I don't even break a sweat in the fight rings... but I almost get taken out by a burger. Lovely. Grumbling, she wadded up the third wrapper and shoved it, and the empty milk carton into the paper bag, ignoring the lure of the last burger and fries.

Wary now, Jaz closed her eyes and let her wolf brush the surface, her senses sharpening, expanding her awareness of the area around her. The breeze that was ruffling the trees carried a cornucopia of scents to her, her mind instantly sorting through all of the smells until she had locked onto the one that had startled her.

Venom. Gods above, she didn't want to deal with this. Well, judging by the fact that he's already changed course and is heading my way, it'd just be a waste of energy to try to sneak out of the Park... And I'm not going to risk leading him back to the hotel.

Sighing, Jasmine shook her head and started on her last burger, refusing to ignore her still present hunger. Even with the smell of food right under her nose, it was easy to track Venom by his unique scent. Especially since he was upwind of her. And he calls himself a predator. Ha. Even a pup on it's first hunt knows to stay downwind of prey. Amateur.

Three minutes later, the leaves above her gave a shiver.

"Ah ha! We were wondering why the trees smelled like McDonalds!"

Rolling her eyes, Jaz balled up the wrapper from her last burger and threw it at Venom where he was hanging upside down in front of her, smirking when it bounced off his forehead.

"Hmpft." Giving her a look of mock annoyance, Venom swung an arm out and ensnared the falling wrapper in a web, a slight yank sending it flying up into his hand before he dropped it into the bag on her leg. "And to think, we were actually looking for you."

Belying the anxiety she felt at that, Jaz snatched her fries out of the bag and started munching on them. "Really? 'Cause I've been tracking you since you entered this section of the Park."

Curious, he dropped down to crouch on the branch in front of her, talons sinking into the bark as he tilted his head to the side and met her gaze. In his current morphed form, the symbiote's interest in her was sharper, much closer to the surface. He decided not to tell her that the symbiote had been able to sense her odd presence from almost half a mile away.

Instead, Venom carefully moved, sitting on the branch and merely turning his head to the side to look at her, his gaze flitting over the slight bruises she had from the fight with Gino before speaking. "Oh? Care to enlighten us?"

"It's impossible to sneak up on someone who's memorized your scent," she smirked, one fang peeking out from between her lips. "Especially when you're upwind."

He blinked, then chuckled and shook his head. "It's been a while since we've dealt with someone who has enhanced senses. No wonder we couldn't use the trees to ambush you last week."

The reminder killed the last of her appetite, and Jaz frowned as she replaced her half-eaten fries into the bag. "What do you want, Venom?"

Her harsh tone, such a change from before, surprised him. "We wanted to thank you," he told her. "For Wednesday night. You left before we had a chance to tell you."

"Oh." That wasn't what she had been expecting. Even her wolf seemed surprised by the honest statement.

Venom growled softly, sensing her wariness. "We gave you our word that we wouldn't harm you and yours, Stray, and we don't make such promises lightly. We can truthfully say that you're one of a very select group of people that have nothing to fear from us." He paused to let her absorb that before speaking again, a slight note of distress entering his voice, despite his efforts to keep it hidden. "Would you be more comfortable if we were in our human form?"

She blinked at the offer. "What? No. No, you don't have to do that. I'm..." A sigh left her as she ran her good hand through her hair. "I'm sorry. I'm not exactly the best of company lately."

"Don't worry about it. You're not the only one that has their off days." He felt the symbiote flutter over his shoulders, and turned his pale gaze onto her cast. "How's your arm?"

Jaz grumbled, picking at a spot on her cast that wasn't covered by Cat's drawing. "Honestly? It hurts like hell. The hospital wanted me to take a prescription for antibiotics and painkillers, but neither I or my Pack could afford it at the time."

A low rumble of concern left him as he held a hand out to her. "May we? We promise, it won't hurt."

Hesitant, and with her wolf growling in her mind, she slowly extended her cast encased arm, watching as he curled his fingers completely around her forearm, cast and all. But despite the wicked talons, and the massive strength she knew he had, Venom was surprisingly gentle. He cradled her arm in his hands, carefully testing the range of motion of her elbow and fingers.

"We're going to extend a tiny part of the symbiote into your cast," he told her, meeting her gaze when he felt her tense. "It won't hurt. The symbiote will be able to tell if you're healing proper-" Venom's voice trailed off as he watched her reaction, hissing softly when the pupils of her eyes dilated until only a thin ring of gold encircled the depth-less black.

Her wolf surged to the surface. Jaz barely resisted the urge to attack him, her talons and fangs lengthening, heartbeat roaring in her ears. Heat blossomed across her skin, and she panicked, struggling against her feral side. The last thing she wanted was to Shift forms. And certainly not in front of Venom.

"Stray?" She was so far gone that she didn't even react when Venom grabbed her shoulders and shook her, calling her name, then quickly catching the fist that flew at him. He knew a panic attack when he saw one, and the symbiote was fairly thrumming in surprise as it's senses picked up what it thought was an internal battle. Worried, and very aware that she hadn't taken an actual breath in far too long, Venom slid his free hand into her hair, fairly roaring into her face. "Stray! Breathe, Stray!"

The yell startled her, her wolf hesitating in curiosity as it turned it's attention outwards again. Her senses, previously numbed due to the struggle, slammed back into existence. Her eyes refocused, and she gasped and jerked away in surprise when she saw how close Venom was, whacking the back of her head against the tree trunk with enough force that she momentarily saw stars.

"Easy now," Venom rumbled, lightly brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "Easy. Just breathe."

Jaz groaned and tried to raise her hands to her aching head, blinking in confusion when she realized that Venom had a grip on her right fist. "You can let go now. I'm... well, I'm not alright, but I'm in control."

"You're not going to try to hit us again, are you?" Venom asked wryly as he released her, leaning back to give her some space. Her eyes still hadn't changed back to normal, and he smiled when her gaze darted up to his in mixed surprise and embarrassment. "Don't worry. We understand."

"Do you?" The words came out sharp, harsher than she meant.

He growled softly, leaning forward again, fangs fully formed. "Do you think you're the only one who has to fight against instincts that are... incompatible with humanity?"

Jaz stared at him for a moment, then forced herself to look away, a sign of submission. "I warned you that I wasn't good company," she muttered, wincing as she touched the bump on the back of her head. It was then that she noticed that the bag that had been sitting on her thigh was missing, a low whine of disappointment leaving her when she peered over the edge of the branch and spied said bag on the ground, over fifteen feet below.

The sound pulled a low chuckle from Venom, his irritation with her fading. "Poor, puppy."

Her right eyebrow arched upwards. "I haven't been a pup in a long time," she rumbled warningly. "And the last person who called me a 'puppy' almost forfeited his life."

"We're just confirming our suspicions," he told her with a smirk, raising his hands as if to fend off her glare. "We haven't met many mutants with animal characteristics. For a moment, we weren't sure if you were canine or feline."

Jaz grimaced at the 'feline' bit. "Wolf, actually. Are you always so nosy?"

A bark of laughter left him, fangs gleaming in an amused smile as he looked at her. "Only when something peaks our interest," he told her honestly, snickering at the startled expression that settled on her features. "It isn't everyday that we almost get outpaced by a pretty thief."

"Flattery will get you kicked out of this tree."

"Aw. You're no fun."

She blinked at his pouting tone, then shook her head. "You're insane."

"Only enough to be interesting," Venom agreed with a grin, chuckling when she rolled her eyes at him. Though he didn't miss the smile that tugged at her lips; or the happy thrill that coursed through the symbiote. "So! Do you want to know what information we got out of the managers?"

Jaz shifted to sit lotus style and rested her elbows on her knees. "They actually talked?"

A pleased growl left him as he flexed his talons, giving her a smug look. "We can be very... convincing."

Her wolf recognized the tone. "Which is a pretty way of saying that their bosses will be finding pieces of them for weeks."

Venom laughed. "Oh, we knew there was a reason we liked you! Yes. We left a little surprise. At tomorrow's fight location, actually." He paused, his gaze dropping to the cast on her arm. "But we've heard rumors. You were right, about the consequences of the betrayal. As of tonight, you have a rather impressive price on your head."

"That's not much of a surprise," she sighed tiredly, turning her face into the breeze that ruffled her hair and drinking in the scents the wind brought to her. "I've already moved the Pack somewhere safer. Other than that, there's little else I can do."

"We don't suppose you'd let us help you?"

She shook her head. "No. I may be starting to trust you," Jaz ignored the happy look he gave her, "but my Pack doesn't. They think I'm insane. And not in the interesting way. I got enough of an earful for helping you at the fights."

Curiosity grew in him, fueled by Eddie's reporter instincts. "We thought alphas led wolf packs."

A wry smirk spread over her lips. "They do. But my Pack isn't made up of wolves. I can't ask them to follow a set of rules that they have no hope of truly understanding."

"Makes sense," he mused, cocking a brow at her in amusement. "Though now, we'll have to read up on wolves. Unless you'd let us pepper you with questions?"

Jasmine met his gaze for a moment, then looked away, unnerved by her wolf's intense curiosity. "Not tonight."

"Meaning we can see you another night?"

The ferocity upon which he jumped on that opening even made Venom blink, and Jaz frowned, turning inward for a second. Her wolf, contrary to it's earlier distrust of him, now seemed entirely too trusting, it's attention akin to that of a pup that had found a kindred playmate. Startled, she quickly pushed her wolf away from her thoughts, unnerved.

"Stray?" Concerned about how pale she had just gone, Venom dared to reach out and place a hand on her knee, pulling back when she turned wide eyes onto him. "What is it?"

She dropped her gaze, shaking her head. "Nothing. Just fighting with my wolf." It was obvious by the flat look he gave her that he didn't believe her, but she wasn't about to offer up any more information. "But, yes, I suppose we can meet on another night." Jaz turned her gaze away from his and lifted her head to the sky, inhaling silently. "It's going to rain tomorrow though."

"We can't tomorrow," Venom muttered regretfully. "We're going to stake out the location of the next fight. Just to see who discovers the little 'gift' we left there. Hopefully, they'll lead us to someone with a bit more information."

The mutant mulled that over for a moment, glancing at her cast in disgust. "If it wasn't for this arm, I'd be tempted to join you."

Venom frowned at her, daring to lightly rest a hand on her right arm. "You handled yourself well the other night."

A wry smirk tugged at her lips. "Yeah, but it took a lot out of me." Her eyes flashed gold in accordance with her rising annoyance before fading to a amber flecked green, a tired sigh escaping her as she leaned back against the tree, staring up at the canopy for a moment before frowning. "I should go. My Pack worries."

Venom stared at her as she rose to her feet with a grace that belonged to a cat rather than a wolf, her eyes almost glowing as she tucked her hair behind her slightly pointed ears. "Stray, we-" He bit down his protest. Instead, he rose, standing next to her, lightly placing one large taloned hand on her left shoulder and meeting her brilliant gaze. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

A soft laugh left her as she shook her head. "You don't even know me."

"We'd like to," he blurted, oddly flustered. "Either as you see now, or our separate parts. Or... both."

Jaz looked at him, held his gaze for a moment, then shrugged. "Whichever you're comfortable with," she answered, smirking when he stared at her, visibly shocked. "I'll see you later, Venom. Good luck tomorrow."

Dumbfounded, he could only watch as she leapt to the ground below, landing in a lithe crouch before disappearing into the depths of the arboretum. "We think we have a date," he mumbled to himself, as a happy thrill that coursed through him.

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tbc