Vanessa smiled. ''I promise now, I'll wake you up everyday like this'' she said and moved up to sit on the edge of the bed so she could be wrapped in a pair of strong arms and pulled against a bare chest which made her cheeks turn tomato red. ''I ehm.. I've never seen happier people before.. Or at least for a long time'' she said, she felt a little shy and returned the quick kiss but didn't look at him.

She did look up at him again when he got up and pulled on his shirt. ''You fell asleep quite fast.. So ehm.. I took the shirt off.. But, left the pants on, I didn't know how to take them of without waking you...'' she said. Thinking about how that would have looked made her cheeks turn even more red. She scratched the back of her head. ''Gabriel?'' she asked and looked at him, she got up and walked up to him. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest again. ''I am glad you guys are here now too'' she whispered and looked up at him.

Gabriel smiled wide at her response. How sweet of her, he thought. She could tell she was a little shy so he got dressed rather quickly. Although he didn't think about how his shirt had come off, Vanessa told him how. ''You fell asleep quite fast.. So ehm.. I took the shirt off.. But, left the pants on, I didn't know how to take them of without waking you...'' she said, and then her cheeks turned red. "Oh my god you're adorable." Gabriel said and laughed, and then she got up and walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. He kinda liked it when she put her head against his chest. It was cute, and sort of romantic. "I am glad you guys are here now too." she whispered and looked up at him. He wasn't sure what she meant, but he thought that maybe she was lonely, and had been for a long time. "We sure are glad to be here." he said softly and wrapped one arm around her waist and stroked her hair with the other.
He couldn't help himself. He closed his eyes, leaned in and kissed her on the lips. He held her close, loved to embrace her and kept kissing her.
He hoped he didn't overdo it, but he wasn't exactly in the right mind to think about that.

He paused for a moment, and pulled his head back to look at her. He remembered how red she had turned when he pulled her onto his bare chest and grinned teasingly and said "Maybe I should take my shirt off again."

''I think I should take of my shirt again'' Gabriel said and they now stood for a little while, hugging each other. Vanessa looked up at him and the look in her eyes was a 'Are you kidding?!' one. She then let go of him and smiled. ''No, not at all.. Keep it on, we must go down stairs before all the pizza's are gone'' she said with a giggle and then walked to the door, she looked back and smiled. ''Come on Gab.. We must eat'' she said and then walked downstairs.

For her it actually was a surprise to see that everybody was still waiting for Gabriel and her to come down stairs. Robyn was wearing a old outfit of Vanessa and she smiled to see how great it looked on her. Like every teenager, Vanessa too had been trough a experimenting period when she was 16 which got her a lot of black clothes yet also a lot of more casual clothes. ''I like how you wear that Robyn'' Vanessa said to the younger girl and smiled. ''Now.. Let's take seat everyone'' Vanessa said. The table was set for everybody to take a seat on and the Pizza boxes stood in the kitchen. Vanessa walked to the kitchen and placed the slices of pizza on big plates. She had bought almost every pizza there was.

When she was done with filling the plates up she brought them to the big table, which could hold a family of 20 people. She had two plates at the time in her hands and when placed down, she said which pizza was on it. ''Hawaii and Salami'' ''Four Cheeses and Mozzarella'' ''Bologna and Vegetable'' she said and smiled as she saw that Gabriel took the seat on the head of the table and spared her a seat next to him. She walked to the kitchen one last time and returned with a special pizza, two actually but it were both the same pizza. ''My favorite.. Greek Pizza with Olives and kebab'' she said and then sat down next to Gabriel. To her, it was a normal setting but to them, they all sat in order of ranking inside their group.

Gabriel grinned. "Sorry, just teasing you again. But yeah pizza sounds great!" he said and followed her out. To Vanessa it might've been a surprise to see the others still waiting for Gabriel, but it wasn't anything unusual. They respected him and always waited for him before doing something together. Gabriel looked at Robyn a moment and scanned her new clothing with his eyes. "Vanessa's right, it does suit you." She smiled playfully at him and gave him a very light punch on the shoulder.
When everyone was seated, Thomas looked quite upset. "This table is HUGE! It could hold like 50 people! How rich was your family?!" he burst out and looked at Vanessa. The others simply laughed it off. "More like 20 people." said Conrad and gave the kid a grin.
Everyone loved pizza, of course and they dug in immediately. Gabriel glanced over at the others. Next to him at the head of the table sat Vanessa. Next to them sat Conrad and Jaze and on the row next to them sat Robyn and Thomas. Vanessa presented her favourite pizza however, which made Gabriel snap out of his current thought. "Holy moons, this looks gorgeous!" he exclaimed, making the others look at him funny. "What? It's a really nice pizza." he said to in response to their grins and playfull mockery.

After eating, they all looked incredibly satisfied. Due to their werewolf genes, they eat quite a lot so each had gobbled up at least one pizza.
Gabriel looked at Vanessa. "Truly, we have been blessed by meeting you." he said with a smile. The others smiled too and everyone looked at her in gratitude. "We haven't eaten this well since... Oh I can't even remember when." Conrad said, wiping his mouth with a paper towel. "Amen to that!" Thomas burst out, leaning back in his chair.
They all had a huge respect for Vanessa and clearly, it showed. In their pack hierarchy, she had quickly taken her place among them without even knowing it.

Vanessa felt very happy to see so many happy faces when they all saw so many pizza's. While eating Vanessa saw how great they enjoyed the food and decided to at least surprise them once a month or maybe once a week with pizza. She herself at max. a quarter of a pizza and smiled at Gabriel when he during dinner wanted to give her another slice but she stopped him. ''If I eat that one, my stomach will explode'' she said with a giggle.

After eating, and all the pizza's being devoured, she looked at everyone. ''I hope that tasted good?'' she asked before standing up and collecting the plates. Conrad got up to help and Vanessa smiled. ''No need to, please take a seat, I'll do the cleaning'' she said with a smile and so she brought the plates back to the kitchen where she placed them in the dishwasher. Vanessa was almost done when the doorbell rang a familiar four short times.

She left the kitchen and ran to the door, opening it and eyeing her best friend. ''Kelsey!!'' Vanessa shouted out and the girls fell into each others arms. ''You are back!'' Kelsey said and laughed together with Vanessa. ''For ever, just like you said'' Vanessa said. Vanessa and Kelsey came back inside, walking arm hooked. Kelsey looked a bit surprised. ''Vanessa what did you do?'' she asked. ''I gave a few friends a new home'' Vanessa said. ''You mean, you live with them here?'' Kelsey asked. ''Yep'' Vanessa said. ''Good lord, you gave this woman a way to big heart'' Kelsey said but smiled. ''Nice to meet you all'' she said and looked around the group, seeing Conrad she blinked a few times with her eyes. Did she knew that one? She didn't know for sure so she didn't say anything. Vanessa had returned to the kitchen and was getting everyone something to drink.

Even though Vanessa had told Conrad to sit down, he insisted he should help her. "I may be a bum but I wasn't raised as one." he said jokingly as an argument and helped her take out the dishes into the kitchen. The others sat by the table and talked about the blessing that was pizza. When the doorbell rang, the group all went quiet however. Was Vanessa expecting someone? Most of them were smart enough to notice the ringing was routine and confident, suggesting it was someone she knew. Still, they were on their guard. After all, old habits die hard.

A new girl was introduced to the group, Kelsey was her name. Appearantly a friend of Vanessa, the two came into the room to be introduced. "Vanessa what did you do?" the new girl asked her. Gabriel snickered. "I gave a few friends a new home." was her answer. Kelsey seemed like a hearty person, and the entire group couldn't help but burst into laughter when she said "Good lord, you gave this woman a wa ytoo big heart." Gabriel had stood up as soon as they entered the room. Being the leader of the pack, he introduced himself first. "I'm Gabriel. This is Jaze, that's Conrad and the two kids over there are Robyn and Thomas." he said confidently. Everyone smiled at Kelsey when their names were mentioned. Conrad looked at the new girl and rubbed his stubbed chin. Oddly familiar, he though, and he wasn't sure if he liked the feeling. He didn't say anything however. He was way too polite for that.
Gabriel continued to speak. "We were all homeless when Vanessa found us. We met in a dark alley, I helped her against some muggers and in return she nursed me back to health when the muggers came back with a few friends for round two." he walked over to Kelsey to shake her hand or something, he wasn't completely oblivious to manners but he wasn't sure how courtesy worked. "The next thing I knew, Vanessa has befriended the entire group and earned our respect. She offered us to live with her here and we're... Greatly considering the offer." The last part he said with a grin, slightly sarcastic. This was dreamy to them, to go from being homeless to be living in a mansion.
Conrad couldn't help himself. "Hi there. Might we know your name?" he said politely and extended a hand to Kelsey in a shake. Conrad was seen as the wise one of the pack, being in his mid 30's and have actually had a higher education.

Kelsey smiled and looked around, when everyone was introduced she smiled at Vanessa. ''It's good that your mom always had taken care of extra room in the house'' she said. ''Totally'' Vanessa said with a smile and then looked at Conrad who despite her telling not too, helped anyway. Kelsey looked at Conrad and shook his hand after shaking Gabriel his. ''Kelsey Layla Fea Silverwood'' Kelsey said and smiled.

Vanessa went for the kitchen, finished filling the dishwasher and then got the drinks and brought them to the living room where everyone was sitting now. ''Vanessa, you are not going to tell me that you do not date one of these guys.. You must be, they are all so handsome'' Kelsey said and giggled. ''She does, she dates our leader'' Robyn said and pointed to Gabriel. Kelsey poked Vanessa and 'whispered', way too loud: ''Good choice, he is the most handsome''. Vanessa laughed and shook her head. ''I didn't choose on handsomeness.. I choose on the purest heart'' Vanessa said as she walked over and gave Gabriel a kiss on his cheek.

Kelsey seemed like quite the charismatic and charming character, so instantly everyone had a pretty good first impression of her. "Silverwood, eh?" Jaze said in response to her introducing herself by her full name. "That's quite the fancy name."
Vanessa and Kelsey came back from the kitchen with drinks, and Kelsey spoke. ''Vanessa, you are not going to tell me that you do not date one of these guys.. You must be, they are all so handsome'' she said, and Robyn snickered. She responded with "She does, she dates our leader." and pointed at Gabriel. Thomas however, was quite flustered. "Ya hear that, Robyn? I'm handsome." he said and stretched, feeling confident. Robyn gave him a punch on his arm. "As handsome as a puppy."
"Good choice, he is the most handsome." Kelsey said to Vanessa, who laughed and shook her head. Gabriel himself was also laughing at such a comment. "I didn't choose on handsomeness.. I choose on the purest heart." answered Vanessa and walked over and gave Gabriel a kiss. "Is it really dating though?" he said and gave her a kiss on the cheek back. "I mean, we haven't really gone on a date. Unless taking a walk counts. Or fighting some muggers. Or patching me up with bandages and stuff... In fact, if those does count as dates, we've had quite an exciting streak of dates." he said and chuckled.
The others were happy to see Gabriel in such a good mood. Ever since Vanessa came into their lives (very suddenly, one might add), their days had become better, brighter. Although one in the group could tell something was still troubling Gabriel.
Conrad had been quiet for a while, and was looking at Gabriel, analyzing him as he does sometimes. Almost unnoticable, of course. Conrad knew Gabriel had to be the one to kill Vanessa's parents on the night of his turning. He knew Gabriel lived with the shame that his first few nights were uncontrollable, that he was little more than a bloodthirsty beast before he regained control of himself and fled to the city. Conrad knew his inner struggle, for he knew Gabriel wanted to tell Vanessa the truth but couldn't. Perhaps he blamed himself for Vanessas sadness at the loss of her parents.
Conrad smiled and decided to rejoin the others and stop standing in the corner. He joined in on Gabriel telling the story of how he and Vanessa met to Kelsey.
"... so I see these three thugs creeping up on her in an alleyway, and they demand that she give them her purse or whatever, but she not only refuse, she spit in their faces! I almost laughed, giving away my position. Of course, I couldn't let them harm her or worse, so I stepped in. I know those morons from before, and they were intruding on my territory, so any of their business becomes my business. I put one of 'em on their ass and they fled." Gabriel explains excitedly to Kelsey. "And the funniest thing is, Vanessa says I should be careful out this late! Me!" he laughed loudly.
Conrad smiled.

Kelsey looked at Jaze and nodded. ''A very fancy family born in this woods.. Just like Vanessa's family tree, we both come from very well known and good skilled hunters... That Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games is nothing towards our ancestors'' Kelsey said with a smile and then when Gabriel started to tell the story on how Vanessa and he 'dated' she simply smiled. Vanessa giggled. ''They do, I am not the red roses and fancy dinners type of girl..'' she said.

''Believe me! Never dare her to climb the highest tree in this forest... She knows where it stands and how to get in the top in an hour!'' Kelsey said and had walked to the kitchen to grab another glass with soda. She had noticed how Conrad was looking at Gabriel and she knew that he knew something important. She herself did notice how they all were gathering around Gabriel and she knew they weren't just some gang. Ever since she had been sixteen, her father had learned her about the 'creatures of the moon'. Kelsey then returned and listened to the story of how they had met. Vanessa was blushing some and was smiling a little sheepish. ''Hey! I was just trying to show that I can stand on my own feet'' she said after he was laughing so hard and she gave him a kiss on his cheek. ''You know that I care for others more than for myself'' she said.

Kelsey got a place next to Conrad and looked at him, her eyes would tell him that she knew him, or at least that she was sure that she had seen him before.

While the others kept talking with each other and about many different things, Conrad began to notice Kelsey. When she looked at him, he pondered for a moment. "What's wrong?" he said while the others weren't paying attention, as they were talking about other things. "Do I frighten you?"
Normally Conrad was pretty good at reading people but he couldn't get a good read on this Kelsey, almost as if she knew how to mask the usual tells. He did notice however, she looked at him as if she recognized him. Not good. he thought to himself.

"Oh sure I do." said Gabriel in response to Vanessa blushing. "And you sure did stand on your own feet, but those guys weren't people you want to stand up to. You get the chance you run. Although there are worse people on the streets of New York, these guys can be very dangerous too." Robyn and Thomas nodded agreeingly, Jaze simply listened. Of the entire group, Jaze was the only one that got had a bad feeling about the situation. As if something was off, something the others didn't notice. He couldn't be sure but he suspected Conrad might feel it too.

Kelsey gave Conrad a small smile and then whispered, yet not soft enough for him only but so also the other would hear her: ''Never a dog has scared me.. So you are not scary either''. She then got up and looked at Vanessa who clearly had only eye for Gabriel, she shook her head and smiled. ''Nessie?'' Kelsey said. Vanessa looked up, a little shocked hearing that nickname. ''Yes?'' she asked. ''Are you coming to train with me tomorrow? I wanna see if you lost your archery skills..'' she said. Vanessa blushed and now got everyone looking at her. ''Yeah, I'll be there.. 6:00 am?'' Vanessa said. ''Normally I train at 5.. But 6 is good too'' Kelsey said with a soft giggle.

Vanessa shook her head and smiled. ''Okay okay, 6 am it's tomorrow but if I start to love it again, I am going to train back up to waking up at 5'' she said. ''Oh honey, I dare you'' Kelsey said and giggled. Vanessa and Kelsey then hugged each other and Kelsey looked at Gabriel with a very serious look in her eyes. He could then see that her kindness was a big act and that she knew their secret. After the hug, Kelsey was wearing her mask again and walked away, using the garden door and waved everyone goodbye.

''Archery? You were a florist right?'' Robyn said. ''I was born second but my brother never wanted to go hunting with my father.. When he saw I did show interest in his job, he started to train me.. Together with Kelsey. I wanted to become a hunter when I was grown up, until that certain day.. I was so scared that I fled but being home again.. I don't know, maybe I am going to hunt again'' she said and smiled. She turned to Gabriel and smiled. ''And I know.. I should maybe not have tried to be so stubborn back in that alley, I mean.. I didn't have anything to get them of my back but I am stubborn and admit it... You like it'' she said and winked.

When Kelsey stared Gabriel down, he suddenly realized. His infatuation with Vanessa had made him blind to Kelsey's intention from the start. He became quiet, with a stern look on his face. Conrad and Jaze noticed it too, but Thomas and Robyn also went quiet when they saw the other three with such stern looks.
Gabriel listened to Vanessa speak, but didn't answer. He just kept staring at the door where Kelsey had left. "Uh... Gabe?" said Thomas carefully, worried. "Pack meeting. Back of the house, now." Gabriel said suddenly, calmly but sternly. The others obeyed immediately and left for the back door, while Gabriel stayed for a moment with Vanessa. She was probably wondering what the hell was going on.

Gabriel looked at her, and his face grew softer... But also sad. He knew what he had to do, but telling her would break his heart... And probably hers. He decided not to tell her the truth yet.
"You said your father was a hunter, right?" he started, gently taking hold of Vanessa's hands. "And Kelsey is one as well. And you've had training. I... Think I know what kind of hunters they were." He looked at her, straight into her eyes.
"I need to speak to the others. Just wait inside and we'll be along shortly. It's a serious matter and I don't want you to be involved, alright?" he continued. "I... Promise I will tell you the truth one day. Just not now... I can't tell you yet."
With that, he gave her a kiss on the cheek, let go of her hands and walked out the back door to the others. They walked into the woods a bit, but not far. They could still be seen from the house windows. They sat down on some rocks or stood by the trees in a circle when Gabriel arrived.

"What's going on?" asked Thomas and Robyn.
"That Kelsey girl... She's a hunter." said Conrad. "It was obvious, the way she boasted about her archery skills. She wanted us to know."
Thomas looked puzzled. "What do you mean? What kind of hunter?"
"The kind that hunts and kills werewolves." said Gabriel sternly. "She knows our secret. She knew as soon as she walked in the door. I should've known..."
"What?!" exclaimed Robyn. "That's... Fucked up! Why would anyone hunt werewolves! We're people, just like anyone else!"
"Yeah, what the hell?!" added Thomas.
The rest of the group fell silent. Gabriel and Jaze knew, and they had told Conrad about it a while ago. They hadn't told Robyn and Thomas because they thought they were too young, but times change and they now have to know the harsh truth. "All werewolves aren't people. Some are... Mindless beasts, who succumb to their instincts and bloodthirst. They kill, and kill, and won't stop until they are dead themselves." said Jaze, which was probably the darkest thing he had ever said in his life.
"Remember what I told you about my turning?" said Gabriel. Thomas nodded, scared of the situation. "I think the people I killed during my rampage was Vanessa's parents. The scars she bears are of my making. This is why we share a strange connection to each other, I think. Hopefully Kelsey doesn't know this yet, but I don't think Vanessa does either and I don't know how to tell her." he continued. "Anyway what I mean is, some who turn don't always return to their senses after their rampage. Some just continue their bloodthirst and never stop. This is why there are Hunters, like Kelsey and Vanessa's families. The Hunters have existed for hundreds of years and have kept primal werewolves in check to protect others. However, they never could see the difference between primal werewolves and... Us. Normal people. They believe we are as bloodthirsty as the primals, and that we will one day be reduced to such a state again. So they hunt us, too."
Gabriel's explanation gave Thomas chills down his spine. He slumped down on a rock, too tired to stand. He didn't know what to say. Robyn was looking quite grim as well, as if she was going to burst into tears any moment.
"We can't stay here. If there are more hunters out here than Kelsey, we'll be in more danger than we already are!" said Conrad.
"But what do I tell Vanessa?! That we are glad for her hostpitality but have decided to go back to a life of homelessness and poverty? That her kindness to us was all for naught?!" Gabriel retorted.
"Tell her the truth." said Jaze softly, looking at Gabriel. Their eyes met for a moment, and Gabriel didn't know what to say. He wasn't often speechless...
"But how?" Gabriel said after a moment of silence. "How do I tell her that I killed her family? Will she even understand? She will hate me and maybe even seek revenge! And Kelsey will help her, she's already on to us!"
"If you love her..." said Jaze, "You have to tell her the truth. If she loves you back, she will understand. Or at least try to."
"I... I can't..." said Gabriel.
"You have to." responded Jaze.

The group stood still in their circle for a while. They couldn't smell the scent of any intruder eavesdropping on them but they were weary, perhaps the hunters had found a way to cloak themselves from the pack's heightened senses. Nervously, they looked around every now and then over their shoulder, fearing someone was aiming at them with a bow and arrow from behind.
But no attack came.
"Alright... Let's go back inside." Gabriel said quietly in defeat. "I... I will tell her tomorrow. I have to think about this first."
"Of course." said Jaze, and put his hand on Gabriel's shoulder to reassure him. Gabriel gave him a soft smile in appreciation, and then everyone turned back to the house and walked back inside the back-door.

Vanessa didn't understand a thing from what was happening so fast. First they were all happy and having a great time and now the whole group walked away and Gabriel looked so serious. Vanessa listened to what he said and she raised an eyebrow. Where there more kinds of hunters? And.. Why is it important that she had training to become a hunter? She had a lot of questions for him but when he asked her to stay inside she wanted to stop him. Yet, she was too late.

While he was away with his group, Vanessa decided to do some cleaning in the already clean house. She sighed and looked around, there was nothing to do for her. She went to her father's office and decided to do some more research. If Gabriel didn't wanna tell her what kind of hunters her parents and Kelsey's family was, then she would find out herself.

Walking back inside, the pack attempted to occupy themselves with whatever activities they could. They talked, walked around, did pushups... They all seemed rather restless. They didn't know what to do.
Gabriel looked around the house. "Vanessa?" he said as he turned every corner. Eventually he made his way downstairs and found her at her father's desk, in his old office. He hadn't been down here yet. Looking around, the office looked strangely discreet for being a hunter's office. There was probably something hidden from his sight in this room. He didn't like it.
"Sorry I walked out on you like that. Things are... rather serious right now. And I don't know what to tell you, or how." he said to her as he stood in the doorway, ashamed of himself. He was ashamed of his past, how he's treating Vanessa, and... Even ashamed of being a werewolf. It had only caused himself and his close ones harm, and now they were stuck in the middle of a brewing conflict.
"I... Thought I'd tell you tomorrow. To think about it some more. To try to make sense of the situation, make sense of ... myself." he continued. "But I think I'll just tell you right now. Are you ready to hear the horrible truth, Vanessa?"

Vanessa looked up from her computer when she heard someone coming closer to the office. She actually didn't know how she heard it, probably because she was very concentrated on reading trough some files. The desk was a mess, she not only had found stuff on the computer but also a way to open the big cabinet with files on the right of hers.

When Gabriel walked into the office, or actually opened the door and stood there she looked at him and didn't say anything until he asked her if she was ready for the horrible truth. ''How horrible is it?'' Vanessa asked. ''Because.. I just found out that my father has a lot of document about poisonous plants.. And how to make those into weapons.. He even had a permit for making his own bullets.. And he made them of pure silver..'' she spoke. She was confused and Gabriel could sense that. ''In this file here...'' she said and held up a few documents. ''Stands exactly written how to protect yourself against some kind of monsters that only exists in bad movies like Twilight... I don't mean the glitter vampires...'' she said and sighed. ''My father believed that werewolves actually are existing...'' she said. ''And that he was hunting on them... That is why he trained me.. To become as crazy as he was'' she said and let the papers fall down, they fell on the ground and when Vanessa picked them up, she saw something strange.

A little button was hidden on the ground near the foot of the desk. When she pushed it, a part of the wall opened up. Vanessa got up and walked to the wall, she laid her hand on it and pushed the piece of wall back. It opened up to a hidden room. ''The secret room'' Vanessa whispered. ''This is the room where I had to go to... The one from my story..'' she whispered. Gabriel could smell that a lot of wolfs bane was hidden there which would make it almost impossible for a changed wolf to go inside there because of the pain it would give by the sent.

When the secret door opened, Gabriel could feel the scent of wolfsbane straight away. He grimaced instinctively, dare not go too close. If he would shift into his wolf-form, it would surely be painful. "What... Is this room?" he asked, but he already knew the answer. Inside, surely he would find more horrors than just wolfsbane...
"Your father wasn't crazy. As much as this revelation horrifies me, he didn't train you to become mad. Because he himself wasn't." Gabriel said, following Vanessa slowly into the room. "The truth is... He was right all along. I don't know about vampires, but... Werewolves are quite real."
He paused for a moment.
"I am quite real."
He stopped behind her, not daring go too far into the secret room.
"We're not just bums, Vanessa. There's a reason I call them 'pack' and not 'gang'. There's a reason we share a connection, you and I." he said, and he wasn't sure how to tell her the truth straight out. He was a werewolf. He had been the death of her family. And here he was, accepting her kindness and hostpitality after robbing her of everything.
"The marks you bear... The pain you carry of the loss of your family... I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry..."
He didn't know what to say next.

''This room is the room my mother told me and my brother to go to the moment that... creature jumped trough the door.. This is the secret protection room they had build..'' Vanessa said. ''Or at least.. A part of it.. Because this isn't the official entrance..'' Vanessa said and looked at the tables that stood against the walls. This part of the secret room was perfectly installed for making bullets, arrows and everything.

Vanessa listened with a half ear to what Gabriel said until he said that she wasn't trained to be mad, because werewolves were quite real... Because He was quite real... She turned around and looked at him. ''Wait... You mean that You are a werewolf.. That your friends are wolves too?'' she asked and looked at little shocked. Yet she remained calm, which probably was weird. ''Indeed it does explain a few things.. That line of yours to tell them I was a friend.. The 'Pack meeting'... Your pack name.. 'Street Fangs' or something..'' she said and she started to stroke over her forehead with one hand so she could think.

Then he said something and Vanessa looked at him again. ''Wait.. What did you just say?'' she asked and looked at him. ''Do you mean.. You? You are that creature?! You are the one that killed my parents? My brother? You are the Wolf that took away my life? You... You gave me this scar... And then ran...'' Vanessa said. She walked to him and pushed him out of the secret room. ''You're a monster! And I.. I helped you! I took care of your wounds.. I do now understand why they are healed all of a sudden! I let you in my life... You and your friends.. Without even wondering why I cared for you all... And now you are telling me that thanks to the most horrible night of my life.. We share a connection!'' Vanessa said. Tears ran down her cheeks and she gave him another push. She wasn't strong but because of the adrenaline she did get him out of her way.

She then ran out of the office, back upstairs to the living room and saw the others. ''Wolves...'' she just said and shook her head. She then ran for the front door and before one of the other could stop her, she opened it and ran into the woods.

"Vanessa, wait!" Gabriel exclaimed as she pushed past him and stormed up the stairs. The others were standing around, worried, restless, when she came up and looked at them. "Wovles..." she said under her breath. The others knew instantly. "W-wait, Vanessa it's not--" Robyn started to say but she was already out the door. Gabriel came up the stars shortly after her.
"I thought you said you'd wait to tell her tomorrow?" Jaze said, walking up behind Gabriel. He put his hand on his shoulder to reassure him again. "Yeah well..." Gabriel responded. "Might as well get it over with, I thought. No doubt she's going over to Kelsey's place now. I have to catch up to her, wait for me here. If I'm not back before dusk, you have to get out, back to the city. Away from the hunters. Got it?"
The others had gathered around him, and Gabriel turned around when he said the last part of his orders. "Dude, we can't just leave you." Thomas said, protesting, but Gabriel wouldn't hear it. He wasn't in the mood. He raised his voice in response, "You will do as I say!" he snaps at Thomas, who bites his lip and goes silent. "If the hunters catch me they'll kill me either way. They aren't types to take prisoners." Gabriel continued, lowering his voice again. Looking over the group, however, he realized someone was missing. "Where's Conrad?" he asked slowly. The others looked around. He was nowhere to be found. "He was here just a minute ago... What the hell?" Robyn said, looking around the room. "Damn it!" Gabriel cursed, slamming his fist into the wall. It dented. "When he comes back, tell him the same thing I've told you. You are to go back to the city if I'm not back by sundown."
The others were silent, but nodded shortly in response. They didn't like this plan. With that, however, Gabriel exited the door and quickly shifted into his wolf-form to catch up to Vanessa.
His wolf-form was a huge, black wolf with spiky fur. Whatever features he had of his human self were gone, except for the eyes. They were still the same color, despite being shapeshifted.

-

Conrad was walking the woods around the cabin since after the pack-meeting. Having ran quite deep into the woods, he made sure for a moment that nobody had followed him, before stopping in a grove. "Come out. I can smell you." he said finally, looking at a thick tree. From behind the tree emerged a hooded figure with a quiver of arrows on his back and a bow in his hand. His face was hidden from Conrad's view but he could see his light studded beard and well-built young body. He was probably in his 20's, about the age of Vanessa or slightly older. Athletic. Strong. His attire was all black leather and looked almost futuristic. A few pouches adorned his belt, probably filled with gadgets and reagents like wolfsbane. A first class hunter, no doubt.
"One of your hunter friends blew your cover. The pack knows there are hunters in these woods now. Gabriel is on edge and is probably going to tell Vanessa everything by tomorrow." Conrad said, annoyed in his tone. He didn't trust this figure, it seemed. "Is that so?" the hunter responded, stroking his chin. "No matter, the deal is still on. We don't care about the other hunters, they're no match for your alpha when cornered anyway. You just make sure you uphold your end of the bargain and nobody will get killed."
The hunter's tone was low, his voice muffled. He obviously went to lengths to not reveal his real voice. Old hunter tricks to conceal their identity, no doubt. "I will." Conrad snarled back. "But I won't make promises for anyone not getting killed. Just you make sure not a single scratch will come to my pack or so help me I will rip out your throat."
The hunter didn't respond to this. Not with an expression, not with a word. He simple took a step back and disappeared behind the tree again, and suddenly Conrad could tell he wasn't there anymore. His scent was gone. The hunters are evolving. Conrad thought to himself. They can indeed cloak themselves from out senses.
He made his way back toward the house, the others of the pack not knowing of this meeting.

-

Gabriel had been following Vanessa's scent, and luckily she hadn't made it far into the woods before he caught up to her. He ran up beside her but some distance away, then leaped forward to cut off the path which she was running towards. He stood about 20 yards in front of her in his wolf form, panting, looking at her, waiting.
Their eyes met. Gabriel wasn't upset anymore. Not about Conrad disappearing or about the hunters. At least not for the moment. Right now he was only sad, terribly devestated for having to tell her the truth and having to hurt her this way. His eyes were sad, watery, and he just stood there for a moment and gazed at her, waiting for her to either run away again or talk to him. She probably knew it was him, wolf form or not. The connection they shared... She must know for certain.

Vanessa ran and ran, as fast as she could. Where she was going she didn't know herself yet. She just ran with tears in her eyes. Her blurred sight made that she almost fell a few times and the panic running trough her body made her very aware of what was around her.

She stopped running when she just couldn't anymore and saw a big blurred thing standing a few feet away from her. She cleared her eyes and wiped away her tears. ''Gabriel.. Why are you following me! And why for god sake in this form...'' She said and sighed. She looked at him and shook her head. ''Gee.. You really think that I was heading towards Kelsey? Well, Her house is the other way'' she said. She didn't know how she knew he had been thinking that but she simply did. ''So.. You're a wolf.. You changed over the years...'' she whispered and then suddenly sat down on the ground and looked at him with a curious look in her eyes. ''Geez.. I don't bite, come closer... Asshole'' she said and he could see that the run had helped her to calm down.

After a while, Gabriel shifted back into his human form, oddly enough still wearing his clothes. Her brother's clothes. "Geez.. I don't bite, come closer... Asshole." He approached her where she sat on the ground, and sat down beside her. "So.. You're a wolf.. You changed over the years..." she whispered, but Gabriel could hear.
"I thought you were going to Kelsey, yeah." Gabriel said softly as he began to fondle with a rock in front of him. "She's a hunter like your dad was, and she could tell instantly that me and my friends were actually... Well, yeah." he said. He didn't know what to say really.

"Have you ever heard of how Werewolves come to be? How people like me actually come into existance?" he began suddenly. "I understand that you must hate me for what I have done to you. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner, it's been... Tearing me apart. I love you, Vanessa."
He swallowed a lump in his throat before continuing.
"I think I had a family once, too. I mean, I can't really remember anything since before the night I turned, but... I just feel it. I don't know where they are now, or if they're even alive... But I suppose they aren't around anymore since I've never met them." he said. He began telling his story softly.
"Forgive me for speaking of this, but the night I ... The night your family... The night I gave you that scar, was the night I turned. I was a human just like anyone else, probably living in these woods just like you before I was turned. One way or another however, I was, and when the first night comes..." he stopped, shivering. He didn't want to think more about what he had done before he had regained his mind, but he had to. For her.
"The first night is the worst. You lose your mind to your new primal instincts and go on a rampage, destroying anything in your path. That's exactly what I did, and... I... I know you'll never forgive me, but please understand that I never wanted to kill anyone. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I fled to the city, took care of people like me who couldn't take care of themselves, to try to atone. Not a single day goes by that I don't think of what I have done, Vanessa, and it was done against my own will." he said. In the end, he finally gathered the strength to look her in the eyes. He had stopped fondling that rock nervously.
"But now... I can't accept your kindness. I must decline your hostpitality. You have been a godsend to us, Vanessa, truly... But now Kelsey knows and there are probably more hunters in these woods. Me and my pack have to go back to the city, or else we risk getting killed.
I can understand if you want revenge on me for what I have done, but please spare my friends. Jaze is a friendly soul who never hurt anyone, not even on the night of his turning. Robyn and Thomas are just kids, and Conrad... Well Conrad is like a father to them." he begged. Perhaps Vanessa could convince Kelsey not to hurt the others, if indeed more hunters came around the corner. It was just a matter of time.