Chapter 73: Curiosity

Just because they promptly agreed to do something dangerous didn't mean they weren't aware of the danger. Waltzing into those woods hoping to lure the beast would be like strolling down to an African water hole dangling a steak and calling, "Here kitty, kitty."

They had some sense of what they were up against. It was bigger than them, stronger than them, possibly even Buffy, and maybe even a better hunter than them. The best way to fight an opponent with fangs and claws is to have your own.

Buffy, Dawn and Clay Changed beside the road where they'd parked the night before. Then they and Savannah followed the trail toward Dennis's cabin.

On the way, they found the spot where Buffy had been attacked. Buffy and Dawn tried to get it's scent, and they could indeed smell it. The musky odor was so overwhelming it was like trying to pick apart the components of cheap cologne. Their noses and brains revolted and could only process the overall stink … and wanted nothing to do with it.

They managed to follow the beast's trail for almost a mile. Then it dipped into a shallow, fast-running stream, as if the creature knew they'd try tracking it. They ran along the sides for another half mile, but found no sign of where it had exited, and they gave up. As interesting as that mystery was, they had a more pressing agenda tonight.

At Dennis's cabin, Buffy Changed back while Dawn and Clay stood guard. Savannah offered to search instead, to her mother the extra Changing. Buffy turned Savannah down.

The first thing Buffy and Savannah did was look for any evidence that Dennis had encountered the beast—a photo, a journal, anything. But found nothing and soon began the real work of the night—figuring out how close Dan's story of Dennis's death was to the reality, while learning all they could about this mysterious younger Stillwell.

Now that they'd encountered both Tesler brothers and Dan, Buffy could pick out their individual scents and re-create that night in the cabin. All three had been here. Travis Tesler's and Podrova's scents blanketed the spot where they'd found Dennis, meaning they both had been actively involved in his torture.

The bystander was Eddie Tesler, who seemed to have planted himself in a chair across the cabin and stayed there. That might suggest he disagreed with the torture, but beside the chair were a puzzle book and a pen, both reeking of Eddie's scent. He'd used the time to do a couple of word-search puzzles instead.

Buffy found evidence of another bystander. The chair beside Eddie's smelled of werewolf, too, and was spattered with drops of blood from the younger Stillwell, whose jacket Dan had been wearing.

They followed the trails outside. Three werewolves had arrived—the Tesler brothers and Dan. Four had left, including young Stillwell. So Eddie hadn't just been chilling out during the torture—he'd been guarding a hostage. Maybe this was why Joey pretended not to know who this younger relative was, and why he was so anxious for them to leave the mutts alone and go home.

Buffy and Savannah searched the cabin, looking for more signs of the young man. They found them in Dennis's dresser. The top drawer was stuffed with clothes that didn't belong to him. Most had been washed, but a few still bore the younger man's scent. Further investigation turned up a toothbrush, a stack of comic books and a handheld game, all permeated with his smell. The game player had been etched with a name: Noah Albright. A few of the comics bore the same initials.

As they hunted, a story formed. Noah was Dennis's late-in-life son, left with his mother until he reached puberty. Then Dennis had made contact, explaining the situation to the young man and guiding him through his early Changes, which from his smell hadn't been more than a year ago. The kid stayed with his mom but still spent time with his father, here at the cabin. Then, on one of those visits, the mutts had shown up.

Was that why Dennis was killed? The new pack came calling, his teenage son was here and the normally passive Dennis fought to defend him?

So where was the kid? Was he still alive? Buffy and Savannah hoped so, and was sure Joey believed it—or was being led to believe it. But honestly? They doubted it.

Buffy Changed back for the return trip. The evening was still quiet, but not unnaturally so. There'd been no sign of the beast. No sign of the werewolves. No sign of the wolves.

As they passed an open field, Clay stopped the sisters and Savannah and swiveled his ears, telling them to listen.

The snow was deeper here, and they could hear scratching under it. Clay crouched, hindquarters waggling. He plunged through the snow, and then swung back up, head and ruff piled with the white stuff and, in his jaws, a squealing mouse.

He tossed the mouse back to Buffy. She caught it. By the time Buffy had eaten it, Clay had two more. He threw one to Dawn and kept the other, throwing his head back to gulp it down. Savannah had watched the whole thing as she snacked on granola bars that she had stashed in her duffle bag with Buffy, Dawn and Clay's clothes.

Buffy and Dawn raced forward and joined in. They tore through the clearing, no attempt to stalk and hunt, just plowing through the snow, scooping up mice, giving them one life-ending crunch, then swallowing them whole.

The mice could have run for cover, but most froze in panic, like villagers accustomed to stealthy snipers suddenly beset by rampaging berserkers. That made for easy pickings and they had a blast, seeing who could get the most.

Once the sisters had eaten their fill, they collapsed where they stood, their stomachs gurgling happily. Clay strolled over and plunked down on top of Dawn. She flipped him off and they tussled, but halfheartedly, too full and too tired.

"Mom," Savannah said. "I'm sure you are tired from all of that. But it's cold and I don't have the added benefit of fur."

Buffy nodded in agreement. She nudged Clay and Dawn as if to say let's go when she caught a whiff of werewolf scent on the wind and stiffened. Travis Tesler's image flashed through her mind and on its heels came a heart-gripping moment of panic before her brain processed the smell. It wasn't one of Tesler's pack.

"What?" Savannah asked as she watched.

"Mutt," came Buffy's telepathic thought over the link. She looked to her left and spotted the faint outline of a dark wolf between the trees. The mutt was barreling toward them, his lips pulled back in a snarl. As he charged, Clay moved between the mutt and Buffy, Dawn and Savannah, his fur bristling, ears back, growl rippling through the clearing. The mutt kept coming. Then, at the last second, he veered around Clay and ran at Buffy.

Buffy braced herself and growled, but he never heard it. Savannah lunged at the mutt. The mutt sheared out of Savannah's way and took off, snow flying in his wake as he plowed headlong across the clearing, cutting a wide circle, only to head right back.

As the mutt ran at Buffy, she braced for the hit. The mutt checked himself at the last moment, then he snapped, catching her forelegs in a sharp bite. Savannah dove at him, but he was already tearing off.

Again, he started that wide circle, running full out and low to the ground. Buffy and Dawn glanced at Clay. Did this guy want a fight? Or a game of tag?

Clay lowered his head and snorted. Play was a rule-bound behavior with wolves. In a pack, it says, "I trust you enough to let my guard down." Maybe this mutt had seen them playing and was like the lonely kid at the playground, asking to join in. Clay was having none of that. Play was for his Pack brothers and sisters and on occasion Savannah, not strangers.

Clay growled, telling the guy he was pissing him off. When he lowered his hindquarters to the ground again, the mutt charged. Clay lunged. The mutt ducked and zoomed out of the way, then came at him again.

With a roar, Clay sprang. When the mutt fell back, Clay kept coming, ready to give him a good trouncing, and clear up any misconceptions. Savannah flew after Clay, grabbed him by the ruff and with Slayer strength yanked him back. He reared up, snarling and bucking to throw her off, but she held on.

"Uncle Clay, enough," Savannah said as the mutt zoomed back and forth in front of them, she let go of Clay and surveyed the woods. "I think he wants you to chase him."

"Why?" Buffy wondered.

Savannah, Clay and Dawn didn't have an answer.

Buffy paced to sample the night wind, she expected the mutt to distract them so them didn't get a whiff of his pals lying in wait. Instead, he snorted, as if in satisfaction.

Buffy's nose picked up the faint smell of musk and she understood, the beast. "I smell musk."

"The beast?" Dawn said as she and Clay sniffed as they caught the scent

When Buffy passed the mutt, a sigh rippled his flanks, as if to say, Finally. He tried to fall in step beside Buffy, but Savannah walked up beside her mother.

"Back off, mutt," Savannah said. The mutt caught a whiff of Savannah's scent. Realizing she was a Slayer, he wisely trailed at their heels, they headed deeper into the bush, moving south, away from the beast. Then Buffy began circling in its direction.

When the mutt realized what Buffy was doing, he nipped Buffy's rear leg. Savannah wheeled on the mutt and got between him and her mother. "I said back off," she snapped. He growled and flicked his muzzle in the other direction. Buffy grunted, shook her head and they continued north.

"Buffy, I know you want to get a closer look, but be careful, okay?" Clay thought.

"I will," Buffy's reply came.

The mutt raced in front of Buffy and spun in her path, snapping and snarling. Savannah leapt in front of her mother again. She let out a growl.

"Clay!" Dawn's thought came.

Clay stepped aside to sample the air and peer into the darkness. Then he lunged at Savannah and Buffy, knocking them aside.

Savannah and Buffy hesitated only long enough to get their footing … and to hear the crashing in the undergrowth. And then they realized what Dawn and Clay had heard.

They ran. When the noise behind them stopped and Buffy tried to slow, the mutt nipped her heels. Clay fell behind. Once the mutt realized he'd lost one of his charges, he wheeled.

The moon had passed under cloud cover, leaving the forest as black as it had been the night before, so it seemed to take a moment before the mutt saw Clay's pale form, stopped, nose lifted, ears up. Then, Clay's eyes went wide and he shot forward, plowing into Buffy's side. Buffy hit Savannah who fell on top of Dawn and the three of them hit the ground, Clay atop them, as a huge shape swung into the spot where they'd been standing.

Clay jumped off the sisters and spun, snarling at the beast. Savannah, Buffy and Dawn scrambled up, but all they could see was that dark form, clouds still blocking the moon and Clay now blocking their line of sight.

The beast was on all fours this time. It was at least twice as wide as Clay, its back humped like a bear, sloping to smaller hindquarters.

The beast snarled, a guttural not-quite-natural sound that made my fur rise. Teeth flashed and Buffy and Dawn caught a whiff of its breath, their stomachs churning at the stench.

Clay stood his ground, snarling. Then, without warning, he charged. The beast reared, like a bear, one massive front paw swiping at Clay, but catching only air. Clay had checked his charge at the last second, veering around the beast instead. It tried to spin, but too late, as Clay vaulted onto its back.

The beast clawed the air, trying in vain to reach Clay. Buffy and Dawn launched themselves at its stomach. Their jaws clamped onto sparse, coarse hair, then into nearly bald flesh. They clamped down, fangs scraping ribs, blood spurting into their mouths.

Savannah was watching. She didn't dare attack the beast. Its claws could do some serious damage to her. More so than her family. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the dark form of the mutt racing in. He leapt … and bit down on Buffy's rear leg, yanking so hard that she fell back with a flap of the beast's skin in her teeth, blood spraying her face.

Buffy scrabbled up and spun on the mutt, but he was gone, Dawn stood beside her watching something.

"Uncle Clay," Savannah yelled. Her Slayer senses were tripping big time. She realized the thing had a mate out there. "It's got a mate."

Clay snarled, telling them to get moving, then dropped and hit the ground running.

Savannah leapt on her mother's back as Buffy and Dawn headed for the open ground of the clearing, where they could get up some speed, but the mutt took the lead and steered them deeper into the woods instead. As they darted around trees, the beast tried giving chase, but the forest was too dense for him and he quickly fell behind, roaring in frustration. They kept running until they couldn't hear him, then they headed for their clothes.

Savannah and Buffy waited while Dawn and Clay Changed. Once they were done, and dressing, they walked over to where the mutt lay near the path. Buffy growled and jerked her head, trying to tell him to Change back, that she needed to speak to him. He only looked at Buffy, uncomprehending.

When Buffy stepped closer, a wolf shot from the shadows. It was the small gray one they'd seen with the mutt the night before. Buffy backed out of her way. She eyed Buffy with a baleful glower, and then snuffled him anxiously. He snorted and bumped her away, as if to say, Enough of that.

Then his muzzle jerked up. He looked over Buffy's shoulder and she turned to see Dawn and Clay joining Savannah. The mutt grunted and started walking away, as if his job was done and he was eager to be off.

Buffy started after him. The gray wolf lunged at her, snapping. She fell back. She kept snarling, fur bristling until he circled back and prodded her flank. She started to leave with him, but couldn't resist tossing one last glower and growl Buffy's way.

"I think she's warning you off." Clay walked up beside Buffy. To the wolf, he said, "Don't worry, she's already taken."

Buffy looked at Clay and rolled her eyes.

The wolf chuffed, but still glared at Buffy before turning away.

Buffy raced into a thicket, trying for a quick Change so she could go after the mutt and get him to talk. There was no rushing the process, though, and by the time she finished, he was long gone.

"I tried to call him back," Clay said. "But I don't think he understood, and I wasn't going after him, leaving you, Savannah and Dawn alone. Anyway, I'm sure we'll see him again. Hopefully he'll be by himself. I don't think his mate likes you much."

"You really think that's his mate?" Dawn asked.

He shrugged. "If that's the form a werewolf chooses, it's no different from another taking a human mate."

"Uh, yes, it is," Buffy said. "If you'd been a zoo employee instead of a professor, would you have chosen a wolf mate instead of my sister?"

"Depends on how cute she was," Clay said.

When Savannah stared at Clay, he laughed. "I'm kidding, Savannah. The answer is no because, as much as I like being a wolf, it's not the form I choose. It's too limiting. You can't speak, unless you have a wife or niece who can do telepathy. Can't read. Can't write. The communication of intellectually stimulating ideas is nearly impossible." He grinned as he looked at Dawn. "As for stimulation of other kinds? Serious limitations there, too. No hands." He slid his hands under Dawn's shirt. "No fingers." His tickled her sides and brushed her breasts. "No lips." He lowered his to her neck.

"Are you two wanting me or Savannah to drive you two back to town?" Buffy asked. "And do that thing you mentioned when we first picked up the SUV?"

"Yeah, Buffy's right a big metal box with a folding backseat should be safe enough, don't you think?" Dawn said.

He peered at the truck, as if measuring the distance. Then he scooped Dawn up and carried her to it.

On the drive back, Buffy allowed Savannah to drive back. They listened to the moans coming from the back as Savannah drove them toward the hotel. Both mother and daughter had thought they were joking when they had suggested doing it while one of them was driving. The first thing they did when they arrived back at the hotel was call Joey's office. He wouldn't be in, of course, but that was the point, they could leave a complete message without him hanging up on them.

Next, they tended to their injuries. None of them had any broken bones, and that was all that mattered. They went to bed after that.

Dawn fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She didn't stay that way, though. Although Clay remained perfectly still beside her, she could sense he was awake and after a quick, dreamless nap, she looked over to see him staring at the ceiling. She lifted up onto her side. Too deep in thought to notice her, he kept staring. She glanced over him to see his right-hand clenching rhythmically at his side, arm muscles pulsing under the pitted scar tissue.

"Is it bothering you?" Dawn asked.

"Hmm?" He followed her gaze to his arm, and made a final fist, then stopped flexing. "Nah, I don't feel it anymore."

"I mean is it bothering you?" Dawn said.

He was silent a minute, then he brushed Dawn's hair back over her shoulder.

"I ran away tonight," he said after a moment. "When I first smelled that thing, I ran. I remembered what it did to Buffy the night before and all I could think about was getting you both and Savannah out of there."

"Which under the circumstances was the smart thing to do," Dawn said.

"Yeah. But the reason I ran instead of fighting?" He lifted his arm and flexed. "It doesn't affect my fighting in wolf form. It's just a slight weakness in one of my legs, easily compensated. My first instinct, though, was to second-guess myself and flee. That's not good."

"But—" Dawn said.

"Under the circumstances, it was the right choice, and that would be fine … if I could say I made an informed decision."

"Which is tough to do when a three-hundred-pound beast is bearing down on you." Dawn caught his look. "Yes, I know you don't want excuses. The point is that you don't have the confidence you did three years ago. Personally, I don't think that's such a bad thing. If you're still jumping on the back of raging beasts, you have more than enough confidence for my tastes."

He went silent, his gaze returning to the ceiling.

"It's not running from that beast that's disturbing you," Dawn said. "It's the possibility that you might do it with a mutt. If enough of them confront us, your first instinct will be to hustle Buffy out of there. If she was just your surrogate sister, that's not a problem—you're getting her out of harm's way like you would me. But if she's Alpha, she shouldn't need to be shuffled off, and if it looks like you're doing that, then the implication is that there's a problem."

"Yeah."

He went quiet again. Dawn waited, knowing she'd prodded enough.

"With my arm… it's ongoing," he said. "I'm still working it through. With Buffy in line for Alpha, though, it highlights another issue, one I've been avoiding."

When he didn't go on, Dawn did prompt him, but he only slid his arm under her and pulled her close.

"It's nothing. I'm tired and I'm rambling."

"If something's bugging you…" Dawn said.

"I'll deal with it," Clay said.

Dawn paused. "And I can't help?" She waited for him to reply but none were forthcoming. "If it has to do with the Pack, then Buffy at least needs to know what the issue is and how you think it should be resolved."

He glanced over. "And if I disagree?"

"As her bodyguard? Or as her sister?" Dawn said.

"Both."

And Dawn suddenly had insight into what was going through Clay's mind. What would he do to protect her or Savannah or Buffy? She remembered that she had been told that Clay had once dissected a mutt while still alive. Had enjoyed it and taken pictures of the cruelty of it. "You're thinking… you're thinking of doing it again."

"It's not important," he said after a minute. "Not now. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"But it's bothering you," Dawn said.

"Bugging me, not driving me crazy. We've got lots to do tomorrow. We need to get some sleep."

He lay back down. When Dawn didn't, he tugged her down beside him, then settled in, one hand resting on her waist, the other tucked up between them, thumb rubbing her collarbone.

"When you … did it," Dawn said. "Jeremy didn't know in advance, did he?"

"Nah. No reason to tell him, and better if I didn't."

They lay in silence for a moment, eyes still open.

Dawn thought about saying she wanted to know. At least for Buffy's sake. Especially when Buffy's fears of being Alpha stemmed from the betrayal of the Scoobies and herself just before the battle with the First Evil. What if this time it was Clay that could wind up betraying her? Could Buffy handle that? Could Buffy handle someone she considered a brother betraying her just as Dawn had.

"You're afraid of betraying her trust, aren't you?" Dawn asked.

"Go to sleep," he murmured. "I haven't decided anything. I don't plan to for a while."

"But … when you do. Don't—" Dawn lifted her head, his hand falling from her chest. "Don't do anything behind mine or Buffy's backs, okay?"

His lips tightened.

"That came out wrong. I just meant… that Buffy and I want to know. We don't want to find out after the fact. Neither of us are Jeremy. The only one you have to worry about protecting is Savannah. But even then…"

He nodded, kissed her shoulder, and then pulled her down again. He knew that Savannah could protect herself. Between being a Slayer and a witch, she was formidable. But at the same time, he knew because of her age she should be protected at least a little bit. After a minute of lying there, neither of them bothering to fake sleep, he said, "Are you okay? With earlier today?"

He meant Tesler's attempted rape of Buffy.

"I'm … okay for now. Buffy's the one you should be worrying about."

"Why?" he asked.

"This is the second time Buffy's almost been raped," Dawn said. "The first time it was bad. Hit her pretty hard. It was someone she considered, well maybe not a friend, but an ally."

Clay sighed. "Yes, I'm worrying about betraying her trust. Doing something she and you may not like."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

The alarm sounded at seven. Their first call went to Jeremy, updating him on the situation, getting his opinion of Buffy's decisions, then talking to the kids. They had a few muffins to tide them over, and then dealt with their anxieties in the way they knew best. They headed downstairs to the gym.

When they arrived, there was one guy coming out of the pool change-room and heading for the weights. By the time Savannah, Buffy and Dawn were dressed in sweats, he was heading back in, not even having broken a sweat.

They started with the punching bag. They took turns. Buffy was first as Savannah held it for her and then they switched off. Then came Dawn and Clay's turn; Dawn held it while Clay worked out his right arm. It didn't take long before he got bored of that and wanted a more active partner. Buffy and Clay started slow, throwing punches and she blocking them, working into it, not wanting to get too involved in case someone came in. Dawn understood why Clay wanted to spar with Buffy. The werewolf enhanced Slayer would be much more challenging than herself or Savannah.

After about twenty minutes with no one even walking past the door, they swung into full sparring mode. Buffy worked on Clay's reflexes now, feinting and lunging. Finally, he grabbed Buffy's wrist and flipped her onto the mat, signaling rehab time was over.

Buffy back flipped up into a standing position and smiled. "Good work out," she said. "Someday you might actually prove to be challenging, Clay."

"One can only hope," Clay said. "How else can I protect my Alpha if I can't physically match the strength of things that might come after her?"

"Not many things will have that kind of strength," Buffy said.

"Tesler does," Clay said and noticed Buffy's reaction. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Buffy said. "I just have to put it behind me. Want to go at it again?"

"Sure," Clay said.

Buffy and Clay went a few rounds, throwing punches and kicks. Only a few connected, but not for lack of trying. They didn't "go easy" on each other, just avoided blows that would do serious damage. Finally, Buffy had him pinned with his arms over his head, her knee on one thigh, keeping him down. "Give up?" she asked.

He grinned. "Depends on the forfeit."

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"You admit I beat you," Buffy said. "And you and Dawn can adjourn to the showers."

"Beat me is a little strong. You briefly got the upper hand. I'll admit to that."

Buffy smiled she could hear the teasing in Clay's voice. "Nuh-uh. Beat you."

"Temporarily bested." He jerked his hands free.

Buffy caught and pinned them again. "Beat."

Suddenly Clay shot up, grabbing Buffy under the arms and tickling her. She squealed and caught his hands, and was about to pin him when she noticed a figure standing in the doorway.

"Mom, Aunt Dawn, Uncle Clay. By the door." Savannah thought as Buffy, Dawn and Clay turned to see Joey, watching them.

"You wanted to talk to me?" he said.

"Yeah, we did," Clay said. "You had breakfast?"

"Yes, but I suppose you haven't." A smile cracked Joey's composure.

"You two go on," Buffy said. "Savannah, Dawn and I'll shower and catch up."

The sisters and Savannah walked into the shower as Joey and Clay left.

"Buffy, I need to tell you something. Something you may not like."

"I know," Buffy said. "Savannah and I were just returning to our suite after getting ourselves a late-night snack. And we overheard you two talking. Do you think he might do it? Betray me?"

"I don't know. I hope not." Dawn said. "If he ever did, I know which side I'd pick. It will always be you two, Anne, Joyce, Logan and Clay over the Pack. If it came down to between you and Clay. I choose you."

"You don't have to," Buffy said.

"We know you love him," Savannah added.

"I know I don't have to. But you and I are immortal. I can always find another lover fifty or even a hundred years from now, after I've gotten over Clay. I can't find another sister."

"I will miss them of course," Savannah said. "But I agree with Aunt Dawn. You are what's important, mom."