"What the hell are you doing here?" Crow snapped. Jupiter slammed her elbow into his stomach and Crow doubled over in pain.

"If you show no respect, I'll kick you and your goddamned werewolf pup out!" she snapped, punching Crow as if to dissuade him from getting any more stupid ideas. "Idiot."

"You don't have to hurt them," Descole said somewhat impatiently, drumming his fingers on the desk. "So, I understand that most of your travelling companions are no longer human?"

Crow and Flora bared their fangs. Arianna just stood there between the hissing vampires, twiddling her thumbs. Descole nodded. "I see. Crow, Flora, both of you must be feeling quite starved, am I right?" Both of them nodded. Crow licked his lips. "Once we are finished talking, Jupiter, take them to the dungeons and let them feed from the prisoners."

"Anyway," Descole continued. "I hear you are worried about your residency. We can offer you slight residence, provided you are willing to share with the werewolves. But we cannot keep you forever, you understand?" The trio nodded. "Of course. We won't count the amount of time it takes for Clive to recover."

"Thank you," Arianna said calmly, nodding her head. "That is a very good deal. Thank you."

"Of course. Now go. I would spend more time discussing things with you, but I am quite busy," Descole said and sat there silently as the trio left.

"Maybe we should find Marie?" Crow suggested. "Since she became a werewolf."

"Okay!" Flora said with an innocent smile. She had no idea that Clive had secretly been seeing Marie.

Jupiter glanced after them. She hadn't shown them to the food room and in good reason: why shoud she help vampires?

When the trio (now a quartet, including Marie) returned to Clive and Sara's tent. Badger, Wren, Socket and Emmy had gone off to be housed, but Clive had morphed back into a human and was sitting up, leaning against a chair and drinking water. At Sara's instruction, he held out an arm and got injected.

"Hey," he said to Marie, Crow, Flora and Arianna. "We have another month to wait before I finish fully becoming a wolf. It's a shame I lost my humanity so quickly, huh?"

"I lost it faster," Crow said with a shrug. "You always were the more evasive one."

Just then, Jupiter burst into the room. "I have a message," she panted, "from the pack leader. Clive, do you want to become a mega-powerful creature? If you did, you could take your friends all across the world with no fears for their hunger - or yours."

"Sure, I'm interested," Clive said with a shrug. "What do I have to do?" Jupiter crouched down next to him. Clive's face went pale.

"You can do it whenever you like," Jupiter murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Fine," Clive said, shoving her away somewhat roughly. "Fine."

Flora blinked several times as she awoke but her vision was still blurry. The warmth beneath her was a comfort... wait, warmth. She blinked several more times and found herself lying on top of someone. She leaned back. Oh joy, she was lying on Clive. He was sleeping, his face sometimes screwing up in pain.

When he cried out, Flora rolled over and woke him up. Clive stared at her for a minute then a devious grin spread across his face. He sprang to his feet, buttoned up his shirt and dashed out. Flora hurried after him, but Clive was moving at breakneck speed. He almost rammed into Jupiter but stopped himself just in time.

"You were right!" Clive yelled. "You were RIGHT!"

"Not me. The leader was right," Jupiter said matter-of-factly. "But now what? Are you going to leave them or...?"

"Yeah," Clive said, glancing around. "I'm going to leave. With Marie. We'll be fine together."

"The nearest lycanthrope camp is just over the hills, and they're very welcoming," Jupiter said with a soft smile. "You should stay there for a while, too."

"I guess I will. Thanks for the heads up, Jupiter. Should I still wait for a month?" he inquired respectfully.

"Yes," Jupiter insisted, prodding him. "But go find Marie already. She's in the southernmost part of our camp."

Clive nodded and as he walked off, Flora raced over and grabbed him. "Who's Marie?" she shrieked. "Is this the same Marie from the mansion? Oh, it is, isn't it?"

"Yes," Clive replied and stood perfectly still as Flora rammed her fists into his chest over and over with her amplified power, but it was all butterfly stings to Clive. Once Flora had finished hitting him she spun round and ran off. Clive felt a flash of guilt and ran off to the southern part of the camp, hoping he could find some refuge in Marie.

"So... let me get this straight," Luke said slowly. "Clive slept with you last night, and now he's off to see Marie, and thus you are very very angry?"

"Yeah!" Flora huffed. "It's not FAIR!"

"Am I supposed to do something?" Luke asked, bewildered despite himself.

"Yes," Flora hissed. "You've got to kill Clive."

"Kill him?" Luke yelled. "No!" Flora reached up on her tiptoes, her fangs scraping across Luke's neck.

"Oh, if you don't," she whispered. "Imagine what I can do to you."

"This vampirism has really changed you, Flora," Luke said, shaking his head. "I'll do it."

The lycanthropes all stood around Clive and Luke, giving them a wide enough berth for them to fight in comfort.

"Why are you doing this?" Clive hissed. "Luke. This is completely unlike you."

"I have to do this," Luke growled. "For Flora."

And at that moment they sprung towards each other, Clive's claws slashing out while Luke swung his dagger. Clive grabbed Luke's arm and twisted, slamming onto the ground and sitting on top of Luke.

"You don't have to do this," Clive whispered.

"Of course I do," Luke replied, punching Clive in the side. He toppled to the side and rolled, leaping to his feet as Luke slashed out. Clive ducked and punched Luke with so much force he went flying into the audience. Luke scrambled to his feet and jumped at Clive, but the elder sidestepped elegantly.

"Luke. If you're taking this seriously..."

"I am."

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to kill you."

Clive ran at Luke, his fangs out. Clive grabbed Luke's neck and slammed him into the ground, strangling the younger. Luke clawed at Clive's fingers but got nowhere and quickly slammed his knee into Clive's crotch. The latter went stumbling backwards and Luke leaped up, but Clive was too quick and hooked him across the face. Luke fell to the ground and crumpled.

Clive grabbed Luke's neck and hauled him up into the air, slamming him back down onto the ground. Luke whimpered and Clive grinned sadistically, lifting him back into the air, a blue energy beginning to develop in the air around them. Clive let go of Luke and the latter slowly floated up into the air, staring around him.

"What are you doing?" Luke screeched. "Let me down!"

"Oh, okay," Clive said and slammed his hand down. Luke plummeted and hit the ground with eough force to break the bones in his knees. Luke stared up at Clive as he walked over and wrapped his fingers around Luke's throat, lifting him back into the air. The energy came back and Clive let go, leaving Luke floating in the air.

"Do you want to back down now you've seen a taste of my power?" Clive asked softly, keeping his arms by his side and ignoring the urge to cross them. "Luke. I don't have to kill you."

"I need to do this, for Flora," Luke choked out.

"Do you?" Clive asked, tilting his head to the side. "You need to die for her, do you? She asked you to die?"

"She asked for me to kill you, not the reverse," Luke snapped. Clive smirked and snapped his fingers, prompting a wheel of fire to start spinning around Luke's head.

"Make your decision. I'll kill you now or never," Clive said. "Luke. Speak. And think for yourself, don't let Flora cloud your judgement."

"Alright," Luke said. "Let me down. I surrender."

"Good," Clive said, waving a hand. Luke dropped, the wheel of fire vanishing. "You're sixteen years old, Luke. You can make your own decisions."

Sara ran over to Luke and helped him up, taking him back to the medical tent.

Jean Descole walked over to Clive and stood opposite him. "So you took my offer."

"I'd be a fool not to accept it," Clive replied instantly. "So now what?"

"Now is when the legions of people fall to their knees in respect," Descole said, and they did just that.

Longest and probably one of the most action-packed chapters yet. So Clive has new powers, Luke is under threat of being attacked/killed by Flora, not to mention that Clive wants to leave with Marie and nobody else.

Well. I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.