Chapter 8: Ambush!

Suddenly there was a blood curdling scream coming from across the river, and even more loud panicked screams echoed through the trees. Very disturbing gurgled screams before everything went quiet. Ms. Hanna froze with fear as Toby continued to drag her hind legs across the soft earth.

When they made it to the railroad trestle, a shadow jumped off landing in front of them "Where you going in such a hurry?" he shouted.

Toby's eyes widened in horror, and he growled seeing the cloaked man's face grinning insanely. He had a goatee with wet blood trickling down corner of his chin.

"Ian! What the hell are you still doing on my turf!?" Toby yelled.

Ian's grin grew wider. "I happened to be in the neighborhood to say hello..." he said calmly before he quickly erupted with rage. "....and pay you back for breaking my fucking arm!" He shouted.

Ms. Hanna growled lowly, and the tufts of hair on the back of her neck stood up on end with her ears bent back. She charged at him before she let out a loud yelp as she was kicked through the trees into the river. Ian smirked after heard a loud splash before he walked towards Toby mockingly.

"It's only you and me, mutt...No one is going to save you now, not even your thrall of a mother" Ian said smugly.

Toby looked towards the river and gritted his teeth. He ran towards the riverbank, and he could hear Ms. Hanna's whimpers as she held onto a pillar to the trestle. "Just hold on!!" He yelled. He jumped onto a tree trunk, and he sprang off the trunk towards the top of the trestle.

"Don't you fucking ignore me!" Ian spat out grabbing onto Toby's leg and throwing him into the ground. Toby caught himself and swung around kicking his other leg free from Ian's grip before he launched himself back using his great upper body strength.

Ian laughed maniacally, and he started to transform. His clothes ripped to shreds as his body grew. His body morphed into a fearsome therian stage, and drool dripped from his mouth onto the ground. "You should learn your place, boy! I do not like to be taken lightly" he said in a very intimidating voice as he dug his nails into the wooden pylon.

Toby growled clenching his fists. "You're on my terms! All I have to do is stall you out, and my back up will come!!" He yelled.

Ian chuckled with amusement. "Your terms? We'll see whose terms we're on once your friends see you hanging off this bridge by your own entrails!" he shouted.

Toby transformed into his therian form and rammed himself into Ian's chest with bone crushing force. Ian pushed back, and both of their feet dug into the soil. Toby dropped himself to the ground and this caused Ian to lose his balance. Toby took advantage of the situation twisting Ian around and dropping onto the ground thrusting both feet into Ian's chest sending him sent flying skyward. Toby flipped onto his feet and jumped up toward Ian yelling. He landed a brutal upper-cut to Ian's Jaw, and Toby grabbed onto Ian's leg and threw him into the ground snapping another tree like a toothpick. Toby landed onto his feet, before he looked back to the river.

He ran to Ms. Hanna who was on the embankment recovering. "Are you okay?" He asked rubbing her back.

She licked Toby's muzzle with care and whimpered. "I'm okay...I'm just sore" She said.

He looked toward the direction Ian went, and he growled. "He'll be back... You need to go get help, I can only handle him for so long" He said. He reverted to his anthro form and his stretched out shredded shorts fell to the ground. She blushed at the sight as he reached into his pocket, and he handed her his phone.

She nodded and reverted to her anthro form. "I will..." She said timidly as she took his phone.

"Get a hold of Mr. Ulrich and Zoe! They are a mile away...I'll hold Ian off! For now" Toby said to her sternly as he transformed back into his therian form.

She nodded. "Just stay alive" She said. She started to go through his contacts and put her phone up to her ear as he stared down into space preparing himself for the trial that was yet to come. The wind started to pick up and swirl around him.

"Get out here! I know you're still here!" He screamed.

The laughter echoed throughout the forest. "Somebody help me!!" Another scream came nearby.

Toby eye twitched at the scent of blood. "Leave him alone!" he yelled. He saw something flying towards him, and he jumped as human body fell at his feet. It was a homeless man with the left side of his abdomen torn open exposing his internal organs, and blood still pouring out.

The man started to move and try to pick himself up. "I don't want to die!" he yelled. He reached down to his wound and then vomited from the sheer horror. Toby's stared in horror not being able to do anything but watch the poor man suffer before his very own eyes. "Somebody help me please!!" he screamed.

Toby leaned in, but once the man saw him, he screamed, "Get back!" as threw a stick at him. Toby caught the stick, and the man struggled to pry it free. Then he started screaming again and his hand slipped, and he fell back onto the ground through a bush. "Please! It hurts!" The man yelled as he dug his finger nails into the dirt.

"I guess you aren't a real werewolf Toby...I can't believe you didn't put him out of his misery. That's just plain cold" Ian said. Toby looked around as his temper began to boil before he jumped into the bush only to find no one there. "I thought you would put up more of a fight being his son! Or is that all you can do?" he asked.

Toby growled. "Why don't you come out here and face me...coward!" he yelled.

Ian laughed before he jumped from behind and bit into Toby's neck. Ian proceeded to punch Toby in the back knocking him off balance, and he grabbed Toby by the face before slamming the side of his head into a tree pinned down. "Disgusting little human lover!" Ian yelled. He began ramming his knee into Toby's back repeatedly. Toby timed himself whipped his tail into Ian's crotch, which he rolled out to grab Ian's arm. There was a loud snap as Toby tore Ian's ligaments as he twisted it violently. Ian yelped and roared, "You son of a bitch!" he grabbed his arm. Toby held onto his side one of his eyes swelled shut.

Ian roared as the wind continued to pick up and twigs showered from the trees above. Toby grabbed his eye in pain and trying to soothe it. "Where is everyone?" he muttered.

He stared into a mass of trees and the scent of blood, wet dog, and decaying flesh polluted the air. Ian ran deeper into the forest cursing while holding his arm.

Toby looked around in anticipation of an attack from his blind side. The leaves suddenly rustled behind him, and he turned around to see a raccoon. He sighed in relief then he growled feeling like an idiot realizing he was caught off guard again. "Fucking Raccoon" He said. He charged the raccoon, and it fled.

He looked up as Zoe up to him. "Hey! I got your call!" she said. She looked at him and snickered. "Wow, you look like you've seen better days!" she said. She looked around and gasped. "Toby! Look out!!" she cried out.

Toby heard a whoosh come from behind, and he turned around. He felt something hit him and pass threw his body tearing his innards in the process. "Toby!!" she screamed.

He could not breathe, and he fell. He did not fall completely back as she caught him. "Oh shit! Dad come quick! He needs help!" she hollered.

He gasped for air and whimpered in pain and began to tremble uncontrollably. He could not get up, and he felt blood trickling down his back and stomach. He looked down to see a 4 inch diameter metal pole that ran through his body.

Toby felt cold and saw Ian who was laughing triumphantly. "So here lays the mighty, Toby..."He said.

Toby growled. "You bastard!" He yelled.

"It's a pity you aren't with your father...I thought the Van helsings' would finish you off like your father...I'll soon rectify that and reunite you two!" He said grabbing the pole and yanking it out. The life in Toby's eyes faded as blood spilled out onto the ground. He reverted to his human from as his lifeless body collapsed onto Zoe. "I hope you have a nice dirt nap scum!" Ian muttered.

Zoe snarled at him. "You better start running! I'm not going to let you kill him too!" she yelled. She looked and the extent of his wound, and his entrails hung out. Ian tried to grab the girl only to get shot in the arm.

"Fucking hell!" Ian shouted before two more shots were fired hitting him in the chest with buckshot

Bernie was about five yards away dressed in his Sheriff uniform with his shotgun aimed at Ian. Two others figures with fur cloaks and tribal wolf masks accompanied Bernie on either side. "You'd be smart to leave now! Cause if he dies...I'm going after your head, Omega!" he yelled.

Ian bared his teeth at Bernie, which Bernie shot Ian in the face. "Fuck!" he shouted before he ran off with holding onto his face.

Bernie looked at his daughter who was trying to pick him up. "He's dying!" she cried. The two cloaked figures helped her carry his flaccid body away. She got into the back of the squad car as they place Toby on his back against her lap while she cradled his head.

Her father took her free hand into Toby's wound. "Try to stop the bleeding, you've taken Health class before right?" he asked.

She cringed as she felt around Toby's innards. "I'll try!" she said before she pinched off an artery.

Her father got into the squad car and slammed the door shut. "I'm taking him to Lilian! She's the closest werewolf with trauma experience" he said as he turned his flashing lights on.

The cloaked man frowned. "You think she's capable of working on her own son?" he asked.

Bernie frowned. "Call her! Let her know what's going on! I need her to be mentally prepared when we arrive!" he raised his voice.

The cloaked man slammed the back door shut, and Bernie sped off with his sirens blaring. Zoe stared at Toby as he struggled to breathe, and he suddenly vomited blood. "Shit! He's going downhill fast!" she shouted.

He growled pushing his car to its limit. "Just keep him from bleeding too much!" he shouted.

He shut off his lights as he drove pass a sign that said, "Park Ridge", but they sped through the neighborhood. Once they pulled into the driveway, Bernie slammed on his breaks and shut his lights off. Lilian running ran out the doors, and Bernie quickly opened the back door. Lilian saw Zoe's hand inside the hole in Toby's chest, and she fell to her knees gritting her teeth.

"Get him in on the cot in the living room!" she shouted pointing inside.

Zoe pulled her bloodied hand out as she helped her father pick Toby up. They carried him into the living room, and his blood trickled onto the white linen strewn on the floor up to the cot. Lilian rushed back inside and examined Toby's body. She began to hook him up with various medical machines, before she put her hand into her son's gaping wound. Zoe and her father began to walk out, and he blocked Sasha from coming inside.

"What's going on!?" She shouted.

Lilian looked up at Zoe. "Thanks...you don't know how much you helped out" she said.

Zoe nodded before she walked out helping block Sasha out. "Sasha! Go home!" she shouted.

Sasha looked at the blood on the ground before she looked back up at the blood that splattered all over Zoe and Bernie's clothes. "Whose blood is this!?" she shouted. She began to panic and held her hand up over her heart. "Its Toby's isn't it?" she asked.

Zoe grimaced, and Bernie looked away. Sasha's family came out and looked at the scene. "What's going on Sasha?" her father.

Bernie approached them holding his hands up. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to give them space" he said firmly.

Sasha rushed the door, and Zoe grabbed her arm. "No! Sasha! Don't go in there! You mustn't come into contact with his blood" she pleaded.

Sasha stopped and looked at her worried. "Can I see him?" she asked.

Zoe looked at the ground troubled. "I'd rather you didn't. He got fucked up really bad" she muttered.

"Please..." Sasha begged her.

Zoe growled lowly and bit into her cheek. "Just don't go in" she warned her as she opened the door. As Toby got into view her's eyes widened and became catatonic, which Zoe whimpered uncomfortable. "Go home...Please..." she advised her.

Bernie looked back and frowned. Zoe walked up to her father and glared at them. "Toby got shot!" she said grimly.

"He was found by the Plaid Pantry. It was a drive-by. I just came to tell his mother the news. The blood came off from me after I assisted in transport" He said.

Zoe walked over to Sasha, and she touched her on the shoulder. "Try to make it so Toby is in the hospital...okay?" she asked.

Sasha nodded, but she stared at tall amorphous figures near Toby's body. Zoe looked at her oddly. "Sasha? You alright?" she muttered.

"Who's that?" Sasha muttered as she could only see one of the figures as the other was too faded.

"Who's what?" Zoe asked having overheard her. Sasha held her hand up to signal for her to hold on.

"D-dad!? Where am I!?" Toby shouted.

"Toby?" Sasha muttered as she watched the figures interact.

Toby felt his father's warm hand on his shoulder. "That does not matter now. I'm just glad you are here" Steele said in his German accent.

"My you've grown...a lot" his father said with amusement.

Toby looked back to see his own cold lifeless body causing him to tremble. "Am I...Dead?" He asked before he looked back towards his father.

His father chuckled. "Of course not...just...it's a near death experience. But don't dwell on it. I have many things to discuss with you" he said in a stern voice.

Toby frowned. "What is it?" He asked.

His father frowned at him. "I'm aware that you still think that you could have done something to stop my death. Just stop...what's done is done" he said.

Toby looked down at the ground. "How could humans kill you...They shouldn't have been able to kill you!" he said.

His father sighed. "No one is invincible...not even me. I didn't die from the bullets...I died from the poison. You survived the bullet too...you remember don't you?" he asked.

"No..." Toby lied. He looked up at him worried. "If it weren't for me, you'd be still alive" he said.

His father smiled faintly. "There wasn't a better outcome...and I wasn't going to allow them to kill another of my pups" he said. He frowned watching Lilian cry. He walked to her, and he set his hand on her back. "Be strong" he whispered into her ear. Lilian sniveled and looked back towards the doorway seeing Sasha transfixed on something.

"He told you to be strong" Sasha muttered.

Lilian stared at her. "Who?" she asked.

"Your husband" Sasha answered.

Lilian gasped. "You can see Steele?" she asked.

Sasha nodded. "I can, and I can see Toby...not very well though" she said.

"Let's keep it that way! I'm not going to lose Toby too!!" she yelled as stuck a breathing tube into her son's throat before she stroked his forehead. "My poor puppy..." she muttered.

•••

Steele took Toby by the arm. "You'll live...just come with me! I need to talk to you in private" he said looking over towards Sasha. Toby gulped as he was drug through the wall out into the backyard. Steele looked at Toby and he nodded sternly. "I want you to know that not everyone in the clan have the same views as we do. Peter one of their spokesmen, and he knows that what you're becoming is going to threaten his work..." he said.

Toby frowned. "...becoming what?" he interrupted.

Steele sighed. "You are getting stronger, faster, and smarter...You are a unique type of werewolf. You are different than all of us. What makes you different also gives you an advantage. Your test is coming, I'm sure of it...I guarantee that you will shine. You saved many lives thus far" He said.

Toby looked at Steele shocked. "Test? Advantages?" He asked. He looked away feeling uncertain.

Steele nodded. "Ian is forming an army...he's going to attack Portland again. You're right to be suspicious about Peter. His ideologies align with Ian's, but most importantly your judgement will be very important here on out. The ending of this story could end bittersweet or it can end a lot more sour" He said. Steele looked off towards Sasha's house. "Humans would have eventually found us out. I was working on an alternative before I was assassinated. There are things set into place for that day, so don't you worry about that until they contact you" he said. He smiled faintly. "Whatever you do, make sure you can do what's best for Sasha. I approve of her" he said proudly.

Toby looked down and frowned. "Who's they?" he asked.

Steele paused. "Well, you'll be contacted by Don of the Supernatural Administration or SAD. They are the copy of the Supernatural Affairs Ministry, which I worked for. Their job is to manage and mediate human-supernatural relations. Unlike SAM, this country has but large limitations in their functions, and they've had a lot of their budget cut the last 3 decades" he said before he sighed. "There has been a campaign of disinformation used by Peter to paint SAD as culpable for my death.

The truth is that it's not black and white. I suspect that Peter tipped off the hunters. How would the hunters know my exact location, my code to the gate, that I was the Alpha and that no Gammas would intervene? I should have followed my gut when a lot of Gamma's reported sick when Haley went on her honeymoon" he said.

Toby snarled and clenched his fist. "Why have the Elders not done anything about it?" he asked.

Steele shook his head. "There were no witnesses or evidence to support it, Toby, but I find the circumstance to be more than a coincidence. SAD knows that my death would create a power vacuum. Even though Bernie was my second-in-command it didn't make him my permeant successor. Peter knew this so did everyone else. Bernie had a good idea that Peter was responsible, so when he ran he told everyone to write down who they felt was not looking for power. When Pete became alpha's the Elders were not going to give him all the power.

Technically speaking, you could give your wishes to the elders or Bernie, and if they find it reasonable, they can make the gammas do it. You are still the Alpha, and they are far from denying you experience. They could have discounted the votes for you, but they didn't. You are not incompetent but incapacitated. If the alpha's incapacitated, a moderator can go and tell the elders, which the elders can override the interim alpha's commands. You can yourself act as the moderator and tell them directly. You can even have them make another wolf be the interim alpha" he said.

Toby stared at him in shock. "Why hasn't anyone told me this!?" he asked.

Steele laughed. "They don't know the laws like I do. The elders can't influence you, but they can tell you what you can do if you ask them" he said before he slapped his son on the back. "You should get some rest. Trust me you'll feel great in a couple of days. Getting impaled in the abdomen won't be hard to heal from. I'll always be with you just call, man I miss talking with my boy" He said.

Toby smiled faintly. "Love you dad!" Toby said before fading.

"I love you too, Toby" Steele said before Toby was completely vanished.

•••

A van pulled up into the driveway and Bjorn rolled down his window looking at Bernie. "How is he?" he asked.

Sasha's parents looked towards the coach, but they remained silent listening in on the conversations. Bernie frowned. "He'll live, but he'll be out for a couple days" he said.

"That's good news right?" Todd blurted out.

His parent glared at him, and his father pointed towards the door. "Go to bed!" he demanded.

Bjorn walked up to Sasha, and he touched her shoulder gently. She looked back at him with tears welling up in her eyes. "I want you to give Toby's mother space to work on him. It may take day and a half for him to completely heal" he said before he looked up at Zoe. "You alright?" he asked.

Zoe looked at him silently, but she was very enraged. Bernie looked back at her understanding her platonic feelings towards Toby. "Zoe, you should call in sick tomorrow. I don't think it would be a good idea for you to be around customers" he said.

Zoe glared at him. "I'm going to fuck him up next time I see him!" she shouted.

Sasha's dog came out and sniffed the blood on the ground. She whimpered looking up at Bernie before she nipped at her hand firmly and tugged on it. She looked at her dog then at Bernie wondering if he instructed her dog to escort her away. "You sad too?" she asked.

Bjorn walked inside before he looked back at her. "Try to get some rest Sasha...but please understand! If you come into contact with Toby's blood, you'll have a strong chance in contracting lycanthropy. You can comeback in the morning when everything is cleaned up" he said, and he shut the door.

Sasha's head sank before she turned back with her dog at her side. Her parents looked on helpless, and her mother touched her shoulder gently. Sasha looked up as her tears ran down her cheek. Her father gritted his teeth before he walked back into the house. Sasha saw her father sitting in his chair staring into the fire place in deep thought. She quietly went upstairs to her room and her brother looked at her concerned.

"They said he'll be better in no time" He said optimistically.

Sasha glared at him. "Go to bed!" she snapped at him.

She went into her room and jumped into her bed clutching onto her wolf plushie very tightly. Her dog jumped into the bed and lay beside her watching over her intensely. She reached over to scratch behind her ears before she eventually fell asleep.

•••

The next afternoon, Toby woke up in his bed. He looked around trying to locate where the beeping noises were coming from. He was hooked up to a Cardiopulmonary Bypass machine and a crash cart was near his bedside. He felt the fresh clean medical sheets on his bed, and he soon felt something or someone holding onto his hand. He looked to his other side to see Sasha there holding him dearly sleeping hunched over with her head into the bed. "Sasha?" He muttered weakly. He put his arm around her and whimpered at the sharp twinges of discomfort.

She jerked her head up in response to his whimpering. "Toby please...save your strength. You almost died four times last night" She said. She got up to hug him before she cried into his chest. "I was so scared...I thought you weren't going to make it!" she said sadly.

He frowned feeling terrible. "I'm sorry...I'm not leaving you" He said. He stroked the side of her face and cringed in pain again.

Lilian walked in with a basin of hot water and a towel on a tray as well as a female doctor walked in behind. "I see Toby is up..." she said happily. She was a shorter than Sasha and petite.

His mother she glared at him. "Do you know the torment you put Sasha and the rest of us through? Baka!" She asked calmly although passive-aggressively as she set down the tray.

The doctor flipped through her tablet and smiled. "The werewolf physiology really something else isn't it?" she asked before she removed Toby's covers just enough to examine his wound. "I recommend adding more fruits and vegetables to get his platelet count back to normal. It's a miracle he was able to clot at all with the numbers he's got" she said.

His mother glared at him. "I told you to eat more greens!" she scolded him.

He looked at Sasha curiously. "How long were you here?" He asked.

His mother frowned. "Sasha came to the house a 5 o'clock wanting to know if you were okay! Tai had to keep her from coming in, but she didn't leave your side once we did let her in. Thank goodness you're a werewolf that's all I have to say" she said.

He frowned. "Tai was here?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yea...They found a bunch of bodies over in Hood River. It happened the same time you were attacked" she said.

He frowned. "Ian's not alone then..." he muttered.

She grabbed the towel and dipped it into the basin. "Sit up!" Lilian said as she pulled it out water dripping back into the bowl. She smiled cleaning around the wound. "You're healing up very nicely..." She said touching his small intestine. "Yep..." she said. Toby shivered.

The doctor leaned in and pulled out a flash light looking into his back. "Well, his intestines have healed up. I'll be applying fresh muscle and skin tissue very shortly, and by the end of the day his wound should be completely closed off" she said.

Sasha stared into the wound, and she freaked out. "What the?! Your wounds..." She said.

Toby chuckled and looked at Sasha proudly. "Ya, well it still hur...Ow? Son of a bitch?" Toby soon cursed as Lilian started cleaning the inside of the wound with hydrogen peroxide.

"Sit still...you don't want to knock off the clotting!" His mother said.

His muscle tensed, and he grimaced. "What the hell! Did you get the 'Extra burns' kind?!" He yelled.

"Yes!!...Now shut up!" she said putting more of the medicine on his wound, and White bubbles foamed in from his wound.

He whimpered. "This fucking sucks? Damn it! Why Peroxide!?" He muttered.

"You're lucky your mother is a doctor because you'd be dead right now young man!" she said as she rubbed some kind of cream on his wounds.

The doctor nodded. "She's right! I wouldn't have gotten her in time" she added.

He whimpered. "I'm sorry" He said weakly. He sighed slowly. "I saw dad...He's warned me about Ian...and he's going to attack Portland...I just don't know when yet" He said before he cringed as he inhaled slowly.

His mother pulled out a fresh dressing and cotton patch from the plastic tub and placed the patch on his wounds wrapping the dressing around his mid-section. Toby was feeling a little better after the numbing cream took full effect.

"Just focus on healing my little Warrior...we'll have your tissue finished printing in a couple hours" she said kissing him on the forehead.

He lay back down slowly and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, I got distra..." He said again before passed out as the doctor injected a sedative into his IV drip.

Sasha hugged his head and rested the side of her head on his neck. She wrapped his arm around her back, and he unconsciously pulled her into the bed with him while he flipped himself to his side. He was not aware of his actions, and he held her like a plushie. She stiffened as he nuzzled his nose into her hair and took in a deep breath.

His mother laughed at her reaction. "You'll have to get used to that...It's werewolf instincts" she said before the doctor snickered.

"Just don't be surprised when he starts nipping at your hair while mating" the doctor teased. The doctor grinned. "Just wait until he's healed" she said.

Sasha went completely red. "Uh...we aren't...um..." she muttered.

The doctor quickly went back to making notes in her tablet. "Can you bring Toby over to my clinic soon?" she asked Lilian.

She nodded. "Yea, I'm surprised just how big he's gotten" she said.

The doctor snickered. "His growth rate should bring wonderful data for our researchers" she said.

"You have your own researchers?" Sasha interjected.

Lilian nodded. "Well yea, we got to know about ourselves somehow. I'm only a doctor who treats humans. Dr. Lovejoy here specializes with werewolf physiology. I've been interning for her since I became engaged with Steele. There are researchers who specialize in certain things relating to werewolves. They call themselves Whywolves" she said before the Doctor snickered to the reference.

Sasha grinned. "I didn't know you guys watched cartoons!" she shouted happily.

Lilian nodded. "Well of course! We watched anime as well" she said before she looked towards the doctor who was snickering to herself still.

"We aren't that old Sasha" she said before she cleared her throat. "We can get pretty old if given the chance" she said.

Sasha frowned and looked towards Toby. "So how does aging work?" she asked.

The doctor paused. "Well, it depends on lifestyle, but once they reach maturity, their aging is sixty percent slower than a humans. Healthy diets can slow it to a ninety percent. Toby's father had an insanely slow aging rate. He was a hundred years old when he fathered Toby and he looked 35" she said.

Lilian blushed. "Yea, that took me a while to get him to spit out his true age. I was born in 1980 and I look nowhere near 50" she said.

Sasha gulped. "Did Toby's dad have any kids before?" she asked.

Lilian let out a heavy sigh and the Doctor nodded. "He did have a daughter, although...she was killed by a hunter in Alaska. Her mother went off the deep end and split" she said before she looked towards Toby. "Toby's the only pup alive that was from Steele...that we know of" she said.

Lilian sighed as Zoe climbed in from the window. "Hey, how's Toby doing?" she asked as she opened her backpack and sat homework onto the desk.

"You know we have a door" Lilian scolded her.

Sasha smiled faintly. "He's doing much better" she said before she grinned. "Hey! How old are your parents? How many siblings do you have?" she asked.

Zoe stared at her. "Why do you want to know that? My mom and dad are like ancient" she said before she sat in the chair and swiveled it around. "I have ten brothers and four sisters. I may the middle child...but I'm the strongest!" she said before she gave a toothy grin.

Sasha's smile faded away. "So, you're going to be alright?" she asked.

Zoe made a straight face. "Yea, I'll be fine" she said lowly as she watched him.

Sasha looked back over to the doctor. "So how long is a werewolf's reproductive years?" she asked.

The doctor scratched her head. "Well, I'm not sure, but I would have to say we can reproduce indefinitely. None of us lived long enough to experience menopause or a decrease in quality in reproductive material especially with nondisjunction. Typically women will enter estrous cycle during their transition phase, and it doesn't matter if the woman was in post-menopausal. Their aging was reversed during the transition phase. We're trying to find out why" she said.

"Oh, so is this tied into a werewolf's ability to regenerate quickly?" Sasha asked which the doctor nodded swiftly. "That's so cool!" Sasha squealed with a wide grin.

•••

Couple hours later, Toby yawned, and He looked down feeling something breathing in his arms, which Sasha was in a peaceful slumber. He did not know what to do with her, so he stayed in bed to wait for her to wake up.

His mother came into the room giggled at him. "Well looks like you got a new snuggle buddy, eh Toby?" She asked. She set more medical supplies down on the desk before she walked up, and sat on the edge of the bed. You look like you're able to walk around now" She said before she pulled out the needles from Toby's arm. She disconnected him from the heart monitor, and Zoe came into the room.

"Hey" she said softly as she leaned into the threshold.

He relaxed watching his mother put away the medical equipment. "I'm still going to have you stay in the house for at least a day or two" she said.

He groaned. "What!? Why!?" he protested.

Zoe rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Sasha's parents some of what happened. We told them you got shot. Normally people don't heal in just under a day, nuff said" she said.

He sat up and Sasha woke up in a daze, and she looked up at them quietly. His mother looked at Zoe and then Sasha smiling awkwardly and sighed. "Could you leave for a sec? You don't have to leave the house...Just I need to get to the bandage off, and he needs to put on clothes" she said.

Sasha and Zoe both blushed. "You mean Toby was naked the whole time?" Sasha shrieked as she got out of the bed.

His mother unwrapped the dressing on his midsection, and once the patch was removed, Sasha gasped seeing nothing but healthy skin. "Oh my god! Toby!! You don't even have a scar. How is...this is so weird!!" she shouted in disbelief.

He laughed. "I'm a werewolf Sasha" he said happily.

Zoe grabbed her arm and pulled her out. "Come on! You can investigate later!" she shouted as she drug her out of the room.

His mother smirked at the girls before she started touching his chest. "Well...I don't think you'll be needing more bandages" she said while she began cleaning up her work area.

He felt his stomach on fire, and he cringed. His fangs enlarged, and he growled at the hunger pains. "I need food!!" He muttered after jumping out of the bed.

His mother grabbed him by the arm and growled. "Put some clothes on! There are ladies in the house!" she shouted.

He looked back at her and stared at her. "I was..." he said.

"Sure you were!" Zoe exclaimed from the other side of the door.

He rolled his eyes and began to get dressed, while his mother sealed up and discarded needles and contaminated items into a biohazard bin. He looked back at his mother who was still being very thorough with her cleaning. "You let Sasha in here with my blood everywhere?" he asked.

His mother looked up at him and nodded. "This is nothing compared to last night. I thought her everything she needed to know" she said before she picked up the bin. "Open the door for me" she requested.

He opened the door, and his mother walked out. "Thanks for helping out" she told Zoe and Sasha as she passed by them.

Sasha looked at Toby in amazement as he stood there like nothing happened the night before. As he left the room, she rushed up and wrapped her arms around him tightly burying her face into his chest. "I'm so happy you're all better" she said.

He blushed as she clutched onto his shirt, and Zoe watched with interest as he slowly transformed in his girlfriend's arms. His stomach interrupted them, and he laughed nervously. "I gotta eat!" he said.

Sasha looked up and let him go, but she smiled as she reached up to stroke his jawline as his fur grew in. "Okay big bad" she said.

Zoe snickered. "Go get 'em big bad" she teased him.

He scowled at her and he jumped off over the stair banister onto the ground floor, while his mother ascended them. She looked down at him and growled. "Hey! Quit horsing around!" she scolded him.

Sasha looked towards her curiously. "So, um...since y'all have such acute senses...how do y'all deal with being in such close spaces? Is there any privacy?" she asked.

Lilian stared at her blankly before she smiled. "Yea, there isn't really a private conversation in this Den. You'd have to turn up music to encrypt anything you want to have private" she said.

Zoe grinned. "Oh and be sure to clear out the air after you do anything intimate..." she added.

Suddenly there was a loud clattering as the pans started crashing into the floor, and Lilian jumped. "Shit..." Toby muttered. He picked up the pans.

Lilian sighed. "Excuse me for a sec" she said before she left the room. She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. She saw the mess and gasped. "What in the hell are you doing!?" she yelled. Sasha and Zoe both giggled upstairs.

"Uh...making Lunch..." He said.

She looked at the heavy duty pot with several Macaroni and Cheese boxes of the noodles, the packages of cheese, and un-boiled water all in the pot. "That's not how you make Mac'n Cheese!" she yelled. The laughter upstairs grew even harder and out of control at this point.

"Not the way I make it" He muttered.

"Get outta here?" She yelled yanking him out of the kitchen.

He scampered off and ran upstairs, and he sniffed his arm pit and twitched. "I'm going to the waterfall and clean off...I smell like sanitizer" He said as he walked passed the girls.

Sasha cocked her head. "Waterfall?" She asked.

Zoe laughed. "He means shower...Toby forgets most of the time to drop the werewolf vernacular when he's talking to a human or not" she said.

Sasha nodded then smiled happily. "So werewolves don't talk like that around humans normally right?" She asked. She grinned widely. "What if he just sees me as a follow wolf?" she suggested.

Zoe shrugged. "Meh, you're his girlfriend" she said before she smirked. "...But I could teach you a couple of things about being a wolf" she said.

Sasha's face lit up "Okay!" she shouted with excitement.

Zoe cleared her throat. "Well, there's several things we do differently than humans. First off, we don't do much PDA, we like to take our wolf man out back to devour his face if you know what I mean" she said, which Sasha blushed madly and nodded.

"Second, we're very open to mating outdoors. The less confined the better. Third, winter is like breeding season almost" she continued on before she nudged her. "Be adventurous don't be afraid to rough him up and be unconventional to spice things up" she whispered into her ear.

Sasha gulped and nodded. "So...can he smell whenever I am on my...you know?" she asked shyly.

Zoe nodded. "Oh yea! He'll know what your body is doing even to the most embarrassing detail" she said. She cleared her throat. "Toby will vomit and act weird just to let you know" she said.

Sasha frowned. "Is that sort of thing normal?" she asked.

Zoe shrugged. "Mom says it is" she said.

•••

Meanwhile in the bathroom, Toby examined his body to see no scar on him what so ever. His wolf like hairs sprouted from the freshly repaired skin. He soon turned the water on, and he stepped into the shower and stared off into space thinking about the things that were happening. He just started his senior year of high school; Ian is back; he has a girlfriend; he was almost killed again...all in the same week.

"What am I going to do?" He muttered to himself. He put his face in the water, and he felt it hit his face and trickle down his body. "Damn...What am I supposed to do?" He muttered.

He thought about Sasha's safety when he introduces her to the clan. He growled as he grabbed the bottle of shampoo and opened it upside-down and some of the contents squirted into the bathtub. "Damn it!" he muttered. He lathered the shampoo and turned to rise when he slipped. There was a loud crash as he slipped back. His butt hit the bottom of the tub, and his head and back slammed into the wall. He yelped and rubbed the back of his head, but he got back up little disoriented but unhurt.

He heard a knock on the door. "You okay in there Toby!?" She called from the other side.

He snapped out of his daze. "Yea I'm fine...I think..." He muttered as he skidded around on the slick surface, while he carefully rinsed off his head. The back of his head grew a throbbing bump from his little trip, and he looked back at the wall seeing a respectable sized dent.

"He's too sturdy to hurt himself that way" Zoe told Sasha.

Sasha cleared her throat. "Um...so...what do y'all look like during the winter? You have winter coats don't you?" she asked.

Zoe nodded. "Ho yea! We look like fat big balls of fuzz" she joked.

Toby shut the water off and shook off the excess water off his body like a dog before he stepped out of the shower. He looked at the mirror, but he looked away seeing someone seeing he resembled his father.

He quickly grabbed a towel off the rack and dried off before he walked out of the bathroom. Zoe and Sasha looked at him curiously, and he stopped looking very confused. "What?" he muttered.

"So, are you starting to grow your winter coat?" Sasha asked.

He looked at her oddly. "Uh why?" he asked.

She blushed. "Oh...I just wanted to know when you start to grow it and shed it" she said before she looked towards Zoe. "Is there much of a shedding problem?" she asked.

He stared at them mortified and walked into his room. Zoe snickered at him before she nodded to her question. "Yea, but it's nothing you can't handle. Just sit him down and run a hair pick and vacuum over him. Wolves his size will take like two hours to do" she said.

Lilian walked up to them smiling. "You can actually just spend an hour each day during spring. It's great bonding time" she said as she leaned into the wall. "Oh, and that goes for shampooing his fur" she added.

Toby stepped out of his room wearing out a pair a black shorts and a blue t-shirt that said, "I'm the wolf" in yellow lettering and there was an air brush picture of a wolf's head. Sasha looked at his shirt raising an eye brow. "I can't believe you are wearing that! Are you insane? Don't you want people to not know what you are?" She asked.

He cocked his head cutely before he grinned. "But I always wear this...I'm proud of what I am" he said slapping himself on the chest.

Zoe cleared her throat. "You know...around here people would think the wolf is his spirit animal. Not that he is a werewolf" she corrected her.

Sasha paused a moment before she laughed. "Wow...why didn't I notice that before? It's so obvious now!" she said.

He laughed. "Reverse Psychology my friend...You would think a smart werewolf like me would be afraid of clueing people in on my secret? But you know...I just do it to mess with people's heads also...everything I do is subliminal and for the ones that catch on, everyone else with think they are crazy. Sure got you doing some crazy things in the school didn't I?" He said.

Sasha smirked. "So that explains using that strange dialect of yours, huh?" She teased.

He scowled and rubbed the back of his head. "Uh...yea let's go with that..." He said nervously before his stomach growled again.

His mother smiled. "Lunch is on the table" she told him. She cleared her throat loudly as he was about to jump off the banister again. He stopped and looked back at his mother shaking her head with a very intimidating scowl. He gulped and quietly walked down the stairs slowly. "That's much better!" she said with approval.

She looked towards Sasha and grinned. "You have to speak to a wolf man with authority! Get him to fear your wrath" she shouted with confidence.