"Just help me touch her" Jarren whispered harshly to Kyrrian.

"You sound like a creep" Kyrrian said, drinking her beer. Jarren and Kyrrian stood next to each other, leaning against the kitchen counter. BB had brought out the Poker set and the group had quickly settled into what had to be the most competitive game in the history of man kind.

"No, it's not creepy. I just need to have a good reason to" Jarren said.

"Then just go over there and touch her, if you do it with confidence and calmness, she won't think anything of it" Kyrrian said.

Jarren scrunched his face into an image of disbelief and looked Kyrrian up and down once.

"What?" Kyrrian sneered.

"You really have no clue how to be human, do you?" Jarren meant his comment as a hack at Kyrrian's 'too cool' personality but it only took Kyrrian back to her conversation with Scottlin in the woods. Kyrrian looked over at the smiling man and watched as he clapped a hand on Chance Gore's shoulder.

"I think you're bluffing" Sarai said to Porter. Porter sat, appearing calm and innocent as usual, and waited for the blond to up her ante. Sarai had no idea what she was getting into. Kyrrian had seen Porter take her brothers entire stipend in one sitting, and Kaddian had no tells.

On command, Porter laid down a royal flush while Sarai played a a full house.

With a slight smirk, Porter took all of the chips in the pile.

"How did you..." Sarai began, watching Porter with narrowed eyes, but was interrupted when Jarren placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Better luck next time" Jarren said jovially, giving Sarai a gentle shake. Sarai turned and looked at Jarren over her shoulder and he looked back knowingly. Taking a step away, Jarren checked his phone and leaned against the kitchen cabinet. Sarai's facial expression was a cross of disappointment and confusion at Jarren's familiarity followed by distance.

While this all occured, Rory Daggart made his way to Kyrrian side. Kyrrian, lost in her old world of thought, did not even realize the cool blond had made his way to her lonely, pondering position.

"You look deep in thought" Rory muttered, not looking at the brunette next to him.

With a startled shake, Kyrrian came to reality, "it's because I was" she replied grumpily.

"Well you can return to your reverie in just a moment, I have one question to ask you" Rory's tone had an air of mischief.

"What? What is it you could possibly want? You have bothered me all night, I'm almost done with this, might kill you just to save my sanity" Kyrrian growled out.

"My, you're grouchier than you were earlier" Rory muttered.

"Yeah well I'm a bear, it happens" Kyrrian said, taking a swig of beer.

"We're all bears, I can't imagine what it was that made you this upset, but maybe I can distract you. Kyrrian, go on a date with me" the loud room masked Rory's question, and his vacant, distance stare at no one in particular made it appear as if the two were having a casual conversation.

"What the he- No. Definitely not" Kyrrian hissed vehemently.

"Kyrrian, you are a strong, beautiful, intelligent woman fully capable of taking care of herself and I admire that. I want to take you on one date, one small dinner outing, so that I can express to you how fantastic I find you" Rory pressed, finally looking at Kyrrian.

Kyrrian opened her mouth as if to respond, then stopped, shutting her lips and pulling the bottom one between her teeth. Never had Rory seen the strong she-bear look so feminine and indecisive.

She finally looked up at Rory with nervous eyes and asked, "are you my mate?"

Rory Daggart stared at Kyrrian for a few moments before quietly responding, "No I am not". Convinced he had lost his opportunity due to his lack of fated matehood. He took one step away from Kyrrian before she said, "just one date" under her breath and walked toward the group of jovial bearswain.

Rory only had a second to stare at Kyrrian's retreating back before Alpha Kaddian and Sheriff Hale busted through the front door with a raucuous bang.

"Is everyone safe?" he growled at Porter. Alment, jumping to his feet as soon as the door busted open, nodded to Kaddian quickly.

"I'm walking the perimeter" Sheriff Hale said, going out the door before Alpha Kaddian had an opportunity to respond.

"Alpha Grayson" Scottlin Reik stood up in his chair abruptly, "what's going on?"

"The killer left a death threat of Sheriff Hale's door" Kaddian said quietly.

Silence met the the room until Alpha Reik responded with, "Jacklynn went out for a run".

With a deep growl, Kaddian spun on his feet and rushed out the door quickly followed by Kyrrian, Scottlin, Jarren, and Sarai.

Kaddian ran past a frazzled Sheriff Hale who called out, "where are we going?!"

She was answered by Kaddian's deep, loud "Stay!" Before he jumped and shed his skin for the massive, deep brown form of a Kodiak bear. His sister followed suit along with the others in the small pack.

They ran for miles, deep into the forest, before the overwhelming presence of ammonia drew the bears' keen sense of smell.

Her body was leaning against the tree, neck sliced from one side to the other. Jacklynn's normally vibrant brown eyes stared off vacantly and her neck sat at an awkward angle. Scottlin shifted first, running to his clansman's immobile form. He checked for a pulse at her wrist and then hung his head when he found no trace or murmur of life. Kaddian took note of the 'X's placement and then scanned the surrounding area. There were no other scents, the ammonia caused distress in his fine tuned sense to the point that he wanted to cover his nose, however he did not.

Sarai dropped down to her knees in front of Jacklynn's mutilated body and reached out with a slowly, shaky hand to touch her face but Kyrrian gently grabbed her small hand.

"We can't touch the body because of forensics" Kyrrian whispered before turning to her brother, "Kaddian, we have to leave. We have to leave and let Lauren handle this".

Kaddian slid his cool eyes down to his twin's face. She had her hand on his forearm, and he found her touch calming and familiar, the only person he had ever really felt comfortable with touching him.

"I know" he replied, looking over the scene once more before shifting back into a bear and running back to house.