Since Gray was legally an adult, she had been able to get a hotel room just out of Souix Falls. They'd managed to sneak Bear inside, since Gray still wouldn't leave him behind, and had put him in the bathroom for the night. Gray and Claire had just finished catching Alex up on everything she had missed. Gray sat on one of the beds, watching as Claire looked over Alex's wounds. There were no bites on Alex's flesh or skin, but Gray could already smell the changes taking place in Alex's system. Claire wrapped shreds of an old shirt around the gashes on Alex's leg, where Alex claimed Marie had grabbed her.

"The claws," Alex rasped, "were sharp and horrible.. why me? I.. I don't.." Tears formed in her eyes, and it made Gray's heart drop.

"I'm sorry," Gray said softly. "I know how you feel.. but, she didn't bite you. So what did she do?"

Alex froze, wiping away her tears. "She.. she cut herself... and.. and she rubbed the blood in my eye."

"What does that mean?" Claire frowned, tying the makeshift bandage in place.

"It means Alex isn't going to be human much longer," Gray said softly.

"What?!" Alex demanded. "No, no! I am not going to be a freak again,"

"I'm sorry." Gray said softly. "But.. there's nothing we can do. There's no cure for this form of vampirism,"

"Vampirism?!" Alex demanded. She went to get up, her eyes wild, but Claire gently pushed Alex onto her back.

"You need to stay down," Claire said softly.

"No, no!" Alex snapped. "I am not going to be one of them again! I don't wanna be hiding in the dark again,"

"You already are." Gray said softly. "Her blood is already in your system. But.. you're not like the other vampires. It's like how I'm not like other werewolves,"

"You're not a bloodsucker, a leech!" Alex snapped.

"No," Gray agreed softly, "but I'm not human. You won't have to hide in the night anymore."

"What makes you say that?" Alex growled.

"Have you ever heard of the comic series American Vampire?" Gray asked. She took Alex's facial expression as a no, and continued. "Well, you see.. the American Vampire relies on the moon to gauge its power, not the sun. So, you'll be able to go outside in the day. I know because.. well.. Marie may be an Ancient, but she did introduce me into a few American Vampires."

"What about the blood thing, huh?" Alex demanded.

"You... you can feed off of me." Gray said after a second. "It won't hurt me, it won't affect me. I'm not human, and I won't be changed."

Alex didn't say anything. She just lay down and rolled over away from Gray and Claire. Claire hesitated, but gently patted Alex's back. "I.. do you wanna talk or anything?" Alex muttered something, to which Claire nodded. "Gray, can you give us a moment?" Gray frowned, but she respected their wishes. She decided to go into the bathroom and check on Bear. Bear immediately got to his feet, whining and licking Gray's hands. She gently patted his head, looking him over for wounds. When she was satisfied the dog was alright, she began petting him and talking softly to him. Gray pulled the dog close, sniffling softly. She missed the Samuels, she even missed her family- who she hadn't seen in a long, long time. Bear whined softly as Gray started sobbing into his fur, holding him close.

"I won't lose you," Gray sobbed into Bear's fur. "I won't, I can't.. I've already lost too much." The dog whined as his tail thumped against the floor, his tongue washing over Gray's arms, causing Gray to realize the extent to her wounds. She broke away from the dog, looking over her arms- which had all but been torn to shreds. She sighed, wondering what she'd need to do to heal the wounds. She patted the dog's head, ruffled his ears, and planted a kiss to his nose before she stood, hearing footsteps come toward the door.

"Gray?" Claire's voice.

"Yeah?" Gray asked.

"Can you c'mere? I'll tend to your cuts," Claire said.

Gray slipped out of the bathroom, making sure Bear wasn't in the way before she shut the door. Claire gently took Gray by the elbow, leading her toward the bed that wasn't taken by Alex's form. Gray wondered if she was asleep, since Alex was still. "What'd you talk about?"

"Girl stuff." Claire said.

"I'm a girl," Gray pointed out.

"... Stuff that stays between Alex and I. We've been through a lot together, her and I." Claire stated, sitting Gray down. She began dabbing peroxide on Gray's skin, causing the werewolf to flinch. "Look, also.. about earlier.. the, uh.. kiss.."

Gray's face reddened. "What of it?"

"It was, uh.. nice." Claire stated. Gray studied Claire's face, which was focused on tending to Gray's wounds. "Why did you kiss me?"

Gray's mind raced back to the forest, and her hands tightened into fists. "I.. look.. I told you that my kind is prone to.. imprinting."

"Yeah?" Claire said, prompting Gray to go on.

Gray sighed and closed her eyes, continuing. "I.. look, I don't know for sure.. but.. I think I might've imprinted."

"On me?" Claire seemed taken aback. "Look, I'm not gay."

"You did kiss me back.. and, well, on you but.."

"But?"

"It feels like something's missing." Gray murmured. "Like.. I need you, but there's someone else who I need too. But.. I don't know,"

"Don't know what?" Claire asked.

Gray shrugged and sighed. "I don't know how the whole werewolf thing works yet. It's.. different. It's like a need a pack, but.. I don't have one. Besides, I.. I don't fit in with other werewolves."

Claire set a hand on Gray's shoulder, frowning. "I'm sorry. I know what it's like to not fit in."

"Maybe that's why I'm drawn to you," Gray said softly. "We're different, you and I. Different from everyone else. Alex is too, isn't she?"

Claire glanced at Alex, offering a smile. "She's younger than me, but Jody took her in before me. We, uh, didn't get off on the right foot, her and I.. but now.."

"Now?"

"We're close," Claire said. "I'll admit, I'm glad to have her." Gray stayed silent for a bit, but soon her eyes met Claire's. The two stayed silent, simply locking eyes, when Claire- it was Claire this time- leaned forward and pressed her lips to the werewolf's. Gray cradled Claire's face, pulling the blonde closer. Claire obliged willingly, pushing Gray onto her back and climbing on top. Claire straddled the raven-haired girl, pressing their lips together again. Gray's hands found their way beneath Claire's faded shirt, resting on Claire's ribs. "This is kinda hot, you know," Claire admitted after a few moments. "Maybe I am a little gay,"

"You could say that again," Gray grinned, causing Claire to laugh softly. "Holy shit, she laughs!"

"Shut up," Claire said, gently smacking Gray's arm. "The making out thing was kinda hot til you started talking,"

"And being loud," Came Alex's voice.

"Woah, you.. you're awake?" Claire asked, frowning. "I.. I thought you were asleep."

"Can't sleep." Alex said, sitting up. "Besides, your making out is weird and it's.."

"It's..?" Claire frowned.

Alex shrugged and glanced at Claire and Gray, then she looked toward Gray. "Do you ever have these.. weird, primal voices in your head? They just showed up in mine, and.. they're hard to ignore."

"What do they want?" Gray inquired.

"It's.. ah.. something kinda embarrassing." Alex admitted.

"Is it lust?" Gray asked. "Like.. it's the lusty feeling." She could feel that familiar pull, but this time it seemed to pull Gray in two directions. That's when Gray understood.

"Gray, you got a weird look on your face." Claire said, frowning.

"It's the pull again," Gray murmured. "The, ah, imprinting pull I guess."

"What does that mean?" Claire and Alex asked at the same time. Gray couldn't exactly find the words for it so she gave Claire a kiss, allowing herself to linger for a few moments, before she got up to pull Alex over. Alex looked rather suspicious, and Gray couldn't blame her- after all, Gray couldn't explain what she was feeling and didn't even know if what she was feeling was real. She pressed her lips to Alex's, who twisted a bit and attempted to get away, but Gray could tell the new primal side of Alex was getting the better of her.

"Look, I don't know what is going on." Gray admitted, separating from Alex. "But hear me out, let's just try this for tonight."

"Try what?" Claire asked, obviously a bit jealous Gray had kissed Alex.

"Sleeping. Just sleeping," Gray murmured. She put herself in the middle, though she didn't have a true reason why, and curled up. She felt Alex curl into her back and Claire curl into her front. Gray had to admit, it was pleasant- nothing she had felt before, either. She had nearly drifted off when she felt lips against her skin and hands edging between her legs. "Huh?" Gray cracked an eye open, curious and confused. Claire's lips were searing kisses against Gray's shoulders and Alex's neck, almost curiously. "What are you-?"

"Shut up," Claire muttered. Alex pressed a kiss to the back of Gray's neck, causing shivers to run up Gray's spine as she felt the tips of fangs press against her back. It was rather seductive, Gray determined, because she could tell Alex was not going to bite her. Gray also determined that it was Alex's hands between her legs, and Claire's hands against her stomach. Gray finally offered a soft moan, moving to kiss the hollow of Claire's throat. After a while, none of them could take the tension anymore- Claire was the one who peeled her shirt off, Alex and Gray following in pursuit. Before long they were bare and sweaty, a mass of kisses and moans. Gray found herself still in the middle, but she didn't mind. Alex was the bottom, pleasantly gracing Claire and Gray with a myriad of kisses and gentle touches. Gray seared her own kisses to Alex's collarbone and neck, letting her touch wander. Claire was, unsurprisingly- Gray determined- the top. Perhaps Gray was not the alpha, persay, but Claire was. She was a bit more forceful than Gray and Alex, emitting soft and seductive growls and snarls as she left the dark marks along Gray and Alex's flesh. It wasn't long before they were all dusted in gentle nips and scratches and dark bruises.

When they'd finally reached their apexes, they settled in a heap on the bed beneath the sheets and blankets, sweaty and tired and spent. Gray lay on her back, an arm around both girls beside her. Maybe she had found her pack after all.