"What is this?" Gibbs demanded.

Crest walked up to the cage, with a satisfied smirk. "I knew the wolves would return to the scene in search of more food. So I went back and stumbled into a small pack. I killed one and injured this one. The rest got away."

"We don't even know if this is the wolf that attacked the marine." Ziva stated.

"Either way I was out hunting." Crest shrugged.

Gibbs glared at him. "Were you out hunting or inspecting the scene once more?"

"Both."

"It is against the law to kill a wolf out of season here agent Crest. You could get fined and some jail time." McGee smiled.

Crest sucked on his teeth. "Whatever. I am going to take my prize home."

Alex jumped, knocking Crest to the ground. Snapping at his face, she stood between the cage and the man. She was not about to let him take Matt and skin him.

"You mangy mutt! Move!" Crest yelled.

Alex snarled a clear warning to get the hell away.

Gibbs watched her. She was tensed and raged. Wolves were pack animals and like his team looked out for each other. It could be possible; Crest holds a packmate. He quickly stepped in before he had a dead agent. "The wolf stays here."

"I hunted it and I am keeping it." Crest snapped. "That is my trophy."

"You hunted and shot a wolf illegally. I can have you arrested for that. So unless you want to spend five days in jail, the wolf stays here." Gibbs stated, this time leaving no room for argument. He wasn't sure why, but it felt right to protect him.

Crest snatched his jacket. "I am getting that wolf. Sooner or later."

"Yeah, yeah. Listen why don't you and your animal-hating heart, do the walk of shame and get going." Tony deemed, moving to stand before Crest. Alex was actually surprised to see him stand up for them. Giving the team one last glare he stormed out. "Never did like him."

Alex walked back to the cage, whimpering to get it open. 'Let me in'.

"Dinozzo grab Ducky and have him stitch him up. From the looks of it, the shot was in the chest." Gibbs said. "How he wasn't killed is a surprise."

"On it boss."

Ziva had grabbed a jacket and opened the cage. Gently as to not harm him, she pulled him out. The jacket was on the ground, to which she and Tim placed him on it.

Ducky appeared shortly with his bag. "Well seems like Luna has brought a friend."

"If only ducky." Ziva sighed. "Crest shot him in one of his night hunts, near the crime scene."

"Oh, dear." Ducky slowly inspected the wound. "Well good thing it went straight through. It appears nothing has been damaged. Simply pain and lots of blood loss."

Alex whimpered. 'You will be fine Matt'. She stayed the night with him, waiting for him to wake. Gibbs locked them both in Abby's office.

'So you want to tell me what happened?' Alex asked.

'I was following your scent. It led to a cabin, which also smelt of blood and terror. By the time I caught the scent of the hunter, it was too late. He knew what I was and what to use.' Matt wheezed at the pain in his chest. 'There were also two different wolf packs.'

'Yeah, I know.' Alex sighed. 'One belongs to an alpha called Midnight and I have yet to find the others.'

Matt grinned up at her. 'Midnight huh?'

'Shut up.' Getting up she walked towards the water bowl and pushed it towards him. 'And the pack?'

'They are okay, what's left of them.' Matt growled. 'Alpha Derek has been searching for you non-stop Alex. Ordered every beta to search for you. What happened to you?'

Alex laid down. Derek had become like a father to her since her own died. 'Hunters got ahold of me. They ambushed me using our own kind Matt.'

'What do you mean?'

'They used a pup. She was calling out for help, I followed only to fall into a manhole. The shot darts into me. I woke up in a steel cage and from there on I was thrown into the pits. That was until animal control got a hold of us. Thrown into the pound I was given to this group of people.' Alex smiled. 'Believe it or not, they very well saved my life.'

'Do they know?' Matt asked.

Alex shook her head. 'No, it's not like I can speak to them, Matt.'

'Alex you know Derek did it so you'd be safe. Not being able to shift back is best for you at the moment. Granted a year is a bit too drastic, but it's the best chance at fighting the hunters.' Matt reminded her.

Alex knew her alpha did it to protect her. She was the last female in her pack and a valuable member. She was the only one able to reproduce for the pack. Derek's mate was killed in the last encounter, saving their pup. Being in wolf form she was quicker, smarter, and deadlier than the hunters. She can easily take them on. She also knew her responsibility with her pack, she needed to provide pups. Increase the numbers, but she couldn't very well fuck Gibbs and leave. There was always Midnight, he seemed to take a liking for her. She'd have to think it over.

'Alex you here?' Matt snapped at her ear.

'Ow! You mutt!' Alex yelped.

Matt laughed. 'You spaced out on me. Where you go?'

'Have the pack find any females?'

'Ohh, so that's what's on your mind. Listen, Alex, no one is demanding you bare pups-'

'But it's my duty as the only female left.' Alex interrupted. 'When the alpha female dies, it falls upon the lead beta to provide the pups. That is until the daughter of the alpha is of age and has a mate. But they never had a daughter, just a son.'

Matt sighed, rolling into his side. 'Well Derek's mate was young and she had a lot to live for. As do you. Look you have time to think this through. For now, tell me about this alpha Midnight.'

Alex shrugged. 'About what? He's alpha of the knight pack. They control this region and are a number of ten or so. They too were ambushed by hunters, some died and others escaped. What surprised me was that they were injected with wolfsbane instead is silver.'

'Well, they are hunters Alex. And a Hunter loves to hunt.' Rolling his eyes at her, he elaborated. 'They only hunt wolves, and to assure they can kill them they must remain as such. The silver would give them enough time to track and kill.'

Alex wanted to slap herself. Of course, the hunters wouldn't give up so easily. 'Matt can you still shift back?' The wolf nodded. 'How long before you heal?'

'4 to 5 hours, give or take. Why?'

'Tomorrow I am taking you to midnights pack. I need you to watch out for them. They are low on packmates and if you are right, they are in danger. You are the only one, besides me that can recognize the group's scent.'

'Alex no alpha likes the idea of having an unknown male wolf in his pack.'

Alex smiled. 'He will be accepting.'

Matt twitched an ear towards her. 'What's that supposed to mean? You and him-'

'No!' Alex yelped. 'No, he is just a friend Matt.'

'So you have not found your mate?' Matt asked.

Alex shrugged. 'No, why you ask?'

'Well you walked in with that human and he was quick to defend you.' He suddenly lifted his head, giving her a glare. 'Did you tell him?!'

'How in the hell can I tell him, Matt. If you haven't realized I can't communicate with humans at the moment.'

Matt sighed. 'Just be careful with them. You know humans don't tend to understand us or our...traditions.'

'He is different Matt.'

'Yeah, that's the same thing we thought about dad's real mate.' Matt scoffed. 'I suggest you turn your attention to one of our kind.'

Alex shook herself off, before laying to the side. Matt had a point there, humans never tend to see beyond the animal. They only saw a monster and a killer. From what their mother told them, her father had mated and fallen for their mother and lived happily until father met his true mate. The woman was a human, a cop to that. She met his kids and even broke their mother's heart in abandoning her. When he decided to reveal himself to his mate, the woman freaked and shot him. Father tried as hard to convince her he was still the man, but she wanted nothing. The woman was going insane with hers and his emotions, she ended up killing herself. Father was never the same but kept going. Alex didn't want Gibbs to end up like that. Maybe it was best to keep her distance when it came to love reasons, besides Midnight seemed like a nice guy.

TIME JUMP:

It has been a week since Matt showed up. Crest was still trying to get his hands on him, but the team had taken him in as one of their own. Of course, she needed to find him a place and quick. Alex had gone in search of Midnight but found no trace of him or his pack. She was worried, one he and his pack could be hurt or worse. So at the moment, she decided to focus on her team and packmate. The week has gone by without any actions, the team caught up on paperwork since it seemed criminals have taken some days off. She didn't mind seeing how the team was full of energy and waiting for the next case to pop up. Of course, they didn't think it would come in the form of a union.

Alex laid in the middle of her team's desk. Matt was hiding in some corner, he hadn't wanted to meet or interact with any of them. Not that she blamed him, she herself had taken a dislike to everyone, not in her team. In fact, the director had a talk with Gibbs when she snapped at the head of NCIS just two days ago. She was currently bored at the moment, having no cases can do that to you. Glancing up she noticed Gibbs phone on his desk. Maybe a little fun wouldn't be a bad idea. Before anyone could blink, Alex grabbed the phone bolting to the middle of the bullpen.

Gibbs glared at her. "Give me my phone." Alex lowered her upper body, teasing him. Gibbs growled making his way to her, just as he was close she jumped to the side. "Luna drop it!" Shaking her head, she bounced around. Matt chuckled to himself at the pup of his sister. "Give it!" The rest of the agents watched in amusement as their boss chased the white wolf around. "Damn it, Luna!"

Luna stopped beside Ziva, trying to catch her breath. Gibbs huffed as he snatched his phone from her mouth. Suddenly the director appeared on the stairs.

"If you two have finished your game of tag, I need you in my office now." Leon ordered. Gibbs looked after him with a frown as they all followed him. Luna began to follow only to be stopped by Leon. "You stay."

Flinching she took her spot next to Matt, who was fast asleep. 'How in the hell can you sleep so much?'

'I can sleep even more, but with you, it's cut short.' Matt grumbled.

Alex snorted. 'Jerk.'

'Shut up.'

Alex had fallen asleep with her brother when after about 30 minutes the elevator door dinged. Glancing up she spotted three people, two females and one male. One was a petite blond woman, the other was a brunette female and the male was an alpha dark-haired man. She watched as they walked in and stood before the team's desk. Alex couldn't pinpoint the reason, but the male seemed to remind her of someone.

"So what are we doing here?" The blond asked.

The alpha male ran a hand through his hair in a clear sign of frustration. "Leon called me yesterday and asked to come."

Just then Leon and the team walked down. "Agent Hotchner." Leon greeted.

"Director, good seeing you." Hotchner replied. "These are agent's jearue and Callahan."

"Pleasure, this is agent Gibbs and his team Dinozzo, McGee, and Da-vid." He looked around. "Where is Luna?" Alex stayed put. "Gibbs."

Gibbs smirked. "Luna!" Alex crawled up from next to Matt and to Gibbs's side. Staring up at the three newcomers. "This is k-9 Luna."

Kate tilted her head to the side, as if trying to figure something out. "A wolf?"

"A hybrid actually." McGee replied.

"She's beautiful." JJ smiled. As for Hotch, he simply gave Alex a small smile. It made her feel even more uneasy.

Leon broke the silence. "I understand you are working the Dragons case." Hotchner nodded. "Well seeing as your last victim was a navy officer, it grants us some participation."

Hotchner crossed his arms across his chest. He was not happy with the idea of Leon wanting in on his case. He was territorial yes, but solely on the basis of not wanting others to ruin what they have gain. This investigation had been on going for 4 months now. They have gained some trust and have infiltrated their organization, bringing in someone else could cause all there hard work to crumble down. "How so?"

"We know one of the top dragons runs a dog fighting ring." Leon replied as if that was the most vital information ever.

"So do we." JJ raised a brow, giving him a look.

"What does that matter?" Kate asked, although she had a feeling she knew where this was going.

Leon glanced at Matt, then back to them. "We have your ticket into their fighting ring."

Gibbs was quick to block Alex from his view. "Are you insane! I will not let you use her as a fighting dog Leon."

"I was aiming for the male wolf Jethro." Leon replied.

"Neither director." Dinozzo jumped in.

"Use another animal, not them." Ziva demanded.

"Do you see any other animal around here!?" Leon looked around.

"I am looking at one." Ziva snapped.

Gibbs jumped in before Leon could say anything. "Leon they will not be used as bait. Find another animal to use, leave them out of this."

Leon took a step forward. "I do recall these animals are still under my signature, there for they belong to me. I gave you an order and I expect you to follow it."

Alex gave Leon a growl, only stopping until he took a step back. Gibbs smirked. "Alright, but you will be his handler." He handed him the leash. Leon rolled his eyes as he took it. The moment he reached for Matt, Alex snapped at him. "Stay!" Alex bared her teeth and raised her hackle. Crouching down she was warning him to stay away. Just as he was about to reach for him again, agent Hotchner stopped him.

"There is no need for this." He took the leash and un-hooked it off Matt and Luna, then handed it back to Gibbs. Not even noticing the surprised look on the agents face. No one has ever been able to go near Matt without an injury. "We already have a somewhat stable connection with the Dragons. We have set up a pretty good reputation with the Dragons in the past 4 months. That includes a volunteer for the ring."

"What?" Ziva asked. "You are willing to sacrifice an animal for this?"

"Not exactly, but we are also working another angle in this case." JJ replied.

"Which is?" Tim asked.

Kate smiled, kneeling down to pet both Matt and Alex. "We went in as new associate partners. We buy and distribute their products to our clients." Seeing the look they gave her, she quickly explained. "Our buyers are undercover agents or made-up names. The money we use is from old and closed cases in the evidence locker." She chuckled at seeing Matt roll belly up, tongue flopped out of his mouth. Alex rolled her eyes, they may be part human, but they still enjoyed something's as animals.

Gibbs took in a deep breath but moved to the side. "Into the conference room please."

"After you." Hotch nodded, helping Kate up from the floor. Leaning down to her, he gave her ear a sneaky kiss.

Alex followed her team, as Matt moved back to his sleeping spot. She was starting to worry about him, Matt was never one to lazy around. He was always alert and moving. As they all took their seats, Alex decided to investigate the newcomers. The woman's smelled normal enough, in fact, the brunette smelled a lot like the alpha male. But the male was giving her a feeling of uneasiness. He had a certain amount of authority waving off him. He reminded her of her alpha, only a bit more. Could he be a wolf? It's a possibility seeing as you can never tell, unless you see them or they tell you.

You see the scent of a wolf is different from that of his human form. It was a trait they developed, in an effort to hide from hunters and other creatures. We developed a lot of new traits as generations and new breeds were involved, but as the beta's got better the alphas got worse. An alpha, if not well educated can easily be pissed off or enraged. He was not one to mess with and can easily kill any intruder. This man gave her that vibe, he has done some terrible things if she was judging by his vibe, he was strong, but not sure just how much. One thing was for sure If he attempted to kill her team she would never be able to stop him.

The sudden movement caught her attention. Looking up she noticed the meeting was over. 'Great I missed it.'

Hotch shook hands with everyone. "JJ and Kate will be here in the morning with our fighter. I will not be arriving until later tonight, I have court."

Gibbs nodded. "Very well, who is this...fighter?"

Hotch was already walking out with Kate, leaving JJ to answer. "He is a previous fighter, but don't worry he will not be harmed." Giving them a smile, she left giving Alex a pet on the head.

She and her team stood by the elevator as it opened, only to be pushed to the side by Crest and some officers. Alex swore she heard agent Hotchner grow. The man had arrived with a court order demanding, Matt was handed over to him. Alex growled, blocking her brother from the view of Crest. Animal control stood behind him with poles. She was scared, she couldn't allow them to take him. God knows what Crest would do to him.

"The judge has ordered the beast be turned over to me." Crest smirked.

Gibbs glared at the man. "That wolf is to be released back into the woods agent Crest, not for you to mount on some wall."

Crest scoffed. "More like stuff." Chuckling lowly at the growl Alex gave. "Hand him over agent Gibbs."

"I am sorry to interrupt, but the wolf belongs to us." Kate jumped in, gaining everyone's attention.

"Excuse me?" Crest growled.

Hotch stepped forward, blocking Kate from his view. "I just called judge Turner and have been granted custody of that wolf for the remaining of the case. If he is one of the wolves, in the attack of my victim then he is government property." Standing inches away from Crest, he growled lowly. "And as you probably know already. I am the government."

Crest crushed the paper in his hand. He seemed about ready to snap back, but thought it twice and backed down. "I can wait a little longer before taking him." Pushing past Gibbs he jogged up to Leon's office.

"Thank you." Gibbs exhaled.

Hotch shrugged. "I suggest you find him a home or release him back in the woods. It won't be long before he finds out it was a lie." Laughing to himself, he ushered his team out.

Alex was grateful but still didn't trust the man. Something was off, and she needed to find out what it was. In the meantime, she needed to find Midnight. It scared her to think something had happened to him.

The next morning, Gibbs and the others worked away on their computers as they waited for the feds. It wasn't long before they showed up, dressed completely differently. They were dressed like a couple of badasses bithces, but what caught her and Matt's attention was the four-legged creature walking in behind them.

The animal was huge! He had the coat of a long-haired German Shepherd, the color of a midnight raven with white splashes and the size of a Mastiff/Great Dane, but he was a wolf non the less. His eyes were a bright yellow and his teeth were large. He reminded her of Derek but in a more vicious kind of way. Yet the wolf didn't react to them and stuck to stand in between the ladies. She had to admit he was good-looking.

Gibbs ran a hand through his silver hair. Another one. "I take it that is the fighter?"

JJ chuckled. "Yes, meet alpha. Our 8-year-old gray timber wolf."

Tony walked over to him and kneeled. "Why is everyone suddenly getting a wolf? What is this call of the wild?" Alpha growled, causing the agent to jump and fall back.

Alex reacted before he could attack, standing over the fallen agent. 'Back off!' She growled.

The alpha flicked an ear but made no other movements. 'Keep him away please.'

Alex frowned at that voice. She knew that voice, but couldn't pinpoint from where. 'Have we met before?'

The wolf smiled. 'I would remember.'

Kate gave the wolf a little nudge on the side, causing him to whimper slightly. It wasn't out of pain or submission, it was more like a sorry. "Be nice."

JJ helped Tony off the ground. "I apologize for that. Alpha enjoys teasing people."

Tony grumbled as he dusted himself off. "Yeah, I am starting to believe all wolves are like that."

Ziva laughed. "So what is the plan?"

"Well, Kate will be going in with alpha, since they need to make an appearance. I would like one or two of you with her. The rest will be making a deal with the Dragon's right-hand man. Hotch already spoke to him, they know you will be showing up. Kate will give the signal before the fight begins, which gives SWAT the green light. We are to apprehend the second in command along with his friends." JJ explained. "Now it will not be as easy as it sounds."

"It never is." McGee commented.

"Right, so we need to be careful. Those with Kate must watch for any Dragon members and their animals. If one gets close do not grab it, they are not your normal stander animals. Ignore the bystanders and focus on the gang members." She finished.

Gibbs nodded. "Very well, Dinozzo and Ziva will be with agent Callahan. McGee will be with us."

"Great. Now let's get this going." Kate announced with a clap of her hands. Alpha was already by the elevator, along with Alex and surprisingly Matt as well.

Tony snorted. "And here I thought he was dead." Yelping at the snap of teeth from Matt, he stepped away from him. "What is up with these animals!? Do I look like a chew toy to them!"

Kate placed a hand on his shoulder, whispering into his ear. "Don't use the words chew toy. Alpha is obsessed with them."

Tony glanced down at the wolf, face going pale at the sight of his teeth. Watching with wide eyes as drool slid from his large canine.

The elevator doors closed on a laughing group and one scared agent.

Neither knowing one would never make it back.