She sped through the woods, almost reckless in her pace. There was no trail, and she was constantly leaping and jumping over fallen branches or clusters of ferns. Branches whipped past her, pulling at her clothing, but it barely slowed her down. Her lungs screamed, every breath burning in her throat, but she didn't stop. Not yet. Early morning birdsong halted mid-note as she passed, uncaring of how much noise she might make, although if she wanted to, she could run without cracking a twig. A fallen tree loomed ahead of her and Sonora pushed herself towards it, then launched herself off the ground, landing on the opposite side with barely a break in her stride. She took a moment to spare a glance back at the tree and grinned, then kept on running. A few minutes later, she broke through the trees behind her apartment complex, bending to brace her hands on her knees while she caught her breath.<br/><br/>The wolf inside her was quiescent now, but Sonora knew it would only last for a short time. She wished she had enough time to go up into the mountains for a day or two, but with her new assignment, that wouldn't be possible for quite some time. In fact, she was due to leave for Colorado in just a few hours. So she snagged her towel off the dew-covered grass where she'd left it and straightened, wiping the sweat from her face and neck as she headed into her first-floor apartment. The view was better from the higher floors, but Sonora had never been a big fan of heights. She suspected it was the wolf in her. As a creature of the forest, it--and therefore she--preferred to stay as close to the ground as possible, whenever possible. Sonora had chosen this place because of the sprawling forest only steps from her back door; the large windows made it seem like she was living in the midst of it, which was a perception she enjoyed. Peeling off her sweat-damp clothes, Sonora prowled into the bathroom to shower. She was not looking forward to the trip--it required a flight, after all--but she would do it, because it meant being that much closer to her own kind.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>A few hours and one tense plane ride later, the sleek, black SUV pulled up in front of a small log cabin, one of about ten that were laid out in a semicircle. The Pinetree Lodge was, apparently, the team's base of operations. She climbed out of the car and pushed her sunglasses up onto her forehead as she took a deep breath and looked around. Already, she loved it. The tall trees, the snow-capped mountains, the bright blue sky. Were it not for the FBI agents swarming in and out of the quaint little cabin in front of her, Sonora would think it was paradise. Giving herself a slight shake, she followed the agent who had picked her up--Ramirez, if she recalled correctly--up the porch steps and into the cabin.<br/><br/>The sight that met her eyes was a strange conglomeration of old, rustic charm and new tech. The plain wood walls were covered in papers; security photos, newspaper articles, a map of the area. Every available flat surface had a computer on it, and the sound of clacking keyboards filled the room. A man in a red and blue plaid shirt and jeans stood to greet her as she entered, and she froze in shock. "<em>Cam</em>?!" She could see the apology in his eyes as he gave her a crisp nod of acknowledgement, Sonora's heart beating heavily in surprise. From the looks of things, it appeared that he was running the entire field operation. How had she not known? He hadn't even remotely hinted at it. Anger and betrayal flared, and Sonora swallowed a growl. He was manning the operation and had dared to suggest that she reconsider?<br/><br/>"Agent Hunter," he said, "welcome to Colorado. Let me introduce you to the rest of the team. You've met Agent Ramirez, of course. This is Agent Joe Williams, Agent Sophia Monroe, Agent Paul Thomas, and Agent Steven Fitzgerald." The agents turned, nodding to her briefly when they were introduced before returning to their work. She returned their nods but said nothing; it was clear they didn't expect her to. Cam picked up a file folder from the table he'd been sitting at and motioned for her to follow him. Gritting her teeth, she turned and stalked back outside with him, glaring at him in accusation as he stopped and leaned against the front bumper of the SUV.<br/><br/>"Sonny, I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Cam started, "I--" Sonora held up a hand, cutting him off mid-apology. "Save it, Cam," she snapped, "I don't want to hear it. Just give me my assignment."<br/><br/>She watched him sigh, looking down at the file folder he still held in his hands, then passed it to her. "Grayson Brown," he stated. "Alpha of the Colorado pack. Or at least, that's what we suspect. We haven't been able to get close enough to him to get any useful information about the pack, so we've had to rely on secondhand reports. Until now."<br/><br/>Sonora flipped open the folder as Cam started speaking and found herself staring at a photograph of one of the most ruggedly handsome men she had ever seen. Even though the photo was grainy from being enlarged, the man exuded strength and command. She couldn't even imagine how powerful that would be in person. Aware that Cam had continued talking, she looked up from her study of Grayson Brown. "What?"<br/><br/>"I said, you're going to be going under cover. We need more intel on this guy, and on the pack in general. I think you'll be able to get closer to him than any of my other agents who've attempted infiltration." Cam was looking at her, his arms folded across his chest and slight amusement gleaming in his eyes. Closing the folder so she wouldn't be quite so distracted, she looked back at him and narrowed her eyes. "Just what are you suggesting I do, Agent Fulson?"<br/><br/>Cam grinned at her and shook his head. "Relax, Sonny. Nothing like that. I just think you'll be able to do it. There's something about you...something that I think even he will be drawn to. Now, we've rented out a cabin for you--it's smack in the middle of his territory, so I'm sure you'll be running into him sooner or later. He seems to like to introduce himself to newcomers. I've already had it fully stocked with food, but if you need anything extra, just charge it." Cam paused for a moment, his eyes flicking over the pantsuit she had worn. "You should change. Someone renting a backwoods cabin for the foreseeable future would not be expected to arrive in a suit. You can change and freshen up in the next cabin over, and then you should be on your way. You should be able to get there before it gets dark."<br/><br/>With that, he left her, leaving her feeling a bit nonplussed. Sonora gave herself a bit of a shake, then grabbed her suitcase and hauled it into the cabin Cam had indicated. She swiftly changed into a far more comfortable pair of worn jeans and a black sweater, then shoved her feet into a pair of runners before folding away her suit. The folder containing information on Grayson Brown was tossed into her suitcase as well, and then she was ready. She was given the keys to a rust-coloured old Chevy pickup truck, a road map, and detailed instructions, then sent on her way.<br/><br/>It took her an hour to get there, but when she did, she had to take a moment to appreciate how picturesque it all was. The cabin was small, only two rooms, but that didn't matter. The lake behind it glittered in the setting sun, the peaks of the mountains surrounding it cutting into the colourful sky. Climbing out of the truck, Sonora dragged her suitcase out behind her and took a deep, bracing breath of the cooling air before moving inside to make herself at home. The full moon was only a few days away, now. If she was lucky, perhaps she would be able to change after all.