The pack ran; ceaselessly; endlessly through the menagerie of trees and bushes. They were dead on their paws; Roderic--large and intimidating was at his rightful spot at the head of the pack. Followed closely by Daya, Jedediah, and Corey. Then There was a small host of newbloods at the back; shadowed closely by Lyfe. The newly christened beta of the pack was supposed to  make sure no one fell behind; or got lost. They'd never ventured this far into the dreadwoods. No wolf had. It was well past their territory boundaries--well past any city they knew of. No roads were visible, and there were no houses for miles. Humans fabricated  ghost stories about what might live in the forests; but the wolves knew.<br/><br/>They could smell the magic in there; like it was a living thing.<br/><br/>Witches had made a home somewhere nearby; and they'd been traveling for days to seek them out. Roderic had barely given them time to rest in the past 48 hours, because he was determined to reach their goal. His pack could barely keep up with his pace; it was brutal and punishing. And they were  buckling under the weight of what they'd lost. Crippled by grief that came from losing several wolves in one night. Vampires had found them; preyed on them--and left them with nothing but grief and anger. The tentative bond that held the pack together was frayed at the seams. Torn asunder by losing Corey's parents.<br/><br/>The boy was an orphan now.<br/><br/>He had no blood kin--only the pack was left for him; and those who had survived the attack were being driven by rage. Despite the innumerable injuries they'd accumulated.<br/><br/>Lyfe had a limp--from his tussle with a vampire. His parents-The Ensei's-- were in the hospital after being put in critical condition. Roderic had a jagged tear on his shoulder.<br/><br/>Corey was still in shock.<br/><br/>And Daya was a steady presence at the boy's side to make sure he didn't end up collapsing.<br/><br/>It felt like an eternity before a mansion entered their line of sight--and Roderic called them to a halt.<br/><br/>They shifted; assuming their battered, and exhausted human forms after several agonizing minutes. Normally it was a seamless transition from wolf to human form-but as a whole they were bone weary. "Be respectful. And set aside your pride tonight. We can't afford another bloodbath. We're on the witches territory now; and we need them." The authority in their Alpha's tone was surprising. He looked just as disheveled as the rest of them, but he moved like a hunter still. Leading them to the door and knocking without much preamble. Lyfe grunted his assent to the command, eyeing the gloomy building in front of them skeptically.<br/><br/>"It looks like something straight out of a horror movie." He grumbled, coming to a stop next to Roderic who sent him the unimpressed look a parent would give a child.<br/><br/>"You--Don't speak when we go in there."  He deadpanned, just as the door opened. An older woman stood silhouetted in the entrance.  Her face a smooth mask as she drank in the motley group of wolves on her doorstep. She didn't seem overly surprised to see them--perhaps because she had a woman's intuition or perhaps because she had the gift of foresight. Either way; they didn't have to negotiate their way inside. She held the door open for them and gestured for them to come in--playing the part of a gracious host. Lyfe learned after an awkward pause that her name was Grace and she was the leader of the coven they were visiting.<br/><br/>"Nice to meet you." Corey mumbled, eyes downcast as Daya guided him into the living room. The boy sank into the nearest seat, his lips thinned into a line; his eyes glassy from witholding tears for so long.<br/><br/>Lyfe occupied the space next to him; resolutely saying nothing like he'd been told to do.  He had nothing to say right now. He wanted to sleep for ten years. He wanted to rend the vampires who'd assaulted his pack apart with his jaws; but he couldn't do that alone.  A permanent scowl was on his face as he peered around the lavish room--taking in what it must be like to be a witch without a care in the world. He'd encountered this coven once before---they'd helped his pack once before. But this time it was different. He wasn't a wide-eyed boy with dreams of adventure. He was older, bulkier, and his instincts were honed to protect his pack. So he couldn't say he was particularly surprised when a familiar scent filtered to him:  Raelyn's scent.<br/><br/>A second later she walked into the room.<br/><br/>Wearing nothing but a scanty nightdress that left very little to the imagination.<br/><br/>His eyes widened, before narrowing at her; because he hadn't had the pleasure of seeing her in ten years--and then she walked into a room where negotiations were in progress--and tried to admonish her leader for not telling her about the new arrivals.<i> "Damnit, if I'm going to be the head of the coven I deserve to know when a pack of wolves is going to turn up in the middle of the night." </i>Her voice was dripping with disdain for his pack, and it made his scowl darken, because of all the scenarios he imagined of meeting her again this definitely wasn't one he'd considered. Where the hell did she get off?? He rolled his eyes turning his attention back to the meeting in progress.Once Raelyn stormed out, Roderic cleared his throat and addressed the matriarch of the coven again.<br/><br/>"...Like I was saying. These vampires are getting bold--and their numbers are already superior to ours. Half my pack is gone--and-this isn't a threat we can' handle alone. We need your help again. And if you won't do it for us--do it for yourself because once we're picked off--they're going to try and destroy you next."<br/><br/>The words were ominous but not untrue.<br/><br/>Grace had alot to think over; and Lyfe seriously doubted she'd make a decision that night.<br/><br/>He found his gaze straying to the doorway Raelyn had disappeared through, and he wondered why she wasn't here to participate in this discussion. Her attitude made him think she didn't care; or perhaps considered dealing with wolves beneath her now.<i> I wonder... </i>He caught Daya's attention with a subtle gesture, and motioned towards the kitchen. He'd leave Roderic to deal with the leader of the witch coven, Lyfe couldn't help but listen to the part of him that ached to see Raelyn again. To ask what the hell her problem was--and either smother her with affection or strangle her for what she put him through ten years ago; what she was currently putting him through now. He surreptitiously edged out of the room, ducking through the doorway and following the absent witch's scent to the kitchen where he found her nursing a cup of whiskey.<br/><br/>He watched her gulp the alcohol down greedily, before limping his way over to her, and plucking the glass from her hand.<br/><br/>It had been a long time; years honestly; and he'd be naive if he thought she was still the same--but he couldn't help but want to see how she'd changed with his own eyes. Testing her reaction; he took a long sip out of her cup--eyeing her with a look that bordered on a dare--as he finished off the whiskey and set the empty cup down in front of her. "It's rude not to greet your guests." He informed her airily, a tired smirk ghosting across his lips. "And doubly rude not to offer them a drink when they're in your house."