We traveled to the truck and moved it to one side. I plundered the food. Julianne found an emergency radio and battery to take with us. She made me carry them.

On the way back to the elves' hideaway, Julianne convinced me to clean myself up. Ripe was the kindest word used. Julianne practically threw me into the water. Drying off was awkward but I was much cleaner by the end. Bathing in a natural stream felt fantastic.

By nightfall, we made it to the camp where Evan and his grandfather stayed. Both trips were far less desperate since it was already too late. Julianne took the radio then headed out with cowboy elf to watch for pack members. She believed they would be back soon with a ride out of here.

My shirt was almost dry. I sat near the fire pit with Evan. The flame was small and well-tended, proving that even elves didn't object to the occasional fire now and then. The younger elf readied himself for round two of our little talk.

"I've found the limits of what I can say, but I doubt it will help." He said.

"Can't be worse than what I have now." All I had now was a whole lot of warning that knowledge was dangerous, but no idea why. I didn't like how shaky he looked while he tried to talk.

"I told you that you had laid claim. You must know this much about yourself in order to do that." Evan’s body drooped from lingering exhaustion.

"I do." It was one of the few things I did know. Frequent glances were shot towards Evan to ensure he didn’t fall into the fire. He shouldn’t even be speaking now. Sweat started to drip from his brow as he attempted to concentrate.

"It is absolute. It is frightening, it is an old calling. Any Speakers you have claimed feel it like a gong that beats in time with the pulse of our hearts." He paused, gathering his energy to try and betray a little more information that wasn't entirely protected by whatever binding had been placed on him.

I waited for him to continue.

"The first time it is easy to miss. The second is harder, and more until your calling drowns everything else out." The elf was getting worked up just talking about it.

"Like Candy?" I had tracked her more than once in the last few days.

"Yes." He answered.

"And Kahina?" I was suddenly worried that maybe my former girlfriend's obsession came from the tracking process. How many times over the years had I searched for her?

"Who?" Evan asked in confusion.

"The black woman, you called her a Bloodletter." It must be an old term for vampires. It sounded formal and silly.

"She will feel it too, any of the..." There was a flash of soft light from behind his eyes and he gasped then slowly started over. "She will feel it. Part of her will know that you are claiming her and try to respond."

"Why?" Was that part of why she fixated on me? If tracking her fueled the feelings then she would have felt my calling years ago.

"Does it matter? Either you truly think she is yours, or you do not." Evan spoke slowly. It was almost Julianne’s words coming out of his mouth.

"You make it sound so simple." I was tired of this, almost as tired as Evan sounded.

"Like most, you make simple things sound so hard," Evan said. That was a statement I couldn't argue with. "But I fear something."

"What is that?" I feared a lot when it came to Kahina.

"While the stories say she cannot change you, it is possible that you may change her. I wonder what she will become." His words felt, I don't know, they felt true. Like his sincerity traveled across that bond of dominion. That claim where Evan called me Lord and I answered.

Silence sat between us for a handful of moments. I stared into the fire and watched as wood crackled. Each momentary flare of energy drew the scattered portions of my mind together. For a moment, just a brief one, nothing else mattered but the dancing flame.

Evan’s cough brought reality back to the forefront. I shook my head and asked "Any other hints?"

The blond elf didn't respond. He too seemed captivated by the fire. His eyes closed and there was a soft glow from behind the lids. I watched him slip slowly forward, then finally tip as if he couldn't hold himself upright. By the time I reached him he was snoring on the ground.

Perhaps I could push the issue by calling upon whatever bond he thought we had, but I wasn't sure I wanted an answer. I wasn't sure he'd survive me pushing at it. Not if he was passed out in exhaustion after he managed to tell me nothing useful.

"Jay!" Julianne shouted while running up to the small fire. I intercepted the tiny woman and pulled us away from Evan’s resting place.

"What's up?" I asked once we were far enough away.

"Problem. Daniel and a huge number of his men have started up the road." Julianne broke away from my grip and started pacing. She didn’t even seem upset that I had basically herded her.

"What? How?" I paused and started over. "What?"

"Seems Thomas told them we had Arnold, and told them he was dead. Judging by the convoy rolling up here your friend didn't believe it." Julianne bit her lip and looked off towards the city far to the south.

"Hell," I said. One arm raised to run through shortened hair.

"No joke. They're armed too." Julianne put one hand into her pocket. She was likely holding on to the small firearm from before.

"Daniel carrying a lot of silver?" I licked my lips and stared at the short woman.

"He's headed into pack woods, against both law and orders from his superiors.” Julianne stared back up at me and nodded. “So yeah, I'd bet heavily on him carrying enough to put down everyone."

"And they're trained." I clenched both my fists and contemplated hitting something hard.

"Yep."

What the hell was he doing bringing an army up here? Was he going to take over and root around trying to find Arnold? Daniel knew Arnold was dead.

"Your pack's response?" I asked. Daniel heading into pack lands could be minimized if no one got in his way. At worst it would be me, Evan, and his grandfather. Julianne could easily hide somewhere or be escorted out with her brother.

"Pack's not going to let anyone march into their lands. Western Sector or not. This has been our-” she shook her head “their, territory for generations.”

“Of course not.” I understood the need to protect one's things.

“They’re running in full bore, but I don't know if they'll be in any condition to help. Plus they waited to tell me.” Julianne ground her teeth for a moment and showed a wolfish impersonation of annoyance. She may not be pack, but the woman had fooled me for a long time.

“It’s okay.” I tried to sound reassuring.

“My grandfather is almost here already. He's getting up there in age, but the old guy can cover some ground." Julianne looked fidgety. She wasn't making eye contact or anything, which was not an action I expected from her.

Shifting eyes around, refusing to meet a stare, both things were signs of submissive pack members. Julianne had always given me the exact opposite impression. There was something happening that I would like even less.

"What?" I asked with a sharp tone.

"Um. My brother's an idiot?" Julianne’s accent sounded sheepish.

"I'd guessed." My response was dry. The guy seemed too damned cheery when he talked, a smart ass cheery. "Anything else?"

Her eyes got kind of wide, and I watched her look past me and wince. My body turned just in time to be bulldozed by some sort of fuzzy battering ram. Soft fur and a quiet snarl coupled with very sharp teeth dug into my muscles.

Hell.

From my angle, there was only one eye visible that was glaring directly into mine. The teeth on my collarbone and the message in the glaring orb were just begging for an excuse to rend flesh.

"Stacy?" I guessed.

The bundle of fur and angry muscle clamped down upon my neck, grumbling. Teeth dug in, but the jaws didn't shake back and forth. I could be extremely violent and take the damage, but there was no need. If Stacy actually wanted to harm me she would have.

"If you want to talk, then shift." I had to remain calm. It was like I was bouncing at the door. Momentary eye contact, just enough to give a solid connection that pierced through the haze.

Stacy, if it was Stacy, huffed in my face. Teeth pulled back from my neck and the wolf backed up. A moment later I had a frowning and startlingly naked woman yelling at me. There was a sign of something strapped to her shoulders, a travel pack?

"I can't believe you brought them out here! What the hell were you thinking?" Stacy yelled while pointing at my face. At least she wasn't violently slapping me.

"Stacy!" Julianne shouted back.

"No, Julie, you could have been shot by that elf. All because this abusive..." She stuttered as her arms struggled to get the backpack off. "MALE needs help to clean up his fucking mess!"

"We put Evan out here!" Julianne leapt to my defense while I tried to stay out of the way. A female shouting was one of my weaknesses and it never seemed to end well.

They kept bitching, literally, at each other. Part of me wanted to defend myself. What could I really say? Sorry my friend Daniel is screwing it all up for everyone?

Other people trickled in. One was the awkwardly naked older man I had seen before. The rest were wolves of varying color patterns. Stacy must have put in the extra energy speeding here just to knock me down.

"Girls." Julianne's grandfather held an incredible tone with one word. It was a gift that anyone would steal if they could. "We’re in mixed company, Stacy. Put something on."

Stacy narrowed her eyes for a moment before breaking the stare. She finished pulling the backpack off and dug out lighter clothes. They were barely a step up from a nightie. The woman grumbled while pulling the shirt over her head. Stacy’s lips kept moving as she muttered angrily.

I had to give it to Julianne, Stacy seemed like a keeper in more ways than one. She had probably started out a lot more reserved, since wolves typically were more irritable. One thing I had no desire to run into was an already aggressive woman being turned in to a wolf. They were bonfires of rage and burned out quickly.

Other wolves in the background wore amused grins. There were maybe twenty total. Each one had a bag harnessed to them somehow. They all seemed to be resting after a long run.

The only one who didn't show signs of fatigue was Julianne’s grandfather. He also showed no rush to get dressed. I kept my gaze averted. Not because I wanted to seem submissive, but because I was tired of naked men.

"Grandpa!" Julianne switched her yelling to him.

"Yes, child?" His tone of voice didn't change, but his emphasis on the second word was obvious.

"Put on your pants!"

"In time. There are others coming." He responded.

"I don't want to see your penis hanging out!" She shouted while trying not to sound embarrassed.

"What's wrong with a wolf being naked?" I wasn’t looking, but the old wolf sounded faintly amused.

"Because you're human right now, and you're old!" Her yelling didn't let up.

Wolves in the background fought to contain wheezing laughs. Their amusement seemed to vanish quickly and I risked a glance. Julianne’s grandfather had given his pack a single glare. The wolves' amused grins stayed put.

"Very well." He took a pack from off of his shoulders that had a pair of shorts and a plain white shirt. Once he was dressed I felt semi comfortable looking their direction.

"Where's Thomas?" Julianne asked.

"Resting. He'll be here soon, though." Her grandfather said.

"How far out is Daniel?" She asked another question. I let her take charge in prying information out of the old man. Last time I had dealt with him things were decided against me.

"Hours. They're moving carefully and slowly." Her grandfather said.

"You'd think he would just roll in here." She rolled her eyes and waved a hand around.

Those pack members still in wolf form swiveled their ears at once. Even the human form members looked off into the distance. Julianne turned her gaze too but seemed confused. There must have been someone or something approaching. I tensed up and worried that Daniel might be here already.

A set of howls echoed in the distance. Julianne's grandfather frowned and turned to his little gathering. There was a moment where I could have sworn he was talking to them. It was hard not to envy a pack's ability to connect with each other.

A few members of Stacy and Julianne's little family howled back. There was a moment when I heard noises filling the growing darkness. My senses extended upward and I could feel the vibrations shoot through the clear sky overhead. It was similar to holding an arm out the car window and feeling the breeze ripple across my skin.

All the ears of the pack members swiveled again and the howling stopped. Slowly padding through the trees was another smaller set of wolves. They gave off a skittish vibe. Five in total became apparent. The small group settled to their haunches and watched the rest of us.

Fur patterns on one of them looked familiar. There were a few ways to tell the gender of a wolf, but most of them were rude. I felt sure that the wolf gazing towards me was Francis Sauter's wife. Last time those eyes had been filled with nearly single-minded annoyance. Now they seemed to be a lot calmer and almost satisfied.

I blinked and nodded slowly at the other wolf. She blinked gold eyes back but didn't nod in exchange.

"Welcome to our woods." The old man's voice sounded formal. There was a bobble of heads in the other grouping of wolves as if formally bowing while sitting. They started to shift to human. I winced and stared back at the sky.

"Sissy." Julianne didn't even bother whispering at me. Not that it would have made much of a difference.

"Too much skin." I wasn’t upset about seeing a good looking woman naked. Nor was I homophobic. Wolves just took a lot to get used to.

"You should see some of the places Kahina used to drag me to. Her eighteenth was a blast." Julianne sounded giddy at finding a soft spot of mine to poke at.

"No thanks," I muttered.

"It's safe to look now." The tiny bartender said.

"It's safe, Jay." The old man's voice was calm. On anyone else I would have called it mocking, but it was hard to tell with him.

I looked back down. There was a small gathering around me now. Julianne, her grandfather, Stacy, and two of the other wolves.

"Ms. Sauter, Malcolm." Names and dollar signs were part of my earnings. Thankfully I learned them quickly. Other life lessons took far longer.

"We meet again, Jay." Malcolm didn't look any more distinct against the tree line than he had in the middle of the city. Something about him seemed so damned every man.

"In less pleasant times," I said.

"Well, we owe you one." The alpha shrugged. My eyes had a hard time focusing on him and kept glancing at the other people around.

"And Francis?" I asked.

"Has left me a widow, sadly," Jude's smile said quite the opposite. Pack justice was brutal.

"I apologize." I wasn’t sure how to respond to that statement. Social niceties were not one of the skills a collection's agent such as myself worked on cultivating. Maybe I should be upset that he was dead, but running out on family with all their money firmly marked him as scum.

"It was no fault of yours I assure you." Jude waved one arm in my direction and raised both her eyebrows in amusement.

"We're expecting a few others," Malcolm said. Who exactly could he mean? Who else was involved in this? I expected Daniel, but not in a good way.

"I should have picked up some party favors." Julianne looked around waiting for someone to joke back with her. Thomas wasn’t here so it was on me to give it a try.

"You can give us all a drink when we get done." I was more than happy to suggest alcohol instead.

"Them maybe. You? No.” She waved a hand in my face to stop me from going any further. Her joking sounded almost half-hearted. ”You drink like a fish."

"What I'd give for a sea of booze." I lamented quietly. Not that it did much good compared to the wolves' hearing.

Julianne's grandfather was glaring at me. Malcolm had the same sort of serious look, but there was a hint of something else in his eyes. Like he wanted to laugh, but this was a bad place for it. Not the first time the little bartender had gotten me into trouble.

"Who else are we waiting on?" Trust her grandfather to get to the point.

"Give them a few minutes. We've got other things to discuss for now." Malcolm spoke up again. "What are your plans about this intrusion?" He clearly was addressing the other Alpha in our little group.

"This is pack lands," Julianne’s grandfather said. I still hadn’t learned his name and no one had said it.

"And you’re okay rumbling with Sector Agents?" Malcolm tiled his head down and looked at me. “Come what may?”

"I will not permit him to run rampant in pack lands." The old wolf said.

"I agree." The younger Alpha responded while nodding. Neither of them looked happy with their conclusions.

"Wait” I was against the whole idea. “This a terrible idea. Besides, this probably isn't a sector operation." A war with Daniel? That was like asking for him to bring in bigger toys. I swear he loved the idea of escalation. It only worked out well in the past because we were on the same side.

"You have alternatives?" The old man had this detached air about him like he was looking over a board for war games. Analyzing pieces then stacking them up against unseen maneuvers.

"Yeah. I hand over the ashes and tell Daniel to shove the box sideways." I presented my genius plan to the Alphas.

"You think that’ll settle it?" Malcolm’s forehead wrinkled as he looked my way.

"We've got history," I answered slowly. Daniel and I went back almost two decades so he would believe me. He could take this box and do a DNA test or whatever magic Western Sector had.

"I don't know why he's so overbearing about this. Normally Daniel’s reasonable." Julianne said with a trace of annoyance.

"Someone's pushing him," I remembered that much from the note at least.

"Someone is pushing Daniel? Seriously? That won't end well." The short bartender looked surprised. It was the same expression to cross my face once I got the note implying all my belongings were being held hostage. Even now, if I thought about it too hard, a tremble of frustration started up.

"Our guests are close," Jude Sauter said to her Alpha.

Both packs were watching the same direction. A figure almost popped into existence between the trees. He was dressed in an immaculate suit laced with a faint trace of purple thread. Hair was slicked back with gel. I tried not to get annoyed.

Only vampires could move like that. It took me days to get part way here the first time and they cleared it in hours. Everyone else was too fast.

Another vampire popped in. The second male’s head was shaved, but there was no mistaking the cross-shaped welt. His pale skin made the scarring even more pronounced. Both vampires were dressed in black without a sign of dirt or leaves. The second one that I had fought with before looked directly at me and opened his mouth to give a brief hiss. Some of the pack members nearby twitched from the bit of aggression.

My nose took one whiff of peppermint and I tensed. Kahina didn't pop into existence like the other two. She strode in from the darkness behind them. Both her bodyguards separated to make room.

Wrapped around her was something that could almost be oriental. Slits on either side of the fabric traveled to mid-thigh. Her clothes weren't entirely black. There were weavings of purple among the rest of the light dress. Evan’s fire and the moon above only cast out so much light and wolves were mostly color blind when transformed.

"You made it!" Julianne ran over, completely ignoring both the show and either imposing bodyguard. They didn't move to intercept the tiny Indian woman.

"Of course I did." They hugged and the whole mesmerizing presentation lost some power. Kahina and Julianne joined our little group while the bodyguards stayed in the distance.

"We're all here?" Julianne’s grandfather gave a level stare at Malcolm and the tiny bartender.

"Everyone Thomas thought was useful, mostly because I gave him a list." Julianne took credit for the little gathering.

"Quick thinking." My brow furled a bit.

"Well I wanted a plan in case Daniel did something stupid. But I didn't know we'd have to meet out here."

"Something stupid? Daniel has sixty or more trained soldiers with him." Kahina’s words came forth. I was too busy giving her dress sidelong glances. It was one of my favorites.

"All human?" I asked.

"We were all human once." Kahina quickly retorted.

I paused and stopped eyeballing the dress. She clearly was going to use every forum available to poke at our history. It almost sounded like Kahina thought my treatment of her was less than a person. That was a completely baseless tone to take with me.

"Yes, all those with him are human." She relented and gave an answer.

"Like last time." I tried to move past all the silly thoughts that crossed my mind. Clearly I was reading too much into our words.

"I wasn't aware you'd noticed last time," Kahina said.

"I do pay attention." I gave in to her baited tone.

"I wonder what you pay attention to sometimes." Kahina was practically inviting me to follow the words back to us, but this wasn't the time for it.

“You’re both the prettiest,” Julianne said with a sigh. “Can we focus on the army invasion?”

“Please.” Malcolm chimed in. I looked at the other wolves nearby. At least Jude had a faint smile on her face. It almost balanced out Julianne’s grandfather who looked to be a step away from dropping a hammer on someone.

"This isn't a sector operation. Daniel’s mixed up in something else." I quickly said. During our escape from the housing complex with Evan, all the people we fought were human. Maybe it was some sort of extremist supremacy group?

"So what?" Malcolm said. Julianne was the only other person besides me and Kahina who actually knew Daniel that well. It seemed weird that no one else understood his temperament.

"We can plan some defenses in case. If it's not Sector sanctioned then we're allowed to defend our lands." Julianne's grandfather said.

"Let’s see what we roll out to welcome them." Malcolm was on board with the whole thing.

"I'll introduce you to the two elves, they'll have a good idea if anyone," Julianne said.

"I don't need an elf to show me around my own woods." Her grandfather sounded affronted. The wolves and Julianne walked towards where Evan slumbered. Hopefully, they would leave the elf alone.

That left me, Francis' widow, and Kahina with her bodyguards.

"Go help with the plans." Kahina turned her head slightly to the other two. They managed to have nearly identical looks of irritation but followed orders. Then there were three.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did. My late husband wasn't exactly a good man, to me or my daughter." Jude said while looking between me and Kahina. She was wolf enough to pick up on the awkward vibe.

"My pleasure," I said with a smile. That night had been fun, aside from the long trek home and the condition of my legs. Jude nodded and left as well to meet with the others.

One of the Alphas shouted towards the other wolves that were scattered around the area. It might have been an order to scout the woods, or maybe Julianne had suggested that we be left alone. Whatever it was, even the golden eyes slowly vanished. Then it was just Kahina and I.

I held my breath and stared at her. She stood there motionless, lost in thought. Her deep red eyes were focused on something unseen in the distance.

"Are you really in that much danger?" I broke our frail silence. The question caused her to blink, but there was no answer. "Kahina?" I moved slightly. Her eyes regained focus and pupils dilated.

"Try a different question, Cat-nip." She said slowly. This time I blinked while trying to process her statement. The scent of peppermint grew stronger as Kahina focused on me.

"Are they going to kill you?" Maybe if I rephrased it. Her eyes softened a little, but then a cold edge of distance overlaid her face again. Maybe not cold, just very deliberate.

"A different question, Cat-nip." She bit at the words as they came out. It was hard to tell, but Kahina seemed close enough to reach out and wrap one arm around if I wanted. The idea further muddled my mind.

"What should I ask then?" I was frustrated. Things would be so much easier if we could return to the idealistic years gone by.

"For my answer to what you said." She answered my question.

"What did I say?" I had no clue which statement Kahina was talking about. My eyes glanced around and verified we were still being allowed vague privacy.

"You asked at Julianne’s if I was still yours. So ask again, am I yours?" Kahina was even closer now. Had I stepped closer to her? Or had she stepped closer to me? Which way did she want me to ask that question?

"Are you still mine?" My words were soft and confused to my own ears. All those times I'd tracked her, Evan had said they were a form of laying claim.

Both her eyes closed so slowly that I was riveted. Somehow Kahina made it into my arms. My hands settled lightly around her waist, her arms wrapped around my neck. I could feel her body from pelvis to chest as she leaned over and whispered.

"Forever, Cat-nip. If you want me." Her pet name for me hung in the air.

"I do." The words were out before I had a chance to think about them.

With that simple exchange of words, Kahina had given herself to me. I could feel her, feel both feet in light shoes, and feel the fabric wrapped around her skin as it rustled. My senses were hyperactive and tightly focused on the woman in my arms.

Candy had felt nothing like this.

It was...

This was....

Hell. I could feel her movements as if they were my own. Her heart beat slowly but strong. A tensing in arm muscles as she ran fingers through the back of my hair.

She was, by her own admission, utterly mine. That switch in the back of my head had flipped completely. This woman was in danger. What was mine was in danger. Anyone who put her there would be run over by a freight train if I had to tie them to the tracks myself, get in the train and press go.

I felt her slide those extra-long teeth along my neckline. A tongue ran parallel as she drug a tingling trail along the skin. What was worse, I could feel how badly her body cried out to do something about it. It felt good. Hell, too good.

"Kahina." I was groaning.

She hummed in response. It was distracting. I had to have some control. We couldn't get back together just because she'd said yes.

"Kahina we have to stop." Everything felt pleasantly foggy.

"Why?" Her smooth lips curled in a smile.

"There's people here." If she didn't stop then that little purple and black dress would be in pieces on the ground. Or maybe not, last time we had just shoved parts of the dress to one side.

"Just a little bit?" Her voice was distant and hopeful.

"After, we'll talk after." I tried not to shake. We had been in a good spot and then her dimmable Vampire drives kicked in.

Wearing this dress, saying those words, how much of this was a clever ploy? The thought sobered me quickly. Other ideas ran through, Daniel’s impending army, the wolves in the area, her bodyguards, how badly she wanted to taste even a little blood.

"Mmmh." Her lips were tracing slowly along and I had a hard time not pursuing her body's suggestive movements.

"Later. Kahina, later." I pulled her back feeling myself sink back down to earth.

"Promise?"

"We’ll talk." Not here, not right now. I don't know if I could bear the mind trip that had come every time she took my blood. Not without some serious mental preparation.

"I have waited, Jay. I can continue." Kahina smiled and backed up, untangling us from each other.

Her hands sliding away gave a pleasant feeling of warmth. Kahina swayed off towards the direction Julianne and the others had gone. I tried to watch her go. My eyes were unfocused as my other senses told me exactly what every inch of skin under those clothes felt like.

Hell.

It was very, very difficult to reign my mental senses. The feedback was too intense. Kahina’s feet stepped carefully, legs strutting by, and the fabric of her dress. She knew exactly how to tease me.

Many moments later, after she disappeared into the distance, I regained some sense of self-control. That sort of sensation overload might kill a man. Now was a perfect time for the drink Julianne had mentioned earlier. An entire ocean of them.

Julianne wasn't serving, and Daniel was closing in. Evan wouldn't be able to leave the area while both Kahina and Julianne were here. I couldn't leave them. Not after the last time I witnessed someone get on the wrong side of Daniel.

Worse, part of me was scared by how easily my feelings had flipped. One simple statement from Kahina turned the internal switch of possession around. A connection formed so quickly it might have always been nearby. With a simple thought, I could sense Kahina nearby, talking to Julianne. Her mouth smiling absently.

I scratched at my arm and tried to figure out how to make sure those dear to me didn’t suffer from this situation.