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CHAT EVENT 08: SUPER MOON

Summary:

2 weddings and 100 funerals (or almost-funerals).

The puppetmaster from Fox Hollow made himself known, in the form of 'The Groom,' who kidnapped Harley for a week and chained her up, treating her (apart from that) as his (in truth, dead) wife, Anne Marie, who had cheated on him with lycanthropes. As such, the keyholders were invited to 'The Wedding of Ms. Fox,' as 'Anne Marie' (Harley) was to wed the Groom. A series of events later, Evie shot him near-dead and Jesse finished him off, using Ash's key to free her. With the 'wolves shifting for the super moon, he ran off to meet them, leaving Harley with the 'foxes. The 'wolves held a 'wolf wedding,' with Kinsey announcing Indiana as Sigma. The 'bears found Josh missing from his house and had to fend for themselves; Jasmine looked after everyone, leaving her cubs in the babysitting care of Amelia, only to wind up with Amelia infected from cub Kyle's nibble. Amelia had her first shift. Apart from this, there were many injuries throughout the evening, with predators acting even more bestial than usual; Ash attacked the 'foxes, Shiloh nibbled the 'deer, Erick gave chase for the 'bears, Louis took a land mine for the team. A drugged Harley got pissed about a small wedding dress.

Full Script:

Thom was already at the farm, having stayed there the past few days at Indi's suggestion, but his fingers fidgeted nervously as he waited for the others to show up. He waited on the front porch, keeping a wary eye out.

Louis had been on edge the entire day, not even bother to turn on his computer and only contacting Colt. Restless, the man moved the rest of his supplies out to his Blazer to pack up for the night. He looked around the forest and then let his gaze rest on Snickers, who was sitting on the porch railing watching him closely, ears perked forward and tail swaying. He knew something was happening, Louis had no doubt, and gave a curt wave to the grey feline. With that, he made final checks on the locks of his house, then climbed into the vehicle. He'd armed the Blazer to the teeth for tonight, knowing full well that if anything went wrong tonight with the lycans, it would be his only chance at making it out alive. He wasn't stupid, there was no way he was sticking around near to even Colt once that moon rose. Not on this full moon. He shifted the vehicle into drive and pulled away from his private residence to make his way to Sleepy Hollow, expecting the worst as the sky began to fade to a brilliant hue of orange, pink and purple. It was all or nothing, and Louis didn't intend to back out of his promises to these folk. Not now, not ever. No matter the risk. Once he found a decent place hidden among the trees surrounding the property, barn in sight, he got out of the Blazer and grabbed his rifle, his .50 Cal, and a large hunting knife with ammunition on a bag he slung onto his shoulders. The original copy of the mapped-out area was also stored in the bag. Walking away from the black, well-hidden, vehicle, Louis stood in waiting for the others to show up. However, couldn't shake the ominous chill that made itself present on the back of his neck...

Indiana rolled her shoulders as she exited the farmhouse, making her way down the steps to where the pack usually gathered before the moon. She was on guard, but trying to keep a positive outlook about the whole situation. Noticing Thom standing nearby, she leaned up to him and rubbed her face against his greeting, "Hey Thommy. How are you, champ?"

Paris hopped out of her old chevy and closed the door, the cars body groaned from the shift in weight. Out in the cold night air, she leaned against her car and waited for the rest of the sleuth to arrive before besieging Joshes home. She let her mind drift to Evelyn, hoping the delta would be fine on her own tonight

Colt stood by the edge of the forest, his arms crossed over his chest and his jaw clenched. He was hidden from view and a safe distance from the ominous looking barn, but his olive eyes remained locked on it. The 'fox inside of him practically clawed to race forward, to break down the heavy door and pull Harley free from whoever had locked her there but the Alpha knew better, the only way to get everyone out of this alive was to play along with the madman's plan. And that meant staying back until Jesse got Harley out. He rolled his shoulders, the tight muscles of his shoulders stretching as he began to wait for the others to arrive. Despite the amount of planning that had gone into tonight, despite the maps and the vows, a sense of dread had been steadily spreading through the Alpha. It would be a miracle if they made it out of this alive.

Thom smiled as he brushed his cheek against Indiana's. "Hey, mama. Doin' alright. Little nervous, but we all got each other, right?"

Zachary came walking quietly down the way to the porch. The cigarette he held in his mouth burned down slowly, his hands in his shorts and his tanktop already damp.

The Groom had dressed Harley up in a lovely bridal gown. There were seed pearls on it, sewn in at the hemline. Her breasts were admittedly a little too large for the dress, and other places, as it seemed to have been owned by someone smaller than her, but only barely. The Groom placed a hand upon her cheek with a smile. He knew she wouldn't fight back—she couldn't. She'd been drugged. She could see, hear, understand—but was unable to move of her own volition. Even her mouth was slack. There was still blood in the corners of it, from the time she'd mouthed off to him, but generally he had treated her as befit a new bride. Before she had come with him to the Sleepy Hollow barn, she'd been in the basement of a building, in a room plush with rich decorations and furniture, pampered with food and anything else she asked for—except her freedom. The chains reminded her of that, even if she had been able to see daylight outside slit windows just above the ground line. He pushed the veil back from Harley's face where it marred her vision, lovingly.

Shiloh finally found her boots, shoving her feet into them and moving off from her bed. There was a building tension in her, uncertainty of the night that was here. She made her way out from her bedroom, brushing her hair back with her fingers and tugging the strands out from their braids that she'd done out of fidgeting. As soon as she stepped outside, she took in a deep breath of the night air that seemed to help calm her for a bit. Her eyes passed over the others, offering a little smile while still trying to get her hair out of it's tangled mess. "Hey guys." Her voice didn't have it's usual peppiness to it, but she still had a smile.

Harley would have flinched away if she could. Given the chance, she would have buried her teeth in his hand, preferably his throat, but his hand would work too. She just couldn't. The most she could do was glower and pour as much of the anger in her body into the expression as she could. Anger and a hell of a lot of fear. Because this scared her more than anything that she'd ever been through. And with the moon rising in a few hours, she was nervous. She wanted out of the room out of the dress, before the moon rose.

The Groom cupped Harley's chin and lifted her face to kiss him, and he held his lips there, softly, before moving in a kiss hard enough to bruise, and then hovering over the area, as if savouring the taste of the breath she exhaled. "Anne Marie, no one half as lovely as my Anne Marie," he sang in a lilting tune, as if to a song long forgotten but vaguely familiar, like something off of an old transistor radio. He raised her hand in a mute dance, toying with her as a child might with dolls, though this was not a game to him. He was lost in old memories. Harley's face was not the face he was seeing. "Anne Marie my darling, you should have never left me. I would have loved you as you were, the disease did not have to end us, my love, my love," he crooned softly, her hands elegant and long, like puppeteer's hands—or the hands that would use a sniper rifle, and had, two moons ago.

Thom turned to Shiloh when the girl appeared, pulling her into a hug and brushing his cheek against hers. "Hey darlin'," he said, though they had been together for most of the day. Over Shiloh's shoulder he saw Zach approach and inclined his chin at him. "Where you been hidin'?"

Amelia grabbed the ammo and gun off the top shelf of her closet. Setting the contents gingerly inside of her backpack, the brunette grabbed her keys off of her dresser. Slinging the backpack over her shoulder, she darted out of the apartment and down the steps that lead her to the parking lot. Glancing up at the sky, she took note of the illumination coming from the moon from all around. Swallowing thickly, Amelia got into her truck and pulled out of the driveway, heading to Jasmine's house. She knew that the woman was unamused by the fact that Evie had told her about the cubs, and while Amelia had then decided not to follow Evie after all, but rather watch the cubs, she knew that she had to let Jasmine know that she knew. Pulling into Jasmine's driveway, Amelia quickly killed the engine and slid down out of her truck. Holding onto the backpack tightly, the brunette walked up the sidewalk, knocking on the door she took a step back and waited for the bear to answer it.

Dustin made his way quickly to Josh's, nerves raking through his body from both the moon and Evie's text. He had wanted to go with her, to keep her safe, but he had a responsibility to keep the cubs safe and that was what he was going to do. Arriving at Josh's, he parked and hopped out quickly making his way over to Paris. "Tonight's not going to be an easy moon, Paris. You ready?"

Zachary: "Under a rock." Zach returned his friend's lift of the chin, smiling tiredly as he plucked the cig from his mouth to ash it off aside. The Delta snuffed the rest out on the bottom of his boot and pocketed the filter to throw out later, instead of just flicking it on Woodmere ground. Finally mustering a smile, he raised his arms to both Shiloh and Thom. "But it's good to see you. Both of you."

Harley squeezed her eyes shut, stomach churning at the taste of his mouth on hers. It was enough to make her want to vomit anything and everything that she'd eaten as of late. His voice grated on her shot nerves, green eyes flashing open to glare up at him again. Whatever he was on about...whoever the fuck Anne Marie was, she was lucky to have gotten away.

Indiana smiled back at Thom responding, "Yeah, we all have each other. We'll be alright, champ." She saw Zach come ambling toward them and gave him a wave, waiting until he came closer before greeting him as well. She stood, pulling the cigarette from his mouth so she could rub against his beard before handing it back to him and beckoning him over to the porch where the other 'wolves were waiting. Shiloh looked downtrodden, like she hadn't slept well in a few days, and Indiana moved over to envelope her in her arms gently.

Scarlett ran her fingers across the bark of the tree she was leaning against, her eyes on everything around her. She couldn't see the barn or anything else much than the forest around her but she was close enough. As close as she needed to be for whenever her brother and Jesse got Harley out of there. Her mind was partly back with the rest of the troop, wanting more than anything to know that they were okay and not doing anything stupid. But she also wanted Harley safe and sound. Scarlett looked up to the moon, sighing softly and sending up a prayer that everything would be okay and no one would die.

Jasmine wasn't sure if she was making the right choice letting Amelia look after her cubs for the night, but since the sleuth was all over the place she needed to be thinking clear without focusing all of her energy on her babies. She had to look after the sleuth too. Jasmine opened the door to let Amelia in. She was in a hurry and needed to get to Josh's in time. " Hey. I have to run. They're sleeping right now. Everything you will need is in the house. Just please take care of them okay? They mean everything to me." Jasmine replied holding out her house keys for Amelia.

Paris pushed off away from her car and me Dustin halfway up the path to their Alpha's house. Swallowing back the lump forming in her throat, she shoved her hands into her pockets to hide her nervous trembling. "I know, with everything going..." she sighed "I'm ready" she looked the beta in the eye. "I don't like this," she glanced up at the overbearing moon, "but I'm ready. Are you ok?" she wondered, knowing Dustin would rather be at Evies side tonight

The Groom left Harley's side just long enough to peer outside the barn, noticing movement in the distance. "Our guests will arrive shortly, Anne Marie!" he said, clapping his hands excitedly. He moved to do something—and then stopped abruptly. There was movement on the edge of the clearing. He tapped his lip thoughtfully and hummed, moving to one side of the room, bending over something that would be difficult for Harley to make out. "Tsk tsk, no one wants uninivted wedding guests. It's so very rude. Cover your ears." He squinted his eyes shut and then there was a loud, deafening bang; a land mine went off, most assuredly injuring at least one of the party who were not supposed to be there, if not killing them.

Amelia looked up when the door opened. Immediately, Amelia went into high-sensory mode. Standing straight, Amelia nodded curtly, taking the keys from the blonde. "Of course. Television high, blinds shut, got it," Amelia said, referring to Jasmine's last text that she hadn't answered. "Hey Jasmine," Amelia said, stepping up to the girl. "Be safe and come home." Offering a smile, she squeezed the young woman's arm.

Colt visibly jumps when he hears a loud explosion, his body tensing as green eyes dart around to find out where it came from. "Fuck, fuck." He ducks back, stepping further away from the bar and immediately pulling out his phone to send a text message to his sister.

The Groom himself was dressed in a most curious get up. He had on the traditional black tuxedo, though it definitely looked a little worse for wear, and had mud and dirt caked around the hemline of the pants. He wore a top hat made of the pelts of at least 6 different animals and while most tuxedos had a black jacket and tails, this jacket was also made of according pelts; he had clearly skinned more than his fair share of lycanthropes. He sweated in the heat of the South Carolina dusk, the tuxedo clearly a part of the show he was unwilling to give up. In his mind, Anne Marie had never died. He certainly hadn't killed her, no.

Jasmine nodded her head at Amelia before letting herself catch her breath for a moment. " I will. I'll make sure everyone comes home safe" she replied with a small smile. " Oh! The boy is Kyle and the girl is Gage." Jasmine dashed to her car and left to meet the other's at Josh's. She really hated being away from her cubs, but she knew they were going to be safe in Amelia's hands and not in the woods to get hurt tonight.

Harley furrowed her brows, eyes tracking him across the room as he rambled. Cover her ears? She couldn't fucking move. Her eyes began to roll until she realized exactly what he was saying. Then there was the bang and a strangled whimper trickled from her throat. Had he just? He'd just...Harley stared up at him in all of his furs and suddenly found herself feeling a hell of a lot more terrified than she had a few minutes ago.

Piper shivered as she climbed out of her truck, her gaze flicking to Tori in the passenger seat. She wondered if the other horse felt the caress of the moon inside her, a caress that was certainly more intense than the previous ones. Her gaze flicked up to the large moon in the sky, and for the first time in a while, Piper prayed to whatever diety there was, or maybe she prayed to the moon herself. She just prayed that they got through the night safely. "C'mon." She finally rasped to Tori. "Nick's waiting." She trudged away from her truck and toward the field that they had agreed to meet up in. Her steps were light, dainty even but that light didn't fill the rest of her. She didn't even relax a little until she saw the familiar mop of brown hair that belonged to Nick, leading her to offer him a strained smile.

Amelia "Gage and Kyle? Cute." Watching her leave, Amelia bit onto her bottom lip, her teeth sinking in. Entering the house, Amelia immediately locked the door. Drawing the curtains, she immediately turned on the television. It was on a children's show. Keeping it on the channel, Amelia took out her gun and loaded it. Gun at her side, Amelia did a check through the house, making sure that all doors and windows were locked up tight. Coming to the kid's rooms, she saw them sleeping. Quietly stepping out, she left the door open and sat down in one of the chairs in the living room.

Dustin without hesitation wrapped the older girl in his arms, rubbing her back soothingly. "I feel like I'm in hell right now if I'm going to be honest. Not knowing where Evie's going or what she's doing is killing me, but-" he trails off and takes a step back. "But I need to be here and help protect the Sleuth. It's what she wants me to do."

Evie approached the barn on foot, having taken a cab most of the way there. She had left everything important at home except for her phone, which she clutched in one trembling hand. In her other hand she had the golden key and, just in case, the envelope it came in with Wesley's name on it. She was looking around for Colt when she heard a boom, immediately dropping to her knees and covering her head. She stayed down for a few moments while it subsided.

Ash was buzzing with excited full moon energy. Rae may not have been able to join him tonight, but his curiosity wouldn't have let him ignore the messages any longer. Something needed to be done about this and if that meant following the puzzle, it meant following the puzzle. He'd tracked a couple of the 'foxes to the woods and stood within a visual distance of the barn. He stood stock still when the land mine went off nearby and his eyes darted to look where the noise had come from before slowly moving forward.

Jesse Tossing his jacket onto the front seat of his car, Jesse slammed the Mustang's door shut and then backpedaled from the vehicle, turning to walk towards the gravel road leading up to centuries old barn in the distance, with the gun he'd borrowed from Layla tucked under the waistband of his jeans above the small of his back. It didn't take long before the smell of 'fox hit his nostrils, along with the smell of man. He kept his eyes locked on the building ahead, a booming sound suddenly exploding across the air. Cursing out loud, he broke into sprint until he caught sight of Colt, glowering at him as he noticed the phone in the other man's hands. ”Stop diddling with your fucking phone, Sutton,” he growled before turning his head back towards the barn. ”Should have known this asshole's planted bombs all over the place. Fucking fantastic."

Shiloh looked at Thom, returning the hug and the brush of cheek. It was always good to see Thom since he wasn't around the farm far too often. The smaller 'wolf looked to Zach, laughing slightly. "Just saw you not too long ago, then you go poof." Shiloh was ready to just get away from the farm and do something, if anything. She was too unsettled. But getting away from the farm meant anything could happen. Feeling Indiana's arms around her, Shiloh returned the hug, a little unwilling to let go considering Indiana made her feel safe. She was like her mother when it came down to it. "Where's Kinsey? Figured she'd be out here doing head counts and making sure everyone shows up."

Flynn shut the light off in his room, his navy eyes sweeping around the room for a moment before heading down the hall and down the stairs, able to hear and smell the pack. Her heard the rough tones of Zachary, the familiar warm echo of Indiana and Thom's voice that rumbled with speech. He didn't hear the voice he wanted to, though. He didn't hear Shiloh's lilting words, but he saw her and the sight of her tired face was enough to stir the wolf in him with anger. He opened the door to the farmhouse and ambled onto the porch, giving a slight nod of hello before coming to a stop beside Indiana.

Colt glanced up when Jesse approached, eyes flashing in his direction. "I'm telling my sister to get the fuck out of here, Jones. I knew this son of a bitch was nuts but this is a whole other story. I'll keep a distance and once ya get Harley outta there, I'll take her to the den myself."

Tori climbed out of Piper's truck, her hands gripping the dashboard in front of her as she slipped out. The moon wracked her entire body, sending furious waves of intensity through her chest. Glancing over at her roommate, Tori offered a gentle smile. The moon was set above them, high enough to be seen from even the lowest of settings. "Right," Tori said, nodding. Following the other girl, she kicked away the weeds that clung to her calves. Alert, Tori watched out for any disturbances in the field. When they came up on Nick, a flutter of relief blossomed in her throat. "Hey stranger," Tori smiled, hoping to not come off as tense as Piper was.

Evie looked up and noticed Colt further up the path to the barn with another man that Evie recognized from town. She sprang to her feet and rushed toward them, glad to not be alone. "Colt!" she called so he would know it was her, clutching her key tight in a fist as she ran.

Paris squeezed Dustin's shoulder and offered him a small smile. As hard as things would be for the delta tonight at the mercy of such as strong moon, she knew she could not complain. She was here safe and sound, Evelyn wasn't. "Evie will be fine, she's smart, strong and she's not likley to do anything stupid. We know she won't be alone there" the blonde offered hoping to put Dustin s mind slightly at ease. "Jasmine should be here soon then we can go see Josh, maybe he's come up with a plan or something?"

Louis had lit a cigarette, and took a long drag from it before tapping it to let the ash fall. He stomped his foot onto the hot ash, smothering it. A strange sound, fairly high pitch and quiet, caught his attention, and his brown furrowed in curiosity. He turned, looking back at the blazer as his eyes went wide. Everything felt like it was in slow motion at that point, from his feet kicking off from the ground to flee, to the groundbreaking explosion that encompassed the vehicle in flames and smoke. The bomb flung the man, sweeping him off his feet and throwing him several yards away into the trees. He landed not ten feet from what appeared to be Colton and Jesse's position, one leg of his pants seared and still burning- along with a good amount of his flesh on his leg. He gave a long groan and used his rifle as a brace to pull himself up, then looked at the other two men. "Evening, Mr. Sutton... Mr. Jones..." He greeted through gritted teeth and a pained expression.

Jasmine drove as fast as she could to Josh's. In her head, she was late, even though the moon hadn't rose yet. She couldn't help but panic about being so far away from her cubs on the full moon, but she knew it was the safest thing to do for them. She just really hoped Amelia didn't have to use that shot gun tonight. Jasmine continued down the road till she pulled up to Josh's place. She locked her car and met the other's. A surprised look fell on her face when she realized some of the sleuth was missing. " Are we the only ones here? Where's Josh?"

Indiana released Shiloh slowly before turning to Flynn and rubbing her cheek against his where he stood beside her. Looking around at everyone, she exhaled a sigh of relief that they had all showed up and there weren't many of them yet to come. "Kins is somewhere around here, I can smell her. She must be doing something still, I'm not sure why she isn't out here yet." Shrugging, she began walking down from the porch and around to the back of the house where they usually met, in the clearing, calling out behind her, "Let's just go get ready and wait for her!"

Colt "Fucking hell, Harrow." Colt hollered, making his way over the human. His eyes moved back to Jesse for a moment, a sigh escaping his lips. "Ya best get yerself out of here. Ya ain't much use when ya go and get yerself blown up."

Nick drove quickly to the field not wanting to be late in meeting the girls. He was quite surprised when he found himself the first to standing in the field alone under the moon. Lifting his head, he stared quietly feeling the moon's pull on his body. Nick balled up his fist to keep the tremors away as he heard a car door shut and the girls making their way towards him. "Hello ladies," he drawled out, turning his head to look at them with a small smile. "Ready to get going?"

Thom was quick to follow Indiana's orders, knowing he'd be doing everything he was told to the letter that night. He fell into step beside Zach as they walked around the house. "Been goin' outta my mind this week," he admitted softly to his friend. "We gonna be alright tonight?"

Kinsey finally came out of the side shed that functioned as her gym, and though she was naked as the day she was born, that was hardly unusual for the dusk of a full moon. She knew the tales of the super moons, knew this one was going to be particularly difficult, not only for the Deltas she usually had to reign in, but also for the Betas—and for herself. She could not fail in this, could not fail to keep them safe. In the hand of the muscled blonde was a small brown box, generally unremarkable. Her eyes glimmered more gold than green in the evening light; it was no trick of the sun, though. The moon had that effect. There was nearly no green left to them. Her teeth were bared almost barbarically, but her mouth had the shape of a smile as she went to the area where her pack was waiting. Kinsey was rocks and water: nothing would shake her, not tonight.

Piper "Ready as I'll ever be, I reckon." She replied before hesitating. "Hey Nick, I told Tori this too. Maybe I'm just being dramatic but I got some family to think about so if something happens to me tonight. I need you to sell everything in my house and my house and then send the money to Sam and Emily Colvin in Wright, Wyoming. Well, sell everything but a little box in my bedside table which holds some photos and some items. See if you can mail that to them." She hesitated before looking a bit sheepish. "Not that I have any plans on going anywhere because I don't." Piper was damned sure not going down without a fight so she tilted up her chin and shrugged off her jacket. "Let's go."

Paris was glad to see Jasmine, but they were still missing some heads. Registering the deltas words, Paris realized she hadn't seen Josh in a while. "I though Josh was waiting for us inside," she shrugged. "Ivan has probably been with him. Evie is...busy" she trailed off looking at Dustin. She didn't want to risk upsetting him. "Should we go in? I don't want to wait out here all night"

Zachary rubbed his cheek against Indy's, before turning to grab Thom with one arm and Shiloh with the other, dragging them close to his sides though he was gentle while he did it. He grazed his stubbled cheek against either of theirs, keeping them good and close; where he could feel the warmth of family and the ever-present need to keep them safe. Spontaneously, he kissed Thommy on the shaved side of his head. "You don't even text no more, brother? Lucky I like you." Turning to Shiloh, he grinned sheepishly. "I go poof sometimes, sweetheart. Always just a phonecall away, though." After considering it a moment, Zach placed a kiss to the top of the younger Delta's head. "Always."

Scarlett felt and heard it all in one second. The ground shaking, her ears popping, the flames that follow. Scarlett had fallen hard on the ground, arms over her head till everything seem to settle and she could look up. It took her a moment to regain her senses before getting onto her feet with the help of the tree she'd been near. Her phone scared her, the vibrations of a text message. It didn't take her long to reply to her brother, but she stood there with a weighing decision. Did she really go back to the den, or did she stay? Bombs before anything even happened, she wasn't stupid. Scarlett eyed the torch land that she could barely make out, happy she'd stayed far enough back. The 'fox took a deep breath and took off running, waiting for the right time to shift.

Louis shook his head and chuckled, looking at Colton as he managed to stand up. "Don't you worry, Mr. Sutton... This is not the worst thing to come out of my services to your kind. Take my word on that one," he replied and waved Colton off. His expression suddenly hardened as he looked back the way he'd come at the burning vehicle, now completely useless. "/That/ is our biggest concern." He added grimly. "That was my ticket out of here once you all turned..." He muttered before he looked at Colton again, then at Jesse. "If you two can get your girl out of there and manage to keep a distance before you shift... I can go in and keep the Nutter busy so he doesn't go setting off any more bombs until you are all out."

Dustin gave Paris a light smile. "You're right, she is strong but not as strong as Ivan or Josh. I just wish it was one of them that was going tonight. She wouldn't even tell me what she was doing. Speaking of Josh, have you heard from him lately," he asked lightly. He snapped his head at the sound of a car door shutting and spots Jasmine making her way towards them. "I think we should. Surely he's just sitting inside waiting on us."

Evie caught up to Colt and the others, careful to stay on the path. She gasped when she saw the state the human man was in, she didn't know him but based on his words it seemed like he was here to help them. "Are you okay, sir?

Ash watched from a distance as he saw people join the alpha 'fox. If he got too close he wasn't sure what would happen but when the human flew into their group he shook his head and moved closer to the barn, as quietly as he could but just outside of his own range of smell of the 'fox for now. With the threats and the other messages and bombs going off already he didn't think it was wise for him to ignore them.

Jesse 's eyes stayed on Colt as the alpha 'fox made his way to the injured human. The werewolf remained where he was, choosing not to approach the human, watching the older man clinging to his rifle as he picked himself up from the ground. ”We're wasting time.” With an aggravated shake of his head, he turned towards the barn and began to stalk towards it, his hand slipping into his pocket to pull out the key, his fist closing around it.

Indiana looked up as Kinsey appeared form her shed, smiling and cocking an eyebrow at the box she was carrying. "Whatcha got there, Bee?" Moving towards her girlfriend, she brushed her cheek against the taller woman's and kissed her despite the mouthful of fangs she was sporting. Seeing that Kinsey was already naked, she took her lead and began stripping down as well.

Louis turned as he saw the woman approach, his brow lowering again. "Yeah, I'll live..." He replied in a gruff tone.

Tori "Good. You shouldn't have any," Tori said, bumping her shoulder into Piper's. Moving forward, without a word, Tori licked her lips which were salty, mostly from the sweat that dripped down her face, both from the heat, and the nervousness of the entire situation, but she wouldn't let the other two see how it was effecting her. She would be strong. For them.

Jasmine stared at the bears and before letting out a sigh. " He's usually outside waiting for us, but okay," the Beta said with shrug before walking ahead of the sleuth, to the front of the house not seeing any signs of Josh yet.

Flynn glanced toward the direction where Kinsey's smell radiated from. He ambled after Indiana a bit, stopping when he spotted Kinsey. Maybe it was a Mason thing or hell, it was probably just a Flynn thing but he took strength from his sister. She was a strong alpha, not letting anything rattle her and Flynn wanted to be like that too. He raised an eyebrow at the box in her hand but merely shrugged it off. His gaze went to Shiloh and he moved over to her, standing beside her so he could lower his voice to murmur near her ear. "Stay by me, Freckles."

The Groom [A note—The only 'safe' path for keyholders is the main path.... land mines are many places. The door to the barn is unlocked, which might be interesting, given the key situation, for people to think about. Each golden key is different, as they might notice when looking at the keys in one another's hands.]

Colt "I'm hopin' the son of a bitch will be dead by then." He murmured, his hand moving to tug through his hair. "Harrow, ya stayin' at your own risk. If ya end up dead, ya blood ain't on my hands." Hardened eyes shifted from the human to Evie, softening slightly at the sight of her. "Hey darlin'. Jesse here has one of the keys like you so I figured you two can head on in together. I'll be right out here doin' everythin' I can as long as the son of a bitch stops tryin' to blow me up. If ya hurry, you can catch him. Be careful, ya hear? Watch yerself and get your ass out of there if it gets too dangerous."

Shiloh looked over to Flynn when she took a few steps back after her hug with Indiana, biting her lip and kicking at the porch. She walked the way to get to the clearing, hands shoved in the back pocket of her jeans as she followed the others. It seemed like the moon was giving her a bounce to everything she did, a good feeling deep in her core, but at the same time there was the truth behind it all that was still unclear. Tonight's events. Shiloh needed to keep herself in check tonight more than ever. "Zach, you might look like a tough guy but you've got a heart of gold." The little 'wolf giggled, skipping off to get closer to Kinsey and Indiana. She was rocking on her heels in place when she felt Flynn beside her, turning her head and meeting eyes with him. "Always, Flynn."

Louis nodded to Colt and lifted the rifle up. "I'll keep clear. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." He replied, glancing at his leg. "He's fooled me once, I don't intend on letting that happen again." With that, Louis gave a nod to both the Alpha and the young 'bear before making a cautious movement toward the back of the treeline. He didn't intend to be blown up again, that was for sure, and steering clear of the barn's line of sight was likely the best way to do that.

Kinsey smiled when she saw Flynn and it made her heart hurt. She loved him so much. It didn't matter if he wasn't blood: he was more than blood to her, and every day he made her proud. She took Indiana in full on the mouth when her girlfriend offered her a kiss, and laughed when the other woman ran her tongue across Kinsey's sharp canines. The box Kinsey was palming was small enough to be unassuming, so she just shrugged when Indiana asked about it, almost casually. Overhearing the conversation about Zach, Kinsey said, "He's one of them good ones, I reckon. Gang all here?"

Erick felt a huge twist in his stomach as he headed out, feeling grim. Would tonight be the horrifying conclusion to the tale Pickens own psychopath had been killing? He left his car behind, key in hand as he headed out towards this "Sleepy Hollow" barn, unsure of what to expect. How many people had a key? How many would dare to show up? He didn't know. And as he found the place in question his stomach knotted, every parcel of his finely tuned instinct telling him there was danger there. Still, though he may've been a 'horse he tried to bring it his most protective instinct, that of a stallion protecting his herd and moved forward. Strangely enough the barn door was unlocked and he pushed it open, his heart beating in his chest, all senses on high alert.

Dustin silently followed behind Jasmine up the porch steps and into the cabin. It was far to quiet inside for Dustin's liking and he stuck close to the Beta. "It looks like no ones been home in a few days, Jas. Smells like it too," he whispered, taking a quick sniff of the air. "When was the last time either of you talked to him?"

Bianca was as usual generally excited about the full moon. Though she knew this time around it would be a super moon which could mean less control, she didn't mind, as she'd always fully embraced the 'deer... which ironically is what had allowed her to keep control the most. Additionally her ability granted by her rank and mastering of it allowed her to shift painlessly and she was looking forward to shifting even before moonrise, to enjoy dusk as deer naturally did, this being their most active period of the day. She headed out to the woods, her heart light, and her step eager.

Emma Lee knew what her orders were: get to the den and wait. Fucking wait. Patience was not one of her strong suits and neither was following directions for that matter. And that’s how she found herself playing lookout at the base of the tree near the den. Sav was already inside, but Emma couldn’t bring herself to shift yet. Not when she didn’t know if she’d be needed to help with Harley. Her eyes scanned the forest, before settling back on the path her troop mates would be using.

Paris joined the betas and assessed the atmosphere. "You're right. I don't smell any fresh trails" she sniffed the air again. "Come to think of it I haven't seen Josh or Ivan in a while. I just thought they were busy..." she deadpanned hoping someone might remeber something like Josh departing for some secret sleuth mission

Scarlett kept running, her eyes following the path she needed to go through to get there. She wasn't too far from it, but she wondered if she could get all the way there without shifting. Stopping for a moment, she caught her breath and then started running once more. The super moon was going to bring out a side to all of them and if Scarlett couldn't be helping with Colton, she wanted to make sure the troop was safe. "Just gotta get to the den, hold off for me there moony." Scarlett muttered, pushing herself till things started to get more and more familiar and she slowed down.

Jasmine tried to pick up Josh's scent from the house, it was far too faint to her liking. She nodded her head when she thought about the last time she had heard from either Josh or Ivan. " I haven't talked to them in at least two weeks. Josh is usually helping me with the cubs and he hasn't lately. " Jasmine said before turning back to the other's. " Have you guys heard anything about leaving or anything?"

Ash noticing another lycan move towards the barn before him, he watched as the door was pushed open without so much as using a key. Not seeing any immediate fatal danger, he moved in next to him and nodded.

Evie nodded at Colt's suggestion, looking over to Jesse who had gone on ahead. "I'll be careful. Stay safe out here, watch out for more surprises, okay?" She managed a nervous smiling before clutching her key and going off after Jesse along the path.

Piper grinned at Tori, taking solace in her presence before looking to Nick, tilting her head. "You wanna shift first? Or do you wanna wander a bit and shift. Maybe find some coverage?" She looked right up to the moon. Her horse enjoyed the expanse of the wide open space but the human in her wasn't too sure about shifting in the wide open. Especially not after what happened last time.

Colt took a few more steps back, lurking deeper into the forest but making sure that, though he was hidden from sight, his eyes could remain locked on the large door. He needed to be ready for the moment Harley broke free.

Erick turned around when his sensitive ears picked up on a sound, and he spotted someone else walking towards him. He vaguely recognized him, from seeing him in Pickens before. Ash? He swallowed hard his senses still so high strung it almost hurt to exist and he offered a smile. At least he wasn't alone. He held his key up, a questioning expression on his face. "You too, huh?"

Nick "Don't talk like the, cher. We aren't going to let anything happen to you, we're almost a herd remember? And I protect my family, " he says quietly, resting his hand on her shoulder. Looking over to Tori, and back to Piper he nods and turns to take off into the nearby woods. "I'd feel safer if we shifted first, but if you want to wander around first go ahead. I'm just going to leave my clothes over here though," he called out, pullling off his shirt and kicking off his shoes.

The Groom was curious to see Evie enter—though he didn't know her name—because he didn't recall giving her a key, but he shrugged in mute appeal and looked at Harley, and then the ceiling... almost in silent amusement... or did he put something in the ceiling? A wink from one of his eyes, he wouldn't tell. When he turned over to the newly entered guests, he was holding a loaded shotgun. "So good of you to come to our—ahem!—shotgun wedding," he said with a polite laugh, and gestured with the gun at them. "No need for any hasty movements. Please disarm yourselves and we'll begin."

Dustin shook his head as he made his way to the small kitchen, opening up the fridge and curling his nose up at the smell. "His fridge is filled with rotten food. Honestly, it looks like he hasn't been here in weeks. Which would also be the last time I talked to him or Ivan. I was so busy with work I didn't notice that Josh didn't text me back. This isn't looking good, girls. What are we going to do if he's gone?"

Tori glanced from Piper, then to Nick. The two were as different as night and day. Swallowing her comment, Tori opted for the wandering through the woods, then shifting. It might have been safer that way. The young woman didn't want to change being seen, especially when nobody knew she was a horse, and with the risk of hunters running around.. well, Tori would rather not get shot at. "I'm with Piper," she said, following the path that led into the wooded area.

Erick blinked a few times his eyes adjusting to the environment and he felt himself grow a little tense as a gun was pointed at him, but he remained calm, spotting Harley. She appeared... out of it somehow and guessed she was probably drugged, because if he knew anything about the dancer is that she wouldn't just stand there without a fight. He gauged the man, seizing up the environment before calmly stating "I have no weapons."

Shiloh reached out instinctively to grip Flynn's sleeve, her eyes having drifting back up to the moon. "I think everyone is here..." Jesse wasn't and that much was clear. It put Shiloh on edge with worry, hoping that he'd come out of this okay and if anything, with the 'fox. She looked back to Kinsey, raising an eyebrow. "What's with the box?" The curious girl asked, leaning forward as if that would give her a clearer view of the box.

Evie pushed open the door to the barn, surprised to find it unlocked and keeping her key in her hand. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of Harley in a wedding dress and a strange man dressed in animal pelts, holding a shotgun at them as they entered. She froze in place, not wanting to provoke him to shoot her. "I don't have a weapon," she said, trying to sound brave, holding up her hands with her phone in one and the key and Wesley's envelope in the other.

Emma Lee heard the rapid thumping in the distance. Someone was coming. Pushing herself up from where she was sitting, she crept closer to the path. The familiar scent of ‘fox wafted her way, and she took off running to meet up with whoever it was. As she got closer, she spotted the familiar red hair of the beta. She sniffed again, trying to detect the scent of anyone else, but as far as she could tell, the beta was alone. “Yo, where’s Harley and the chief?” Her eyes flicked to the path behind the other ‘fox before landing back on a disheveled Scarlett.

Piper took comfort in his touch, offering him one of her first genuine smiles of the night before nodding to his words. She followed after him, seeing the appeal in his words. She pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth, before eyeing the trees. She sighed before moving to do as he and started stripping. There might have been a time where she would have been bashful but not have a couple years of shifting. She pulled the elastic from her hair, letting loose her blonde hair.

Ash's senses flared as the other man acknowledged him, he too smelt like food and Ash quickly looked down at the key before pulling out his own. "That would be the one." His eyes picked up the small detail in the keys that were different and his head filled with questions. Moving to enter the barn, he looked up at The Groom with a gun and… Harley? 'What's going on?' he thought. "No weapons here either."

Flynn rolled his wrist, grasping the blonde's hand with his own. He rubbed his thumb along the top of her hand, stroking the skin there. Shiloh voiced his own curiosity about the box but Kinsey was never one to do anything she didn't want to do so if she didn't elaborate on the box, he'd be okay with that. He'd grown up with that. "Everyone but Jesse, and maybe Vanessa." He glanced around for the dark haired she-wolf and couldn't see her but maybe he wasn't paying attention.

Scarlett managed to get up the hill on the path and saw Emma, feeling much better but not by too much. "Not with me. Land mine went off before many people even showed up and Colt told me to get out of there. I need to make sure you guys are safe anyway, this is not going to be a good night." Scarlett reached the delta, looking around them with a sense of paranoia. "We'll need to shift in a few and keep in the den. We might go hunting, but we'll see."

Jasmine felt her stomach drop at the idea that they were without their Alpha and the other Beta. That meant Jasmine was the highest ranking bear around and while she wanted that in the beginning, this was not what she wanted now. " Were on our own tonight and then in the morning when look for him. We can't do anything now."

Paris checked the other rooms for any signs of life before finally making her way to Josh's bedroom. She dared not enter the alphas most private territory uninvited, instead she remained in the doorway. Placing her hand tentatively on the door she pushed it open and was disappointed by what she found before returning to Jasmine and Dustin. "It doesn't look like the bed's been slept in recently" she bit her lip and pulled out her phone dialling Ivans number "Maybe Ivan is running late and is still on his way?" she hoped, only yo have her call go steaight to voicemail "Never mind" she looked up at the deltas for guidance. "What do we do?"

Jesse: [i probably have to gtfo soon it's 4:15 for me and i have work in the morning but since the situation is what it is may can totally godmod jesse for plot purposes]

Emma Lee reached out and picked a piece of debris out of Scarlett’s hair before briefly examining it and flicking it onto the ground. “A fuckin’ land mine?” she asked, her voice rising an octave. “Jesus Christ. And you just left them there? Where some psycho is blowin’ shit up before things even get started?” Emma didn’t have a good feeling about leaving Colt and Harley alone. “Reckon we gotta go help them. I mean we can’t just leave them there.” Deep down, she knew Scarlett was right. She could feel her inner fox clawing to get free, but she just didn't feel right abandoning Harley. Or Colt.

Nick didn't take long shrugging out of the rest of his clothes, feeling his skin tingling with the soon coming change. Sweat beaded up quickly across his forehead as the night's heat touched his bare skin and he brushed back his bangs, keeping them from sticking to his face. Being a 'horse for so long now, Nick had gotten over his embarrassment quickly about being nude in front of others, but this wasn't like the other times. These girls were soon to be family and the thought did enough to him to send a small blush to his face. "Just to make this clear after we all change, we're heading close to the barn where Erick's at. Remember keep out of sight and keep quiet. We don't want anyone to know we're even remotely close to that place."

Thom glanced from Shiloh to their alpha, noticing the box in her hands and the way the moon was already calling to her wolf. "Anythin' we should know about tonight?" He looked up to the moon where it hung, low fat and yellow, in the sky above them.

Bianca as if in the blink of an eye, or the time it took to take a breath, within a single stride found herself in her doe form breathing in the air deeply before calmly and quietly walking down the forest, when she suddenly heard the sound of an explosion in the distance. Her ears wiggled worriedly and she blinked, her big velvety eyes shining with fear, her entire being startled with the sound. She darted off in the opposite direction bouncing over bushes and creeks, leaping over fencelines and fallen trees.

Scarlett ran her fingers through her after Emma picked something out of it, getting out the knots at least. "We are not going to go anywhere near there, Emma. That was just the start of it all and trust me, it is killing me that my brother--your alpha--and Harley are there, but we need to stay here." Scarlett walked up closer to the den, wanting to make sure to keep an eye on Savannah. "If--If the worst happens...it's either no troop or half a troop." Scarlett looked at Emma, the fear clear in her face but she was taking lead as beta and completely serious. "We will stay here and you will not leave my sight, do you understand?"

Piper averted her eyes from Nick and instead looked to Tori and then to the sky. She hadn’t necessarily been shy with her body growing up in Wright, having gone parking with a few boys, and she wasn’t really shy about being naked now, but she reckoned staring at someone while they undressed might be a little bit too invasive. Piper brushed her hair from her face and shivered again, feeling the 'horse's need to change with those around her. Despite the night, excitement filled her once again. She had a herd. She had a family. No more running around as the only horse. Piper would be lying if she had said that she wasn’t a little uneasy, but the burning need to become the horse overwhelmed that.

Amelia 's head snapped up at the sound of crying. Glancing over at the cubs' room, Amelia pushed herself up from the chair and padded into the room. The gun lay on a shelf, as to be out of the reach of the cubs'. The confusion that poured over their features hurt Amelia. "Hey guys," Amelia said, offering a soft smile. The sets of eyes went past her, to the doorway, where they surely thought their mother would come traipsing in. "Your mom will be back later, guys," Amelia explained, reaching down for Kyle as he held his arms up for her. The moon was high enough in the sky that she assumed they would be shifting soon, and in preservation of their cribs, Amelia opted for them to be on the floor. Setting Kyle down, Amelia moved towards Gage, who looked up at her. "Wow, I didn't know your daddy very well, but you're the spitting imagine." Scooping her up, Amelia set her down next to her brother. The two began crawling around, picking up the discarded toys that had neglected to be put in the toy boxes. A high pitched cry sounded from Kyle, which made Amelia jump up. Arms outstretched and ready to pick him up, the brunette immediately took a few steps back. "Yep, just going to let you do your thing," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Immediately after Kyle's shift, Gage followed. In front of Amelia were the two cutest damn cubs that Mel had ever seen. They looked at Amelia, then took off out of the room, tackling each other as they went.

Kinsey nodded at the hearing that everyone was in attendance, heading toward the edge of the forest, talking as she went. "Jesse is off playing superhero tonight and if he lives, well, we'll kick his ass later," she said with a wry laugh that was almost a bark. "He'll just be the last to know." When they had reached the border of the field and the forest, she motioned for them all to stand in a circle and she opened the box she was carrying. There wasn't anything too special when meets the eye; she drew out one of the two things inside of it, the first being a strip of tawny grey-brown fur that had the smell of age to it; it was thin, about half of an inch, and not unlike a ribbon. Some would know what it was; others might not. "I have an announcement to make and I wanted you all here to hear it."

Tori averted her eyes as Nick began to shed himself of his clothing. Glancing over at Piper, Tori then glanced up at the night sky, just as her herdmate had done. Being naked in front of strangers was something that Tori didn't mind, mostly because she had slept around enough that it didn't bother the girl into being submissive, but with people she would see the next day? Deciding to go all or nothing, Tori continued walking forward. Covered by the surrounding trees, Tori began shedding off her clothing. Bunching them up in a heap, she hid them behind one of the many trees, not bothering to remember which one, she glanced over at Piper.

Louis found an easy-enough tree to amble up, even with his leg- which was now entering into the dull, searing ache stage -and set himself up. From the bag, he pulled out a brace for the rifle and it's scope. Setting that up on the tree, he fixed everything right so he had a clear view of the barn- though not as clear as he would have liked, but getting closer again was a big 'nope.' He loaded the gun and set everything right before finding aim on one of the windows that light was pouring from. He could see nothing except for several figures, two of those he recognized as Jesse and the young woman who had shown up after he'd gotten his arse blown up. The end of a shotgun was pointed at them, but beyond that he saw nothing. The bloke was smarter than Louis had anticipated, and all the Brit could do was sit, patiently, and wait for his time. If, and when, it came.

Dustin wrapped his arms around himself, confused and wondering where the hell his Alpha and other Beta had gone. He was upset for being left, and just angry enough to want to do something about it. "Jas is right. There's nothing we can do, but go to the river like usual and pray that there aren't any hunters out tonight, and between the three of us, if Ivan decides to grace us with his presence at some point, I wouldn't mind challenging him for Beta. Losing Josh is bad enough, but a Beta too? It's ridiculous," Dustin stated and heads for the front door. "Might as well get ready for the change, I can feel it coming soon."

Thom squinted in the semi-darkness at the strip of something that Kinsey held up, trying to make out what it might be. "That some kinda fur?" he asked, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air.

Indiana followed Kinsey towards the forest, rolling her eyes at her comment about Jesse, before taking her place in the circle that Kinsey had motioned for. She stood next to her girlfriend, watching her pull a strip of fur out of the box, and teased, "Are you trying to get a job at the news station? Why are you talking like that, Bee?" Suddenly, for some reason she didn't understand, she was nervous. What kind of announcement was there to be made? It looked serious and official, with the box and the strip and the way Kinsey was talking and made them stand.

Flynn nodded in response to her statement about Jesse, silently wishing the other wolf luck on rescuing his fox. His eyes narrowed onto the strip of fur, his entire body tensing a little. He knew that fur. That fur which was not so different from the color of Kinsey's own tawny black-brown fur, but Flynn kept silent. He kept silent an he waited for his siter to talk.

Shiloh walked with her eyes on the ground, counting her steps till they stopped and she looked up at Kinsey. She ran her eyes over their little circle while trying to keep her inner wolf down a little longer. With the super moon, it was ready to come out but she doubted it would be much longer. Shiloh found her eyes back on Kinsey, tilting her head to the side curiously while gripping Flynn's hand a little tighter. "What is it?" Shiloh asked, although Flynn was close enough to her that she could notice the sudden tension in him and that made her look to him.

Harmony had always heard the full moons made people crazy, and in Pickens that was painfully true. There was some crazy dude on the loose and she couldn’t help but think of some of her lycan friends, like Indi and Naomi and Jesse. And she needed a distraction. It was the super moon after all, and the lighting would be awesome for a night shoot. At this point, she didn’t really care what her subject was, as long as she wasn’t cooped up in the house, thinking about all of the bad things that could be happening. So, Harmony gathered up her camera and her keys, intent on just driving around in the hopes that inspiration would strike. Stepping across the threshold of her apartment, she locked the door behind her before making her way down the stairs.

Paris nodded and stumbled towards the front door, already the moon was threatening to tear her body apart, calling her 'bear forth and quelling her humanity. "Maybe Josh is by the river already?" she exhaled, knowing her words fooled no one. Josh was missing, Ivan was nowhere to be seen, Evelyn had most likely walked into her own grave and the moon was fast approaching its apex.

Nick could feel the change coming as his 'horse came closer to the front. He bent forward slightly as the oncoming change knocked the breath out of him and brought him to his knees. It was quickly after that he had fully changed. Once where he stood as Nick was now a tall, broad Buckskin waiting patiently for the others to change. He turned his large eyes towards the girls, blinking slowly as if questioning them as to why they hadn't changed yet.

Evie could feel her 'bear prickling under her skin as she waited for instructions from the man in the animal skin tuxedo. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, but she was nervous and scared. Her thoughts turned to Dustin and the rest of the sleuth, praying that they were safe and that nothing would happen to them.

Piper stretched before relaxing. Excitement exploded in her chest even as her skin began to prickle with the need to shift. She stepped away from him to give him room to shift before she rolled her shoulders back, her body tensing and then relaxing. The ache that beat in her chest was soothed as the moon told her body what to do. The night ripped the girl apart, replacing the short female with a chestnut mare. The horse was ecstatic to be let free, nickering slightly.

Harley stared at the ones in the building, her eyes flicking from face to face as she tried to figure out why they were there. Her skin prickled and she could feel the sweat beading across her skin as her nerves kicked back in. Her throat worked as her 'fox quivered anxiously. She wanted to shift, wanted to get the hell out of here. But she was stuck here.

Emma Lee growled in frustration, her fox closer to the surface than she’d thought. But Scarlett’s words resonated with her. “I understand that you just want us to leave them there to fend for themselves,” she snapped. “Aren’t y’all always carryin’ on about how we’re a family, and that we need to stick together, and how we should always have each other’s backs and shit?” Reluctantly, she turned to follow the beta, her steps heavy as she trudged toward the den. Honestly, she didn’t know if she’d want to even continue being in a troop if Harley wasn’t in it.

Lucas had decided against going into the woods tonight, if only because of the fact that the he didn't really know what effect the super moon would have on the lycans. There was no need to stick his neck out unnecessarily tonight. There was other things that he could worry about, information he needed to dig up soon. Licking his lips, the hunter pulled his phone out and sent a quick text to Harmony, asking what she was doing tonight.

Tori watched Nick change in awe. She had never seen another horse change before, and there was something oddly terrifying, yet beautifully morbid about the process. Tossing a glance over towards Piper, Tori watched as the girl changed into a chestnut. So a buckskin and a chestnut, huh? Swallowing hard, Tori closed her eyes, feeling herself be ripped apart from the inside out. Her bones cracked and caved, allowing for the horse to move on through. The palomino ripped from Tori, and once the mare opened her eyes, she was higher up, looking at both Nick and Piper from a large set of eyes. Tossing her head to the side, she walked towards Piper slowly, rubbing her nose against the chestnuts' neck.

Kinsey looked at the ground briefly; why of all the things she'd done in her life, why was this the hardest? How did it all come down to this? It wasn't that she was unsure of her choice... it just seemed so final. She looked around at her pack, her family, and wondered what it would be like without them. Of them, without her. But Indiana would keep them safe. She saw the flicker of recognition in Flynn's eyes, and even that made her proud. He had good instincts, keen observations. She nodded, once, to him. It wasn't worth saying out loud, but to him, he'd understand. To the others, she said, "I have chosen Indiana Mason as our Sigma."

Jasmine nodded her head at Dustin's comment. She was slightly impressed with him taking matters into his own hands and if he did challenge Ivan for Beta, she thought he'd make a good one, so long s her position stayed safe. " Let's just get out of here before we shift. We don't need to draw even more attention. " Jasmine replied as she took a few steps back towards the front door. " Lets just hope he's okay and focus on it tomorrow. It wont do us any good otherwise."

Jesse (kinda) could feel his 'wolf rising to the surface, his hands balling into fists as he saw Harley sitting there, clearly unable to move. Pulling the gun from the back of his belt, he slowly placed it on the floor of the barn, coming back up with his large hands in the air and a sharp glare on his face. "There, no weapons. Just fucking let her go."

Scarlett stopped on the path, whirling around on Emma and letting out a growl. "Shut it, Emma!" Scarlett took in a breath, running her hands over her face like that would clear it all away. All the tension and the anger. "Please...," she started in a much more defeated voice. "I can't risk losing anymore people." Scarlett shook her head and started to feel her 'fox coming out much more. "Emma, I care about you even if it doesn't seem like it. Just trust me...if they're not here by a certain point...I'll make the decision then if we go or not." The ginger was reaching her point and started to undress, knowing she'd feel better once she shifted.

Flynn was happy. It was odd that he could be happy at a time like this, but he knew what that rare feeling of warmth spreading through his body was. He thought that he had fully come to terms with Kinsey being alpha, but he realized that while he had accepted it and knowing that he'd never be alpha, there had still been the twinges of utter want. There were no twinges of want now. He was proud to have his sister as alpha, and even prouder to know that Indiana was going to be the wolf queen. The queen bitch. His lips twitched with rare beginnings of a grin.

The Groom ignored the burly man's words and kept the shotgun well trained as he flickered his eyes over each of his guests, putting the shotgun at point-blank range of the heart of the first man (Erick); the Groom cocked his head toward Harley and said to him, "Thanks so much for witnessing our holy union. We have been in love so long that this just felt... inevitable." His smile was unsettling. "Do you have any blessings to give us?" And then his tone changed and his eyes darkened. "Or did you just come to fuck her again? Did you think you could take her from me?" He stepped back, just once, so that he could swing the gun at any of them quickly and still hit them dead in the chest, dead. "Any of you? Which of you slept with my wife? WHICH ONE OF YOU?"

Indiana watched Kinsey with interest as she looked down, sensing that something was happening inside the woman's head. She was half tempted to reach out and take her girlfriend's hand, but she knew better than to do something like that. Kinsey was strong, always the strongest, and she didn't need anyone to take her hand at times of doubt. Soon, there were words coming out of Kinsey's mouth, and Indiana found herself stunned by them in a way she didn't expect. She had always hoped for this, always wanted it, but never had she expected it would truly happen. She was Kinsey's now for real, truly and forever, and although she knew Kinsey wouldn't understand she couldn't help but let her eyes moisten with tears that she tried desperately to hold back. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to say anything, but she couldn't muster words regardless, only managing to exhale in disbelief. "Bee..."

Harmony trotted down the steps, one hand steadying the camera around her neck, the other clutching her keys and her phone. Just as she reached the parking lot, her phone buzzed in her hand, alerting her to a text. She paused in front of her car to read it before sending a quick response to Lance, letting him in on her plan.

Evie felt her eyes go wide and she instinctively look a step backwards from the crazed man with the gun. She still had her hands raised with her phone and the key to show she had no weapons, and she couldn't managed any words, she was too terrified. She just shook her head emphatically that she had no relationship with Harley, or whoever this man thought she was. She had to fight hard to keep her 'bear at bay, with both the moon and the tension in the barn getting higher by the second. She couldn't shift, not now, the man might shoot her if she did. She gritted her teeth and squeezed the key so hard that she hurt the palm of her hand.

Colt 's eyes lifted to the moon, watching it's steady climb higher and higher into the sky. The 'fox inside him quivered in anticipation, desperate to run free. This was the first Full Moon in Colt Sutton's entire life that he would be shifting alone. He had always been surrounded by a Troop, immediately met with soft bodies brushing against him in greeting. He clenched his jaw, pushing the urge back to shift as his eyes remained on the barn. He reminded himself that he wasn't technically alone. Harley, /his/ Harley, was just beyond the clearing, hidden inside that bar by a madman. And he would be here waiting to bring her to safety.

Shiloh hadn't realized that she'd been holding her breath and waiting to here just what was going to be the news. Something about this seemed different than any regular old news, especially considering what Kinsey was holding. The little 'wolf let out a breath when the words finally came out and her eyes instantly went to Indiana. This wasn't anything small. This was a big thing for the pack and for Indi and Kinsey. Shiloh bit her lip to keep from smiling too much over it all and saying anything seemed like it would ruin the moment.

Dustin pulled off his shirt, rolling his shoulders when they're free of the matieral. It was strange not having Evie by his side, seeing as they had always been together during the full moon since joining the Sleuth. He could feel his worry clawing at the surface to go and find her, but he was needed here more than anything, so he finished undressing and heads out towards the woods, in a full run, changing before he hits the tree line. He turns his head back towards the porch, waiting for the Beta and Delta.

Thom grinned at Kinsey's words, looking from his alpha to Indiana. This was good news, it was good for the pack and he knew that Kinsey couldn't have picked someone better for their Sigma than Indiana.

Harley felt relieved that Jesse was there because he was, well, he was Jesse. She was relieved until the nut started swinging the shotgun around and demanding to know who had slept with his wife. His wife? He meant her? Harley just stared, green eyes wide as she looked from Jesse to the nut and back, terrified. It literally felt as if her heart had stopped.

Piper responded in turn, nickering once more as she shifted her large body to rub her nose against Tori's next. The horse pranced toward Nick as well and rubbed her forelock against Nicr’s neck, before moving against with antsy tension. She wanted to run, to be truly free with herself. She took a few steps toward the large field, aching to stretch her legs out. She started forward at a smooth trot. Her easy gait letting the others with her be able to catch up with her.

Jesse (kinda) moved to take a step forward only to watch the guy come closer, swinging his shotgun around. A growl built in his throat that he couldn't contain, wanting desperately to get to Harley and get the hell out of there. "Look, I don't know what the fuck you think is going on, but that's not your fucking wife. That's my girlfriend and I fucking want her back. What's it gonna take?"

Emma Lee used every ounce of control she had to keep from telling Scarlett to fuck off and just go to Sleepy Hollow by herself. But she could see the toll this was taking on the beta. So she just followed Scar’s lead and started undressing, taking little satisfaction in the redhead’s answer. “And at what point would that be?” she grumbled. “Best be before the fuckin’ sun comes up.” With the pull of the moon and the itch to shift, Em was quickly losing what little patience she had left.

Lucas stared at the message on his phone before swearing. He sent a quick text back, telling Harmony to stay inside and that he was coming over. Ditching his notebooks and the information he'd been working on, Lucas snatched up his keys and phone before slipping out of his room. He shouted something over his shoulder to Jacob, to let him know that he was going to Harmony's before leaving.

Erick eyed the gun cautiously his inner 'horse stirring anxiously, growing a little claustrophobic and reacting to the scent of nearby predators. He shook his head slowly speaking with a calm voice. "No sir. I've never touched your wife." He thought it best to humour the man, until he picked a part the situation. "I do have to wonder though, why invite us?" He gave Jesse a sharp look shaking his head, trying to emphasize on his words to signify something else. "No Jesse I'm sure you're wrong, she just looks like Harley, right?"

Kinsey finally let the happy show on her face when her decision was met with equal happiness by her family. Tonight was their wedding—the 'wolf wedding, that was—the wedding in the sight of gods and men would be later. For Kinsey, tonight was what mattered. Almost awkwardly, if a part of Kinsey could show awkwardness, as she wasn't the best with shows of emotion or grand romantic gestures, she took the second item out of the box. It was a platinum gold ring; it had a same strip of fur about 2mm wide, ringed with the precious metal. The fur was more precious to her than the customized ring. She offered the engagement ring to Indiana with big eyes, and then turned to Flynn. "Would you...?" and held out the strip for him to bind their hands gently in unison.

Jasmine head out of the house and began to pull her clothes off. She was ready to shift and there wasn't anything going to stop her from it. She let her clothes on the floor as she shifted quickly. It was easy for her at this point and by the time she made it to the tree's she was on all fours as a bear. She looked around before walking further into the woods towards the river. She was the only one the sleuth had right now who could be in charge and she was gonna do her best to keep them all in one piece. She let out a small growl urging them to follow her.

Flynn now felt awkward, unsure of what Kinsey wanted him to do. Smiling from a distance was one thing but actually having to participate made Flynn uncomfortable. A feeling he wondered if Kinsey shared. Of course, he reckoned he couldn't bitch about it too much seeing as Kinsey had chosen him to do this. Brow furrowing slightly before coughing and nodding. "Yeah." He moved forward and gripped the strip gently, treating it with reverence. He carefully bound their wrists together, eyes flicking up to Kinsey's face. He knew she couldn't care of he approved or not but Flynn felt it was important that he did so he offered her another one of his hesitant smiles.

Indiana let a huge smile break across her features, unable to contain herself anymore as she rushed forward and nearly knocked her girlfriend down with a fierce kiss. Letting her eyes change over into their deep golden color, she let Kinsey slide the engagement ring onto her left hand and admired it for a moment before letting her shimmering eyes meet her girlfriend's -- well, fiancee's now. The way Kinsey had said her name, tacking on her own last name instead of Indiana's given one, had stirred something up inside of her that she couldn't quell and she was more than eager to continue with the rest of the ceremony; not that she even knew what would occur, however. Giving her hand over to clasp Kinsey's, she looked expectantly up at Flynn and waited.

Scarlett threw her shirt to the side, getting more and more aggravated. She needed Colt, she needed Colt to deal with Emma because she couldn't deal with the girl when she was on thin wires. Scarlett got herself down to nothing but didn't shift yet. "Emma, you will shift. You will stay in that den. You will /listen to me/. You will fucking realize that I'm trying to keep you alive!" Scarlett reached a hand out, gripping the girl's shoulder. "You are part of the family. It is my job to protect you right now. Rose would kill me if I let you do something stupid anyway."

Harley flicked her eyes to Erick's face at his words and motions before looking back to Jesse. If she could have conveyed to do what Erick was doing with a look, she was trying her best to convey that. So many predators being in the room doubled with the fact that there was a crazy with a shotgun pointed at Jesse, pointed at people that she didn't really understand what they had to do with anything, had her 'fox on edge. She wanted to shift, needed to shift more than she wanted or needed anything else.

The Groom didn't think Anne Marie was the sort to sleep with women, so the little one was off the hook. He prodded her with the butt of the gun, making her step back from the men. "Why invite you?" he laughed, a high pitched laugh, like he wasn't breathing correctly. "Why invite you?" he repeated, licking his lips. "Well, because one of you is gonna be a sad bastard when my bride and I eat your corpse for dinner for all the wrong you done us. And the others... well, I couldn't be sure. The fox doesn't always date the fox. Mrs Fox." He laughed again. "My lovely Anne Marie Fox! She wasn't always... but was it lions, or tigers, or bears, oh my!" He looked at each one in turn. "Was it horse—or cat—or wolf? I wonder. Since bear seems off the menu..." and his eyes came to rest on Jesse. He tapped his own nose. "I think we have a winner! Ding ding ding!" And he placed the butt of the gun underneath Jesse's jaw. "Not your girlfriend. My WIFE."

Zachary: "'Bout damn time we had us some good news." He muttered near Thom, hands on his sides and he watched Flynn, Indi, and Kinsey. It felt odd, for the Delta to be there in the moment surrounded by an unlikely family watching the beginnings of a 'wolf wedding'...but it felt /right/ more than anything else.

Tori dug at the dirt with her hoof, showing the restlessness of having been cooped up in her meat suit for far too long. Rocking her head from side to side as she walked, Tori watched as Piper then moved towards the field at a trot. Powering off instead of taking it easy, Tori felt the dirt kick up behind her as she began at a fast trot, then a gradual mark up to a slow paced gallop.

Harmony briefly debated whether she should do as directed and go back inside or continue with her plan. Looking up at the moon, she let out a huff before turning around heading back up the stairs to her apartment. Lance was on his over, and at the very least, she could convince him to go scouting for stuff to shoot with her. Once she was inside, she headed to the kitchen and sent him a message telling him the door was open. She grabbed a candy bar out of the pantry and hoisted herself up onto one of the counters to eat it and await for his arrival.

Nick shook out his mane as the two turned into mares and greeted one another. He quickly returned Piper's gesture and turned towards Tori to see the girl already trot of with Piper. With a knicker he follows slowly behind them, more concentrated on keeping them safe than letting himself run freely. Nick trots closely behind, turning his head this way and that, keeping his eyes and ears peeled out for danger.

Harley wanted to scream. The best that she got was a terrified whimper when the gun was shoved under Jesse's jaw. It wasn't that she wanted to eat anyone, she just really didn't want it to be Jesse that he shot. Her frustration at being unable to do anything skyrocketed, green eyes squeezing shut as tears pricked at the corners.

Jesse (kinda) felt his eyes melt into molten gold, his 'wolf just barely contained under the surface, as the psychotic man jammed the butt of the shotgun under his chin. Feeling his fingers extend into claws, he glanced briefly over to where Harley was being kept and caught the look she was giving him, although he didn't like it whatsoever. "What the fuck do you want from me, you sick fuck?" He ground the words out in a deathly low voice, not making any move to get away or attack simply for Harley's benefit. He couldn't save her if he had a hole in him.

Emma Lee ‘s eyes traveled from Scarlet to the hand on her shoulder, and back again. She nodded her head slowly in acquiescence, her ‘fox recognizing the beta’s authority even though the human side of her didn’t want to. “Fine, what the fuck ever,” she muttered as she continued to remove the last remaining pieces of clothing. She felt a little weird about the way Scarlett tossed Rose’s name out there, but she decided to let it go, not wanting to push her luck more than she already had. Besides, it was time to shift and her fox was more than ready.

Lucas felt some of the tension drain from his body when Harmony responded that she'd be waiting. There wasn't a chance in hell that he'd let her out into the woods tonight, especially not on a full moon. He let the speed of his truck drop, blue eyes watching the road as he drove.

Louis watched, every nerve at attention as he watched the scene play down through the tiny window. He watched the 'wolf, he watched the gun, and he waited. Sweat beads formed along his forehead and above his top lip, and he took in a heavy breath. He had one chance, just one, to get this shot right. He couldn't risk it until that son of a bitch moved into his sight perfectly. Louis's eyes held steady, staring through the scope, trying to suppress memories of moments like this with Svea from distracting him.

Evie hustled backwards when the man pushed her with the butt of his gun, glad to be out of the limelight for the moment but still bristling with nervous energy. As the man turned his attention to Evie's companions, her eyes flicked down to the gun that Jesse had placed on the floor when he came in. She looked back up, but their host seemed to have forgotten about it. When he shoved his gun under Jesse's jaw, Evie knew she would have to be fast, and she would have to be accurate. She'd only get one shot at this. As the man yelled about his wife, Evie lunged forward and grabbed the gun, springing to her feet and holding it with both hands. Her hands her surprisingly steady as she leveled the gun at him and she quickly squeezed off a shot into the man's chest. She was glad that Jesse had already turned the safety off, because she didn't think to check for it beforehand and it would have slowed her down. She pulled the trigger a second time, knowing this man couldn't be allowed to survive and make it out of this barn to terrorize the town and her family any more after tonight. She shot him once more in the chest, her breath heaving after as she watched him fall to the ground. She lowered the gun but kept it trained on him, watching to see if he moved.

Erick could feel his inner 'horse panicking, skin itching to shift to his animal form, the moon pulling at him painfully but he held on, licking his lips dryly. "I see. I understand your anger but," he looked as the gun was pointed right under Jesse's chin and mentally groaned. If he didn't bring back both Harley and Jesse alive, Layla would probably never forgive him. He didn't care for the 'wolf's reckless ways and he was most definitely not helping the situation. He tried refocusing the psycho's attention elsewhere. "Why don't we get on with the ceremony then? Can't have a wedding feast without a wedding right?" If he could only get him distracted long enough to make a grab for the gun...

Dustin fell in step behind Paris, so he could keep watch in the back. With his Alpha and Beta gone, the need to protect his family was strong inside him. He turned his head, catching the slight breeze that was occurring, but didn't find anything to be anything to worry about as he continues behind the girls until they reach the river.

Colt 's head snapped upwards at the sound of gunshots. "Oh fuck." He groaned, immediately taking off in a trot to move closer towards the barn. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

Scarlett was satisfied for now and moved her hand away from the girl. With closed eyes, she let the shift come over her with ease, rippling over her body and releasing her inner 'fox. Scarlett shook out her ginger pelt, beady eyes looking over everything before waiting for Emma to shift so she could usher the delta into the den and out from the open areas. She just prayed that nothing was out there other than Colton and Harley.

Colt jogged over to the very edge of the forest, pacing back and forth anxiously as he waited for some kind of sign as to what was going on. His entire body was tense, the muscles coiled and ready to spring at a moments notice as his 'fox raged inside of him.

Piper was content to be in the lead with Nick bringing up the rear with Tori right in the middle. She felt better this way. Her pace at a trot was easy in the beginning but she wanted to go faster. Her trot quickened, propelling her forward with the sort of freedom that could only come from running. This was what she had been missing as a girl. As a human, she ran all the time to try and find that ease and abandon that came with running as a horse. Her pace increased into an slow gallop, the rain bouncing off her.

The Groom was too busy being surprised that the girl he'd discounted was—what was she doing? was it her all along?—and there was a bang and nothing made sense any more, and there was another bang, and he was on the ground, but he was clutching his gun, and he got off one round aimed straight at Evie's head before he howled in anguish the words, "Anne Marieeeeee," the sound of a man who had nothing left, who had lost everything, who had known betrayal, who had a life stolen from him and had to remake his own, and perhaps not a perfect one, but one that wasn't supposed to end like this, not in his wildest imaginings. He was supposed to have a happy ending. He was supposed to have a fairy tale wedding. He was supposed to love her. His eyes were drooping; it would have been hard for him to aim. His hat fell from his head and skittered across the barn floor. He stared at his guests with cold hate, coughing.

Louis 's eyes went wide as he watched the next scene play out, exhaling finally and staring through the scope. He looked down at his leg and debating on making it out of the tree. Then he looked up, at the rising moon. A shiver ran up his spine and he knew that there was likely nothing more that he could do without just getting in the way. But, how the hell was he supposed to make it out of here anymore? The Blazer was blown to bloody hell, and he had a bum leg. As far as he knew, wolves and foxes couldn't climb trees very well. He didn't know what the woman was, but he was a little worried to find out. Tonight's full moon was going to move them fast and strong, and their humanity wouldn't exist until dawn. Louis had no intention of shooting a lycan tonight, or ever for that matter, so it all came down to the next few decisions. Leave the tree and attempt to find a vehicle? Or risk deadly infection o his leg and remain camped out for the night until the others had made their way back to their loved ones.

Harmony sat the candy on the counter before checking the time on her phone. She was restless. It could’ve been the full moon, or the empty apartment, or the fact that she was waiting around with nothing to do. Hopping down from her perch on the counter, she made her way toward the door, figuring if she had to wait, she might as well do it outside. She exited her apartment and sat on the steps. Holding her camera up to her face, she looked at the outside world through her viewfinder, searching for signs of a familiar truck.

Jesse (kinda) wasted no time being shocked by Evie's move, only wanting desperately to get to Harley. Snatching the gun from the 'bear's hand, he leaned down over his bleeding body and pressed the gun between the man's eyes, squeezing off another shot and watching the light leave his eyes once and for all. Dropping the gun, he instantly rushed to Harley, checking her over for damage and trying to find a way to get her free from her chains. Inspecting the lock, he realized it was some kind of old fashioned thing and grabbed the key he had brought in, stuffing it into the lock to try to open it. When the key only got jammed, he ripped it back out and threw it on the floor, turning around and barking, "Give me your fucking keys! NOW!"

Jasmine walked ahead, guiding the bears to the river. Every so often she would glance back at the other's making sure they were okay. Thing's were in her hands now and she only hoped that wherever everyone else was they would be okay. Right now she was in charge and she was keeping everyone safe for the night. That was all she needed to do. Once she made it to the river, Jasmine sat down. The bear needed to just watch everyone else.

Kinsey was surprised by the ferocity she was met with from her girlfriend, and, not unlike her brother, Kinsey was—while very happy—somewhat going through the motions, not because she didn't want to or didn't care, but just because she wasn't used to having all eyes on her in quite this manner, in such a—for her—vulnerable situation. She wouldn't have trusted anyone but Flynn to bind them, and so with her face a mess of ruddy rosey glow from blushing, she watched as her little brother took the fur that had been her father's and wove it around their wrists to unite them, binding them symbolically by blood and family, just as the ring was a symbol of. Kinsey was grateful for the glance that Flynn gave her—and the supportive looks she caught from the likes of Thom and Zach, whom she wondered if they could feel her nervousness—as she went to perform the last part of the ritual. She unbound their wrists with her teeth and dropped to her knees in front of Indiana, tying it like a garter over her femoral artery on her left leg; then with her fangs, she bit into the thigh there, meant to leave a mark. The same as 'pack,' but different. The warning was plain: 'If you see this, you've gone too far. This one is mine.' When it was done, she howled, to signify the end of it, for the others to echo her, and for their hunt to begin.

Evie watched the man level his shotgun at her and she immediately dropped to the floor, landing flat on her stomach and squeezing her eyes tight, her ears ringing with the shotgun blast that blew a hole in the barn wall behind her. She was breathing hard and fast, not registering that Jesse had taken the gun or that they might need the key that was now underneath her where she'd dropped it. The adrenaline and the fear from shooting their host and getting shot at in return coursed through her and she couldn't hold it back anymore. She screamed out as she felt her 'bear clawing inside her to be free, desperately trying to hold on but feeling her body begin to change.

Lucas pulled into the parking lot of Harmony's building, spotting her sitting on the steps outside. His blue eyes rolled but he just parked and climbed out. Locking the door after himself, Lucas jogged over to where Harmony was sitting. "You should have stayed inside, Harm."

Tori watched as Piper moved past her. Nickering, Tori pushed forward, the rain pelting off of her back as she ran. Raising her head slightly, Tori reared up, kicking out her front legs into the air, letting out a loud whinny before dropping back down fully onto the ground. As soon as her front hooves hit the soil, Tori shot forward.

Emma Lee took a deep breath before allowing her muscles and bones to fold and snap, releasing her ‘fox. Once she’d completed the transformation, she stretched, her paws digging into soft earth beneath them. This was always her favorite part—the heady cocktail of freedom and power that washed over her after each shift. Her dark eyes scanned her surroundings and her ears perked up, listening to the familiar sounds of the forest.

Erick in the panic and confusion, the gunshots made his head ring and the fear just over took him. It was getting increasingly dangerous as he saw Evie shifting to her 'bear form, he knew he didn't have much time. "Jones," he barked, tossing his key at the 'wolf. "I'm gonna lure her outta here!" outrunning a 'bear would be no problem in his 'horse form but he knew if he didn't lure her away, everyone else in the barn could be torn to shreds. He finally let go of the stallion inside of him, bones cracking and snapping loudly as he landed on all fours, no longer a man but the silvery grullo mustang stallion he truly was. He snorted loudly and reared at Evie, neighing loudly to get the 'bear's attention before darting off down the stable aisle towards the door they'd all come through, bursting out of the barn.

Ash watched as the man questioned them, trying hard to keep a grip on his control. All he could think was that the 'fox was tied up and there was a gun pointed at them. The conflicting thoughts were raging through him, part of him excited by the thrill, another part of him thinking only about food. His 'cat was so close to the surface his eyes were golden but he turned his head quickly to watch the 'bear shoot at the mad man and threw his key over to Jesse as demanded they give them up. Ash stepped back to let Erick try and lead Evie out.

Harley wanted to flinch away, to scramble back and hide somewhere or just shift and run to the forest. Her heart was thudding in her chest and it made her body tremble, green eyes watching Jesse before looking back to where Evie was when she screamed. And then there was Erick but as a horse, attempting to lure the shifting 'bear away. She trembled again as her 'fox took in that the 'cat was still in here as well as Jesse. Harley might have trusted Jesse and her 'fox tolerated the 'wolf but on a full moon and in this situation, her 'fox didn't want anything to do with him.

Indiana let Flynn tie their wrists together, smiling warmly at the symbolism of it. She was Kinsey's and Kinsey was hers. No one could question that now and she never had to worry again about losing Kinsey to someone else's advances. Watching curiously as Kinsey bit off the fur and it was replaced on her own leg, she braced herself against her mate's head and hissed as fangs sunk into her flesh, marking her once and for all. Once the ceremony was over, she took great care placing the ribbon and the ring back in the box and hiding it underneath her clothes before letting the moon take her, black fur sprouting from her skin until she landed on all fours with a dull thud, joining Kinsey in a loud, joyful howl.

Evie felt the 'bear rip through her skin, more painful in the wake of the super moon and without her alpha to ease the change. She hadn't shifted on her own in months, she had gotten used to the safety and familiarity of her sleuth. She screamed until her face shifted into a muzzle, her body finally changing fully into a bear. The scents around her hit her instantly, her instincts ringing with danger. She wasn't safe, she was around enemies, and prey that smelled almost too good for the bear to resist. She bared her teeth and growled as the horse reared in front of her, her instincts taking over as she gave chase, bursting through the barn door in pursuit.

Amelia "I'm not sure if your mom wants you doing that!" Amelia rushed forward, tugging the bear off of the already scratch covered couch, Amelia set who she assumed was Gage back onto the floor. Meanwhile, the kitchen erupted with a series of bangs and clatters. "Kyle!" Amelia darted forward, Gage at her legs. She felt the cub's small teeth bite into her ankle, and Amelia had to remember not to kick the small creature away. In the kitchen, Kyle sat inside of a pan, and in his paws was a loaf of bread, which was falling out of its bag. "Kyle," Amelia groaned. Shelling out some pieces, she twisted the bag back up and put it far enough away on the counter, out of the cubs' reach. Picking up the pots and pants, Amelia put them back into the cabinet that Kyle must have opened when climbing to get to the bread. The sound of disconcerted bears echoed throughout the house. "Hey, guys! Come chase auntie Amelia!" Immediately, Amelia fast-walked to the living room, where the bears followed. Rolling over each other to get to Amelia first, the brunette bent down, scooping one of the cubs up. It gnawed on her fingers, then looked up at her with a large dopey-bear grin before wriggling free. Setting the bear down, Mel put her hands on her hips, watching as the bears scratched and bit at her legs.

Scarlett took a step forward toward Emma, licking the side of the 'fox's face before nudging her up toward the the den. Scarlett padded her way inside, looking to Savannah to make sure the girl was okay before sitting herself close to the den opening, but enough away that she'd be out of sight for those approaching. She needed to see her brother and Harley come home safe. The 'fox shifted her front paws on the ground, impatient as she started to pace back and forth.

Colt staggered backwards at the sight of the stallion tearing through the barn door met his gaze. The creature was quickly followed by a large 'bear that Colt could only assume was Evelyn, causing him to hiss softly as he ducked behind a tree, hoping that she was too distracted to catch his scent.

Harmony spied Lance hopping out of his truck and watched his approach through the viewfinder of her camera. When she deemed him close enough, she snapped a quick picture before lowering from her face. “I was tired of just sitting around the house,” she said, lifting a shoulder in a shrug. She pushed herself up and flashed him a smile. “Besides, no one ever messes with the girl holding the camera.”

Nick made his way into the river, keeping near Paris as he half-heartdly paw at a fish jumping out of the water. He wasn't hungry by any means, but he knew going the full moon without a meal wouldn't be good on his body. Growling lightly he easily catches one in his mouth and starts to chew.

Dustin made his way into the river, keeping near Paris as he half-heartdly paw at a fish jumping out of the water. He wasn't hungry by any means, but he knew going the full moon without a meal wouldn't be good on his body. Growling lightly he easily catches one in his mouth and starts to chew.

Jesse (kinda) caught Erick's key and nodded to the man as he saw the 'bear woman beginning to shift out of the corner of his eye. His 'wolf was clawing desperately at him, wanting to chase prey and kill enemies, but more than anything he knew he needed to get Harley free. Trying Erick's key and cursing when it didn't work either, he turned back just in time to catch the 'cat guy's key and shove it into the lock, exhaling in relief when it clicked open and fell to the floor. Quickly untangling Harley from the chains, he scooped her up in his arms and ran from the barn as fast as his legs could carry him, following the destruction left by the 'horse and the 'bear. "Sutton! Get the hell over here!" Pressing a quick kiss to Harley's forehead, he used his claws to tear off the ill-fitting wedding dress and placed her on the ground once he saw a 'fox running towards him. Unable to bear not shifting any longer, he ran from the spot towards the clearing where the 'wolves met for the moon and shifted halfway through his run, his blonde 'wolf coming through. Upon hearing the howls of his packmates, Jesse joined in with the sound and made his way towards his family. Seeing and touching and comforting Harley would have to wait until after this moon was done.

Ash 's eyes were firm on Harley as the 'bear and 'horse left. Part of him told him to chase after the 'horse, but the distraction of the 'fox was more than enough to keep his mind occupied. She set off all his senses, scared and vulnerable. "You need to get her out of here, man." He let out half his usual tone, half growl. His human side didn't want to chow down on the brunette, especially not with Jesse there, but all his 'cat wanted to do was pounce.

Lucas tucked his keys in his pocket as he walked up to Harmony. "So wild animals know that too?" he asked, one brow lifting in question. "C'mon let's go upstairs. I'll make you pancakes and you can show me what you've got on your documentary."

Shiloh crossed her arms over her chest, watching with a giddiness inside of her like a little girl. She just wanted to hug everyone now. The delta 'wolf twisted her body around, looking along the lines of the trees before sliding up to the moon. As happy as she was for all this and wanted to watch with teary eyes, another part of her was growing impatient and needing to shift soon. Shiloh turned back and watched Kinsey, taking in Indi's face every few seconds while Kinsey marked Indiana. The show was over with Kinsey howling and she closed her eyes before shifting, dropping down on her paws and letting out a howl to join in.

Louis having made it out of the tree, Louis had been weaving through the trees at as fast a pace as her could. That was, until he heard them. The neighing and the pounding of hooves in the dirt, the heavy roar of the bear on it's tail, and the scream from inside the barn. Louis's muscles tightened and he began the distressed process of looking over his surroundings for a way to get out of sight, and fast. Foxes and the horse posed no harm to him, not as much as the bear did. He watched Jesse dart from the barn with the girl in his arms, and watched him flee successfully into the trees in the other direction. That was one predator down, at least.

Erick streaked over the forest path, almost flying, the sensation would have been liberating were he not literally running for his life at this point. The Silver's hoofbeats resonated against the earthen forest path, careful not to stray from it, until he'd torn off the main property. Open spaces. He had to find open spaces to distance the 'bear more easily. Running through trees might have been easy for agile deer but for a 'horse it was an other business entirely. He knew the predator was still behind him, but if he could run fast and long enough, the 'bear would eventually grow winded and give up chase.

Colt propelled his long legs forward, relief practically crashing through him at the sight of Jesse with harley in his arms. He dropped to the ground next to Harley, pulling him quickly towards her as Jesse ran in the opposite direction from them, his 'wolf finally breaking through. "Harley, we've gotta get outta hear, okay? We're gonna shift and we're gonna run. We ain't gonna stop until the we get to the den. You run, ya hear me?" He leaned forward, pressing a small kiss to the top of her crown before finally allowing his 'fox to break free, taking Harley along with him in the shfit.

Flynn let out a howl to echo Kinsey's, the sound reverberating before his body shuddered with the need to change. It threatened to rip him from the inside out but it wasn't a bad thing. Instead, it freed him. It freed the wolf inside of him that admired the tradition and needed the hunt to feel blood in his teeth. The change came naturally to him, having been doing it all his life. Silver-grey fur sprouted over his skin as his fangs lengthened and his legs shortened. As he became the wolf, he nosed Shiloh's large head before stilling.

Emma Lee gave the ‘fox equivalent of an eyeroll when Scarlett nudged her toward the den entrance. She really didn’t feel like riding out the night in a confined space with the Wonder twins, yet again. At least they wouldn’t be able to talk her to death though. The ‘fox entered the den, her eyes assessing Savannah before she plopped herself down near the entrance. She rested her head on her front paws, and her eyes tracked Scar’s movement as the beta paced back and forth.

Thom put two fingers into his mouth and let out a loud whistle at the sight of his alpha and new sigmna. Before long though, the moon called to him and he quickly stripped out of his clothes, leaving them in a hasty pile before his 'wolf was pulled from him. He felt free and happy in a way that he hadn't in a long time. Though part of him knew that there could still be a threat to the pack tonight, his wolf was too happy and playful to care at that moment. He pounced on Shiloh, who was closest to him, nipping playfully at her ear and rolling onto the grass.

Ash was chasing before he even thought about what was happening, running after Jesse and his newly freed girlfriend. He was focused too much on the 'food now. He stopped just short of the Alpha and Harley's position and as they shifted he couldn't hold it any longer. Claws and fur sprouted from all angles, his left ear still torn but healed and a distinct bald spot in his shoulder.

Louis suddenly bolted, as much as his leg would allow, in the other direction. He had no idea which direction that was, though he figured it was better than the one the bear was barreling toward. Through the trees he went, all the while wishing he had been of more use to the lycans, and knowing he would have to work harder. This was not over.

Evie barreled along after the horse, crashing into the trees, shaking her head as branches scratched at her face. She passed by a scent that caught her attention briefly, but she was too focused on the horse ahead of her to pay it much mind. Her breathing was becoming harsh and rapid, the bear panting as she ran. The horse darted easily through the trees and Evie struggled to keep up in the thick woods.

Harley felt everything pass in a blur, from Jesse breaking the chains to carrying her out to ripping the dress off and watching him run away. And then Colt was there and he was shifting, which brought her along with him. They could go find the troop, find Scar and Sav and Emma Lee. Until she smelled the 'cat that was. Her body froze, ears flicking back to her skull though her lips peeled back from her teeth into a snarl. Fuck.

Erick finally bursted out of the woods on the main road, his hooves clip clopping loudly on the asphalt, and didn't hesitate to bolt down on it, heading towards the farmlands he'd pass by on his way to Sleepy Hollow in the first place. He picked up speed, his heart pounding in his deep chest and he tore into a field, slowly forgetting that he was anything but a horse running from a predator. The traces of Erick, the man were faint, fading fast in the moonlight and leaving place to nothing but the silver.

Colt growled loudly at the scent of cat, nudging Harley to begin to run. He allowed his voicebox to shift inside him, bellowing with all of his might in an attempt to scare the bobcat off as he nudged her closer and closer to the edge of the forrest. He continued his loud assault against the cat, waiting until Harley was a good distance ahead before starting to run.

Kinsey [OOC: THIS JUST IN. DUE TO HER INTERACTIONS WITH THE CUBS, AMELIA IS NOW INFECTED. THIS IS HER FIRST MOON.]

Scarlett slowed down with her pacing, looking at the other two girls before back out of the den. The 'fox trotted outside of the den, eyes on the path and trying to think of what to do. Colt would kill her if she took them anywhere near the barn, but at the same time she needed to know that they were okay. Scarlett looked over to the other two, letting out a yip to call them over. They'd meet the other two halfway.

Harley only had to let Colt nudge her once or twice before she was sprinting. She caught a trace of Scar from earlier and dug in, ears still flattened to her skull. Any other moon, she wouldn't have run away as easily. Fuck this. Digging into the soft soil of the woods, she let her 'fox side take over. Find the troop.

Harmony scoffed playfully. “Especially wild animals, which is probably why I can never find any to take pictures of.” She grabbed his hand and smiled up at him sweetly. “We could do that or… you could come with me, and we can just drive around, looking for cool stuff to shoot. We don’t even have to stay in Pickens if it makes you feel better.”

Evie followed the scent of the horse until she cleared the trees and found herself running on pavement. It felt awkward to her bear paws, used to the soft dirt and leaves of the woods. The horse seemed even quicker now on the flat land, and Evie lumbered along behind him. Piper felt as if she were soaring. She whinnied at Nick and quickened her pace into a faster gallop, daring him to stay even with him. Tori had shot i front of her before but Piper loved a challenge. If there was one thing that Piper loved, almost more than anything, it was challenge. Whether it be in dancing, running or even drinking, she liked to think that she wold never back down from a challenge if it didn’t threaten her life. And, right now, Piper was looking to win. Her legs stretched out into a gallop, the wind sweeping past her and taking any bad memories or thoughts with the gust. She picked up the pace, increasing the speed of her gallop.

Emma Lee perked up when the beta moved outside the den. Standing up, she padded over to the entrance, tossing a quick glance at Sav before poking her head out of the den. At the sound of Scarlett’s call, Em dashed outside, her eyes focused on the area surrounding them. Had she spotted Harley? Colt? A threat? What? Her senses picking up none of the above, she turned curious eyes on the beta.

Shiloh swung her head to Flynn, licking the side of his muzzle. She'd looked away only a second later to have Thom on top of her suddenly, the white wolf letting out a bark and nipped back before rolling away herself and padding closer to the trees. Her head lifted up, taking in the moon and it was clear the supermoon did a number on her. She felt more connected to her wolf side, completely freed of the human half of her. She pressed her nose close to the ground a moment later. Shiloh could feel the urge to hunt and right now that instinct was winning over play time. The 'wolf turned slightly, letting out a whine.

Ash crouched low and ready to pounce the minute he saw an opening, he growled lightly back at them - at her. His ears were alert and listening, all he could hear was the heartbeat of the two 'foxes, fast and loud. As the Alpha started shouting at him he listened, growling and hissing back at him. Were he in human form he'd have thought better of it, given up the chase. Were it not the supermoon maybe he wouldn't have shifted on them and focused so hard on Harley in the first place, but it was. As they started to ran he chased. He liked the chase. He was keeping close behind them, finally free, happy that he was actually able to hunt for the first time in 4 months.

Erick breathed loudly as he turned off the road, the asphalt seemed to have slowed the 'bear down, but the shock was harsh on his legs and the stallion found the open field much more appealing. He leaped off the cement into the grass gracefully, eager to put more distance between himself and the 'bear, but stumbled after a few strides, his front hoof getting caught in what was some kind of terrier- rabbit or groundhog perhaps- causing the stallion to crash forward on his knees and face.

Colt continued to dart forward, weaving in and out in an attempt to distract the 'cat. He made sure that Harley was ahead of him, intent on leading the 'cat in a different direction from where his Troop was safely hidden. "Get to the girls." He growled loudly to the delta ahead of him, his human voice sounding huskier than normal as it came from his 'fox body.

Flynn let out a low growl when Thom jumped on Shiloh, almost baring his teeth but the wolf didn't make a move toward the other male. Instead, he took a step toward Indiana, his large body tense and eager to hunt. His energy when hunting was limitless and for someone with such an explosive and impatient temperament as a human, he looked forward to it. He took a step away, his ears pricked forward and his nose scenting even the littlest things at the moment.

Bianca was almost dancing, fleetly moving about the woods in the moonlight, her heart soaring with joy. She'd stop every now and then, ears moving like satellites for any sign of danger, nose twitching cautiously scenting the wind for predators before moving on. Lights in the distance caught her attention- the town no doubt, but the doe hadn't noticed her progressive disconnect with her human mind and somehow she found herself drawn to them intrigued, leaving the forest behind. She was near an apartment block now and the 'deer's natural curiosity drew her closer. She froze suddenly at the sight of two humans standing outside and she tilted her head curiously, tail half-raised at the shiny object in the girl's hands.

Harley heard the rough rumble of Colt's voice as he spoke, his human voice reaching her ears when they flicked up to catch what he was saying. She glanced back at him before digging in deeper to the soft soil. The muscles in her slender legs flexed and her heart thudded in her chest, green eyes flicking around the forest as she ran.

Evie followed the horse onto the grass, grateful for the changed from the asphalt and catching up a little. When the horse stumbled into the grass, Evie's hunting senses heightened and she growled, reaching up with one paw to swipe at the horse's body.

Indiana nudged Flynn with her muzzle, almost laughing at how protective he was over Shiloh. It really was very cute. As Kinsey took them off into the woods to hunt, she kept her nose to the ground sniffing around for prey. She hoped they would find something good tonight to celebrate the wedding and the supermoon, her spirits higher than they had been in awhile.

Lucas started to say something Harmony, to say that driving around wasn't a good idea on the moon when he spotted a movement in the corner of his eyes. He turned his head slowly, blue eyes spotting the deer standing across the parking lot. He stayed still, just watching it as his eyes flicked down to Harm. "Or..they can just come to you."

Louis could hear the sound of animals on the forest floor behind him, and he took the chance. He turned, stopping his half-limping jog to catch sight of the first 'fox bounding in his direction. He didn't know if it was Colt or the girl they'd brought from the barn, but distress was clear in the way the animal was maneuvering. His yes narrowed curiously, knowing that it couldn't have been the 'bear that was after her. That beast had made a point to keep on the horse's tail. What was chasing it?

Scarlett waited till the other two were outside the den before she started forward, a slow walk down the path while making sure the others were behind her. A moment later she started to run, the dirt kicking up beneath her little paws while she kept her nose in the air to search for any scent of the others. Where was her brother? Where was Harley? For all she knew, they could be alone with another lycan, possibly a dangerous one.

Nick was trying his hardest to keep up with Piper and keep a watchful eye out, but when he heard a crash far off, Nick pulled up to a quick stop and pounded his hoofs into the ground and whinnied loudly at the two. Turning his head, he caught sight of a far off into the distance with a what looked like a bear chasing another horse. He looked back to Piper and Tori, motioning them to stay as he went to quickly check the scene. As he approached the pair he realized it was Erick who was on the ground. Frightened for the stallion, Nick galloped up to him standing between him and the bear.

Amelia looked into the kitchen, past the window, and she could see the illumination from the moon showering down on the outside world. Eyebrows furrowing, Amelia straightened up, and immediately, the brunette felt something slowly rip through her insides. The sounds of cars kicking up the rain's mud made Amelia twist towards the front door. "What the f-" Refraining from cursing in front of the cub's even though they wouldn't be able to understand her, Amelia grit her teeth. Through blinding pain, Amelia looked down at her ankles, then realizing what was going on. Scooping the two cubs up, Amelia hobbled into their room, ignoring the pain. Closing the door, she didn't bother with putting them in their cribs. They would only climb out and end up hurting themselves. Closing the door behind her, Amelia ran for the living room. "Oh.. Oh no, oh no." Throat thick, Amelia gripped for the chair beside her, which crashed down, sending her with it. The painful waves reached her chest, then blossomed to her head. A searing pain reached her eyes, making her cover them. "No," she screamed, digging her fingers into the sides of her face, she scratched downwards. Amelia let out another scream and thrashed forward, knocking down what she assumed was a bookshelf. Fur began to sprout unevenly on her forearms. "No, no," Amelia gasped, clawing at the carpet. Tilting her head back, the brunette let out a loud growl, which sent her into a upward motion of getting the fuck out of there. The cub's wouldn't safe, especially because from what Dustin had told Amelia about his first shift; she would be hungry. Getting up, Amelia stumbled for the door. Opening it, she quickly dug the key out of her pocket, trying to stay coherent long enough to lock the place up. Dropping the key under the mat, Amelia took off down the steps, moving past her truck and into the outside world. Shredding her clothes off as she ran into the woods, Amelia felt the beast erupt within her. Tossing herself down to the ground, Amelia grabbed at the roots from the trees, holding onto them for an anchor. Tilting her head back, Amelia let out a scream before it slowly turned into a harsh growl. Teeth jutting their way further out of her gums, she opened her mouth to relieve the pressure. Digging her fingers, which slowly formed into claws, into the dirt packed earth, Amelia growled and pushed herself off the ground once the bear finally took control. Rearing up on her hind legs, Amelia swiped at the air. Fear, anger and confusion resonated from the brown bear, and as she took off into the forest, dirt kicked up behind her. New problems arose, by the names of wolves, hunters, and of course other bears who would be confused by a new bears arrival and possibly feel threatened if not with realization that it was Amelia.

Erick panicked as he hit the ground immediately trying to find purchase. He couldn't get up on time before the bear caught up to him and the stallion squealed as she swiped her paw at him, her claws ripping 5 strikes across the side of his neck, causing him to bleed. The stallion reared turning on his haunches and lunging for her face with his sharp, hard hooves, desperate to distract her before taking off again.

Piper heard a crash but she didn't even realize it could have been Erick until Nick let out a loud whinny. She pulled up short and galloped in a circle around Tori, her gaze toward the running Nick and what appeared to be another horse and a bear. She recognized the horse and she pranced forward in tense, quick movements but when Nick gave the order to stay, the delta in her obeyed though she wanted to run after him and connect her hooves with the bears head. She gave a short whinny to Tori, to make sure the other mare stayed with her.

Evie felt the impact of the horse's hooves to her face, a hard kick that knocked her off balance. Blindly, she swiped her claws at the new arrival, not knowing if she would make contact or hit nothing but air. She shook her head to clear the pain, blood matting the fur of her cheek where she had been kicked.

Harmony ‘s brow wrinkled with confusion. “What?” She asked, her eyes following Lance’s line of sight. She gasped when she saw the deer in the parking lot. “Oh my god,” she whispered, her eyes widening with excitement. She looked back up at Lance, a bright smile on her face. “You must be good luck or something.” Slowly, she reached for the camera around her neck, hoping to get a picture without frightening the deer.

Erick dropped to his forelegs and turned on a dime bolting away from the 'bear, heading blindly across the field. Anywhere, it didn't mattered where he went so long as he had open spaces to run to. Blood streamed down his neck, mixing in with his silvery grey hair and he leaped over a fence, rushing past some sleepy sheep. He didn't think he'd ever run this fast in his life, the adrenaline numbing out the pain of his injury and when he would come back to his human self he'd be grateful for the fact his leg hadn't been hurt beyond a bruise.

Bianca took a hesitant step forward. Her ears twitched lightly in the direction of the human's voice and she took an other step forward, trying to scent them out. She froze as the female rose the strange object in her hands but was fascinated by the way the light captured the front of it... The light... Her eyes locked on the lens and she stopped moving as if hypnotized.

Shiloh ran into the woods with the others, her paws moving swiftly over the ground and navigating through the scents that were left behind. She stayed close to Flynn, occasionally moving a bit closer and pressing her nose to his side before going back to her nose pressed to the ground. After some time she picked up on a scent, her nose following it even though it was taking it away from the pack. Deer. Much better than rabbits, really. Shiloh brought her head up and started running, following the scent and ignoring everything else. The forest fell away from her, the town in front of her and the deer close enough now she didn't need to follow the scent so closely. Shiloh stopped in the shadows of a building for a moment, eyes shining in the moonlight as she targeted them on the deer. It was barely a second later she came running out of the shadow, back legs bracing and launching the small wolf at the deer as her lower jaw fell open and she dug her canines deep into the back hind of the deer.

Ash licked his nose as he chased running, quickly darting in between the trees as the 'foxes ran ahead of him. He didn't care which he chased after now, a fox was a fox. Food was food. As he darted after the Alpha in between the trees he was gaining on him. As he moved to pounce though,the jolt that went through is shoulder caused it to jar, toppling him over and he yelped in pain as he fell, hissing and growling.

Emma Lee took off to catch up with Scarlett, happy the beta was letting them out of the den. Judging from the direction they were headed, the beta had apparently come to her senses and was leading them to Harley and Colt. Em’s body amped and alert, her ears listening for any signs of her missing troop mates.

Harley shot past the human without even stopping, without even slowing. She barely even noticed him until after she'd run past, his scent causing her to skid to a stop before she was running again. Find Scar, find Emma, find Sav. She found them by, literally, running into them.

Colt noticed the 'cat lag behind and felt relief rush through him as he continued to bolt forward, swiftly catching up with Harley and directing her towards the quickly approaching den. Alert eyes darted around them, careful to seek out any predator and finally landing on the rest of his troop. A troop that was supposed to be in the den and safe from any harm. A loud growl rumbled from his chest, his anger clear as he snapped his teeth at the girls. "DEN. NOW." His human voice tore from him.

Evie picked up the chase again, charging straight through the wooden fence and after the horse. Even though it was injured, her prey had gotten ahead of her while she had been dazed from the kick to the face. Something that smelled even more tasty caught her nose then, as she found herself surrounded by slow moving sheep. Much easier targets than the horse which kept evading her, and Evie was tired from chasing it. She clamped her jaw around the neck of the nearest sheep and ripped into it with her claws, tearing off bites as blood dripped from her muzzle.

Tori looked at Piper, knocking her head into the mare's neck before following after her, far, far away from the bear and into the arms of safety on the other end of the spectrum.

Louis watched both the foxes dart past him, and he watched them before staring back the way they'd come. He heard the stumble of what had been chasing them and immediately drew his gun from it's holster, cringing at the intense sting of his leg. He didn't have time for this, not now. He began to slowly back up away from the sound, gun aimed into the darkness of the forest underbrush. If the beast came after, he didn't know what he would have to do. He continued, though, moving as much as he could backwards with one leg slowly loosing feeling in the other.

Scarlett was running, her ears listening to everything it could and she picked up on something but suddenly there was a lot of noise. Harley. Sarlett whipped around when the 'fox ran past them and she was on them a second later. Scarlett pranced on top of the 'fox licking her face till Colt's voice scared Scarlett and she nudged the others along, making her way back to the den and purposely keeping herself close to Savannah. And away from Colton. She'd left the den with the others when she wasn't suppose to and she wasn't sure just how she'd explain that to her brother without him yelling at her to oblivion. Once back at the den, Scarlett cautious walked up to Colton, head low before she got in front of him and laid down, head up to run her tongue over him.

Erick heard the panicked cries of the sheep and supposed one of them had gotten caught. He only paused to find out once he'd jumped the fence at the other side of the pasture, seeing the 'bear feeding. The stallion snorted noisily before taking off again, just hoping to head... head where? He eventually slowed down to a trot, in a familiar place until he found himself near the shady grove he'd met with the other 'horses earlier on, though he had no recollections of that

Harley bolted into the den with her ears still flat to her skull and went straight to the back. Her entire body was trembling, heart still thudding heavily in her chest. She flopped onto her side, tongue lolling from her mouth as her sides heaved, sucking air back into her winded body. Quiet small town her ass. Laying there, Harley breathed in the familiar smell of the other foxes, feeling herself finally beginning to relax now that she was around her family.

Ash moved to recover his lost ground, trying to work through the pain. Scrambling to stand again and chase back after them, but the sound of gun fire near him made him freeze for a split second before crouching as low as he could, ears as close to his skull as they could be. His mind went off the 'foxes, he'd learnt from the last time, if there was a gun he had to run. His own safety was more important. He slowly creeped forwards in the direction of one of his small dens and ran when no more shots were heard.

Indiana noticed Shiloh wandering off in the corner of her eye, lifting her head up and watching the younger 'wolf. Suddenly the girl must have smelled something because she was off like a shot, away from their hunting grounds and off into other territory closer to town. Indiana barked up at Kinsey to let her know what had happened before taking off after Shiloh, her status as the fastest 'wolf in the pack coming in handy at that moment. Chasing the girl as fast as she could, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder where it hadn't completely healed yet and almost stumbled, catching herself but coming up somewhere farther behind Shiloh than she would have liked to be. As they hit the asphalt of Pickens proper, Indiana saw Harmony and that guy Lance staring a 'deer, just as Shiloh launched herself for the attack. She needed to get the girl away from the humans so nothing worse happened, so she reared back and launched herself at the delta, tackling her away from the 'deer and rolling with her across the pavement, getting up to stand between Shiloh and Harmony with her teeth bared.

Louis sent off a warning shot in the direction of the predator, which was still shrouded in darkness. He heard it move again, but this time in a different direction. After a moment of not hearing it come back, relief flooded him. For now, he could feel okay about turning his back to the trees. Reholstering his gun, he began the agonizing journey to find some kind of civilization. He wanted nothing more than for this night to be over.

Colt ceased his growling as soon as everyone was safetly back in the den, his entire body practically trembling from the exertion of outrunning the 'cat. He fell to his belly, crawling his way over to Harley's still form. He nuzzled her softly, breathing in the familiar scent of her as his tongue darted out to gently swipe her fur. His head lifted as Scarlett approached and he let out a low growl, his anger still evident. Regardless, he leaned forward to push his head against hers, grateful that she had made it back in one piece

Lucas opened his mouth to say something just as he saw the wolf launch out at the deer. His gun was in his truck, resting in it's case on the floorboards and there was a smaller hand gun beneath the front seat but that wasn't important. What was important was Harmony. The appearance of a second wolf only confirmed that. "Get inside, now!" Lucas snapped, pulling her towards the stairs.

Flynn was not amused when he realized that Shiloh was no longer by his side, but he had reckoned that she had just dropped back to join the others. He hadn't thought she would leave the hunting grounds. He saw her flash of white fur taking off and then black fur taking off after as Indiana's status as fastest wolf in the pack became more pronounced. He let out a bark before taking off after Indiana but he was no where near as fast as Indiana. Rather, he was slower, built for power and not speed but he followed his ears and the scent of them, dark eyes taking in Indiana's tackling of Shiloh. His hackle threatened to rise at the movement but at this moment, Indiana was now the sigma and it was her wants that the wolf in him placed first so he let out a growl toward Shiloh, moving to attempt to nose her to the side away from Indiana and back to the hunting grounds.

Ash continued to run, working through the pain. Survival was his main goal, pain could be dealt with later. He knew Rae had a den around here somewhere, she wouldn't liked that he stayed in there without her, but he knew more that she'd dislike it if he was dead. Reaching it panting he he darted inside and slumped, succumbing to the pain and the sound of his rapidly beating heart. He may not have fed, but now he was safe, not hurt and more importantly alive.

Emma Lee ‘s feet propelled her forward, keeping her on Harley’s heels. Once inside, she followed the ‘fox to the back of the den, brushing her face up against Harley’s. She reveled in the scent she’d been longing to smell for days now. Harley. She looked around at the other ‘foxes before plopping down next to Harley, refusing to leave her side.

Evie The horses were both completely forgotten as Evie ate her fill of the sheep, chasing them around a little before going in for the kill. Once her hunger was satisfied, Evie settled onto the the long grass of the field, catching her breath. Her face stung from the horse's kick and the fence she had charged through, but she paid it no mind as she licked her muzzle. She looked around the surrounding area, realizing that she wasn't in the sleuth's usual hunting ground, and therefore not safe. She couldn't stay out in an open field alone. She sniffed at the air, not for prey but for the familiar scent of her sleuthmates, but could smell nothing. She must be too far away from them. Evie stood up on all fours and headed in the direction the horse had gone. Not to chase it, but hoping that it would lead to the woods and a more secure area.

Harley lifted her head as Emma Lee stretched out beside her and Colt crawled over. Her eyes flicked to the Alpha's as she made herself sit up long enough to brush her muzzle back against his, the air in her lungs huffing out in a quick puff as if to give a relieved sigh. The 'fox was happy to be with her troop again, happy to have them back around her as she pressed her head into Emma Lee's side.

Scarlett could sense the anger off her alpha with no trouble, but she was happy to have him safe. Scarlett just kept herself laying on the ground, eyes on the rest of the 'foxes and she hoped things would be okay now. Scarlett wanted to make sure she spoke to Colton about keeping Harley at the Hollow for a few days and away from everyone. Right now, Harley needed to be with the troop after everything.

Amelia ran forward, paws sinking into the muddy soil, causing it to splash up behind her and coat her pelt with twigs, leaves, and dirt. Sniffing at the air, Amelia sensed something not too far away - blood. Blood from what? Mel had no clue, but she was about to find out. Breaking out into a clearing, Amelia came up on the carnage of several sheep cascaded across the grounds. The others moved away in order to find safety. Digging her paws into the ground, Amelia moved forward quickly, nearly tackling the sheep in a haste to devour what was left of the creature.

Harmony managed to snap a few photos of the deer before the poor thing was attacked by a wolf. She let a small scream and her hand flew to cover her mouth at the sight. Another wolf, leapt out and tackled the first. A wolf that looked like Indiana. But what would the pack be doing over here in her apartment complex? She felt Lance’s hand tugging her toward the stairs. Her feet propelled her backward, but her eyes were glued to the scene unfolding in front of her.

Colt finally allowed himself to relax, the warm bodies of his troop pressed against him as they cuddled around Harley, their missing puzzle piece. He rested his head against her, refusing to break contact as he felt his large eyes begin to drift shut, a low rumble of contentment pouring from him.

Harley let out a contented sigh as Colt's head rested against her side. She tilted her own back against, mouth opening to briefly, and lightly, nip at Emma Lee's sigh before she let her head drop back to the ground. A low sigh rumbled from her throat again, green eyes half-closing as her tail flicked lazily. All she wanted now was for Jesse to be safe and that would be that.

Shiloh felt herself being ripped away from her prey before she could go for another bite, the one to kill. She felt the pavement come in contact with her body hard, rolling across it before she could get herself back on her paws, growling. The 'wolf jumped back when Flynn came around, inching forward toward the prey for a moment before she moved back, her eyes flickering from the deer to Flynn before she turned and made her way around the apartments and back to the grass. Blood stained her white muzzle, the 'wolf running her tongue along the outside and she did her best to ignore the hunger beating through her inside.

Evie stopped at the tree line when she heard the sound of something feeding on the sheep behind her. It was another bear, ripping into the remaining sheep with vigor. Evie huffed air through her nose and stomped her foot; those were /her/ sheep. She went at the other bear at a run, grunting in challenge.

Bianca tilted her head and approached as the camera made clicking sounds, spurring her curiosity further. She was so distracted, so hypnotized she didn't really react to the sound of an animal coming in behind her until it was too late and sharp pain tore through the ligaments of her hind legs, razor like teeth ripping through skin and flesh. She bleated helplessly trying to kick back with her other leg until the pressure was released and she stumbled forward, her injured hind hanging limply, uselessly and the flash of her human mind influenced her deer's instinct, causing her to hobble forward towards the humans, and away from the 'wolves.

Scarlett got up from where she'd been laying, ears high up and tail flicking back and forth with excitement. She smelt a mouse. More than likely one of the forest mice that ran all around the parts and were easy to catch. The 'fox went to the opening of the den, eyes looking out and she spotted it not too far away, crouching low and pouncing to trap it between her paws and lock her jaws around the neck. Scarlett brought it back in her mouth, stopping by her brother and looking at him as if with permission to give it to Harley. Alpha generally ate first.

Amelia glanced up, blood dripping from her muzzle. The human in Amelia told her to run. To get the hell out of there due to another bear coming towards her, but the bear in her? It told her to stand her ground. That bear, though, Amelia recognized to be Evelyn. Elated that her "sister" got out okay, Mel went to speak, but it only came out in a harsh growl. Backing up, Amelia scratched at the dirt, trying to show that she was submitting to Evelyn.

Indiana growled harshly when Shiloh deferred to Flynn instead of herself, not appreciating the disrespectful notion. She was the Beta, and now she was the Sigma, and her word would always be law over a Delta's. She was not upset with Flynn, he was only trying to help, but she was in charge of this situation and refused to let either of them believe otherwise. Fixing Flynn with a look reminding him of that, she rushed towards Shiloh and grabbed her by the scruff with her jaws like she was a young pup being disciplined. Dragging her away from the deer and pushing her towards the farm, she released her and hovered over her, growling quietly in her human voice out of earshot of the humans, "You listen to ME, little girl. /Always./ I am your superior, not him. Do you understand me?"

Emma Lee snuggled closer to Harley and felt the other ‘fox’s light nipping of her side. She returned it in kind, happy as fuck to have Showgirl back and safe. Happy to have her whole troop safe, even if it meant riding out the remainder of the moon confined in the fucking den. Her head perked up when she spotted Scarlett go outside. She looked to Colt wondering if he’d let her out too. She was still amped and ready to hunt if she could.

Lucas "Keep going!" Lucas ordered, giving her a firm but gentle push towards the stairs before looking back to the scene. The deer stumbled forward away from the wolves and he swore at himself before sprinting back to his truck. Jacob was going to kill him if he fucked up. Unlocking the door, he pulled the handgun from beneath the seat before closing the door. The wolves were gone by then but he kept the gun out, watching the deer before glancing back to Harmony. "Go inside and get some towels. Call a vet or something like that!"

Colt 's eyes snapped open as he felt Scarlett move away from them. He watched, eyes flashing, as she made her way the the edge of the den and relaxed when she quickly trotted back, a dead mouse dangling from her muzzle. He ducked his head slightly when she silently requested to give it to Harley, indicating that it was alright.

Harley 's eyes opened soon as well, the smell of the mouse luring her out of her sleepy state. Her stomach rumbled, green eyes flicking to Scar. She'd been well fed over the last week but the events of the whole night had left her starving.

Flynn could only watch as Indiana grabbed Shiloh, having grown up knowing that what she was doing was for the best for Shiloh. So he followed the two wolves, not interfering, only watching. Hell, he'd been in Shiloh's position once or twice, having gotten into deep shit with the betas when he had been younger. Flynn had been a shit starter then.

Evie slowed when the other bear didn't show any signs of attacking back, and she came to a stop right in front of the newcomer. There was a familiar scent to the bear, though Evie didn't recognize her. She took a step forward and sniffed, letting out a whine when the realization hit her. It was Amelia. But what was she doing as a bear? And where were the cubs? Evie's human thoughts got lost underneath her bear's overwhelming consciousness, and she nuzzled her head against Amelia's to greet her sister.

Shiloh found her eyes on Indiana, realizing she wouldn't be hearing the end of it for a long time. The 'wolf let out a yelp, finding herself being dragged and trying to keep her footing underneath her. They were closer to the farm and when she was finally let go, Shiloh nearly stumbled on herself but caught her footing. As soon as Indiana was yelling at her, Shiloh flattened her ears to her head and kept her head lower itself as she let out a sound of agreement. Shiloh didn't even look to Flynn at the moment, her eyes flickering from the ground to Indiana.

Harmony stood poised on the steps, watching the three wolves head way from them. Her eyes flicked over to the deer, bloody and staggering toward them. “Oh my god,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She went to run toward the deer, but Lance’s words stopped her. “Yeah, a vet. Good idea,” she said, frantically nodding her head in agreement. “Wait, why do you have a gun?” she exclaimed, confusion etched in her face.

Scarlett dropped the mouse in front of Harley, trotting back to where she'd been laying before and kept herself busy with keeping her eyes on everyone. Scarlett felt exhausted and rested her head against her front legs. Even in her fox form, she still felt the emotional toll of everything and felt much better about keeping tabs on everyone--including her brother--than doing anything else.

Amelia let out a huff of relief at Evie's change of mood. Nuzzling her sister, Amelia pawed at the dirt again. So many thoughts were running rampant in her head, and she couldn't say any of them. The newly-infected bear let out a slow groan before pushing away from Evie. Going back to the sheep, she knew that she was testing fate, but the girl bit into the carnage anyways, figuring that quenching her thirst for the blood of her not-so-enemies was better than not eating at all and coming up on something alive and with a human brain.

Bianca suffered silently as most prey animals do, hobbling closer to the two humans until she was within reach of them, and looked up with pleading eyes, fear and pain mixing in her big velvety black gaze as blood dripped off her hind leg.

Lucas glanced over his shoulder, brows rising incredulously. "The gun is your concern? Harm, my dad's military, it's the fucking South and it's fucking Pickens. It's for protection." His gaze flicked back to the deer before he opened the door to his truck. Putting the gun away, he used his body to block the rifle case when he opened the second door to pull a sweatshirt from the seat. Closing the doors, Lucas locked them again before tugging the sweatshirt on. "Go get some towels, Harm. Seriously. Boil some water, cut some towels up and stick them in it. Find any bandages you have." Jacob was so going to kill him. Turning back to the deer, Lucas crept closer slowly, hands up and out towards the deer.

Evie let Amelia pull away and go back to her sheep. She knew how hard the first shift was, and she was going to stick close to Amelia for the rest of the night to help her through it however she could. She could sense that Amelia was scared, and she wouldn't leave one of her family to face this alone. Evie circled around to nudge the dead sheep closer to Amelia with her nose, urging the other bear to eat. It was better for her to fill the bear's hunger.

Harmony ‘s eyes stayed fixed on the gun in his hand until he put it away. She’d never seen one in person before, and it was a bit disconcerting to know that Lance had one. His words pulled her from her thoughts and her eyes followed him to his truck. “Towels. Got it.” She spared one look at the injured deer, her heart hurting at the thought that it had almost been eaten. Tearing her gaze from the creature, she ran up the steps, taking them two at a time. She burst through her door and dashed into the kitchen to get the supplies.

Harley tore into the mouse without hesitation, devouring it in just a few bites. It wasn't quite enough to satiate her hunger but it was enough for now. She wanted sleep more than she wanted to eat anyways. With a grateful whine in Scarlett's direction, Harley lowered her head to the ground and closed her eyes again.

Bianca the adrenaline was now beginning to recede causing her heart to pump through her chest so hard, knocking against her rib cage it felt like it might explode, and her entire body began shaking, trembling from the shock, on the verge of a heart attack. The doe could barely stand, let alone on three legs, and she breathed hard, noisily. Her ears registered the sound of human voices but her mind was too harshly under the effect of trauma to decipher the human language in its current state. She wanted to lay down but fought to stay up a little longer, knowing if she laid down now she wouldn't get back up any time soon and if they wouldn't help her... god knows what would happen to her then.

Amelia tightened her hold on the sheep as Evie came around to nudge it forward. Ripping off the meat, Amelia tore into the flesh like it was a birthday cake. Pressing her paw down onto the ribcage, it cracked underneath the pressure of her weight. Muzzle thick with blood, Mel moved across to another sheep, then looked back at Evie if to say, 'you just had to eat the whole damn thing didn't you?' before moving to the third, finding that there was a little bit of meat left on the bones.

Indiana watched Shiloh press herself close to the ground and listened and she let her features lighten up somewhat. She hated having to discipline the kids, but it was necessary sometimes and that's why Kinsey had made her Sigma, or at least part of it. She could take care of their family and would always be willing to do so. Nudging Shiloh's muzzle and licking it, she cleaned the girl's fur all the way up to her ears before explaining, "We need to go back the pack. We'll find you something to eat, Shi. Come on." Tipping her head to Flynn as well, she herded the 'wolves back towards the farm, making sure they couldn't run off again by staying behind them.

Lucas stared at the doe and hated himself for a minute, hated that he'd put himself in his situation, before growling to himself. Jacob was definitely going to kick his ass. Gritting his teeth, he tugged the sleeves of the sweatshirt over the palms of his hand before wrapping his arms around her body carefully. At least it was a doe and not a buck so he didn't have to deal with the antlers. "I swear to God I will strangle you if you scratch me somehow," Lucas muttered under his breath, uncaring if it was a lycan or not. Carefully and slowly, he lifted the doe from the ground and turned back to Harmony's apartment.

Bianca tensed for a moment as the man leaned over her but relaxed as she felt his arms around her body carefully picking her up. It was weird not having her feet on the ground but it was a relief, her three legs no longer straining to support extra weight. She calmed down a little in spite of the fact she was still shivering and she turned to look at the man as he spoke to her, before growing still, as if she were just a newborn fawn.

Lucas glanced down at the deer as she turned to look at him before quickly looking away. "Don't look at me like that. It's fucking weird." He moved carefully as he climbed the stairs to Harmony's apartment, careful not to jar her leg and send her kicking and jerking everywhere. If she did, he'd fucking toss her over the side. Reaching the top of the stairs, he made his way to Harmony's door, relieved to find that she'd left it open. "Harm? You got those towels right?"

Shiloh closed her eyes when she felt Indiana licking her muzzle and felt a little bit better. Although for the rest of the night she doubted she'd even stray a few feet from the pack. Shiloh dropped her head when she could, beginning the rest of the walk back to the rest of the pack. Her head stayed low, her eyes in front of her while dealing with her hunger still. Now she just wanted a nice rabbit in front of her and to lay down and just be a wolf--out of trouble--for the rest of the night.

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