<div class="floatleft">(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u189/kyrsa7/joe-manganiello-alcide-true-blood-1_zps2531cbd7.jpg)<br/>                          <span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Ravi;"><em><strong>Grayson Brown</strong></em></span></span></div>The air was brisk, the chill of late fall a bracing contrast to the heat of the bonfire that dominated the clearing.  The full moon was only days away and Grayson could feel it in his bones, tugging at his soul in a way that nothing else could.  His wolf was closer to the surface than any other time of the year, demanding that he shift so that he could feel the cooling ground beneath his feet.  He would give into it eventually he knew.  That was the entire point of the gathering of pack, to renew the bonds between them and feel the connection that outsiders would never understand.  For now, however, he watched over the young pups who wrestled not far away to ensure that they didn’t singe their fur in the flames, though he wasn’t the only one watching.  The entire pack looked out for them on nights like this.<br/><br/>His deep brown eyes scanned those nearby as he relaxed, at least until Tomas sat down beside him on the log and handed him a beer.  “Nasty rumors going around…” he said by way of greeting.<br/><br/>Grayson eyed the gruff middle aged man, who also happened to be the pack enforcer, and made a non-committal grunt of acknowledgement as he took a swig of the beer.  “What have you heard?”<br/><br/>“Shifter came through yesterday, stopped into the bar for a drink.  Grazer, so no threat there, but he said something had happened down in New Mexico, lots of death in the wind.  Said his herd had fled, they are looking to settle up north and wanted to know if there was any joint territory up there for sale…” Tomas said.<br/><br/>“What did you tell him?”<br/><br/>“That he’d have to talk to you about that, it was pack territory.”<br/><br/>Grayson nodded and was silent for a moment while he stared into the fire, his eyes so dark a brown that it looked like flame flickered in their depths.  “We only have a couple of pack who live up that way; we have more land than we need.  I won’t sell, but I’m sure we can come to some kind of arrangement as long as they don’t mind living so close to Pack.  Odd that they would want to, they usually keep their distance,” he muttered.  “I want to know what happened down there, Tomas.  See if anyone is willing to take a trip and check things out.  There has been a lot of migration out of New Mexico in the past few days, more than usual…”<br/><br/>Anything else he might have said was forgotten as a large grey wolf broke through the underbrush and headed directly for him at a run.  All laughter stopped, even the pups went still as the wolf skidded to a halt and shifted in record speed, leaving a naked, pale body in its wake.<br/><br/>“Hannah… what’s wrong?” Grayson asked as he stood quickly and knelt down beside her.<br/><br/>It took a long moment for her breathing to calm enough for her to speak.  “Lone Wolf.  Scented him own south, past Parker’s place,” she managed to gasp out.  “He smells wrong, desperate… hadn’t heard of one asking for passage.”<br/><br/>A low growl sounded in the back of Grayson’s throat, a sound no human should have been able to make.  “Show me…”<br/>