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An hour later I was dressed and huddled in the middle of one of the common room's leather couches. Isaiah sat beside me, his arm draped over the back of the couch behind me. I bumped my head against his shoulder as we cuddled at one end of all that plush leather.

Lian sat at the other end of the couch, as far from me and Isaiah as he could get. He was sat forward, his elbows leaning against his knees, his hair spilled forward while he massaged the back of his neck. He seemed tense and anxious, in fact, all of us seemed tense at that moment.

Miles was stood beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, he was leaning a shoulder against the window pane, his arms folded as he hugged himself and trembled all over. Mental note; Miles didn't do well around any form of violence.

Luis was sat opposite me and Isaiah. Sat beside him was one of the other werewolves at Haven.

I recognised this one.

She had been the werewolf who had accompanied Linus, back when Hal had declared Initiation and Linus wanted to discuss things with Isaiah about the werecrocodiles. She made me anxious, but Luis had promised me that she was trustworthy. She was apparently Luis' second-in-command within his third of the Haven pack.

Her name was Sophie.

True to his word, Luis had managed to get Miles' bathroom cleaned up. Tiles were still broken, and the window was still splintered, but the blood was gone thanks to the three werewolves that had accompanied himself and Miles in cleaning up. The three had also taken Zeke's mangled body. I didn't question where, I was just pleased that it was gone. I also trusted Luis that he'd handle things; we were all in the same boat now anyway.

Problem was, hiding Zeke's body and cleaning up the mess wasn't going to be enough.

"Sooner or later, the Rat King's disappearance will be noticed," Luis explained.

"And what happens then?" I asked.

"If word gets out before Linus returns, that might make Broderic all the more desperate."

"Desperate, how?" this came from Isaiah.

"Broderic will see that Zeke's death at Jack's hand will either mean his death or a more permant binding to Linus himself as a member of the Elite, just like Lian," Luis explained as he gestured at the werelion.

"That's what we assumed," Lian murmured.

"What's the worst Broderic could do?"

"You really don't know how bad Broderic could be in this situation, do you?" this came from Sophie. She raised an eyebrow as she spoke.

I shrugged.

Isaiah replied, "Tell us how bad he can be, then?"

Sophie smiled, it made her look a little older, as if she'd seen things that only we could ever dream of. "Broderic is the worst out of all the werewolves that dwell within Haven's walls. He's brash, quick to a fight, hot-headed and can be childish, coupled with the strength, speed and maliciousness that his inner beast seems to possess and you have a wild, bloodthirsty madman looking for the next big violent brawl."

"I got that feeling when we met him in the library," Miles murmured from his position at the window.

I looked to Isaiah as we exchanged a sad smile.

Sophie had arrived with Isaiah's change of clothes, which turned out to be loose, khaki bottoms, a braided belt to keep them fixed around his waist, and a hooded shirt that he'd slipped on and acted like a second skin to his own, his sleeves were rolled back, while he remained barefoot.

I had also opted to not wear the Haven uniform. I guess we both didn't feel very patriotic toward Haven right now. I'd donned the attire I'd arrived in; oversized white vest with the 'Metallica' logo emblazoned on the front, while I had slipped on denim jeans and my leather boots. Lian had also recused and cleaned my piercings, which I'd threaded through my ear and suddenly felt all the more solid, with my familiar clothes and Isaiah beside me, I was as strong as I could be.

"So what do we do if Broderic makes a move?" I asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

Luis and Sophie exchanged a look.

She looked me in the eye as she folded her arms and said, "If it was me, I'd kill Broderic."

"Same here, if he came for me first," Luis added.

"I had that thought too earlier this evening," I explained with a smile.

Isaiah frowned and murmured, "Must be a werewolf thing."

Isaiah had been a little off with me since he found out what had happened between me and Zeke. He had been asleep, as Zeke and I fucked and even while I killed the Rat King. I think he blamed himself for not being around and at least being there in spirit. When he'd woke up and heard about what happened he'd shed tears and held me close as he weapt at his own weakness. I'd told him again and again that I didn't blame him in the slightest.

I liked Isaiah. How could I blame him for something he had no control over.

Since then he'd been quiet, stern and serious.

"Regardless of Broderic, sooner or later Linus will discover that Zeke has been killed," Luis added.

"So Broderic will want to act before then?" I asked.

He nodded. "That's when I would retaliate and kill him. You've already demonstrated you were capable."

That made my blood run cold, but he was right. Zeke's heart in my clawed hand had proven that fact.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" this came from Miles who had slumped against the window and hugged himself tighter, "You can't be serious!"

I looked at him and smiled sadly, "Miles, please understand, if Broderic comes for me, what do you expect me to do?"

Miles shook as fresh tears spilled down his paling cheeks, "I...don't know."

"Then its decided. You kill Broderic if he comes for you."

"No! I'm not hearing this! I'm not fucking hearing this!" Miles whimpered as he huddled in on himself.

"Miles-" I stopped dead.

"What?" Miles looked up and saw the expression on my face, "What? What's wrong?"

Everyone stood up, watching Miles with horrified, wide eyes.

Lian growled, "Miles, move away from the window!"

Miles swung around and stared in disbelief. Stood on the edge of the outer window ledge was Broderic. His shirt billowed in the evening breeze, as he leaned backward for a heartbeat and then thrust his forehead forward. His head splintered the glass, while his hands transformed then and there. He grinned wide with fanged teeth, as his wide, maddened eyes narrowed down and focused on Miles, who trembled where he stood, frozen with fear.

Isaiah went to move around the couch to reach the smaller werefox when the distant howl of a wolf echoed through the door that linked the dorm room and the rest of the Institution. Luis faced the door, with Sophie at his side, as the sound of padding feet and claws dragging against wallpaper.

"Fuck! Broderic's wolves!" Sophie shouted.

"Miles, move!" Lian demanded.

Broderic grinned as he reared his clawed hand back and suddenly plunged it through the glass, the pane shattered around him as he wrapped that arm around Miles and pulled him close. His other hand plunged into Miles' side, in a wash of crimson as Miles cried out. Broderic bared his fangs and as Miles stared up, screaming with pain, the werewolf dived and sank fangs into Miles' throat. He released Miles and as the werefox collapsed backwards, his throat peeled away, still clasped in Broderic's mouth. He spat the bloodied flesh and grinned, his lower face bloodied.

"Mmmm, tastes like chicken!" he grinned.

"M-Miles?" I stammered.

"Miles! No!" Lian snarled.

Without warning the door burst open and werewolves flooded in. Luis and Sophie dived for them, pinning them, bottling them in the doorway. That wouldn't work for long, even those two, no matter how powerful would submit judging by how many howls I could hear, how many wolves I could smell in the air.

Broderic let out a bark of Irish laughter and suddenly launched himself backward, winking at me as he went. He dropped and descended to the ground below.

I rushed to Miles' side, as Lian got there first and tried to put pressure on the gaping wound in his throat.

Miles' eyes had already rolled into the back of his head as he bled out.

Lian touched two fingers to his wrist, he waited patiently and then shook his head.

Miles was gone, Miles was dead.

"N-No!" I shouted. Rage bubbled beneath the surface, rolled down my arms and sent goosebumps up and down my flesh. I could feel the wolf inside me howl, a long, remorseful sound as I pulled myself away from Miles bloodied, wounded corpse and stepped to the shattered window frame.

"Jack, no!" Isaiah called.

I ignored him. I glimpsed Broderic running for the dense woodland, laughing as he went in a blur.

_ FOLLOW HIM!_

I jumped and descended, the wind whipping around me. I hit the ground hard and crouched as gravel sprang up and scattered around me. My hands elongated, my claws bared, white fur lined my forearms and reached my shoulders, as I straightened up and scented the air. Cigarettes and pine. Broderic's scent.

The hunt was on.