The werewolf twins returned to the Nightshade campsite. Both of them were shirtless wearing only their black slacks. Claire figured they must have left their clothes somewhere in the forest. Both of them were exhausted. They must have searched every inch of the werewolf territory line from top to bottom. Which meant, there was one only place her sister could be. Jayson wiped the sweat from his brow panting heavily. Jay was resting on his brother’s shoulder equally drained. The claw marks Lycan left on Jay’s face were now healed. All that was left of it was a faint scar that would most likely fade away by morning.

“Did you guys find her?” Claire handed them both some water bottles. She was dressed in her navy blue jacket, a pair of blue jeans, and blue converse shoes.

“Does it look like we found her?” Jayson yelled, snatching the bottle. He ripped it open with his werewolf fangs pouring it on himself. “We looked for that bitch everywhere. Lycan is going to kill us for coming back empty handed but of course little miss Princess doesn’t give a shit. She’s too busy playing hooky.” He tossed the bottle on the floor. “I’m tagging out bro, I’m too tired for this shit.” He walked away furiously.

“He stepped on an enemy trap on the way here,” Jay explained. “He said some girl tried to make him her pet.”

“This girl, brunette?” Claire asked, he nodded. “She wore a pink top and had these strange Sais with markings?” He nodded again. “Yeah, Raven and I had a run in with her too.” She added. “It was rather annoying.”

“I can’t really say what happened.” Jay took a drink from the water bottle. “I was only there to bail him out. I’ve been noticing her scent a lot in the woods. I haven’t said anything cause well, she’s not a werewolf. Therefore not a threat,” He added. “I kind of feel bad for her.” He took another drink.

“Why?”

“I did some asking around in town,” Jay answered. “Turns out, the girl’s family was killed by vampires. She has a huge grudge against them. I think she’s trying to recruit a werewolf so she’d have something capable of fighting a vampire.” He took another drink. “I haven’t told Leader Lycan about her because he’d only have us turn her. The girl’s been through enough besides there’s no guarantee she’d survive the transition.”

“I’m glad you’ve noticed her.” Claire laughed. “Otherwise, I’d question your skills as a tracker.” Jay let out a loud yawn, stretching. “You’re tired, you should get some rest.” She encouraged him.

“I would but, Lycan said not to come back till we found your sister.” Jay poured water on his face to wake up. “I’ve searched everywhere but her scent’s gone cold. I should get going, if Lycan catches our scent. He’ll kill us for coming back without her.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that.” Claire flashed a bottle of sleep aid. “I might have spiked Lycan’s beverage. Call it payback for hitting you guys.” She chuckled. “They should make it a new rule, title it. Rule #01, Don’t mess with the medic. She’ll spike your shit.” She joked, Jay busted out laughing. “Seriously though,” She half smiled. “Thank you for standing up for me, I know it wasn’t easy and-” Jay kissed her. Claire felt her heart racing during the kiss and it was so...unexpected.

“Don’t worry about it.” Jay placed his hand on her shoulder. “Though, for future reference, I wouldn’t spike Leader Lycan’s drink. If he finds out, he’ll kill you and if Alejandro finds out, there are worse fates than death. So please, just don’t do it.” He let out a loud yawn. “Well, I’m going to get some rest. I’ll start searching for Raven again sometime before Lycan wakes up.” He walked to his tent. “Oh and,” He smiled at her. “Good night, Claire.”

“Night,” Claire blushed.

Now that the twins had given up their search. It was time for Claire to get started on hers. She already knew exactly where to look. The trouble was, she wasn’t allowed to leave the campsite. So, she had to lower the pack’s guard. She spiked Lycan’s drink so he’s out of it. The twins were now sound asleep which left the hardest of all.

The Beta, Alejandro. How was she going to get him to stop playing wolf sitter? It’s his job to keep a watchful eye on the pack. She needed to find some way to make him fall asleep. Well, she could always. Claire reached into her pocket and took out the sleep aid. The second she did, the Beta growled at her.

“Wait a sec, so you knew I spiked Lycan’s drink.” Claire turned to face him. Alejandro replied with a casual nod. “So you just let me do it.” He nodded again. “Is it because he threatened the twins?” Alejandro nodded. “Wow, so you can be reasoned with.” She walked up to him. “So um here’s the thing, I need to leave the camp to find my sister.” She explained. “So um, I’d appreciate it if you just-.” He shook his head. “Why not?”

Alejandro took out the werewolf handbook. The book that explains the werewolf code and pointed at it. It’s literally his job to watch her. She knew that but still, there are some cases where it’s okay to break code. This is one of them.

“I’ll ugh, give you a massage.” Claire offered, he shook his head, “Buy you a soda?” He shook his head. “I didn’t want to do this but,” She let out a sigh. “I got to pull rank,” Alejandro popped open a soda can and took a drink. “I viewed your medical records and it appears to me that you aren’t getting enough sleep. So, as the medic of this pack,” She boasted. “I hereby order you to go to bed right now.”

Alejandro raised his brow. It was as if this order confused him. Of course, Claire understood why. He is three ranks higher than her. Which meant if anyone was allowed to give orders here. It was him. Still, Claire couldn’t give up, she had to convince him.

“I’m serious,” Claire spoke with confidence. “I need you to go to bed Alejandro. Otherwise, your lack of sleep will cause you to be drowsy, cranky, and let’s face it. Nobody wants a cranky Alejandro. We need you at full health, perfectly rested, it’s for the sake of the pack.” She nodded. “So,” She crossed her arms. “What do you say?”

Alejandro stuck up his middle finger. While he was telling her to fuck off, he felt the need to drink his soda as if to mock her. He was literally chugging it. Claire tightened her hand into a fist growing more and more angered by the minute. This wolf is asking for it, if only she was strong enough to take him then it’d be different. But for now, she had to endure it.

“You know,” Claire offered. “You really shouldn’t be drinking that. Caffeine is bad for you.” She growled, even after she said that. He had the nerve to throw an empty soda can at the ground and open another one. This asshole. “Give me that,” She went to snatch his soda away from him.

Before she could, Alejandro bared his sharp venomous canines at her. He was going to bite her if she took his soda. He does know one bite from his fangs will kill her right? Okay, new rule, don’t touch the Beta’s soda. He will kill you.

“Bad Alejandro,” Claire pointed a sharp finger at him. “You can’t bite me over a soda. That’s messed up, you will kill me.” He shrugged and kept drinking his soda. “Wow, you don’t even care if I die do you?” He shook his head. “Jay will be very sad if you kill me.” She pointed out. “It’d break his heart, does that bother you?” He shook his head. “So you’d still kill me over a soda.” He nodded. “Wow,”

None of her nice strategies were working. This left Claire no other options. If Alejandro wasn’t going to willingly go to bed. She had ways to enforce the issue. It was time to play dirty and she had just the thing to lure him to sleep.

“I didn’t want to do this,” Claire crossed her arms. “However, you’ve left me no choice.” She walked to her tent. She pulled out a novel, ironically, it was a book about Werewolves and Vampires. One of her favorites. The book had plenty of chapters and it was more than enough to read a stubborn werewolf to sleep. “Last chance,” She held up the book. “Go to sleep or I’ll read you to sleep.”

Alejandro’s eyes widened like he was threatened by the book. He immediately walked to his tent. Claire let out a sigh of relief. She beat him, he’s going to bed. -finally!- Wait, what’s he doing? Alejandro came back with a six-pack of soda and sat it beside him. He opened a can and started drinking from it. He can’t be serious, he really wants her to read to him.

“Okay fine,” Claire let out a defeated sigh. He called her bluff. Alejandro is good at his job. “If you don’t want me to leave to find my sister and come back with her. So I don’t know,” She shrugged. “Jay and Jayson don’t get in trouble.” She added. “You know when Lycan finds out they came back without her. He’s going to punish them.” She pointed out. “But if that’s what you want,” She threw hands up. “Fine, I’ll stay here. You win.” She walked over to her tent. “You know, I can’t believe you’d-,” Alejandro walked up to her and grabbed the book from her. He skimmed over the back of it and traded the book for a note. He let out a loud yawn and went to his tent.

“I don’t care if you leave.” Claire read aloud. “I just wanted to make sure that you are coming back with your sister. That’s it, now go and get her. I’m too tired to deal with your shit.” She crumbled up the note. He could have just given her that note from the start. It would have saved her a lot of time. “Figures,” She walked to her tent gathering her things.

Once Claire was ready, she made haste for the forest. Her sister could hide from the twins but she could not hide from her. She knows exactly where her sister’s hiding. She raced through the trees heading for the secret cave. Night started to fade, as the sun began to rise. By morning, Claire reached the cave. In an instant, Claire caught her sister’s scent.

“She’s here,” Claire let out a sigh of relief. She tried to move the giant rock that blocked the entrance but it wouldn’t budge. Normally, it took both her and her sister to move this rock. She had to use her werewolf form. It was the only way she could move it on her own. She started to undress to spare her clothes but then. Her nose caught the scent of blood. Vampire, Claire released her clothes and withdrew her claws. “Show yourself, Vampire, I know you’re hiding in the trees. If I were to give a guess on this. I’d say you’re right,” She took out her knife. “There,” She threw her knife as hard as she could.

“Hey,” The vampire yelled. “You almost hit me.” This voice, she knew it. The vampire came out of the tree holding her knife. Once she caught sight of his shining diamond armor. Claire knew exactly who this vampire was. Brandon, of course. No doubt trying to get revenge for his sister’s death. Except this time, Claire had a plan.

“Well,” Brandon threw the knife down. “I thought I was going to get a show seeing as you were about to take your clothes off. But then, I realized,” He popped his knuckles. “I really want to kill you.” He grabbed her throat. “You have some nerve talking to me like you did at the Lunar Ball. I’m going to enjoy snapping your neck.” Claire jammed her claws into her right leg, soaking her claw with her acidic blood. She jammed her claws into his chest. She focused and discharged the blood from her claws using them like a syringe. This allowed her to trap her acidic blood inside his armor. -Got him!- He released her as her blood was now caught inside his armor swirling around in it. “What the hell did you do?”

“Easy,” Claire began catching her breath. “I channeled my blood into your armor. If I snap my fingers.” She held out her fingers. “The acid in my blood will activate and tear that pretty little armor of yours to shreds. So if I were you,” She walked up to him. “I’d leave me alone.” Brandon’s eyes watched her fingers. “The sun’s out Brandon, that armor goes, your body gets incinerated by the sun, I’m willing to bet, you don’t take the Sun Repellent seeing as you’re the only Vampire I know of. That doesn’t need it.”

“I see, you developed this trick just for me.” Brandon glared at her. “I’m flattered to have captured your interest. So much so that you’d go to this length to stop me.” He walked up to her, she stepped back. “Well played Claire but you’re forgetting one key element.” He quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. He caught her in a headlock, prepared to snap her neck. “I don’t care if I die, as long as you die along with me. Go ahead, kill me, do it before I snap your pretty little neck.” Claire released him from her technique. He let go of her neck and pushed her away from him. “That’s what I thought. How about a truce for now?” He held out his hand,

“A truce,” Claire glared at him. “You came here to kill me. Besides, I don’t make truces with Vampires.” She growled. “Every last one of you are monsters. You kill everything that isn’t like you. Tell me Brandon,” She crossed her arms. “How many werewolf training camps did you destroy?” She asked. “How many of our children did you kill for your precious war?” Brandon didn’t answer. “You can take your truce and shove it.”

“You werewolves are so innocent right?” Brandon hitched a laugh. “You talk as if you guys haven’t done some fucked up shit. Turning humans just to build your numbers, picking us off one by one,” He argued. “The only reason we are confined to a castle. Is because if we stay outside too long, you’ll hunt us down and kill us. We live in fear of your kind. This war, Lord Grimm started it.” He explained. “Not us, Lord Alexander never wanted this.” He yelled. “Yet, you think we’re the monsters.”He pointed at himself. “Take a look in the mirror, before you start accusing us of anything.”

Claire stood there in silence. Strange, she never thought to question who started the war. The possibility of it being Lord Grimm never occurred to her. Not one person talked about who started it or when it started. All that mattered was that there was a war and they were expected to fight it, no questions asked. Nobody wanted to resolve the conflict or cared to know what started the war. For the first time, she found herself questioning it.

“Think what you want.” Brandon turned his back to her. “I’m only here to find my friend.” He balled his hand into a fist.. “He went off with some wolf, it was the same werewolf you were with in the woods. Wait,” He stopped. “You were saying you didn’t kill my sister,” He pointed at Claire. “You never said she didn’t.” He rubbed his chin. “So, it was her, she killed Patience.” His pale brown eyes began to fill with anger. “This is perfect,” He laughed. “That wolf is so dead.”

“Brandon, no, let’s talk about this.” Claire calmed her words. “My sister didn’t do it okay, it was the scouts.” She knew she was lying to him but what choice did she have. If he knew it was her sister, he’d try to kill her. “It was the scouts Brandon, not us.”

“The scouts,” Brandon repeated. “There were a lot of them out there but not that far out. Are you sure it was them?” He asked. “Cause, I didn’t see any.” Claire had already lied to him. If this was going to go away. She was going to have to make her lie believable.

“I saw it happen,” Claire answered. “One of the scouts caught the smell of blood and doubled back and killed her. We have keen noises, werewolves pick up on the scent of blood instantly. All it takes is one whiff and we can track it for miles. I’m telling you, we didn’t do it and besides,” She shrugged. “My sister was unconscious, remember?

“Yeah,” Brandon replied. “I remember that.”

“She doesn’t remember any of it nor would she,” Claire added. “She was out cold when the scout got there. The scout killed your sister and took off. He left me to take care of my sister and that’s when you showed up. I got your sister’s blood on me because well,” She let out a deep sigh. “After they killed her I was investigating the body. She was out during the day and I wanted to know why. As a medic, it’s my job to investigate these things.” She explained. “So can we please just drop this and focus on finding your friend and my sister.”

“Okay,” Brandon allowed. “After this, I want to know what the scout looked like though it’s possible,” He rubbed his chin. “I might have already killed him. I did kill a lot of them before I got to you.” He added. “So, any idea on where we should start looking?”

“This cave.” Claire motioned toward the cave. “There’s a huge boulder blocking the entrance. If you can move it then we’ll be able to get inside.” She offered. “Think you can do it?” She crossed her arms.

“Please this is what I’m good at,” Brandon boasted. “Move aside,” He walked forward. Claire moved to his right side giving him space. She knew Brandon was strong. As strong as he is, she wasn’t sure he could move the boulder by himself. He pressed his shoulder against the boulder and it began to move. Claire’s eyes widened. He can move it by himself, so she might have unestimated his strength a tad bit.

While Brandon was moving the rock, Claire went into the forest. She broke a stick off a tree and used her claws to transform the stick into a sharp steak. He told her that his friend was inside. No doubt, this person is a vampire. Whoever this vampire is, he could not be trusted. She had to protect her sister at all costs.

“After you,” Brandon stepped aside. “Claire, where’d you go?” He started to enter the forest. “There you are,” Before he could see what she was doing. Claire quickly hid the steak in her jacket pocket. “What are you doing over there?” He asked, she rushed over and picked up her knife that she threw at him earlier.

“Oh, I ugh,” Claire laughed. “Dropped my knife.” She waved her knife at Brandon and put it in her jacket pocket.

“No, I’m pretty sure you threw it at me.” Brandon cleared his throat. “Anyway, I moved the boulder out of the way. We can go inside now.” Claire nodded and walked toward the cave. Brandon followed close behind her.