Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:31 am

Indy:

Jackie tried not to let her relief show as Kratos turned off in the opposite direction. Only when she was entirely certain that he was (probably) far enough down the path not to hear her any more, she crept soundlessly into the trees. No way she risking any more close calls or annoying sneak-ups. She brought herself to hyper vigilance, expanding her senses as far as she could muster and walking quietly on the forest floor so she was no louder than a scurrying mouse.

Even so, Jackie couldn't help feel that as soon as Kratos and the pack were finished from chasing whatever "sporting" prey they had found, he would be back to check on her. And as much as she hated to admit it, he could probably find her given enough time. It didn't matter how quiet or how vigilant she thought she was; there was likely no match for someone a trained werewolves capabilities. Her earlier energies to hide herself had slowed down her pace considerably. Now realizing it was pretty useless in trying evade Kratos, she brought herself to a slow jog, hoping to make it back to the house before Kratos went looking and now only loosely paying attention to her surroundings.

The forest seemed to go on forever. From time to time, she had to double-check the road was still somewhere off to her right and she hadn't gotten lost. A sense of urgency began to take over; she ran faster and became less aware of what was going on. She knew she was getting reckless and careless, but at this point she didn't care. Some corner of her mind was troubled by this; she had dealt with stress and deadlines before, there should be no reason why it would be effecting her like this now. But Jackie knew she didn't want to die in alone in the forest with no one to care but a bunch of hulking freaks of nature. So she kept running.

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:31 am

Dez:

Logan let out an accomplished breath of air, setting down the last box. She had busied herself briefly by helping an elderly fellow move a shipment of goods for his little bookstore - that is, from his truck bed into the correct sections of said store. Although it wasn't a lot of work, it would likely have taken the man on his own much longer to do; and would have left him with an aching spine, no doubt. But Logan had quickly done the job and he spent the time sipping coffee and catching up on the local news.

"That's the last box. Anything else?" Logan asked offhandedly, secretly hoping he didn't hand her a duster and tell her to clean all of the shelves. The elderly man let out a chuckle and smiled a wide, genuinely thankful smile, as he sat his paper down and put his cup on a coaster. "Atta girl!" he praised her, standing, his back bent slightly in a hunch. He pulled his wallet out and began to shift through it. Logan raised a brow and watched bitterly - she hated taking money out of his pocket.

"You don't have to pay me, it wasn't much." she muttered after a short moment. "Oh, yes it was young lady! That did me a world of good, you couldn't imagine. And a deals a deal." he added, that stubborn spark in his eyes that elderly people seemed to have whenever they set their mind set firmly on something. Finally, he pulled three or four bills from the black leather case - two twenties, a five, maybe a one or a ten, Logan couldn't tell - and he rolled them up quickly, then grabbed Logans hand and pressed the bills into her palm, patting the back of her hand with a warm smile. "Take care of yourself!" he smiled, and she nodded while tucking the cash away. "You too."

The woman slipped out of the dusty store and into the street, immediately looking towards the sun. She still had a few hours left, at least. It always seemed like these days inched by slowly, and all of the others were gone before she knew it. Of course, that was always the case when you were expecting something, wasn't it?

Her attention was averted once more, but this time it was by shouting coming from a nearby alleyway. Logan didn't waste any time and was soon passing by the alleyway with her arms crossed, looking in through the corner of an eye. It looked like a gang, and they seemed to be teamed up against someone. To say the least, they had the upper hand, and he didn't seem to be holding his own too well. And so it was, Logan decided to step in. She made her way into the alley casually, and then just before one man landed another blow on their victim, she slammed her first hard into the side of his jaw, sending him stumbling back and falling to the ground. Everyone froze in place, and then one smirked and stepped forward. "Oh ho ho! Look what we've got here! You think you can take us on, girly? You should probably leave, I don't like hitting women." he continued to smirk ruggedly, walking up to Logan. Who, by the way, was actually at least two inches taller than this man. Just as he opened his mouth to say something else, she brought her fist up to meet the bottom of his jaw. An uncomfortable slam was heard, along with the clicking of his lower teeth against his upper teeth, and he too stumbled backwards.

And so it started. The victim scrambled out of the alley, while the four men remained to take on this woman. In just moments, the adrenalin was through the metaphorical roof. One man decided quickly that he wanted nothing to do with it and dodged out, leaving three, who stubbornly stood their ground.

As the tension rose, Logan's thoughts began to shift from the from the expected thoughts someone would have during the heat of a battle, to the more beastly thoughts of her werewolf form. Her heart thudded against her ribcage and her head pounded. Quickly the woman realized what was happening and grasped her forehead, before turning and making her way out, grabbing her backpack as she did so; ignoring the onslaught of confused babbling coming from the bruised and battered men. Although, they made no attempt to follow her.

She quickly made her way into the forest, changing her top and adjusting her belt and backpack straps as soon as she was out of sight. The woman tried to suppress the change but it was futile, and soon, a werewolf stood in her place. And now everything was so much different, the scents she had caught earlier were clear. Werewolves made their home not too far from this place. Immediately, she dropped down on all fours and bolted forward, intent on tracking them down. Even as a werewolf, she still carried her hate for them. It was amplified, even.

Her feet carried her nearer and nearer to the cluster of scents, when another nearby scent distracted her from her pursuit. A woman, running towards Logan none the less. Prey. Logan didn't bother hiding away to stalk her, and instead, ran full force right towards Jackie! In a blink, Logan had lunged at her, knocking her to the ground roughly and clamping her jaw tight around the womans left shoulder. It happened so quickly that there was no time to react, even if you had seen Logan some time before she attacked. Logan kept her body in a strong, unmoving stance over the woman, pressing hard on her chest near the neck with one paw - the other keeping her left arm pinned against the ground. Her intent was to kill this werewolf, but not quickly, no. She wanted the others to hear her scream as a warning. And so it was, she tightened her clamp.

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:31 am

Indy:

"Gah!"

Suddenly she was on the forest floor, pinned apparently by something large and furry. She struggled violently against it in her confusion and the onset of pain coursing through her shoulder. She scrunched her head back just a few inches, only to catch sight at the very thing she had been avoiding.

The werewolf clamped harder down on her shoulder, but instead of giving it a cry of pain, she stubbornly held her tongue. At this point, she had overcome the initial surprise. Every muscle and every thought seemed suddenly intensified as the surge of adrenaline course through her body. Her earlier urgency to return to the ranch had turned towards a relentless fury from being stopped. Her eyes narrowed to angry slits and a guttural growl formed at the back of her throat.

Bones crunched. Muscles reformed and strengthened. Jackie's entire body ground and turned as it reformed itself beneath Logan's grasp. Really, it was a surprise it hadn't happened earlier. With the full moon so close and Jackie's rather explosive personality, it had only been a matter of milliseconds before it had happened. Aided now with strength equal to Logan, she saw no reason why she couldn't tear her attacker to shreds.

Coiling her legs underneath her with a burst of strength, she shoved up at the werewolf's chest to free herself, not caring if her entire shoulder went with Logan.

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:31 am

Dez:

Logan released her bite on the werewolf, jumping back now and examining the other female. She wasn't small by any means, however there was a noticeable difference between her and Logan. The only thing that alerted the larger werewolf was the fact that Jackie may be more agile.

Even in her near mindless stage, Logan had retained a good amount of knowledge as far as fighting went, as it was a large part of her life. It was habitual even, at this point, for her to look over a person and get a rough idea of how much they weight, how well they'd do in a fight. Still, this didn't stop her from pushing her limits, and her luck.

After briefly sizing up her victim, Logan began to half circle Jackie, and soon decided to make a move for the back right leg to hopefully throw her balance off. In a second, she bolted forward, letting out a snarl as she did so. She grabbed hold of Jackie's back right leg and gave it a quick jerk, before letting go and darting further behind the other werewolf. Twisting around in a tight circle, she once more lunged at the other, this time sinking her teeth into her back, just below the shoulder blades, and forcing her full weight on the female in attempt to pin her on her stomach. As before, she applied more and more pressure to her iron bite. Only this time she showed no signs of letting go.

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:32 am

Cathannah:

'Huh!?...What happened?... Oh Snap!' Toby thought, leaping from the bed he'd claimed earlier. He must've fallen asleep.. For how long? Quickly as he could, he straightend his attire, put his books and spare clothes away, then started down stairs.

The pang of hunger was greater now than it had been earlier that morning; he had to get something to eat or his stomache would surely eat itself.. Caniblistic things, stomaches, very untrustworthy and impatient.

Stumbling down the stairs, he was overjoyed to see he hadn't been left behind and the others were still around. "Hello! Where's the kitchen? Is there food in the kitchen? Oh, how long have I been asleep? Scratch that! Just where is the kitchen?" He rammbled, too hungry to be polite or timid... Though his tone never lost it's 'please-don't-hurt-me'.

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:32 am

Kaqurei:

Earlier...

Levi drummed his fingers against the dining room table. Whereas the rest of his demeanor seemed rather relaxed, he was ill at ease. All around him... these humans.... bah! He couldn't stand them. Really, he couldn't. It wasn't that he hated them, no, never. They'd done nothing to him. It was just their body language, their voices--everything about them, really. They could be compared to sparrows in their manner and conversation. Unlike the average person, he could pick each individual word and giggle out of the crowd in the small diner. They changed like dancing shadows on a wall; now happy, now annoyed, now pretending to still like their partner... Pretending! Ha! These humans. They would say one thing and the way they moved would express something completely different. They put on acts in front of each other, no one was ever their real self!

It was never like this in his pack. The wolves of his tribe--when they said something, they meant it. If you hid your true intentions, you were dangerous. ...Humans, therefore, made Levi incredibly uncomfortable. True, he had been raised mostly by his human mother, but she had never been what some may call sociable. His time with her was mostly spent studying, cooking, gardening...all of the normal things humans do, but up in a mountain cabin far from others. His mother hadn't trusted those of her kind either.

On top of all that, he was incredibly anxious about having nearly been caught earlier. He had watched them for some time. He didn't believe that they would risk something in to town so close to nightfall, even for an intruder. Still, every now and then he would glance nervously out the diner window or over his shoulder.

But it always came back around to the noise and motions of those around him. That was what was gnawing into his nerves. At last, he could bear it no longer. He briskly stood up, attracting the attention of a busy waitress who had before not noticed his presence.

"I'm sorry hun, did you need something? I'll get right around to your table in a moment. It's crazy in here tonight, isn't it?"

Levi smiled casually and shook his head. "Crazy? Aye, definitely. Do not worry aboot it though, I was just leavin'."

The waitress' relief could not be mistaken, but she feigned disappointment and wished him a good night. "Hope you come back soon!" she called after him, before hurrying back to her duties.

It was good to be outside again, he thought as he closed the diner door behind him. The sky was various shades of pink and purple overhead. Levi took and deep breath and held it a moment, closing his eyes to savor the feelings around him. He could feel the full moon's impending approach. How... invigorating. He exhaled confidently, opening eyes that now seemed a striking shade of yellow, and set off at a steady pace down the sidewalk.

Without exactly twenty-two voices chattering away and at least fifty-one strange scents assaulting his senses, his head felt much clearer. Maybe he could chalk that up to the Moon's coming too, though. He decided that he would come at the rival pack's base from another angle and watch them during the night, see how they handled their wolf forms. Dangerous as it was, he had to see them in action. He reeked more of this area now than ever. There was still the misfortune of his having been seen or at the very least noticed by the Alpha earlier--they would be on full alert. Maybe, though, there would be enough distraction within the pack to worry about problems without.

It was about then that he noticed a strange woman approaching an alleyway. It was clear from her stride that she was not native here... furthermore, he was downwind of her and could detect from her scent that she was a werewolf. Yet not one belonging to the rival pack? Curious.

Well, Levi decided that she warranted some investigation while he was here anyway. After she disappeared into the alley, he climbed a nearby building like a cat and watched the brawl ensue from the rooftop. Her fighting style was intriguing--that she could take on several men even in human form was even more so. Definitely a creature to keep tabs on.

Then came her hasty retreat. He didn't need to wonder why. He felt it too--the rush, the wolf coming in to play. He took he actions to mean that she did not trust her wolf form and had little control of it. She did not desire to kill these men, or at the very least she did not mean to accidentally eat them. He was confident in his ability to remain stealthy, even as a wolf in town, so he did not bother resisting the change. He would need his greater strength and agility to keep up with the woman who now made off out of town.

He kept a fair distance behind her, merely staying withing earshot but not line of sight. He noted the land that she was retreating into... this was the rival pack's territory.

As he followed his query, he became aware of an eerie sort of silence... a hunting silence, he judged, but too late. He had no sooner made that assumption before the sounds of snarling reached his ears. Curiosity piqued, he hurried ahead to observe what was happening. He made a wide circle around them before he could even see them, so that he could draw nearer from the direction that the woman had previously been going and thus watch the battle from higher ground.

From there, he simply sat and watched. His yellow eyes glittered smartly--more like a collie than a wolf, as he made basic conclusions about what he saw. There were two females--one belonged to the rival pack. She was a new were, likely only a few months had passed since she was bitten, if that much. She was smart and trained in self defence, but not quite as good a fighter as the one he had originally followed here.

He flicked one of his large ears back, risking even a glance over his shoulder for a moment before he returned his attention to the battling pair. This was their land. If others were nearby, they would hear the struggle and he would gain the invaluable opportunity to observe how they would defend each other, without himself as the object lesson. This was a good thing, assuming there were any nearby, but he did not want to be accidentally discovered again.

****

Meanwhile, Sabrina was making a headcount of the new wolves. Nightfall was fast approaching and some had already changed. Most importantly, she needed to inform Chime that her conversation with Timothy was over, and she had to prep him for what was coming, if she could.

She made her way in the direction of the truck now, perhaps overlooking the absence of, or simply trusting someone else to find Jackie.

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:32 am

May:

Timothy watched Chime's face as she spoke and found himself shuffling the dirt under his shoes.

"Oh, uhm..." It wasn't intended of Timothy to stir up bad memories for Chime, but he didn't know how to apologize. He was glad when she sharply changed subject.

"I enjoy, eh, I don't know.." He shrugged, trying to come up with some answer which would profit the conversation. "Well, hold on a sec.. Let me think."

Timothy tried with all his might to remember something which he enjoyed doing, something that gave him pleasure which he could tell Chime, just for communication sake. He wanted to talk, he wanted to explain, but he found that at the end of all his thoughts was fear, and only some other part of him seemed to know the answer..

At length Timothy sighed, and for comforts sake he laughed, then he brushed his hand through the black hair of his head and attempted to reply. ".... Well, I like laying on Zeit's couch, and listening to birds afar off.." He said. "And I like the endlessness of the sky and the wind.... But what I think I really enjoy are quiet nights when the moon is gone and the stars are lit; the moments just before falling to sleep when I know I don't have to worry until tomorrow."

Timothy then paused and his expression grew troubled. "I enjoy being human.."

Just then Kratos' voice sounded from behind and Timothy spun on his heels to face him.

******

After leaving Jackie, Kratos went straight toward the new houses at a quickened pace. He didn't want the stranger to get away this time, but he also had to keep in mind the limits of his young pack. This wasn't the first time that new members were trained to use their Werewolf forms while on a hunt and it resulted last time in two new converted werewolves. However, this time the area was more controlled; no hiker would be on pack territory tonight.. Then again, maybe they wouldn't have to be; this was an experienced werewolf and had been around the pack for awhile; he likely knew that Kratos would not allow his pack near the town.

With a growl Kratos realized his plan may not be the best idea and that things would likely be more complicated. The wisest choice then, would be to tell the pack about the spy and ignore him until he chose to show himself, but that was also dangerous. So Kratos was left to his original plan, and many loose ends...

As the Alpha's heavy paws drew nearer to the small clearing he recognized the familiar voices of his pack members and halted a moment to listen. He heard Timothy and Chime talking and found interest. Timothy was doing a sorry job of making conversation, but at least the lad was trying.

Kratos glanced up at the sky to check the time and saw now that the sun was already at his highest position. The morning had begun early before light was even in the sky and now the sun had snuck up on the pack while they took their march into the forest and explored the new dens.

Too much time had been wasted and Kratos now feared he would not get the opportunity to really teach the pack anything.

Contemplating upon the decision ahead, Kratos stood still and his paws printed deep into the mountain soil. His bright yellow eyes glanced about the trees and every now-and-again he caught sight of a few pack members chatting with each other or exploring the unfamiliar surroundings, and this somehow put his mind at rest concerning them.

Kratos understood that each individual was learning to accept the others, and subconsciously, they were all coming to understand that they could trust one another and be a pack; He knew that werewolves did not naturally want to be alone.

So at length and with a smile on his face, Kratos walked into the thick bushes and changed his form back into that of a man. His custom thick black uniform fitted his stature regardless of current shape, but he needed now to get the large red cloak of his father and prepare for the full moon along with the rest of his pack.

Thus Kratos walked out through the trees and into the clearing in complete silence. Then he took a look around and raised his voice for all to hear.

"Alright now, everyone! As most know, by the time the sun sets you will begin to feel the change. You have a few hours yet to prepare." The Alpha's deep and powerful voice announced. "No one has need to be afraid. We are a pack, a family; we know and will defend each other.. even from the natural madness which the moon awakens within us. Stay close to those whom have more experience than yourselves and all will be well."

After speaking, Kratos looked toward Timothy and slowly approached, noticing that the boy's fists were clenched and that his knuckles were white..

"Timothy, you don't have anything to fear." Kratos said in a gentle tone. Then he turned to Chime and smiled before looking back upon Timothy's face.

*****

Timothy hadn't noticed the tension which had spread through his body upon hearing Kratos' voice.

Since leaving the safety of the truck, Timothy was constantly training his senses behind himself in case Kratos returned. However, when Kratos came into the clearing, Timothy had been too concentrated on the efforts inside his mind. He had turned around and expected to see the great black form of the Werewolf Alpha, but was surprised to find the shape of only a very large man.

Timothy thought he blurted Kratos' name in alarm, but in truth, he stood silent.. He had not yet realized that he stood in an aggressive stance.

*****

Kratos watched Timothy for any cue of what he was thinking, but Timothy's expression betrayed nothing.

"Timothy?" Kratos asked with concern.

"I'm not afraid." Timothy replied after a moment. "I- I'm just..."

Timothy fell silent and Kratos watched as his eyes flickered toward Chime and back again.

"No need to explain, Timothy. Just remember we care about you, and we won't hurt you.. We're your family." Kratos said sincerely, and he took a step back.

Timothy still hadn't dropped his guard and his knuckled were still white, so Kratos turned away and looked at Toby on the porch

"There's a bag of jerky in your backpack." The Alpha said with a wink, then he walked passed the scrawny teenager and entered the house.

The house smelled new, mostly like the dirt and trees which surrounded the entire area, but also faintly of the trucks and men which had built it a short time ago.

The main room was large and well furnished, though it's design was less homely than Kratos had instructed. The kitchen was in the back of the house and just as big as the main room which was not separated from the kitchen by wall or door.

On both the far left and right walls stood a stair case which lead upstairs to the bedrooms; though Kratos would likely never use them except in the case of emergencies..

Both houses were designed to be identical in structure, save for the fact that while house #2 had a closet under each staircase, house #1 had only a closet under the left set of stairs; under the right stood a much larger door which lead downstairs to Kratos' room.. A room which was always locked and would be seldom used.

This was the first time Kratos had stepped into this house since inspecting it after completion, and he only intended to come in now for a moment to change his clothes, so he went without delay.

*****

Timothy stood silent for a long time after Kratos had gone inside, then he slowly stretched his fingers and realized how uncomfortable he felt. His muscles ached and his heart seemed to be beating rather quickly. He flashed Chime and Sabrina with an odd look in his eyes.

A feeling of panic grasped Timothy's heart and he suddenly felt very alone. He could see the last light of the sun glinting between the trees and he felt a horrid sense of abandonment; almost as if he thought he would chase the sun and beg it not to leave.

But outside his thoughts, Timothy made no move and said not a word.

How much time passed in this state of mind, Timothy could not guess nor ask, for he felt entirely alone. His thoughts were dulled and he seemed to do nothing but wait for the sun to sink...

It suddenly began happening then, Timothy cried out suddenly and crumpled to the ground! He tried burying his head in his hands and began trembling. His fingers passing over the scars on his neck and his whole body beginning to ache!

He could smell and hear the others around him, and though he could recognize them individually, he could no longer recall their names..

******

At that moment Kratos stepped out of the house, already a werewolf but with his mane and whiskers tied back and his red cloak hung about his shoulders.

"Everyone out into the yard!" He ordered firmly.

The Alpha could feel the beast awakening, but his dominance over it was unconquerable.

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:32 am

Mariel:

When Sabrina didn't answer Kieoki, Kieoki watched her walk off and take a headcount. Kieoki was angry at Sabrina for ignoring her after she'd given her her name. Kieoki didn't speak to the other pack members often, but when she did, she didn't take to kindly to bluntly being ignored. Needless to say, Kieoki ranked everyone in her mind on a little chart based on how they acted towards her and others, and Sabrina dropped low on that chart. Kieoki didn't show her anger though, she calmly stood there -leaning against the tree- as Sabrina walked off along with others. Kieoki watched everything that happened in the clearing, including when Krat entered back in his human form. Well, at least he didn't seem angry or anything like that.

Repressing an odd shudder, she glanced around herself, making sure that no one was really looking at her before she shifted. She stood in her wolf form, shaking herself out as her wolf sighed in happiness. Speaking of her wolf, that was another good thing that had come out of joining this pack. Normally, her wolf was a separate mind, a different thinker with a more violent passion and attitude. But ever since she'd joined this pack, her wolf had merged with her and only seemed to be there just a few moments after Kieoki shifted. For example, her wolf was gone already right now and so instead of pacing or running around to vent her silent anger, Kieoki sat in front of the tree she'd been standing by and enjoyed the soft feeling of the wind blowing through her fur.

This peace lasted a few moments before Kieoki's eyes snapped open as Krat's resounding call rang out. Kieoki frowned, flattening her ears to her head as she thought about going to answer his call or not. She knew he'd be curious as to why she didn't come. With a roll of her eyes, Kieoki stood up and trotted down the hill until she was a few yards away from Krat. She sat down then, in his sight, and waited. Good. He was a wolf again. She wasn't going to get yelled at for being a wolf now unless he felt like sounding like a hypocrite. Though, much to Kieoki's frustration, she still had no clue about what everyone else may be feeling. After all, she used to live with her wolf all the time, and it saved her life more than once. So when the boy who Kieoki believed was called Timothy crumpled to the ground...well, she blinked in momentary shock before she glanced back at Krat. She gave him a questioning look with a flick of her tail. A silent question she didn't want to ask.

She didn't offer to help Timothy -if that was his name after all- because not only did she barely know him, but she didn't have a clue what was going on. She didn't want to try to help and then end up screwing everything up. So in the end, Kieoki ended up sitting there, caught between Krat and Timothy. 

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:33 am

Indy:

Logan sprung back, and for a brief moment, Jackie found herself free from the other werewolf’s enormous weight. She jumped to her paws in less than an instant, determined not to allow this other werewolf a chance to scratch her soft underside. She widened her stance and dipped down her head low to the ground, starring up at attacker with flashing blue eyes and tensing her jaws to a low snarl.

In those brief seconds, she studied Logan and intimately as she could. The immediate disadvantage she was at was Logan’s size. She wasn’t exactly a pathetic little runt herself, but compared to Logan, she knew that she could crunch her if she wasn’t careful. She looked fairly fit, and based off of what she had encountered so far, she was a good fighter. Even as a werewolf, she found her ability to strategize a fight mostly unhindered. A fight was instinctual more than anything else. She had relied on her instincts in a fight as a human, and now transformed she relied entirely on them. Thus, she knew if she was to have any chance, she would have to be much faster and much more limber if she was to have a chance.

Something snapped at her back right leg, and she immediately spun around to see Logan’s face. Had she not crouched earlier, she may have fallen over. As it was, she found her balance temporarily thrown. Even before Logan struck, Jackie had a brief idea she would use her lack of balance and surprise to throw a larger attack. Jackie tensed just as Logan pounced and latched on to her back with strong, clamped jaws. She jerked underneath the massive creature like a bull trying to rear off its rider. However, she soon found Logan’s grasp far too strong and her ability to support herself from getting flattened under Logan faltering.

Knowing she didn’t have much more time, she tried a new tactic. She rolled off to the right, mustering every ounce of her strength to push herself. The serrated teeth that were at her back remained firmly clamped, but now it was on empty air. Jackie herself hadn’t gotten off injury-free, however. Where Logan had clamped was now bleeding profusely, having scored deeply into her skin as she had moved away. Still, Jackie stood up again and faced her opponent, the pain seeming insignificant with the rush of adrenaline. She was determined not to give up; if she did, this werewolf would probably flay her in less than a second. Jackie happened to like living.

The fight continued for quite some time. Jackie found herself not so much landing the blows, but rather trying to avoid them or free herself from them. In fact, she landed relatively few wounds on her opponent, and most of those she did land were nothing more than a few shallow scratches or bites. She was getting tired, and avoiding injures was becoming next to impossible. As if to make matters worse, she became increasingly aware of the sun as it drifted farther down the sky and the gentle shades of blue took on orange and scarlet hues. Though at first not entirely aware of why this may have been important, the closer the sun got towards the bottom of the sky, the more she remembered her goal and the more she remembered why she needed to get to the ranch. If she didn’t get there soon, it wouldn’t matter if Logan killed her or not.