Chapter Two

The room was spacious and followed a modern theme like the rest of the house. The bed was a squared box frame with broad black boards in a geometric design on the headboard. The sheets were white, the bedspread was black. My bag sat on one side, waiting for me. There was a bathroom off to one side, and it looked like the whole back half of the house was one-way glass, or at least I hoped it was as I got dressed. The room felt sterile and institutional, not at all homey.

I took a quick shower, scrubbing away the dirt, taking time to wash my waist length hair. I didn't blow dry it, because I didn't have one and I liked how it looked naturally when it air dried. The soaps I used were all unscented. A hint Jason had told me about being able to strengthen your nose. Scented perfumes, soaps, and shampoos only deadened your natural scent which your nose can ignore, but foreign scents cloud your receptors. It made sense, so I didn't buy scented soap and shampoo, which is harder to find than you might think. Jason started sending me things like that to my PO Box he had opened up for me. Jason is like my godfather. He took me under his wing and has taken care of me ever since.

I pulled out my phone when I had gotten dressed. I let the towel stay around my shoulders as my hair dried to keep my clothes from getting wet. The phone rang until it went to voicemail. He had it set to an automated message prompting me to leave a message with my name and number, but I never really understood why it did that because these days everyone has caller ID on cells.

"It's me," I said and hung up.

I waited a moment, and he called back. I answered on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"How are you, moonpie?" He greeted.

"I'm alive," I answered

"What do you need?" Jason asked, his voice telling me he was worried.

"I'm officially rogue, I ventured out on my own. Slipped right out from under their noses." I stated.

"Under their noses my ass, I watched your flight from oppression on the news. You made quite the exit my dear," he laughed. "Glad you got a new prepay then. Do you need me to send you money?"

"No, I'm alright for now. I've got enough to disappear until the fire dies down." I said, smiling a bit to myself, I stopped when I realized he couldn't see it. He was the only person I really smiled around, and not just because he took care of me. He understood what it was like. "I accidently crossed into pack territory on my way out of town. They are keeping me here until their alpha comes back to decide what to do with me. I'm a bit skeptical, but when am I not? The beta seems to be on my side, but everyone else seems like they would kill me on sight."

"You're in Il Duce Luna pack territory, just don't start any fights and you should be alright, I'll see if I can meet up with you when you get out of there. I'll call you tomorrow and give you the details of where we can meet." Jason said.

"What do I need to know about Duce Luna?" I asked stumbling over the foreign words.

"Il Duce Luna," he emphasized. "The alpha's name is Stefan Greyson, he has the strongest pack in the Americas. He's powerful, rich, and stern. He's also young. I think he's twenty one, maybe twenty two now, but he's done remarkably well. He's built that pack up from ground zero since he was forced to take over when his dad died at sixteen. He played the stock market and was pretty damn good at it."

"What about how he may deal with me?"

"Well, word on the street is, is that he went to a pack across the country looking for his mate, hasn't found her. So he may be a little testy unless you talk to him after he gets laid when he gets back. Generally, dealing with you will be the first thing he does when he gets back, just remember, you aren't in his pack, but you are on his land and at his mercy if he decides you're a threat." He said. "He is fair when it comes to situations like this. Don't give him a reason not to be."

"Okay," I chuckled. "I'm not that hard to get along with."

"You have a problem with authority, it's understandable." His words were stern, but his tone was lighthearted.

"Well, I've been invited to lunch and I haven't eaten since I made my break. So I'll talk to you tomorrow, bye." I said cheerfully.

"Alright, don't be too mean, bye." He laughed.

I felt my heart sink a bit when the line went dead. I hated how I was so alone here, but as soon as I got out of here, it would be smooth sailing; me and Jason could head to a quiet place in the woods in the middle of nowhere for a while. We'd make a bit of money and move on to the next town. Live as we please, and free. It sounded perfect to me.

Jason was like a father to me. He knew what it was like being raised human. He was raised on a monastery with actual monks until he was sixteen. He never gave me all the details about the man who raised him. Jason always called him The Priest. When Jason shifted for the first time, The Priest was the only one around when it happened, and instead of going crazy and catatonic, he held Jason cradled to his chest until it was over and took him outside wrapped in a blanket to the woods. When Jason returned the next day, The Priest had volume upon volume of books all about the lore of werewolves cracked open, looking for evidence of more shifters. The only solid lead he did find was about a medium sized pack with a description that was not unlike Jason's.

Someone was walking toward my door, I could smell them. It was a male, and he was unmated. I could hear him walk up to the door as if he were about to knock, then back away. He seemed nervous maybe. So I walked up to the door and opened it, realizing it was Erik when I got a good whiff of his putrid cologne. I could tell he wore some kind of Polo aftershave and it tried to compete with his wolf scent, and it turned into just a putrid combination to my sensitive nose.

"Ummm, hi" Erik said smiling at me when he regained his composure.

"Is it time to eat?" I asked.

"Yes, about that, I told them you were coming to eat and I just don't know if that is such a great idea, but I'll have Stella bring you something." He said

"Sure, but honestly I would rather go hunt." I admitted. I hated being cooped up like a prisoner, I needed to be outside.

"If I let you have free reign of the place," Erik stammered unsure of himself, "I mean the other pack members aren't going to be understanding and I don't want them trying to pick a fight with you. And how do I know that you aren't going to try and make a run for the border?"

"I can take care of myself," I growled. "Just send an escort to make sure I don't try to pull a cowboy and slip across the Rio Grande." I pushed past him grumbling and fuming.

My black hair whipped behind me like a billowing fabric as I made my way downstairs in a fury. I knew my eyes would be black because they changed color when I got angry. When I got really angry they turned ice blue like my wolf.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do when I got downstairs but it seemed that everyone had started filling their plates buffet style. They had formed a line, and even if I wanted human food I was sure to be dead last now, so it wasn't really worth going to get food if all the good stuff would be gone. I'd have better luck hunting. I wasn't about to make sure I had my requested escort. I just walked out the front door, daring someone to say something.

I ran into the woods, only now hearing Erik shouting at some of his men to follow me. I didn't care as long as they didn't slow me down. I paid them no attention as I started stripping off my clothes as soon as I was in cover of the trees. I tossed my clothes next to a tree and started running, changed mid-stride and took off. I got about two miles out and stopped, searching for scents in the air. Anything that was worth eating, a deer maybe, or a rabbit, a mountain lion would be fun.

I started stealthily walking through the woods down an old deer path, it wasn't long before I picked up the scent of a herd. I followed their trail at a safe trot so I could catch up to them without alerting them that they were being hunted. I held myself back from charging at them, I may be faster than them, but where's the sport in that? I would be exerting unnecessary energy. When I knew I was getting close I veered from their trail and sniffed the air, they were in a clearing just ahead of me. Circling around them I quietly made my way close enough to see which one I would go for. Upon inspection, there was one buck, two does, and one fawn. The buck was more of a challenge, and I ran the risk of getting gored with one of his antlers if he tried to fight. The doe's meat would taste better, but I couldn't eat that much and I hated to let a good kill go to waste. The fawn, well that would just make me feel guilty, it even looked like Bambi. If I killed one of the does I could be killing the fawn's mother. Looks like I was gunning for the challenge.

I wanted a good bit of fun anyway, I thought as I moved in. I crept forward trying to get as close as I could before I alerted any of them. Slowly, oh so slowly I moved in, and then I heard the one thing I hadn't thought of, Erik's foot soldiers barreling through the forest hot on my trail. The sound of them running spooked the herd and I had to make my move before I was ready. I ran and leaped up, catching the deer behind his head on his neck, digging my paws into his sides, I snapped his neck and when I felt the buck go lifeless as he started to fall I jumped off and watched my prey fall.

I spun around as Erik's wolves barreled into the clearing. I growled at them, my kill. They backed up to the edge of the clearing and laid down, telling me they would wait but they weren't leaving. I didn't care, I was hungry.

Turning to my buck I bit into his jugular and let him bleed out. I felt his blood ooze over my muzzle when I hit the artery. I backed up and lay down. As I waited I licked the blood from my muzzle and watched for when the blood would stop gushing from the buck. It took maybe five minutes, but as soon as the blood drained I dug in. When I had my fill I didn't want the meat to go to waste, so I backed up and looked at the wolves gazing hungrily at my kill and motioned for them to get their fill. They happily ran up to it and in no time the carcass was picked clean.

I had been lying in the sun resting, letting the food settle in my now full stomach. When they had finished they waited for me to start the way back so they could escort me, probably afraid I would make a run for it. As if, my clothes were by the house. They didn't box me in like before when I started back toward the pack house, following my scent the way I came in. I could tell the wolves behind me were having their own conversation in their heads, most likely about me.

When I got to where my clothes were I shifted back and got dressed, not caring about modesty anymore. I just wanted to get into bed, I hadn't really slept much considering all the running I had been doing, but the deer meat had given me the energy refill I had needed. When I walked into the pack house they were all still there. All the glares returned. I wanted to scream, but knew that if I said anything I could just start unwanted trouble and the last thing I needed was more trouble. I had had enough of trouble to last a lifetime. No matter how much I wanted to yell at the wolves in sheep's clothing around the room, I knew that they were mere followers in this pack. Their opinions of me really didn't matter since I was leaving soon anyway. I started to make my way back up the stairs, thinking to myself that they were going to judge me no matter who I was.

"Wait," one lone voice called out.

I stopped and waited, I could feel my brow crease in confusion before I smoothed my features back to emotionless.

"My name is Deana Brown, but you can call me DNA," she said sticking out her hand.

I was caught off guard and found myself placing my hand in hers and shaking it.

"Welcome to Il Duce Luna," she smiled. "What's your name?"

"Jez," I said feeling my mouth twitch, the closest I had come to a smile in a long time, with the exception of when I talked to Jason.

"Oh, one name things like Cher and Madonna," she chirped brightly. "I like that, is it short for something?"

"Yes," I said lightly.

"Oh, I gotcha, don't like the full name, huh." She laughed.

"Exactly,"

"I'd like to apologize to you on behalf of the pack, we should have had you eat with us instead of forcing you to go hunt like an animal," She apologized. "Would you like to sit down?" she offered, and with those puppy-dog eyes begging me I couldn't make myself say no.

"Sure." I said reluctantly.

She squealed and grabbed my hand and dragged me to a couch. Everyone in the room started to move around us, waiting to listen to me. I couldn't believe they could change their moods so quickly. What had changed?

"So, why are you rogue?" a boy of maybe fifteen asked me bluntly.

"Justin!" Deana said smacking him in the back of the head. "Don't be rude!" she scolded.

"It's okay," I told her.

Should I tell them or just part of the truth?

"My parents died when I was a baby, I don't know what happened to them and I grew up in the foster system, I didn't know I was a Shifter until I changed for the first time." I admitted. I didn't have to say anything about the Madigans. They would assume enough on their own.

"Oh my goodness," Deana exclaimed, "I can't imagine what it would be like to grow up not knowing who you are, growing up thinking your human and then the horror and pain of changing not knowing what's going on." She rambled.

"DNA!" four guys behind me yelled stopping her.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"Why didn't you ever join a pack after you found out?" a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes and pale complexion asked me. She looked my age.

"I like my freedom, and I moved around so much in the system there was never a pack near where I lived," I explained.

"That makes sense," the girl said.

"What are you going to do if you find your mate and he's in a pack?" A young girl with mousy brown hair asked.

"I guess I'll figure that out if I find him." I shrugged.

"If?" brown hair asks.

"I'm not too worried about finding my mate. I figure destiny will bring my mate to me if it's meant to be." I said.

"I guess I never thought of it that way." She said, looking a bit sad at my blunt and cynical view.

"That doesn't mean that I don't hope I'll find him sweetie." I said trying to lighten her mood. "It just means that I'm not going to make myself sick about it, if it happens it happens. I'll cross that bridge when I get there."

"I think I understand." She said looking down a hint of a grin gracing her lips.

"Why did you run into our territory without asking for passage? Or even going around it?" A brutish looking young man asked from behind a few of the girls huddled around. He was leaning against the wall very cavalier and dangerous looking.

"I was raised human, I don't know where all the different packs are. That doesn't come highlighted on your standard topographical. When I saw that it was private land I would be going through, I assumed it was owned by someone planning to sell off the lumber and develop it. When I got to the border and realized it was pack land I knew it was either take a week or so to go around or go through the back side and hope that I don't run into any patrols." I explained.

"Why not take your human form and hitchhike on the old highway until you passed our land?" he grumbled.

"Because humans can be just as much monsters as the stereotype you have in your head of a rogue shifter," I said managing to keep my voice empty of emotion and steady, but I knew that my face had betrayed me as I watched his face soften and his gaze turned away.

"Guys, I don't mean to be rude, but I haven't slept much the past couple of days, I think I'm going to go get some sleep." I said standing up.

"Oh, ok Jez, well will you join us for breakfast?" DNA asked.

"Sure, if I'm up in time." I nodded and moved toward the stairs.

When I stepped into my room I changed into some shorts and crawled into bed. I had just gotten relaxed when I heard someone at the door. I normally would open it before they knocked, but maybe they would just go away. They didn't. Two knocks on the door and a whiff told me it was Erik.

I groaned to myself as I rose from the bed. Why me? I thought.

"Yes?" I asked when I opened the door.

"Ummm."

I opened my eyes which I had closed. I was leaning against the door jam, still incredibly groggy. In front of me Erik stood with his eyes glued to my legs. I knew how bad they looked, and I cursed to myself for answering the door so scantily clad. On the side of my right leg was a cattle brand; on my ankles were scars from weighted chains where I'd been tied up. Covering almost every bit of skin were cuts, scrapes, scars, and fresh bruises.

"I'll go put on some pants." I said as I backed away from the door.

"The alpha is on the phone and he'd like to talk to you." Erik said as he handed me the phone.

I took it and pressed it to my ear.

"This is Jez." I said.

"Hello Jez, I'm Stefan, now why did you cross into my territory without gaining my permission first?" he asked frankly.

"I was in a hurry." I said.

"I'm sure, "he chuckled. "Erik told me what I need to know, but I'd like to meet you in person, I'll be back tomorrow evening,"

"So the only reason I'm stuck here is because you want to see if I'm your mate?" I asked.

"Well, if you want to put it bluntly yes, from what I have found out, you have the makings of an alpha female, and if I'm not mistaken have already conducted yourself as such with my pack, which is a punishable offense, so if you aren't my mate, you will have twenty-four hours to get off my land." He said simply. "I can be blunt too Jez."

"What are you talking about conducting myself as an alpha? Just because you're an alpha, doesn't mean you have to be an asshole." I growled.

"I'm not being an asshole, I'm stating facts. Now, I understand you have problems with authority with good reason, but trust me when I say, I am not cruel, I am efficient and fair. I try to do the best thing for my pack. You probably respect no one until they earn it from you, and I get that, but don't call me names and assume that I am anything like what you think I am just because I'm in a place of authority. I also understand that you don't realize you are conducting yourself as an alpha female, so that's why I'm giving you time to get off of my land."

"Fair enough, "I said, seething a little bit.

"It's only one day, and if you're wondering, the cops won't come out to my place to look for you, someone put in an anonymous tip saying they saw you boarding a plane to Mexico." He said.

"Erik, I thought you didn't want me to pull a Clint Eastwood," I said pointedly to Erik. "Thank-you, Stefan" I said trying to convey gratefulness in my tone.

"You're welcome, Jez," He chuckled a bit. "I commend you for your courage to do what you have done"

"I wasn't aware that running was considered courageous." I smirked.

"Don't be modest." He chuckled. "I'm trying to compliment you."

"I'm not so modest, just honest to a painful degree." I laughed, flirting a bit.

Wait a minute, I was flirting? What in the hell was I thinking?

"Oh really? I'd like to test that statement." He purred.

He really just purred?

"In your dreams, hon." I laughed.

Erik was looking at me with a shocked look on his face; I hadn't been so at ease talking to him.

"I think Erik's eyes are about to bug out of his skull do you want to talk to him?" I laughed.

"Yea sure, I'll talk to you tomorrow evening." He laughed.

"See you then."

I handed the phone to Erik and waved to him as he started talking again. I shut the door and climbed back into bed. I laid there awake for a while, now that I had been woken up, I couldn't go back to sleep. Why did I flirt with the alpha of this pack? I never do things like that. I'm always too guarded and withdrawn to even consider flirting. I didn't even know if I was good at it. I wasn't gorgeous like some girls were. Every inch of my skin seemed to be marred in some way. My hips seemed too wide to me, my waist not slim enough, my boobs not big enough, but that was just low self-esteem I guess. My favorite features about myself were my eyes, and my hair. Black hair and black/brown eyes were beautiful to me. Maybe because of this faded memory, or imagination of what I think my mother would have looked like. I just have this vision of her looking down at me smiling, her long black hair framing her face and her brown eyes twinkling at me.

I didn't even know if it was a real memory, but it made me have a special adoration for dark hair, and dark eyes. I drifted off to sleep thinking about my mother and how my life could have been if I had known her.

I dreamed that night of Mr. Madigan. I felt that he was coming for me. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end and my wolf raged inside of me. Fight! She would scream at me, but he always carried a gun. He knew what I was. I didn't know how he knew but he did. He liked it when I struggled; he liked it even more when I screamed. I felt his knife digging into my throat as he told me to roll over so he could see them. He wanted to see his handiwork like it was his masterpiece. I felt his intake of breath and the press of a shotgun to my back as he pulled up my hips so that I was on all fours and the sound of his zipper sliding down forced me to bite my lip to keep the horrified screams inside. I felt his hands make their way to my underwear.

"STOP!" I screamed rising up out of bed. I couldn't get enough air as I panted, trying to slow the racing of my heart. I breathed deeply and forced my emotions down back into my subconscious where they belonged. I had no use for them. I rose from the bed and went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, pulled my hair into a low ponytail so it was out of my way and dressed in workout clothes that managed to cover most of my scars.

I needed a sparring partner for the workout I really wanted to do, but a run would work. Not a wolf run, but a traditional run with my human legs. I got my phone and headset so I could talk to Jason. I didn't bother with shoes; I liked the way my feet felt on the ground. It was in the early, early morning hours so I knew I could sneak out without Erik sending his henchmen to follow me. I crept down the stairs listening for movement. There was no one.

I made it out of the door and into the woods. The ground beneath my feet vibrated with the calm waves that radiate from the Earth. I smiled happily to myself and started running. I didn't really jog, I sprinted all the time. I liked to feel the wind in my face and to soar through the trees jumping over logs, ducking under limbs, and racing up and down hills. I ran until the sun began to rise and then found a spot to stop and call Jason where I was completely alone. As soon as his voicemail clicked on I heard someone tracking me. They weren't far off but they were down wind so I couldn't smell them. By their sound, they weren't shifter, but they weren't exactly human either. By the time his voicemail had beeped at me to record I just said, "911, someone's tracking me"

Then before I hung up the phone, an arrow went through my forearm which forced me to drop the phone. I roared in pain and tried to shift, but my wolf would not rise. She roared within me but could not help me to get away.

I saw a second arrow with my keen senses come toward me and I ducked just in time before it pierced me through the chest as I grabbed my phone and shoved it in my back pocket. I ran as fast as I could toward the direction the arrows were coming from. In about four hundred yards I saw the hunter trying to get away but I was still faster than he was even if I couldn't shift. My wolf's rage overpowered my own and sped our movements along sending bursts of power through my muscles as we tackled the hunter to the ground and then twisted his neck mercilessly ending his life. We didn't blink, we didn't even hesitated until the threat was eliminated. I was miles from the pack house, and I knew enough first aid to know never to pull out a foreign object until you had a way to stop the bleeding. If I pulled this arrow out it would do more damage. My phone started vibrating in my pocket just as I heard someone else breathing, and I smelled them. Hunters were closing in and I was alone. I did the only thing I could do, I ran toward them like I would a herd of deer, silent and lethal.

There were three of them, attempting to contact their fallen comrade. I was silent enough not to draw attention, but I knew if they started looking they would spot me pretty easily with my brightly colored workout clothes. Lime green did not constitute camouflage. I advanced, careful not to stare at them. People know when they are being hunted, they can feel themselves being stared at on the back of their necks. I was losing my adrenaline, because my arm was beginning to throb. I counted to three in my head and made my move. The first one went down silently and easily, but the second one made a single squeak and alerted his comrade. I used the hunter's body as a shield and then threw him a good twenty feet into the last one standing.

He carried an Mp5 like it was a teddy bear. I imagined he slept with it under his pillow. When he recovered and finally stood up, I was in a tree over his head. I could smell his fear and my wolf perked her ears in anticipation. He swung the hardware around but I could see the slight shake in his limbs. Just my luck, my phone started vibrating in my pocket again and within milliseconds a rain of gunfire forced me out of my position before I was ready. In a moment of desperation I charged at him head on and I didn't feel myself get shot, I only felt the fleshy softness under his chin and the slickness of his trachea as I ripped it out into the sunlight.

In a state of shock I started back toward the pack house, stumbling along until finally I heard the howls of the pack hounds noticing I wasn't in my room. They would find me soon enough I just hoped they didn't kill me on sight. I looked down at my feet and one of my sneakers was covered in blood. My leg had been hit and I hadn't even felt it. I reached around and felt an exit wound. Thankfully it was a through and through, but then again the way blood was gushing out of it like a demented sprinkler, I was pretty sure an artery had been nicked.

"Well that's not good." I said to myself worriedly and felt my heart start to slow. "I can't believe I am going to die like this." I thought aloud as my head started to swim.

I felt my body collapse and then nothing.