Several hours later, Star slowly began to wake up back up. Opening her eyes a bit, she looked over at the other bed where Chance and Elena were, still sleeping. Elena was on her side with Chance laying on his behind her, one arm draped over her side. The red-eyed female yawned, looking at the clock to see that it was now mid-afternoon. A slight shift though woke up the tom still laying against her.

Jake opened his eyes and smiled gently , kissing the back of her neck. Star purred softly, rolling over to face him and nuzzling up against him. Jake murred in response, holding her closer to him, though there was still something else that bothered him, other than the dangers they would all soon face.

"When this is all over, what will you do?"

"The same thing Elena and I always do. Leave."

"But why?"

"We're loners. Nomads. We have no pack, and no 'territory' as most werewolves do. Instead, we go wherever the winds take us."

"You've never thought to find a place to star? To call home?"

"This world is changing too fast. We've tried doing so before, but in the end it never works out. We're not kats, and we're not even true werewolves. Normal werewolves are still mortal, and can live somewhat normal lives if they choose to. But because of my demon blood preventing us from aging, that is not possible for us."

"And yet, each place you go, you do this... You've never thought to actually stay with those you seduce?"

"We've tried. I've even allowed myself the possibility of love a few times. But in the end, it's just not possible."

"What if I told you that it could be possible? That I wanted you to stay with me?"

"We're immortal, Jake. You have no idea how hard it is to see the ones that we allow ourselves to care for to grow old and die, while we remain ageless. To not be able to have a family because we cannot breed with kats or normal werewolves. That's why we do this. And we always leave before we begin to feel any true emotions toward those we seduce."

"And leaving a trail of broken hearts in your wake."

"That's how it must be. They can never know the truth of what we are."

"But now I know. Chance and I both know what the two of you really are."

"Which is even more reason why we cannot stay. You're mortal, Jake. It's simply too dangerous for me to remain with you."

"Then make me one of you."

Star gasped softly, looking up at him in both surprise and pain. "What?"

"You did this, Star. You used your magic and your seduction to make me begin to fall for you, even in so short a time. You say that there are no others of your kind, so you cannot truly have a home or family. Then change that. Make me one of you."

"Jake, you don't know what you're asking..."

"I know that I want you with me. Chance and I are virtual outcasts here. We were kicked out of the Enforcers for something that wasn't even our fault, and forced to work in that salvage yard to scrape by while paying off a debt that has nothing to do with us simply because the jerk who caused it was the one in command. We still try to protect this city, as you've seen. To do what's right. But we have to do so from the shadows, so to speak. We have to keep who we really are a secret, just as you and Elena do. All we really have is each other's friendship. So believe me, I do know."

"Even so, immortality has it's price. You'll never be the same again. I'm half demon, and it's my blood that turned Elena into one. It would be the same for you. True werewolves don't even seem to exist anymore. We have not encountered one is several hundred years. But what we both are is both better, and worse. There is a hunger inside of us that we struggle with every day."

"A hunger?"

"We're predators, Jake. You protect this city and it's people. Can you live with yourself, having a desire to hunt, kill, and devour other kats? Kats that you've sworn to protect? Because you'll no longer be a kat yourself, but a predator..."

Now Jake was forced to more carefully consider her words, looking into her crimson eyes as he did. "How many have you two killed?"

"Far too many to even consider counting. We hunt, we kill, and we feed. Flesh and blood both. Though we try to only do so to the ones who deserve it. The ones who have committed atrocities, and yet the only punishment that modern society deems fit is to lock them being a stone wall where they still commiting crimes in secret, while those that they harmed must pay to support them. In the so-called 'darker' times, such kats were thrown to the wolves, so to speak. They were the ones that Elena and I fed upon, and still do."

"The criminals?"

"Yes."

Jake thought about that. He and Chance had always tried to capture criminals and turn them in to the authorities rather than take matters into their own paws. He didn't think that he even had it in him to kill. But at the same time, he also knew that she was right. The death penalty was very rare, and usually only happened after many years of imprisonment. In that time, it was the tax-payers who paid to fully support the growing number of inmates in the various prisons and jails, and many of those inmates lived better than most of their victims.

No more had been said on the subject for the time being. Jake knew that it was something he would have to think hard about. He desperately wanted to be with the beautiful female, and yet he also didn't know if he would be able to give up everything that he was, with the possibility of becoming an animatistic killer, hunting and feeding on other kats.

.

Toward late afternoon, the four finally got back un and redressed, preparing for yet another harsh night of dealing with the lesser demons. Outside, a strong wind had picked up and the dark clouds blocked most of the light from the setting sun, casting an eerie orange/red glow over the city. The four knew that after tonight, there would only be one more day and night until the time came and the portal began to open. Jake and Chance then headed back to the salvage yard, though the tabby noticed that his friend was strangely quiet, simply staring out the window for most of the drive back.

No sooner had the sun gone down than the trouble began. It indeed proved to be a long night for all of them. By the the Enforcers had gotten a bit better at handling the demons as well, but even Feral realized that it worked out best for everyone for them to spend more of their own effort getting the kats caught outside to safety while the Swat Kats, obviously much better equiped at handling the demons, dealt with most of their numbers from the air.

Star and Elena remained mostly hidden from view as they continued their own battles as well, dealing with most of the larger and more dangerous demons from the ground while the Enforcers and Swat Kats handling the vast hoards of flying ones from the air. It proved to be a long and difficult night, with a large number of Enforcers taking injuries and most of their choppers and jets badly damaged. Even the Turbokat took some real damage this time, and the one time that the guys did catch a glimpse of the pair of werewolves, they could see several new deep wounds and bloodstains on their pelts.