Jack staggered up to his feet, walking over to Dwight as he began to ask. "Can I help?" Dwight placed his hands down on the bullet wound on Zen's chest. He looked too distracted to answer. Jack took a single step to get within range to help, when a werewolf lunged at him with a deep aggressive snarl. Jumping back, Jack raised his hands in surrender. Only to watch the werewolf's ears fall back and whimper as its eyes looked up over Jack's head. The other werewolves growled a little but kept their distance from him. Swallowing, Jack looked over his shoulder to see Mark towering over him on his hind legs, his teeth bared and his eyes sizing up the other wolves in a silent challenge. Dwight was the only one that didn't notice as he said aloud. "My gift isn't working on him... That's not good. Ok... I'll just have to take the bullet out as is. You'll feel it but you'll just have to bear with me Zen." Mark's arm draped over Jack's shoulder, his palm pressing against his chest to pull him back into his safe embrace. Mark backed up slowly with him, then sat down to rest his head on Jack's shoulder with his arm still draped over him protectively.

Taking the hint that the other werewolves didn't want him near their wounded Alpha, he just stayed where Mark wanted him. He felt like of like a dog toy among feisty dogs that needed something to chew on. The werewolf that had snarled at him, looked to the others and let out a series of whines and barks. The werewolf looked worried and angry. Then its eyes fell on Jack, prompting Mark to let out a deep growl that sent vibrations down Jack's back. The werewolf growled at Mark before snorting and turning away, flicking its tail in a way that he interpreted to flicking Mark off. Dwight finished patching a distressed Zen up, before telling Jack softly. "He's stable... but this is bad. I tried to warn him about your blood on Mark's fur... he didn't listen." Jack couldn't stop himself from reaching up to pet Mark's head as it rested on his shoulder, upon asking Dwight. "What's wrong? He's just cured..." Dwight nervously looked back to the werewolf that had given a speech to the others. Keeping his voice low, he said cautiously. "See that large grey wolf. That's Zen's Beta, Darcy. If Zen is cured... Darcy becomes the new Alpha. And you don't want that. He's not a fan of Moonchildren or Hunters."

Jack looked to Darcy, who took a seat in a circular indent in the floor where pillows and blankets made from animal furs were. A few other werewolves joined him, and they seemed to whisper to each other as they eyed Mark with narrowed eyes. Jack licked his dry lips, uneasily asking him. "So... We should think about leaving?" Dwight's eyes darted to Darcy. Jack could feel the tension rising in the cave. A power struggle seemed to be forming. Dwight finally looked back to him, mumbling out so softly. "If only the white werewolf was here... Then maybe I'd know what to do." Jack stiffened, asking curiously. "White werewolf?" Dwight nodded, telling him uneasily. "It's why I came here. When a Moonchild reaches my level of skill, they are told to seek out a white werewolf. I heard rumors that one was here in Lupine. But I got captured by Zen and his Pack before I could find it. The white werewolf is rare and said to help Moonchildren find their purpose. However, I haven't seen one here. So, I feel like I made a mistake coming here." Jack thought about it a long moment before telling him coolly. "I wouldn't give up. I... I saw a white werewolf once. When I was little. It broke into our house and... approached me."

Dwight perked up, excitedly telling him. "Then you are lucky. What was it trying to tell you?" Jack shrugged, honestly answering. "I don't know. It didn't speak. I was afraid of it... my dad chased it off. Haven't seen it since." Dwight pulled a blanket over Zen, about to say something, until Darcy let out a low growl. By the entrance, a few werewolves moved to sit in the opening. Their eyes staring down Jack and Dwight. Exhaling slowly, Jack mumbled out to Mark. "Something tells me that they aren't going to let us leave without a fight." Dwight nodded solemnly, retorting lightly. "At least until the new Alpha is officially crowned." Jack looked to Darcy with worry, questioning aloud. "And how does that happen?" Dwight inhaled before reluctantly answering. "Well... Usually it comes down to proving one is a leader by issuing a challenge to the strongest wolves in the room." Jack looked to Mark, who tensed as Darcy slowly got up from his spot. The werewolves he'd been gossiping with, scattering to the sides to watch. Darcy snorted, his lips curling into a snarl as he locked eyes with Mark like he was expecting him to accept the challenge.

Jack's fingers curled into Mark's thick fur around his neck. He didn't want to see Mark fight but didn't want to see what happened if Darcy won either. The other werewolves growled with excitement, a few even closed in on Mark to surround him, but Mark didn't move or make a sound. Mark just kept his eyes on Darcy as he started barking at him. Dwight shook a little as he looked around at the other werewolves and said grimly. "You might want to move away from your wolf, Jack. It looks like Darcy's going to prove himself by killing your half-breed as a display of leadership..." Mark started to move, but Jack got up to stand between them and shouted out firmly. "NO! Don't! Darcy, please!" Darcy rose onto his hind legs, flexing his fingers with sharp nails. Mark started to rise too, but growled to the group behind him, when he noticed the surrounding werewolves were closing in on him for a sneak attack. Jack looked around for something to cut himself with in the hopes of scaring a few off with his gift but didn't get the chance. From behind him, Mark tackled him to the floor and covered him with his body. Jack grunted in pain from how hard he hit the ground, but the following gunshots muffled it.

The Werewolves yelped and barked, bolting from the cave as the thundering of horse hooves approached the cave. Bullets pattered against the walls of the cave, and some even hit other werewolves, causing them to drop dead or fall to the ground injured. The bullets that missed, bounced off the stone walls and scattered across the cave. The silver burning any werewolves that stepped on them or had them hit their fur. Darcy barked something, then took off deeper into the cave. Dwight got up to run out of the cave in the chaos, only to get shot in the shoulder. Mark glanced around, then bit his red hood to tug him toward a tunnel that led deeper into the cave. As Jack got up on all fours to crawl away, a hunter rode into the cave on a horse and started shooting everything that moved. The horse rode up to them and the rider tried to turn the panicked horse to aim at Mark. Mark growled, but Jack got up and raised his hand as he pleaded desperately. "NO!" From his hand came a bright shine of white light that blinded the rider and made his horse rear as the light pulsed along the cave walls and burst from the cave. The werewolves that were still in the cave, turned terrified and shocked eyes on him.

The Hunters gasped and tried to calm their spooked horses that tried to flee away from the cave. Jack dropped his hand feeling lightheaded. He felt himself sway but couldn't stop himself from falling back into Mark's arms. Mark hefted him up into his arms, letting out a loud howl that echoed off the walls and made horses start bucking off their riders. After the howl, Mark started to slink away, and Jack faintly heard Dwight say from the entrance. "Holy shit! He's the one they are after! The Lunar Eclipse's moonchild!" Jack huddled against Mark's chest as Dwight yelled out frantically to them. "RUN, MARK! SAVE HIM! DON'T LET THEM GET-!" Dwight's voice was cut off by the sudden rush of bullets and men shouting to follow them. Jack wrapped a weak arm around Mark's neck. Mark held him close, panting as he raced through the tunnel and when he came to a dead end tunnel, Mark skidded to a stop. Mark sniffed the air, his ears turning back to hear men running through the tunnels. Then wedging himself into a crevice in the wall, Mark hid Jack with his body and didn't move. Mark held his breath as the sound of men walked into their tunnel.

Jack could see the lanterns shinnying behind Mark and held his own breath. From the far end of their tunnel, a man quickly told his men. "Nothing this way. It's a dead end. Keep going down that one! Hurry!" Even as the lantern moved away and casted them into darkness, neither Mark nor himself moved or breathed. They could hear the distant sounds of gunshots and men screaming in pain as barking broke out. It all was almost too much to bear. Shaking in Mark's arms, Jack tried to calm himself down. After some time had passed, Mark finally started to back up, but was still so alert to every sound. Mark set Jack down on his feet, lowering down onto all fours to creep to the end of the tunnel. Peaking around with unease. Jack could barely see him in the darkness but kept ahold of his bushy tail to at least know where he was. Mark led him out to the front and Jack see within the moonlight outside of the cave, that all the bodies of the dead werewolves were missing. Had they taken them to destroy them? Mark began to step out of the cave, but Jack tugged on his tail a little hard. Mark froze, looking back at him with a soft whimper and big glossy eyes.

Gesturing to the cave, Jack whispered to him. "Mark, no. Let's stay here for a bit. I... They already checked here. They won't be back. They could be out there looking for us..." Jack hated that his voice sounded so rattled by the event. He thought he'd be used to it by now, but he wasn't. He didn't want to be used to it. He was terrified. Mark turned around, rubbing his furry cheek against Jack's. The sensation of his warm silky fur was enough to keep him from shaking on the outside. Wrapping his arms around Mark's neck, he buried his face into his fur and tried not to think about how close they had been to death. Mark lifted an arm to wrap around Jack's back a moment. Lean leaning into him a bit, Jack got the hint he was giving him. He wanted him to climb on. Carefully climbing on, Jack laid down over his back as Mark started walking into the depths of the cave. Mark took his time walking through the cave, allowing Jack time to calm his nerves and relax. While he had hopped that Mark would find a place for them to stay. He didn't. Instead, Mark followed the cave out to an exit and trotted off into the dark forest as quietly as he could.

Laying back over Mark's back, Jack whispered to him anxiously. "Mark, what are you doing?" Slowing for just a bit, Mark lifted a padded hand to draw a little house with a stick figure holding a basket in the snow. Chuckling, Jack guessed quietly. "Granny's house?" Mark nodded, trotting onward through the dark quiet trees. As eerie as the woods was at night, Jack wasn't distressed with Mark around. He trusted him to hear things that he couldn't or smell things. Stroking Mark's back, Jack watched the snow fall around them in light flurries as he asked him so softly. "I know you can't answer... but... What happened back there. With me. Do you think something is... wrong with me? I mean, Dwight looked so powerful, but he could only seem to heal and put things to sleep. And what I did... I don't understand." Mark slowed to a stop, turning his head back to lick Jack's hand that stroked his side. Smiling a little, Jack rubbed Mark's ear and shivered. As warm as Mark was, the snow was seeping through his cloths to his back. Mark shook the snow off himself and kept trudging through the snow.

Jack couldn't tell if he was taking the shortcut or just trying to find a safe path to take them. It took long enough that Jack found himself napping on and off. It had to be almost dawn by the time, Mark stopped to pant a little harder than normal. His four legs shaking weakly beneath him. Sitting up slowly, Jack told Mark hopefully. "Mark? We should stop. You need a break. Please?" Mark glanced around and turned to head for a little alcove in the side of a hill. It wasn't deep enough to be a cave, but it kept the wind and snow from falling there. Sliding off, Jack watched Mark dig in the dirt to tear up the frosted earth to reveal softer dirt beneath. Jack waited for him to lay down, before sitting down with his back to his side. Mark's head rested on his lap and Jack pet his head as he whispered to him. "You did good, Mark. Get some rest. I'll keep watch." Jack watched the snowfall around them, until he noticed Mark starting to rock and whine in his sleep from a nightmare. Stroking his fingers from Mark's nose to his head in slow calming pets, he playfully whispered to Mark about how he should be dreaming about sheep jumping a fence in the spring. Then for fun, he mindlessly counted how many times he stroked Mark's nose before he settled down.

All the while, his fingertips unknowingly glowed and with every stroke, Mark's dream changed from a nightmare of the day's events to a calming dream. Resorting in Mark dreaming about laying in a spring field, counting sheep of all sizes as they gracefully leapt over a white picket fence. Jack hummed softly to himself as the sun rose and illuminated the dark sky and forest in gorgeous shades of warm colors. He was so focused on the scenery, until Mark began to restlessly shift. Looking down at him, he watched the sun touch his werewolf body and almost wipe the features of the wolf away. Leaving a naked human Mark sleeping around him with his head on his lap. Afraid that he'd get cold, Jack unlaced his red hood and draped it over Mark to keep him warm. Despite never being this far into the woods before and waiting to continue on to find his Granny, Jack let Mark sleep. He'd earned it and his Granny could wait a little longer. Brushing Mark's bangs away from his eyes, Jack stroked his cheek and smiled as he thought to himself. Maybe he wasn't such a big bad wolf after all. To Be Continued...