The late September sun broke through the thick canopy of trees and shined down onto the peaceful little settlement. It was quiet today. It was still warm enough in the season that some of the pack may be at the lake for a swim. Or maybe they were in town. Jude didn't keep that close an eye on them. They were all grown. Surely he could let them have free reign without worrying about them like a helicopter parent.

He, meanwhile, was hard at work. One of the cabins on the property had been damaged in a late season storm, and he was in charge of putting it back together. His bandsaw buzzed as he sawed lumber down to size. His hammering had scared off most of the birds, so the racket made up a majority of the sounds to be heard. He'd had to haul a tree off the cabin's roof, then used it to make the new wood to replaced the old. His wolf form came in handy for moving fallen trees, seeing as they didn't own any oxen. He was the next best thing.

With sweat pouring down his face, Jude sat on a nearby log to guzzle some water, then look over his work. The outside walls were looking good. They just needed some weather treatment and some stain, and they'd be done. The roof came next. Maybe he'd work on that tomorrow. After all, his schedule was pretty clear. He didn't have a job in town, as keeping the pack together and their village in shape was a full time job of it's own. And surely nothing would happen between now and then that would delay his progress.



A red corvette blew down the highway towards town. The souped up engine purred as it's occupant paid as little attention to the road as possible. He was busy looking at his phone, dialing a familiar number: his assistant for this hunt. The phone began to ring, and he put it to his ear. It rang, and rang, and rang...Finally, it went to voicemail.

"Quit jerking off and get your ass over here. I lost you twenty minutes ago, where the hell are you?!" His voice sounded like he'd gargled with gravel. A scar across his throat that looked suspiciously like claw marks might have had something to do with that. Anthony was nothing if not a survivor. Against all odds, he'd beat out werewolves and vampires alike, and slammed the door in death's face several times. He was like a roach infestation: nasty, and particularly hard to get rid of.

He was speeding towards his newest target: a cute little town that, according to his intel, had a little werewolf problem. He wasn't going to fix the problem. In fact, what he had in mind would probably just make it worse. Anthony only wanted the strongest, toughest wolves for his boss. He would round them up, sell them off, and leave the rest of the pack to seethe. He couldn't care less what happened to the leftovers. They could die. They could live. They could try to hunt him down and fail.

Anthony slowed down as he came into the narrow streets of Vinehurst. This place was certainly quaint; a real 'raise the kids' type place. He couldn't wait to see it burn. He pulled into the parking lot of an inn and got out. Anthony glared down the road, where his little helper was still a no show. He's placed them in charge of handling the "less fun" vehicle: the truck and the trailer with most of their equipment in it.

He slammed the car door and waltzed inside. The woman at the front desk was young and pretty. Anthony could tell from a mile away that she'd be real easy to get inside of, mentally, and maybe even physically if he felt like it. She looked up and smiled a classic customer service smile when she saw him. Anthony turned on the charm.

"Hey. I just got into town, and I'd like to book a couple rooms. Could I get two on the same floor?" His rough voice was surprisingly sweet when he tried.

The woman rung him up with a happy "Of course!" and gave him his total. Anthony pulled out a thick wad of cash, filed through it, and laid down fifty extra.

"Keep the change," He said with a smug smile as he took the key cards. Anthony turned and went back outside to unload his luggage, while the desk clerk leaned over the desk a bit to get a better view.

The little bell attached to the doorframe went off a split second before Olivia stepped outside. Tucked under one arm, she had with her yet another book; a sci fi by Garth Nix. Olivia was happy with her purchase, smiling just the slightest at the thought of tucking away in a quiet little corner to read her new novel.

The bookstore was her happy place, and she visited frequently. Not because the clerk treated her like family after years of serving her, or because she received special discounts not necessarily afforded to other customers, but she simply loved to read and would sometimes even trade the books that were collecting dust on a shelf.

As she made her way down the sidewalk, Olivia was slightly distracted by her phone. She wasn't mindlessly scrolling through photos or videos, but she was reading a message from a friend that had moved away not just from the town, but out of the country altogether. Apparently things were going well for her despite the fact that she hadn't been gone that long. The message had taken Olivia by surprise as she hadn't heard from the girl in an extremely long time. But apparently her friend had found her e-mail address and decided to write to her after all these years.

She was nearly at the end of the message when she collided with someone, causing her to drop her book in the process.

"Oh! Sorry!"

She made sure the older gentleman was okay. He must have had quite the grip on his cane. Thankfully, he remained steady on his feet. "I'm so sorry, I should have been paying attention to where I was going."

"It's quite all right young lady, we all get distracted," he smiled, and she returned the same, wishing him well after apologizing for the third time. Olivia then picked up her book and continued on, not bothering to keep reading the message.

---

Vinehurst, population of 25,000, a little town where town-folks have little businesses, little community and friends and family from every neighborhoods. So quiet, so peaceful, so- "Boring!" Connie say herself out loud from the outskirts of the town. "Agent Avis, please take this mission seriously." That was Connie boss on the phone, director Jade, the one who assign this boring mission to Connie "Oh come on, Jade. I was expecting a ghost town full with actual ghosts, not normal people living normal life" Connie say while looking at the town people with her mini binocular, she sees young lady bumping into a old man and then the next she see a old lady walking....really, really, slowing.

"Well, from what our agents gather, the hunters send one of their own in to town, along with their assistant." "What you think they will catch?" "I'm betting the leader of the pack, our agents say the hunters send their coldest hunter yet...Their one probably doesn't have a soul in his body" Connie look around town again, trying to spot the killer but with a huge population, this is going to be a problem. Connie was kind of surprise that their agents didn't catcher a photo of the killer but then again, Division of Supernatural Investigation and The Hunters have been at each other throats for years and they want to keep their hunter identity a secret.

"So you want me to go into a forest, try to find the pack location, talk the pack leader, aka the Alpha, and try to convince him and his pack to move into a new location before the hunter find them?" "That's pretty much it, yeah" There was a pause between the two supernatural beings "...That sounds like a really good plan, but there is one problem...I am a witch! And you remember last time I try to talk to a pack" Connie was young when she gone to her first werewolf and let's just say, she accidentally say some things and the pack leader was pissed off. Thank god that Accalia, the werewolf she save years ago, calm down the leader "Why can you send Accalia here? I'm sure that she'll convince the leader way better then me." "Well, we don't know if the hunters send more then one of their kind but magic like yours, you can take them out, one by one. Beside, Agent Valerie was send to Ireland trying to prevent a war between two fairy kingdom. Now go find the pack leader and if we don't hear from you about three days, we are sending the team to take the pact to their new location....Good luck, Agent Avis. and that being said, Director Jade hang up to the witch agent.

Connie sigh in annoyance "Of course they would send a witch to do the dirty work..." Connie put two fingers in front of her mouth and then whistle, then a Freckle-breasted thornbird came flying at Connie and landed on her shoulder, that was Connie familiar, Freckles "All right, Freckles. Are you ready to save a pack while trying not to get killed?" Freckles sing happily "Then there is no time to waste!" Connie excitedly say and then she and her familiar hops into her car and then drive into town!

---

While trying to find a inn to stay at, Connie spots some little businesses like a diner, a bookstore, a coffee shop and a bar, maybe after this mission, Connie could really need a cold one right now. After finally finding a inn to stay for awhile and park her car, Connie and Freckles hop out of the car "All right, I will book us a room, while you find the pack location, got it?" Connie quietly say to her small friend. With a little nod from the small bird, Freckles then fly up in the air and into the forest.

Before she enter inside, Connie spots a rather tall young man unload his large luggage. Well if Connie is going to find the pack, she need to look the part of a normal business women "Hello." Connie say to the tall man "Do you want me to help you unload your luggage into the building? It seems like you were driving for hours."

The blow rocked him off his feet. Luke fell on his side, the landing shooting an additional jolt of pain through his body. He'd fallen on a rock, one possibly large enough to leave him with a bruised rib. At least it didn't have a jagged edge to inflict additional damage.

The man pounded the ground once with his fist and gritted his teeth. He was finished with that fight. He didn't want to deal with the asshole anymore and he wasn't going to waste his time nor energy. Luke got to his feet surprisingly quick, spitting out blood. He closed the distance between himself and his opponent before kicking him in the gut. As the other man stumbled and attempted to regain some sort of balance, Luke threw the knockout punch. And that was that, the fight was over. Luke took a moment to catch his breath, looking down at the unconscious man. The idiot had some bulk to him so it came as no surprise that Luke wasn't able to immediately deal with him. But at least he'd gotten the job done. Luke did not tolerate thieves, and if they instigated a fight then it was free game.

Luke walked over to the door leading inside. He raised his shirt to check out the damage. It wasn't anything bad from what he could tell, but then again he wasn't a doctor. He leaned against the wall and pulled out his phone, dialing the cops.

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

"Yes, I need you to send a couple of deputies to my bar; some asshole tried to break in."

"Sir is this person armed?"

He smirked at the question. "Nah, we're good. He's knocked out cold a few feet from me. You should probably send the ambulance too."

Luke finished giving out some information before hanging up. He took a look around but there was no one in sight. The lot was empty save for his car, the thief, and that damn rock...

He quickly walked over and picked up the rock, examining it for a moment. He had no idea where it had come from, and he didn't care. Luke went over to the edge of the lot and tossed it on the grass. As he did so, he heard groaning from behind him. He turned around to see the asshole had regained some of his senses. Luke was planning to go back in his bar for a moment, but that idea was out of the question now. The front door was properly locked, so business could wait. For the moment being he'd have to deal with the thief until the cops arrived.

---

---

---

Cosmina Chaykovsky exited her family cabin with a bit of a frown. Large enough to accommodate up to six members of her bloodline the cabin had become quite empty and lonely in recent months. The males in her family had all fallen battling against the vampires when she was but a child. This just left the females of the family. Elena, Cosmina's mother, was a beautiful woman and gained many would-be suiters from the few single males of similar within the pack as well as a few interested humans from Vinehurst. But, Elena could never bring herself to even consider remarrying after her husband's death. Two weeks ago when her mother accompanied Cosmina's grandmother to the village of her birth in Romania. Now, Cosmina was all by herself in such a large home.

Within the last few days, Cosmina had been debating on whether to look for a job, maybe something part-time, in Vinehurst. Not only would aid in her loneliness and boredom, but she would be able to contribute more to the pack by bringing in some currency. The obvious downside to getting a job was she would be forced to interact with humans. Cosmina didn't trust humans. In her mind, humans were too independent, too chaotic, and unpredictable. And, they smelled. Whether she liked it or not, the pack had a symbiotic relationship with the nearby town for over a century.

As Cosmina began to walk the pack's Alpha caught her eye. The cabin he had been working on was not far from the Chaykovsky dwelling. The sent of his sweat made her smile. Somehow sweat made a male more attractive. Cosmina brushed her long dark bangs away from her face as she approached. Coming up behind Jude, Cosmina folded her arms in front of her before speaking. "I just don't understand why you don't assign such things to others," she said. "You're the pack Alpha. Not its handyman."

---

Thane was stretched out on the shoreline of the lake, enjoying the rays of the sun with a cold beer in one hand. The day was peaceful and luckily for him, no one else was there for the time so he had free reign of the entire beach for himself. A perfectly quiet day for the scarred man. Across his body there was quite the pattern of scars, showing a life of fights and hardship. Of course the crowning jewel above all other scars was the one that graced his charming face, a jagged set of lines that cut across the right side of his head down to the center of his chin and neck, passing through his right eye which was now white in color compared to his other good eye. Rather then finding them being ugly, he viewed them as being memories as well as in some sense trophies, being able to recount when each one was gained.

He sat up from his prone position looking out across the lake, contemplating on whether he should return to the village. Eventually his free reign over the beach would be over anyways and he'd prefer to avoid the more irritating people who would give horrified stares if they saw the amalgamation of scars that riddled him.

"Fuck it might as well see what the gracious alpha has to offer for work," he finally sighed to himself, popping his neck while finishing off he bottle and taking it with him while retrieving his ruffled shirt off to the side and putting it back on. He slipped on a pair of well worn boots before making his return to the village.

Jude looked up as Cosmina approached. He shrugged at her remark. "You know what they say: If you want it done right..." He stood and picked up his water jug. He was in desperate need of a shower, and then dinner. He still had a bit of venison left over from the last hunt he went on. That would go well with some vegetables from the community garden and some of the seasoning he bought in town the other day. His stomach gave a growl as he thought about it.

"Well, I'm about to pack up for day, I think," He said as he began to gather his power tools. He couldn't risk them gathering morning dew. "Wanna' help me get these back to the tool shed?"



Anthony unloaded his trunk from the back of the Corvette and set it on the ground to close the compartment lid. Just as he bent over to haul the trunk back up, a woman approached him. This wasn't terribly unusually. Anthony was a good looking man, a fact that he was very aware of. He was used to strange women coming over and trying their hand at flirting with him. Most of the time he was pretty receptive; he wasn't one to say no to a good time. But he was a little busy at the moment, and he didn't want this broad putting her paws all over his luggage.

He gave a sweet looking crooked smile as he lifted the trunk up on his own. "No thanks, I think I've got it."

---

---

---

She took in the sweet scent of the Alpha's musk as he stood and began moving around, Jude's sweat, along with Cosmina's enhanced sense of smell, making it easy to pick up. Jude was big, powerful, and buff like a leader of a pack should be. Though she would never admit it out loud, Cosmina was quite curious as to why he hadn't taken a mate yet. Genetics proved that his offspring would most likely be just as big and strong as their father and his father before him. Certainly, Jude wanted to keep his family's bloodline going.

The sound of Jude's growling stomach made Cosmina quirk a brow. She had let the time of day slip away from her in her boredom. It was already dinner time, and with a sudden realization, she discovered how hungry she was. Cosmina gave a slight frown at Jude's question. Just because he was fond of what she dubbed menial work didn't mean she was as well. "No," she replied rather flatly. Cosmina would have casually walked away with that had she been in a more negative mood. But she wasn't. Instead, Cosmina stood there extending her arms and waited to be loaded up by her Alpha.

Olivia took a sip of her green tea. The young woman was not a fan of coffee. In fact, she despised the taste. But the employees at Common Grounds were not aware of that, though they never really questioned why she never had coffee and always asked for tea or juice. Dropping a dollar bill in the tip jar, Olivia waved at one of her acquaintances behind the register before walking outside. She figured it was about time to start heading back to the village, but she would make a little stop on the way. She wasn't in any hurry after all.

Some time later, Olivia was approaching the lake. The days weren't scorching hot anymore, yet people still gathered for a swim. It took some time, but Olivia eventually noticed the familiar frame walking away.

"Thane!"

She waved, quickly walking over to catch up to him. "Caught you just leaving, huh? I was going to stick around for a bit, any chance you'd like to join me for a swim?" She lifted an arm, showing him her collection of bags. "I may have gotten a little carried away with the shopping, but I purchased an amazing one-piece for dirt cheap."

---

"Already then! i will saw you around town, sir!" connie gladly say to the tall man, she then walked toward her car and grab her bag. When Connie entered the inn, she spot a female clerk at the front desk, who was just making loved eyes toward the tall man outside, Connie rings the bell "Ummm, hello?" The clerk finally snapped out of it when Connie speak to her. "Oh! sorry, miss. I was distracted." "Yeah, no kidding" Connie say sarcastically "Anyway, I would like to book a room for one, please?" "Sure thing, how long will you be staying here?" Oh shit, how long will connie stayed in this town? Days? Weeks? Months? Years?! Connie had no idea where the pack location is or who the hunter was, all she knows that there is no time to waste "Five days, that's all." the clerk nod and handed connie the keys. "I hope you enjoyed your stay here in Vinehurst"

Connie unlocked the door and the room was not that bad, not that great but not that bad. The room had two beds, a bathroom, a tv and one window right next to the left bed. Connie opened the window and sees her birdie familiar flying up in the sky, Freckles fly toward the inn and land on the ledge of the window. "Hello Freckles, did you found the pack location?" Freckles made a sad noise and shook his head. Damn, Connie guessed that the location was very hidden in the woods, or in a better least, covered in a invisible barrier. Connie signs while she and freckles sat on the bed. "Well, Freckles, I guess we are going to be here for awhile." Connie say to her bird friend, if finding the hunter and the location, she wonders if the assistant was going to be a challenge, are they more heartless and cold like the hunter?

---

---

It's been thirty hours since Alex family kicked him out of the family car and into the streets, it's been twenty-seven hours since after Alex was done crying and thinking how his life had gone to hell. Alex had been sitting on the side of the sidewalk while people walked past him, thinking he was probably a drunk homeless guy or something but he doesn't care, he could have been writing his book and enjoy his new life, but instead of that, his only family threatened him, put a curse on him, put him in the trunk of their car for hours and then tell him good luck while laughing at him. Alex turn on his phone and saw a voicemail, he guess while he was zone out, someone was trying to called him, when he answered the voicemail, Alex heard a angry and aggressive voiced, telling him to get his ass over here. That was probably Anthony Beck, the hunter that his family mention.

After pulling himself together, Alex finally found Anthony by his car and he was exactly what alex picture him, tall, dark, and handsome...He also have the eyes of a killer. Alex heart begins to ride as he walked toward the hunter, he wants to run away, go to a another country, changed his name, his looks and start a brand new life, but there no going backed now and he had to faced the facts that he was going to be killed in the end by the wolves....or be killed the hunter.

"Um, hi Mr. Beck, you're Mr. Beck right?" alex sheepishly say "I, um, I know that you were kinda expecting one of my family members to be your assistant but they picked me to be your guy. Oh! Er, um, my name Alex Theron. It's nice to meet you." Alex say as he offers a handshake.

---

Thane was about to make his way back home when he heard his name shouted out. He turned slightly to see with his good eye that it was Olivia. He waved back stopping he walk and waiting for her to reach him. When he had first joined the pack he was honestly surprised to hear that she was the beta due to her short stature but shortly after found out she could handle herself quite well with the pack dynamics along with while perhaps short for her human self, her other half made up for the size difference but quite a bit.

"A swim with you? Hmm return to the village and work or swim with you?" he stated, pretending to weigh the options like they were anywhere near equal to one another.

"Well if you twist my arm, who am I to deny such a request," he chuckled though was happy to be able to enjoy Olivia's company after a rather dull day of relaxing on his own ",Plus I guess I get to judge if this one piece you speak of is truely amazing."

A gentle tap with his foot elicited a response from the crook. Another groan, accompanied by a half-assed attempt to shoo Luke away with a wave of his arm. Prior to that point, the man hadn't moved much. Not that Luke had kept tabs on him the entire time. From the corner of his eye, Luke saw a couple of people entering the lot. He turned his head to see the deputies walking up to him.

"Officers, glad to see y'all. This is the idiot that attempted the break in."

"Were you inside when it occurred?" The male asked.

"Yes, I'd just gotten here. Was about to do some work then I heard the back door open. I saw him walking in and that's when I rushed him. Next thing I knew we were both throwing punches." As he was finishing his statement, Luke noticed two paramedics approaching them. He motioned to the man on the floor, and also turned them down when they asked him if he wanted quick treatment for his face. He didn't need a band-aid, and he had plenty of ice inside.

"Thank you guys, I appreciate it either way but I'll be fine."

The paramedics returned a quick nod before gathering around the thief to examine him.

"Sir, do you have your driver license? I'm going to take your information down and also have you fill out a statement form. Oh, and do you have any cameras on the property? We'd like to take a look at the footage if possible."

"Sure, come with me."

The female deputy followed Luke into the bar while her partner remained outside with the paramedics. As the two walked past the entrance, Luke reached in his back pocket for his ID before handing it off to her. He then guided her to his office where he had his computer. It wouldn't take all that long to get the playback given that the incident hadn't occurred that long ago. Luke sat down at his desk and logged into the security system. He then rewinded the footage from the camera overlooking the lot.

"There he is, walking up." Luke pointed to the man on the screen and the deputy got a little closer to him, leaning over his shoulder. He immediately picked up on the fact that she smelled good, but he composed himself. He was, after all, the victim of a crime.

"Oh well, judge away, but you will see for yourself," she smiled before turning around and heading off to change. It didn't take long for her to slip on the one-piece, and soon after that she was walking back barefoot, her shoes and neatly folded-up clothes tucked away in the empty bag that was previously being used.

"Like I said, amazing." Olivia pretended to be a model for a moment but she couldn't hold in her laughter. She then motioned for Thane to follow her as she walked towards the shore. Once there, she set her stuff down and decided to test the water. It wasn't as warm as the prior months, but to her it didn't make a difference. She welcomed the refreshing feeling after spending a couple of hours walking around town. "I can't believe the water is this nice," Olivia mentioned, swimming out away from shore. It was only a matter of moments before she couldn't touch the bottom.

"Thane!" She suddenly yelled for him, waving her arms frantically before her head disappeared underwater.

Jude raised an eyebrow at the rudeness of the fighter. Not that he didn't expect it. Cosmina had a nasty habit of thinking that pulling her weight was below her. Or, at least, that was what he'd gathered.

Jude handed her the table saw, and picked up the other tools himself. "Be careful with that, it's expensive," He warned.

He led the way to the tool shed, where he neatly put away the wood working equipment for another day. He turned to face Cosmina. "Thanks for the help. I'd better go get cleaned up."

And with that, he excused himself and made for his own cabin.

---

---

---

Like I'd drop your precious saw, Cosmina thought to herself as she followed her Alpha. She walked a few steps behind Jude as was expected from one of her position within the pack. As they walked Cosmina's dark eyes fell to Jude's backside. They lingered there for more than a moment appreciating the shape and plumpness of the male's posterior. It was a nice rear to say the very least. Cosmina was sure she could bounce an acorn off the thing with ease.

After arriving at the tool shed, Jude carefully and neatly replaced all of the tools within it. He thanked Cosmina but in such a way as for her to believe she was being dismissed as if she was some lowly dog like she was just as Omega. Her eyes followed Jude once more this time without a look of admiration, but instead with annoyance.

Cosmina turned to face Jude as walked away in the direction of his cabin and folded her arms in front of her. The right corner of her mouth curled and she raised an eyebrow. "Can you handle that by yourself?" she asked flirtatiously, referring to his statement about getting cleaned up. "Or do you need a hand with that as well?"

---

Thane chuckles before watching Olivia run off to change. In the mean time, Thane removed his shirt once more putting it off to the side while waiting for Olivia to return.

"All right fine, I guess it's amazing," he chuckled shaking his head lightly as Olivia posed briefly before heading towards the water, Thane following closely behind her, listening to her enjoying the temperature of the water. To him it was all right, could of been a bit warmer for his liking. He wandered out into the calm waters reaching about waist deep before suddenly hearing his name being shouted out.

He caught a glimpse of seeing Olivia's head drop below the surface suddenly. Perhaps he should of learned whether or not Olivia actually could swim, then again she had seemed fine previously. Last thing he wanted was needing to explain to the alpha how the beta suddenly drowned while he was around. He rushed out to the water, diving underneath when he reached where she suddenly had vanished. He swam down, not having to go to far to find Olivia and bring her back up to the surface of the water, dragging both him and Olivia to a more manageable depth.

"Well wasn't expecting to have to play lifeguard, he joked to lighten the mood ",You all right Olivia?"

Greyson's return home from England had been anything but relaxing. He'd gone straight to work helping around the village in an effort to make-up for the three days he'd been gone. His first night back he had spent out in the woods in his larger form, running the edge of the territory. Normally that would be the scout's job, but Greyson was just happy to be back and needed the release. As for the current day, he'd spent most of it in town buying a few necessities for the house and visiting with a few townsfolk he'd grown to call friends over the years. By mid-afternoon he'd returned home and put away all his things, managing to clean up a bit on the outside of his cabin, raking leaves and other bits of yard work that needed tending to. Once it was finished up, Greyson took it upon himself to take a quick break and get off his feet.

The young man shifted into his wolf form and padded off into the treeline at the edge of the pack's housing, plopping down beneath a nice shady tree as he watched the others for a bit as they too finished up their daily chores. It didn't take long for him to spot one of the other fighters of the pack, Mina, doing her usual _failed attempt at trying to court the Alpha. Again. Greyson couldn't help but smirk a little bit. Granted, Mina had been in the pack long before himself but he was surprised she was able to keep her place. He had much respect for Jude, for more important reasons but this one in particular... the guy sure had a lot of patience and tolerance when it came to the she-wolf and the way she held herself. Mina was beautiful, that much Greyson could admit, but the way she constantly looked at Greyson like he was an outsider left a bad taste in the young wolf's mouth. Seemed to prance around like everyone, including the Alpha at times, was beneath her.

Greyson watched the two till Jude handed over his table saw to the she-wolf and they both ventured off towards the tool shed, picking himself up off the ground before stepping back into the treeline to walk back to his home so as to not catch unwanted attention. Grey forced himself back into his human form as he walked, pulling his button-up shirt down to straighten out the creases and fixing the collar before breaking the tree-line once more. As he neared his front steps, Greyson could just barely make out voices of a couple other pack members. They sounded off in the direction towards the lake. Should he join them? No. There were some things to get done. Things he needed to make up for for being gone as long as he was. Greyson headed inside to get a change of clothes put on, something less dressy, and more fit for hard work around the property.


Today had been a pretty quiet day for Sky at the shop, having only had 2 customers her entire shift, not counting the one that came in just as she was clocking out. The customer was a usual she'd seen come in time and time again, the store owner being quite fond of the young woman. If Sky didn't know any better, she'd think they were family. Once Sky had collected her things from the back, she hesitated at the doorway with her hand on the bar.

"You sure you don't need me to do anything else be-"

"Sky," the woman cut her off with a tender smile, "Go home and enjoy your night. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye pretty boy!"

The pit bull didn't pay attention, his nose was stuck in the door jam waiting for it to open up. Sky smiled at her boss and shook her head. "I think he's ready to go home. We'll see you."

With that, she ducked out the front door and out into the warmth of the late-afternoon sun with her pooch off-leash at her heels. Tightening the straps on her canvas bag, Sky set off across the street once it was clear of traffic.

"What do you say, bud? Ice cream before we head home?" The pit's head tilted the instant she mentioned ice cream, his tail furiously wagging as he began to yip happily, twirling around in circles. "Alright, alright. Lets go, Moosers."

The two wandered up the street a couple of blocks before reaching their destination, Moose taking a seat at the door just outside of the business as Sky pushed her way through the door. Ordering herself a Rocky Road cone and a cup of vanilla with a little whipped cream added for Moose.

"I think I can handle it," Jude said curtly to Mina's flirtations. He didn't dislike Mina, but her attitude and her romantic advances rubbed him the wrong way. She was an attractive woman, sure, but he didn't see anything about her that spelled a potential lover. At least not for him.

When Jude shut the door of his own cabin behind him, he let out a sigh and began peeling his sweaty clothes off on the way to the bathroom. A hot shower was definitely what he needed to keep his muscles from getting too sore.



Anthony had already taken the first trunk upstairs to his room, and arrived back at the car to unload the second just as his new assistant arrived. Anthony straightened up from where he was leaning to unload the luggage, and turned to eye the kid up and down. He didn't look impressed.

"You're late," He snapped coldy. "Make yourself useful and take this upstairs." He hoisted the truck up and shoved it into Alex's arms. It was very heavy, and alluded to the hunter's strength to be able to lift and pass it so easily. Anthony shut the trunk of his car and locked it, then strode back inside without even so much as a glance over his shoulder to see if Alex had survived toting the heavy luggage. He didn't care.

Finally. It was over.

After hours of sorting, calculating, and balancing the books the dreaded 'Inventory Day' had come to an end. Not necessarily difficult work it was more tedious than anything. A full day of counting medications and medical supplies making sure everything was accounted for and what needed replacing. And that was only the first half. The second half was spent hunched over a desk, figuring up cost and balancing the pack's checkbook.This daunting process would be repeated several times until all numbers were exact. Ezra was nothing if not precise. Another trait he'd adopted from his mentor. God rest his soul. He was beginning to understand why the old bastard was always so grouchy.

Ezra pushed himself away from his desk, briefly rubbing the ache from his temples before standing. He could run his report by the alpha later. If he recalled correctly, Jude had spent the day working on the damaged cabin and Ezra really did not want to bother him. He doubted his fried brain could fully explain it anyhow at the moment. Business could wait- right now he needed a break.

He padded quietly to his kitchen deciding to brew some tea to stop his growing headache. Grabbing his warm mug, Ezra slipped on his shoes and headed out the front door. He'd spent more than enough time inside for one day, any longer and he feared he'd go mad. Ezra settled in one of the two rocking chairs on his porch letting himself finally unwind. He sipped his tea idly taking in the casual commotion of his fellow packmates.