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killingmoon-rp-blog · 12 years ago

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Chat Event 06: Full Moon

Summary:

The dance of life and death. Two were killed and two were born, all on the same night. The 'bears welcomed in Jasmine's twins by the light of the moon as the 'wolves were attacked by a hunter. In Fox Hollow, all who had gathered for last-minute drinks before moonrise encountered (MP #5 drop) a nervous man being puppeteered by a stranger. Explosives failed to go off and cost him his life, which consequently saved the bar. Harmony discovered Naomi's secret.

Full Script:

The Hollow: That's right bitches, the Hollow can clear out a room. Anyway. While I type up the intro/setting, anyone new to this shindig, give this a read: http://killingmoon-rp.tumblr.com/post/37...

The Hollow [OOC] This chatzy will occur in 3 "places" as far as location, and as far as time, it's on EST time, so it's currently 7:56. I know time moves more slowly in chatzy, but basically keep in mind that it is "early evening" so the moon isn't yet fully up; it's just dusky right now. As the chat progresses, the moon will rise. [Con't.]

The Hollow [OOC] All of the 'bears will be headed to Josh's, as per usual before they head out for their full moon fish hunt. However, follow Rachel's lead. All of the 'wolves will head to Kinsey's (who don't live there already) for their usual hunt on pack acreage—for now, just keep it social. More will come to interrupt. Lastly, everyone else, make your way to the Hollow. Assume that the moon isn't high enough yet for the 'foxes to have closed it and left for their own full moon hunt.

The Hollow [OOC] Feel free to begin!

Indiana had made her way down to the Hollow for the first time since the attack, wondering if there was anything she could do to help get things back up and running. She had a good conversation with the 'foxes and felt good about the renovations that had been done to get things cleaned up, more than ready to get back to work and start feeling useful again. She loved spending time around the farm and with her family, but she felt like she was simply squatting there if she wasn't working to help contribute to all the expenses involved in housing so many people in one place. Walking out of the restaurant, she twisted her body around to give one last smile and wave to the 'foxes through the window.

Colt leaned against the bar, his bright green eyes narrowed as they surveyed the busy room. The Hollow was back to normal, almost as if nothing had happened but the Alpha wasn't going to forget as easily as the rest of the town. He practically buzzed with nervous energy, the 'fox inside of him aching for the rise of the moon. The man tapped his fingers against the bar, chewing slowly on his bottom lip as he thought about what was in store for them tonight.

Sav couldn't begin to understand her butterflies for this full moon until she let it sink in. There was someone out there that was trying, very hard, to mess with the lycans. Just the thought of that made the girl want to hurl all over again. In reality, she felt bad that nobody had told her. Especially Colton. Sav didn't care if she was sick. She wanted to help as much as she could. Unfortunately, that meant letting it go for now. Her eyes darted towards Colton's casual form, watching from afar with concern.

Aine: had been to the Hollow a lot over the past few weeks. The lycans were stupid for essentially drawing a huge target on a restaurant in the middle of town, but the huntress was grateful for it. With her aconite blades placed securely in their hip holsters, Aine snuck around to the back of the building, watching Indiana, the wolf waitress, like a hawk about to swoop down on it’s prey. As the woman waved goodbye, Aine slid around the corner coming to stand face to face with the beast. “Oh pretty lass, shouldn’t be out walking when the full moon’s on the rise.” She moved closer just as Indiana turned towards her. “Don’t you know there are dangers afoot in this town.” Before the other woman could even respond, Aine’s blade was out and coming down on the wolf’s shoulder. It wasn’t a killing blow, but Aine always preferred to make them suffer a bit first.

Jasmine had been feeling like complete crap today and new that it was only a matter of time when the cubs were to be born. It wasn't like she had any chance to go to the hospital considering the full moon so it was better just to meet with everyone at Josh's and just see where things were going to go next. There wasn't a question that she was going to have the cubs tonight. Her annoyance at every little thing was a clear indication of it as she waited with Josh for everyone else to arrive to think of a plan of action. Jasmine wasn't thinking very clearly considering the amount of pain she was in.

Josh wasn't sure he was ready for this moon. Jasmine was in pain, that much was evident and it worried him. The hunters were still at large and now he needed to protect both the sleuth and the new cubs that could appear at any moment. Josh moved closer to Jasmine and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "How are you feeling? Should we take you straight to the cave first? I can leave Ivan with you and bring you both fish for the night?" Out in the open, she was in danger and her cubs weren't safe, at least in a cave with Ivan, Jasmine could be somewhat protected if anything happened.

Evie had spent the afternoon with Dustin at the Rookery while her boyfriend worked her shift, talking about the apartment he had found for them. They hadn't made a decision on it yet, but the prospect made Evie both excited and nervous. She would be leaving the protection of living at Josh's house, and though she didn't doubt Dustin's ability to protect her, the impending move was on her mind. As Dustin drove them back to their alpha's property for the full moon, Evie began worrying about everything else, too. She knew Dustin was right, and Jasmine would have her babies tonight. They would all have even more to protect than usual. Evie took her boyfriend's hand as they parked the car in Josh's driveway. "I love you," she told him with a nervous smile.

Colt noticed the Delta's eyes on him from across the Hollow and raised a hand in greeting, waving it slightly. He wanted nothing more than to gather his troop and make their way to the hunting grounds but closing early would only place more suspicion on them. Doing what they always did was crucial at a time like this. The 'fox ran a nervous hand through his hair, tugging gently on it in frustration before pouring himself a shot and knocking it back quickly. Just one wouldn't hurt.

Sav could see how agitated Colt was, and she was across the room. It took her sucking in a small breath before she went over to him, placing a hand gently on his back. "Hey." she said, letting a small smile form on her lips. "Y'ok?"

Indiana turned back around after catching Colt and Savannah's eyes in a goodbye to hear an Irish brogue washing over her. Before she could open her mouth to respond, a large aconite blade was slammed down into her shoulder and her nerve endings were screaming in agony. She couldn't help the scream that erupted from her chest, the sound echoing around the square. Reaching up, she ripped the woman's blade out of her arm and threw it forcefully out of reach, headbutting her as hard as she could. She knew rationally that she needed to get the hell out of here and back to the pack where it was safe, but her vision was blurred from the pain of the wound which was pumping blood down her back and side, her arm hanging limp and useless at her side. Eyes changing over to yellow, she snarled, "Who the fuck are you?"

Nick had made his way into the Hollow earlier in the evening. After everything that had happened recently he thought it would be best for him to keep up appearances, let people see him out and about, and then when the time came, he would slip quietly out and escape to the woods. Even after all the damage to the Hollow it was still brimming with activity. Nick had carved out himself a booth near a corner and had been sipping on a glass of water for the past ten minutes or so. He could feel tension slowly building in the pit of his stomach as the moon rose higher and he knew it wouldn't be too long until he had to leave to find a safe place to turn.

Colt felt his muscles tense slightly when Savannah's warm hand rested on his back and forced himself to relax. He turned to look at her, attempting a comforting smile at the other 'fox. "Of course I am, darlin'. Just waitin' to get this show on the road. How're you?"

Kinsey was on the porch out back with some sweet tea, still waiting for everyone to arrive or come in from the fields. Spring was a busier time than winter, one which Kinsey generally welcomed. She herself hadn't changed out of her work clothes or showered yet, seeing little reason to given the evening's festivities. The eyeballs that Gabby had brought home concerned her and had her hyper-aware for the evening, keeping them to pack land for hunting again. Kinsey hated to restrict them, hated it more than she let on, but safe was better than sorry where her pack's well-being was concerned.

Jasmine shook her head at Josh as she looked up at him. She had too much pride sometimes to admit that she needed help, but this wasn't the place to act that way. " How do you think I feel Josh?" Jasmine replied in a matter of fact voice, still obviously not having a good time. "It's not like I'm dying Josh. I'll be okay. We can just wait for everyone to get here, then I'll go over to the cave. " Jasmine didn't think she'd ever want to give birth in a cave, but it was the safest place for the night and considering their luck lately, better safe than sorry.

Sav felt the muscles tense the second her hand touched him, and drew her arm back like it was on fire. It was far to pushy of her, and she began to scold herself internally. His answer was so... Colton. "Ah, you know... Better." She sighed, running a hand through her dark hair.

Piper was not in the best mood. She had returned from a long overdue visit to Wyoming to visit her parents and help out a bit after her mother had broken her arm but returning to her home to find a raccoon had scratched it's way through her porch had not pleased her. Despite being tired, she had felt the sudden urge to visit Fox Hollow before the moon rose high enough in the sky to change. Despite having arrived fifteen minutes ago - long enough to take someone else to get comfortable - Piper was still on edge. She could feel the horse inside her wanting to get free but she had to wait. She lifted her fingers up to rub her temples, massaging them to get rid of the ache before sighing and dropping her hand. She straightened up, eyes roving around to try and distract herself.

Colt nodded his head, turning his gaze back to the restaurant. "It's gonna be fine, Vannah. It'll be a good moon. Any idea where my sister ran off to? She should be here by now." It was easier for the Alpha to focus on other things, to ignore the slight hurt look that crossed Savannah's brown eyes at his reaction to her touch. The moon was definitely not the time to delve into that.

Aine had been expecting the wolf to fight back, it would’ve been boring if she hadn’t. The huntress took the head butt like a champ, stumbling back and drawing her other blade. A grin spread across her face as her tongue darted out to lick the blood spilling from her nose. This was what Aine had been waiting for, the moment of the fight, adrenaline pumping through her veins so fast that her body hardly registered the pain from the blow. “What’s that cliche’ famous line... your worst nightmare? Something like that, love.” Aine flick a smaller dagger out of her belt and threw it straight at the wolf’s head, expecting her to duck, because when she did, Aine’s other curved blade was ready to drive straight through the woman’s gut. There were times to play around with your prey and there were times you should just end it quickly. Indiana had spunk and Aine wasn’t willing to waste time with just one wolf when she knew she could spend hours enjoying her evening destroying a whole whole pack.

Thom had been anxious all day, as he usually was the day of the full moon. Normally it was a good kind of jittery, the wolf hiding beneath his skin itching to get out and run and be free. After all the unnerving things happening around town lately, he knew the pack had to be extra careful. After a phone call to his Pop--just a normal conversation, though the sound of his father's voice calmed him a bit--Thom hopped on his bike and sped toward's Kinsey's farmland. The quicker he got off the streets and safely in pack territory, the better.

Dustin Dustin’s shift had gone by with relative ease. He split his time between serving food, cleaning tables, and talking over his shoulder at Evie. Dustin couldn’t help but smile to himself from the thought of finally moving in with her. After everything that had happened to the Sleuth and Mel, he deserved something to look forward too, and now things were looking up for him. He held Evie’s hand as he drove them down the familiar road to Josh’s, only letting go when he had to hop out of his car. When she grabbed it again he sent her a smile. “And I love you too,” he said kissing her hand. “Come on, let’s go see Jas. I’m sure she’s ready to get tonight over with.”

Harley had walked to Fox Hollow rather than driving and leaving her Jeep there. She didn't visit the Hollow often and with the latest attacks on the place, she was leery of the idea of leaving her Jeep there. Even if that sounded paranoid, it worked for her. It was finally warm enough anyways that walking wasn't a hassle. She slipped inside the Hollow, green eyes skimming around the faces in the room. She spotted Colt and Sav up at the bar and headed that way.

Jesse had the silver Mustang pulled to the side of the road, woods surrounding him on both sides. He was a few miles away from the farm, the engine rumbling softly at a stand-still as he gazed out into the slowly darkening night from the open driver's side window, cigarette smoke slowly drifting up into the early summer air. Resting his arm on the window pane, the 'wolf flicked ash off the tip of his cigarette and brought it back between his lips. Casually gripping the steering wheel with one hand, Jesse eased the car back onto the road again, his free arm dangling out from his window and fingers drumming against the door as he began to drive towards Woodmere. His hazel eyes flickered to his cell phone on top of the dashboard, but he forced himself to rip his gaze away, an agitated, disappointed sigh escaping through his nose. He shifted his focus back to the road, taking the final turn towards the farm. He drove up to the main building and cut the engine, rising out of the vehicle and slamming the door shut with a loud thud.

Madison walked through the forest at a leisurely pace, enjoying the last few moments of daylight before the sun would slip away, replaced by the moon's 'light'. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Kinsey sitting up on her porch sipping sweet tea. It took her back to a simpler time, a time before the wolves got eyes in the mail and everything seemed so... shaky. "Hey Big Bad." Madison climbed the few steps up onto the porch and leaned against the post, smiling at her alpha.

Harmony glanced around the parking lot of the Hollow as she exited her car, taking in the dusky orange of the horizon. It was the night of the full moon, and she knew the Suttons would be closing up shop soon. Amelia hadn’t felt like cooking, so Harmony she sped her way over to the restaurant to order some food to-go for her roommate and herself. The parking lot was packed, so she had to park across the street, but she didn’t mind. She was just glad the restaurant was open again. Harmony loved the Hollow: the food, the atmosphere, the people. Everything. So it made her smile knowing that a little vandalism couldn’t stop it from retaining its Hollow-ness. But her smile quickly faded when she heard a scream. Her pace quickened along with her heartbeat as she hurried toward the front of the building where she spotted Indiana and another woman ahead of her. “Hey Indi,” she called out as she began walking toward the pair.

Sav shook her head, and turned it away. "No, and I haven't seen her all day, actually." A frown spread across the dark haired 'foxes face, turning to look around the Hollow but only saw Harley approaching them. "Hey, Harl." She called out, glad for the sudden distraction.

Flynn carefully set down his guitar, too amped up to focus on playing at the moment. He had picked up the guitar with the intention of playing a few chords to pass time instead of washing up after working all day, and now he was looking for something to do or see. Even so, a relative uneasiness slid over him like a cold chill, a feeling that had lingered on the edge of his emotions ever since Gabby had received the eyes at the Hollow. Scowling, he ambled out of his room and down the steps. A flash of red caught his eye from the window and let him know that the first of the pack had started to arrive. He figured he might as well join them on the porch.

Colt nodded stiffly at the revelation, his jaw clenching slightly. Tonight was not the night to lose track of time and his sister knew that. He noticed Harley's approach and nodded in her direction, crossing his arms across his chest. "Harley." The stiffness in his voice was obvious. After all the information that had been revealed to him about his newest member's doings, he had been debating different strategies to deal with her.

Josh placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, a friendly gesture, trying to calm the blonde's obvious nerves. "Everything is going to be alright. You'll be safe tonight and nothing will go wrong. I'll make sure of it. I know you're ready for these little guys to be out of there.... I was reading that the full moon might... help that process along." Josh bent down and placed his hands on either side of Jasmine's very round stomach. "You two need to get here already so Mama bear can be somewhat nice to me again." He smiled up at Jasmine, hoping at least for tonight she could take a joke and not smack him for it.

Shiloh was pacing so hard that the dirt below her feet was almost certain to cave in if she didn't snap out of it. Lately her mind had been focused on so much other than herself, which wasn't all that out of the ordinary. The main worry of it was the constant and repetitive torments going on from an unknown individual. Shiloh was more worried for the pack now than she'd ever been before, but that worry was still overpowered by her need to be there with them. Leaving her room by closing the door behind her, Shiloh approached the porch area and smiled at the members who had already arrived.

Kinsey smiled at Madison as she greeted her with 'Big Bad,' which was a nickname that had grown on Kinsey quite a bit. "Hey Little Red," she called as her friend came up to her. Kinsey's green-gold eyes search Madison's face for any traces of distance between them. It may have been months ago now, but Kinsey just had to know that some things were going to be normal. She couldn't lose Madison again; it was hard enough the first time. If she left now, though, it'd be Kinsey's fault. None of this showed on her face, though, beyond the penetrating gaze. She heard Jesse's car off in the distance, knowing he'd be along soon. Her brother slipped outside shortly after, followed by Shiloh. Her gaze flickered between the two of them, as well: she knew there'd been something between them in December, but she hadn't heard much since. Not that Flynn was any more forthcoming than she herself was.

Indiana grabbed at her shoulder, trying to stem the flow of blood as the woman stumbled backwards from her headbutt. Her heart was pounding and it was hard to focus, but her instincts were screaming at her to get away as soon as possible. She was in no shape to fight this woman off on her own and she needed to get somewhere safe. "That's a really stupid line for a hunter. I thought you were supposed to be smart?" Suddenly a knife came flying at her head and she ducked, only to find another stabbed into her gut. Her mouth formed a perfect O at the impact, her 'wolf growling and snapping inside of her to come out. Shifting her claws, she reached up and slammed her hand into the side of the woman's face, claws digging in and tearing at her skin with enough force to send her sailing to the ground. Bolting away as quickly as she could, she rushed towards Harmony and snapped, "Do you have a car? I need to get the farm. NOW!" She was still partially shifted and bleeding profusely, running on adrenaline alone.

Zachary The Delta was far more stressed out than he’d let on. Between the events happening in town, some psychopath on the loose, and more personal troubles there was very little time to relax. It felt stifling but Zach pushed through, keeping his duty to his pack at the forefront of his mind. After easing the Harley onto Woodmere property he cut the engine but remained seated, wanting to enjoy one last cigarette first. The smokes seemed to come and go with more frequency those days and he grumbled to himself while shaking the first of two last cigarettes out of the box. Afterwards, Zach simply posted himself up on the porch to the farmhouse like a sentry, keeping a careful eye out for any and everything while his family gathered.

Harley cocked her head to the side at Colt's greetings, the corners of her eyes narrowing slightly. She let the look disappear though and split her lips in an easy smile at Colt and Savannah for appearances. She kept an eye on Colt as she lifted herself onto a bar stool, legs crossing as she leaned her side against the counter. "Hey, Sav. Colt." Her eyes flicked to Sav and back to Colt before she shook her dark hair back. "How've things been around here?"

Nick did not mean for his eyes to connect with the girl sitting nearby in the Hollow but when they did he couldn’t help but smile. He was not for sure why he got up and walked over to her, instincts maybe, but as he approached her, he caught a whiff of lycan. It did not make him want to flee, so the chances of her being a predator were slim. Nick sat down beside her extending his hand. “Hi, I’m Nick. I cannot help but feel like I know you. Have we met before?”

Jasmine let out a sigh of breath as she tried to keep her breathing normal. She just needed to wait a little bit longer and then the cubs will be out. It meant shed be able to take care of the sleuth better again and shed be a mama bear. "I know I'll be okay," Jasmine said with a small smile at the thought of what all this trouble and pain was worth. She looked down at Josh and rolled her eyes. " Shit, now I wont have an excuse to be mean to you. " The slight humor was slowly calming her, but she knew she needed to get somewhere safe soon.

Sav noticed the awkwardness between Colt and Harley, confusion automatically flickering into mind. Best to leave it until after the moon. "Busy, as usual." She huffed, proving her fact by gesturing to the full tables.

Ash had spent the whole afternoon with Rae, getting the final supplies for their trip tomorrow before the full moon tonight. They had finished early enough and decided to go to The Hollow on their way home. Ash sat with the small plate of onion rings he'd bought mostly for keeping up appearances than the need to eat. Although he had miss his favourite Hollow's food. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Indiana leave, and thought about the time, "Maybe we should head back soon, X?"

Madison pushed down the lump in her throat and tore her eyes away from Kinsey's. It may have been a while back, but rejection always cuts deep, especially when you care so much, correction, cared so much. Madison shook the fleeting feelings from her system and focused on Zach stepping up onto the porch. She moved over towards him, greeting the delta with a soft nuzzle of his stubbly neck, breathing in his scent and letting it calm her again. "Howdy darlin".

Evie smiled as she and Dustin made their way over to the rest of the sleuth, the sight of Jasmine's big belly filling her with delight. She couldn't wait to meet to little cubs that would soon be part of their family. She pulled Dustin over to their Beta, trying to focus on the happiness these cubs would bring and not on how worried she was about the night. "You look about ready to pop," she teased Jasmine, reaching out to touch the older woman's forearm.

Colt pushed himself away from the bar, his eyes darting towards the clock hanging on the wall. He listened to the two girls talk, not really giving anything to the conversation. He was in complete Alpha mode, which left little time for small talk. "Ya'll heard from Emma today?" He questioned, not even realizing he had interrupted their conversation.

Emma Lee normally didn’t frequent the Hollow, preferring to not have her day ruined by the chance of running into the owners. But tonight was the full moon. And she’d have to see the other ‘foxes anyway, so what the hell. Emma Lee was feeling rather lazy tonight and didn’t want to have to hoof it all the way to their normal meeting spot, so she went to the restaurant instead, figuring she could catch a ride with someone. She’d entered the restaurants and made a beeline for the bathroom to mentally prepare herself for the night ahead of her which would no doubt be full of troop interaction. After her mental pep talk, she exited the bathroom and her eyes were automatically drawn to her troop mates. Taking a deep breath, she made her way over to the other 'foxes. "Ask and you shall receive," she smirked as she sauntered up beside them.

Zachary “Mads. Hey.” He caught scent of the Beta before she’d approached him but remained vigilant, scanning the perimeters by force of habit as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. When she was closer he angled his body slightly, extending an arm so that when she moved in to nuzzle him he could rest it lightly around her back, his hand barely resting on her hip as he kept her close against him. Angling his head to blow smoke over his shoulder, he nodded out at nothing in particular. “Ready for this rodeo?”

Thom parked his Harley next to Zach's, hopping off and striding towards his friend with a goofy grin. "You keep frownin' and your face'll stick that way," he called out to him.

Piper tensed as someone approached it and she glanced up at the man in front of her, canting her head to the side. She'd seen him around a couple of times but she didn't actually know him that well. Granted, she didn't know quite a few people in this town well. She eyed his extended hand before relaxing slightly. The full moon had put her on edge, which led to a slight dip in her manors. She reached out to grasp his hand and shake it. "Nice to meet you, Nick. I'm Piper, and I think I talked to you once but, I'm a little bit forgetful."

Rae F had spent the entire day in anticipation for the full moon and what would come of it. Due to the injuries Ash had sustained two months prior, they wouldn't be having their monthly full moon run, but that didn't interrupt the fact that they spent the day in preparation for their trip to California. Sitting across the table from Ash, gingerly sipping on a sweet tea, Rae stared across at the blonde, watching as his eyes followed Indiana leaving the Hollow. "That actually wouldn't be a bad idea," she mumbled, keeping a firm gaze on the brunette until she disappeared outside. Drawing a ten dollar bill from her pocket, she threw it to the middle of the table, motioning with her head for Ash to follow as she stood from the table.

Zachary looked up and away from Madison at the sound of Thom’s voice, mischief creeping into his smirk as it widened a fraction. Leave it to the Fathead to still find a way to get him in better spirits. He pulled his arm away from Madison temporarily to flip the other Delta off, the gesture intentionally immature. “Yeah? It’ll still look better than that mug of yours so I’ll count my blessin's.”

Shiloh smiled at the bickering, crossing her arms over her chest and listening to them. Nothing was ever boring when it came to the pack.

Harley took a moment to glance around at the tables at Sav's comment and nodded slightly. "Glad to see everything is going good here again," she replied after a moment. There wasn't a chance to even reply to Colt's question because Emma Lee popped up at that moment. She turned, green eyes slipping over the other 'fox as a smirk crossed across her lips. "Speak of the devil."

Kinsey smiled as Zach came up the walk as well. Kinsey trusted Zach and thought he would make a good Beta; she was always glad to have him around with his keen insight and background, even if he dealt with some difficult things in his private time. Didn't they all? As she looked around, she saw mostly everyone—except Indiana. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. "Any of y'all heard from Indi recently? She was supposed to be off work by now."

Harmony “Holy shit!” The words slipped from Harmony’s mouth as she took in the bloodied state of her friend. Her eyes darted between the wolf’s injured shoulder and the blood stain on her abdomen. “What the hell happened? Are you…” She was frozen in shock, but the urgency in Indi’s voice snapped the human out of her stupor. “Uh, yeah. C’mon.” She slipped her arm around the ‘wolf, ignoring the yellow eyes and the all the blood. “I’m parked across the street.”

Colt allowed his eyes to move between each of his 'foxes, relaxing a little more now that at least three of them were present. He couldn't help the frustration he felt towards Scarlett for being late but Colt suspected it had to do with her fear of another Full Moon after being hurt so badly the last time. "We'll give it a bit more time and then close on up here and head out. It's already gettin' late."

Zachary turned a bit more, craning his neck to catch a glimpse of the younger Delta and he smiled, raising his free hand in greeting. “Howdy, Miss Shiloh. All set, darlin’?” The sound of his alpha’s voice pulled his attention away momentarily and he shook his head, instinctively pulling Madison closer against his side. “No, sir. I ain’t heard a peep from Miss Indi today, tell you that.”

Flynn 's eyes bounced from Madison to Thom to Zachary before giving most of them a slight nod. His eyes lingered on Shiloh for a couple moments longer before his gaze returned to Kinsey as she talked. His brow furrowed slightly before shaking his head. "Haven't heard from her either."

Aine laughed as the claws hit her face, the force knocking her away as she fell to the ground. She was bleeding, but it only made her laugh harder as she watched the wolf stumble away. It didn’t matter. She knew exactly where the bitch was going, if she made it there in one piece. Aine stood up and collected her discarded weapons, bending down to run her hand in the wolf’s puddle of blood on the concrete. Aine laughed again as she smeared the blood across her chest, not even caring that it could infect her. Aine had passed the point of caring a long time ago. The ticking noise started in the back of her head and she shook it hard, trying to make the sound just fall out, but it only grew louder. She needed to kill and she needed to do it soon. The hunter took off in the direction of the famous Woodmere Farms, excited to have finally found what she was looking for.

Jasmine gave a small smile to Evie and Dustin as they approached. " Honestly, I'm about ready to," she admitted with a laugh, before putting a hand to her stomach. It was nice to take her mind off things for a bit, but that didnt mean she wasnt ready to have the cubs in the next few minutes, " I should probably go now. I can't put this off any longer," Jasmine replied as she felt another sting hit her.

Jesse sauntered towards the porch with the cigarette still hanging loosely from the corner of his mouth, his surface irritation draining away at the sight of his family. He greeted Zach first, finally removing the Marlboro from between his lips and flicking it away, blowing the last of the smoke out of his nostrils. He brushed his forehead against the other 'wolf's in a casual albeit affectionate greeting and then moved to the redheaded female, leaning towards her to rub his stubbled cheek against hers. A smirk sketched across his lips as he nodded at the younger members, gently running his hand over Shiloh's back and moving closer to Kinsey to brush his head against her neck before taking a seat next to her on the porch. He frowned at the mention of Indiana and shook his head, finding it unsettling that she hadn't arrived yet. ”No. I thought she'd be here by now.”

Dustin chuckled as he trailed behind his girlfriend, coming over the Jasmine. He sent the soon to be mother a wave. He was happy for Jas, and the excitement of having the cubs around. While he was nervous of babysitting them, he never had been around babies before, Dustin knew between Evie and the rest of the Sleuth they would be well taken care of. “Don’t tease the woman Evie, I’m sure she must be in a lot of pain, and no I’m not covering my ass cause I’m afraid she’ll try to kill me later or anything…”

Shiloh let her grin widen more at Zachary's words, nodding her head gently. "Darn right I am." She stated, turning her head to look at Kinsey. "Erm, no. Surely she's on her way, I bet."

Indiana wheezed, "Thanks, just drive fast, champ. I'm sure that bitch will be after us. I need to get to my family, then you get the hell out of there." Rushing both herself and Harmony over to the woman's car as quickly as she could manage in her state, she climbed inside and snarled, her voice half woman and half 'wolf. She would have just shifted and ran there herself if her arm wasn't in such a state. It would only impair her running on four legs and make her easier to catch. "Go! Now!"

Ash picked up a couple of the onion rings and cradled them in his hand, as Rae threw the cash on the table. "I didn't mean right now," He laughed. Although he wanted to get home before the full moon, he was sure they'd have plenty of time to do so. He stood anyway and threw a thankful glance to the 'foxes at the bar.

Josh nodded at Jasmine's comment. "We should drop you off there... escort you and leave Ivan to guard the entrance. We'll be back as soon as we finish fishing. I'll bring you the biggest ones I find." Josh began tugging off his clothes as he continued to speak to the rest of the group. "We'll get Jasmine situated at the cave, Ivan will stay with her and the rest of us will go to the river, a bit farther upstream, closer to Jasmine. Eat fast and then we go to the cave. Everyone has to carry one fish back each for Ivan and Jasmine since they will be missing out on the festivities. Understood?"

Madison instinctively leaned into Zach's embrace, sliding her arm around his waist and tugging him tightly. With everything that had been happening lately the last thing the pack needed was all the threats to become realities. "Haven't seen her either. If she ain't here by the time that sun drops over those hills, I'll go looking for her." Madison offered, knowing that Kinsey couldn't leave the pack and definitely couldn't take the whole group with her.

Rae F chuckled, flipping her hair over her shoulder, shooting a playful glance in Ash's direction. "Oh no, I knew exactly what you meant. I was simply getting up to have a drink with you at the bar. Take the edge off before the moon rises later," her voice dipped to nearly an inaudible state, her ears tweaking to catch the strand of her own words. Walking towards the bar, she smiled at the 'foxes, leaning against the counter top. "Whiskey on the rocks," glancing back at Ash as he stood from the table, she grinned. "Make that two."

Kinsey was discontented with their answers, but had figured before she'd even heard them. It was more likely for Indiana to reach out to Kinsey directly... and since she hadn't, Kinsey was unsettled. She was twenty minutes late, which was unlike her, even for getting off a Hollow shift. She set down her tea and looked over to Madison, who offered to go look for her. It made Kinsey's heart twist because she'd go after Indiana herself—and she would have to give the job to her ex-lover, they both knew. So she simply nodded and got up, starting to strip off her clothes as she waited.

Jasmine knew she probably shouldn't have waited around for as long as she could, but to be honest part of her was scared. It wasn't like she had given birth to cubs before. The beta had to get somewhere safe as soon as possible as she started to pull off her clothes. Hopefully it would be easier to move as a bear like this than her current state. " Let's try to hurry, yeah?" Jasmine said with a sigh .

Emma Lee nodded in greeting to her fellow troop mates. “And here I thought I was the only fashionably late one,” Emma quipped, nudging Colt playfully. “Is that sister of yours plannin’ on joinin’ us or do we just get only one half of the Wonder Twins tonight?” Her eyes scanned the room in search for signs of the redhead Beta.

Colt couldn't help but roll his eyes at the brunette though her words sparked the familiar fear in him over his twin's safety. He sighed loudly, his hand going back to his hair. "She ain't here yet but she damn well better be. Reckon she's still spooked about last time."

Jesse stood when Kinsey did, his eyes measuring her for a moment, a certain kind of tightness in his hazel eyes, a sign of growing suspicion and concern. Yet he remained silent and slid his jacket off his shoulders and grabbed his shirt, shrugging it off of his body as well and tossing it on the porch before he began to remove the rest of his clothing.

Nick shook her hand briefly before sitting down across from her. “Piper…I think we may have talked once online, but I afraid I’m a bit forgetful too.” He smiled at her trying to diffuse some of the tension that the full moon was not causing. The Beta took a sip of his drink and looked at her with a curious expression. “I hope you don’t mind me being frank, but,” he leaned in closer to whisper, “you wouldn’t happen to be a lycan would you?” Nick was endangering himself by just talking to Piper, but something in him was urging him to ask her.

Josh finished getting undressed and waited patiently as the rest of the bears did the same. Josh wouldn't feel comfortable until the whole sleuth was safe within the confines of the cave. "Everyone ready? Besides Jasmine who is always ready these days." He winked at her and stretched his neck, preparing for his shift.

Scarlett Scarlett let out a sigh as she strolled over to the rest of her troop, "Sorry, y'all. I got held up, but I'm here now. And, for the record, I'm not spooked. I was just exercisin' a little caution."

The Hollow A man walked into the Hollow—an average man, is all that could be said for him. A man of average height, average build. Wearing an average jacket and an average baseball hat, not unlike half of the people in there. But he was fidgety. Anyone who was lycan who got too close to him would probably smell the sweat on him. He flexed his hands, once, and exhaled before sitting at the bar.

Ash laughed at Rae and followed his best friend to the bar. He was hardly going to turn down a drink. Full Moon's recently just weren't as fun as usual. Part of him wish their flight had been yesterday. He nodded with a smile back at Rae.

Flynn felt that uneasiness again, before promptly shoving the feeling away with a scowl. Despite the fact that Indiana often, at times, reminded him of his mother with some of her gestures, Flynn busied himself with beginning to strip for the change.

Colt reached over for his sister, his arm going around her shoulders as his lips dropped to the crown of her head. "Worried about you, darlin'. Don't go runnin' off again, okay?"

Sav sighed with relief at Scarlett's entrance, bringing her forward and pulling her into her arms. "Y'scared me, fool." She whispered before pulling back.

Harmony quickly got situated in her car, her hands shakily fastening her seatbelt and sticking the key in the ignition. She shot a quick glance at Indi and thanked the universe that she had ample practice speeding through the streets of Pickens. The car was well on its way toward the farm before she found her voice again. “Are you okay? I mean are you going to be okay? What the hell happened? Who did this to you?” She hadn’t meant to bombard the ‘wolf with questions but her fear left no room for clear thought. She’d never seen so much blood in her life. Harmony took her eyes off the road to glance at the injured ‘wolf again. The sight of the blood made her stomach roll and her foot press down harder on the accelerator.

Scarlett took comfort from being surrounded by her twin and her best friend. "I won't, scout's honor," she said to Colt before pulling Sav into another quick hug. "Didn't mean to scare no one, just wanted to make sure I'd be safe this time."

Dustin shook off his shoes and strips quickly. He sent Josh a nod waiting for the group to leave for the river. It wasn't long afterwards he fell to his knees, feeling the shift hit him.

Sav frowned at that. Vannah partically blamed herself for Scarlett's injury; a best friend should take better care of the other. "You'll be the safest, darlin'. I won't let ya get hurt again."

The Hollow The man kept his jacket on but rapped on the bar, gently, once. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it with some alcohol in him. No one could blame him for that. He cleared his throat and looked around for the bartender, or a waiter.

Erick had decided to head out that night to Fox Hollow before moon rise. It was always simultaneously a scary and exciting night for him and he'd picked up a few habits, while always trying to change his patterns for his own safety. But he tried to maximize the few hours of full control he had before nightfall and the Hollow might have been the most interesting place to go that night. He walked in right behind a man who smelled strongly of sweat but didn't seem out of breath as if he'd run. The 'horse didn't think too much of it though and sat down at a table not too far, curiously scanning the bar for familiar faces.

Piper forced her lips to curve in response to his smile, feeling guilty for her abrupt rudeness. She took a deep breath and then another, forcing more of the tension from her taut body. However, tension shot right back into her when he mentioned being a lycan. Her eyes flared slightly, a wariness filling them. "Why do you want to know?" The air conditioning brought new scents to Piper, a familiar one at that but she wasn't necessarily sure who to trust in this town.

Scarlett smiled reassuringly at Sav. "I know that, hun, but I just needed to remind myself of that before headin' over here."

Shiloh couldn't help but let her eyes slowly stray towards Flynn, watching as he hastily removed his clothing before she blushed and turned her head, ashamed.

Harley was relieved to see Scar show up. Her green eyes watched the red head get greeted first by Colt and then by Sav. She just nodded at the red head and grinned slightly before she glanced around the Hollow to see who was left. The 'cats, Piper and Nick, as well as a few other patrons. The man who entered though, average looking, caught her attention because of how fidgety he was. Licking her lips, Harley watched as he sat down and rapped on the bar for Colt's attention. After a minute, she looked away and over at Colt.

Jasmine finished pulling off her clothes as quickly as possible without making exerting herself more than she needed to. She nodded her head at Josh and allowed herself to shift, hoping that shed be in less pain than she was before.

Colt felt himself tense again at his sister's words. 'This time' echoed through his mind, a constant reminder of his failure to keep her safe. All he had wanted his entire life was to keep her safe and since becoming Alpha, that had extended to the rest of his troop. They were all family and he would sooner die before letting anything else happen to them. He raised his head, hearing the customer at the counter rap on the counter. "Be right back." He murmured to the troop, making his way over to the man. "What can I get ya?"

Rae F watched as the bartender prepped two glasses on the counter for the 'cats. She needed to get some alcohol in her system before her 'cat clawed its way out. Out of the mere corner of her eye, she noticed the man at the end of the counter, sitting on the bar stool. Rae kept her vision pointed at the back wall but couldn't help as her interest piqued.

Indiana gritted her teeth, the sting of poison running through her body and making her head swim. Add to that the fact that she was rapidly losing blood and Indiana wasn't exactly in the best frame of mind, her light skin becoming pastier by the second. Answering Harmony's questions to the best of her ability, she growled, "I'm fine, just gotta get home. She jumped me, I think she's crazy. Seen her at the Hollow before, Irish chick, that's all I know. She's after the 'wolves." Inhaling sharply, she pushed herself up when she saw the farm in sight. "Just let me out and get the hell out of here. She's coming."

The Hollow The man resisted the urge to quote 5 O'Clock Somewhere at him because it seemed like, while he was going to need something tall and strong, a hurricane wasn't going to do it. "Jack, double, with ginger. No ice." His hands fidgeted with the napkin as he looked around the room with a cursory glance. "And a new york strip. Medium rare."

Colt began to prepare the man's drink, surveying him with narrowed eyes. The smell of sweat was apparent in the air surrounding him and he was nervously fiddling. Colt felt his suspicions arise but forced them back, shooting the man a smile as he handed him the glass. "Of course. Comin' right up."

Erick 's gaze landed on Piper who was sitting with a man and he couldn't help the little side smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. They had gotten fairly friendly after she'd joined FC. He left his table before having ordered and walked over to them, tapping her shoulder in a friendly manner. "Hey, fancy seeing you here."

Scarlett kept an eye on Colt as he dealt with a customer. Something wasn't sitting right with her, but she tried to chalk it up to nerves. Still, her eyes stayed glued on Colt in case something happened.

Ash leant on the bar, half turned to Rae, he looked around the Hollow as he waited, it was definitely busy, people had clearly missed the place. "Looking forward to tomorrow?" He asked Rae casually.

Nick saw the tension set in her shoulders and he realized at how stupid he’d been .Who would outright admit they were a lycan to a complete stranger. He held his hands up meaning her no harm. “I’m pretty sure I know a lycan when I smell them. Granted smell was never really my best sense.” Nick’s eye went up to the man who walked over to their table. Obviously, he knew Piper, so Nick was content with just sitting there and watching him.

Piper frowned at the hands that Nick lifted up but for some reason, it was the horse in her that relaxed first, something that surprised her a bit. Normally the horse was her main source of instinct so she reckoned if the horse wasn't too threatened by Nick then she might as well relax. Piper heard Erick before he placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her head up toward him with a small smile on her lips. " 'Lo, Erick." She felt slightly comforted by the presence of the other horse, especially seeing as he was the guy that had been teaching her to fight. She gestured toward Nick. "Dunno if you two know each other but Nick, this Erick. Erick, this is Nick."

Rae F could barely tear her senses away from the man who had suddenly arrived at the Hollow. The smell of sweat filtered into her nose, a pungent odor of sorts. Rae quickly glanced up at Colt, giving a firm smile and nod to him. Without knowing it, Ash was at her side, asking her something about tomorrow. "What'd you say?" She stammered, keeping one ear focused on the man at the end of the bar.

Harmony continued to take deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down. She could feel the adrenaline taking over her body. “Irish? I met her once at the Hollow. I think her name is Aine. Why would she be after the wolves?” Harmony mused as she pulled up into the long driveway of the farmhouse. She wasn’t the type to leave a friend in the lurch, so she damn sure wasn’t going to let Indi walk all the way to up to the farmhouse alone and bleeding. “I’m not just going to toss you out of the car, Indi. Especially when there’s a psycho after you.” She threw the car into to park and unbuckled her seatbelt. Flinging her car door open, the girl ran to the other side to help Indi out of the car.

The Hollow The man licked his lips and said "Thank you," in a voice that didn't sound too deep nor too high and waited for his food to come. He could feel eyes on him, but that was to be expected. He looked out the window, straining to see something, anything, but saw nothing at all.

Flynn paused, his nose twitching slightly as a familiar coppery smell reached his nose. He knew that smell and right away, his inner hackles began to rise as his eyes flicked to Kinsey. "Do you smell that?" He tensed even more as a car barreled down the drive and out ran Harmony. He frowned, wondering what she was doing on the property before he saw Indi through the front shield. He shot down the porch steps towards the car.

Erick extended an arm out towards Nick and nodded politely. "Nice to meet ya'." The Silver stirred inside of him, a mixture of tension and excitement. He looked Nick over curiously, his gut was that this guy was more than met the eye. And the comment about smell definitely caught his attention. He interjected. "So are you a lycan then?" He had to suppress his urge to curl his upper lip over his teeth to get a better scent, cause that would look weird as hell in public.

Shiloh darted her eyes back to Flynn, sniffing the air under his instruction. The deep, strong scent of copper was unmistakable. It didn't take much thinking before she too was running towards the car.

Kinsey was on her feet before Flynn could finish getting the words out. Josh's pet human shouldn't be anywhere near here, but she saw Indiana in the front and that nullified her initial frustration. Something was off. Something was definitely off. She smelled blood and nearly tore off the door handle in her haste to get to Indiana, not caring if she barged into Harmony.

Colt returned back to the front of the bar after giving the man's order to the cook. He kept a close eye on the stranger, his arms crossed at his chest. He shot a look over at the troop, urging them to stay where they were before looking back at the man. "You new in town? Reckon you must be. I know just about everyone here."

Zachary “Somethin’s wrong.” He whispered to the Beta at his side while keeping his eyes glued on Harmony’s car, his shoulders tensing and the hairs at the back of his neck standing on edge. Blood. All he could smell was blood.

The Hollow flicked his brown eyes up once to the barkeep–and owner, if memory served—with his hands across his chest. "No sir. Lived here all my life." His words rang of truth because under other circumstances, he had been in this establishment before.

Indiana threw herself out of the car as soon as it stopped moving, grateful for Harmony's help but needing to do things her way. Clapping her good hand on Harmony's shoulder she explained, "Thanks for the ride, but you gotta listen to me. I'm with my family. Get the hell OUT of here." Suddenly Kinsey was in front of her and she found herself leaning heavily into her girlfriend, speaking hurriedly. "That Irish chick is a hunter, she's coming for us. I'll take the kids into the woods, but you gotta fight her off." Stepping back to reveal her lifeless arm, she explained brokenly, "I can't help you, I'm sorry. Best I can do is get the kids out of here."

Madison nodded at Zach's words and took off after Kinsey, sensing danger and definitely smelling blood. She felt the hair spike up on the back of her neck and tried to shake off her shift for the moment. As Kinsey made her way to Indiana, Madison's eyes darted around their surroundings, looking for something, anything, the air was too tense, as if the calm before the storm.

Colt nodded at the man, the 'fox inside of him shifting uncomfortably. "My mistake then." Colt bit down on his bottom lip before stepping away to gather the man's food for him.

Harley kept her attention on Colt and the man the entire time, hands resting in her lap. She could smell sweat and was fairly sure that it was coming from Average Joe down there. Licking her lips together, she tilted her head to the side and listened while checking her phone. Her 'fox didn't like this. Hell, she didn't like this.

Ash smiled with a small shake of his head, "Are you looking forward dot tomorrow?" he repeated, noticing where Rae's focus had previously been.

Josh needed to get Jasmine in the cave as soon as possible. He began to shift, motioning for the rest of the group to do the same. It was time to hunt and possibly time to bring new life into this world. If Josh knew anything, it was that with his luck, Jasmine would go into labor right after they left the cave.

Flynn unconsciously took a step closer to Shiloh while simultaneously moving back from Kinsey and Indiana to give the both of them room. His gaze roved around Indiana and he almost bared his teeth, fists clenching.

Kinsey was surprised, in her own way, when Indi told her what had happened—surprised Indiana hadn't high-tailed it elsewhere, anywhere, alone, at the mention of a hunter. The fact that she'd made it all the way back was something in and of itself, and it brought a grim smile to Kinsey's lips. "You'll take 'em, but not yet." She glanced around, smelling, seeing more acutely than before, and coming up empty so far. They had time. Little time, but time enough. She shifted her fangs and knew it would scar, but she didn't care: she tore into her own wrist and shoved her bleeding arm at Indiana. It was the moon—Kinsey was strong, it would help her heal.

Scarlett grew more and more uncomfortable the longer Colt stayed with the customer. She had always prided herself on customer service but tonight she cared more about all of them staying safe. She inched closer to Sav, "Is it just me or are things a little suspect over there?"

Shiloh was watching the scene unfold with her eyes bulging as wide as they could go. It was almost enough to distract her from noticing how Flynn took a step closer to her, but Shiloh dismissed it as an attempt to get out of the way, which she followed by stepping backwards to make room.

Nick shook his hand, making sure to keep his grip firm. “You too, Erick.” The tension his stomach doubled the longer Erick stood in front of him. He raised an eyebrow when he asked him about his lycanthropy. Nick sent a questioning glance over to Piper, and then flicks his gaze back over to the man. “In matter of fact, I am,” he said confidently. His eyes harden slightly. “Got a problem with it?”

Rae F turned her head towards Ash, giving him her nearly full attention. "Oh, yes, I am. Looking forward to your parents and Skylar hammering us about being a couple, why you decided to bring me instead of coming solo, there's a laundry list full of what I'm excited for," she smirked, prodding him gently in the side with her elbow. "But a vacation, with you? Color me excited." Her lips tweaked into a smile as she channeled into the conversation on the other side of the restaurant.

Sav leaned in to hear Scarlett's words, nodding her head in agreement. "Mhmm." She whispered, watching as Colton interacted with the odd stranger. "Do ya know him?"

Grace strode through the front doors of the Hollow, shrugging her jacket off and laying it over her forearm. She had a little while before the moon rose, and thought she'd enjoy herself a little with good food and a fresh scene for once. After being stuck by herself, except for her evening drink with Nick a while back, due to her ankle had been pure hell. She smiled, looking around the scene of the familiar building.

Emma Lee wasn’t used to waiting, especially on the full moon. Waiting made her antsy, so she tended to show up to the troop gatherings as late as possible. But tonight didn’t seem to be her night. Emma sidled up to Harley, her eyes attempting to catch a glimpse of the ‘fox’s phone. “Damn, I shoulda brought my phone. That way I could play Angry Birds or somethin’ while we wait for the chief to close up shop.” Her eyes slid from watching Colt over to the man sitting at the bar. “I ain't seen him before, but I reckon Jethro over there best be a fast eater.” She announced, feeling her inner ‘fox already clawing to get out. "I'm ready to get the fuck outta here."

Piper arched an eyebrow as her gaze flicked between Erick and Nick before a grin broke out on her face. The first grin she'd worn since she'd left Wyoming yesterday. Horses. More horses. Just a few months ago, she'd barely run into horses and now there were two others in town. Whether it was a good or bad thing was yet to be decided but so far, it seemed like a good thing to her.

Madison was at Indi's side in an instant, giving her and Kinsey space, but hovering protectively over both of them. Whoever did this would pay with their life, Madison could guarantee that. She watched as Kinsey gave Indiana her blood, glad that it would at least help the other beta somewhat. "I want to stay, you shouldn't take on this hunter alone." Madison wasn't sure if Kinsey would argue with her, but the beta didn't care, she needed to be by her friend's side. It was where she belonged and she wouldn't feel comfortable knowing her alpha was facing this threat alone. "Jesse can take Indi and the pups."

Indiana looked up into Kinsey's eyes with urgency, her whole body humming with fear and a desire to run that she was pushing down as hard as she could. She didn't question the blonde when she was offered her wrist, simply taking it up to her own mouth and drinking quickly and hungrily, hoping it would give her enough strength to keep her babies safe until this was all over with. As much as she wanted to just pass out from pain and exhaustion, to just lay down until everything stopped burning, she knew she had a job to do and there was no time for anything else. Pulling her mouth away and licking her lips, she reached up and kissed Kinsey quickly before saying more firmly, "I gotta get the kids into the woods. The shift will help some, and the blood. Hurry, before she gets here."

Scarlett shrugged before responding, "I haven't the faintest who he is, but he sure is making my fox mighty nervous though." She took her eyes off Colt for a minute to glance over at Emma Lee and Harley before nudging Sav, "Looks like we aren't the only ones feelin' that way either."

Jasmine finished shifting and once she was completely a bear, she still felt the pain. It wasn't as unbearable as it had been, but it was still painfully obvious that she was having her cubs soon. She waited for everyone to finish shifting before letting out a small growl over the fact that she needed to get to the cave soon.

Jesse His eyes cut to the approaching car, his nostrils flaring. He leaped down from the porch after Kinsey, Flynn and Madison, the smell of blood inflirtating his nose as he approached them. He flicked his eyes to Flynn, resting his hand firmly on the younger 'wolf's shoulder for a moment. ”Be cool, brother,” he said, his eyes returning to watch Kinsey as she sank her fangs into her wrist and offered her arm at the injured Beta. Then he let his eyes drift towards the woods, his irises shifting from their natural hazel to deep, golden yellow as he took in their surroundings, his every instinct straining to hear any disruptions from around the area. He turned his head to Madison and Kinsey. "I'm staying. Let her fucking come." The words morphed into a near-growl in the end, his teeth lengthening inside his mouth, the muscles in his arms flexing slightly.

Erick sat down confidently and suppressed the urge to snort at Nick's reaction, relaxing immediately. Typical. He shook his head sincerely. "I don't. Just wanted to confirm what I already thought I knew."

Kinsey nodded as Indiana urged her to hurry; her wrist was already healing over, slowly knitting itself back together. She looked around at her brother and her heart ached; she looked at Shiloh, too, her little pup. Yes, they couldn't stay. This wasn't something they could all tackle together, not the Deltas and not Indiana. But there were too many Deltas for just Indiana to handle, founded as she was. One of the other Betas had to go. She flickered her fierce eyes between Jesse and Madison before finally saying, "Well, you two pissing contest it out. One of you needs to go with Indi." And take care of her, was the unspoken sentence, as much as it was to watch over the pack. Then she left them there, sputtering if they did, and headed inside to reinforce the house. The hunter wouldn't be using her own home as a base, that was for damn sure. On her way out, she picked up the shotgun. Sure, she was 'wolf, but she also wasn't going to give up the element of surprise. Hunters never thought they'd be facing guns—like they were the only ones who had them.

Dustin raised his head to look around at the Sleuth. He moved closer to Evie, wanting to be near her, and waited patiently for Josh's orders to move along.

Colt returned with the man's food, placing it in front of him. "Hope that's to your likin'. Better eat up, though. We're closin' early tonight." He kept his eyes trained on the human, waiting for some kind of reaction at the statement.

Flynn Despite his anger and want to help, Flynn listened to Jesse and kept his temper in control. For the moment. He looked up to all the betas but he felt he could relate more to Jesse than to Madison and Indiana. Hell, if Flynn even believed in role models, it would have been Jesse. He gnashed his teeth slightly at the feeling of uselessness. He wasn't the type to just sit around, so this feeling pissed him off even more.

Harley lifted her head as Emma Lee slid up to her side. One brow lifted at the 'fox before she finished the message she was sending. Locking the screen, Harley leaned back against the bar. "Probably should have with this guy," she replied with a loose shrug. Her attention still remained split between Colt and the stranger while listening to the other 'foxes. "But you aren't the only one ready to go either." With everything that had happened at Fox Hollow as of late, she wanted to get out of the building. And the stranger did nothing but make the hairs on her neck stand on end.

Titus: accompanying the extension of the 'rabbit's arm was the unfurling of his fingers from his palm; their delicate lengths touching upon Grace's shoulderblade, gently, as he sidled up alongside her;; pressing lips boldly yet nevertheless cautiously to her temple. "Hellooo, gorgeous."

Sav agreed with Scarlett 100%. It was odd that she'd never seen the stranger before... Sav usually made it her business to know everyone in Pickens. "Can you blame them? He's sketchy as hell."

Zachary fell back when the others approached the car, looking immediately for Shiloh and when he caught sight of her he moved to make sure he was between her and whatever danger was approaching. He felt his wolf pushing fast for the surface, but did his best to stave off the inevitable. “Got you, sweetness. Stay quiet, stay still, hear?”

Ash laughed at Rae's comments, "It won't be that bad. Sky'll be too busy with Drake to even care." Ash prodded Rae back in the arm, "Holidays with me are always great," He winked at his fellow 'cat, "Maybe if we have the time we can go to Six Flags."

The Hollow The man grunted his appreciation and little else, downing the drink in one fell swoop. Even if it was odd, even if a man shouldn't be able to hold all of a double at once, he did it. Not because he was more or less than human—mostly because he had no alternative. He shifted his weight and lifted the steak knife to the cut of meat, eating a chunk and thinking about how good it tasted.

Grace blinked and jumped a little, her lips soon spreading into a gentle smile at the sight of Titus. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" She breathed, laughing lightly as she caught his greeting. "I didn't expect to see you around here, Mr. March," she piped with a witty glimmer in her eyes. "You up for a drink and something to eat?"

Nick shrugged letting himself relax again. “You never can be too sure anymore. So I can assume you’re one as well…Smells like it.” Indeed, Erick smelled the same as Piper, and Nick put two and two together. "Lemme guess, horses right? Aren't I lucky then."

Madison stepped up to the other beta. "Go with Indi, you're strong, you can carry her if you have to. Take care of the pack. My place is at Kinsey's side. There will be time to fight later, I'm sure of it." Madison placed a strong reassuring hand on his shoulder. Jesse had been in too many fights recently and his size and strength would be a greater asset to the pack than to Kinsey at the moment. Speed is a better defense against hunter's than strength. "Take them into the woods, there is a cave at the north side of the property, it will be safe there."

Harmony nodded. All she could do was nod, her fear catching her voice again. She took minor comfort from her friend’s assurance and quickly moved to the side to let Kinsey get to Indi, backing up until her back was pressed against her car. Her eyes took in all the ‘wolves that had gathered outside and she itched to have her camera. Pushing down her inner filmmaker, she turned to shut the passenger side door and her eyes landed on all the blood in the seat. Holy shit. She turned back toward the ‘wolves just in time to see the blonde feeding Indi her blood. Holy shit. Her stomach rolled again and she was sure she was going to vomit or faint. Or both. “I’m gonna be sick,” she announced to no one in particular before doubling over and retching into the grass.

Piper gave a slight nod to Nick's question, confirming the question. She leaned forward in her chair and folded her hands on the table. "Lucky as all hell, Nick." Her lips twitched slightly.

Colt stepped back, busing himself with looking through the book of figures he kept by the register, though his attention was still completely focused on the man eating before him. His 'fox was anxious, practically clawing inside him to be released.

Indiana didn't wait around for Jesse and Madison to decide who got to fight, knowing neither one of them would want to be stuck playing babysitter to her and her wounds. Stumbling up to the house, she grabbed a roll of gauze and moved towards Zach, pushing it into his hand. "Wrap me up, okay champ? I'm gonna shift, then you wrap me up so I'll stop bleeding for a bit and we can get the hell out of here." Ripping her clothes off, she bit back a howl as black fur sprouted from her skin and she stood in front of Zach as a 'wolf.

Scarlett tried to restrain herself from reacting too strongly to watching the stranger use a knife, but she was more than a little scared now. "You ain't lying," she said to Sav, "I'll just be happy when we've closed up shop. Then all we gotta worry about is whatever's out there hunting us and not people coming here to do it." Her voice shook as she spoke, betraying her attempt at a cool facade.

Josh nodded at the group and shook out his shifted fur, padding slowly into the forest towards the cave, Jasmine right behind him and Ivan taking up the rear. They made there way to the cave, Josh's senses completely alert. He checked behind him every few minutes, sensing the pain Jasmine was feeling. Maybe tonight would be the night, from the looks of it, the bears may not even get to the river.

Ash 's eyes glanced down the bar, noticing the man down his drink in one and mentally commended him, but there was something off. He could sense the faint murmur of something not being right and he looked back to Rae as the guy tucked into his food.

Harley let her gaze flick from Colt and the stranger to Sav and Scar. "You two do realize we're sitting right here and can hear everything you're saying?" She lifted a brow at the two female 'foxes before folding her arms across her chest. She was ready to go but the guy down there seemed content to eat his food at a regular pace.

Flynn took advantage of he resulting debate and shifting to step even closer to Shiloh. Under his breath, he murmured softly to her. "Stay near me. Listen to Zach too but just stay near me, a'right?"

Sav watched how Scarlett tensed at every move the mystery man made, and wrapped a arm around her shoulders in comfort. "And then we'll have ourselves a grand full moon, just like your bro said." In a way, she was trying to fool herself, too.

Rae F shrugged as Ash mentioned Sky, knowing full well she'd be similar to Bridezilla on the days leading up to her wedding. Groaning at the whispers coming from the other side of the restaurant, she had wished she could tell the 'foxes to quite themselves before they led the man on. "Ah, now you've piqued my interest. Six Flags is exactly what I need," she smirked, "maybe an impromptu swim in the bay?" Clutching her slender fingers around the chilled glass, she tilted the rim to her lips, taking a firm sip. Looking to the side, she took a quick glance at the mystery man.

Jasmine wanted to just sit and stop making her way to the cave, because she knew the cubs were practically coming now. She followed behind Josh keeping as alert as possible, this wasn't the night to lose anyone else, especially considering her condition. Once they made it to the cave Jasmine realized that there wasn't going to be anything to do tonight other than give birth to the cubs.

Evie stayed alert as they sleuth made their way into the woods, close by Dustin and keeping an eye on Jasmine. Her biggest priority for the night was making sure their beta and her cubs made it through the moon safely.

Scarlett chuckled softly, happy to see that the stranger hadn't shaken Harley too much. "Yeah, 'course we know that. But the goal is to appear human and humans can't hear as well as us. Tonight of all nights is a good time to keep up appearances. We don't know what'll happen when we step outside."

Erick looked at them both silently with a little smile. Lucky? He wasn't really sure if there was such a thing. "So how do you know each other if you don't mind my asking? I think I've seen you around town before, but I'm surprisingly out of the loop."

Rae F noticed Ash's gaze following down the bar, focused on the man sitting at the end. Rae tilted her head, finishing off her drink, staring at the man. There was an obvious awareness in the air, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. "Something's off about him," she murmured under her breath only for Ash to hear.

Shiloh was getting all different kinds of demands from two men, but chose to calmly listen to both of them. Nodding once to Zachary, she turned her attention to Flynn and looked up at her comforting eyes. "Yes, sir." She whispered, lowering her head down.

Flynn fidgeted for a moment. "Don't worry, Shi. Gonna take care of you. The pack will too." Flynn wasn't big on open displays of affection but he discreetly moving his hand toward hers, gently brushing his fingers over hers.

Harley smirked briefly, green eyes watching the red head. "Well when we stand around like a little chick gang at Fox Hollow and half of us look antsy as hell, we don't look normal, do we?" She didn't bother to hide the dry tone to her voice, didn't care to. The guy wouldn't hear them and the other humans in the place weren't close enough to hear either.

The Hollow Ate half of his steak before he knew he wouldn't be allowed to swallow another bite. The buzzing in his ear was at him, whispering. Under his breath, he cursed. His hands shook, ever so slightly, as he reached for the steak knife. He had other weapons on him, of course, but he had to be specific about this. Brandishing the Fox Hollow steak knife, he stood up and said, "One of you will sacrifice yourself to me or all of you will die." He didn't have to specify what he meant by 'you.'

Nick let out a small chuckle, and shook the hair out of his face. He had met other horses in the past, but he sure wasn’t expecting meeting any here in Pickens. “To be honest, we haven’t really met before this, just talked on the internet once or twice. I work at the Rookery if that helps. Tall, male barista that works mostly mornings, that’d be me.”

Shiloh could feel her heart flutter at his words, and even more so when he allowed his skin to touch hers. It was a small, brief touch, but it still meant more to her than he could know. "I know, Flynn. I trust you."

Colt clenched his jaw when the man suddenly stood, holding one of his own knives out threateningly. This was /his/ place and it was bad enough that it had been attacked twice and he'd be damned if it happened again. He raised his eyes, locking them on the human. "You don't want to do this, brother. In fact, I think you'll be wantin' to leave right now."

The Hollow The man snorted. "I don't want to do this. But I have to. Do I need to repeat myself? One, or done."

Scarlett had opened her mouth to reply to Harley, when the stranger stood up and all the air left her lungs. She was really and truly scared now and didn't know what to do. Her heart hammered in her chest as she watched the exchange between Colt and the customer, terrified of the outcome.

Piper "He pretty much covered it." Piper chuckled before s paused for a moment, a slight shiver rolling over her before her eyes immediately flicked to the man at the bar, her entire body stiffening. She remained still, mind working over what he had said. Sacrifice or death. She looked to the owner of the bar and her fists balled instinctively.

Colt exhaled a long breath, his hands clenched into fists at his side. "And why's that? Ain't nobody gotta get hurt here." He attempted to keep the man engaged, stepping sideways along the counter.

The Hollow The man shook his head. "Someone has to get hurt here."

Jesse His gaze followed Indi as she climbed up to the house and then returned to Madison. It was his duty as much as it was hers to stay at Kinsey's side and defend their territory, but his protective instincts were drawn towards the rest of the pack. ”Got it,” he growled, pressing his forehead against Madison's for a brief moment as a signal of trust. He turned around to face the Deltas, his hands unbuckling his belt buckle and pushing the denim down his legs, the beginning of the transformation already racing through his spine. ”We're heading north,” he announced. ”Keep it tight and stay together. Follow Indi's and Zach's lead. Me and Flynn are bringing up the rear.” When he finished talking, Jesse dropped down onto all fours, the change coursing through him, fur coalescing over his human skin, as he waited for the pack to assemble and start moving towards their destination.

The Hollow: He swung his gaze around the room and called out, more loudly. "So who is it going to be? Who gets to play martyr?" He swallowed thickly, barely able to get the words out.

Erick nodded, placing him in his mind. Right, he was one of Layla's coworkers. "I'm Layla's roommate. And one of the bar tenders at The Outlaw," he commented with a smile. Before he could keep going though, the man he had followed in earlier and that smelled like sweat stood up. Erick immediately stood up in response to his words. He was used to defusing situations at the Saloon maybe he could handle this. He walked cautiously towards the man. "Hey now... I don't know what's the matter, but I'm sure it's something we can talk it out." He glanced at Colton and gestured with his chin. Teamwork?

Colt nodded his head stiffly. "I guess so, sir." The Alpha reaches below the counter, pulling out the fully loaded shotgun that he kept there in case of emergencies. He leveled it with the man's chest, his hands steady. "But it ain't gonna be any of us."

Rae F took in a sharp breath as she carefully listened as the gruff man began making demands. "Easy, Scar," she muttered, wanting the other red head to remain calm, even though Rae had no tie to the fox troop. "Don't make sudden movements."

Harley looked over at Colt and the man when she saw Scar freeze. Her jaws pressed together, biting down a growl. Her body straightened slowly so that she was no longer leaning against the counter. Her 'fox was all for leaving now but she didn't want the guy to lose it. For now, she bit down on the urge to run as her hands curled into fists. When he called for a martyr, her eyes flicked over to Colt before looking back to the man.

Ash smiled, knowing that the mention of the amusement park would get that reaction. He returned her smirk, "And maybe I can teach you how to surf?" The older cat nodded and was just about to whisper back when, as if right on que the man stood up and began brandishing his steak knife. Ash watched carefully as the man and Colt spoke, his glass forgotten in his hand.

Thom followed Jesse's lead after a curt nod, fear heavy like lead in his belly. He had to do his part to protect his packmates, so after a look to Zach he stripped down and left his baggy clothes in a heap on the ground. He gazed up at the moon, feeling the beginnings of the transformation prickle along his skin and willing his wolf to come out.

The Hollow The eyes were on him again and the buzzing in his ears was louder than ever. He looked down the barrel of that shotgun and never wavered with his knife. "You don't know what you're doin. You're only hurtin yourself." There was fear in his eyes, but oddly, it wasn't focused on the shotgun, if Colt cared to look. His fear went beyond the man in front of him. He paid him no mind and repeated the question. "Who will be my sacrifice?"

Flynn gave Jesse another nod to show that he understand before he followed the beta's lead. The change came naturally to him, having been doing it all his life. Silver-grey fur sprouted over his skin and he gently nudged Shiloh toward the middle before taking up his post in the rear.

Rae F clenched her hands into fists at her side, preparing to protect Ash and herself, ready to shift at the drop of a dime. Forgetting Ash's questions, Rae shifted from leaning on the counter to standing straight, blocking Ash.

Colt spoke, a growl vibrating through his voice. "Reckon I know exactly what I'm doin'. Ain't nobody gonna get hurt here. This is my place and it ain't gonna happen so why don't you just go on and drop the knife." He desperately wanted to shift his focus to his troop, to shoot them reassuring looks, but he dared not take his eyes off the man.

Nick didn’t have time to answer Erick before he saw the man stand up. Immediately he moves himself in front of Piper, shielding her from any harm. Now that he’d found out there were other ‘horses around he wasn’t going to let anyone hurt them. “Piper, stay behind me okay, and don’t make any sudden movement. He watched carefully as the exchange kept going on. Now was not the time for this, he thought.

Kinsey watched as Jesse took off with Indiana and the pack and part of her heart went with them, trusting the two of them with her life's work. But as soon as they were out of sight, Kinsey knew she had to keep to that trust and forget them. At least it was one hunter, the way Indiana told it. Just one. She could manage that. She had to manage that, on her home turf, to keep her people safe. With level breathing, she kept the vantage point by staying on the porch, keeping distance and able to see from all angles who might be coming along. Farm was arranged with good reason, being in the family so many generations. All the wilds were out back, but all the trails Indiana could have left would lead to the front. Kinsey kept the house to her back; she never put her clothes back on, but there she stood, ready with her shotgun loaded and levelled.

Erick tried to think quickly, looking between Colt and the strange man, who didn't seem like he would relent. He didn't know Colton enough to determine if he'd actually pull the trigger but no one had to get hurt, including the lunatic. He looked to the owner of the Hollow from behind the man and mouthed silently 'will you back me up?' If he could take this guy outside he'd have a chance to disarm and neutralize him. He'd been training in martial arts precisely for this sort of thing.

Scarlett kept her eyes on Colt but tried to calm her breathing. Panicking wouldn't help the situation at all. Being the hero had never been her style and for the first time in years, she wished it wasn't her brother's style too.

Emma Lee could feel her ‘fox on the brink of taking over. The second the guy pulled out the knives and ranting about martyrs and sacrifices, the ‘fox urged her to run. To shift. An impatient Emma Lee was one thing, but an impatient and scared Emma Lee was something entirely different. And wouldn’t be good for anyone. Emma reached out and grabbed Harley’s wrist to get her attention. She had to get out of there before her ‘fox decided to do it for her.

Harley stared at the man before pushing herself off the stool. She was standing, green eyes focusing on the man and Colt, when Emma Lee's hand wrapped around her wrist. Glancing over, Harley saw the younger girl's eyes and swore under her breath. Getting over it without the guy losing it was going to be next to impossible. "Hang on, sunshine, I got you."

Madison nodded as the group left the house. Madison moved outside to join Kinsey on the porch. "Just you and me, darlin'." Madison's hands shifted, large claws jutting out from her fingertips. They must've been quite the sight, two stark naked women standing on the porch, one with a shotgun leveled and loaded. If this didn't sum up Madison and Kinsey, the redhead wasn't sure what would.

Piper looked from Nick to Erick, a part of her indignant at being told to stay back but most of her was relieved that she had people protective of her. The horse in her was currently fighting with the flight or fight instinct, though and it took everything in her power to simply stay still. Gritting her teeth, she felt a new flash of fear for the other horses. She just found them, and she wasn't keen on watching them die.

The Hollow The buzzing in his ears was a hiss now, ever louder. And in one fell swoop, he stopped talking. There was no way no one could get hurt here. He had a family to protect. A little girl. He couldn't let her down. Couldn't let his wife down. He swerved and, so fast, buried the knife in Colt's shoulder.

Scarlett fought her fox's impulse to run to her brother and help him out. The human side of her mind urged her to be rational and that meant putting aside the anger and the pain and keeping quiet while her brother suffered for being a good Alpha. Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

Jasmine let out a small growl towards Josh and the rest of the group. There wasn't going to be any waiting around for the night. She was going to have her cubs right now. The beta sat down once they reached the cave signalling that she wasn't going to wait any longer.

Erick 's horse reflexes kicked in at the sudden movement. He wasn't able to prevent the man from stabbing colt, but he immediately swerved to the side in case Colt pulled the trigger by accident. He took this opportunity to sock one of his best right hooks to the side of the aggressor's head before jabbing him in the back of the head with his left fist.

Ash placed his hand on Rae's arm as she moved in front of him. Although a part of him appreciated the danger of the situation and the adrenaline rush that would soon come, he was also ready to hold Rae back if it came to it. His initial thoughts were his own survival and that of Rae. Neither of them were at their max health and it just wasn't wise to make a move, which would put them in more danger. The 'cat blinked as the man lunged at Colt with the knife and stared. This was a little more than a bit of danger.

Harley jumped when the man turned and buried the knife in Colt's shoulder. "Scar, take Em and get the fuck out of here," she snapped before lunging forward. She didn't care if it was stupid, didn't care if Colt was mad at her for something. He was still her Alpha, still had to be protected.

Harmony wiped her mouth, glad no one was paying attention to her. They had bigger things to worry about and so did she. She had to leave. Fast. Hurrying toward the driver’s side, she couldn’t drive away fast enough. She sped away from the farmhouse, but had to pull over on the side of the road when she was a safe distance away. The psycho killer, the urgency, the blood. This was way above her pay grade, and it was catching up to her. Her meal at the Hollow forgotten, she sat in her car until she was calm enough to continue driving.

Evie went to Jasmine's side, trusting the men to guard the cave while she tried to help her Beta in whatever way she could. She nudged her head against Jasmine's shoulder, urging the pregnant bear to lie down so the cubs could get on their way.

Colt let out a holler as the knife ripped through the muscles in his shoulder, pushing the man back at the same moment that Erick landed a punch across the man's head. He lifted the shot gun again, pain flaring through his wound at the movement and hit the man in the head with the butt of the gun. The 'fox noticed Harley rush over and let out a loud growl. "Stay back."

Rae F held steady in front of Ash even though she wanted to push forward and knock the psychotic man out of the way, but Ash's hand was soon on her lower arm, holding her back, reminding her that he came first before any of the 'foxes. A low growl tore through her chest, demanding this man be taken down.

Aine made it to the farm in no time. She could taste the tension in the air and it was fucking delicious. She pulled out both blades, wiping the bitch’s blood off on her pants, letting the edges shine like freshly polished silver. The property was nice. If Aine had been more of a home body, she would’ve seen herself at a place like this, settling down. Maybe she’d hang around after she cleared out the vermin. Slaughtering a whole wolf pack would stop the ticking for at least a month, she thought as neared the farm, eyes darting around for any signs of movement. If that girl had made it back, the wolves may have been expecting her. She stood at the edge of the forest, binoculars pointed at the small home. She was low and to the ground, remaining out of sight from anyone on the property. From the looks of it, there were two wolves, one armed, standing on the porch, a blockade of sorts. “I guess I have to go through them first. Seems like good craic, don’t you think?” Aine said to no one in general. The hunter didn’t like guns, but she always carried two revolvers just in case. She slowly approached the house from the side, out of direct view from the two women, guns pointed at them. When she was in hearing range she spoke up. “Now surely you two bitches would much rather rip me throat out than blow me brains out? What’s the fun in that?” she had one revolver pointed at each of them, even if the one with the shotgun managed to fire it off, she’d probably be able to get at least one aconite bullet in either the blonde or the redhead before she breathed her last breath. If she knew anything about wolves, they’d much prefer to protect their packmates than risk that.

Scarlett focused on the words coming out of Harley's mouth to help keep her from freezing up. The other fox was right, Emma Lee needed to get out of here and it was best if she took her. Not waiting to see what unfolded between Harley, Colt, and the customer, Scar grabbed Emma Lee's hand and took off running as if the hounds of hell were chasing her. She prayed her brother would be alright.

Dustin came to a halt near the front of the entrance to the cave. He knew he wouldn't be of much use to Jasmine, so he decided to help Ivan out with the watch. He sent Evie a quick glance before he moved closer to the other Beta, keeping his eyes peeled out for any danger.

Piper shot to her feet behind Nick, taking a few steps forward as Colt was stabbed and Erick lashed out. She didn't even realize that was gripping the knife from the table she had been sitting at - nor did she remember picking it up. Piper had been taught to protect herself at all times, by both her brother and most recently by Erick but she forced herself to stop before she moved past Nick. Instead she hovered behind Nick and glowered, her knuckles white from holding the blunt knife.

Harley made herself stop when Colt growled at her, though a growl of her own rumbled in her throat. She knew Scar and Em would be fine, the Beta fox would be able to take care of the younger girl. But she still didn't like the fact that Scar had been the one to freeze. Glaring, the 'fox let her hands hang at her side with her fingers curled into loose fists.

Emma Lee closed her eyes and concentrated on the sound of Harley’s voice and then on the familiar smell of her Beta as she was passed over to Scarlett. Colt’s voice grabbed her attention and she opened her eyes to see that he had been stabbed. She wanted to help him. She wanted to rip the crazy guy’s face off. But she also didn’t want to shift in front of everyone and put her troop in further danger. The tell-tale signs of her impending transformation were starting to take hold of her, and she felt powerless to stop it. A whispered “Scar?” was all that she could manage to get out. She hoped it would be enough to alert the Beta of the urgency of the situation.

Josh heard her growl right as they entered the cave. I guess his gut feeling was right again. He shifted his voice box so the others could hear him. "No fish tonight. Jasmine's going into labor. Evie and Bonnie will help me, the rest head to the entrance and keep watch." Josh turned towards Jasmine and nuzzled her neck. "You're going to be okay, let's get those babies out." He could feel the nerves inside him building, but he couldn't let them show.

Indiana tried her best to run with her wounded front leg, knowing that getting the pack to safety was the most important thing. With Zach beside her she headed north, as far away from the from as they could get for the time being. The run was long and terrible, making her grit her teeth and snarl more than a few times, but eventually they were up deep into the woods to a point they may not even have been to before. Once she deemed them safe, she immediately collapsed on her good side, breathing heavily and giving a soft whine. She was being as strong as she could for the Deltas but she truly wasn't in great shape. Shifting her vocal chords, she ordered, "Jesse, take 'em for a hunt. You all need to settle down and get food in your systems. Don't stray far and if you do, only go north. I'll get something around here and keep an eye out, I'm just tired."

Emma Lee let out a breath of relief as she felt the cool outside air hit her face. Scarlett had gotten her out in time but she wanted to go back in. Instead, she ran to the side of the building, hopefully out of sight of anyone else, and let the transformation run its course. She hated being sidelined like this, but her ‘fox wanted what her ‘fox wanted. And there was no way she could go back into the Hollow like this. Emma Lee would have to do one of the things she hated most. She'd have to wait.

Nick made a step forward before he realized he needed to stay put and protect Piper. He looked over his shoulder looking at her as she shot up behind him. His held his arm out in front of her, trying to keep her behind him. Nick did a double take when he saw the knife in her hands. “Piper, don’t.”

The Hollow He wasn't quick enough to dodge Erick's punch, which sprawled him out onto the bar floor, knocking over stools as he went. The steak knife went flying from his grip, but as he flew, his jacket fell open, revealing a ring of explosives strapped to his chest. There was no trigger button. His eyes went wide and he said, "If I don't kill one of you now, he will kill all of us."

Erick could feel The Silver agitated and aggressive but he refused to let the situation out of his control. He called out to Nick, who was much taller and probably heavier than himself. "Nick, pin him down, I'm gonna try and get the explosives!"

Scarlett urged her feet to move faster as she tried her best to get Emma Lee to safety. She hoped that Sav was following close behind, but her priority was Emma Lee. "Everything's gonna be okay," she said to Emma Lee as she saw the other girl head off to shift. Her own fox was itching to get out but she was scared of what would happen when it did. She wanted to kill that man for hurting her brother and in her current state of mind, her fox would try its best to do it. After taking a few more calming breaths, she shifted and focused on Emma Lee. The other fox's safety was more important right now, vengeance could wait.

Jasmine listened to Josh and got as comfortable as possible as she found a spot in the cave and laid down on her side. It was now or never and Jasmine despite her nerves was ready to become a mama bear. Hopefully nothing bad would happen tonight while this was happening. Jasmine let out a small growl before she knew it was time and pushed for the first cub to come out.

Colt felt the anger rise within him, glaring down on the man before him. He hopped over the bar, keeping the gun trained on the man's head. "You sick son of a bitch." He growled, his eyes raking over the exposed explosives. "No, Erick. Don't touch them. You have no idea what you're doing and you could blow the whole place up." He allowed himself a quick moment to glance around before yelling to the rest of the patrons. "Everybody out. NOW!"

The Hollow "Don't! He'll pull the trigger! No one leaves."

Rae F eyes narrowed in anger as her gaze fell upon the man falling to the floor, his jacket falling open, exposing the explosives hidden beneath the coat. "Ash," she growled, shoving him with her arm. "Get out of here, just get out of here," she hissed.

The Hollow He looked to the redheaded man. "I don't want to die, no more than you do. I got a girl at home, she's six. I want to get back to her. So we have to give him what he wants. We have to." The last came out like a whisper.

Evie nuzzled her head against Jasmine in an attempt to soothe her through the labor pains, her complete attention on the beta.

Harley stayed where she was, her eyes watching Colt now. She didn't do explosives. There was no way to beat up explosives. Her eyes flicked to the man on the ground as he spoke before she swallowed. Gritting her teeth, she looked at Colt again. "Pull the trigger, Colt."

Colt "You're not calling the shots anymore, brother. Ya'll get out of here. Now." Colt inhaled sharply at the man's words, his knuckles white as they clutched the gun. "Who?"

Erick was losing patience and echo'd Colt's inquiry, extending it "Who the fuck is 'he' that you keep talking about, what does he want, and why the hell does he want it?"

Josh moved to one side of Jasmine, not really able to help much since it wasn't like he had human hands to catch it or anything. "Deep breaths, you can do this."

Rae F glared at the man, a sharp growl passing over her lips. "Who the hell are you talking about?" She growled.

Piper sucked in a harsh breath at the sight of explosives, her wide eyes fixed on the man's face. Who was he talking about? What had happened make him so wretched.

Jesse kept up the rear, flanked by Flynn, as Indiana led the pack deeper into the woods with Zach. He knew it was his main priority and responsibility to keep the pack safe, but he wasn't even remotely comfortable with the idea of leaving his Alpha and the other female Beta behind to deal with the hunter. His hackles bristled and his shoulders moved stiffly, rigidly, under his tawny blond fur while the pack traveled further into the woods. Making his way to Indiana, he lowered his large head and let out a low, throaty whine, his ears flattening against his skull. Nodding at her words, he let out a deep bark to encourage the rest of the 'wolves to continue northbound. He trotted after them, his ears erect once again, eyes beginning to scan for potential prey.

Nick immediately moved to pin the man down but stopped abruptly at the Hollow’s owner yelling. He stood there frozen trying to fight the urge to flee. The Buckskin fought it out though, and moved to stand behind Erick. He looked back Piper worried, he nodded her head to leave, hoping to get her out of the Hollow. “Erick’s got a point. Who the hell is he talking about?”

The Hollow "I don't know! I don't know his name. He took me from my house and all I can tell you is he's got this strange voice, like a little too high, it ain't right. I don't know. I don't know who he is. But he's watching me, talking in my ear." He couldn't indicate the bug in his ear without the man outside in the distance noticing.

Rae F clenched her jaw, shaking her head. "There probably isn't even anyone out there! You're a psychotic fuck, dude."

Colt "Look, we can help you. If someone is trying to hurt you, we can stop them." Colt allowed a soothing tone to enter his voice, despite the way his muscles remained tight and ready to spring into action should the man even twitch. "Disarm that thing and we'll get you some help."

Dustin could hear the sounds the commotion in the back and he had to force himself to keep looking forward. He was worried for Jasmine and wished that everything was going alright.

The Hollow The man shook his head in derision. "I don't know how to undo this mess, do you?"

Rae F kept a steady eye on the man, silently chuckling as he painted himself as a victim of some loony guy. Stepping forward, ignoring whatever restraint Ash had on her, she kept a firm distance but wanted Colt to know he wasn't alone. She was too involved now to leave, or so she felt. However, she wanted Ash out of there.

Colt exhaled loudly, biting down on his bottom lip. "Can't say I do." The Alpha lifts his gaze to the rest of the customers. "I thought I told ya'll to get on out of here. It ain't safe and I'm not having ya'll blow up. Someone dial 911 and tell the police we've got a bomb in here and need a team to disarm it."

Erick was trying to think of a way to help at least some of the innocent bystanders. It would effectively appear they had a hostage situation, no cops. Time was against them: it was a Full Moon, and time was trickling away. And there was someone watching them. "No, nobody move. Whoever is giving this guy orders is probably watching us, and I would bet my right hand that he has the trigger for the explosives."

Flynn stayed beside Jesse as the wolves delved deeper into the woods, his ears pricked forward and his nose scenting even the littlest things at the moment. Occasionally his eyes strayed to Shiloh but for the most part he remained alert. For the moment, as Indiana spoke, the silver wolf stood still for a moment before following with Jesse.

Harley bit back a snarl at Rae coming closer, mostly out of the fact that she didn't want the freak on the ground to freak out and kill them all. "Seeing as how he said if we leave we all get blown to hell, I figured I'd stay." She couldn't help the dry, sarcastic tone that came with her words as she looked at Colt.

Piper tilted her chin up at Colt's gaze, longing to stand closer to the other horses but she listened to Erick and stayed put, despite how it grinded on her nerves. The chestnut flexed her hands slightly at her sides but she furrowed her brow, despite the tense situation. She didn't know how long they could stay like this, didn't know what could happen. Her eyes bounced to Harley, and despite all that was happening, her lips twitched in amusement.

Jasmine steadied her breaths. It wasn't going to do her any good to get worked up about anything when she was supposed to be giving birth. Jasmine let out a growl and pushed again till the first bear cub came out.

Rae F glanced around at the other lycans at the Hollow, a sarcastic thought passing across her mind. Who would've thought that on a full fucking moon they'd be here, some fuck on the ground threatening to blow them to pieces. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glanced at the man. "So you don't know who is manipulating you, but I'm assuming you know your own name?"

Colt allowed another growl to pass his lips. "So we're all gonna stand here starin' at each other until this place blows up? That's a brilliant idea." He shook his head, his eyes flashing. "Harley, go out the kitchen through the back door. Stay out of sight and off the road and go get us help. And that's an order, darlin' so move."

Kinsey was underestimated by the human, but it wouldn't be the first time. It amused Kinsey that hunters seemed to think they knew so damn much about their kind, only to botch it so badly. She could hear the hunter coming from the side—how could she not? And swung to fire before she got close enough to mouth off. The shotgun riddled two bullets into the hunter; but at that distance, it was likely she ducked. The shotgun wasn't exactly a long-range weapon, but it might be enough to scare her off. Instead, she kept coming, close enough to mouth off. Kinsey just laughed. She could wave the revolvers all she liked, made no difference. The Alpha was more worried about Madison than herself, so she Aura Lashed her Beta hard enough to get her to move and muss up any aim the hunter might have; simultaneously, she shot again, this time at close range, aiming for the woman's thigh. She had one thing right: this wasn't going to be done quickly. Kinsey was going to make it hurt.

Erick knew one thing. The important part was to get everyone safe. To get this guy and the bombs as far away from everyone else as possible. "If someone gave themselves up, would you let everyone else in this place leave the building?"

The Hollow "I ain't nobody. Sam Marshall, god's truth. It's in my wallet." He moved to stand up, more to show he was in control of the situation to the man watching, to make it look like he wasn't fucking this all up.

Colt narrowed his eyes at Erick, not liking where this was going.

Piper 's eyes flew to the other horse and couldn't help the words that flew from her mouth. "Erick, don't." She'd be damned if he was going to play martyr without her getting a few words in.

Nick eyes widened. "Erick, don't."

Colt "No" Colt pushed the man back down with the toe of his boot, the gun trained at his head. "You ain't movin' until we got this all fixed. And no one is givin' themselves up. This is my place and it's my job to keep ya'll safe."

Erick "I'm just trying to figure out what it is that the mastermind wants. Any of us do a wrong move and we're all BBQ + fried." He looked back at the man. "Okay Sam. Is he just givin' you orders or can he hear what's going on in here?"

Rae F looked to Erick, shaking her head. She knew the guy had training in self defense, but that didn't mean anyone had to give up their lives. "No body is going to be blown up in here while everyone else gets to live," she muttered. "So Sam Marshall, tell us about that bug in your ear."

Harley glanced over at Colt, her lips pressing together. Orders were orders. If they all ended up as well done steaks, it wasn't her fault. Well, technically. She licked her lips together before boosting herself over the counter and into the back. With her eyes on the windows and feeling like she was sneaking out of Benedict's house all over again, she crept back through the kitchen and out the back door. It was darker out now, getting close to time for the moon to rise. But who the fuck was she going to find to come help?

Madison heard the footsteps coming, but before she could make a move she felt her wolf being tugged painfully, so much so that her body was forced to move. "Fuck," Madison growled. Kinsey better not be planning on keeping her out of the fight, she wasn't here to sit on the sidelines. Madison stayed out of the hunter's aim while Kinsey fired another shot, taking this time to fully shift, ready to just the strange woman the minute she put her guard, and those guns, down.

The Hollow Sam exhaled and looked like a deer caught in headlights, keeping his back to the window so his puppetmaster couldn't see his face. "He can't hear—" and that's when there was a sound like the world was on fire, but it was so much smaller than he had thought, and only part of his body was on fire. Not all of them had gone off, but he was delirious, laughing in shock, not able to see what else might have caught fire or been hurt by the small explosion.

Aine wasn’t scared of gunshots, hell she wasn’t even scared of gunshot wounds. What did she have to lose? She had no family, no friends, nothing. If she died, no one would mourn her death. Her purpose was to end the lives of the disgusting vermin that were trying to inherit the earth. They needed to die, these women needed to be killed and cleansed. Aine moved enough that the second shot only grazed her thigh, ripping the skin, but not hitting anything major. She laughed, wickedly and tossed the guns to the side. “Come on pretty puppy. Don’t hide behind that metal. Face me like the mutt you are.” Aine pulled out her blades. If this wolf wanted to shoot her dead, she could, but Aine had a feeling that wasn’t the case. This blonde looked ready for a fight, just the way the Irish lass liked them.

Jasmine realized she was only halfway done as the first cub squeaked once he was out. It was a weird relief, but also slightly shocking at how real thing's were. Instinct dictated that she wanted to be close to her first cub already and turned slightly to pull her cub close to her and nuzzle the tiny bear before she tried to push the second bear cub out.

Rae F jumped backwards as the small explosion set fire to the man. Turning around towards the window, she glared out into the distance, trying to see if there was anyone, or anything, standing beyond the Hollow.

Colt "Fuck." Colt hollered as the loud sound echoed through his restaurant. Instinctively, he reached over and grabbed Erick's arm, throwing him backwards and away from Sam. The pain in his shoulder amplified, as burns appeared on his other arm. He dropped the shot gun, his green eyes darting around. "Out. Everybody out. They could all go off."

Emma Lee strained to hear what was taking place. Colt and Harley were still in there with that asshole and she was stuck in ‘fox form outside. There was no gunshot, and that worried her. What the hell, Colt. Shoot that fucker, she thought to herself. She wanted to know what was going on. Emma ventured around to the back of the restaurant, in hopes of being in better earshot. She froze when she heard the door creak open, knowing the shadows would hide her from sight. Her eyes raked over the figure that stepped out of the doorway, and she trotted over to the other ‘fox. She looked up at Harley as if to ask, What the hell is going on? Hopefully the other woman knew her well enough to understand her tacit question and could fill her in.

The Hollow That was about the time a silent shot came straight through the window his back had previously been towards, creating a small cracked hole where the bullet passed through, and went straight into Sam's head. He fell down, dead.

Naomi had heard gunshots. She wasn't a moron, this was standard shit, and she knew her firearms. Quickly shouldering a bag, the leopard took faster steps from her small apartment to her truck, realizing she only had little time left to get the hell out of here before the real heavy hitter set off. It was a mistake, to come back to this damn town.

Colt yelled again at the sound of a gun, dropping to the ground to grab his own. "Everybody down."

The Hollow Then the phone to the Hollow rang.

Piper stumbled back a step, clasping a hand over her sensitive ears as the frightful sound swept through the place. As if that wasn't enough, she was almost floored by the sight of Sam falling forward, before tripping over her own feet to drop to the ground. She pushed the mass of hair from her eyes, looking for Nick and Erick.

Colt hears the phone ringing and shakes his head. Who the hell would be calling now?

Rae F sprang into action, shoving Ash to the ground and falling down beside him. Her inner 'cat was itching to break loose and she knew the moon was rising high into the night sky. "Cover your head, guys," she called out, putting one hand over her head, reach out to Ash with the other, covering his hand with her own.

Harley hadn't decided where she was supposed to go when she heard the first explosion. She jumped, startled, and almost stopped on Emma Lee as the 'fox came up to her. Licking her lips, she looked down at the 'fox and tried to ignore the shaking in her hands. Don't shift, don't shift, don't shift was the mantra she played in her head. "Get back in the shadows and stay there, wait for Colt," she hissed before slipping off as quick as she could while staying in the shadows. She was running by the time she was a few blocks away, almost terrified that the entire place would go up behind her. So she risked it by yelling, "I need some help!"

Nick jumped at the man being shot. He moves back towards Piper reaching out for her.

The Hollow Ring ring ring...

Colt growls as the phone keeps ringing, crawling towards it and pulling it down to the floor with him. "What?!" He demanded into the receiver, his 'fox clawing inside of him.

Naomi threw the bag in the trunk, but as she opened up the car door, her ears perked at the sound of... "Harley?" glancing to the side, her eyes widened and she backed up, crouching down by the back towards her house. "Har... Harley!" She whispered-yelled as loud as she could. No, this was a mistake, a big mistake. She was supposed to be out of here.

Josh was surprised at how fast the bear seemed to slip out. He nuzzled Jasmine. "One down, just one more to go... hopefully." The first cub was beautiful, even if he looked less like a bear and more like a rat of some sort. Josh nudged the little guy towards Evie, while his attention went back to the mama bear.

The Hollow "No huntsman's kiss will bring that one back to life." Then a bit of a high-pitched laugh, short, choppy, before the burn phone on the other end went dead.

Colt "You son of a bitch. I'm going to find you. I swear it--" The phone went dead and Colt slammed it into the ground, shattering it into pieces.

Madison wasn't one to just sit on the sidelines and Kinsey aura lashing her, pissed the beta off, so she acted on instinct. Now that the hunter's guns were gone, the wolf leaped off the porch and at the woman, paws flying towards her. Madison took a swipe aiming for the woman's already scratched face, while trying to get out of the way of her swinging blades. No one was allowed to hurt Indi and get away with it, she was family and Madison would put her life on the line every single time if someone hurt them.

Jesse herded the pack further up into the forest, making sure the group stayed on the northern side of the acreage. He caught the scent of deer after a couple of minutes and instinctively began to track it, his snout snuffling close to the ground. With Flynn by his side, he joined the front of the group alongside Zach and Gabe, the smell of their prey growing stronger in the air. Jesse knew the Deltas, particularly the younger ones, felt distraught by the situation, but he also knew the instinct to hunt would soon take them over. He wanted the group to focus on bringing the deer down together and then get the rest of them to a more secure location. He would make sure everyone got their fill before setting course towards north again, bringing the pack to the cave Madison had mentioned. After leaving Flynn and Zach in charge, Jesse immediately turned around and broke into a long-strided sprint, his paws beating against the earth in rapid succession as he raced back towards Indi.

Harley slowed when she heard her name, green eyes flicking around before she came to a stop. "Naomi?" She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, peering into the dark before spotting her. Her chest heaved slightly, sweat starting to glisten on her skin from her wild run. "Nay, Jesus Christ, please tell me that's you."

Naomi nodded and raised herself a little, her eyesight giving her a keen look at the woman. "Don't fuckin' stand in the middle of the damn street," she hissed. "Get over here, crouch and run. What the hell is going on?"

Colt squeezed his eyes shut, hissing slightly in pain. Blood was still pouring from the wound in his shoulder and the burns on his other arm throbbed. He need to shift. He needed to find his troop and get the hell out of here. "Reckon it's over."

Rae F cringed at the painful hissing coming from Colt. She knew those feelings, for she had been in his shoes just a few weeks prior. "Go, I'll rid of the body?" She muttered.

Kinsey [OOC: MOON RISE IN 10 IRL MINUTES, SO 11:45 EST]

Jasmine wanted to laugh at Josh's comment, except for the fact that she was really hoping that she didn't give birth to more than two cubs. Twins she could handle, but more? Jasmine didn't know if she had the patience for that. A low rumble of noise left her as she prepped herself to push again for the second cub. The beta started to push again,this time the task proved to be a little more difficult this time around. Of course her cubs were already stubborn Jasmine thought to herself as she pushed again hoping this would be enough for her second cub to greet the world.

Piper lifted her head slightly, her gaze going to the phone and to Colt. In a brief moment of emotional hysterics, Piper pressed her fist against her mouth, forcing herself to stay silent. It seemed almost surreal now, but Piper couldn't forget that thought that had run through her mind when the bomb had gone off. That thought that her parents were going to have to bury another of their children. She clenched her eyes shut before sitting up. She didn't have time to waste at this moment, the moon waited for no one.

Harley did as Naomi ordered, ducking into the shadows and slinking over. She was pushing her luck now, the moon would be up soon and she'd shift in the middle of fucking town. "There's a fucking guy with a bomb strapped to him in Fox Hollow." She spit the words out fast, blurring half of them together as her hands shook. "What are you doing hiding in the fucking shadows?" She forced out between clenched teeth as she curled her hands into fists. Don't shift, don't shift, don't shift.

Emma Lee watched Harley make a run for it and if she could’ve she would’ve rolled her eyes at the ‘fox’s commands. She knew Scarlett and Sav would be safe, but Harley needed someone to watch her back. In ‘fox form, Emma could do that and more. Sticking to the shadows, the little ‘fox tailed the woman as she ran down the street calling for help. She heard a voice call Harley’s name and watched as she ran to the source. Who the fuck is that? Emma didn’t trust anyone right now, and didn’t expect Harley to either. Emma stalked toward the two women, a growl rumbling in her chest as she assessed whether the newcomer was friend or foe.

Rae F could feel the itching turning into a frenzied clawing, digging at her from the inside out, begging her to just shift already, but Rae knew she had to get out of the Hollow before doing so. She had to get herself, and Ash, out before the moon hit its peak in the night sky.

Naomi 's face dropped. "A bomb?" she whispered, swallowing. Looking up and past her, she shook her head. "Harley, we don't have much time. I would ask you who is in there but I don't wanna know. We need..." Squeezing her eyes shut, she bowed her head, looked at her watch, and shook her head quickly. "I need to go. I can't stay here. You can come with me but you have to... you have to leave the car and shift, but we can't help them. We can't."

Erick was profoundly rattled. He could feel the pull of the moon and knew it wouldn't be very long before he shifted. He headed towards Piper first to check up on her and held out a hand to help her sit up "you okay?"

Colt pushed himself off the floor, his hand reaching up to grasp the wound at his shoulder. "Everybody out. We gotta move. Now." The moon was almost completely risen and the Alpha felt his 'fox quaking within him. He needed to shift desperately and he could only imagine how the rest of the Lycans felt.

Kinsey cursed under her breath as she saw Madison sprint from the damn porch. She was valiant, but she was all instinct. Taking on responsibility—living not alone in the wild for eight years, but instead having to be more human, more interactive even than she'd like—had given Kinsey certain perspectives. Like the fact that you don't leave your porch with your goddamn shotgun when you have the advantage to headshot the bitch. But with Madison going at it the best way she knew how, she had obscured Kinsey's shot and there was no way she was firing a shotgun point blank range with Madison in the way. So she let instinct take over, let the 'wolf take over, and then there was a ruthless mass of tawny fur heading for the hunter. It was good Madison and the pack had already shifted, because her going over would force them. And like lightning, Kinsey was on the hunter from the side that Madison wasn't, her jaw coming down hard lock around the woman's right arm, aiming to sever the hand or, at the very least, get her to drop her weapon, hoping Madison would do the same on the other side.

Josh was glad the bears had come on the moon, because at least they couldn't shift into crying humans just yet. It was one less issue to worry about and the alpha was thankful for that. He waited patiently, trying to use his presence to calm the beta as much as she could. He'd never know what this was like, but he could assume it wasn't the best feeling in the world to say the least.

Indiana closed her eyes briefly as the pack ran off to hunt, taking a moment to stop being a Beta and just be a woman, terrified and in pain. Hunters were her worst nightmare, in the most literal sense. They had taken everything from her once, made her life a living hell for so many years, and she wasn't about to let one do it again. She was exhausted, both from the blood loss and the fear, but she wasn't going to run. Not this time. Not when she finally had a family to call her own. Opening her eyes, she suddenly heard footsteps approaching and managed to get herself to her feet and growl out a warning to who or whatever was approaching.

Erick could feel The Silver's restlessness. "I reckon we should get out of here because it won't exactly be pretty or comfortable when the full moon hits."

Rae F growled, lashing out for Ash's hand, pulling him to his feet. "I have to get out of here," she growled at him, taking it into her own hands to get Ash out of there before it became a territorial frenzy once they were all shifting. Running out the backdoor, she fell into a quick pace alongside the road towards the woods, glancing up to see the moon in the sky.

Colt shot a last look at the crumbled body of Sam before shaking his head. He stumbled his way towards the door, shoving it open and stepping into the cool night air. His eyes darted around, searching for anyone in his troop.

Harley stared at Naomi for a minute before licking her lips. Before she could answer, she smelled the all too familiar smell of another 'fox. Emma Lee. She swore. "Go, go, I'll be fine. You go," she hissed before darting out of the shadows. A growl rumbled from her throat as she snatched up Emma Lee by the scruff. If the other 'fox didn't like it, so be it. She was across the street in seconds and diving into the shadows before she felt the shift kick in. Shit.

Nick closed his eyes the feeling to change taking hold of him. He looked over at Erick and Piper and nodded his head. Nick felt trapped in the Hollow's walls and he needed to get outside to the open space. "I figure we have a few minutes at best. Driving somewhere is defiantly out of the question."

Aine had a grin on her face a mile wide as the black wolf charged her blindly. She looked like a powerful beast, but nothing the huntress hadn’t dealt with before. Aine’s blade swung down on top of the woman’s back as the wolf’s paw connected with the side of her face, claws digging into the same spot the other wolf’s had just a short hour ago. Aine reveled in the feeling of the blade sinking into the wolf’s skin, but she couldn’t push it any deeper, because the other wolf was on her, jaw clamping around her right forearm. The pain caused Aine to cry out and drop the blade in that hand, withdrawing the one from the black wolf to try and drive it into the blonde’s side.

Colt clenched his fists, holding back his shift as he slammed the Hollow's door shut now that everyone was out of the building. The last thing he wanted to do was shift and force the entire troop into it. He didn't know where they were, or who they were with. It was too dangerous.

Jasmine knew it wasn't going to be all that easy and she was at least glad she had the entire sleuth around to keep her mind focused on the task at hand. She couldn't be the protective Beta she normally was before she got the second cub out. Jasmine pushed again as hard as she could until a second tiny brown bear cub was out. The tiny cub scrambled blindly across the floor as Jasmine rolled slightly over to the second cub and nuzzled her lightly. It was a weird state of being, but her entire world had changed when it really hit that she was a mother.

Naomi "No-- No, Harley, Harley you can't go that--" But then she smelled the new fox, too, and she quickly rushed to the driver's seat of her car. Jumping in, she tried to start it, but she could feel the shift start to crawl up her skin. She couldn't stop the moon, but she also couldn't have a panic attack in the car. Gasping for air, the leopard quickly kicked open the door and ran on foot as fast as she could towards the road she always used to drive at night to get to Liberty. It was only a matter of time before she could no longer fight it.

Piper "I'm fine." She muttered. Her gaze flicked from one horse to another before continuing on. "I live in the woods, which ain't too far from here if you wanna hightail it specifically."

Erick there was no more time to waste, he sprinted out of the the Hollow motioning for Nick and Piper to follow him. "No need to drive, I know plenty of good places here just follow me. Forest is no good either, we're 'horses not deer" he winked somehow managing humour even with time against them. He sprinted off towards the left of the hollow, off the road and cutting in to land. It seemed within a few strides he was no longer human: he'd shifted in to a magnificent grullo stallion, galloping out of town

Rae F began to feel the familiar intoxicating notion creeping into her veins, filling her with a freeing feeling. She was only a few feet deep into the woods when she began to shift, starting with the patches of fur breaking skin, her ears becoming pointed with the black tufts sticking from the top. Before she had another moment to sort her thoughts, she dropped to all fours and fully shifted, her razor sharp claws ripping into the ground as she ran, ignoring the pain tearing through her stomach.

Jesse slowed down his pace as Indi's scent - mixed with blood – wafted into his nostrils. His large, muscular body weaved through the trees and across the ground, jumping over fallen branches and other obstacles, determined to find his way back to his wounded packmate. Hearing the female's growl, Jesse responded with a low, subterranean growl of his own, knowing that she would recognize him. He came out the trees and appeared in Indi's vision field, hurrying to the other Beta's side, and nuzzled his head under her chin. Pressing his body close to Indi's, he propped his shoulder against hers to support her, a faint whine slipping past his teeth.

Colt steps away from the street and towards the brush, shedding himself of his clothes. The only thought on his mind was shifting and embracing his true form. The shift only took a moment and the 'fox practically sighed in relief as the pain eased from his body. He set out, his nose to the ground, searching for the rest of his troop.

Josh let out a happy noise, something in between a bark and growl, when the second cub came out, alive, looking healthy. He pressed his nose into Jasmine's neck, pawing at her lightly. "That's my beta." He growled out, relieved and excited more than anything. At least for one night his burden felt a bit lighter. He stepped back, letting Jasmine see both of her babies. It was quite an amazing sight, a little beautiful moment a midst such chaos and evil. This was why he was an alpha, this was why he'd come to Pickens to try and make things better for lycans.

Flynn smelled that copper smell again and he nudged Shiloh toward Indiana, coming to a halt as Jesse supported the other beta. He side stepped, turning his silvery body to face the front in alertness again. With Jesse supporting Indiana, Flynn took it upon himself to act as a lookout. His senses became alert, his ears pricked for any sort of sound. This was his family. This was closer than family. This was pack, and he'd be damned if some other hunter got the drop on him. He focused on the now, instead of the fact that Kinsey and Madison were fighting a crazed bitch.

Emma Lee Jesus Christ. There was a bomb in the Hollow. She hoped everyone got far away to be safe if that shit decided to blow. Emma yipped in indignation as Harley hauled her into the air by the scruff. Put me the fuck down, showgirl. She started to squirm a bit, but held still when Harley started running, not wanting to be dropped on her ass. When they reached the shadows, the other ‘fox put her down and shifted. Emma wondered if it was of her own will or if it meant Colt had shifted too. Once Harley was fully ‘foxed out, Emma nudged her wanting to know what they should do. Normally, Emma Lee would run off on her own. But this wasn’t a normal situation. The older ‘fox seemed to know what to do when it came down to a crisis, so she was content to let her take the lead.

Indiana relaxed slightly when Jesse responded to her growl, glad to see a familiar face. She was surprised he had come back for her, worrying her that something might have happened to the others, but she was grateful for his presence and someone to lean on. As he brushed his head under her chin, she licked and tugged gently on his ear before leaning some of her weight on him. She wanted to hunt and she needed to eat, but she was surprised she was still standing at this point. Her voice came out in a rasp as she asked, "Could you get me a rabbit, champ? I'm starving and I can't hunt like this." Pausing, she bit his muzzle hard admonishing, "And you're a damned idiot for leaving those kids alone. Take me to them and then go hunt with them like I told you to."

Flynn nudged Shiloh away from the entrance of the cave, side stepping. He turned his silvery body to face the front in alertness again. With Jesse gone, Flynn took it upon himself to act as a lookout. His senses became alert, his ears pricked for any sort of sound. This was his family. This was closer than family. This was pack, and he'd be damned if some other hunter got the drop on him. He focused on the now, instead of the fact that Kinsey and Madison were fighting a crazed bitch. He - and Zachary- were in charge in Jesse's absence and Flynn took this very serious.

Nick sprinted after Erick, his long legs easily keeping pace with the other horse. It wasn’t long until they were outside putting more distance between them and the craziness that had taken over the Hollow. Nick laughed as he ran, the feeling of the turn rushing through him. Seconds later, the man changed and in his place was a Buckskin galloping after Erick.

Madison felt the blade in her back and her wolf cried out, falling backwards just as Kinsey leaped over her, grabbing onto the huntress' arm. She may be injured, but adrenaline carried her through. While the Irish woman was distracted and down one blade, Madison pounced forward, claws aiming for the legs while her jaw opened up to try and wrap the free arm. This bitch wasn't allowed to lay a hand, or sword for that matter, on her alpha.

Rae F ran until she felt content, which was at the point where her side was aching so terribly she thought she would look down and find the nearly healed wound starting to open again. But, to her pleasure, there was no blood on her side. Running to the nearest den she had set deep in the woods, she trotted inside, burying herself in the small bed of dead leaves, pressing her head against the floor, waiting to see Ash.

Piper wondered how the other horse could even manage humour. Where they were going, Piper had no clue but she followed him anyway. It didn't take more than a few easy strides before she was full-out running, her hair kicking back from her face. And as Erick changed before her eyes, she felt a small sense of wonder at the sight of him changing, the same sense of wonder she felt when Nick changed before her eyes too. She picked up speed, her body changing before the Chestnut burst out, her hooves hitting the ground as she joined her fellow horses.

Naomi could only run so fast. Her legs were feeling heavy, but she kept going anyway, zipping through until she reached the side of the road. Taking a detour to the right, she ducked and, unable to control it anymore, shifted into the large panther she worked so hard to keep down. Sniffing around the area, she decided to be tactical with her movements, her brain still gear-shifted towards getting as far away from Pickens as possible.

Harley felt her legs shaking by the time she was fully shifted and sat still for several seconds as the shaking continued. Her heart was pounding in her chest while she glanced up and down the street. If someone had seen her...shit. Emma Lee's nudge made her turn to look at the other 'fox, eyes narrowing slightly into the best glare she could manage. Pain in my fucking ass. Staying in the shadows for a few more minutes, Harley finally pushed herself upright. They needed to get back to Colt. She nipped at the 'fox's ear and gave it a gentle tug before slowly moving from the spot while doing her best to stay in the shadows.

Dustin fidgeted at the sounds Jasmine was making. He could hear everything that was going on and he was completely happy for the Beta. Nudging Ivan to keep watch, Dustin turned to took a couple of steps further into the cave. He approached cautiously, looking on curiously. His lips pulled up over his teeth into a smile as he spotted the cubs laying near their mother.

Kinsey was grateful for the interference from Madison which caused the blade to subside, as Kinsey had hoped. Not that she would have minded a hideous scar on her back, but, you know, better not to have one. It didn't fail to remind Kinsey how well the two worked as a team, and something twinged inside of her, just for a moment—and that's when she realized things were as they should be. Madison was a fighter and Indiana was the mother, and the choice was justified. Oddly, it rippled a sense of joy through her, and so the attack on Aine changed from one of just deadly calm certainty to one that gloried in blood. When Madison took her out at the knees, Kinsey pounced on top of the hunter's chest and bit down on her neck, a jugular kill if she could do it, revelling in the rusty sweetness.

Erick had spent a lot of time when he initially arrived scouting out good places to be during the full moon. There was a question of looking out for predators, as well as humans. The forests were no good since they didn't give much escape room to a horse and weren't the best place to see or hear danger coming from afar. He lead them just outside the outskirts of town where the farmlands were. Wide open spaces. He bucked happily, revelling in the freedom and power he felt in this form.

Jasmine felt completely happy. The beat hadn't felt like this since she had told Gage she loved him for the first time. Even when he was gone her cubs father still had found a way to make her happy. Jasmine pawed back at Josh, feeling in a good mood, for even her. She moved to keep both of her cubs close to her and nuzzled them before pushing them close to her with her paws. She hadn't been the type that wanted to be a mother six months ago, but she knew this was something she wanted deep down. The bear part of herself dominated everything and she knew this was something she was meant to do as the small sounds of her cubs sounded like music to her ears.

Gabby stirred from behind Shiloh, pacing up and down the cave impatiently, paws quick and showing anxiety. She wanted action. To fight for her cousin, her Alpha, her Betas, her family. There was no doubt that they could take care of themselves, but she couldn't just sit around. She moved in front of Shiloh and towards Flynn, grunting and nudging his side, pacing impatiently and pointing her snout outwards to motion leaving the cave. She whined, dragging her paw quickly against the ground several times. It was clear she wanted action.

Jesse grunted in response, tilting his head slightly to the side as Indi tugged on his ear. He couldn't leave the pack unsupervised for long, he knew that, but he trusted in Zach and Flynn to maintain order and safety while he was gone. He'd had to return for Indi before reuniting with the rest of the pack. He tucked his ears back when she bit his muzzle, letting out another whine, the sound something akin to an apology. Letting out a huff, he gently pushed Indi on the move, back toward the direction where he had traveled from, and then dipped his head back to the ground to locate prey for her while keeping an eye on her, checking any signs of her health suddenly deteriorating or worsening.

Aine wasn’t fast enough. This had never been an issue before. She’d always been able to catch them off guard. She was getting old, slow and losing her touch, obviously. It figures that she’d finally crack in the middle of a fight. The ticking was so loud, so fucking loud it was hard to think. Upon seeing the end, looking at her life in reverse, the woman smiled as the wolves dug their claws and teeth into her. It was fitting, the circle of life. A hunter of wolves, consumed by the very beasts she hunted. There would be more. More hunters, more wolves. Eventually these two would die and the earth would swallow their bodies just like it would take what was left of hers into the soil. It was how it was meant to be. The perfect ending to a horror story. So as the tawny wolf sunk her teeth into the huntress' jugular, ripping it wide open, Aine smiled, happy to finally have a wee bit of peace and quiet.

Flynn knew that he and his cousin were alike in a few aspects. Sure, they didn't get along at times, but it was probably because their personalities clashed. However, at this moment, Flynn could empathize with his cousin. She wanted action and Flynn craved it too. He craved going back to Woodmere and helping his alpha and beta fight that damned hunter. But, he had been ordered to go and he had been placed in charge so Flynn kept himself where he was. A low rumble started in his throat toward Gabby, turning his body to point his snout toward the back of the cave where the other wolves were before returning to his position before, eyes fixed on the entrance and his ears trained.

Piper quickened her pace, propelling her forward with the sort of freedom that could only come from running. What she was feeling right now - the unrivaled joy of running in the open farms - was like a therapy to her. Running was what she did when she felt overwhelmed by the world, and she had never felt as overwhelmed as she did at this moment.

Harmony ‘s head rested on her steering wheel, her eye trained on the road in front of her. She still hadn’t calmed enough to drive like a non-crazy person, so she was content to sit and stare out her window. Sudden movement caught her eye, and she saw a woman running down the street. A woman that looked like… Naomi? She wasn’t sure, but who would be out running at this hour? And on the full moon? Maybe she needed help. Harmony slipped her keys in her pocket as she stepped out of her car and ran to catch up with the woman to where she’d turned off into the woods. “Hey, ma’am?” she called out, as she trekked deeper into the foliage. She froze when she spotted the woman hunched over near a tree. It was Naomi. And now Naomi was transforming. Holy shit.

Indiana gave a huff that would have been a characteristic pointed look had she been in her human form, knowing that if she were in better shape this wouldn't have happened. She needed to protect the pack no matter what, both her 'wolf and mothering instincts strong on that point, so she trotted to the best of her ability as she followed the scent trail of the pack up towards the cave where Jesse had left them. She stumbled and swayed briefly, her front right leg still numb and unmoving, but she managed to right herself against a tree and keep going until finally made it to the cave. Noticing Flynn and Gabby at the entrance, she made her way up to them and nuzzled them both exhaling, "Go. Stay together as a group and hunt something down. Come right back here after and if you don't, so help me I will hunt you all down and drag you back by your scruffs, bad leg or not."

Flynn returned the nuzzle, brushing his cheek against hers. Despite all his bravado, Flynn was relieved that Indiana was going to be okay and secretly relaxed. He started forward, pausing his large body near the entrance to wait for Gabby. Now that Indiana was safe, and so was Shiloh, Flyn was ready to huntand try and enjoy the night like he had originally planned.

Gabby had been an only child at home, making life with cousins Kinsey and Flynn at first odd. But she liked them, respected them, usually agreed with them - which made this harder. She whined from deep in her throat, as much a growl as it was a protest. And shook her head and neck roughly, bending her head down, snorted and did a circle, coming back to Flynn without even looking at the back of the cave. She only diverted her gaze from the grey wolf when she spotted Indiana, and if she had been in human form her eyes would have been wide. She leaped to get closer to Indi, nuzzling her furiously at all sides, under her chin, whining in protest when she said to leave. Gabby by far was fight over flight, but seeing Mama Indi hurt - there was no leaving now.

Naomi would have continued on, but she broke one of her first rules: always keep moving. When she heard someone call out ma'am, she snarled and turned back around. This was it. This was the hunter, and she was going to have to kill them. She'd have to cover up the murder, hide the body out here in the morning, sleep on it until she shifted back. There was no way she was dying tonight, not fucking now. But she didn't want to kill someone. Growling once more to tell her she was a threat, Naomi took a small step back, paws firmly in the dirt.

Emma Lee flinched away when Harley tugged at her ear, but she followed her nonetheless. They were headed back the way they had come, back toward the Hollow. Presumably, back toward the rest of the troop and toward the bomb. It was against the young ‘fox’s better judgment to be heading toward the danger, but the rest of the troop would be there. Colt would be there, and he would know what to do. Following Harley’s lead, she stayed to the shadows, hoping they didn’t come across any humans or worse, any predators.

Harley stuck as much in the shadows as possible. Human eyes weren't all that great in the dark and while night time wasn't their best time either, it was easier for them. And, at the most, they'd hopefully just look like two 'foxes that had wandered in town looking for something to eat. It wouldn't be too uncommon. The closer she got to Fox Hollow the more nervous she got though. She didn't really like the fact that they were having to go back to Fox Hollow if there was a bomb but they didn't have much of an option at this point. They needed to find Colt, plain and simple.

Kinsey felt the hunter die beneath her and let out a howl of triumph, so that the others would hear that they were safe. She ripped out the rest of the woman's throat and ate it, since obviously this was going to be her hunt tonight. It would be hard to get rid of the body, but then again, easy to leave in the woods and make it seem as though animals had gotten her. Because they had. But that meant not taking too much. Besides, human was stringier than Kinsey preferred and not as tasty as rabbit. With her paws, she broke open the woman's chest and tore out her heart, carrying it in her mouth. She looked to Madison and nudged a knife with her paw, clearly making a gift of them, before running off and following Indiana's scent. Nothing would keep her from Indi and finding how she was, so when she did find them, she laid the bitch's heart at her feet.

Indiana nuzzled Gabby back, her heart warming at the affection she received from the younger 'wolf. Licking the top of the blonde 'wolf's head, she nudged her with her nose reassuring, "Get something to eat, champ. I'll stay with Shiloh, you go take something down with the boys." Settling down at the entrance of the cave, she sat patiently waiting for Kinsey and Madison to reappear. Suddenly she heard a familiar howl, her ears perking up at what that sound could mean. It wasn't long before her 'wolf was in front of her, soaked in blood but seemingly unharmed, with a human heart as a gift for her. She wanted to get up and nuzzle Kinsey but she didn't think she had the strength anymore, so she licked the bigger 'wolf's paws before beginning to eat the heart, making sure none of her precious gift went to waste.

Erick slowed down to an easy canter, his ears pricked forward as he heard a distant neigh. They were regular horses, domestic, but they were good company on a full moon and a good place to hand around. Predators didn't dare come so close to humans for the most part, and those who did got ran off by the farm dogs. And because it was the middle of the night, no one usually noticed his presence. It was the perfect spot to graze, to roll, to play or run. He slowed down as they neared the fence and looked over his shoulder at Piper and Nick, his long forelock hiding one of his eyes. He question Piper silently as horses do, asking her if she wanted to jump to fence and visit his horse buddies, or if she'd rather stay out of the paddock and in to the field.

Harmony ‘s heart stopped at the sound of the animal’s rumbly growl. She didn’t dare move, knowing a warning when she heard one. “Naomi?” Her eyes couldn’t see all that well in the darkened shadows of the woods, but she could tell the animal was large, black, and had sharp teeth. It wasn’t a ‘wolf. Her eyes strained to make out the dark form. A cat maybe? For its size it had to be some kind of jungle cat. Jaguar? Panther, maybe? “Easy there, Nayo. It’s just me, Harmony. Your friend,” she said, in a soft, sing-song voice, hoping to seem as non-threatening as possible. She didn’t think Naomi would hurt her, but it was a possibility. “I’m not going to hurt you, okay?”

Gabby leaned into the affection. She had whined again, but was grateful to hear her voice. She was furiously encircling Indi's body to check for injuries, walking next to her worriedly until she settled down. She gave another lick to the top of her head and turned to Flynn, eyes flashing in a question of readiness. When she received the mutual go-ahead, she howled and took off, a loud snarl stealing out of her as she followed scents. She had too much pent up aggression and adrenaline now, she had to kill something. Maybe she'd bring something back for Indi, since she seemed so weak. When she heard the familiar howl, she paused from the kill she had just made, ears perking. She exposed her neck and bayed to the moon, a victory howl, turning to the pack before racing after Kinsey's scent, back to the cave.

Naomi was dumbfounded that she knew her name, but then it made sense. Harmony. Heart racing a mile a minute, the panther kept her temper flaring, making sure there wasn't any funny business going on. The voice was soothing enough, but when she got a good look around, she saw no weapons, no backup. Was she really that stupid to come out here on her own? Her growls ceased, but it was a look of almost fear spread across her face as she took two more steps back for caution. She didn't want to hurt Harmony, but anyone could have been an attacker her. But she knew. Harmony was here, she had managed to find her, and now she was in grave danger.

Madison howled when the hunter breathed her last breath. Her teeth ripping the woman's flesh open. When she was sure the fight was over, Madison looked up at Kinsey, watched as her alpha ripped out the woman's heart. She stepped back when Kinsey nudged the blades towards her. Before Madison could celebrate with her friend, Kinsey was gone, darting off into the woods. The choice obviously made. Kinsey might as well have ripped out Madison's own heart with the hunter's and tossed it into the woods before reaching Indiana. The wolf padded slowly over to the porch. With the adrenaline leaving her body, the pain from the aconite blade finally sinking in causing the wolf's body collapsed onto the planks in front of the old bench swing Madison used to share with Kinsey. She wanted to howl, to cry out, but instead she remained silent, exhaustion and blood lost taking over. They'd won, but for some reason Madison still felt like she'd lost.

Flynn joined Gabby in the hunt, only to still, his ears going forward as a howl sounded in the air, triumphant and strong. He knew that howl as well as he knew his own and if Flynn had been human, he would have grinned. Hunting seemed like a forgotten intent now knowing that Kinsey had triumphed over the Irish bitch. He paced closer to Indiana and Gabby, a soft bark escaping him. As was expected, his eyes found his sister as he returned to the cavem and seeing the heart, he too wanted to howl in joy.

Piper circled around back to him, slowing her pace like the other horse. It was a warm, spring night and with each gentle gust of wind, it was like a caress over her. Out here, in the field, it seemed so natural for her to be here that it eased her, allowed her to give control to the instincts of the horse. And right now, the horse in her wanted to jump over the fence. She started forward, picking up speed before she pushed her body up into the air, jumping over the fence. Like running, the was a strange sense of freedom.

Kinsey was happy to see her pack safe and whole and happy, and would want for them to hunt. She knew Indiana would need cared for, but that would mean getting her back to Nolan, which also meant carrying her unconscious body, most like, after the two had shifted back. It would be easier, that way. Only after she had nuzzled each of her Deltas in turn, she realized Madison hadn't come up behind her as she had expected her to. Could the other 'wolf be more injured than Kinsey realized? She was torn between heading back to the farm and staying with the pack; the pack was primary, but Madison just defended them. She should be there. Kinsey howled out, questioningly, for her distant Beta.

Erick watched the chestnut mare leap over the fence and he immediately followed her example. He had jumped this specific barrier many times and it was like second nature at this point. His muscles tensed then released as he soared over the wooden pannel and landed beside the mare. One of the domestic horses whinnied and he answered their call, as they trotted over to him. One of the youngsters, a yearling ran up to him, recognizing the stallion as his once a month playmate. The Silver playfully bolted after the youngster, chasing him in play.

Harmony stood as still as she could. She’d been around enough shifted lycans to know that in their animal forms, their instincts took over. And Naomi wasn’t acting very happy to see her. She watched as the lycan backed away from her. Admittedly, her feelings were a little hurt, but at least the lycan wasn’t charging at her. Naomi was probably as scared as she was to have run into each other in the woods. So Harmony would give her the benefit of the doubt and try to put her at ease. She smiled as best she could at her friend and slowly held her hands up in a placating gesture. “Dude, you’re a freaking lycan. Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked, not expecting to get an answer, at least not until tomorrow. “You probably wanted to keep it secret, huh?” she mused out loud, her voice still as soothing as she could make it. “Don’t worry, Omi-wan. Your secret’s safe with me.”

Gabby jumped onto her hind paws at seeing Kinsey, nuzzling her with an almost aggressive vigor, elated at seeing her bloodied but no worse for ware. No one messed with their Pack. She gave a playful growl to her Alpha, bending her front legs to lower her head to the ground, giving a small bark. The rough gesture was Gabby congratulating her kin on the kill; an appreciation of the ferocity she had surely shown - something like the 'wolf equivalent of a playful punch-in-the-shoulder. Gabby had trotted over to Flynn on happy steps, jumping and nipping at him in joy of their safety when she heard Kinsey's call and paused. Her ears perked up and she stepped towards the front of the cave, for the first time realizing Madison was absent.

Indiana finished the heart and looked up at Kinsey in confusion, wondering where Madison was. Surely the redhead wasn't hurt or dead, Kinsey would have never left her there if that were the case. Reaching up with her muzzle, she bit down on some of Kinsey's thick fur to help get herself up and growled slightly at the action and the pain it caused. She could tell Kinsey wanted to go back and see what was going on, so she readied herself for the trip to the farm. Gesturing to Flynn with her nose, she leaned some of her weight on him so Kinsey could go on ahead and do what she needed to, allowing her and Jesse to bring up the rear with the kids.

Naomi This was insane. She was acting like this was an amazing discovery, not a horrible one. She looked at her like she wasn't some kind of monster, a big ol' liar from someone she called 'friend'. She wished she could produce any sort of vocal chord reassurance, but her thoughts were clouded and muddled. Allowing herself to relax just a tad, the leopard took those three steps forward -- hesitant, of course, but she moved nonetheless. Sniffing Harmony, she did the best she could do communicate by bowing her head in gratitude. Tomorrow she would end up grilling her the minute she woke up in the woods, but for now? She'd look her in the eye and give a small purr before taking off the opposite direction, goal still in sight.

Josh laid down next to Jasmine and the cubs, letting them stumble around him and Jasmine. They were probably hungry, but Josh wasn't sure how this worked. He moved back, hopping Jasmine's maternal instincts would kick in, because he sure as hell didn't have paternal ones... especially since he wasn't even the father. A tinge of guilt hit him in the stomach as he looked at the cubs, the ones who would never know their father because of him. He tried to shake it, knowing there were more important things, but that feeling was certainly there.

Madison heard the call and she mustered up the remaining strength she had to call back, a sign she was fine, but resting. She couldn't really move her back, the aconite slowly paralyzing a large part of her body. They'd all be back eventually. The hunter was dead, the pack was safe. That's all that mattered.

Jasmine 's eyes followed her twin cubs around as she made sure they were okay. The noises they were making made her feel warm inside. It was the sort of thing she loved to hear already. She assumed that her babies were hungry. After all they were just born and were experiencing the world for the first time. It was a busy day for them. Jasmine let her natural instincts take over as she guided the cubs towards her with ease. She knew that bear cubs who were born in hibernation were fed for the first few months from their mother and it was easy to pick up that was what she needed to do for babies. The beta pushed them close so that they could nurse.

Harmony watched, riveted at the sight of the giant cat began to pad toward her. Her breath caught in her throat and her body stiffened. She had to fight the urge to close her eyes or brace herself for the feeling of gnashing teeth and claws ripping through her flesh. Sure, she hadn’t met Naomi in lycan form, but she knew her. And Naomi wouldn’t hurt her. Those words repeated in her head as the ‘cat drew closer and sniffed her. “Dude, you don’t know how awesome this is,” Harmony said as she slowly kneeled down beside the ‘cat and fought the urge to reach out and pet her, thinking that was probably pushing it too far. This close up she was able to see that this was indeed a jungle cat of some sort. She’d have to ask when Naomi could actually answer. A wide smile broke out on her face when she noticed the dip in Naomi’s head and heard the faint purr she emitted. The girl gasped and nearly fell back onto her butt when the 'cat turned and took off into the trees.

#event #script #mysteryplot

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