Episode 10: In the Company of Wolves

Genre: Horror

Characters: Kaya, Rafe, Connor, Bane, Ulrick, Eli, Shannon, Tiffany, Brielle

Word Count: 8,008

Rating: R

Type: Series

Summary: Rafe comes to and tells Kaya he was attacked by Bane. She wants to take matters into her own hands and Rafe tells her he can handle things on his own. Kaya and Bane get into it and she attacks him in wolf form leaving Connor worried. Connor and Rafe discuss his anger issues and he helps him by telling him he needs to learn to control his rage. Trying to make up for what he did, Rafe takes Kaya shoe shopping and spends the day staring at her legs. The injured wolf they rescued from the hunters awakens and he tells them who he is.

Warnings: Language, suggestive material, violence, adult content, adult situations, nudity

“Rafe? Oh my God what happened?” Kaya asked entering his room. He was still lying on the floor and coming to as she dropped down beside him.

“I had a run in with a hand around my throat.” He said rubbing his neck, his voice sounding harsh and scratchy.

“Bane…” she helped him to his feet and over towards the bed. “Wait here I’ll take care of it.”

“No. Just let it go.”

“Let it go? Rafe he could have killed you! There’s no way I can let this go. He knows better than to attack one of ours! This is supposed to be a safe haven for us not some place you have to look over your shoulder!” She started for the door and he was in front of her within seconds blocking the exit.

“Let it go Kaya. I can fight my own battles alright? I don’t need to be coddled. I’m tired of everyone around here making decisions for my fucking life so please just drop this!” his voice reached a timbre she’d never heard before and the anger in it rocked the room under their feet.

She looked at him as though an alien had just popped out of his chest and tried calming his nerves. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to make a decision for you Rafe I just…”

“Wanna help; yeah it’s all you ever say. Did it ever occur to you that I never wanted or needed your help? Did I ever ask for it? Huh?

“Well...no but…”

“But nothing! I didn’t ask for this Kaya! I never asked to be thrown into a house full of wolves or pulled on stage on national television into a band that I barely even know! I don’t want this life!” He looked at her and blinked hard trying to settle his nerves. Every moment that passed only served to enrage him more and the heat fuming from his body burned in his chest with every breath he took. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand it though.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

He  sucked on his tooth and shot her a look. “Don’t worry about it. Just stop trying to help me!”

“Fine Rafe you know what? If you don’t want my help then I won’t try and help you anymore. If you don’t want to be here then get the fuck out it’s not that hard. Watch, I’ll show you how it’s done.” She said pushing him from in front of the door and exiting towards her room.

“Shit, Kaya…” he called her before the door slammed shut in his face. 

She dropped onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling trying to calm herself before her emotions got the better of her. “Go away Bane,” Kaya said before he opened the door.

He stepped in with a smirk that spread his face and moved towards her bed. “Ya been sayin’ that more and more, Ky. A guy could start to take that kinda personal.”

“Yeah well lucky for me you don’t have a heart so why would you care.”

“Well now ya just tryin’ to flattah me. That’s very sweet of ya Sheila but it’s not like ya. What’s goin’ on?”

“I’m over this thing with you and I’d prefer it if you’d just leave now.”

He frowned and inched towards her. “Now why do ya want to be like that Love? Ya know ya can’t resist my charm,” he smiled as he nuzzled her neck. “Just tell Bane where it ‘urts and I’ll take care of the rest,” he kissed her arm and slid even closer. “It’ll make us both feel bettah.”

“Get out!” She said pulling away and rising from the bed. “NOW!”

“Why? What the ‘ell ‘as gotten into ya? Is this because of that mutt out there? Ya know the attraction is only because ‘e’s new and can’t control ‘is wank. But you and I…”

“Are through. I can’t even say it was nice while it lasted because having to deal with your shit just to get off every once in a while or less was so not worth the hassle Bane. Now get out before…”

“Before what? Ya gonna call Daddy? Tell ‘im e’s little girl was fucked a few times by one of ‘is? Ya don’t think ‘e already knows that? I intentionally rubbed my scent all ova ya. It was meant to keep all the others like that new fuck ‘ead away.”

“You son of a bitch.”

“Yeah? Well I can’t mark ya any other way now can I?”

“I’m not your fucking property or some territory for you to mark!” His words angered her to the point that she began to change. Without noticing it, Kaya shifted forms and she charged for Bane quickly. He jumped away from her and turned as well.

“Whoa! Ya don’t want to do this Love. Let’s ‘ave a chat and work this out.”

“No! I told you to leave,” she growled. “Now I’ll throw you out in pieces!”

“Ky calm down!”

She roared at him again, catching his arm in her teeth and shaking viciously. He yelped and pulled away ripping the flesh and fur from his arm as he hit the wall. Without hesitation she was on him again clawing and biting at his chest and face. Connor heard the commotion and rushed into her room.

“KAYA!” he changed and jumped in front of her before she got to Bane again. He limped bloody from the room as Connor held her back and tried to calm her down. 

Changing back quickly he waited for her to take form again and relax. “What the hell was that?”

She changed and dropped her head against his chest. “I didn’t mean to. He just…I think I hurt him.”

“Yeah I’m pretty sure you did. He’s bleeding Ky. Why the hell were you fighting? And in form? Were you trying to kill him?”

“No! Of course not! He just pissed me off, Con; fuck!” she yelled. “I have to go check on him.”

“No you have to stay put. I’ll check on him. Are you alright? He didn’t hurt you did he?”

“No he couldn’t have even if he tried.”

“Yeah no shit. You have no idea the seriousness of what could have happened. It’s why all the other wolves stay away from you when you’re like this you know? Lobo has very little to do with it. You’re fucking scary all on your own.”

She smiled. “Thanks Cocobear.”

“Go grab a shower and I’ll look in on Bane ok?”

She nodded and headed towards the bathroom.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Connor asked joining Bane in the clinic. He’d finished cleaning up his wound and bandaged the cut on his chest and arm. His face was bruised and battered and he looked as though he’d lost a fight with a razor.

“Stick a ferret up ya clackah I don’t feel much to listen to ya chin wag.”

“Bane, Kaya could have killed you or are you too stupid to grasp that? And though I doubt anyone would mourn you it’s best to stay the fuck away from her.”

“Or what? You and I both know ya too useless to grow chokos on a backyard dunny. Step away before I tear ya bloody arms off and belt ya with the sloppy end.”

Connor growled and Bane smirked at him. “Perhaps I’m not making myself clear. Touch her again and I’ll rip off your fucking head.” He exited the room, slamming the door in his wake.

“Ready?” Connor asked stepping out into the yard towards Rafe the next morning. Rafe looked over and frowned and released a sorrowful sigh. “Yeah this should be fun. It’s not what I had planned today either. Better make the most of it.”

He used his shoulders and pushed off the wall that held his weight and strolled over to the equipment, catching Connor’s arm before he lifted the dumbbell from the rack. “Hey where’s Ky?”

“Heading to Marinetti’s; she’ll probably be gone all day.”

“Marinetti’s? Has she left yet?”

Connor shrugged. “Last I saw she was getting ready to. Why? What’s the interest? I thought you were ‘just friends’.”

“We are but I kind of bit her head off last night and…”

“Again? Man you’re worse than a she-wolf on the rag. I mean Ky’s real patient and all but there has to be only so much she can take before you provoke her; look at what happened with Bane.”

Rafe’s scowl reappeared and a confused expression crossed his mug. “She told you?” he asked dropping onto the weight bench his question sounding more like a statement.

“Told me what?”

“What happened with Bane.” 

“She didn’t have to tell me I was there. I had to pull her off before she did some serious damage to him. Hell that look in her eye said she was out for blood; would have killed him for sure.”

“Wait what? Kaya attacked Bane? When?”

“Last night in her room.” Connor laughed. “You didn’t hear that? You know what it doesn’t matter. All I’m saying is that you can control yourself you know?”

“I’m trying but whenever I’m around her I don’t know things don’t tend to go in my favor. I’m eating my foot every time I open my mouth. And then there’s this shit with Bane; I wasn’t even mad at her it was him! I just…I went nuts on her and that wasn’t my intention. Everything is just really crazy.”

“That’s because the full moon is drawing near; everything gets worse then.” They both turned their attention to the sound of the security fence dragging open and the clicking of heels on the pavement.

“I…”

“Go,” Connor said waving him off. “Just remember what I said.”

“Hey!” Rafe said chasing behind Kaya trying to catch her before she slid behind the wheel of her Cadillac.

“What do you want?” she turned with a scowl.

He backed off noticing her tone and the look on her face. She was still upset obviously enough and wasn’t in the mood for a friendly chat. “I…I just wanted to say I’m sorry about last night.” 

“Damn, it seems the majority of my time with you is spent apologizing for my behavior Kaya but I’m trying. I think I just need to figure out my emotions and…”

“Yeah well the full moon is coming so that’s not going to happen any time soon. But it would be nice if you could recognize your anger and control it before it spills over into whatever the hell that was last night.”

“I will I promise. I promise I will work on that. Just…don’t bail on me.”

“I’m not,” she sighed. “I know what you’re going through; I’ve been through it and seen my fair share as well. I try and remember that any time you go off like that.”

He rubbed his hand through his hair and watched her expression change and her demeanor lighten a little. “S-so are we good then?”

“I suppose; until your next outburst,” she smiled.

“Yeah stick around I’m sure it’s coming soon. Are you still leaving?”

“As a matter of fact; I was hoping to get a little shopping done. I need shoes.” He looked at her quizzically and thought back to the racks of shoes he saw lined against her closet wall and boudoir.  She laughed catching his expression. “A woman can never have enough Rafe. Connor’s going to help you today.”

“Yeah I talked to him but to be honest, I’m not in the mood for a substitute teacher.”

“Well unfortunately for you, I’m not in the mood to teach. It’s one of few days I have real downtime and I’d planned on spending it pampering myself.”

He moved closer towards her until he could feel the heat from her body on his arms. He crossed them and looked down at her. “I’m coming with you.”

“I’m going shoe shopping,” she reminded him with a smile.

“I heard you the first time,” he said returning her smile. He thought about the way her legs danced in those leather boots she performed in and his heart skipped a beat thinking about the shoes he could see her in at the store. 

“I’m driving,” he said taking the keys from her hand and unlocking the passenger side of her Cadillac Coupe. “Just let me get changed and I’ll be right back.” He watched her slide inside before running up to his room to get ready. Ten minutes later he smiled at her as he slid into the driver’s seat and backed out of the yard.

They reached the store and he sighed taking in the size and the hordes of women flocking in and out of the place. Kaya laughed and pulled his arm guiding him towards the door. “You know most men wouldn’t be caught dead shopping with a woman. The guys ignore me when they hear that word.”

“Yeah well, I’m not most men. And although Ulrick is the kind of person I’d expect to see holding a woman’s purse in a dressing room, he’s your Dad’s best friend and not likely to accompany you on a shoe excursion. Connor being your best friend would maybe join you but abandon you the second a scantily clad woman passed by. And Bane is just an asshole; not likely to do anything for anyone that doesn’t benefit him.”

She laughed again. “You’ve summarized those guys pretty well; do I even want to know what you think of me?”

He stopped and pulled her arm back towards him and smiled. “All you have to do is ask.” He lifted his eyes towards a picture of a woman struggling to balance a large amount of shopping bags and shoe boxes and swallowed hard. “I know we’ve been working on strength exercises so when the time comes and I…change the strain on my muscles won’t be so bad and leave me out of commission for too long but uh, I can’t do that Ky; no man can.”

“Sure you can! Come on, I know how to stack,” she said as they entered the store. The clerk nodded in her direction and motioned for them to follow her.

“Kaya! So happy to see you today,” she smiled and tossed her an air kiss for each cheek. “We have the latest in Italian leather and you’re just going to LOVE what Mr. Marinetti has set aside for you!”

“That’s great to hear, Shannon! I definitely came to spend,” Kaya laughed.

Shannon looked towards Rafe and her nose turned up slightly before she greeted him with a smile as well. “You brought muscle today huh? Good! You’re gonna need it!”

“Actually the hottie with the muscles is Rafe; he’s a friend of mine and the new bass player for Night Shift.”

Rafe’s eyes grew larger for a moment listening to his introduction and he gave Kaya a surprised look before reaching a hand towards Shannon.  

She looked at it as if it were a snake that would jump out and bite her if not handled with care before meeting him with a dainty shake using just the tips of her index, middle and ring fingers. “Please, this way.”

She led them into a back room and placed a do not disturb sign on the door. “I’ll be right back with the first round and Louis will bring in your Iced Chai. Can I get anything for you Ralph?”

“It’s Rafe and no, I’m fine thanks.” 

Shannon turned and exited the room and Rafe took a look around. There were stacks of boxes already lined against the back wall, pictures and posters hanging everywhere, a small lips couch in the center of the room and mirrors all over the place.

The room smelled like leather and fresh plastics and was as cold as a meat freezer. He ran a warming palm across his shoulder before rolling his sleeve along the goosebumps taking shape on his skin. “So they like you here?”

“No, they like my money here. Shannon’s just as fake as they come Ralph, you could see that right?”

He smiled and turned back towards her. “Yeah you know that hottie with the muscles? He has a brain too.” 

She blushed as he replayed her words and placed her hands on his shoulders pushing him back towards the lips couch until his weight fell into the cushions. “Whatever.”

He laughed and held her in place as she tried to pull back. His hand absently ran the length of the leg she used to pin him into the sofa as he looked up at her. “So what exactly are you shopping for?”

“I’m a boots girl mostly but anything cute will do.”

Shannon rejoined them with a few other clerks trailing behind her. Each one sat five boxes on the floor in front of Kaya and Louis left a fresh cup of Chai tea on a small table near the couch before exiting again.

Kaya’s eyes opened wide as she ripped the top off the first box. She kicked off her shoes and Rafe scooted towards the edge of the sofa away from her a little watching the glazed over stare in her eyes. 

She tried on the first pair, Elisa by Altea, and modeled it around; stopping in front of the mirrors and pointing her toes out as she looked at the way it shaped her foot. “What do you think?”

Rafe’s eyes were on everything but her feet. They’d wandered up her legs the moment she’d snapped the buckle on the leather import and stayed on them taking in every movement and motion of the muscles in her body. The lighting was perfect and the shoes complimented her well. He licked his lips and watched her move around the room modeling them for him.

She floated across the room towards him, the heels clicking with every step and lifted her foot onto the couch cushion. “Well?” she asked dropping her head a little to gain his attention.

He looked up at her with a smile and nodded with a dazed look in his eyes similar to a kid in a candy store. He cleared his throat afraid of appearing too eager, slid back into the cushions and raised his arms behind his head. “Not bad,” he shrugged nonchalantly. “Try the red ones next.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re not looking at my shoes?”

“That’s nonsense,” he smiled sliding the box of red pumps towards her. “I see them just fine.”

She tried the red pumps and received the same smirk from him as the previous pair. He nodded his head vigorously and had her catwalk the length of the room from one side to the other twice. She fell back onto the couch and he helped her remove the shoe and slide on a pair of leopard print high heel platform pumps by Lore.

“Wow!” he exclaimed as she kicked the heel up. It was the first vocal reaction she drew from him which meant it was a pair she had to have.

She continued trying on new shoes until the count reached somewhere in the high 30s. He readjusted on the couch and watched her go from one box to another strapping and buckling endless pairs of boots, pumps, flats and hooker heels. He again vocalized his approval on a pair of Butterfly by Meronin.

Her excitement kept him smiling and he enjoyed the way she constantly sought his opinion on the way they looked. But his answer never changed; every pair only made her legs more beautiful than the last and he could imagine himself slowly sliding them from her feet as he kissed his way up her thigh. The idea alone aroused him and he closed his eyes and drifted on that moment. He growled as he felt his pants tighten. He released a slow breath and opened his eyes just as Kaya motioned towards him with the tip of her shoe. “Judging from your reaction this is a ‘yes’?” 

Rafe smiled and glanced up at the clock when his stomach rumbled. He realized he hadn’t had much for breakfast because Kaya’s workouts usually made him cramp or forced the food out. He stood and stretched just as she finished adjusting the strap on a pair of Ascent by Meronin. “Do you like these? Do they look good?”

“I love those,” he smiled as she twirled for him. She tripped on an empty box and fell into his arms. Laughing she pulled away but he locked her in his arms. “All of them look great especially the ones you lace up your thigh.” He brushed her hair back and locked on her gaze. He licked his lips and his eyes fell to hers. They parted slightly and he could see her tongue dance behind her teeth. A soft moan escaped her lips and drew him closer. “You look beautiful in all of them.”

“Rafe…

“Ahem, uh Miss Villalobos I have one more pair,” Shannon said entering the room.

“Oh thank you Shannon,” she smiled.

She backed away from Rafe and watched as Shannon dropped the box and left. She flipped the lid open and looked at the pair of Sandra short boots by Altea. Inhaling the scent of the fresh leather caused her to smile as she picked one up and slid her hand across the hand stitched panels on the knitted top. “Making a memory?” Rafe asked interrupting her moment.

She dropped the boot back to the box, turned to him and smiled. “What’s that?”

Slowly he moved towards her, his eyes watching hers as he made his approach. He nodded down at the boxes and back to her, “it’s just something my Dad used to say; the boots. You were inhaling their scent. He said that people do that to create a memory. He believed the best memories are recollected from smell. Think back to something you fell in love with and you can easily connect it to scent. Grandma’s homemade chocolate chip cookies, the smell of fresh rain on a hot summer night or…”

“Cotton candy at the pier on Senior skip day.”

“Yeah something like that.” His stomach growled louder this time and Kaya laughed as he rubbed his hand over it and groaned.

“We should go and take care of that. We wouldn’t want you to get too hungry; it never works out well for your prey.”

“Well? Did you ask him?” Tiffany’s eyes became the size of baseballs as she watched Shannon exit the room.

“No I didn’t get a chance to. He and the ‘Maneater’ were hugged up on each other.”

“No way! OMG! I wonder what that media whore would pay for that bit of gossip. What’s her name Chelsea Chase?”

“No not her, she’d need proof. I doubt she’d believe it unless we had a picture or something.”

“He’s so hot though and she’s well…anything scandalous involving Night Shift would be a best seller. They already hit press because of that drummer Bane. I say we do it anyway.”

“Think maybe you can get a shot of us together?”

“You mean Mr. Gray Eyes and you? For what? You don’t even know his name!”

“Aww little Tiffany getting jealous? Wants to be the one to steal the kiss?”

“Hell yeah! You saw him! Who wouldn’t want to get ‘hugged up on’ him? I can’t blame Kaya one bit!” she laughed and hit Shannon’s arm.

“Hugs? No I’d go for the total package the second I got the green light.” She said joining in her laughter. “But seriously listen, I have a plan.”

Kaya was listening to the ladies whispering in the next room over and frowned. Rafe sensed her discomfort and looked at her. “What’s with that?”

“What?” she asked releasing her breath and turning her head slightly to acknowledge him.

“You were bothered just now…I think.” He scratched his hand through his hair and smiled. “I felt something change with you just now.”

“That’s very good Rafe. You won’t need me soon.” She moved back towards the table and looked over the shoes again.

“I doubt that would ever happen.” He watched her attempts of settling herself before rubbing a hand over her shoulder. “So what was it?”

“I just heard something.”

“Something bad?”

“Well Shannon and one of the other clerks are talking about you in one of the rooms near here. It’s coming from the left of us so I assume it’s the office. They think you’re cute, excuse me, hot and your eyes are a selling point.”

A smug grin flashed on his lips and he folded his arms into his chest. “And that made you uncomfortable? My! Someone’s a bit territorial I see. Wish I could hear what they are saying!”

“I am not! No it had nothing to do with that.”

“Ok then what made you upset?”

“The fact that they are planning to hurt you through me. They want to get a shot of you in a compromising situation and sell it to the press.”

“Ah right, I can see how that could be a problem.”

“Yeah we should get out of here. Plus your stomach will start to eat itself soon.”

“So then you weren’t jealous?” He mumbled and glanced down at his hands somberly before meeting her with a grin. “You know what would look good with those shoes on your feet? A nice, lacy lingerie; and as luck would have it, there’s a Frederick’s right next door.”

“Rafe? You’ve seen me naked.”

“Yeah but that doesn’t mean dressed up in lingerie is a bad thing. Leaving something to the imagination makes things more interesting.” 

“And you think I’m gonna model lingerie for you now? That’s what this is about?” His belly rumbled again and she closed the lid on the box beside her. “Maybe some other time.”  She called for Shannon to wrap up her favorite pairs and together they started for the stairs.

“Find anything you like?” Kaya joked watching Rafe look over the handbags near the checkout counter.

“Well this one really compliments my eyes, don’t ya think?” he said batting his eyelashes at her.

She laughed and reached for one of them. “Hey!” Kaya said as a young girl grabbed the bag before she could get a firm grip on it.

“Sorry, you weren’t quick enough.” Rafe tried to hide his laughter as Kaya stared blankly at the girl.

The girl gasped and looked scared as she realized who she was speaking to. Her eyes widened and she started pointing and screaming but no sound would come out. Finally after holding her breath for what seemed like forever she got a word out. “KAYA!” she squealed.

Kaya looked around noticing the other shoppers staring in their direction at which point Rafe’s laughter released and she elbowed him in the stomach. “Cut that out!”

“Come on K, You look like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck! If you saw your face you’d laugh too.”

“I’m sorry Miss Kaya you can totally have this bag!”

“How about instead I buy it for you?” Kaya offered.

“Oh my gosh! Are you serious? Would you autograph it too?!” 

“Of course, what’s your name?” she smiled and made the purchase.

“Brielle!”

“Well Brielle, thank you for listening to us,” she said handing the pen to Rafe.

“She doesn’t want…” he started.

“Please!?” Brielle smiled at him. “I saw you on Chasing the Stars and you’re so hot!”

Rafe’s eyebrows raised and a smirk grew on his face as he took the pen and scribbled his name on the bag next to Kaya’s. “Thank you Bri, can I call you that?” he winked at her and she fluttered and threw her hand over her heart.

“Yes! You can call me anything you want!”

He laughed and handed her the bag back. “It was nice meeting you.” He looked at Kaya and nodded towards the door as he grabbed her purchases.

They stopped at the food truck and he ordered the greasiest, rarest hamburger and anxiously ravaged the thick cut of meat as she watched and laughed. “So is this what it’s like? People seeing you on the street and asking for autographs or pictures and trying to come up with ways to get you fucked by the media?”

“Yes unfortunately there are downsides to doing what you love. I enjoy signing autographs and taking pictures with fans but there’s always that one fanatic or stalker or shoe saleswoman that wants to take things a step further. And if you’re gonna turn heads everywhere you go I might have to leave you under lock and key.”

He laughed and took another large chomp from his burger. “Yeah well,” he started with a mouthful of meat and bread. “I already feel like part of the band at least. Now if the band itself was as warming.”

“You mean Bane. That’s never gonna happen. You know your appetite is really increasing Rafe. You better slow down before you lose that hand.”

“Yeah, I was wondering about that,” he mumbled between bites. “Is that normal?”

“Well you’re a growing boy,” she pet his head, “you need your nutrition!”

“Ha, funny Ky.” He wiped his mouth and they started back towards the manor.

“So now that we did something you wanted to do I was curious if you could humor me with something out back.” He asked as he opened her car door for her and gathered up her bags.

“Oh?” Kaya asked raising her brow and glancing curiously in his direction. 

“Yeah now feel free to say no or tell me if it’s weird but I was kinda hoping I could see you change.”

Kaya laughed. “It’s not weird Rafe; you wanna see my wolf?” He nodded. “Ok let me drop my stuff off upstairs and I’ll meet you in the garden.”

Rafe was pacing the length of the gardens curiosity wrenching his gut as he thought about wolf temperament and his conversation with Connor. He’d long wanted to ask her but wasn’t sure how she’d react. It’s not an everyday request. He smiled to himself; nothing that’s happened over the course of the last two weeks could be considered “everyday” events. He turned towards the door and stopped as he saw her approach.

“Why are you scared? You think I’m gonna eat you?” she asked sniffing the air.

“Well the thought did cross my mind. You were in attack mode the last time I saw you as a wolf.”

“I was not! I was only playing with you. But you seriously should have seen the look on your face. I thought for sure you were gonna shit yourself!”

“Yeah well let’s see how you’d react if you never knew wolves existed and one large, shadowy beast came running towards you growling and looking at you like dinner. I’m sure it would get your body functions to betray you too!”

“Ew Rafe,” she laughed, “that’s gross!”

“Maybe a little. Shall we?” he smiled.

“Alright but I want to explain a little of what you will see. Now like I told you before, it doesn’t hurt me as an elder to change so don’t think this will be that easy for you. Once you get used to it though you’ll be able to cope with the pain and soon it’ll all disappear. When wolves change there is a bright light and depending on their pack depends generally on the color and luminosity. It helps to determine, if one can’t by smell, what pack a wolf belongs to.”

“What color is Greymane?”

“You just answered your own question. Gideon has a bright blue color while we’re grey, peeking a white. Bishop’s pack, their Alpha is Patrick, have a yellow glow. And one of the other main packs in town, Jericho led by Jason, is orange.”

“Interesting. And wolf communication is…”

“I’m actually curious to try something with you now as far as communication goes; once I’m in form. Ready?” 

He nodded and Kaya dropped to the ground as Rafe took a seat in the grass near a rock. She shut her eyes and when they opened again they were a sharp slit of yellow before returning to their normal hue. Her face was the first to morph as the bright white light encased her body and slowly lifted her into the air. She howled as her hands and arms turned shortly and her frame supported quadrupedal motion.  She landed on the ground on all fours and turned towards Rafe’s smiling face.

She pounded over quickly to him and he reached a hand towards her stroking the hair back on her head gently. “Well that was exciting. And you’re so cute!” She growled at him and he jerked his hand away.

“Ok not cute, vicious; very, very vicious.” He bit back a smile as she jumped from his praise. “Ok now you’re just messing with me.”

“So now that you have me in form what do you want?”

“Whoa! Did you just…I heard you. How can I understand that?”

“It worked? That’s great! I wasn’t sure if you would be able to understand me yet or not.”

“Yeah I can I can hear you perfectly. Wow I’ve talked to dogs before but they’ve never responded back.”

“I’m not a dog Rafe. You’re just begging to get bit aren’t you?”

“Maybe; might be fun. So uh when you change back you’re going to be naked right?” He smirked as she howled at him.

“Was that your plan?”

“No, but I can’t deny you have a…nice patch of fur,” he grinned and rubbed her head again. 

He took a seat on the ground near a rock. The cold, wet ground squished under his jeans and he brought his leg up to support his arm and rest on it. “So how long before you can control your change?”

“You can immediately. Many new wolves prefer not doing it. The pain pretty much keeps them ‘human’ and as all wolves they are only forced to change with the light of a full moon. I would advise changing as much as you can in order to get used to it quicker.”

“How do you control it? The change. Is there some special code word or something?” She laughed and it came out as a controlled howl and an overdrawn panting sound causing him to smile. “You’re laughing at me? What’s so funny?”

“There is no ‘special code word’ it’s just a second skin. It’s who you are. You can tell yourself when you want to change, just close your eyes, concentrate and sense your wolf side. Emotions like anger, fear or happiness can cause you to transition without calling for it though which is why you really have to learn to control that rage.”

“Like what you did with Bane?”

She looked at him and growled before taking a seat. “What happened with Bane was a mistake. I didn’t mean to bring out my wolf but he made me so angry. So yeah like that situation. I could have easily ripped him apart and probably would have if Connor hadn’t come in when he did. Wolf form is very powerful, more so when we’re forcibly changed. And as Bane’s senior killing him would have been easy. I hate myself for letting it get that far.”

“Yeah because he would have really been missed.” He looked around at the garden and sighed. The wind picked up and brought with it the smell of the nearby lake. He inhaled and she lowered her head watching him. “So I’ll be able to leave here soon huh? Go home and pick up where I left off.”

“Yep! Just a few more days and you’re a free man.”

“That should be fun. You know if anyone were to pass by and see me talking to you they’d think I was crazy. This whole thing has me wondering though if there are real Dr. Dolittles in the world or if they are just wolves that can understand animals. The horse whisperer down at the tracks that can pick winners or the guy who claimed his dog told him to kill people, were they real?”

“You know I somehow doubt a dog could order his master to murder but there are some people who are sensitive to our kind; my stylist for example, Dahlia. We’ve been friends for a while now though she doesn’t know I’m a wolf she picks up on things and I can tell at times she can sense I’m different. She has a kind soul and it was easy getting to know her but I’m still hesitant on who I let in to that part of my life you know?”

“Understandable. Considering what you overheard at the shop I’m sure there are tons of people looking to make a quick buck off the back of your fame.” The clinking of soles on the pavement beside the gate drew her attention and she stood and looked towards the sounds. If it were more wolves they were in for a long night. She sniffed the air and nearly choked on the overwhelming stench of a tobacco she’d never encountered before and a strong odor of whiskey on the man’s breath. She whimpered and Rafe rubbed back her ruffled fur. “What is it girl? Timmy fell down a well?”

“More dog jokes? We’ll see how you cope after your change. I wonder if the comedian will think it’s so funny once every muscle and bone in his body becomes mush!”

“Oh don’t be like that Ky! Who’s my good girl? Want a bone? Kaya wants a bone?” 

“Don’t mind if I do!” She growled again and charged forward clamping his crotch gently in her teeth.

“No! NO! Wrong bone! Ok Ky you win, I’m sorry. Just don’t bite down I was wrong it’s not fun!”

She laughed as she changed forms and backed away from him heading up towards the manor. “Choose your words wisely next time Hemming,” she threw over her shoulder before disappearing inside.

Kaya redressed and headed towards the guest room to check on the condition of the injured wolf. She snuck inside the room and gently closed the door so as not to disturb him and found Connor sitting in the armchair nearest the window.

“Hey,” he smiled and whispered in her direction.

“Hey. How is he?”

“He’s been tossing and turning the entire night. Cold sweats, chills and the wound started bleeding again. I rebandaged him and swabbed more Dogroot on it.”

“Thank you Coco.” She said taking a seat on the other side of him as she turned her attention to the wolf. “He had no ID and those hunters did a great job of scrubbing him fresh of a scent. Ulrick’s trying to pin down where he could have come from but so far, no luck.”

“Yeah I’d been meaning to talk to you about that. Those hunters; what the hell brought them here? And why now?”

“Well if they are as good as I think I’m pretty sure they know that we have a flood of wolves now in town and they are after them.”

“You think those are the same ones that were after Rafe?”

“Probably.”

The wolf groaned and a whimper followed shortly. Kaya stood from her chair and moved over towards him and leaned over the bed. She took the cloth from the table and wiped it across his forehead and he shivered from her touch. “He’s so cold.”

“Yeah. I tossed another blanket on him but that didn’t seem to help at all he keeps kicking them off. Only other thing I could think was body heat but uh…I’m not in the market for snuggling with another dude.”

Kaya laughed. “Not even a wolf in need?”

“Not even if it were my own brother just recently pulled from a frozen lake.”

“RED!”

The sound of Kaya’s voice caused the wolf behind her to growl. His eyes popped open and he went into defense mode. “Ky don’t move,” Connor said standing and watching the man’s eyes glow yellow. He coughed and yelped in pain as he tried to move from the bed.

“What did you do to me?!” he yelled as he winced in pain and rolled to his side clutching at his abdomen.

“Saved your life. Connor go get Rick, tell him the pup’s awake.”

“Pup? I’m not a fucking Pup!” he groaned again as he caused himself more pain.

“Ok try and relax you’ve been stabbed with a Truesilver weapon and have lost a lot of blood. Try to remain still if you can.”

“Who are you?”

“My name’s Kaya,” she smiled. “What’s yours?”

“Eli…Eli Frazier.” He placed his back against the headboard and looked towards her squinting as he tried to see through the dark before finally resting his eyes. The blurred vision from the poisoning was beginning to give him a headache and he rubbed at his temples. “Kaya? You have the same name as one of my favorite singers.”

“Oh yeah? What’s she like?”

“Well for one thing, she’s hot!” Kaya laughed as he continued. “And she has an awesome voice. ‘Sinner’ from their album Hell was fucking awesome. I used to listen to it all the time before…”

“Before the hunters captured you?” He nodded and felt the bed dip again as Kaya sat beside him and leaned forward to check his bandage. “You’re bleeding again. We need to move you back to the clinic to get this sewn up.”

“Why are you helping me? You don’t even know who I am.”

“You’re kindred, injured and alone that’s all I need to know and I want to do everything I can to save your life.” Connor and Ulrick returned and she moved away from the bed as the two lifted Eli and carried him back down the stairs.

He sat on the medical table as Ulrick restitched his wound and bandaged it again. “Try and keep from moving too much. You don’t want to keep reopening that. It needs to heal up.”

“It was a reaction to a strange woman in a strange house. ‘Never stray from the path, never eat a windfall apple, and never trust a man whose eyebrows meet in the middle’ that’s...

“Neil Jordan,” Kaya smiled. “‘Company of Wolves’.”

“Yeah,” Eli responded. “I thought that story was about something else entirely and when I saw you near me I actually thought for a minute I was free and could maybe…”

“He tried to attack me,” Kaya added. “His plan only backfired as he realized his strength was nonexistent and he was wounded.”

“Either way, it’s nice to see you still have a bit of life left in you. That will go a long way in your recovery.” He looked at Kaya and she nodded. 

Ulrick returned to his business and Connor helped Eli down from the table. “I can walk on my own.”

“How’s your vision?”

“It’s better Kaya, thank you.” He turned and looked at her. Seeing her face for the first time caused his jaw to drop and he took one step back, pressing the heel of his foot into Connor’s toes hard.

“Ouch!” he said pushing him up slightly and retrieving his foot.

“You’re…” She nodded. He turned towards Connor with the same star struck expression and a huge grin crossed his face. “KICK ASS!” Connor laughed. “You’re wolves? You’re a fucking wolf? Damn! I should have known. Only the hottest women are!”

Kaya laughed and noticed Rafe standing at the door. “Come on, we should get you back to bed.”

“Bed? You’re kidding right? Do you really think I’m going to sleep now? I’m in the fucking Night Shift mansion!”

“I’d say he was doing much better,” Rafe remarked watching his frenzied reaction.

“Hell yeah Dude!”

His cheery behavior was contagious and everyone found themselves joining in on his excitement. “Alright fine, no sleep; are you hungry?” Kaya offered.

“Starved!”

“Let’s see what we have then.” Connor led him to the kitchen with Rafe and Kaya in tow.

He polished off the last of the sandwich meat before starting on the left over pot roast and steak. He was chomping and growling viciously as he ripped into the rare meat as the trio watched. “You might want to take it slow,” Kaya cautioned. “I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“Mmm, yeah, s’all good,” he mumbled with a full mouth between bites. “Good steak.”

“Really? Wouldn’t have been able to tell from the way you licked the plate clean,” Connor joked.

“Dude if you were fed canned dog food and dirty water for five years you’d be licking the dish too!”

“Five years?” Kaya questioned. “How old are you?”

“23.” He grabbed the glass in front of him and polished off another glass of lemonade before refilling it from the pitcher once more. “I turned when I was 18 and like some sort of siren went off or something they came.”

“So you’ve been in captivity the entirety of your wolf life?” He nodded and she continued. “Do you have any idea where you were being held?”

“The locations changed and before I was moved I was always drugged so I couldn’t say. I just know it was three of them, two guys and a girl, and they were related.”

“How many times have they used you like that?”

“At least a half dozen times a year.”

“And you were always cut into?” Connor asked.

“It was never that severe. I could usually recover in a few days…if they remembered to feed me. They uh, they’d hang large slabs of beef in front of me,” he said dropping his fork into the empty plate and causing a loud clank that echoed for a moment before settling within the silence he allowed to build between his words. “I was locked inside of a Truesilver cage and the meat was so close I could barely grab it.” He bit his lip to prevent himself from crying as he recalled the torture he’d endured at the hands of the hunters. 

“When I was allowed to eat it was never anything fresh, never anything that would replenish me to full strength; canned or dry dog food like I was some fucking mutt off the street. And the way they killed my parents…gutted them like fucking fish in front of me and tossed their bodies into the trash heap. I could still smell their blood on them for months after I was held in that basement. And my Mom’s heart…,” he slammed a fist on the table and the silverware clanked again on the plate. “My Mom’s heart was the first thing they gave me to eat. And I couldn’t…for three weeks it sat in that bowl until I literally felt my insides caving in and I gave!” 

Rafe looked towards Kaya. He heard a rumbling within her throat that caused him concern and he reached forward to take her hand when Connor pulled him back. “I wouldn’t unless you’re planning to lose that limb.”

She blinked back tears and slowly released a breath to settle her excited nerves. She was incensed hearing the things the hunters did to Eli and it only made her want to help him more. “You’re home now,” Kaya said. Eli smiled somberly at her and she pulled up from the table and wrapped her arms around his neck. “And you’re safe,” she whispered. “I’m sorry about everything you’ve gone through but you don’t have to worry about that anymore. We’ll take care of you, I promise.” 

Her words brought the tears from his eyes that he'd fought hard to restrain and a strangled howl ripped from his lips. Home; something he never thought he’d have again.

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