FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

By; My older brother

Part One - Fur

Names. Some people say names are power. Some say that a name describes you, and some people don't know a damn thing.

Me, I've lived a while, and let me tell you, a name is more often than not just a title. My name, if it really matters, is Terrance. I don't think my name is important, and neither is my story, but since so many want to know, this is it. My mother is a werewolf, and I don't mean that Hollywood full moon shit either. We can change in the light of day. The moon does however affect how strong we are and how easy it is to control the wolf. My father was a werewolf too. His name matters to this day, Corvin was both the first werewolf, and my father's thrice great grandfather. Also, my father's name was Corvin. My father was a direct descendant of the first werewolf, so that makes me one too. My father was our pack's Alpha.

I say was because my father is dead. Slain by a vampire. Ordinarily only a descendant of the Lionheart name could have done it, but my father wanted to die. He needed to die, so that we, his pack, could live, and now my cousin's idea was to send every able child and teen to school, with humans. No, I don't like it, but Joshua is the Alpha, and we must obey.

Today is my first day at a place called high school. I don't think the name of it matters, deal with it. I'm wearing good clothes, a black shirt sewn by my mother, and black pants that once belonged to my father. I have on boots of my own make, with thick hardened leather soles, they are also black. The people look at me funny, like they want to ask questions, but nobody does. I think its because of the look on my face. That's good, questions are like names and stories; useless nine times in ten.

I get my schedule and a map of the building from the front office, and semi-lope to my first class. It is almost empty, and I take the nearest empty seat. As time dwindles on, the room fills with students. The tardy bell rings, promptly at five minutes after eight o'clock. The instructor, Mrs. Roland, a short, chubby woman calls role, and hesitates over my name, "Wolfe, Terrance?"

Silently I lift my hand, and she marks me as present. The girl in front of me twists in her chair to look at me, "So your the new guy huh?" I smell the vampire wafting from her pores. The smell of it is so strong, she must be one. There was something about it that strikes a strange chord in my memory. Normally, I wouldn't have answered, but what the hell, I like how her voice sounds. "Yeah," I say softly.

"I'm Grace Heart, nice to meet you Terrance." She has light hair and dark green eyes. She seems like a smart girl, and as it would ironically figure, we both find the class unbearably easy, and I spend most of the class looking at her. She is pretty, even if I smell the reek of vampire on her skin. She doesn't acknowledge that I reek of wolf.

The next class on my schedule is gym. Grace is in the girls locker room. I realize I note her presence without a second thought. I had expected this class, and so brought with me a change of clothes. I pull on a thin gray t-shirt shirt and a pair of knee length athletic shorts. In stead of my boots, I pull on light a pair of off brand tennis shoes and report into the gym, where the coach looks me over.

I'm not very tall, only five feet and seven inches, but I am built like most wolves, compact. I weigh nearly two hundred pounds, mostly in my shoulders and chest.

"Okay folks, today we are doing the ropes, New guy, don't kill yourself." I suppress my anger and ignore the comment. I take my place at the end of the line before the male's rope. I spend the intervening time to watch Grace, in a white almost sleeveless top and short red shorts, stretch her long limbs as she waits for her turn at the rope. When she does get up there, I watch as she reaches up and grasps it tightly, then wraps her long slender legs around it, and slowly climb to the top. I notice that the rope for the girls is about twelve feet shorter than the one for the guys.

Some of the guys who are done have worked so hard that I can see their hearts pounding in their chests. They must not live in the woods, where one must carve one's living from nothing, and fight to protect it from everything. My turn finally arrives, and I notice that Grace has stopped talking to her friends and is watching me. I don't stretch, just follow the rope to the ceiling with my eyes before I leap an easy three feet into the air and grab the rope. I let my legs dangle and I focus on the rope as it passes through my hands, slowly when compared to my normal speed, but quick enough to be note worthy because I'm at the top in only a few seconds. Instead of slowly climbing down, like the rest of the fainthearted group, I wrap the rope around my arm, and drop. Using my arm as a brake, I drop almost thirty feet in half that many seconds.

I let my knees take the blunt of the impact, losing almost all of my momentum. I sadly shake my head and walk over to Grace, "What's the fastest way to the Spanish department from here?" I ask calmly, ignoring the strange and angry looks from a good portion of the male populace in the room. "Through the science wing. What do you have after Spanish?" Her expression is quizzical.

"Lunch," I respond automatically.

"Let me guess, after lunch you have science, history and then your elective?" Her tone goes from questioning to deadly serious in a moment.

"Yes, indeed I do." My guard is up now, ready for anything. Her tone has set me on edge. I feel my hackles rise.

"Whats your elective?"

"I'd rather not say."

"Tell me."

" All right. Home ec."

"Stalker!" one of her friends says none too quietly. My muscles relax infinitesimally, but I am still ready to fight.

"Well we have the same schedule, now let me ask you something. What on earth were you thinking signing up for Home economics??? I mean of all the things to sign up for!" She is obviously surprised, but the hairs on the back of my neck are still on end, and adrenaline is pumping through my blood.

"How about because I have two little sisters and a mother who works herself half to death to support us and whom I'd like to do something nice for every once in a while?" I reply coldly. I can't believe I just told her all of that, I can believe however that I responded so coldly. What's done is done, and I can't make her forget what she's just learned about my personal life.

"Oh," she says, sobered, I think, "well if you need any help in our classes, I'm making straight A's."

"Thanks," I turned on my heel and walked away, my temper still up. About twenty feet away I stop, drop to my hands and toes to pop slow, smooth push ups. I also listen as they talk about me, what might have happened to my dad, and then on to other people in the class and school. Ten minutes before the bell, the coach told us to hit the showers. I was ready and dressed five minutes before the dismissal bell.

I hurry to Spanish, and begin thinking in the language. I actually manage to beat Grace to class, and so hold the door for her. "Gracias," she says with a smile and takes her seat.

"es nada," I said and sit behind her.

The teacher looks at me with something near surprise, "buenos días, ¿cuál es su nombre?"

"Mi nombre es Terrance Wolfe. Soy un estudiante de nuevo aquí."

"Y hablas español? "

"Sí señora."

"Muy bien, bienvenidos al español tres "

"Muchas gracias señora " Like all the previous classes, I find Spanish unbearably easy. Grace keeps shooting me looks over her shoulder and I can only smile at her. She only smiles back.

The cafeteria is noisy and smells to high heaven, and yet I go in anyways. I sit at a table by myself, and people watch until Grace and her two friends come over, "Are these seats taken?"

"They are now aren't they?" I ask with a smile. One of her friends huffs and starts to walk away, but Grace sets her tray down. "Rachel, he basically said they are taken by us."

I smile and nod. Her huffy friend sits, and Grace introduces them "Terrance, I'd like you to meet Rachel and Caroline."

"Ladies," I say with a slight nod

"Nicole decided to eat with Ramerio today" Rachel says.

"Nicole is your twin right?" I ask

"Well, hes smarter than he looks isn't he?" Caroline snaps.

"Hey, he had a nice conversation with Senora Manuel just a few minutes ago." Grace snaps back.

"Before we get to arguing, Terrance, earlier you mentioned having sisters, would you mind telling us about them?" Rachel tactfully neutralizes the argument before it can even properly get started. Even if she is prying into my personal life.

"Well," I say, knowing full well my sisters are my one real weakness, "Sarah is eight and likes horses and dogs. She has long dark hair, with the prettiest blue eyes you ever saw. Her favorite food is pizza, and likes to be told about dad all the time. She loves to hear about the things they did together. Kelly is five, she likes flowers, butterflies, and humming birds. Her favorite food is pancakes with maple syrup and bacon. She also demands a bed time story from our mom or I before she will even lay down."

Rachel has what look like tears in her eyes, and Grace looks close to tears as well. Caroline merely looks shocked. Grace chokes down a sob and asks, " Terrance please, don't get upset for me asking, but what happened to your dad?"

"I wont get upset at you for being curious. My dad was killed by someone with a grudge against him for something he couldn't help."

Grace went from looking sad to looking furious, and starts shouting at Caroline. "See! I told you he was nice! He knows more about his sisters than you know about your own sister! On top of that he does know who his father is! Just because he wont look at your tits doesn't make him gay, or a bad person or any of that other crap you were saying!" She was screaming and crying and shockingly, I wanted to help, even though I hadn't the faintest clue how, or even what was wrong. The principal comes over and looks at us before asking Grace "what happened, Grace what's wrong?"

As I got ready to explain the situation the bell rang, and she screamed "Get to class! All of you! Now!" I decide it's best not to argue. Just haul ass to the science wing. Normally, science interests me, but the way I am right now, all I can do is focus on the door, and hope to see Grace come through it. She had yet to make an appearance when the dismissal bell rang.

Grudgingly, I trudge to history and repeat the cycle of get in, sit down and watch the door. Again, the dismissal bell rang, still with no sign of Grace. Just before I lay my hand on the door knob of the of the home ec. room I see her. Quietly, I withdraw my hand and corner her before letting the mask I'd made of my face fall,allowing all my concern to show and asking her, " Grace, are you all right?"

"Terrance... I'm fine.... let's just go to class alright?"

"Okay if you say so," I pull the door open for her. She walks in with her head held high and asks "Momma, I know it's early in the year, but can we please partner up and have a free day?"

"Grace Marie Heart! Did you just ask for a free day with partners?!?" The short rotund woman with gray hair and a flower covered apron asks incredulous.

"Yes momma, may we please?" Grace pleas.

"I'll think about it," the woman says finally.

A line of girls troop in and the instructor whom Grace had called momma looks at them all with a smile. "Well ladies, since Grace has actually asked for a free day with partners and our Mr. Wolfe has pulled a disappearing act on us, I guess we may as well."

I'm five foot seven, as I've said and all these girls are at least five foot ten or so, so I guess I can see how she can't see me in the back of the group, hell Grace is the only one shorter than I am, and even so, shes not shorter by much.. I raise my hand, "Excuse me, Ms. Jenkins, I'm right here."

"Firstly don't call me Ms. Jenkins, unless you want to get slapped, secondly, assuming you're Mr. Wolfe, what the hell are you doing signing up for home ec. If your here to get with one of my girls, you have another thing coming young man."

"No ma'am, I already take care of two little girls, I don't plan on having my own any time soon."

"two girls? Please tell me they are your sisters?"

"yes ma'am and they are part of the reason I'm here."

" whats the other part then?"

"Momma, if I may, he has in addition to his sisters, his mom,who apparently works all day to support them." Grace calmly says, not realizing I don't want such information going around.

Momma immediately softens."Well then, you'll learn a thing or two here. I hope you enjoy your stay. Grace, do you mind working with him?"

"Actually, he's the reason I asked if we could work with partners."

" Be careful how you handle a man like him honey, he can either be a good friend or the worst kind of enemy. At any rate, get to work kiddies!"Grace and I look at each other for a moment before heading to a kitchenette. I pull out a glass, fill it part way with water and then add a few other ingredients, and light it on fire.

"Tell me something?" Grace asks.

"Sure" I answer as I semi-dance around the kitchenette.

"Um.... Did you... I mean... did you see your dads body? You know, after he was killed?"

"Sort of. I saw him die. I watched him get killed. So yeah, you could say I saw his body, and more."

"Oh my god," she whispers

I keep dancing around the kitchenette, "Yeah, its no big deal though"

"You watched your father die!" She squeaks.

I ignore it. Just before the final bell rang I pull two strings of dental floss out of the cup and hand one to Grace, and lay the other on a paper towel on mommas desk. "your supposed to eat that by the way" I say as I leave. Grace stands there holding her homemade candy.

I stuff my books in my locker, close it and almost ran into the safety of the trees. About a half mile from school, I surrender myself to the wolf. He wants to run, so we run together. I am mother natures eldest son. I was two hundred and some pounds of fur and fury. I am perfect. I can run for hours and still have plenty left to give. I am in my element. I am the son of the earth. I am my fathers son. I am a wolf.

Home isn't but a mile or so from the school, but I run for almost ten and then go home. When I come in the door, Sarah and Kelly are doing homework, but when they hear me come in, they both jump up to give me a hug. I sit them back down at the table and start dinner. While it cooks, I tilt my chair back onto two legs and think about the day.

First about the trail I'd just ran, then back over the school day. I try to keep from thinking about Grace, but that is like trying not to breathe. I feed the girls, eat my food and watch them play for a little while. Then I put them to bed and wait for mom to get home.

She finally does at about 9:30, and I hand her a plate of food still warm, and go back to reading my fathers diary by the fire light. I go to bed at about ten thirty, and sleep lightly.

Even if I did go to bed kind of late the night before, I am still up before dawn and make breakfast for mom and the girls. Mom is just leaving when I get the girls up and eating. I had bathed them last night, so mom and I can split the hot water this morning. I eat and then jump in the shower after getting the girls on their way to school. I shave and dress, then head out the door. I was going to be late if I didn't hurry.

Thanks to my friend the wolf, I am at school ten minutes before the first bell, and walk inside. Grace is off to one side, talking to a guy I hadn't seen yesterday. I walk over and said hi to Grace. "Terrance, I'd like you to meet John Schnider, John this is Terrance Wolfe, a new student here." I offer my hand, noting that he is a young vampire, but he doesn't take it, so I let it drop to my side.

As I walk away, I hear him growl "Just because I was gone for a few days doesn't give you the right to fuck some new wolf bastard."

I don't know how I do it, but I resist the urge to turn around and rip his head off. I just focus on putting one foot in front of the other until I am in English class, and sit in the same chair as yesterday.

Grace comes in a few seconds late, and is proceeded by the smell of fear and pain. Mainly though, I am concerned about the glaring red mark on her cheek. Hindsight's twenty twenty, I should have ripped that mother fucker's heart out.

" John seems really nice," I say quietly, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Grace ignores it. Hell, I think, we'll talk in home ec.

When I get into the locker room, John is showering off. I don't quite snort, but I have to work not to, and quietly change my clothes. The coach tells him to do the rope and then join us. John does the rope, slower than I did I note with some pleasure, but I don't say anything, and then the coach announces that were were doing a fitness challenge. Most every body groans. I partnered up with Rachel, and while she was popping off push ups, I ask "can we talk at lunch?"

She nods as she tries to finish her 120. Then we do situps. Then, at the track, John looks devastated when I beat him by an easy quarter lap. Too bad, soooooo sad.

Spanish was a movie in Spanish about Spain and it origins. I don't pay any kind of attention to it, but focus on Grace. The movie doesn't go quick enough for me, and I almost run to lunch.

I beat Rachel by a long minute, and when she finally does sit down, I don't even let her get situated before launching my question, " Are Grace and John going out?"

"Yeah, why?"

I ignore her question, "What are they like together?"

"Just fine, why?" she forces her question again.

"Maybe I was just imagining that red mark on her cheek, or the tears in her eyes."

"Look Terrance, John is captain of the football team, and his dad is filthy rich. Every time someone asks, Grace loves him with all her heart. You can't know what happened."

"That's true, I don't know what happened, but I can guess pretty damn close." I realized I was growling, and the wolf was rising in my chest. My hackles have risen, but I push the beast back into slumber.

We start to eat, and finish lunch in silence. The rest of the day flashes past, and I don't ask Grace about what had happened.

The next day goes by even faster, if possible,with nothing eventful. I guess that makes since, because the day after was loaded.

I mean shit hit the fan., and I don't mean the normal small pile of regular stuff. We are talking the biggest, wettest smelliest pile of shit you ever saw, smelled or thought about and, lord above, it hit hard.

I walk in and say hello to Grace, and totally ignore John. What is now standard procedure.

I go to English without further ado, also standard procedure. I find our English test ungodly easy, which figures. In gym we have a free day. I choose to run the track, John and his buddies play football and Grace was inside the actual gym. I am astonished to find myself wishing I could be near her, but I can't without seeming to follow her.

I am on the straight away, alongside the football field when I see the ball fly deep, and catch a glimpse of motion as John tears off after it. I wouldn't have a problem with it, normally, but I am between John and his precious ball, and the way he is running, he looked like he means to do some damage. Instead of setting my legs and throwing him, I step right, toward the outside of the track and also out of John's path.

I think he wants an excuse to fight, but I've never been much of a fighter myself, so I need a good reason before I get angry, and then if I have to have a good enough reason to get angry, I have a good enough to fight. Just because I don't like him doesn't give me a reason to kick him eight ways to Sunday.

In Spanish we played kids games like sorry, guess who, clue and life, only in Spanish, so that we could work on our translation of the language. I don't concentrate much, but I do stare at Grace when I can.

At lunch, I eat alone. Seeing as my meal was leftovers from dinner last night, a roast with salt cooked medium rare, by just biting off chunks, I am okay with this. Grace and John are not in the cafeteria. I try not to worry too much, an fail. Miserably do I fail.

In science and history, we have our weekly test. I aced these. Nice to see I am good at something. The tests make the rest of the day go relativity quickly, and I think I might get away without talking to Grace.

Momma dashes my hopes when she tells Grace and I to surprise her with a team effort. Even though we are both edgy about working together, we do get along okay. That is, until we are idle.

The cake was in the oven, the frosting ready to go and the dishes are washed and put away. I look at Grace, and let some of my real concern for her show when I ask "Grace, I want to ask you something but I need to know that you'll be honest with me, alright?"

She nods her head slowly.

"What I wanted to ask was...Has or does John ever hit you?"

Her eyes flash up at me as she chews her lip, "Terrance, John is a great guy,"her heart beats faster, "he's so nice to me," she begins to sweat, "and would never do anything to hurt me." Her entire body screams lie. I knew it. I want so badly to take her in my arms and protect her. I can't believe that I do, but I would take on the world for her. Just as I step toward her, to touch her hand or show her some shred of kindness the oven timer rings, and I have to get the cake out of the oven before it burns.

After the cake was out of the oven, we had to get it out of the pan, chill it quickly, and then frost the stupid thing. Grace was busy cleaning the counter top and I was busy with the cake, so I couldn't touch her or anything like that, but I decide I will talk to her after school. I take the cake up to momma's desk, put our names on it and go to my locker before Grace is so much as half way down the hall.

I literally throw my books into my locker, slam it shut and run to follow Grace. Normally, she goes out the front door and takes a right. Today for some odd reason she goes out the back, and takes a right, towards the gym. This is going to be interesting, I know. I slip into the trees when I smell three of John's football buddies. As I follow Grace with both my eyes and my mind, I figure out where she is going. The back of the gym. That still doesn't tell me why though, and I keep wondering what John's buddies are doing.

It hits me like a sack of bricks when Grace rounds the corner and finds herself pressed against a wall, with John's hand going for the zipper of her skirt. "Since you wont give me your virginity, I'm going to take it from you," he growls into her ear. He is going to rape her I think in horror and feel the wolf inside snarl in agreement with my fury. The wolf wants out, but I beat it back. For this, I need hands, not claws. Just as the wolf lies and begins to whisper sweet strength to my heart, I drop buddy number one with a work hardened fist to his kidney. I step out of the trees just inside of John's line of sight, "If she doesn't want to have sex with you, don't force her. Its a bad decision to live with, that's if you live at all."

He drops Grace in a heap on the ground and turns to face me, a snarl on his lips, "stay out of this, or your going to find yourself in a world of hurt!" I smile and kick cronies two and three in the stomach and head respectively. Both go down like a dear after one of the pack had torn out its throat. Buddy number four is staying out of sight, and difficult to smell. John lunges at me with his fists balled. I side step his clumsy first punch and pop one on his chin. Buddy number four jumps at me from the trees, explaining his absence. He has been down wind of me. His plan had apparently been to jump on my back. I roll under his weight and throw him against the wall. But he has done what he had to do, and let John recover.

He rushes me from so close I don't have time to dodge,or to stop him. He slams me into the wall so hard I felt something crack. The wolf rose again, and this time, I used his strength. I raise my arms and drop them with the strength of a wounded animal. The wolf had helped me to break his grip, so now I was fighting with a wolf's spirit. I struck out with an open palm to Johns chest and he loses his breath, but in that moment I had readied my next attack, using the momentum from my palm thrust to spin around and plant the hardened leather heel of my boot squarely against his chin. He goes down, and he goes down hard. Grace had screamed somewhere along the line, but I don't heard until now. I also didn't notice until now that she is crying. I reach down to help her to her feet. When she is up, her knees give at once, and she falls into me. I catch her and rub her back, shushing her gently, the same way I do after Kelly has had a nightmare. She lays her head on my shoulder and cries for a few minutes, but when she stops she smiles at me. "how far from here do you live?" I ask quietly.

"About a mile or so, that way" she points in the opposite direction of the trees.

"May I walk you home?"

"Would you really do that?" In answer I offer her my arm. We walk the mile to her house in relative silence, but when we get to her front door, Grace asked "Would you like to meet my family?"

I hesitate, smelling the nest of my immortal enemies within, and tangled up in all of them, my fathers killer, "Oh, I'd love to, but I couldn't keep you a moment longer," I say, trying to be tactical

"Oh Terrance, your so full of it. Please meet my dad?" I inhale deeply. Her father could very well be the same vampire that killed my father. At long last I relent, why? Even I know not why.

"Alright, if you insist," was all I could manage.

She opens the door, and the smell hits me like a wall. It was the lord of this house who had, so many years before, killed my father.

Just inside the door is a lower vampire in a maids outfit dusting the pictures. "Rosemary, where is my brother?"

"He's in his room I believe."

A young man came down the stairs, "Grace, father is furious that you went off with John before," he sees me, and knows me for what I am. Instantly, his tone changes, and my hackles stand on end. "What is this animal doing in our house?!?" he demands of Grace as he lunges for my throat. I catch his wrist, and throw his arm aside. Grace screams "Alex! Terrance, please don't hurt him!"

"How dare you bring this dog here?!?" Alex screams.

"Terrance is not an animal, or a dog! He's a gentleman!" Grace screams back. "What's in the name of Victor is going on in here!?" The voice comes down the stairs a mere second before its owner, and I feel the wolf, standing by like a brother, ready to die, if only this monster comes with us. It is indeed Nicolas. He is wearing a dress shirt and slacks. The second I saw his face I knew for sure. He'd been wearing robes and leathers then, but sure enough this was my fathers killer, and Alphas Past, I am falling in love with his daughter. I know not from where the words came, but come they did and with the ring of truth. I feel the wolf rise in my chest, and the itch of hair as it grows from my skin. I'll rip hm apart! My fathers voice suddenly, in my head "Should a vampire sly your brother, hate him not, and offer yourself as well." Father had always been a man of peace. The words are reinforced by Grace's hand on my shoulder, and her pure sweet voice cutting through the haze of hate, "Terrance, please, calm down. For me?" The desire in her voice not only cuts through the haze, but helps me to push the wolf back into slumber.

"What's going on here?" He asked.

"Father, Grace has a new pet."

"Alex! For god's sake, Terrance is not a pet, hes a gentleman."

"He's a werewolf! He can be no kind of man!"

"WEREWOLF?!?" Her father screams, just before I find myself pressed back against the wall, with cold blue eyes driving into mine, and a death grip on my throat.

Automatically, I break his grip and in response to the danger the wolf wakes again, only to be put down by Grace's voice once more. "Father, Terrance protected me. From Johnathan, the one you chose for me. Terrance protected me after John tried to rape me!" She put a lot of emphasis on the words after, tried and rape. Her father seems sober at this. He regains control of his emotions, and recomposes himself. His eyes lock into mine, and I lock eyes with him. Two predators, one challenge. After a few seconds, he looks away. Grace begins to calm everyone at high speed. "Father, you said yourself that the werewolf you killed was both the alpha of his pack and probably a lot stronger than you, but you killed him. You yourself said that he must have wanted to die for some reason. You said that his line is stronger than any living vampire clan. Terrance is the son of the one you killed. He's the only son of the Wolfe name. He protected me from John, eldest son of the Schnider name. He beat John in hand to hand combat when the odds favored John. But that's only after John tried to rape me." I only now realized that she must know who I am, and had since the first time she'd heard my name.

Her father stares, and after a brief pause, recognition dawns on him. "Why was it so easy to kill your father?"

"He distracted you while I birthed my sister, then got the pack safely away from you and yours. He did what was necessary to preserve the pack."

"so he did want to die..."

"Father, why are you respecting this dog?!"

"Alexander Heart, keep a civil tongue in your head, this one alone could on his own in single combat rip every on this earth vampire limb from limb. His is the only line not allergic to silver or crystal. Were his pack a mere half of what it is, they could destroy every last vampire on earth."

"What about those in Europe? What of Victor and his clan?" I don't think Alex likes to be told that he is not the strongest there is, nor that when it came down to it, that vampires are not the totally dominant species.

"When angered, I think Victor would step aside for this one, and be thankful that this one is not like his great grandfather. If I'm correct, you were both seeded and born on the full moon.?"

"Yes, I was. During the battle of Fairgah."

"I'm thankful that you harbor us no ill will."

"Thank full that I harbor no ill will? Ha! Be thankful for your daughter." I scuff the first part, but mean the second.

"Terrance?" Grace asks.

When I look at her she asks, "is it true that your not allergic to silver or crystal?"

I nod and show her my fathers silver chain and crystal heart pendant as proof, " and being born under the full moon?"

I nod as does her father. "What does that effect?"

"When a wolf is born under the full moon, he is born in wolf form more often than not. Our first moments in the world determine how we behave the rest of our lives,or so it seems," I explain.

"And what is the battle of Fairgah?"

Her father steps up to bat, "The last battle Christian Wolfe fought. It took two score of our strongest brothers to distract him while another of our clan shot him with a silver tipped arrow in his chest. Even then, Victor was still hard pressed to cut off his head from behind. Though, Christian wasn't born in the heat of battle, nor did he taste the blood of a vampire for his first meal." Grace shuddered and I wrapped my arms around her. She looked up at me and asked "what does the taste of vampire do to your kind?"

"It gives us ungodly strength and usually the desire for more. Only, for most of us, the strength or desire is too much and we go mad. All mad wolves are killed. In our history, I am the only one to live more than three cycles of the moon after having a taste of vampire blood."

"none in your history?" Nicolas asks astounded.

"I am the first to live so long." I say with cold certainty.

He pauses for a moment, and then, "I am honored to have you in my home." At this, Grace wraps her arms around me and lays her head on my shoulder to whisper, " I'm happy to be your friend." I brush my teeth over her neck and breathe in her scent. There is no fear.

When I get home, both the girls smell Grace on me. Sarah giggles, "Mom! Terrance has been with a girl!" Mom comes out of her room and sniffs the air. Her eyes widen as she recognizes the scent. She steps back into her room and waves for me to follow. I know where this was going, sigh and follow.

I step in, she points at the chair but makes no move to seat herself. I shake my head. "Terrance, I understand that you'd want to be with a woman, but I know that scent. I can smell her on you. Of all the girls in the world, why her? For heaven's sake, any of the girls of age in the pack would be happy to be your first! Yet you go and pick the daughter of your fathers murderer! How could you?!"

"For God's sake mother! You think I don't know what its like to look Corvin's killer in the eye? I'm just listening to the advice you both gave me back when he was alive. You both told me when I asked, true love is the love that you never stop thinking about. That true love is the one that, when your around you find it hard to breathe. You always said 'when you hold her, everything else fades. You'll respect her for whats in her head and love more what's in her heart.' That's how I feel when I look at, think about and yes even hold Grace. Damn it mother, Corvin always said that one day, a vampire and werewolf would meet and fall in love. That only then would the war truly end, with a blending of the species. But only if the hybrid was raised on love. That if the child were raised on hate then the war would become more fierce. That only the strongest of our two species would ever love each other. Corvin always said that were a vampire to kill your brother, you should offer yourself as well, and to not seek vengeance. I know in my soul that Corvin would be happy that I love a vampire. He would be proud that I hold no grudges," I shout.

She brakes down in tears, "Terrance, you're so very right, but what will Joshua say?"

I look her in the eye, "I don't care. Every wolf knows it is my right to be alpha, that I should have taken alpha right after Corvin died. I should have taken control of this pack before Joshua got so power happy. I will bring Grace here, and here I shall marry her. Joshua be damned!"

"You know hes not going to step down. He's not going to let you have your birthright. You know he enjoys the power of alpha. You're going to have to challenge him."

"Sarah, I know you've been listening this whole time, come in here." She opened the door looking sheepish, stepped in looking sad and closed it with an air of defeat. "You heard what I have to do, and if I lose.... well you know how Joshua is."

"Terrance, you're the last of the Wolfe name, the only male descendant of Christian, the real mad dog. Joshua has a strong name and strong blood, but you can trace your blood all the way up to the first werewolf. All I have to say is... well, don't kick his ass too badly."

"Lose the mouth kid, but you know what I was going to say. I'll challenge Joshua when the time is right." I walk out and to my room without another word, knowing the things that I set into motion would sooner or later come to a head.

Over the next weeks, Joshua and I grow further and further apart, but I can't find it in myself to care, because Grace and I are grow closer and closer together.

It is Friday, and we have just finished our test in home ec, I ask Grace, "since I met your family it seems only fair that I invite you to my house for dinner or something. Would you like to met my family?"

"Well, father will guess where I am, and I'd love to met your mother and sisters if I could."

"so that's a yes?"

"that's an 'I'd love to'"

I smile at that.

She stuffs her things in her locker and walks with me to the trail that leads me home."Yes," I said before Grace could react, "we live in the woods but, no, we don't live like animals."

She smiles, "I never thought you did."

She seems to enjoy the walk to my back door, even though wolves roam the woods, just out of sight. I open the door for her and lead her into the dining room, where Sarah and Kelly sat at the table. "Girls, I'd like you to..."

"Meet Grace. I'm Sarah, and this is Kelly. Terrance,I never had any doubts, but she is truly beautiful."

Grace blushes scarlet and I try to hide my face. Mom walks in early, and says "Well hello there! You must be Grace." Mom offers her hand and Grace takes it.

"Terrance was right, you are indeed a beautiful young woman. By the way, Akeela saw you two walking in, and was talking to Joshua when I got here."

The warning in her voice is clear, Grace and I must leave, or I must fight Joshua for that which is mine.

"Grace, would you like to meet the rest of the pack?" I ask nonchalantly.

She smiles, "Id love to. First, can we drop by old man Cowler's?" I had told her about my pack over the last two weeks, with portions on those who had educated me as to the ways of wolves.

Mom smiles, covering her fear behind enthusiasm, "I'm sure he'd enjoy the company, and I know he wants to meet you Grace." She warns me with her eyes. Joshua will immediately attack Grace, woman or not, child or not, escorted or not. She was a vampire, and Joshua's hate runs deep.

I offer her my arm, and she takes it. I close the door behind us and hear a low voice, "Terrance, you go too far. A vampire, in our homes? I thought you of all people should know better." I turn. He is only feet away, poised to attack. I take up position in front of Grace. None of the pack will attack her when she is under my protection, none but Joshua.

"I do not go to far cousin, she will cause no trouble if you let it lie, and is welcome to stay should she so desire." I coldly indicate a challenge.

"TO STAY?! That is not your decision to make!" He is screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Is it not? Then Alpha Joshua Scott, I challenge."

"Terrance, don't do this. You don't know what's best for the pack." He pleads. His anger is now tempered by wisdom. He knows that should it come to a fight, I will kill him. His anger however, overrides his senses.

"It is done. I do indeed know what is best for the pack, and so do challenge. Will you step down or shall we fight?" My blood is up, the wolf roaring in my chest.

"I will not step down." He is shaking with rage.

"Then let us do battle. Mom?" I ask without turning. Baiting a wolf is always a dangerous thing, but I know that to let ones self be fully possessed by anger is foolish. My rage is tempered, his burns unchecked.

"I'll watch over her for the moment, do what you must Terrance," She says softly.

I stepped off the porch, walking slowly. Joshua switches to wolf form as he steps forward. Grace shivers as the pack circles around. At their expression, Grace looks shocked, and mom looks grim. She knows what is about to change. She knows already that Joshua will probably die. The only one who seems to doubt this is Joshua himself.

I stop the change to wolf half way through, maintaining some human elements. Joshua lunges for my neck, fangs bared. I slap him down, drawing first blood. He rolls to his feet and snarls, then reverts to his own hybrid wolf-human form. We lunge together, our chests slamming into each other, and our hands clasped in a deadly game of mercy. Every inch and motion matters in this game, every shift, and to lose is to die. Every move must be calculated. He bites my shoulder, opening his neck. I take the opportunity and bare him to the ground, never once losing purchase. "Oh my god!" Grace's scream keeps me from ripping his neck out, but I pin him with my hand. He whimpers as he reverts to human form. I step back and revert to human myself. Joshua lowers his head in defeat. I offer my hand, and he shakes it, a clear message that there are no hard feelings, he had lost fairly, and I had won fairly. I walk over to Grace, and the fear in her eyes almost kills me.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"It's just that it was... you were..... the whole thing was just so... fast." she says after a long pause, "and I'd always heard that you killed when in wolf form, no matter what."

I smirk, "some cant help it. Obviously I can."

"The shape you used, you had the best of both forms. Why didn't he stay that way?" she looks confused, as if we had proven in the last moments that most of her education had been false. Probably had been I think to myself.

"For most who can attain it, it puts a great strain on the body. Not many can gain the form at all, fewer can hold it for even seconds, and only four can hold the shape for any length of time."

"And I take it you're one of those that can?"

"Right."

"And it doesn't bother you?"

"The only thing that bothers me is that you are afraid"

"You were so fast, and I still remember what you did to John, and he's twice as strong as I am at least. If he's that much stronger than me and you can knock him out with one hit, I can't help but think what you could do to me. Knowing how strong you are, I can't help but think that one day you might turn on me."

I take her hand, "Grace, I could never hurt you, and I would never do anything to make you unhappy. I care about you Grace, I really do care."

She smiles weakly and wraps her arms around me. "Alex still says that us being together goes against nature and all that's right and proper." I ran my fingers through her hair, and opened my mouth without thinking. "I don't give a damn what's right or whats proper, or what goes against nature. I love you Grace, and that's all there is too it."I never intended to tell her anything of the sort, but again, I'd said more than I wanted to, and had meant every word. She looked up at me semi-surprised. "really?"

I kiss her gently. "Yeah, really," I whisper into her ear. She lays her head on my shoulder and I begin to rock her back and forth while the pack dissipated. Some smile at us, others glare. Some of them stared in open awe.

I walk Grace home after dinner, and we get to her door just as full dark sets in. I reach my arm around her to give her a goodnight kiss, when I smell

something out of place. Silver, bare and fresh, oiled silver. Like on a sword. I reach my brilliant conclusion just as I hear the sound of metal singing through the air. I push Grace so that she goes down, and spin into a fighting crouch. Too many battles in one day I think to myself as I catch the falling blade in my bear hand. "You're not quite quick enough to kill me yet, " I snarl to him as I tear the blade from his grasp. He draws a long silver dagger, and I smile at him as fur sprouts from my pores. He lunges when I was halfway through the transformation. For most wolves that would kill them, either stopping in mid-form or a huge knife. I stopped the transformation and slapped his knife hand away. He loses his knife, but the blade nicks my hand. The smell of my blood infuriates him, and he pushes himself to greater lengths.

Grace screams, and I balled my fist as he leaps up. His well aimed kick at my head is thrown aside, leaving his entire torso open to my hand. I slam my huge fist cruelly into his ribs, making a hallow thunk sound. With the kill so close, it is hard to resist tearing his throat out, but Grace's scream brings me back to myself at once. The anger fades. He had been made by Victor and was quite old, also, he is out cold.

Grace opens the door and I haul him into the house. When I look at her, Grace simply points the the bench in the entryway, so I lay him there. "Do you know him?"

"No, but he not only smells like Victor, his ring is of Victor's house."

"Great," I growl, "the last thing I need is a war with an entire coven. I'd hate to leave you, but I hate more the thought of making you choose family and clan or me."

"I don't want to choose, Terrance, either way I lose something I love." She says at a total loss

We had no school the next couple of days, so Grace and I went to the beach when it got hot on Saturday, and we spend the day laying in the sun, swimming, splashing each other and having a good time. I go home with a brilliant scheme in place.

The next morning, I wake up very early, left a note for mom and was at Grace's house before sunup. I slipped through the side door and down into the kitchen. The chef looks at me when I walk in and upon smelling me, he hisses. He knew what I was and didn't like me in his kitchen, so I snap, "Look! I'm not here to start a fight. I want to make Grace breakfast in bed." He looks at me for a long moment and then handed me a tray of already made food for Grace. I took it with a nod of thanks, and walk slowly up to Grace's room, and tap on the door lightly. "Enter," she answers in her pure sweet voice.

I open the door and find her sitting up in bed, and as I sit the tray down in front of her say, "good morning sunshine, I brought you breakfast." "Terrance! My gosh, what are you doing here?!"

"Well, I thought it would be nice to bring you breakfast in bed." When she looks at me oddly, I chuckle and say, "There's some blood too." She doesn't find it quite so amusing and shakes her head. "I hate needing blood to live. I hate being a vampire. I hate myself."

"Don't hate yourself Grace, because I love you for yourself."

She shook her head and asks, "How's your hand?" In answer, I showed her the neat little scar and ask back, " Have you found out who he was yet?"

"He had Victor's crest on his ring, and smelled so much like Victor, I've got to assume that Victor made him or something. Do you have any ideas? But first, sit down, please."

So I sit at the foot of her bed, and say " Well, I know he wasn't Victor." As I watched her eat, or rather pick at, her food, I ask "Grace, are you alright?" I try not to sound worried, but fail miserably.

"Terrance, I'm glad you're concerned. It has been three days since I last had blood, and I'm beginning to weaken."

I stand up and run out the door. I leap over the rail and drop twenty feet to the floor. Before I ever really land I roll and am running again. I took the stairs three at a time to the kitchen. The cook looks at me oddly, until I said "I need blood for Grace, now!"

He looks at me for a second longer, and then turns to a refrigerator, and takes out two packets of blood, and tosses them into the microwave. While they warm up, he resumes looking at me. I stare him down. Finally the blood is warm, and he pours it into a glass before he hands it to me.

I took it and said "I thank you." Before he could reply however, I was already out the door and halfway up the stairs. I took them three at a time, careful of the glass in my hands. In the entry way, I look at the long, sloping stairs. They will take forever to climb, so I take the shorter way. I leap, taking care not to spill anything.

I clear the railing easily, and land softly. I hardly land before I am off down the hall to Grace's room like a shot. Her door is still open, and I dart in.

"Here," I say as I hand her the glass and sit on the bed next to her. She takes it, looking reluctant and mutters, "I hate blood. I really do hate it."

I look at her for a brief moment and plea, "Drink it, please Grace?"

She sighs and slowly lifts the glass to her lips. She drinks deeply, not even breathing until every drop is gone. Then she set the glass down. She had a line of blood on her lip, like Kelly and Sarah when they finished a glass of milk.

On impulse, I licked it off, and before I could fully grasp what I'd done, our lips were pressed together, and her tongue was parting my lips. I went with the flow, and the fire in my stomach, and parted my teeth to slide my tongue between her lips. As she slid her tongue deeper into my mouth, I slid my tongue over her teeth.

I feel a sharp pain on the tip of my tongue a second before the coppery tang of blood filled both our mouths. I hadn't realized until then that I'd pressed my tongue against her fang, but she did, and a second later, she had my tongue trapped in her mouth, and my shoulders in her hands. Before I grasp this new twist, I find my self pressed against her pillows, with her on top of me.

She moans a second later, and I could resist no longer. Pulling away from her, I sit up and tilt my head. Before she could do anything else, I pressed my skin to her lips.

She waits a moment, finding the veins, and then carefully avoids them,she bites into my neck. A shiver runs down my spine, and she bites down harder. She places one hand on the side of my head, and the other on my shoulder, and tilts my head further, so that she can bite deeper. I tilt my head as far as I can. She pushes me back so that I am laying underneath her again.

The wolf hates being pinned, but I am in control, and adjust my head, neck and shoulders to allow her the easiest access. She attacks my neck with new vigor, and presses me deeper into the pillows.

About an hour passes, with her biting deeper into my neck. I smile when she finishes and chuckle, " I thought you didn't like blood?" "yours is different," she almost gasps, "it's so sweet"

"so you enjoyed it?"

Before she answers she licks the last drop of blood from my neck, and then says "Oh, very much so."

I smile, "I'm glad."

She looks at me wide eyed, "I didn't hurt you did I?"

I slide my fingers down her spine and whisper in her ear "Actually, I liked it. How often do you need blood?"

"Depending on the amount and general state of the blood I can go a week without blood before I have any real issues, but after about three days, I get light headed and weak."

"And how long do you normally go without blood?"

"This is the shortest I've ever gone without any."

"Three days is the shortest you've ever gone?"

She looks at me with a frown, "I hate being a vampire. I hate having to hurt someone so that I can live. I take blood as rarely as possible. I actually took more blood today than I can ever really remember doing."

"What do you mean?" "Well, I had the pint with breakfast, the two pints you brought me from the kitchen, and then I took about three more pints from you, and I generally take

less than a quarter of that"

"Let's hypothetically say that I offered you a pint and a half of my blood every day?"

"Well, you're a lycan, but blood is blood, so I guess I'd be alright. Seeing as you're a lycan though, I might experience some changes."

"You mean that you could get stronger and go crazy right?"

"I'm not saying it's definite, I'm saying it's possible."

"So, do you want to give it a shot?"

"Terrance, do you really want me to feed on you?"

"I offered didn't I?"

"Well, you do taste amazing, and until you have a problem with it or something else goes wrong, I guess it'll be okay."

"I don't care where the blood comes from as long as you feed."

Alex comes up the stairs, and taps on her door frame, "Grace, dad wants you downstairs, now."

"Why?"

"There's someone here to see you I think."

A low, soft hissing voice slithers into my ears, "It's quite alright young one, I'll go to her."

I know who it is as I smell the fear pour from Grace, and so I pull her closer to me. She had every right to be afraid. Victor himself is here. The first vampire, the strongest vampire, was paying her a special visit, and I have a feeling it isn't just a social call.

Grace was scared, so I hold her tighter. She relaxes a little bit, but she is still as tense as harp strings.

Victor walked in to find us like that. I roll Grace off of me, and out of the way of any attack, and looked into his cold blue eyes. He won't look at me, and instead glares at Grace.

He hisses at her and she snuggles up to me. I wrap my arm around her shoulders as Victor's hiss lowers in pitch. Victor lunges, not at me but at Grace, anger and hate in the air.

The wolf surges in my chest, tempered by Grace being so close. That is normal, the wolf always wakes when I get angry, but today, alongside the wolf, something new, older and more primal than even the wolf awoke.

The surge of power, speed and strength that accompanied it was pseudo-wolf. I know for a fact that Victor is fast, but to my eyes he moved at almost human speeds.

Just as he passes over me, I move. My palm shoots up into his chest, a solid hit. I feel his bones crack. I flick my wrist and send him sprawling. A snarl springs up in my throat, and he shouts at Grace, "You've betrayed you're clan! You will die!"

"I'll let you kill her," I said, my voice dangerously low, "after I'm dead, but until then you should focus on me." The primal rage still alive in my chest, and the wolf is screaming for release.

"You would lay down your life for a vampire?" Victor is taken back. I lift my chin and draw back my upper lip, " I just did." I speak with finality. Our eyes lock and his nostrils flare.

His eyes widen. "Wolfe." He says it like a statement, but I nod anyways. His eyes flash over my shoulder to Grace, "At least you choose the only wolf who could match me in combat."

Grace speaks, and her voice doesn't even waver when she says, "I chose the one that I love."

"Love a Wolfe? The mad dogs?" He laughs as if something is funny.

"He's fine with me. Even when I feed on him." She is calm, calculated even.

Victor recoils at her statement. "You did what?!?" he screams.

Grace has taken heart by now, and she meets Victor's eyes. "I bit his neck. I pierced his skin. I drank his blood. I fed on him, and I enjoyed it." She says the last with a smile.

"You fed on a wolf?!" Victor looks as though he is about to faint, or kill someone.

"Not just a wolf. I fed on the Wolfe. Alpha of Wolfe Pack, the last son of the Wolfe name. He is stronger in youth than you are in age. I fed on a powerful wolf, and I think I will again, because I like how he tastes."

Victor stares at her for a second, and then screams, " You lie!" Before Grace could answer, I tilt my head, showing the holes where her fangs had pierced my skin. They are healing quickly, but the marks are still visible. He glares at her, and says low and threatening, " You'll burn for this. You'll burn."

"Over my dead body," I whisper coldly. The strength that had burned so hot was finally fading, but slowly.

Victor left, and Grace goes to lay on her bed. I lay on her bed next to her. She shivers, and I wrap my arms around her. I tilt my head and pressed my neck against her lips again.

She bites me, gently at first, but as the blood flows she bites harder and harder. Soon, her nails are digging into my skin, her hands forcing my neck to stretch and her teeth, those beautifully sharp, pointed fangs biting into my flesh.

A few minutes passed, and she is gorged. She stops feeding, only seconds later she is asleep on my chest, her lips stained red. I wrap my arms tighter around her and let her sleep on.

An hour passes before she slowly came to consciousness, if groggily. It is approaching noon. "We were going to see your family, remember?" she asks before she had fully come awake.

"You got hungry and fell asleep after feeding, remember?" She smiles in answer, and lays her head on my chest. "I remember feeding on you, then you stood up to Victor for me, and after that, you let me feed on you again."

I smile at her, "Do you feel up to going all that way?"

She almost frowns, "I don't think it was wise to have taken so much blood from you."

I smile again, "Werewolf darling, I heal fast. So now that I've healed, lets go." We get up to leave, and I feel my hackles stand on end. Victor is still down there. I know he is, and so does she. The fact that we are both ignoring that fact makes me very nervous. We go down the stairs arm in arm, I am on her left, between her and the railing. Alex is standing by his door, and glares at me. "That is Victor, head of the covens. He wont be bested by an animal." When Grace opens her mouth to say something to him, I interrupt, "I'm guessing you haven't heard." I pause for effect, "I already did" and walk, with Grace on my arm, to the front door and toward the woods.

I know we will be followed, so I guide our pursuers far into the woods, well away from the den, and Grace and I sit down in a small meadow. We lay back and watch the clouds. "That one looks like a bunny," she says softly. I look to where she is pointing in the sky, it looks like a mouse to me. I nod anyway. "And that one looks like a bear," she says, beginning to enjoy her game. She keeps pointing out the clouds, and occasionally I point to one and say it looks like something. She knows that I am trying to count, locate and track our sneaky friends. There are only four of them, and they aren't all that experienced in following a worthy enemy. "They have probably only tracked humans," she whispers to me. I nod quietly and get up. I smile down at her. She smiles up at me. I offer her my hand and pull her up. Using the momentum, I throw her back, out of the way of our nearest attacker, and jump at him. His sword is still sheathed, but there is a large dagger in his hand. I jump at him, and twist around his clumsy thrust. My hand snakes past his defending arm, and grabs his throat. I crush it in my fingers. I pick up his dagger and throw it at the one approaching Grace. It lands neatly in his liver. I take the dead man's sword in one hand and hold it high. The third attacker lifts his blade and shouts the war cry of his house. I circle the sword above my head and bring it down hard. It shatters both of the well forged blades, but there is enough left for me to cut his neck. The forth has taken Grace from behind. He has a dagger to her neck. I stop moving, and drop what is left of the sword. "Good dog. Now get on your knees."

I growled softly, but started to comply. Grace hissed softly, and swung her hand down. Her balled fist connected heavily with his genitals. She grabbed his hand, and pulled the knife from her neck. She twisted his arm so that he came out from behind her, and his back was exposed to me. I used the coil of my knees to lunge at him. I grabbed his head in my hands and neatly broke his neck. Grace hissed and got closer to me. She sniffed deeply and then started to examine my body, "are you hurt?"

"No," I tell her gently, "are you all right?"

"Just furious."

I look at their bodies. Nothing that would tell me who they were, but I'm no fool. They were sent by Victor. He could become a problem. He would, my gut told me.

Grace and I decide to go back to the den. We walk hand in hand down the main path. Most of the people who disapproved of us had stopped glaring, those who had approved smiled on occasion. Those who had most disapproved of the two of us were more often than not cowards who would glare openly at Grace, but avert their eyes when I looked their way.

I make my sisters and Grace dinner, when Akeela knocks on the front door. "Yes Akeela?" I ask using the old term of respect for him. He half smiles, "As you know, it is tradition for the educator to give his pupil a gift when he has reached the pinnacle of their chosen place. The gift should help the pupil in their position," here, he stops and points to a small blue Ford Ranger, and hands me a set of keys, "It's got a few miles on it and it's a manual, but it still runs, and I have faith. It's also short term real world proof of the wisdom I feel obliged to impart to you. Take care of the Pack, and the Pack will take care of you."

I look at the key in my hand. "Akeela...Thank You."

"It is tradition. Thank me not Alpha."

He leaves, and I go back to the kitchen, his words echoing in my head. I will make this Pack the most prosperous there has EVER been. My vow is to myself, but as I watch the cubs tumble through the yard I know that my vow will make life easier for everyone.

We eat, and my first trip with my new gift is to drive Grace home. Akeela had told me true. It was old, but it ran. I noticed it has an off road pack and all terrain tires. Silently, I thank Akeela once more for it. I go back to the den, and open the hood. I had read about how to take care of such vehicles. I check the oil. It is almost as clear as water. The engine is beautiful. Nothing extraordinary, but it is perfect for me. I look it over. Akeela must have known what was going to happen, because mere months before he had insisted I get what the humans called a Driving License or some such. He had also taught me to operate such vehicles. I checked the glove compartment. Insurance paperwork, Title, and the Owner's manual. I examine the vehicle again, and note that although the off road pack is factory installed, the tow pack is of slightly higher quality, and bears the small signs of Akeela's work. Always neat, ever precise. I smile as I look at the truck I had admired so much as a cub. I smile as I look at my truck. Akeela always seemed to know what to do and how to do it.

It is fourteen days of easy school classes, and a mere four spent with Grace. Alexander has truly begun to hate me. Once the household learned of my parentage and Victor's return to his clan in England, they began to show the same respect and courtesy to me. Once they learned that I was the Alpha of the largest pack in the country, and probably the world, they began to smell slightly of fear when I was near. Grace and I have spent the days studying, and when she thirsted drank of my veins. We had grown very close. I had learned much of the vampire hierarchy, and with it had learned that she and her family were quite low in the chain. Somewhat like the Omega of the packs. When first she'd said something to the fact, I felt the need to tell her that Wolfe pack had long ago done away with such a thing. She in turn learned much about the packs. I was proven right when she said once, "So much of my education about the packs is so obviously more hate than fact." I told her then that the Packs felt the same way, and that the hatred between our races ran deeply. She told me that when she had tried to revise Alexander's education in the same way her own had been, he had struck her. We had begun to spend more time at the den than at her home after that.

It is now that three or four of Alexander's friends are hanging around when I swing my truck around and open the door for Grace. I sniff the air, and smell him too late. Victor has his arm around Grace's neck. I still held the faint hope that after the first encounter he would have acknowledged my strength, and let the feud lie. Apparently I was to be proven wrong.

"I have decided that you shall be married to my son Michael. You will go to him now."

Grace's eyes glow with inner fire. She's fed on me almost daily since that first day, so long ago. During that time she has changed subtly, grown stronger.

"Victor," she says in a dangerously low tone, " I will not go with you, nor will I marry your son. I will be my own person, not who I am commanded to be." It must be that I am an Alpha of strong blood. I smile.

"You know my power Victor," I whisper. He looks at me, "Do not interfere in matters that do not concern you."

"It involves Grace, and hence involves me, so I will interfere. Especially as a decision has been made concerning her life without consulting her desires or wishes. Also, as that decision will make her unhappy I will not allow it to stand."

"You talk yourself to an early grave Wolfe," Victor whispers. I ignore him. "Grace is he hurting you?" I ask gently. She has tears in her eyes when she whispers, "All mighty Victor, Father of Vampires, I beg you, in this, let me do as I will."

Victor grins cruelly, "My child, you will do as you're told."

"I will not!" Grace screams as she rips from Victor's grasp and spins away, leaving some of her skin in his hand.

Victor reacts before she can get far enough from him, and he strikes her. I know not where, and I care not how. However, the scent of her blood, and seeing of it on Victors hands, with her scream of pain and anguish ringing in my ears served to awaken the demons that dwell in my heart.

The wolf surges in my chest, scorched by the fire that I'd first felt during our first encounter. The pure power and strength more primal than the wolf, as old as the world. The fire in my heart told me that the blood fury was also on me. A dangerous combination of powers, and every ounce of it wanted to see Victor dead. Every muscle in my body went taunt, the relaxed. I was hybrid wolf in less than a heartbeat, Unconsciously I noticed that that was the fastest change any wolf had ever under gone.

My pupils widen and my vision sharpens to a razors edge. A howl of pain and fury and rage rips from my throat. "Get Him!" Alex yells. The vampires that had been hidden, dressed in armor of leather and armed with blades of silver, bows with arrows of crystal and oak emerge, and a vast array of weapons engineered to kill my kind. All that, plus what nature had gifted them with. I still feel that they are under armed. Only four of them are foolish enough to attempt to stop me. Three I slap down without a second thought, and tear the last in two. "Victor," snarls a voice in my head, "Kill Victor and it will all end."

I listened and with my fury rolling through my chest in the form of a growl, I lunge forth. Victor turns, a silver sword in his hands, but he moves too slow when he tries to strike at me. I snatch it from his grasp, and brake it in two. Things are getting interesting. He slashes at me with his claws. I catch his hand, and slash at him, laying open his stomach. I grab his head. He brakes my grip. I throw him, but keep my grip on his arm, and jerk him back to me. A silver sword hisses as it descends toward me. I roll, using Victor's body as a shield. I drop him and reach for the one who had tried to strike me down, and crush his skull.

An arrow of crystal and oak sought to bury itself in my heart, and I used my slain foe as a meat shield. The arrow assures his death as it pierces his chest as opposed to mine. As it does, I throw his corpse at my furthest foe.

One of them crouches over Grace, and knife in his hand. I snarl at him but am too far away to do much more. I could not rush him as another vampire stood between us. I rush the one over Grace anyways.

The one between us slashes at me with his silver sword, and I kill him. I look at my next opponent, to find him already slain. With grim fury, Grace finishes the job, and tears out his heart.

She stands, and whirls as another vampire fired an arrow at her. I lunge at her assailant, but am too far. Just as he turns to flee my wrath, a looming figure burst from the trees, and kills him. It is a wolf from my pack. It is my mother. As the three of us face the remaining vampires, they turn to flee. Alex leads them in their flight. Grace approaches me, "that little fucker!" she screams. I do all I really can and wrap my arms around her.

"Terrance, I'm afraid of what I'll find if I go inside," she cries. I pull her closer and she grabs me tightly, "Terrance, I was so scared for you. And that power... Where did it come from?" She is bewildered by her own strength.

"Probably from feeding on me so much. Now, let's go somewhere safe."

Safe is my house, miles from the scene of the attack, and surrounded by angry werewolves. They may or may not have harmed Grace, but if I will lay out my life for her, so will they. In addition to that, they are furious that someone had the gall to attack the Alpha, of any pack. Alpha was a title every werewolf respected. I walk her to my room, "Sleep here, where you'll be safe."

"What about you," she asks concerned. All I say to her is, "I'll be back". I grab a duffel bag, empty but for a backpack, and dive out the window. I make the trees in total silence. I was thankful that Grace had been close to sleep, even before I'd left. I go hybrid, part man part wolf, and run. I throw the strap over my shoulder. The empty bags hit my side with every step. I only run faster. I am at Grace's house in minutes. I open my mouth to catch my breath silently, and leap. It is an easy thirty feet straight up. I coil my body as I land, and inhale deeply. Nothing.

Gently, I step off of the railing, and slowly open the door. Inside her room is pristine, with nothing touched since we had last been in here. The urge to take an unsupervised look into Grace's life rose, but I ignore it. I am here for a reason.

After I remove the backpack that was always in the duffel I'd taken, I start filling them both with clothes. After five minutes, I have emptied her dresser and still had plenty of room left. I pull open her closet and lay the duffel on the floor. I start laying her dresses neatly on top of her neatly folded clothes. Then I repeat the process with the backpack.

As I spin to leave, I see a picture of Grace and her mother on the day she was born. It is always kept on her bedside table. I grab it and gently tuck it away in the backpack. I close the bags and lift them over my arms. As soon as I settle them over my shoulders, I leap into the waiting darkness.

The bags weigh me down, but I am a wolf. I am the Wolfe. This is easy for me to do. I run home as fast as a wolf can run through the woods.

I have a large closet, and a large dresser as well, though I have very few clothes. In the normal course of events, they are useless. To accommodate her wardrobe, I roll all of my clothes and put them in a box. Then in as much of a complete silence as I could manage, I fold and hang all of the things taken from her room. The picture I sit on my bedside table, right where she had had it in her room.

I barely finish by the time the moon has set. I watch Grace sleep until the light of false dawn creeps through the window. I go into the kitchen to start breakfast.

It only takes me a few moments to finish everything. I go in and wake the girls. They wait in silence while I go wake Grace. She wakes slowly, and when she is finally fully awake, I press her lips to my neck. At first she refuses. "You need to eat," I tell her softly. She relents, and bites down.

I let her drink her fill and she smiles, her color already much improved. I smile back and lead her to the bathroom. I hand her a new toothbrush, and a clean change of her own clothes. She stares at them a moment, before she pushes me out of the room and starts the water.

Sarah and Kelly can not stop giggling when they smell my blood and see the holes in my neck. I am thankful mom has already left for work.

My neck is healed when Grace, in all her beauty, emerges from the shower. Her long hair is still damp, and hangs thick around her shoulders. Her skin looks much better now, and her eyes have attained the normal dark green and clearly signaling that she is well fed.

We leave for school, and I let Grace out of my truck at the front of the building, and felt guilty that it was my beat up pickup truck designed for the trails and dirt of the woods than a limo designed for comfort and luxury. After she gets out I park as close as I can to the woods.

We still have the same schedule, and at the moment we have plenty of time to get to class. We lounge on the bench just down the hall and Grace lays her head on my shoulder.

"Terrance?"

"Hm?"

"When you went back for my clothes, did you happen see what happened to my father?"

"No, but I don't think he was hurt, I didn't smell any blood."

"Alright Do you think it's foolish to hope that he's still alive?"

"No, I'd think that it was foolish to think he was dead."

She snuggles closer to me and murmurs her thanks. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and kiss the top of her head. I wish to hold this moment in time forever

The bell rings for class. Grace and I get up, and make our way slowly to class. It is still English and still far too easy. We write essays and read books. Grace and I speak without a sound for most of the class.

Gym is still easy for me and since Grace had started feeding on me regularly, she has improved with leaps and bounds. Today, with the blood still hot in her stomach, she outperforms all of us.

I smile at her as she runs right by me, and I have not the heart to call up the wolf to beat her. She laughs and smiles. It is as though she doesn't have a care in the world. But I know better. She is mad, sad, and hurt. Mad that her brother had betray her, sad she can not go home, and hurt because she doesn't know what has happened to her father.

Spanish passes without incident, and we sit close at lunch. Science and math have gotten no more difficult. In home ec. Momma has gotten used to Grace and I always working or talking together. She draws the line at kissing. She says daily how happy she was for Grace, and how angry she would be if I ever hurt her.

Instead of going straight home, I take Grace to her favorite ice cream parlor, and pay for the biggest banana split they can build, hoping to see her smile. She does, and so, hoping to keep her mind from her woes, I take her in the truck to the highest hill in the woods. We lie back and look out over the treetops.

As the sky gets dark, we lay back and look at the stars. Her head is on my shoulder the whole time. The sun is totally gone and the stars have come out, I lean in and kiss the corner of her mouth. She smiles, so I do it again. It is perfect, except for the feeling of dread in my stomach.

Grace seems immune to this, and rolls over on top of me. I look up at her. She smiles impishly and leans over, pinning me down. I blink, she has grown so strong. She slides her hands up my shirt, I smile, and so she pulls it over my head. She reaches for the hem of her shirt, and the night is made perfect. We get to my house long after everyone else is asleep, and I am glad, because we both smell a little like each other, and a lot like love.

She showers while I get out her clothes for both that night and the next day. Then we trade, and I shower, shave and curl up in the bed with her. She is warm and soft on my chest, and I feel my eyes close. As they finally slide shut, one of the Outriders, guardians of the packs den, howls.

I am up in an instant, sliding Grace carefully off my chest, and leap out my window. The one who howled was Jasak, one of the wiser wolves of the pack. I approach cautiously, smelling vampires nearby.

Jasak is in his human form now, and says to me, "Alpha Wolfe, these vampires came under the flag of truce, and say they will only speak with you." "Very well Jasak, I will speak with them then escort them from our lands, continue your rounds."

He does not question me in front of present company, and lopes away. "Ahh," sighs one of the vampires, "It is good you are both here." Grace has tried to sneak up behind me. "What have you come to say?" I ask coldly.

"We have come to barter," hisses the vampire in charge, "All your lives, and the life of this ones father," he points to Grace, "In exchange for hers."

I stare him down, "You will not take her," I snarl.

"She is precious to you.... that is why we come prepared," he hisses again and motions with his hand. A pair of vampires drags Sarah forward, struggling the whole way. "Which is more precious dog? The life of the child of your fathers killer, or that of your own family?" As my own young sister is dragged forth, I feel my blood run cold. How had he gotten her? Momentarily I banish the question. It is not how. It simply is. He has my sister, and wants the one I love. Family, or love? Grace or Sarah? Either way, I lose someone very dear to me.

Part Two - Fang

Terrance, the one I love, is put in a terrible position. Me, or Sarah? His own sister or me? It hurt to think that he would have to choose only one. He took a long moment to think. Then he said coldly, "I've made my choice."

"Will you give us the girl, or will we destroy all you hold dear?"

Terrance smiled a cold, mirthless smile. A smile that made a chill run down my spine. "You seem to think that there are only those two choices. You forget who I am, and where you are. You see, it is called a pack for a reason." The outriders seemed to sprout from the loam. Not just the half dozen that usually patrolled the Packs boarders, but their full ranks of almost fifty. In addition to the outriders were nearly every able bodied wolf of the pack. Over a full hundred werewolves. I stare. "The Pack sticks together," they all chant. "Few outsiders are accepted into the pack. Grace has been," Terrance says softly. "We the pack accept her as one of us, and devote ourselves to her, as we devote ourselves to each member of the pack," the Pack chants. "Most are born to the life, like Sarah there. You've forgotten who you are threatening," Terrance says even colder than before. "Any member of the pack would die for any other. One who kills a member of the pack would feel the full fury of the combined Pack. The fury of the Pack is each member, and each member of the Pack is the fury of the Pack."

"Such is the Law of The Pack," Terrance said slowly. The Vampires who would have kept this quiet had under estimated a lot of things. The strength and unity of the Pack for one. Their knowledge of their own home for another. More members of the pack appeared and the half a dozen vampires that had come under the banner of 'truce' had swelled to almost two dozen, most of them heavily armed. That was a great breach of sacred clan law, as was the taking of children as hostages. I wonder what makes them above that. Then, with horror I realize Victor is behind it all. "Terrance," I say quietly. It kills me to do this, but I cannot watch the killing of my own kind. "I will go with them."

I expected hurt, but the look of pain and total devastation in his eyes nearly kills me. "Are you sure?" he asks, voice full of hurt. I step closer to him, "I don't want anyone hurt. Please, let me do this," I whisper to him. "I will find you." He vows quietly.

"I know My Love," I tell him quietly, "and then, when it is the outriders of the pack, and no cubs are there to be hurt, I would that you kill any who oppose you."

"Us," He says quietly, "Our hearts are one, and so we are one."

The vampires dropped Sarah in the dirt, and two grabbed my arms. They led me away from the woods. They pushed me into a black SUV, and the driver took us all to a nearby airport. They guided me to a private jet, and pushed me into a seat. "Where are you taking me?" I ask. Much of my strength had been left in the woods. Terrance was my strength, my heart. "If you really must know, we're going to England."

My whole body feels drained. Devoid of life. England. The home land of our kind. The place where the sword still ruled in the shadows of the night. I shudder with dread. One of the few places where Terrance and the Pack would hardly be able to reach me.

I slept somewhere along the line, only to wake wishing Terrance was with me. Then I see the English country side, and Victor's manor. With a crash I remember all that has occurred. I am led to a small room by another vampire. Victor's guard are no longer with me. I am surrounded by house servants. Still, there is no hope of escape.

Victor enters some time later. "I trust your flight was uneventful?" he asks softly.

"It went well enough."

"I hope the decision your pet made wasn't too difficult?"

I laughed shortly, "You think Terrance would have let your guard take me?" The

look on his face makes me laugh harder. "No. The Pack had your two dozen guards outnumbered, outmatched, and surrounded. Sure, they may have taken a few of the pack with them, but they would have all been killed. Sarah released, and myself still comfortable with the Pack."

Victor didn't say anything. "You knew that they would take a child hostage? What makes you above the laws of the clans? You think because you are an elder you are above the law?" I laugh sharply, "No one is above the law of the clan," I recite from my teachings. Victor strikes at me. I let the blow land. Let him make that mistake. He stops short of hitting me directly, and instead chooses to strike at my heart with words. "Your pet cannot reach you here. You will be allowed to leave this room when you decide to marry my son." I smile mirthlessly, "I wont be married to two men," I say and turn away, to look out the large window. I take stock of where we are. The manor is situated back from any main roads. Deep in the woods. Internally I giggle with joy. The woods, no matter where they are, would always be home to the wolves. There might have even been a pack within a few miles of the manor. I decided I would look for the subtle signs that Terrance had taught me to see to know if there was a pack of werewolves nearby.

Victor sighs when he realizes I am ignoring him. As I watch the trees, I remember. Alexander, my brother. The one I had trusted. The one who had betrayed me. I smile as I realize that by betraying me, and through me Terrance, to Victor, he had won the anger of the pack. I sit on the foot of the bed and examine the room I am in.

It is large, well endowed, and richly decorated. There is a large four poster bed, a fire place, a table and chairs, a balcony, and a small couch against one wall. A wardrobe and bookshelves adorn one of the walls. I examine the titles. Some of them are old, some new. Many are European in origin, others American. A book on the second shelf from the bottom catches my attention. The fourth book from the left is old. From long before I was born. The cover is dark red leather. I read the peeling gold title. Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare. I smile and gently lift the book from the shelf, and open it. It is readable. I take it to the couch and turn on a light, and get comfortable. I begin reading.

Every other day, I am brought two pints of blood. If I did not drink it, it stayed. Nothing fresh was brought until I finished what had been left. It was cattle blood, I can smell. I drink it as fast as I can. Victor comes in every four to seven days. Usually our conversations are short. He would tell me to marry his son. I would tell him no. Most often, after that I would return to whatever book I was reading. He would leave and come back. I watched the local game. Deer mostly. The heard told any who were listening that there was a small pack nearby. Based on the way the heard acted, it was only maybe five wolves. I wondered why they were so close to vampire territory. I kept reading. On occasion, Michael would pay me a visit. It was he who tried every tactic from sweet talking, charming, all the way to downright threatening. I was no more civil to him than I was to his father. The maid who came once a week would talk with me. She was a sweet woman, almost ancient. She told me that she had cared for Victor's house since he had had one. He had made her many centuries ago. She asks me one day, "Why don't you marry Michael, and get out of this room?"

I smile at her. "I will not marry two men at one time. I am mated to a werewolf." Her expression was priceless. "What kind of outcast is he to mate with a vampire?"

"He's no outcast."

"What Alpha would accept such a union?" She asks incredulous.

"Terrance, of Wolfe." I tell her, no idea what she knows of the Packs

"Terrance, the firstborn son of Corvin?" She asks.

"Corvin's only son." I tell her.

"You mean to say that Terrance Wolfe, born under light of full moon at Fairgah, He who tasted Vampire flesh with his first breath, he who is unmatched in combat, the one wolf who outmatches Victor in might, is your mate's Alpha?!?" "No. My mate is Terrance Wolfe, of Wolfe."

Her eyes grew huge as the realization sinks in. Finally, she whispers, "may what Gods there are have mercy upon us."

"Why do you say such a thing?" I ask her.

"Were he who, when saw his pack killed, took the forms of wolf and man, dove upon Victor's highest guard.... The guard, he take from his belt a long silver dagger and drive it into the shoulder of the boy, and the boy, the Fury take him, and he kill the guard. The boy, with teeth of steel that tear the throats of dozens, and with claws of honed light rend the flesh of any who oppose him. The boy that in but an instant kill all but three of the old guard. The same boy who beat the fury, and allow me mate to surrender, never to take up arms against a wolf again, and in the night win the respect of the vampires." My face must be an expression of pure fear, because she says, "Such is the fury of your mate. Such is his power. And so say I, doomed are those that would threaten you. Doomed, should you wish, the entire clan that offers you insult. Death to those who have taken you. Great must his love for you be." I bite my lip. She leaves, shaking like a leaf in a summer storm. I now know both sides of Terrance. The soft tender side, that holds me tight as I feed on him, and the darker side. The side that would kill Victor's old guard. Before I get ahead of myself, the old guard. Made by Victor himself from humans who had been superb fighters, then educated for nearly a century in the art of vampiric warfare. The old guard were the best of the best. They were the elite of Victors fighters. Trained to feel nothing, to kill before they questioned. They would obey any order given by the lord of vampires. Ruthlessly did they execute the council's rule. Never would they hesitate. To them, you were either an enemy, or a bystander who needed to stay out of their way. Woe be unto the ones that stood in their way.

I wonder inside, that Victor had said those that destroyed his old guard were hundreds strong. That Terrance had been so young. That, even though my father had killed his, that he still loved me. No more did I wonder if he had the power to fulfill his vow. I knew that he would fulfill his vow and destroy any who made the mad attempt to stop him. Victor had made a grave mistake the day he decided he would fight Terrance as he had. I knew deep in my heart, that very soon, I may be the last of my kind.

I have spent my time reading different books, and talking to the maid. Our conversations had grown intense. She told me about the darker side of my mate. The exploits of his youth. Even though he was their enemy, Terrance had the full respect of any vampire who had faced him on the field of battle. Starting with the night he was born.

"Eliza," I asked, having learned the maid's name, "do you know about the battle of Fargah?"

"Aye, I was there child. Why?"

"Would you tell me about it?"

Eliza looked at me and sighed, "Twere dark times girly. Christian, the grandfather of your mate, had gone mad with the blood lust. He attack a coven. The old guard were summoned to save them. Twere Emilia's coven, so they go with death in their hearts. Christian, he stand with his pack behind him. They fight like demons child. The wolves, they defend Christian. The Guard, they only want to kill everything. The outriders of the pack, they circle behind the main pack, and tell them to run. Run did the pack, but for Wolfe and family. Christian, already he stands on a pile of his foe. He is old, but not weak. His kind, they grow stronger to age, then decline. Christian, he is past his prime. It were age that drive him to it. The need to be remembered. He is too old to be Alpha, and lived longer than he should. Corvin , your mate's father, stays with his wife. The moon be full, and were hard for them to keep their human skin. Out come the boy, with a howl mighty as the wind. A vampire of the coven, try to kill the three of them. The father, he cut the vampire throat. The baby, still in the birth fluid, is covered with the blood. Into his mouth, and nose it goes. The baby choke for a second, then swallow he did. Down his throat goes the blood of a vampire. It hits his belly, and the baby, he scream with pain. Were the night that was their ally. The baby, him hush as they flee. Christian, him stay. Take the coven with him he will. Took a dozen to distract him enough that the old guard's finest archer can take the shot. Into Christian's heart goes the crystal, and the silver shaft they use. Still he draws breath. The coven, they are only four now. Up sneaks Victor, sword in hand. Christian, too busy with the killing in front, sees not the killer behind. Smell him Christian did, and turn with arm raised. Luck were with Victor though. Through Christian's wrist goes Victors blade. Pierce his neck it do. Off comes the head of the mighty Christian." "So that is what was happening when Terrance was born..." No wonder my father had made such a big deal out of it. Christian took a dozen of the covens best to distract him, an archer of the Old Guard, and Victor himself to kill him, and then luck had a lot to do with it.

Eliza, had come like she always did. She bowed to me which was unusual. "Is there something special about today?"

"Was eight years ago this day that your Terrance's father departed this world."

"Really?"

"Yes girl. Did ya not know this?"

"No," I tell her, "I didn't"

"Aye, well," Eliza sucked her cheek for a minute, "Ah suppose I may as well tell yer, if'n you want?"

"Of course!" I got comfortable, and for once I saw Eliza sit down and thinks back, "Twere eight ears after Fairgah. After too, the destruction of the old guard. The covens arranged a dusk raid on the pack. The raid started out just fine. The outriders warned the pack, and the pack ran. Was there that the pack walked into the trap. More vampires were waiting in the other direction. Took the efforts of three covens, but surrounded the wolves they did. The outriders, they make a hole. Kill off all of Lashal Coven. Out run the wolves. Terrance father, he go to the hilltop in him hybrid form, and howl him does. Chase him they do. For miles he run. Most of the covens, them give up they do. But one, Nicholas Heart, him swear to chase the wolf to death. Across all of England they run. Into Russia. Finally, Corvin, him stop, and turn human. He look at your father and he say, 'kill me then. I've done what I must'. So your father, he grant the wish. He kill Corvin. Then, he return to the covens."

"'I've done what I must'...Bought time. With your life, but what was left of the pack lived. Because you gave yourself up. Then you didn't fight back. Corvin, you were a brave man."

"Him weren't a man girl, he were a Wolfe."

I laugh and she cackles. Then Michael comes in. "Are you having a good talk with the prisoner?"

"Apologies Lord. I'll get right to it then." She got up and started cleaning.

"Well, you seem to have changed your mind about your own race."

I glare at him, "I never made a decision about our race as a whole. Some of us are murderous bastards. Like you, and your father. Some are decent, like Eliza."

"You don't know that of which you speak."

"Don't I? Wasn't it your father Michael, who took a child as a bargaining chip? Who tries to this day to make me marry you? Victor, who thinks he is above the laws of the clan?"

"He is an Elder!" Michael shouts, "Elders are above the laws!"

"Of the clan, possibly. But there is a law as old as that of the clans. The law of the packs, which not even the Alphas are above. No one, Mortal, Vampire or Werewolf, is above their law. Each member of the pack is bound by the laws."

"Good thing Father is not a damn dog."

"No, but I was accepted into Wolfe Pack. So, your father bound himself by pack law when he took a cub hostage, threatened a member of the pack, defiled the sanctity of the den, and about a dozen other pack laws. Had he been a member of the pack, he would have been exiled. As he is not, and never was, there is only one punishment to fit his crimes against the pack and the den."

"Oh?"

I smile grimly, " Death of course."

"You think your pet will kill the most powerful vampire on earth to save you?"

"No, I know my mate will kill the most powerful vampire on earth to save me." He laughs in my face, but walks out of the room. I decide it is time to bathe. It is almost the third full moon since I was taken, I have noticed that I measure time like the werewolves. In cycles of the moon. I have stopped my normal bleeding, over the last few weeks and wonder at it idly. Because I have been spending so much time with Terrance? Because I am feeding on cattle blood? None of these reasons make since I think to myself as I run the cloth over my stomach. Suddenly, I realize it feels hard. I disbelievingly I come up with a possible cause. Quickly, I rinse my skin, and press my fingers gently against my skin. It is harder than normal. I count back, and no matter how improbable, the reason comes to me. I'm pregnant. There can only be one father. Not only was I pregnant, I was pregnant with Terrance's child. It seems impossible, and the more I doubt it, the more I know it is the truth. I let it wash over me. I am going to have Terrance's child. The cub growing in my womb kicks, as if to assure me of the fact. I go dizzy with the realization. Let Terrance find out I pray silently. Please let him find out. As I whisper my prayer to the moon, I hear a large pack of wolves howl to the moon. By my quick count there are at least a dozen, and I think Arn, the werewolf queen of the moon, has decided to answer my prayers. I realize Terrance may not know, but with a large wolf pack so near, he will soon enough. That is... if he didn't already.

Part Three - Fury

It has taken me three cycles of the blessed moon, but I have gathered several packs together. More than enough support for my cause. We had each brought a large portion of our outriders, and as many wolves as wanted to join the fray. Many a den was nearly empty this night. We sat around a small fire in the den of an English pack. The Alpha who had lived on the vampires land had come to us a quarter cycle ago. He told us that three months ago, Victor's guards had come back with a girl. That girl had been locked in the same room of the manor since she had arrived. She was well taken care of, and had not been harmed. She stared into the trees or read books on the balcony. When she wasn't doing one of those she was trading words with the maid, or Victor. Rarely she would talk to Michael, Victor's eldest son. I thank the young Alpha for his information and invite him to join our cause.

Tonight, we plan. One of the Alphas from Ireland, O'Hara, is all for a direct frontal assault. One of the Alphas from Russia agrees. Overwhelm them with sheer numbers. The only Alpha to come with us from Japan, Kurosawa, said that we should strike with precision. The argument grows heated quickly. I shout for silence. "Instead of bickering among ourselves, why don't we take the best portion of each Alpha's plan, and combine them. Using that as the base structure for a grand plan."

An Alpha from the Middle east likes this plan, and all the others see the wisdom in it. They stop bickering and start to listen. "Alpha O'Hara, yes, we should fight them immediately. Let us use our numbers to strike at their hearts. Pull apart their cohesion. Demoralize their covens. Kurosawa, you are also right. We ought learn how best to hurt them, while we strike at their holdings and people. When they wish to fight us no more, we ready the death blow. When it is ready, and they no longer wish to fight, we will rip from them all they hold dear. Use our numbers to confuse them. Wear down their armies chasing us across the country. Then destroy those as well. None of this will work if we do not coordinate. Let us Alphas form a pack, to lead this war against the vampires. Let this pack of Alphas drive them from their manors, and in such a way, that never again shall the vampires try to take anything from us. Scare them so completely, that for generations to come they will remember the fury of the Packs. For centuries let them cower in fear when a wolf howls in the night. Let us fight a war not of strength, but of cunning, for cunning is the wolf's greatest asset."

The Alphas raise up a great cheer. A wise old Alpha from the wild Packs in Africa says, "Your plan is good. But were we to form a pack, this Alpha Pack would need an Alpha of it's own. Not like in our own clans, no. This Alpha must be chosen of us by us, so that we know where the loyalties lie."

We all see since in this, and agree. So, he continues on, "I would put forth the name of Terrance Wolfe, who has brought us together, and has formulated a plan in which none see a flaw. Do any of you suggest another?"

Silence was his only answer. "If there are no others," he inclined his head to me, "Grand Alpha Wolfe." I inclined my head to him as well. "Each of you ought to know which portion of the plan is yours. Let each do his part, and we will find out how best to destroy these that claim immortality. As I have said brothers, for generations to come, let them cower when a wolf howls in the night."

After my declaration, fourteen Alpha's voices raise our promise to the moon. The clouds clear the way, as if the blessed mother Arn, queen of the moon, was smiling down upon her children. We gather our packs around us. We're coming Grace, just hang on. The Alphas who are going to be working together team up and lead their packs in the proper directions.

A half cycle of Mother Moon has passed since the night we Alphas formed a pack of our own. In that time we the wolves have so demoralized the vampires that most of the lower covens have disbanded. Alpha Kurosawa and I are outside of Emilia's manor.

We have discovered three days past that Emilia has a small child. The boy is here in her manor at the moment. My own Wolfe outriders have climbed the walls, and are currently raising hell with the guards. Kurosawa and I make our way into the house. His outriders rip through the house, scaring the household servants. We make our way to the child's room.

He is awake, and looking at us. Slowly I walk over to him, smiling. He smiles back at me. Gently I lift him up from his crib, and take him out of the room. I laugh quietly to myself. It's almost too easy. Some of both Packs outriders have been injured, but most will live. We take the wounded back to the den. Yes, I know. Taking a child goes against the rules of war. Well, Victor threw out the rules when he took Sarah to trade for Grace. The child seems to enjoy his time with us. He is fed with blood from one of the kills made earlier in the day. Many of the Packs gathered stare. Taking in a vampire child.

But, I did not want to destroy the vampires. Grace and I were to be the bridge that brought our two races together.

The Council of Elders is meeting this evening, in Victor's manor no less. My mother and I go to it, under a white flag. We are admitted.

"What are we to do about these werewolf attacks? They are not directed at any one coven, but at vampires as a race. So many covens have already crumbled," one of the elders says.

"They are rabid dogs. They must be exterminated. They cannot be reasoned with."

"You say that Victor, but to believe that would be to believe that I will never see my grandson again." Emilia says.

"These attacks are unproved and unwarned, Emilia. They simply hate us." We have heard the conversation for a while, and I am sick of his lies. I shove aside the guard by the door and enter the room. I have their full attention. "I am Grand Sire Alpha Terrance Wolfe, of the American Wolfe Pack."

"What do you want here dog?" asks the only elder I don't know.

"Well, lords, ladies, you are under the false impression that the attacks of my kin are unprovoked, and have no end."

"What are you saying Wolfe?" Emilia asks.

"I am saying dear lady, that we the werewolves have a goal. But, what I am here for. Lords, Ladies, we wolves have banded together to make these negotiations possible."

"Negotiations???" Emilia asks. I silence her with a look.

"Victor took from my packs land a young girl who wanted to be there. I know for a fact that this is not against the laws of your covens. It is the way in which she was taken. He ordered his new guard to kidnap a werewolf cub to be traded for the vampire girl. The vampire is Grace Heart. The cub he took to be traded for her was my own sister, Sarah Wolfe," I let this sink in, "This would all end if she were returned to the care of my pack...."

"Not possible!" yells Victor.

I glare at him, "As this is unlikely, I have a back-up plan. Victor, as you have discarded the rules of war, so too have I. Lady Emilia, earlier this day your daughters manor suffered an attack. The child who resided in that manor is missing yes?"

"Yes! How do you know this?"

"Because the child," mom walked in, and I continued "is safe with my pack. I will return the child to you as soon as Grace is returned to me." Emilia hadn't realized until now that it was Victor who had caused so much grief for the vampires. She speaks to him quietly, "Why did you take the girl Victor?"

"To prevent the unnatural union of our two races," he tells her with fire.

"Wrong," I say, "Correct me if I am wrong, but your son Michael took a fancy to a young vampire of low blood. When you ordered her to marry your son, she refused. You took her here, and even now keep her locked in the middle room on the third floor. She is not to be allowed out until she agrees to marry your son."

Emilia looks at him, and Victor loses it. He lunges out of his chair at me. Coming at me is my enemy. The one who stole Grace from me. I grin as he lashes out at me. He has no idea the fury that smolders in my soul. Normally, he would be outmatched and under-armed. As the law of elders was that no weapons may be taken into the council chamber, he was severely under-armed. I was a half formed wolf in a mere second. He moved at normal speed to my eyes, and I lashed out at him with my claws. He could not avoid the blow, but recovered quickly, and was more wary.

Slowly, he circled towards me, hissing. I growl back, and our eyes lock. The wolf knows this is a challenge, and I lunge for him. He is too slow to deflect the blow to his stomach, but jumps back to lessen the severity. The council does not move to stop me, and orders the guards to stay their weapons. As creator of their race he thought himself above their laws. Victor Lionheart found himself in a precarious situation. I was an enemy who had bested him in a semi-weakened state. Now, full of hate, and at full strength, it was only his experience that had kept him alive so long. I was fed up with him. With Grace so close, my enemy so near, I submitted myself to tempered rage. I moved faster than my own eyes could comprehend. I clapped my hands together over his ears, hoping to disable him long enough to strike the killing blow. I need not have worried, because as my hands came together, his head exploded. I ripped him in half and took his heart from his chest. I held it high and howled in victory. Then, I crushed it in my hand.

I was guided by a maid to the stairs, up them and down a long hallway. She opened the door, "Miss, someone is here to see you."

"Send them away Eliza, I don't want to talk to anyone today."

"Not even say...your mate?"

"What?!" Grace screamed. I pushed passed the maid, "I have good news," I tell her.

"What?" she asks.

"Victor is dead. We can be together. Just the two of us."

"No," she says, but then continues, "The three."

"What?" I ask.

She smiles widely, and says, "Terrance, I'm pregnant."

I feel my jaw drop open. She shows me her stomach, and takes my hand. To confirm there is a child in there, the cub kicks my hand, hard. I smile down at the baby, and hold Grace in my arms. We are together, and everything will be perfect for the rest of our lives. Our child's story? That is not my tale to tell.