Seems like we're having a few difficulties on collaborating so sorry about the long wait. Not sure when we'll have the next chapter up so STAY TUNED!

BROOKE

"What was that about?" I gasped.

Will was gazing at me uncertainly. "Are you OK?"

"What does it look like?"

He sighed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "C'mon. Let's try to stay warm so you don't shift..."

I nodded, inhaling for a brief moment. Her scent weaved through the trees, leading to…

"Crap." I sank to my knees. "She's going after Colin." I sniffed again. "He's passed out."

"He'll be OK if she finds him."

"I guess so."

We stood in awkward silence, wondering if it was the right choice not to call for help.

An idea formed in my head. "I know!"

Yanking out my iPhone from my pocket, I dialed a number.

The line rang three times, and then someone picked up.

"What?" a gruff voice growled. "Who the heck is this? I don't have Caller I.D. on this crap phone, you know."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Brown."

"Brooke?"

"Yep."

"What's the problem?"

"Kylie shifted. She's in the middle of the woods; a boy there has passed out and could be prone to hypothermia. She's trying to warm him up, but would you mind heading over there?"

"Right. Ask another part-time werewolf to take a trip down to winter wonderland and check on a complete stranger and probable idiot, and his little wolfy girlfriend," Brown said sarcastically. "Great."

"Brown. You're the leader of the pack, for crying out loud!" I made my voice sound sugar-sweet. "Please?"

The line on the other end was silent for a moment. I could imagine Brown right then and there: sitting inside of his house, running a hand through his tousled black hair, green eyes annoyed, and his favorite leather jacket hugging his frame.

"All right." He made it sound like it was a chore. "I'll go."

"Thanks so, so much. You'll be able to follow the scent from there."

"You owe me, sister," he said darkly.

"I sure do," I replied cheerfully."

More silence. Then:

"I'm never gonna be able to say no to you, am I?" Brown muttered; I could pick up a touch of masked affection in his tone.

"So you do care."

"Don't push it."

I hung up, meeting Will's confused expression. "That was Brown. He's the leader of the pack."

"I can see that." Will smiled at me. "Want to sit down?" A small bench was sitting on the porch looking dejected and lonely.

"Why don't we, William?"

He laughed and took me by the arm, sitting next to me on the bench, draping his arm across my shoulders.

I stretched out on the bench, absorbing Will's warmth.

"Can I take a nap first?" I asked blearily.

"Sure."

I was snoring in seconds with my head on his shoulder.

WILL

I watched the snowy forest as Brooke slept.

I couldn't shake the idea of the frightening "bloody wolf" that seemed to love attacking my house every now and then. Could it have been Brooke, recognizing my scent in some twisted way and rushing to greet me? Or Kylie?

I had no idea. All I knew was that it was creeping me out.

A ripple of sound whispered across the space as I hummed possible chords.

"Lovely, isn't it?

Just how we all feel

When the summer comes along

Makes each thing new and real

But then the cold makes its way in

And I am all alone

The winter puffs a breath of air

And I am on my own…

Without you I am incomplete

Without you I have no feet

I'm floating through the open sky

And I can't even fly

Can't control myself

Without you, without you, without you."

I sang the words over and over. Brooke murmured and shiffed slightly so that her head lay in my lap.

And then there was a crash.

I started, and Brooke snapped awake.

"What was that?" she choked out.

"I don't know."

I stood, Brooke emulating me. She inhaled deeply, eyes widening. "Oh, no."

"What is it?"

"It's…" she paused, fighting for words. "Blood."

My heart stopped.

"I'm gonna go get the police." I started slowly towards my cell phone in my pocket.

"No!" She stopped me. "I'm the only one who can protect you."

She shuddered, convulsing wildly as she gave into the cold.

"DON'T!" I shouted.

Too late.

Brooke was a wolf now, and she darted forward, following the crashing.

And then the source revealed itself, emerging from the trees.

A huge black wolf stood, snarling at Brooke.

It had blood on its paws.

Brooke lunged.

Her jaws snapping, claws extended, she slammed into the canine creature. I wanted to scream, but I didn't. I watched them in horror as they rolled out onto the deck, flying onto the cold snowy earth.

I ran after them, chased them down. I'd absentmindedly clutched my phone in my hands, until my hand turned white.

Brooke's gray eyes lit with fury, she rammed the enemy with her broad shoulder and slashed at its muzzle. Blood welled in the marks she left behind.

I raised my phone, smashing it into the black animal's flank. I heard a thud, watched as it tumbled down.

"Get-the heck-off-HER!" I managed with each strike.

The black wolf whirled despite its injuries and glared hatefully at me. It growled ominously and then lashed out at Brooke again.

Blood seeped from Brooke's shoulder as the beast's jaws closed around it. She howled in agony, and I used my phone (it was plastic, but effective) to whack the enemy wolf on the top of its head.

Brooke took this chance I gave to slash the wolf across its muzzle. It turned, fleeing as fast as it could away from us both. I flung away my ruined phone and raved to Brook.

"Gah…" I panted.

Brooke slumped on the snow, a spot of red against white. I took her furry brown body in my arms.

"Don't die," I managed. I had the feeling if she'd been human; she would have given me an eye-roll and said something like, oh, yeah. THAT'S gonna be easy. I'm just bleeding my life out here!

I ran inside and grabbed her cell phone that lay in the corner of the porch. I scrolled through her iPhone contacts and selected Brown.

"What now?"

"This isn't Brooke." My mind whirling, I watched my girlfriend twitch on the carpet of white-and-red. "This is her boyfriend. Will Summerstein."

A long silence met my words.

I decided to fill it as best I could. "Look, I know about the wolves. And Brooke…she just saved my life. She shifted and attacked this huge black wolf that's been trying to get inside my house. It succeeded this time. She…" I felt myself starting to panic, but I kept my voice as level as I possibly could. "She's really hurt right now. She's losing a lot of blood."

More silence.

Anger powered me this time, blotting out my fear. "Speak! A wolf from your pack is dying, and if she does die, it's your fault, because that other wolf knows you, I think. And if it does, or if you even have the slightest idea of what that thing is, then you could've stopped it."

Silence.

Now it was rage that streaked through me, turning my vision red. "Are you even on the other line?"

"Yes."

"Then can't you speak to me?" Sadness touched my heart. "I'm desperate. I need to help her. I'm not going to spill the secret of the wolves. Just-just help her."

"I'm coming."

"And Kylie?"

"Her too."

"What about Colin?"
"The dead fish?" Brown's voice was twisted with wry amusement. "He's up, all right. He'll be coming. What's your name, by the way?"

"Will. I told you that," I replied impatiently.

"Oh," he said. "I have short-term memory loss, so forgive me." His tone suddenly grew dramatic. "And I am the one, the only-"

"Brown," I cut him off flatly. "I know."

"Darn." Brown sighed. "We'll be over in fifteen."

"Bye."

I hung up and busied myself by scrolling through the songs on Brooke's iPhone Music section. I came across several bands and artists I knew: Paramore, Death Cab for Cutie, Owl City, Jordin Sparks, Avril Lavigne, Jonas and Plunkett, that kind of thing-when I heard something I'd never encountered in my life.

"You're on my mind

And you're haunting me, haunting me

You're all I find

And it's hurting me, hurting me

This other part of me

Is something I don't wanna see

So now I need something to break me, break me

Break me free…"

Brooke's voice was smooth and honeyed with alto tones, and at first I smiled, happy to hear her.

But then I frowned.

I realized what the song was about. The image of her as a wolf slipped into my mind.

"Oh," I gasped.

She didn't want to be a wolf at all. She hated it.

I was outside then, dragging the unconscious dog onto the deck. I draped my winter jacket over her body and ran my fingers through her thick chocolate fur. Luckily I'd been wearing three layers and I was still warm with my shirt and jacket.

"So you're the little John Lennon?"

My head snapped up, and I saw a man with green eyes and dark hair. A leather jacket clung to his upper body like he was a sword and this was his sheath. I assumed he was Brown.

I shrugged. "Wouldn't say that."

He laughed, and then saw Brooke. "Oh, no."

He raced over, gaze fearful. "I know what wolf you're talking about."

"Really?"

"Yup." He began trying to staunch the flow of blood with some moss and his own jacket. He was wearing layers too. "His name's Mickey."

"Like the mouse?"

"You bet." He cursed. "I need more cloth, kid."

I quickly shed my second jacket and dropped it beside Brown. "Go on."

"Mick's rather…eco-friendly. He hates the fact that humans from the city built homes here and cut down the trees, especially since he figures he'll be a wolf for the rest of his life." Brown's quick hands swaddled Brooke in more cloth. "He's been trying to rally other wolves to his cause. He's been leading attacks on humans, and I dunno what the heck he has against you, but you might wanna be careful from now on."
"Don't you stop them?"

"I tell them not to, but sometimes they still disobey me. Sneak out at night and all that. I tried posting guards around the forest, but that only lead to bloodshed." Brown's intense gaze locked on mine. "He's a very powerful speaker, and he's gotten many of the pack to side with him."

"What're they going to do?" I asked, joking at first. "Kill me and my family, and anyone else that pisses them off?"

"They just might."

I stopped short. "Oh."

"Yeah," Brown replied sarcastically. "Oh."

"Well, it'll make the news, won't it? And then…" my voice trailed off. "Humans will start hunting them." I looked up at the pack leader. "Hunting you. And Kylie. And…" I felt like I was going to throw up. "Brooke."

"That's probable."

"Then what can we do?"

Brown narrowed his eyes. "Since when were you in this?"

I met his steely look. "Since I realized I liked Brooke more than I should."

My words were met with silence, just like on the phone.

And then he clapped.

"You're strong," he said approvingly. "Very determined. I like you."

"Thanks?" I said awkwardly.

"You're welcome!"

At once, Brooke jerked, shifting under the layers of cloth. I wrapped her tightly in them and carried her into the house with the help of the extra key Brown had.

"One more thing." I looked over my shoulder at him. "What do you mean by Mickey figures he'll be a wolf for the rest of his life? This isn't permanent is it?"
"Yes, actually." Brown threw it around like it wasn't a big deal. "When the wolves reach a certain age, we never shift back again."

Dun dun dun daaaaa. Cliffie, sorta. Hope you enjoyed!

Rnr!

Cheers,
Kylie Max