Ella and the pack stalked toward the retreating wolves. The vampire inside of her roared to life. This was what she had always loved.

Seeing men cowering. Hearing their blood rush through their veins, pulsing and pounding with every terrified beat of their thundering hearts.

Their fate was sealed. No amount of cowering or running would save them now. They had harmed the pack. They had dared come into Grange's territory.

Brendon had told Ella that Grange was extremely defensive of his territory and a quick glance at the tense alpha told her that Brendon had known what he was talking about.

A babies cries filled the air and Dawn broke away from the pack and ran into the cabin to see to Creed. Farrah had retreated to the porch and Brie was standing over Maggie, the black wolf pup still unconscious on the dirt.

Suddenly the four wolves turned and ran. Trig laughed.

"Can't let them do that now, can we?" he asked and Grange let out a growl and then chased after them, shifting as he ran. The pack followed suit. Ella realized that Brendon stayed behind but she did not.

She had never been able to resist a good hunt.

***

Brendon watched Ella run off into the woods with the pack and shook his head with amusement. She was fitting right in it would seem.

Brendon hadn't wanted to leave the cabin. While he was fairly certain, judging from the scent in the air, that those were the only wolves here, he had wanted to stay behind just in case there were any more sneaking around.

Farrah shifted on the porch and Brendon heard her sharp intake of breath. He looked up at her, trying to keep his gaze off of her body. She had a perfect body which of course was part of her deadliness. Designed by nature, cat's were graceful, sleek, beautiful and the moment a man was lured close enough they turned into sharp-clawed, killing machines.

"Are you okay?" Brendon asked.

Sweat slicked Farrah's brow and her face was pale. "Yes. It's just my arm." Brendon looked at her arm and winced at the sight of the bone jutting through her torn flesh.

"Come inside with me, Farrah." Dawn urged quickly as she stepped to the cabin door with Creed held tight, (and safe much to Brendon's relief), in her arms. "I'll see what I can do for you."

With Farrah, Dawn and Creed safely within the cabin, Brendon turned his attention to Brie. She had shifted back and her body was covered in bites, cuts and blood. Bruises were already forming, dark and angry, against her pale skin.

He went to her, took off his new duster coat, which he had bought in a town a few days before, and placed it around her shoulders.

"What happened to her?" he asked, tipping his head to Maggie.

Brie sniffed and Brendon realized she was crying. He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels uncomfortably. Dealing with tears wasn't his strong point and he and Brie had never said much to one another. She had always seemed too gentle, soft, nurturing and.... Well, weak. The old Brendon didn't have time to waste on her. But he wasn't that Brendon anymore.

He crouched down and put a gentle hand on her back. "It's okay, Brie. It's over now."

"She must have woken up and she seen what was happening. I'd worked so hard to teach her to hold back the shift but the sights and the scents must have been too much."

Brendon looked down at the pup. She breathing deeply, her tiny chest rising and falling with the movement.

"She's okay, Brie, just got knocked out is all." he assured the terrified mother. "More than I can say for that wolf you had a hold of." he added, attempting to lighten the mood.

"I'm not a fighter, Brendon. I never have been... That has always been my downfall, my weakness..."

Brendon put his hand on her cheek and turned her head so that she was looking into his eyes.

"You were a fighter today, Brie, that's all that matters. You were a fighter today."

She smiled gratefully and laid her hand over his. He smiled back and kissed her dirty forehead comfortingly before standing back up and looking around.

The woods had grown silent. The scent of blood was strong. He knew the pack had dealt with the intruders.

As if on cue they came back into the cabins clearing.

"Dammit, I didn't get one!" Trig whined, which of course caused Grange to growl.

"You have to learn to be faster." the alpha said simply. Trig glared at him.

"You have to learn not to push people out of your way so that you can have all the fun." Grange chuckled as did the rest of the pack.

"I did not push you." Grange assured Trig.

"Yes you did." Trig grumbled as he rubbed at his welted forehead. "And that damn tree you ran me into hurt."

Grange just shrugged and then ran up into the cabin to see his son with Trig on his heels, eager to check on Farrah.

Anika and Blain walked to the wolf that Brie had killed, now a man lying there with not much neck and no face to speak of.

"We'll get him taken care of." Blain stated. "We'll toss him in the pit with the others."

He picked the man up, tossed him over his shoulder and then he and Anika ran off into the dark forest.

Nickolai went to Brie and the she wolf let out a sob and then jumped into his arms, clinging to him with desperation.

"You can never leave me again, Nickolai. Never, never, ever again."

Brendon walked a few feet away to give the mates more privacy as Ella stepped into his arms.

Brendon smiled down at the vampire. She had blood dripping down her chin and he wiped it away with his thumb.

"Did you have fun?" he asked with amusement.

"Yes." she replied, a smile curving her lips.

"You know that it's back to hunting deer for blood after tonight?" Brendon warned. Ella's eyes flashed with translucence and she rose on her toes to place her mouth against his neck.

Brendon felt his blood pumping faster and his grip on her hips tightened.

"I'd rather hunt you." she whispered, her fangs grazing against his skin.

Damnable vampire!

"I..." Brendon cleared his throat, sure that shirt must have shrunk because it was suddenly far too tight around his neck. "I think we can arrange that for later." he promised.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Roland asked as he stepped forward. Brendon pulled away from Ella, having completely forgotten that the boys were around. Roland kept glancing over at Maggie, his cheeks pale and causing his scar to stick out sharply.

Brendon nodded. "She'll be just fine." he assured the boy, wondering where the concern was coming from. Roland was nine, he had been being trained by the Council for two years. He should be well past the point of showing his emotions so clearly and he shouldn't feel such intense concern for someone he did not even know.

Roland nodded, his feet carrying him a little closer to Nickolai and Brie, who were crouched beside Maggie. Nickolai lifted the pup into his arms and stood straight.

"It's not good that she was so angry when she made her first shift." he said with a sigh. "It may be hard for her to shift back."

Grange stepped out of the cabin with Creed in his arms and Dawn by his side. He growled low in his throat as his nostrils flared.

"We have more company." he muttered. Brendon nodded, he could smell Sheriff Bishop as well.

"Grange...?" the Sheriff called out cautiously as he rode into sight on the small trail that ran between Grange's and Nickolai's cabin. His horse was spooked and fighting him with every step he took.

Brendon nearly laughed out loud at the Sheriff who had an oversized silver crucifix around his neck and a wooden stake clutched tightly in his right hand as he pulled and tugged at his horses reins.

"It's all right Sheriff." Grange assured the man.

Suddenly Nickolai let out a gasp of shock and Brendon turned to see Maggie leap from his arms. The black ball of fur was growling as furiously as a puppy could growl as she ran at the Sheriff's horse, nipping its legs.

The horse reared, throwing the Sheriff onto the dirt and then its hooves thundered away in the darkness back toward town.

"What the hell?" Sheriff Bishop exclaimed as he jumped to his feet and reached for his gun.

"I wouldn't pull that gun, Sheriff." Grange warned but it was too late. The lawman pulled the gun and Maggie went at him. After a brief scuffle, during which the Sheriff jumped around, looking much like a dancing chicken on hot rocks, he let out a cry of pain as Maggie latched her teeth firmly into his backside, hanging off of him, her paws dangling in the air as she refused to release her hold.

"Maggie... Maggie, let go of the lawman, sweetie." Brie called gently while Grange roared with laughter up on the porch and the Sheriff swatted desperately at the growling pup attached to his trousers.

"Does this belong to you?" he demanded with annoyance.

"That's our daughter Maggie." Nickolai replied as he stepped forward and grabbed onto Maggie, tugging her gently.

The Sheriff's face was red with both pain and anger as Nickolai grabbed Maggie's jaws and forced her to release her hold on Sheriff Bishop's backside.

The Sheriff was clearly very angry as he glared at the pup.

"Grange, you need to get control of your pack! I'm awoken in the middle of the night by a terrible roaring growl just outside of town. First thing I think is Grange is in trouble, so I come out here and then I find this! Everybody covered in blood and....." The Sheriff's angry rant ended abruptly and a blank look came over his eyes.

"No harm done." he finished in a calm monotone. "I'll just walk back to town. A few stitches and I'll be good as new. Sorry I bothered you folks." The sheriff turned and then walked stiffly back down the path that would lead to the main road toward town.

Brendon looked down at Ella and saw that she was concentrating hard on the retreating mans back.

"You had something to do with that, didn't you?"

Ella nodded. "Yes." she replied simply. Dawn nudged Grange with her elbow.

"See, I told you a vampire in the pack would come in handy."

"You better not use that brain control stuff on me." Trig warned as he came outside, his arm tight around Farrah, who's arm was secured in a sling. They had all dressed in spare clothes that each wolf kept in their cabin.

"It doesn't work on wolves." Ella assured him.

"Not enough brain for brain control." Brendon added and Trig laughed.

"Here she comes." Nickolai said with obvious relief and Brendon turned his atteniton back to Maggie, who was shifting back to her human form.

The girl stayed curled up naked on the ground and glanced at her parents.

"I need some clothes, papa." she whispered. "I'm naked."

Nickolai was busy trying to cover himself since he was undressed as well and Brie quickly ran into the cabin to get him some pants and Maggie a gown.

Roland shocked everyone when the boy shoved past Nickolai, nearly causing the wolf to fall. He pulled off his own duster coat, (they were standard issue for Hunters), and quickly wrapped it around the girl.

"There you go, Maggie." he said gently. "You sure were brave just then."

Maggie stared at Roland with a mixture of shock and awe. The boy smiled, his scar curving with the movement of his lips as he held out his hand.

"Name's Roland."

"Hello Roland." Maggie whispered.

Nickolai was grumbling as Brie returned with a pair of trousers for him and he shoved his legs in them roughly.

"Me and that boy are going to have to have a talk."

Trig laughed and patted the older wolf on the back. "You can't fight nature, Nickolai. Embrace the mate bond. Embrace it."

"I'm going to be embracing your wind pipe if you do not remove your hand from my back." The words were spoken in the soldiers usual stoic manner but it was clear that the threat was whole hearted.

Trig quickly pulled his hand away and took a step back. "That's harsh, Nickolai, real harsh."

"Alright time to be getting everyone to the bed." Grange said matter of factly as Anika and Blain came back out of the woods, finished with their task of disposing of the last body. "Brendon, Ella, you can have the loft in the barn at mine and Dawn's place. There's still a bed up there. Boys, you can stay here with Nickolai..." Grange's voice trailed off when Nickolai sent him a sharp glare and then nodded down at Roland who was currently entertaining Maggie with stories of his adventures with the Council. Grange chuckled.

"Boys you can stay with Farrah and Trig for now. They have a spare room."

Brendon wrapped his arm tight around Ella's shoulders as they started down the path toward Grange's after everyone had said their goodbyes. She looked up at him with a smile and then laid her head against his arm.

It was a strange feeling, Brendon thought, this sense of belonging. For so long he had been alone and now he was surrounded by others. Others that he couldn't see himself ever living without.

He had a woman he would give him life for, whom he knew loved him just as fiercely, and he had a pack. Brothers, sisters a niece and a nephew.

The family Brendon had always longed so strongly to have was finally his. They was flawed, chaotic and dysfunctional but they were his and they had his loyalty.

And coming from a Hunter, loyalty was everything.

*A/N: And that is the end of "Hunting the Hunter'. If you want to know more about this pack then please read 'Wild Rogues' which is set in modern times but tells the next chapter of this pack (about 2/3 of the way through they all come back into play :) )