He lay on his side in wolf form, his white fur matted from the wind and slicked by the shower of water from the previously broken pipes. And out of his stomach protruded a shaft of jagged timber, spilling scarlet blood on to his beautiful coat, Charisma buried her hand in the soft fur of his neck and gave him a little shake, her heart stuttered. He wasn't breathing! He had no heart beat! His wide blue eyes were open, staring, blank. Dead.

"Sabine!" she screamed for her sister, turning her head this way and that, her whole family was there except the one person who could help. "No, no," she moaned despairingly.

Charisma choked on a sob, sinking down beside him she buried her face in his fur, she didn't command the power to bring life back to a dead body. She raised her tear streaked face suddenly, but she knew someone who could possibly do so.

Charisma held on to Fury and flashed herself to Sanctuary, right beside Blaze, who was standing by a window watching the sky apprehensively.

"Chrissy! What -"

"Blaze, its Fury! He's hurt!"

Blaze ran immediately to his side and knelt by him on the floor, she closed her eyes and smoothed her hand over his fur, Charisma's heart filled with hope. She had seen Blaze perform miracles before, she had brought people back just as they rattled out their final breath, she had healed the most grievous wounds. She went into a trance like now and her hand glowed a fiery orange and pulsated warmth, Charisma didn't realise Blaze's bedroom was occupied by several of the bears.

Blaze blinked her eyes open, they were shining with tears, Charisma felt weak and shaky like she was coming down with the flu.

"He's gone," Blaze whispered and Charisma gripped her shoulder forcefully and shook her, Blaze let out a small cry of pain.

"Do it again!" Charisma snarled, "do it now!"

"Charisma, I can't heal the dead!" she sobbed apologetically, "I'm sorry. Where's Sabine? She can!"

Charisma let out an agonised wail and curled up beside her wolf, Blaze was weeping silently and stroking Charisma's hair but she didn't feel it. She was dying from the inside out.

"Fury's dead," Devereaux Peltier said in a hushed, disbelieving voice, he wrapped an arm around his mate's waist and looked over his shoulder to Aimee, who had her hands over her mouth. "Someone needs to tell Vane."

Aimee drew her hands down and nodded, pressing her lips tightly together to stop her sobbing loudly. Aimee took one look at Charisma who lay unmoving on the floor, deaf to her sister's soothing voice, her face turned into white fur. Just as she was about to flash to Vane and Bride's house two twin girls came bursting through the crowd, pushing past her muscular brothers. They caught sight of Charisma and Fury and their hands flew to their mouths covering identical gasps of horror, one turned to bury her head in the others chest and sobs racked her. Aimee could not stand the sorrow any longer but she wondered how she would fair when faced with Fang's despair.

Aimee flashed outside the house Vane had bought for Bride after their marriage, it was big and respectable looking from the outside, however Aimee knew it too be homely and welcoming inside. She lifted her hand and grasped the cold knocker, after the echoing of the knocker faded there came a pup like yelp from the baby's room and the padding of feet moving quickly downstairs.

Vane opened the door and looked through bleary eyes at Aimee, he blinked rapidly to bring her in to focus.

"Can't you just count sheep if you can't sleep?" Vane groused, stepping back to let her in, Aimee stayed on the doorstep, "Fang is in a coma, he's dead to the world for at least another three hours."

Vane realised she hadn't walked through the door and rubbed his eyes again, then he noted the trails of wet down her cheeks and his gaze sharpened, the scent of her misery was ripe in the air and it made his heart pound. Fang? He knew Fang was in bed, he could smell him in the house, he could hear him snore. He wasn't hurt, Vane tried to calm his heart.

"Aimee, what's wrong? Come in, will you? Damn it, what's wrong!"

"Vane?"

He turned his head as Bride came down the stairs carrying Quinn in her arms, the baby was deeply asleep again. Her long auburn curls fell over her shoulders, she looked like an angel but at the moment her pale face was concerned, her eyebrows raised in question. A sound behind her made them all look behind Bride to the top of the stairs, Fang appeared awake and alert.

"Aimee?" he said, his eyes glinting in the dark, he flashed himself down the stair to the front door and dragged her inside, "what is it? What's happened?"

Her lips trembled and Fang pulled her into his arms, throwing a murderous look at Vane who growled back and Fang looked a little ashamed.

"Sorry, Vane, I know you wouldn't have upset her."

Aimee pulled herself out of his arms and wiped her eyes impatiently, Bride appeared at her side, touched her shoulder gently and with equal kindness asked, "Aimee, what has happened?"

Vane's heart sank lower as she looked at all of them in turn, soothed a hand over the baby's curls and then her eyes rested on Fang's face, her own showing her inner agony.

"Fury's dead," she choked out, Vane watched Fang's face pale, Bride broke down into tears and Vane felt as if something had robbed him of air, his mind blanked for a moment.

"What do you mean?" Fang said stupidly.

"His mate flashed him back to Sanctuary but he was gone," she walked into Fang's arms and he wrapped them round her automatically, but his face was blank a if he had no idea he had just done it. "Her sister is staying there with us and they went to fight and -"

She broke off covering her mouth.

"Fight who?" Vane asked, not comprehending what she was trying to say to him, but Aimee just shook her head. Rage broke free and Vane threw his head back and howled, Fang followed suit and the baby woke crying and attempting to howl with them. Vane wrapped his arm around Bride and the baby and flashed them to Sanctuary.

When he appeared inside the parlour of the Peltier house Vane let go of Bride to dash up the stair knowing she was safe in Sanctuary, he saw the bears crowded around a doorway and made for it barely aware that Fang was on his heels. Vane was oblivious to his actions as he tore through the bears, yanking apart their shoulders to find his brother, they cleared his way and his eyes rested upon his Fury's form, a bloodied rod of rough wood puncturing his stomach and blood soaking his white fur. Next to him lay his mate, he'd only seen her one time and that was in the shop when she had first come in, he noted her face and hair was smeared with Fury's blood.

Vane pushed his way roughly into the room and dragged Charisma up to face him, her knees buckled and she didn't make her sound.

"What happened to him?" Vane demanded shaking her so forcefully her head lolled like a rag doll, her limbs shaking and boneless. Immediately a red head and a set of black haired twins yanked him back from her, all snarling and scratching at him. One pulled a dagger from her waist.

Nicolette Peltier ran forward, her face white and looking suddenly older then she had been.

"No fighting in the Sanctuary. You know our laws!"

"Tell this piece of shit to keep away from our sister then," one of the black haired twins growled, but looked away when Charisma had dropped back on the floor beside Fury. Fang moved to stand beside Vane, they were both naked from the waist up, their fists clenching and unclenching while animalistic growls rumbled in their throats.

"How did this happen!" Vane roared, making many of those present jump, all the Peltiers and the rest of the animals at Sanctuary watched Vane warily, knowing his enormous power and not wanting to be caught amidst a killing rage. The sisters however took know notice, the one who had drawn the dagger was breathing heavily, Vane watched her pulse jump rapidly in her neck when she turned to the red head and cried desperately.

"Blaze! By the Gods, tell us what to do!"

Blaze licked her lips thinking and began snapping her fingers, "err, err …" she murmured in a shaky voice.

"Blaze! You're the only one with the knowledge to fix this, you're the Goddess of healing! If we don't do something now we don't just lose him, we lose both of them!"

The other twin stepped forward and touched Charisma's face, she drew back with a hiss and looked at her hand as though expecting to see a burn mark there.

"Kiara's right, Blaze. She's fading before our eyes, we need to do something," this woman's tone was lower and calmer but by no means less serious, both bored holes into their young sister, Blaze.

Vane had never felt so useless in all his life, every time he looked at Fury he felt a wrenching pain in his heart, why hadn't Fury called on him to help him? Surely he would know that as brothers they always stand together? Surely he couldn't be so insecure as Bride had once said that he would doubt their loyalty and love for him? Vane had forever felt guilty over the years Fury had been in their pack before revealing himself as their brother, even then that had happened by accident. Now more then ever that guilt cut deep, ripping holes in his heart and soul.

"I will give you anything if you heal him," he tried to keep is voice steady but it broke when he let his eyes drift to Fury's body, he could feel Fang shaking beside him, before he could stop himself he found himself shouting. "I beg you bring him back!"

Blaze was in tears gripping her hair not knowing what to do, she was sobbing so hard her chest heaved with them.

"I don't know how to heal the dead! I can't bring them back to life! Only Sabine -"

"Where is Sabine?" the twin whom Vane didn't know the name of asked, but Blaze shook her head helplessly, this galvanised her into action.

"I won't lose anymore family!" she shouted and grabbed Vane's arm bringing him to stand beside her twin, Kiara.

"Kiera?" Blaze said uncertainly, but she wasn't listening, she was pulling Blaze next to Vane's other side, then threw her head back and called out. "I call to my blood, I have need of you!"

She looked back at Kiara who looked completely confused. "Too much time has past, Blaze can't heal him, but we can trap his spirit! He is powerful -' she pointed to Vane, '- if they don't join with us he can help."

A flash of light signified that Celeste, Nitia, Odette, Fear, Pride and their brother Valon had heard her call, they took one look at the two bodies on the floor, then at Blaze and Kiara who were gripping Vane's hands. Immediately they took up positions and formed a circle. Kiera was the only one that didn't join hands instead she ducked under the clasped hands of Fear and Kiara and sat by Charisma.

"Charisma, look at me!" she said urgently, Vane watched the girl's eyelashes flutter but not open, Kiera shook her. "Charisma call to your mate! He'll answer you, tell him to come back!"

Kiera's head flew up and she pointed to Fang, "you! Call to your brother! Anyway you can do it! You too!" She said to Vane. Both threw back their heads and howled into the night, it was a cry to the gods for mercy, a cry to their brother to join them again, a cry of a breaking heart.

In the circles centre Charisma gave a cry and writhed upon the wooden boards, Kiera held her head still in between her palms, she shot a grim yet triumphant look towards Blaze.

"She's calling him! He's coming back! Be ready!"

Vane had no idea what was going on, all he knew was that he was putting his heart and soul into that howl, wanting to create a homing beacon for Fury's wandering spirit, beckoning him to return to life. He turned his head and he saw his son in Bride's arms standing by the door, Quinn gave a high pitched yelp that he tried to make a howl, but even he could see the veins in his son's neck strain as he put forth a call to try and reach the dead. The over head light in the bedroom flickered frantically and Vane noticed for the first time Fury's strange in-laws were chanting in low ominous tones.

On the floor Charisma continued to writhe and twist her body and finally she sat bolt up right and screamed, "FURY!"

"He's here!" Kiera shouted over the mixture of howls and chanting, "keep it going, keep him here! Fight Charisma, fight to bring him back! You want to live!"

She slapped the floor with her hand for emphasis and Charisma, who looked weak with purple shadows around her eyes and her lips blue, moaned Fury's name. Her voice gaining and losing strength frequently.

Vane's throat felt raw, he had been continuously howling for five minutes, the noise had caused the bears cubs to wake up and collectively whine and cry out. The whole of the sanctuary had turned out to crowd the narrow landing and bedroom door to watch the phenomenon, they pushed and shoved at each other trying to glimpse at the scene before them that was as frightening to them as it was strange.

The whole circle looked exhausted, but none more so then Kiera and Vane instinctively knew that she was using all her energy to bind Fury to this earth, she looked like she would drop unconscious beside her sister at any moment. Then suddenly as if a light had been flicked on inside of them, they lifted their heads as one and looked towards the bedroom door, the chanting faltered as a young woman walked in.

Vane thought her unremarkable at first, yet by the hush that fell over the room, he knew this to be the mysterious Sabine, the giver of life to his brother. The answer to his prayers.

Instinctively they broke apart and Sabine stood at Fury's head and smiled, then with a little laugh she said kindly as though he could hear her.

"I told you not to die."

Vane turned to exchange a look with Fang, "is she crazy?" Fang mouthed to him, Vane looked back at her, he didn't care what she was if she could give his brother back to him. The woman took a deep breath, they were all so busy watching her, waiting for some mysterious, complex piece of magic that he didn't notice Fury was awake until he sat up in wolf form and whined for attention. Fury turned his head and licked gently at Charisma's smooth face. Her lashes fluttered and lifted, immediately tears streamed from her eyes and she pulled her wolf closer.

"I lost you," Charisma sobbed in to his fur that was quickly replaced with skin, naked, hot scarred from previous battles but glorious tanned flesh of a living breathing man. Charisma couldn't think, she could only sob and hang on even though she felt as if her sanity was slightly shaken by the prospect of losing someone she loved so much. "You were dead, I wanted to be dead too."

Clothes appeared on his body but Fury didn't look up, he continued to cradle her protectively against his chest. He remembered everything clearly up until he had actually died, which had been near enough instantaneous. He had jumped on Charisma to protect her from a blast, as he did he felt something sharp piece his side and he lay in agony for a few minutes staring at Charisma but unable to catch the breath to speak, she hadn't noticed but he felt her lay her paw over his, thinking he was still there. Then blackness. He's thoughts were of returning, he had no concept of life or death he just wanted Charisma in the blackness and he could feel her drawing nearer to him. Fury realised with a shudder that she was dying with him. He tightened his arms, he couldn't think about it now. He wouldn't.

Fury glanced up and saw the room staring at him, but his eyes caught Vane's, he nodded to his brother and then looked at Sabine, he knew though he had no idea how he knew, that she had brought him back to life.

Sabine sighed and sat back on her haunches, she waggled a finger at him.

"Memento mori, my friend," she said and stroked her hand over Charisma's hair, Fury raised an eyebrow.

"And that means?"

She laughed. "Its a Latin saying from your world: Remember you can die."

Fury's face was blank for a moment before grinned in a bemused kind of way, he shook his head.

"Ok, Sabine, I'll keep that in mind from now on."

"See that you do," she said with a definite nod of her head and vanished.