Everyone had left the room. Apart from Pearl, who was still unconscious on the opposite armchair.

Looking down and stroked over Sage's hair. 'This will be over soon, baby. And I'll do whatever it takes to get you back. Just promise me you won't give up on us.'

I hoped on some level she could hear me. Continuing, in case I didn't get another chance.

'Baby, you need to realise what it means to have you, be with you. You're my light, my heart, my soul. It's been that way the moment I set eyes on you. I tried to fight it—deny it. But you got in here.' I placed my hand over my chest.

'You saw past all my bullshit and showed me how to love somebody. Understand Sage, I can't have you thinking that I'll be okay if you leave me, because I won't.'

I stroked my thumb over her cheek, across her lips. Relieved that she didn't feel as cold as earlier.

′I've no fucking idea what I did to deserve you, but here you are. You're all I need, Sage. You're all I want. So, don't you fucking dare give up on us. Because I'm gonna fight for this until the last breath leaves my body.′

Swallowing down my heartfelt plea. I hoped to Christ on some level she heard me. I looked up to see Gunner in the doorway—as usual, I didn't hear him approach. Sneaky bastard.

"Good boss?" he grunted.

Good? Yeah, right. I felt so far away from being good. For the first time, my stress levels were jacked to the max, and it didn't help that I hadn't slept in what felt like weeks. I was nearly running on empty, a pressure cooker waiting to burst.

Shoving all that to one side and with a quick flick of my head, I needed to move my arse. "I need you to watch her."

I shifted myself from under her. Kissing the top of her head. 'Love you.' I smiled and a flush flooded her cheeks, offering me hope she'd heard me.

"Shout me if she moves, breathes differently or anything, yeah?"

"Sure boss."

"Same goes for her too." I pointed towards Pearl, who was still out for the count.

He grumbled but nodded.

>>>

Checking the time, it was just after one in the morning. I needed to check in with Zander, John and the packs. I'd already left most—who the fuck was I kidding—All the planning to Zander, which was fine by me.

Me, I would rather kill things.

Everyone was in the kitchen. I got myself a coffee whilst listening to the back-and-forth planning and banter.

"Intel says Du-Ponte has a weapon that can do some strange shit to wolves," announced Zander.

My ears pricked. "Like what?"

He shrugged. "He has some batshit doctor working for him. I'm now finding out more wolves have disappeared—mainly rogues. They haven't been checking in."

Zander gave me a look. What the fuck did he expect? I'd never chased down rogues that didn't check in before. Had enough shit on my plate.

Pushing down my irritation. "Okay, we can't focus on what he might or might not have. What this needs is a head-on attack. Remove the head of the snake and the rest will fall."

That was my plan. Simple. Direct. Effective.

"Du-Ponte?" asked Misha.

I nodded. "Yeah, Du-Ponte and that fucked up Dream-Walker. Sage was very clear, he needs to be taken out of the picture."

Everyone in the kitchen nodded.

"You did some crazy shit earlier. Do you think you could at least slow this freak down; enough time for me and Zander to take him out permanently?"

"No!" said Gavin, his face falling quicker than a corpse in cement boots.

I understood his concern. I wouldn't want Sage on the front line either. But she was our best shot at winning this thing. I was sure of it.

Misha took his hand. "This is our one chance to get rid of him and Du-Ponte. Stop running. For Hannah for..." she ran her hand across her stomach.

Fuck, was she pregnant?

"You know he won't let up till he has us," she stated as a pained look stretched across Gavin's face.

I would make sure she was safe. "She'll be with me, Gavin. I'll keep her safe. No fucker will hurt her." His jaw clenched; I could almost hear his teeth grinding.

I shifted my gaze to Sylar and said. "I'm gonna need to watch Sage and Hannah whilst all this shit is going down—nobody gets near them, yeah?"

The look he shot back said. Who the fuck made you the boss?

But I knew he would protect them with his life. "Mind-link Misha if anyone or anything gets inside. Don't be a fucking hero and try to deal with it yourself. Yeah?" He narrowed his eyes and thinned his lips, but said nothing.

"I'm going to stay with them too," said Gavin. "I'm not leaving my daughter."

Misha squeezed his hand.

"Good. That's sorted then." I ran my hand over my chin. "Hannah got me thinking when she said the Dream-Walker couldn't control our wolves by himself. Which makes me believe we have a better chance as wolves. We're faster and stronger.

"What about these weapons, you talked about?" John turned from me to Zander.

"Hunters right. If he can't read our thoughts, we're one step ahead. Yeah, it's a risk if they have weapons, but still, we'll be faster and it's worth the gamble. Misha, can you control their wolves and if so how many?"

"If I'm physically there—one on one will be easy. I might do three or four at the same time. I honestly don't know how many, I've never practised my abilities."

Shit! Well, guess we would find out soon enough. I'd seen Sage and Sylar control a boatload back in the marque, but Misha seemed stronger.

"The more the better and just slowing them down will help us." I turned my attention back to Zander. "If by some slim chance, we can get the wolves to listen. Do we have proof of what Du-Ponte's been doing? These experiments?"

Zander folded his arms over his chest, leaning back in his chair. "Enough to make them at least listen. Should have the location of the laboratory—where this doctor is holding up, soon."

The hairs on my neck stood on end. He was one sick bastard. "Good."

We were ready. "If anyone has any doubts or something they want to say—then now's the time. Yeah?"

Nobody replied. Good. Let's end this shit.

>>>

In the woods out back from the house, I breathed in every way possible to expand the air in my lungs, my brain, my muscles. Gearing up for an inevitable shit show that was about to go down. Never in my lifetime did I think I could be in the middle of a potential fight between wolves.

Breathing in again, I could sense the change. It came quickly. So many scents were carried on the wind. I shook my head, licking over my canines. We were all in wolf form apart from Misha.

She was stronger in human form when using her powers, or gifts.

'Sighting, coming in from the East.' John mind linked me and Zander. 'Roughly two-thirds wolves.'

That made sense—Wolves couldn't exactly handle weapons. 'John, can you Frank and Sam circle your packs around them?' I asked.

'On it.' and 'Yeah.' John and Sam replied.

'We'll meet them head-on to distract them,' replied Frank.

'Wait up, Frank,' said Zander. 'I'm going with them, Hunter. When I see Du-Ponte, I'll give you the heads up.′ He growled. 'Gunner, you're with me.'

'Watch your back.' I said as they belted off through the woods, leaving only me and Misha standing in a clearing.

Misha's hand ran over my head, ruffling my fur. "Something doesn't feel right—off." She stilled.

Letting out a low snarl, I nudged her leg.

'He's here,' she said.

'Who? Du-Ponte?'

'No, him—the Dream-walker. I can sense him.′

Wait up—I could hear her in my head. 'How can you talk to me?'

Sage hadn't been able to do that, and I hadn't opened a link to her. If I was honest, it worried me what she could do to me or see the dark shit in my mind.

'If I'm touching you, it's like instant connection... shush.'

She did just shush me?

The hackles on my fur rose. She wasn't wrong though; I sensed something. I'd felt it before but not realised it—back at the marquee.

Though the dawn was about to break, the light was barely penetrating the thick woods. Soft sounds of rustling branches were heavy on my ears. It was then that I heard gunshots.

Fuck! 'Zander.' I reached out to him. I got nothing back.

'We need to go, Hunter. Now! Whatever was here, isn't here any longer.'

Misha started running toward the gunshots.

Fuck. I darted after her, running alongside, nudging her ′Get on my back.′

She didn't hesitate as she jumped on. As a wolf I was stronger and faster, tiredness never impacted thanks to my spleen holding a spare reserve of red blood cells.

We burst through the edge of the woods, heading East. The sun was finally making an appearance. The mist rose from the cold, damp ground and fog hung thick in patches. I heard more gunshots. That would be an advantage for the wolves, can't shoot what you can't see!

I could smell blood and heard snarls and cries of wolves, but I couldn't see much ahead with the mist. A bullet whooshed past my ear.

Fuck. Shifting right. I jumped over the body of a wolf, its throat gouged out, strips of flesh hanging.

Another gunshot.

A wolf up ahead, shot.

He collapsed to the floor. It didn't kill him. Fuck no, something else was happening. He withered on the floor in pain. His piercing screams shattered my eardrums.

The stench of something I didn't recognise hung in the air. The sounds of more wolves clashing, tearing into each floated across the light breeze.

"Stop, Hunter." Misha jumped off my back and ran to the wolf that had just been shot.

"We have to get this out of him!"

What? Was she talking about the bullet?

The wolf shifted. He lay naked, jerking... fitting—something definitely wasn't right.

Fucking hell, it hit me like a brick to the head—it was John.

I watched her hand vibrate before plunging into his wound to retrieve the bullet. "I don't know if I got it out in time."

My stomach plummeted.

Another wolf went down. Misha scrambled to her feet and was up running to him. Anguish and determination etched on her face.

My breath left me in a whoosh. Two wolves ran at me out of the fog. The force of them knocked me over. I rolled as both landed on top of me. I was being crushed, not all at once, but slowly.

Suddenly the weight of the wolves were off me and I saw Zander's black wolf, his powerful jaws locking around the brown wolf's throat.

I was up in a flash and took on the other wolf. It bared its teeth at me before lunging, but I was quicker as I clamped down on his throat, sinking my teeth as his blood ran over my tongue. I yanked him to the side and heard his neck snap.

I heard a scream; I looked towards Misha; she was on her back, her hand on a wolf's neck, trying to stop his powerful jaws from snapping at her.

I ran towards her to stop as the wolf slumped and fell to one side.

Dead? I wasn't sure.

She looked at me "I knocked him out. He's not dead. They're like zombies, brainwashed. I can't get through to them to control them. Something else is controlling them." She panted, trying to catch her breath.

Without thinking, I shifted and rose to stand. My breath fogged the air as looked around.

"You should check on your friend, John," said Misha.

I looked and found him and what I saw had the blood in my veins run cold. John was transforming right before my eyes and my brain couldn't comprehend what the fuck I was seeing.

His entire body twisted into some unimaginable position and I heard his bones crack. Spit gathered in the corners of what was his mouth. His skin darkened, almost blackened in an instant. An inhuman cry erupted from him.

Rooted to the spot. My heart pounded in my chest and what was John, now twisted its head 180 degrees and it was the first time in my life I thought I would hurl my guts.

This made the Exorcist film I'd seen when I was a kid, look like a walk in the park.

The light was still pretty lacking, which made the glowing set of two yellow eyes staring back at me look even more terrifying. It was neither a human nor wolf that stared back at me. Its face distorted as more changes became apparent. It suddenly flung itself in the air, landing in a crouching position, its head down.

"John?" I hoped he was still in there somewhere.

It head shot up and snarled at me, before belting right for me on all fours.

Fuck me!

With rapid acceleration and the bounding motion of a cat, it came right at me. In less than two seconds flat I was on my back gasping for air. Spikes erupted, spreading along its head and down its back. I could still hear the cracking of bones as it wasn't finished changing into whatever the fuck it was going to become. Its face elongated and its vicious jaws full of so many teeth, snapped about six inches from my nose with a force that would have shredded my own jaw if it got hold of me. Foam-like spit dribbled onto my face as my hand gripped around its thick neck.

Suddenly, it stopped trying to rip my face off. I watched as its eyes shifted colour.

'Kill me, Hunter.'

"John?"

'No time. Promise you'll look after my pack till my son can take over.'

"I'm gonna fix this, John." I didn't have a clue how I could fix this.

'Promise me.' His deep growl caused my head to throb.

"Yes, yes. I'll do it." I almost yelled.

'Kill me. Now before it—'

He stopped and the thing, whatever it was shifted again. Its snout extended further. Its screams would have been heard for miles.

"Close your eyes, Hunter." I heard Misha yell.

I didn't need asking twice. ′I'm so fucking sorry, John.′

I knew what Misha was doing, and the weight of the heavy mass that had just been pinning me down disappeared. I opened my eyes to see a flurry of ash, like what I'd seen earlier.

Misha reached down for me and pulled me up. "I'm sorry Hunter, I know he was your friend."

He was, but I couldn't dwell on my loss, grief right now—that would come later. "Are they all gonna change?" I looked around.

"I don't know. I got the bullets out of a lot of them, they filled each with some kind of liquid." She held one up for me to see. "If it had time to explode in their bodies—well, you saw what happens. But others killed them immediately. Whatever Du-Ponte was trying to achieve here, it doesn't look like he perfected it...yet."

I scanned the area as the dawn had broken fully and I could see better. Gunner was taking down the last of those with guns with ease as I watched Zander, Frank and Sam worked as a tag team taking down more wolves.

Misha cried out. "Hunter! Du-Ponte's inside the house."

Fuck! Fuck!

′Zander, Du-Ponte's at the house we're heading there. You got this?′

'Go.'

I changed back to my wolf and Misha jumped on my back and we pounded the ground, heading back to the house. "Hurry Hunter." Her voice was desperate. I pushed harder, trying to shut out what I'd just seen. As we got closer and closer. The silence hit me like icy drips already inside my veins. I could sense Sage. Both relief and terror gripped my chest—she was awake.