Authors Note:

So I'm really happy with how the story is progressing now. I got a review asking is Julia/Jennifer was still around the same age as Derek in this fanfic, and the answer is yes. I should have cleared up earlier that I have changed the timelines a little, so it's slight AU. Sam is around 25/26, if I've done my math correct. Same as Derek. I don't know if that's canon, but it seems about right, especially since Jeff Davis said that was a little older than everyone originally thought. Avery (from the first chapter) is 20. Originally Kali left Julia/Jennifer to die when Derek killed Paige. In this fic that is not the case. That whole issue of Kali killing people to join the Alpha pack is going to come up very soon. It is all important later on. But I hope you enjoy some interesting revelations that this chapter brings. Enjoy.

Chapter Eight: I Swear If We Have To Run Again.

A clawed hand came down onto the sleeping siblings. It ripped Avery from Sam, tripping over the charcoaled wood that had been burning the night before. They woke up startled and began to follow without dispute. Kali and another one of the other female wolves were dragging them forward, as if someone was coming after them. They hadn't had a change to ask what was going on, although it seemed that someone or something seemed to be following.

The sun had only just began to peak up from behind a mountain. They must have already crossed the boarders of Nevada before and were now somewhere on the edges of Death Valley National Park. The cry dirt under their feet was squeaking as Kali and her she-wolf pulled ahead. Avery was finding it hard to keep up to the same pace as them, so Sam had slowed down a little, to try and pull her along.

"What the hell is going on?" he shouted, dazed and confused.

"Hunters." replied the beta wolf.

"Is it—," Avery went to ask as Kali cut her off.

"Yeah. It's them." she looked back at the two then glanced sideways to the beta. By them, she meant their parents. With that Avery stopped dead in her tracks, confusing the rest of them even more. Sam had to double take and tried to pull her on again.

"What are you doing?" Sam shouted, yanking her arm. She refused to budge.

"She's lying." Avery stated as Kali came back by their side. Kali was trying to look scared, but she wasn't a very good liar. Avery knew that her parents had promised her until the next full moon and if the Venator's were anything, it was honorable.

"Come on!" Sam pulled at her again, being forceful this time. Kali placed one hand on his shoulder to stop him from running.

"Your sister is much more agile than you." she said as a smug grin consumed her face. Sam stepped back and frowned.

"What is really going on?" he let go of Avery and crossed his arms as Jarred and three other wolves came running over the hill laughing, guns in their hands.

"Initiation of sorts. We like to test all our newbies." Kali toyed, "Most of them catch on pretty quickly."

"You are perhaps the slowest one to work it out. Actually you didn't." the female beta wolf stepped forward, laughing too, "You're human sister did."

"What did you hope to gain by this?" Sam asked, his voice had an annoyed tone in it.

"Just to see how you would fare in a real attack." Kali turned her head to the side walking around her new pack member, "You can run, that's for sure."

"Yeah but what's up with his sense of smell?" Jarred frowned, pocketing the gun, "I was slow to catch on, when it was me, but I worked out your scent soon enough."

"Everyone is an individual." Kali shrugged, she didn't want to put to much focus on the negatives. This had all been a very fun game for her.

"Spar him." piped up a tall looking wolf, he had his teeth bared and his eyes bright blue. Avery cringed when she saw him. Had she come across that specific wolf in another content she would have offed him the second she got the chance. Blue eyed wolves had killed innocents. While she could accept her brother, it was because he had not killed innocents. He himself was still innocent... kind of.

"Back off." Avery stepped near him, although he towered over her. He cracked his neck and knuckles, chuckling through a growl. With a simple arm movement, he had knocked her to the ground and lurched forward to meet Sam. Kali threw him back and growled.

"I'll do the honours." she laughed as a circle formed around the two. Sam growled himself, although his growl was not nearly as terrifying as Kali's. Avery got to her feet but was held back by Jarred. Kali, with claws extended, slashed at Sam. He jumped backwards and eyed her off. Kali was wolfed out, red eyes shining brightly and facial features far more prominent. Sam on the other hand was still in his human form, working out a plan of attack. He knew this encounter wouldn't be life threatening but he couldn't help but want to come off best, even if Kali was an Alpha. He had been far too mesmerized by Kali that he had stopped paying attention to his sister. Not that anyone would blame him, the other wolves aside from the tall one and Jarred had been captivated too. While the rest of them jeered, Jarred and the tall wolf had dragged Avery down behind a mound.

"I don't like either of you being here. If I was Alpha, I would have never let you two here. You would have been killed on sight." Jarred mocked, stroking his hand down her cheek while the taller one laughed and cover her mouth and restricted her hands behind her back. His hand traced down her scar as he stopped to look into her very human eyes. His own gold ones stared intensely back.

"Had your parents not killed Ilena I probably would have taken a liking to you." he moved his hand from her face. She struggled against her captors, fearing for her life if she couldn't get out of this.

Meanwhile, Sam was still circling Kali. He had been dodging her attacks quite skillfully, but that was more the hunter in him than the wolf. He was having trouble with that side of him, the wolf. He hadn't bee 100% sure, but wolves usually changed due to stress or anger. If you raised their blood pressure high enough they would crack and change. His heart was beating strong enough and his survival instincts had kicked in, that by now he should have shifted. He couldn't afford to be worrying about this kind of stuff when his life was in danger.

"Stop dodging. Hurry up and fight!" shouted the female beta. Sam grit his teeth and momentarily glanced her direction. Something sunk in his gut as he realise two wolves and his sister was missing. At once, he knew what was happening. Whether Kali knew it or not, those other two were doing something to his sister that most likely threatened her life. His senses kicked into play as he let out a giant roar. He could feel himself shift into wolf form. From there he lost himself, as if his sister were whispering in his ear to come and help her. Kali gasped as he charged at her, throwing her to the ground.

"I always liked girls with a little bit of fight in them." Jarred continued to toy with Avery.

"Makes it fun when you rip their throats out." the tall one chuckled. Avery gulped as she felt Jarred's hand brush her open skin on her neck. He could feel her heart rate elevate and laughed himself.

"I have a better idea. Why don't I just bite you and then leave the rest up to Kali. She could save you or she could let you be a punishment for your dumbass brother." his said as his canines grew in front of her. She closed her eyes, wishing Sam would just come and help her, as a ear splitting growl filled the air. But it wasn't Jarred's or even the tall wolf's. It was coming from back where Sam had been fighting Kali. There was another growl in return as she felt a thud beneath her feet, something was coming this way. Feet were making their way to her side, quite heavily, until Jarred and the tall wolf no longer were near her. Avery opened her eyes just a tad to see a hissing figure in front of her. It wasn't a werewolf.

The sun had risen now and standing before her was a male cat of some kind, but it look half human. From the back she could see it's ears were pointed and furry. There was patches of skin the blended into spotted fur. It had claws similar to a wolf's, only they came to a sharper point. Then there was the tail... She stood their gawping as it stood before her, almost protecting her from harm. She hoped to God that when it turned around it wouldn't be who she thought. But her well wishes had been for nothing, as it did turn to face her once the other two had run off.

"Are you okay?" he spoke, mouth full of sharp teeth. More of the spotted fur was up his's cheekbones and temples, into his hairline.

"I'll be fine." she held her breath, staring. It was like he didn't realise what was going on. He just stood blankly at her.

"Sam?" Avery said softly, which snapped him out of a trance. He shifted back into a human form as Kali and her pack came around to meet them.

"What the hell was that?" she screamed, utterly enraged.

"A Kanima." said a soft voice. Coming up, in the other direction, was a placid Julia. She had Avery and Sam's bags with her.

"What's that?" Kali asked, with the same enraged tone.

"In south american shape shifter law the Kanima is otherwise known as a Werejaguar." she dropped the bags at her feet, "And it would appear that he was protecting his master."

"Me?" Avery breathed out, gripping her brothers hand. He had no idea what was going on.

"How did I get over here?" he said, as Kali went to shout again. She stopped and paused in thought.

"Tell him." Kali shrugged, with spite behind her words. Her shoulder still hurt from where he had taken her down, although she would never admit it.

"You're not a wolf." Avery put it simply.

"So I'm what then? Immune?" he almost had hope. Avery shook her head, she already knew what a Kanima was. It had been inside her bestiary she received on her sixteenth birthday, she'd even had the odd encounter once before.

"No... You remember that time Mum and Dad moved us down to Mexico because their was another creature like a wolf, that was killing people." she asked. He nodded in response, "They called it a Kanima."

"Were-jaguar." his heart sunk, he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"The guy didn't even realise what he was. He blanked out a lot like what you just did, after being... in cat form." she found it hard to speak the words out loud. He let out a deep breath and tried to process what was happening.

"He's strong. That's no doubt." the female beta spoke, "He took Kali down with ease."

"I was off guard when he turned into a giant cat." Kali frowned, glaring at her beta to be silent.

"Either way, as the Alpha it's your decision what to do now." Julia walked over to the Alpha's side. Kali crossed her arms and eyed the two off.

"They can stay." she finally replied, "We've still got to meet Deucalion in Beacon Hills."

"Wait what?" Avery said, more stunned at where they were going than the fact they were allowed to stay.

"I told you before. We needed to meet a friend. We'll get through the park and then we'll be just on the outskirts of Beacon Hills."

"That's a little close to Bellevue don't you think?" Sam added, Kali really didn't care.

"It's what I like to call hiding in plain sight." she stated. "Your mummy and daddy will assume that you've fled across the country, probably as far away as possible. Right?"

Avery and Sam nodded, realising that she was right. Although it still didn't make it any less dangerous if they were spotted.

"Then hiding right under their noses seems logical. They'll assume the best of you, that you'd be good at hiding. By now, they probably think you've escaped to South America."

"Who's Deucalion then?" Sam questioned.

"A simple thanks for letting you stay in stay in our pack will suffice." Jarred grunted as he had joined them again. Kali looked straight at him with such fury, anyone would be surprised she didn't tear his throat out right then.

"You and Pascal are the biggest morons I have ever met." she scolded as they rubbed their sides. As beta's, Sam's attack would have taken a bigger toll than what it did to Kali, "They're part of the pack on my orders. You touch either one of them again and I will personally tears you limb from limb, chop you into little pieces and send what's left of you as a present to a hunter of their choice. Understood?"

"Understood..." Jarred and Pascal grumbled.

"I can't hear you." Kali shouted, even though she could have heard them whisper from a mile away.

"Understood!" the both said loudly, standing to attention.

"Good. We're moving on. We've got a big trek ahead of us." Kali pointed forward, "Oh and Jarred. Because you have so much respect for our pack, you can carry Julia on your back for the whole day."

"Oh that's not—," Julia went to say, Kali held a finger to silence her.

"We need to teach the runts respect. Pascal, you can carry Avery."

"I'd really rather stay away from him." Avery spoke.

"Humans are slow. You don't have the same endurance. We have a lot of ground to cover and if you're on our backs well be able to make our goal for today. That's final." Kali said, and the conversation was done. Reluctantly, Avery let Pascal lift her onto his back, Sam keeping watch the whole time. At least they weren't running there!