Brianna felt her nerves stand on end as she followed the group towards the far end of the camp and the party. Behind her she could see their pavilion and Fenrir's camp like two opposing castles, facing off.

But tonight wasn't about that conflict. It was about everyone else getting to relax and get to know each other. Tanner, at her side, was carrying chips. Valerie had a more substantial food offering. Mitch and Robbie were on either side of a cooler filled with beer and whiskey for the adults.

Wolves of the other tribes were filtering towards the same open space. They had set up a sound system and pop hits were already blaring. Brianna felt sorry for her alphas, sitting back in the pavilion, conspiring with Arthur while the rest got to dance and play.

Two planks had been set up on top of a couple water barrels to make a long table for the potluck. No sooner had Valerie set her dish on the table then a couple of men approached her, Holt tribe, she told them later, to greet her.

Vince appeared with his Skollsen contacts. Robbie dismissed himself to go greet his Ritter friend, Greg. Brianna watched him go. Her pack still hadn't completely forgiven him his part in last summer's treachery but she couldn't blame him. He had only been doing what his alpha said. She kind of felt sorry for him, he had little choice.

She found a soda and hung back, watching the crowd. She was intimidated by the mix. She knew she should be out there, getting to know people. Who knew, she might meet a life long friend, or someone who would later become a contact within another tribe, making her the valuable go between.

She caught sight three Jaeger wolves arriving. One wore outdoor gear that looked like it had been selected from the latest L. L. Bean catalog, more fashionable than practical. His companions had outdone him by a fair stretch, being dressed more for a night at a Vegas club then a night in the woods. The female was tall, blond and skinny, dressed in a tight fitting cocktail dress. Her pack-mates flanked her protectively as she began to dance to the music. Brianna couldn't help but envy her grace and confident. She knew everyone told her she was beautiful, but she was sure she'd ever own it the way that woman did.

On the far end of the socio-economic spectrum, the Negelman's were still in their cast off clothes, drinking something out of a bottle that they and a group of Fleischers past around. They watched the woman hungrily.

The only people she didn't see were the Grimweir. They mostly stayed to themselves, particularly the women.

Well and Erica. She wasn't there, either. Probably still with Myrna, trying desperately to convince her that being free was a blessing, not a curse. Brianna snorted to herself. If she'd been forced to be Fenrir's slave, she'd run the first chance she got and not look back. If Myrna couldn't see how better off she'd be... anyplace else, she was a lost cause.

The others, particularly Valerie, had scolded her for that attitude. "You have to understand, she was practically raised in that society. As bad as it seems to us, she knows it. And the world outside is terrifying to her."

Brianna looked around for something to take her mind off the subject. Tanner appeared at her side, a beer in his hands. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? We're adults," he groused.

"Not of age," she replied.

He made a dismissive noise. "Cops ain't coming out here. When in Rome..."

Brianna shook her head.

Valerie appeared at her elbow, half dragging Brianna to her feet. She glanced once at Tanner. She had to notice the beer in his hand, but she said nothing.

"Come on," Valerie said, pulling her towards the open area where people were dancing. "Let's not spend the night being wallflowers."

A newer dance hit came on, with a deep thundering bass. The crowd on the field was growing, all moving to the bass. The energy took her and Brianna began to dance.

She danced a long time, lost in the music. As the music moved to a slower rhythm she realised she'd become separated from Valerie. She started to move towards the edge. She found the Jaeger woman in her path.

"Come and talk to me," she purred in Brianna's ear, pulling her from the crowd. They found a seat on a low wooden bench to one side of speakers, out of the cone of bass. It was surprisingly quiet. The woman leaned in and sniffed at Brianna's neck. "Leidulf?"

Brianna nodded, struggling to find words. The woman turned her head for Brianna to sniff her neck in return. Brianna wasn't... that was Erica, but this woman was so sensual, the gesture so casually intimate, Brianna felt her heart race a bit and her face flush as she sniffed the woman's neck in return. "Jaeger," she whispered. She smelled of pine needles and dry air. How do I smell to outsiders? It wasn't a question she'd considered before.

"Yes, Ailana." She offered her hand.

Brianna giggled nervously. "Umm, Brianna."

The woman had a deep luxurious laugh. "Ailana and Brianna. Marco, Marco." This last was directed at one of her pack mates.

She caught his scent, too, as he handed a drink over to Ailana. The older ones talked about how you could scent a wolf once and know that scent forever. Brianna had assumed that was an exaggeration, but she couldn't imagine ever forgetting this moment, the smells, the feelings, any of it. No wonder Valerie made such a big deal about these gatherings.

A second glass was passed to Brianna. The glass was cool and dripped condensation. The liquid inside was orangish and thick. "What is it?" she asked, with a nervous glance back towards where the rest of her pack had been sitting.

"A drink," Ailana said. "Cheers."

She saw Tanner with a beer in her hand. Valerie telling her to lighten up, to not be a wallflower. Mitch growling at Aaron, some time back, "It don't barely effect shifters anyway," when Aaron had busted Tanner with a beer.

"Cheers," she said and drank. It was sweet, with barely a hint of alcoholic burn at the back of her throat. "Yum."

Time skipped. She and Ailana were dancing again, wildly, in the very center of meadow. Many eyes were on them, hungry. It felt incredible, to be at the center of their attention. She gloried in it. Ailana's pack-mates danced near them, keeping the others from getting too close. It felt safe, easy. Brianna relaxed as another drink was passed her way.

Again time skipped. It was late now. She couldn't remember how late, how many drinks she had. Ailana wasn't there, nor her pack-mates. She felt dizzy. She couldn't spot any of her own pack either. She thought she caught site of Mitch and Vince somewhere on the edge of the party, but she couldn't be sure.

Another drink was passed her way.

"Dizzy," she muttered. "Gotta sit."

"Of course, of course," a voice purred in her ear. Hands were leading off the dance area, towards the edge of things.

Brianna felt cold. Arms were on her, holding her down. She pushed against them. The barest hint of a breeze against her bare skin jolted her, adrenaline coursed through her body.

She felt dizzy and disconnected somehow, like none of this was completely real. She struggled against the arms and they retreated, but she still couldn't move.

"Now what?" a voice said.

"Let her rouse a little more," a second voice, low and full of hunger. "It's more fun when you can see the fear in their eyes."

"And then?"

"We have our fun and drug her again. Even if she remembers, who's going believe her?"

The implications pierced her brain and a second wave of adrenaline washed over, like cold water. She started to sit up only to be stopped, her hands bound above her head. She struggled, her feet bound.

She took a deep breath to scream, but one of the men saw it and shoved a dirty rag in her mouth. She stared at him, fear and anger warring inside her.

She was in a low canvas tent. A small lantern burned in one corner, giving a surreal glow over two men who watched her hungrily. She sniffed and smelled Fleischer scent. She was on a cot, bare except for her underwear.

She let out a low growl.

"Huh uh," one of the men warned her, waving his finger in front of her face. "Think you're the first shifter we've dealt with? The way we got you tied, you'll rip your arm out of socket if you transform. So none of that funny business." He ran his hand down her cheek, her neck and let it come to rest on one of her breasts. She moaned in fear and disgust. He smiled, mistaking her moan entirely.

"See, your body's betraying you bitch. It wants to be used. So just relax, let us have our fun. Then you'll take another nap and it will all be over, just like that."

She snarled and struggled against bonds.

The second man laughed. "She wants to fight. Feisty. I told you, them Leidulf's be feisty. Said so, didn't I?"

They like it, the thought froze her in place. The more she fought them, the more they would like it. That was how they got their pleasure. Freeze up, be completely passive, a part of her mind said. Let them do it, but deprive them of their pleasure.

The man ran his hand over her belly and slid it between her legs, pinching her inner thigh hard. She squawked indignantly and fought against the restraints again. There was no way she could just hold still. Her own nature wouldn't let her.

She stared at the men, her eyes shooting daggers. They watched her back, eyes hungry, their breathing nearly as heavy as hers. Freeze and let them do it, fight and give them the satisfaction, which would it be? Or rip my own arm out of socket, she thought.

It was a surprisingly easy decision. She buried her nails into what portion of the cord she could reach, bit down hard on gag and growled. Her body screamed in pain.