Meat or mate? I do believe that was the question we were left with as one anonymous reviewer put it :) Enjoy!

The wolf got on all fours and took a few, slow steps closer. And as it did, it started sniffing the air, catching Maura's scent. The snarl on its face quickly disappeared, its ears pinning back, showing it meant no harm. Taking another step closer, it got on two legs again and opened its paw, holding it palm up for Maura to place her hand in.

Maura's heart began to beat out of her chest when the werewolf took that first step forward, but the closer it got, the more at ease the doctor felt. She looked from its paw up into those golden eyes, and after just a moment of pause, placed her hand in its.

Gently wrapping claws around her delicate hand, the wolf pulled the blonde closer, wrapping its arms around her, careful not to hurt the medical examiner. Finally, it changed back into Jane's human form and held her tighter.

Maura had wrapped her arms around wolf Jane tightly, burying her face in dark fur. As soon as she felt the body in her arms shift and change, she pressed her face to Jane's neck and held her even tighter. Then Maura brushed her lips along the detective's throat and pulled her head back to look in her eyes. "I knew deep down you wouldn't hurt me. Wolf or not."

It'd been fascinating to see such a large, powerful, fierce looking beast show such kindness, actually.

Jane smiled and kissed her lips softly. "I'm glad you were right." She kissed her again and moved her hands to her waist. "I think I was able to control it last night. I eventually gave in when I was hungry. As long as I'm not asleep, I think I can hold it under."

Maura looked up at her girlfriend tenderly. "That's definitely a good sign, but you have to sleep at some point. Do you think you would have attacked a person if you'd run into one last night, or were you conscious of what you were doing?"

With a shrug, Jane sighed. "I don't know, baby. I caught your scent and knew that I shouldn't hurt you. I think it's because the wolf recognizes you as its mate." She blushed slightly.

Maura smirked, but didn't bring attention to her girlfriend's red cheeks. She just kissed Jane's shoulder and stepped back to grab the clothes she'd brought with her, handing them to the detective. "Maybe you should start stripping down before the change. Your clothes are taking quite the punishment." She grinned as she assessed Jane's current state of dress, ripped and tattered rags hanging from her lover.

Jane took a deep breath then looked down at her clothes with a smirk. "Yeah... I'm going to need some more clothes. Maybe I should have a wardrobe for when I change. Over sized shirts and pants." She chuckled.

"You could go the over sized shirts and pants route, or you could just go naked." Maura shrugged with a coy smile. "You are going to be at home from now on, stuck in the basement when you change. I'd be the only one seeing you in the morning." She full on smirked. "Now we should get going and get the stuff we need for tonight. Plus, Dr. Hayes will be here late afternoon."

Jane grinned. "You're such a perv, Maura Isles." She laughed and put her arm around her girlfriend's shoulders and walked down with her to the car.

"I don't see how that makes me a perv." She nudged Jane playfully with her hip. "I'm just trying to save your clothing. I'd call that being thoughtful." She smirked.

"Yes, baby. You're a thoughtful, sexy pervert." Jane laughed and kissed her cheek. "So Tractor and Trailer supply house should have what we need, right?" She asked, getting in and buckling up once they'd reached the car.

Maura got in, started the car and headed back towards the city. "Well, I've never been in a Tractor and Trailer before, so I'll let you lead the shopping on this one."

"Of course you haven't." Jane smirked. "There's not a dress in sight."

"Jane!"

The detective chuckled.

Maura took Jane home long enough to shower, and once they got to the store, they walked up to the first employee they saw. "So we're looking for metal bars or something to put on a door to keep something inside. We need the strongest you have."

The employee, Rob, stared at Jane for a moment a little wide eyed. "Okay... just follow me." He led the women back to a section of the store that held what they were looking for. "These here are about the toughest you'll find available to the public in any store." He said pointing out some metal. "I can stick around for a bit. Just in case you need help."

Rob took a few steps away and Maura leaned closer to Jane to whisper. "I'm under the impression he thinks we plan to imprison someone."

Jane grinned. "Let's make him freak," she whispered back. "Okay, baby, lets see. I wonder..." Turning back to Rob, she smirked. "Do you have something to make a room soundproof. The screams and crying are REALLY getting on my nerves."

"I.. uh.. we have good insulation or you could use Styrofoam." Maura had to keep her back to Rob so she wouldn't laugh, but she could hear the nervousness in his voice. "I could show you where that stuff is too…"

Jane started laughing. "I'm just kidding. We have a big dog that has busted through the door of his room several times. We're trying to train him. He's kind of a beast." She chuckled. "Do you have cement and maybe a mold for a door?"

"Oh thank god. I was starting to think you were serial killers." Rob chuckled. "Man, what sort of dog do you two have? He sounds huge. Anyways, we have that stuff too." He pointed off in the direction of an aisle. "Whatever you ladies need, I'd be glad to assist."

"He's a... Great Dane." Jane chuckled. "We call him thunder paws for a reason." She laughed. "Thanks for your help." She took Maura's hand in hers and grabbed a flat cart to gather everything they needed then paid for it. "Anything you want to save I suggest you get out of the basement before I turn. So it'll be spared."

Maura raised a brow. "I'll be sure to go through the basement before nightfall then." She chuckled. "So what are we going to do about Dr. Hayes? I called her before I knew what was happening to you hoping for answers. She's going to be asking
questions and you know I can't lie without breaking into hives."

"I'll answer the questions. I'll cover for you when you stumble on something." She held her hand tightly. "We'll be okay." Jane wondered what would happen if someone found out about what she was.

Maura nodded. "Okay. Let's get home and get as prepared for nightfall as possible. Dr. Hayes will be in town around 3." Maura was going to do all she could to protect Jane for a change. But she was regretting calling the wolf expert more and more. "We will be okay, Jane." She reassured. "I know it."

Jane looked into her eyes and nodded. "We'll get the door set and the bars up at least." They did just that when they got home. Jane welded the bars together to make a separate door so Maura could look in if needed. Then she made the door so they could set it on the outer part of the bars. "That should keep me in there." She looked at the clock. "It's 2:30, you ready to go to the station?"

Maura stepped back and tilted her head to check out their work. "If that doesn't hold you, nothing will." She smiled. "Woods are option two. I'm going to change real quick and then I'll be ready to head to the station." After doing just that, the two
were on their way and Dr. Hayes was waiting for Maura in her office.

The blonde held her hand out and gave a polite smile. "You must be Dr. Hayes. I'm Dr. Isles. And..." Maura tilted her head in Jane's direction. "This is Det. Jane Rizzoli."

Jane had to hold back a growl when she saw the woman. She could sense no good in her. "Hello, Dr. Hayes. It's nice to meet you." Jane was nervous. She knew this red head would want to put her in a cage for display if she was ever caught

"It's nice to meet you too, Dr. Isles, Det. Rizzoli." Erin shook Maura's hand and nodded in Jane's direction. "So, you've had multiple attacks? Already killed one large wolf? May I see the victims and dead wolf? You can tell me all about what's been going on while you're at it."

"Maura can show you the victims and wolf. It looks like an oversized and over muscled animal. The beast has been roaming for a couple days. The new one." Jane sighed. "It's killed six and attacked one officer. That's all that we know of."

Erin's eyes widened. "Killed six in just a matter of a couple of days? This doesn't sound like typical wolf behavior at all. Normally, a wolf would shy away from humans, try to get out of the city."

Maura glanced at Jane quickly and then looked back to Erin. "Perhaps it felt trapped. I'll show you those bodies now."

"Maybe its mate is here and it doesn't want to leave her." Jane suggested. It was the truth. She looked at Maura then back at Erin. "Maybe this is its home? Maybe it was raised here around humans and one of them abused it."

Maura couldn't help but smile. Erin seemed thoughtful. "Perhaps the wolf killed was its mate and it can't bare to leave. Alpha males and females typically mate for life. And with such large wolves, it is possible someone kept them hidden and tried handling them alone. Otherwise, we'd have these animals on record." The biologist noted.

"Maybe." Jane looked at Maura. "I know I couldn't leave a place if my mate for life was there or had died there. Maybe the wolf is grieving for the loss of it's loved one." She knew it wasn't right, but whatever would throw Dr. Hayes off the trail.

"Perhaps," Erin said. Maura showed her the bodies, the other doctor's mouth dropping slightly open. She was especially taken with the wolf itself. "I've never seen a wolf quite like this. May I have some time to run tests?"

Maura glanced at Jane and then nodded. "Of course."

Looking at the biologist, Jane swallowed slightly. Tests... Her heart rate quickened as anger took over. She just knew her eyes were glowing. Turning away, she walked out. "Excuse me."

Maura's heart fluttered a bit as her eyes met Jane's, and despite their deep, obvious connection, Erin was too absorbed in her observations of the wolf to notice. She turned her head though as Jane spoke and watched her go. "Excuse me," she said and quickly followed the detective, looping her arm through hers once out in the hallway. "Hey, we knew she'd be curious. It's her job. It'll be okay."

"Yeah, I just can't let her see my eyes. If she runs tests... she'll figure out what it is and then she'll get the story of me being bitten... this can't end well, baby." She looked at the ME with worried eyes.

Maura pulled Jane to the basement restroom. "None of the other tests indicated anything other than wolf DNA. But I am a little worried since she'd know those results better than anyone. There's no way I'm letting anyone take you away to some lab, Jane." Maura took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Maybe I could replace the test results with wolf DNA from a zoo."

Jane nodded and calmed down. Erin already had a syringe and started to draw the blood from the beast to take back to her lab; where there was the right technology to test something like this. When the couple came back in, she looked at them. "I know that this isn't an ordinary wolf. It's very... human like. A hybrid maybe? I took some blood samples and I'll be taking them back to Seattle with me."

Maura could already feel the panic start to rise. "A hybrid? How could such a thing be possible?" She wasn't exactly lying. She didn't know how werewolves came to be. "When will you be heading back to Seattle, Dr. Hayes? The city department has already arranged a hotel stay for you tonight."

"Well a number of ways. Most believable would be scientists combining human DNA with that of a wolf and creating this. Another way would be the old myth of the Lycan, or werewolf. A bite could start a chain reaction."

Jane looked down at the beast and noticed the blood on its teeth. The last blood there would have been hers.

"Scientists creating their own hybrids? That sounds a little too advanced for the current field of genetics," Maura stated. "There have been experiments, yes, but they've all failed with years of study left ahead. And werewolves seem awfully far fetched for a scientist like yourself." She swallowed hard, her heart rate increasing. Damn her inability to lie without nearly passing out. She glanced over at her lover and noticed Jane staring at the wolf's mouth, taking the detective's hand in her own and giving it a squeeze.

Jane was holding her breath, hoping Erin didn't notice the blood on the teeth. "Um... is that all you need, Dr. Hayes?" She noticed that the woman was running her hand up the beasts arm, completely fascinated.

Erin's trance like state was broken and she looked up at Jane. "Yes, that'll do for today. I think I'd actually like to take the wolf, in its entirety, back to my lab for further tests and study. It's very fascinating. Unlike any other I've seen." She stood and looked to Maura. "I'll leave my samples here and be back in the morning to grab everything before heading off. Thank you, Dr. Isles, for giving me a call."

Maura nodded. "Of course. Thank you for coming." She was kicking herself for inviting that woman now.

When the woman left, Jane sat down in Maura's office chair and put her hands over her face. "Damn it. There's only three things they could do to me if they ever catch me." Looking at her girlfriend she sighed. "My mothers gonna have a cow..."

"Your mother's not going to have a cow because she's not going to find out." Maura sat in Jane's lap and cupped her lover's cheeks. "I'm not going to let them find out about you. I called Dr. Hayes here, I'll take care of it. The evidence of any such creature as a werewolf existing will just have to be destroyed."

Jane nodded and moved her hands to her hips. "Destroyed? How in the world are you going to do that, Maur?" She asked, leaning back against the chair and taking the doctor with her.

Maura wrapped an arm around the back of Jane's neck and leaned against her. "Replace the blood samples and dispose of the ones she took. We'll have to get the wolf's body out of here, too. We can claim suspicions of a human owner who wanted to hide the evidence." She swallowed hard, willing to go along with any lie, anything at all really, to protect Jane.

Jane looked into her lover's eyes. "Do you realize how much I love you, Maura? I know this will be hard for you, but I'll be here always to cover for your white lies." She kissed her head and sighed.

"A lot?" Maura smiled. "I know you'd do anything to protect me and I'll do the same. I'm not going to let anyone take you away." She kissed Jane's neck softly and snuggled into the detective. "I know one of the vets at the city zoo. I'll use that
connection to get the wolf's blood we need. He won't even know it's missing."

"You are incredible, baby." Jane held her close. "I would do anything to protect you. I'd give my life to protect you." Taking a deep breath she looked at the wolf. "I'll dispose of the body once night fall hits."

"I know you would. Hoyt was the only man to scare you but you stood up to him for me." Maura kissed Jane softly and then stood. "I'll go do my part. Just make sure you kill the security camera before taking the wolf out."

When nightfall came and Maura was out of the morgue, Jane meditated. She had to keep control of herself for this. After killing the cameras, she stole the body of the beast that made her this way. After dumping the furry thing in the lake with cinderblocks tied to its paws, Jane went back home. However, she was hungry.

Maura was sitting on the couch waiting for Jane, hoping she hadn't transformed and gone out hunting in the city. The doctor had paid her vet friend a visit, and a little bit of flirting had distracted him enough to grab some vials of wolf blood. Maura had then slipped back into the morgue after Jane to replace Erin's samples, dumping the werewolf's blood out, before heading home. "Hey, what'd you end up doing with the wolf?"

Jane took a deep breath and locked the door. "The bottom of the lake. No one will be looking for a wolf down there." She walked into the kitchen and pulled out a few of her steaks. Opening the package, she started eating with her back turned to Maura so she didn't have to watch.

Maura watched Jane grab the meat out of the freezer and turned her eyes back to the TV. It then hit her. Why it hadn't sooner she wasn't sure. "Jane, that wolf in the bottom of the lake was actually a person during the day. We'll probably never know who it was."

Jane turned and looked at her. "You're right..." She took a deep breath. "Poor soul will never be found and will never have an identity." She furrowed her brows and sighed.

Maura stood and headed to the kitchen. "It's unfortunate, sad, but there's nothing else we could do." She sighed. "Let's focus on the positive. It's after dark and you're not a wolf right now. It seems you can control it. To an extent at least."

Jane smiled and finished her food. "Yeah. As long as I don't go to sleep hungry I should be fine." She smiled and popped a couple mints then walked over with Maura to sit on the couch. "But I'm going to sleep in the basement tonight just to make sure."

"I have an air mattress you can take down to sleep on." Maura swung her legs up over Jane's lap and smiled. "Until then, you can stay right here and cuddle with me on the couch." She grabbed onto the material of Jane's shirt at the chest and pulled her close for a kiss.

"Right here sounds perfect." Jane grinned and kissed her back, then rested her forehead against Maura's. "Thank you for everything you do." The wolf whispered and nuzzled noses with her.

"I love you. I'd do anything for you. Which is something I've never been able to say before." Maura smiled and then laid back on the couch, pulling Jane down with her so the detective was spooning her.

Jane happily wrapped her arms around the woman. "I couldn't be happier. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. I love you more than humanly possible. I can actually say that and it be true." She chuckled. "Cause, you know, I'm not human." She laughed.

Maura laughed and turned so she was facing Jane. "Well, you've always been pretty extraordinary. Being a werewolf just makes you a little more so." She smiled and kissed the detective. Since it was pretty late, Maura ended up falling asleep in Jane's arms on the couch.

When Maura fell asleep, Jane started to worry a bit. Picking her up once Jane stood, she carried Maura to the bed and tucked her in. She grabbed the air mattress and then took it down to the basement. Locking the cage door, she threw the keys into the living room then reached and closed the cement door from outside the bars. Turning on the light, she went down the stairs and blew up the mattress before laying down

Maura awoke the next morning to an empty bed and sighed. She knew Jane was just playing it safe, but she really missed her detective's presence. She climbed out of bed and headed for the basement, spotting the keys on the living room floor and scooping them up. Maura opened the outside door and was about to unlock the cage door when she remembered how Jane had still been a wolf the other morning. "Jane, baby, are you awake?" She called.

"Yeah, baby, I'm up." She walked up the stairs and smiled sweetly through the bars once the cement door was opened. Taking Maura's face in her hands, she brought her close and kissed the blonde through the metal. "I didn't change."

Maura smiled and kissed Jane through the bars again. "That's a good thing, but I bet you were uncomfy all night." She unlocked the cage door and hugged her girlfriend tightly. "Maybe you can start sleeping with me again soon." She pulled back and smiled again. "We should get to the station soon. Erin is going to be quite surprised."

"I'd like to be able to sleep a whole night through with you again. I miss you. And the bed." She smiled then nodded. "Yeah she is. Oh well." She chuckled.

"I don't think we've actually spent a whole night together since we've become a couple. But I know I slept better with you even before we did." Maura smiled and pulled Jane towards the bedroom. "You'll have to help me with our little story so I don't hyperventilate."

"You had always helped me with my nightmares. I always slept better with you, too. And no worries, I'll be there to back you up." They got dressed for the workday and then headed off to the station, where Dr. Hayes was waiting with a scowl.

The moment Jane saw Dr. Hayes' face, she played it dumb. "What's that look for? You find something out?"

Erin crossed her arms and sighed, agitated. "No, I came in and the wolf was gone. Gone!" She threw her arms up. "The security camera was taken out and someone took my specimen. Why in the hell would someone do that?"

Jane had made sure the back door was broken into. She looked around for a moment and pointed it out. "Looks like someone wanted that wolf. Maybe the person that owns it? Someone who doesn't want it gutted for science? Or hell, a hunter would love something like this."

Erin huffed. "It's possible a human owner wouldn't want studies done on it. Especially since it didn't seem to be any ordinary wolf." She frowned. "If you happen to track it down, please let me know. For now, I still have the blood samples. I'll head back to Seattle with those to run tests." Erin turned away and Maura flashed Jane a quick, triumphant smile.

Jane smirked at Maura and winked. "Hope you find what you're looking for, doctor. I'm sorry that this happened. I'll have someone look into it."

"Thank you, detective." Erin gathered her things and stopped in front of Maura. "And thank you again, Dr. Isles, for calling me and inviting me here."

And with that, she was gone.

"She's going to be very disappointed by the results of those blood samples." Maura smirked once they were alone.

Jane chuckled. "Yep."

The rest of their workday went quickly, and when it was over, the two women headed out for dinner to celebrate their success.

"We should just walk, baby. That restaurant you like so much is only about six blocks or so away." Jane smiled and kissed her head. "If you get tired, I'll let you ride on my back." She laughed and walked out the back with her girlfriend's hand in her own.

Maura laughed. "I won't get tired, but I may need you to carry me after walking in these heels." She leaned against her girlfriend slightly as they started their walk towards the restaurant. They'd only made it a few blocks when a guy stepped out of the shadows and grabbed Maura's wrist, yanking her in the direction of an alley. He had a gun and pointed it at the blonde's head, his eyes flicking to Jane.

"I want all of your money. Or she's dead."