A/N Like most episodes of Buffy, there's always some logical, yet unasked and unanswered question. Or a lot of unasked and unanswered questions sometimes, this episode is not immune to that problem.

Some reviewers have questioned how fast things go from bite to first transformation. On the Angel show that featured a werewolf, her first transformation was a day or two, no more, after being bitten. Oz does not state when exactly he was bitten, but he is still wearing a bandage, so probably not more then a few days prior himself.

In this story it's been a few days, so that matches the canonical references. Enjoy. 😊

######

"None of the mutilations stories match up to any celestial alignment." Jenny told Giles that night as she looked over her spreadsheet. "There are quite a few that occur around the time of the full moon, but while the moon is sacred to Hecate and rituals are done under various phases, not just to her, but in a variety of different religions, animal mutilation is not in keeping with any rituals dedicated to her or any of the religions I'm familiar with. Animal sacrifice, on the other hand is, but that is not the same thing and there'd be an alter if that was the case. Also, they wouldn't leave carcasses just lying around town where anyone could find them. And it's too widespread and random to point to an organized source anyway. The only thing connected to the full moon is stories of werewolves, but these mutilations are being reported around the full moon, not solely on the full moon."

"Except my research shows that werewolves actually transform the night before, the night of and the night after a full moon." Giles responded. "I could find no demons who as a species prefer animals to humans, but I did find the research on werewolves and I checked the lunar calendar, last night was the night before the full moon."

"Then at the moment, a werewolf is a possible culprit for these animal mutilations, which may not be mutilations at all, but the remains of prey." Jenny suggested. "A hungry wolf snacking on what's available. Too bad the article didn't mention specifics on where the animal remains were found, we might have been able to track our furry friend to a nest. Is it a nest when's it's a wolf or werewolf?"

"I think it's a den, actually." Giles looked amused, then sobered. "This werewolf is either new to the area or new in general. Werewolfism is caused by a virus and transmitted in a bite or a scratch and the affected may not even know they're a werewolf. The first few transformations are supposedly very disorienting and aside from waking up in odd places or situations, which can be attributed to sleepwalking, unless they wake up next to animal remains, there really isn't much that can help a person understand that they've become a werewolf until several transformations have passed and they begin to remember bits and pieces of what occured when they were transformed."

"So they're not demons?"

"No, not even the virus is demonic, although it is believed to be mystical." He answered. "This werewolf, if it is a werewolf, needs help. We need to find him or her, contain them and help them understand what's happened to them. Of course we must also consider that there is a small subset of werewolves that believe running free, come what may, is natural and refuse to be contained during that time."

"Even if they hurt humans or provoke outrage that ends up directed at real and very innocent wolves?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"That's unfortunate. So, how can we track this werewolf of ours?"

"My research indicates it will seek two things, prey or a mate. It may be drawn to locations where humans concentrate if it's seeking a mate, it can, apparently, detect pheromones."

"Lover's Lane and the Bronze are where it will find teenagers putting out pheromones." Jenny suggested. "Couples may attract attention. A lot of possibilities. I wonder...there may be a way to track a werewolf magically. Let me research it, in the meantime, we'll need the kids help to try to track our werewolf."

"Buffy and I could check the woods next to Lover's Lane, both potential food sources and pheromones to attract it to that area." Giles offered.

"Willow and Oz, with Cordelia to back them up could check the Bronze. I need Xander's help to try tracking it magically." Jenny wondered if Xander had something in his collection of magical artifacts or a spell from one of his books that could help with tracking a werewolf. It was worth investigating the possibility.

It turned out he did have a way of tracking someone, a few different methods actually. While he and Jenny were checking the various possibilities, Giles and Buffy were exploring the woods next to Lover's Lane and Cordelia was watching the Bronze by herself as Willow and Oz never showed up.

Willow stretched, feeling the early morning sun on her face and blinked her sleep crusted eyes open. She froze as she realized two, or rather three, things. One, she was naked again. Two, she wasn't in her bed or any bed, for that matter. Three, someone else was with her. She tried to remember what happened last night. Ms. Calendar called and explained there might be a werewolf in town and she and Xander were going to try to track it magically while Giles and Buffy searched the woods by Lover's Lane. She, Oz and Cordelia would watch the Bronze to see if it showed up there. Oz would pick her up in his van. That was the last thing she remembered.