She woke slowly, stiff and cold. She was lying on rough carpet in a darkened and freezing room. Her head was pounding like the worst hangover she'd ever felt. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she realized she was at the office, which was currently abandoned at this hour. When she tried to sit up a wave of nausea overtook her. She vomited onto the carpet, bringing the wine and chocolates back up; the chocolates she was increasingly sure were responsible for the state she was in.

Eric was standing across the room. He was admiring the photograph of the two of them on the wall.

"I think I might keep this," he told her. "No one will mind, right?"

Either the drugs or fear had dried out Sierra's throat. She struggled to croak out a response.

"Mm...Molly?"

"Not to worry. I left Molly drooling on your new couch. This is between you and me."

His eyes smoldered, staring down at her as she forced herself to sit up. There was more rage contained in that gaze than she would have thought possible.

"You ruined my life, did you know that? I'm the one that was trying to look out for Sleuth. They kicked me out because of you. I was trying to keep everyone safe. All Joe cared about was protecting his little bitch."

"You disobeyed your Alpha."

"I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALPHA!" he shouted at her. "Do you know how old I am little girl? I'm 206 years old. They should have picked me. Joe's just a better kiss ass and a better politician than I am. He's better at making them feel like they're safe, but I'm the one that could have kept them that way!"

He punched the wall, his fist leaving a gaping hole in the plaster.

"I don't need them. I'll make a new pack. But first, you're going to die, Sierra. You know that, don't you? I'm going to peel off your skin and then rip you into little pieces and scatter them for Joe to find."

Sierra lunged for her desk. She grabbed her pistol out of the top drawer and emptied the clip into Eric's chest as he charged at her. The impact from the bullets stopped him. He swayed in place but did not fall. He spat out the blood welling up in his mouth and growled at her. Sierra watched in horror as his body pushed the bullets back out one by one.

He began to shift slowly, his clothes ripping off to make room for his larger frame. Sierra turned and ran. Eric made no immediate effort to follow her. There was simply no chance he wouldn't catch up to her. He finished shifting just as the last bullet pushed its way out and fell to the floor with a soft clink.

Only then did he chase her.

Sierra ran into her editor's office and slammed the door. As fast as she could, she pushed his desk up against it, then pushed the bookshelves over on top. Hoping the barricade would hold, she ran to the other side of the room and smashed the glass out of the window. It was five stories down to the unyielding pavement, but maybe she could make it if she found something to hold on to.

The door smashed inward in a torrent of splinters. The furniture piled in front of it did nothing more than slow him for a few seconds. He ripped her away from the window and tossed her back down the hall. Sierra landed face first in a crumpled heap on the floor. She felt her cheekbone shatter on impact and screamed.

Eric padded back down the hall to where he had thrown her. With a roar he swiped her across her stomach with his claws. Sierra felt them rip deep into her. Much too deep. She felt her own hot blood pouring out of her. It had splashed on to Eric's white fur. He raised up his paw to slash at her again.

Joe caught the paw in midair and held back the blow. He had arrived out of nowhere in bear form, sneaking up behind Eric. He roared at Eric and threw him into Sierra's desk, snapping it in half with a groan.

The two bears circled each other now, snarling and snapping, before Eric lunged at Joe and sunk his teeth into Joe's neck. Joe shook him off and swiped at Eric's back, raking his claws across it. They reared up, swiping at each other. Eric lunged for Joe again, but this time Joe dodged, and knocked Eric to the ground.

Eric tried to struggle up again, but Joe had him pinned for good this time. With one last roar Joe buried his muzzle in Eric's neck, ripping his throat out with his teeth. Eric shuddered and then was still. His body shifted back to human form, naked and mangled.

Joe padded over to Sierra. She looked at him with unfocused eyes and reached one hand up to stroke his soft muzzle.

"You owe me another desk," she mumbled to him in a dazed sort of way.

There was so much blood. She felt cold all over. But Joe was warm. She pressed herself against him, letting his heat keep the chill at bay.

"I love you," she told him.

Her vision was starting to go grey on the edges. She felt herself slipping away.

"I love you so much," she said faintly.

Joe made a noise like he had been wounded.

"It'll be okay," she told him. "I just need to sleep awhile. That's all."

Joe lowered his muzzle down to her shoulder. She was starting to loose sensation. The feel of his fur against her was fading.

Then with a sharp pain that snapped her out of the fog, Joe bit her on the shoulder. Sierra screamed. At first all she felt was pain from the bite. But then it was more than pain. It was energy. Like her blood was pulsing through her faster than it ever had before. The bite on her shoulder felt red hot as if there were lit coals under her skin. She began to shake.

Joe shifted back into human form and held her. He whispered over and over that it was going to be all right and stroked her hair as she screamed again.

With a curious itching sensation the wound on her stomach began to knit itself back together. Sierra felt the bones in her cheek melting together and hardening again. The icy feeling brought on by blood loss was long gone now. Instead she was sweating bullets, her body burning like a fever as it healed itself.

Sierra ran one shaking hand over the now smooth skin on her stomach.

Joe kissed her.

"I'll buy you another desk," he promised.