"Jaycee" POV

I was spacey that entire day. The burn on my side ached and stung throughout the first half of the day as it healed, and I felt that this had something to do with my lethargy. Well, the burn and the constant hunger that gnawed at me.

Before I knew it lunch had come again and I slowly made her way to Gaz's table. I could not very well say it was Dib's, considering the hold his sister had over him. My stomach growled angrily and despite the horrendous stench of the product school called 'food' my mouth began filling with saliva. I tried not to look like a begging puppy as I passed all the teens picking at their unwanted food.

This time when I seated myself next to her Gaz spared me a half-glance and grunted acknowledgement which I returned a bit more warmly. Dib was already giving Zim the stink-eye across the room and I had the feeling I had missed another fight between them.

I watched Zim poke angrily at his 'food,' a bit jealous that he had a tray that he was obviously unwilling to eat.

I turned my attention to Dib, who seemed to have eyes only for Zim and began to analyze the rivalry the two obviously had. Though the two seemed hostile I had not yet witnessed them go to blows over it. Again I turned towards my enemy and really scrutinized him, the prolonged staring from somebody other than Dib drew his attention and he met my eyes with challenge.

I had to try very hard not to bare my fangs as my proverbial hackles rose at the threat. I was slightly fearful he would connect me to the wolf he had pursued last night, but I smoothed my hair and tried to reason with my anxiety. There was no way he would suspect me... There was no way he would know.

Still, this was a well lit relatively safe place to catalog my opponent.

Though he was shorter than Dib he was by no means petite, from the way his clothes seemed a bit tight around him I would say that he had recently hit a growth spurt. His eyes seemed to be a dark blue-violet but something about them did not sit right with me, for they were too large. I could obviously tell he wore a wig, and did not even bother to glue it down properly. He could stand to learn a thing or two from my dearly departed grandmother. She would throttle him for the shameful way he kept his.

He wore a metallic backpack, and that was one hell of a fashion statement. I'd never seen a backpack like that and doubted any of the other students here had either. The pack, too, seemed as if it were smaller than it should be, as if he had not changed it since he had grown. Though there was a kind of malicious cunning behind his strange eyes, also there was a strange kind of almost forced denseness. His posture spoke of insecurity, and I was sure that amongst his own people, as with here, he was not quite accepted.

I pegged him for an omega, but one with ambition. I wondered if his alpha knew.

"Um... what're you doing?" Dib asked as he slid down to sit nervously next to me. I tore my eyes away from my prey and spared him a sidelong glance. It broke whatever tension had risen between myself and Zim and he promptly turned back to more important things, namely pushing a pea around with his spork.

"Nothing." I replied, "just zoning out. I didn't sleep well last night." I grinned a bit to try and convince him. He seemed to accept it, albeit grudgingly.

"I noticed you forgot your lunch." He said, and my stomach immediately started begging for food, noisily. My hopes soared and my mouth watered as he reached into his bag to bring out a well-wrapped sandwich. I could smell the turkey and mayonnaise and I swallowed the flood of saliva.

I was unsure what look I had on my face but I knew I must have looked moved to tears as he awkwardly offered me the sandwich. I could not help but feel a sort of fondness for the boy, much as a stray dog feels for a kind stranger who gives handouts of food.

"Thank you." I nearly sobbed with euphoria as I tried not to swallow the whole thing at once. I must have still been eating quite vigorously as Gaz rolled her eyes and Dib looked away in embarrassment. The sandwich did little to curb my hunger, but it was better than nothing.

I looked at the human with different eyes, while I had never disliked humans, never had I trusted one either. Perhaps it was the near-starvation talking, but I felt this was one I could rely on.

That evening the smell of rain hung heavily in the air as dark clouds made no small threat above. Thunder rolled in the distance as I shrugged on my jacket and made to lock the door. I followed my soon to be familiar path to the sparse woods where I decided against transforming. The rain would be starting soon and it would dull my canine smell and hearing.

Tonight I was going to find that elder female before the alien got a hold of her. I would not need my nose or my ears, only my eyes which served me best as a human. I hoped that not transforming and announcing myself as I so foolishly had done before would not draw the alien out so quickly.

As a seasoned tracker I found the horribly obvious trail I had left behind last night in my haste to be away from Zim and followed it to the beginning, where I had been following the elders scent. I crouched at the beginning of my own trail and squinted in the dimming twilight to decipher what the ground had to tell me.

She had tread lightly, and yet she had a limp. Whether the limp was caused by injury or old age was unclear in the slight outlines of the paw prints, but I followed them while I still had light to track by. I wrinkled my nose as i smelled charred wood and lifted my head from the trail. Several trees were missing branches and blackened on one side, likely having been shot with the same weapon used on myself.

A few feet after the burned trees the paw prints began to change into human and veered away with a heavy limp. She must have been hit by at least one of the blasts or she would not have reverted to human form.

I clicked the flashlight on as the sun sank below the horizon, but just before I nearly fell into a yawning cavern which opened up in the ground.

I cursed as I caught myself on a strong pine branch and took a step back to flash the light around inside the hole. I could see where the footprints slipped down the steep slope and winced as I thought of the elder hitting the ground and being further injured.

"Hello?" I called, only to be met with silence. I took a surreptitious sniff but smelt no decay. She was obviously alive in there somewhere. "I come from White-Eye's clan." I paused as I realized he was probably no longer alpha and then shrugged it off, "I was sent by my elders to investigate the disappearances. I mean you no harm."

"T...that old coot's still alive?" an ancient voice rasped from within. She moaned slightly and i heard shifting. "I...I've trapped myself down here. Don't bother yourself with an old fool like me. Run, child and save your strong back for the others."

Well there was no way I was going to go back after finally tracking her down, especially not when she might have some answers about Zim and his possible weaknesses. There was also no way I was going to be able to carry her up here as a human.

I began to disrobe as I disregarded the old woman's continued warnings that I should save myself and forget her old bones. Soon I was wolf and slipping down the (now) muddy slope. It was a good thing I had come along when I did as a centimeter of water had already built up while I was transforming. This would soon be a very deep puddle.

I felt around gently with my muzzle until I felt her chilly flesh and easily avoided her frail attempts to bat me off as I came up under her arm. I knew she did not really want to be left behind to drown and she knew I was not going to let her. The elder wrapped her weak arms around my fluffy neck and dug her fingers uncomfortably into my fur. She leaned heavily on me as I half supported and half dragged her out of the pit.

I grabbed my jacket in my mouth and draped it over her shoulders. I then proceeded to escort her to the only semi-safe place I knew.

My apartment.