My pardons for the last chapter, I know none of you would expect something like that from me. But they're in love, and it was a no rules date, how could I pass that up? At least all of you were warned, but that wasn't the lemon of this story, that won't come until later, much, much later.

Better Than This

Chapter 9

Two More Dead

Between the two lovers, it was Age who awoke to the sunrise first, the first hear the birds sing. He sat up and groaned, he didn't know why, but his back and his front legs were hurting, maybe he just slept on them the wrong way. Then he turned to Hayley, his new love, and also his best friend; he was unable to understand that in the short time she knew him, that she had come to love him. Last night's events didn't matter to Age; all he cared about was her, she was it. She began to stir and groan herself and soon she rolled over onto her back and barely opened up her eyes and saw Age looming over her, she just smiled brightly like the morning rays surrounding them.

"That's the best thing I've ever seen first thing in the morning." She said quietly, she was still very sleepy.

"Likewise…" Age replied, gazing at her face and staring at her maw as she yawned again. "Do you need some help waking up?" He asked her, already having a way in mind.

"Yes I do, could you help me with that?" She teased him.

"How so…?" He asked her, but she just grinned and placed a paw on his cheek.

"Surprise me, you're good at that." Hayley answered and closed her eyes.

Age just leaned down to her and kissed her right where she wanted. Their lips were locked together and Hayley was already feeling more awake than she had. Age was still feeling like this was meant to be, he'd never kissed anyone in his life before, but he didn't wanna kiss anyone else. Age pulled away and looked at her, she seemed happy and up.

"Any better, are you feeling more awake now?" He asked already knowing the answer.

"So much, thank you Age." She smiled at him and he closed his eyes. "I shouldn't have waited…" Age opened his eyes and looked at her in confusion. "I shouldn't have waited to tell you how I felt. This is the happiest I've been in years." Age was the happiest he'd ever been as well, but he was still unsure about the events that occurred the other night.

"What happened last night Hayley?" He asked her, but she seemed as confused as he was.

"I don't really know. But…I do know, now that I think back on it, maybe we weren't ready. Thank goodness we didn't go all the way." She said, and Age was in agreement.

"Can we just forget about that please? It was a mistake; we were just caught in the moment I guess." Age told to his love, she was still lying on her back with him over her.

"Sure, of course, no one will ever have to know. Besides, I love you too much to let this kind of thing ruin what we have. I can look past it, I can look ahead." Hayley explained to Age.

Age helped her up off her back and then the two started walking home towards the main center of Jasper. During the first few minutes of walking, their tails were wrapped around each other's, but it made for uncomfortable walking. Hayley broke the twist and walked along side Age with a thinker's look.

"So what happens now?" She asked aloud.

"We go home, and we take care of Blood, I don't wanna think about what I'd do if he came after you." Age declared to her, and she blushed at his statement. She then leaned in, wanting another kiss, and Age was about to kiss her back, when speak of the devil,

"Oh, how sweet…" It was a terrible voice that could only belong to one wolf, Blood. Age and Hayley turned to him in horror, but the horror was mostly from Hayley. Age quickly stepped in front of her and growled, bearing his teeth at the wolf that stood several meters in front of them, his fur more blood-stained than his own.

"Go away Blood, if you come any closer I'll…" Age threatened him.

"You'll what my friend? Tear my throat out? You may have the skills, but you can't threaten someone for the life of you." Blood said and began to encircle them. Hayley crept up behind Age and whispered to him,

"Is that him?" Her voice quaking in fear,

"Yes Hayley, meet the murderer." Age said lightly.

"Are you scared?" Blood asked smiling and waiting for an answer.

"No…" Age answered him, and then Blood turned his gaze to Hayley and asked again,

"What about you my dear…are you scared?" He said, his walk was almost silent, and his lips began to drool blood. Hayley stepped up beside Age and looked at him before she answered.

"No…" She declared to him. Blood knew what to say, but he was amazed that she wasn't.

"Good…" Blood announced to them, and then he ran off into the woods.

"What was that all about? I thought he'd attack us for sure." Hayley wondered out loud.

"No, he won't. He couldn't even if he wanted to. See, we're both so advanced in fighting we'd be neck and neck, the fight wouldn't stop. We could go on for hours and a winner wouldn't be decided, that's why he doesn't attack. If he attacks you, he must go through me, and he can't make it past me." Age explained to his love, and she nodded.

"We had better get back then…" She said and then chuckled softly, "I still can't believe my parents even let me go on this date." Hayley laughed at the strange fact, "A killer on the loose and they let me have a night with a boy out in the middle of nowhere, that's really weird." Age laughed a little too, but then realized something.

"You weren't scared?" He asked her, and she shook her head. "How, when I first met Blood I was terrified, but I didn't let him see it." Age told her, but she smiled.

"Age, I saw the way you stood up to him. You weren't scared, and that made me realized, that if you aren't, then why should I be?" Hayley said in a tone that gave Age new confidence. Age was getting ready to respond when his nose picked up and new scent on the wind.

"Wait, do you smell that?" He asked her. She sniffed the air and shook her head. "It's blood, and it's coming from Jasper, why would there be…" His voice was interrupted by a very annoying voice.

"Yo, it's my lil bro! Returning from his humongous night, in which he got extremely lucky!" Of course it was J-Dog.

"Joe what are you doing out here?" Age asked his brother.

"Well, there has been another kill in this joint, and I thought dat you would be so kind as to, uh, check it out?" J-Dog said in his usual voice.

"Two more have been killed?" Age asked with question in his voice, and then he threw his head down and turned around. "How could I have been so stupid? I should've known he wouldn't keep his promise, and now two more wolves have been killed and it's all my fault!"

"Age please, stop blaming yourself…" Hayley said. "If we didn't di this only more of them would've died, you didn't have anything to do with it." She tried telling him. But he glanced at her and then looked away.

"Hayley, look at my fur. This is what happens when you're not good enough to protect those that you care about, whoever these two wolves were that were killed, they could have been saved." Age said and the let his head look down.

"Well if you feel that bad about it…" She started, "Then maybe you should go and check it out, I'll even go with you…if you want." Hayley offered in the nicest way. Age smiled and nodded,

"I want…" She giggled, and then he looked over to his brother, "Joe, take us there, pronto!"

"True dat, dis was bro!" J-Dog said and ran off with Age and Hayley following him.

When they arrived back in Jasper, every wolf looked like they were in a state of panic. Many were shaking as they walked; some looked like they were going to collapse on the spot. Age didn't know if they were scared of the blood on his fur or the fact that Blood had probably committed another bloody murder. "Over dere…" J-Dog pointed across the canyon to a den with about seven wolves outside of it. Hayley looked a little closer and screamed, and then she ran towards the den.

"Hayley…what's wrong?" Age yelled to her. She turned around for a second looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Age…that's my den…" She said slowly and ran as fast as she could across the canyon to the other side where the den was.

Age's mouth hung open, and he didn't know what to say. He killed her parents…he killed her parents…Age thought to himself, what is he trying to accomplish? Why is he striking at her now? He just said, not twenty minutes ago he wouldn't attack her. J-Dog's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Dude, I don't know 'bout you…but I think dis guy had got it in for ya." J-Dog seemed to actually be saying the truth. "I mean think 'bout it bro, he comes 'long, kills some peeps ya don't know, and then he go and takes out ya girl's mama and pops, dat's so serious payback." He stated.

Age didn't listen, he just ran down across the canyon and up the other side to the den surrounded by the wolves. Hutch was there and once he turned around he saw Age, and called him over. "Age this is worse than we thought, this den was rigged with a stone trap. If one den is rigged like this then what are the odds other are as well?" Hutch asked him.

"I don't know Hutch, but this is getting to be out of hand. Tell Winston I wanna take my test to be an Alpha…now. I have to join the hunt for this guy and end this." Age told to Hutch. He nodded and before he walked off to carry out the orders, he turned to Age and said,

"When you do hunt down this wolf, may I have the honor of joining you?" Hutch asked, "I'm not scared of dying…" Age nodded.

"Yes Hutch, I'd be honored myself if you joined me." Hutch raised his head and then sprinted off to tell Winston. Age pushed his way past the wolves outside the den and walked inside, and his eyes closed immediately. Once he found the strength to open them again, he looked over the mess, rocks and stones were covering the ground and the bruised and beaten bodies of Hayley's parents lied in the rubble. Hayley was crying over her father's body and she turned around saw Age. The deb was a crime scene, blood was on the walls, and the leak flowed out on the path outside, the gravel on top of the two dead corpses was also stained slightly with the blood of the innocent. "Two more dead…" Age said and Hayley walked over to him and put her paws around him and continued crying. "That's a total of 13 wolves I could've saved but didn't. This has gone too far Hayley, this has to end." He said and then walked out, she ran after him and shouted behind him,

"Age…!"

"I'm sorry Hayley, but I have to take my Alpha test, it's the only way to stop this. I'm sorry I can't stay an Omega like you, I was going to, but pack laws are getting in the way again." He said and walked off, but Hayley didn't accept it and ran after him.

"I'll go with you…" She said and he looked at her funny, "There's nothing left for me here Age, you're all I have." She said quietly, Age nodded and together, walked away.

If I was Age, at that point I'd go off and kill Blood anyway. Looks like at this point J-Dog is so bad after all, but with Hayley's parents dead, looks like the bond between her and Age is going to be tested. By the way, I'll put in a Moonlight Howl, but not until the end.