"No no no no no no!" BB screeched loudly.

The young bears yelled and screamed as they played Mario Party mini games on the Wii.

Kaddian stood in the kitchen drinking a beer when his sister came sidling in.

"I heard Lauren stopped by today" she said casually.

"Lauren?" he asked, "that's friendly of you" Kaddian said, staring intently at Kyrrian.

"Why not? We've known her for years. I consider her a friend, don't you?" Kyrrian asked.

"Kyrr, what is it that you want?"

"Jarren said you acted peculiar toward her. I simply wanted to know why" Kyrrian admitted, pulling a beer of her own from the fridge.

Kaddian sat in silence for a moment before saying, "she's so clumsy and awkward, I fear she will hurt herself or someone else anytime she is around".

"Alright" Kyrrian said with disbelief, "but in all seriousness, Jarren told me about the bodies."

"Can Jarren keep his mouth closed about anything?"

"No. Absolutely not" she looked toward the living room.

"Sheriff Hale says someone is kidnapping people from the East and killing them, leaving their bodies here. She thinks the victims may be Reik's people. I have to call him tomorrow, unfortunately" Kaddian added.

"Do you think it's Hunters?" She asked, looking down at the leg he knew was scarred from her first confrontation with Hunters.

"I wouldn't be surprised" Kaddian answered honestly.

Kyrrian walked over to her brother and he opened his arms for her like he had on numerous occasions, holding her close. He rested his chin on the top of her head and sighed, taking a swig of his beer.

"Do you ever miss mom and dad?" Kyrrian asked. Her question was one asked to determine his stress level concerning pack duties more than it was to sympathize. She did not miss their parents.

"Everyday. But they are dead, and they have been dead for seven years. I've become used to this, being in charge and taking responsibilies" Kaddian said. Kyrrian squeezed her twin one more time before pulling away and heading back to the living room. Before she could exit, BB came dashing around the corner. She made towards the fridge, but upon spying Kaddian, she headed straight toward him with a mad dash. She plucked the beer from his hand and Kaddian watched her go with a sigh. The bubbly blond had just turned twenty-one and had made a point of becoming especially irritating.

"She's convinced she's your mate and you just won't admit it" Kyrrian said when she left.

"She's not... but she's more than welcome to believe what she wants until she turns twenty-five" he said.

"That really isn't fair, men get to find their mates at nineteen and women have to wait until they're twenty-five" Kyrrian said.

"Are you saying you're excited for our twenty-fifth birthday?" Kyrrian had been on a strict hiatus since Brian had betrayed her. She hadn't dated a man, flirted with a man, or even noticed a man since. At first, Kaddian had been happy for that, but now he feared she would deny her true mate.

"Don't be an idiot, Kade" she said, "I just-" she sighed loudly. "Sometimes I think about the fact that if I had found my mate at nineteen, I would not have been with Brian, and he would have never hurt me" Kyrrian said, rubbing her arm, turning to leave.

"And you would have continued to hate me and everything in this house" Kaddian added.

"I never hated you. I just hated the way this place made me feel" she answered silently. She was about to leave, but she stopped, and turned back to her brother. "You would have told me if you found your mate, right?"

Kaddian searched his sisters eyes for a moment before answering, "of course".

__________________________________________

"Darrence Reik is dead" the voice on the other end of the phone said neutrally.

Kaddian sighed loudly, gripping his nose tightly in frustration. "When did he pass?"

"Last year. We've had Hunters invading our territory constantly, killing as many of my people as they can get their hands on" the voice retorted.

"Your people?" Kaddian asked.

"I am Scottlin Reik, Darrence's son, and Alpha of the Eastern Sleuth".

Kaddian had never met this son of Darrence's. He did not even know the vicious old bastard had procreated.

"I was not aware Darrence had children" Kaddian admitted.

"Not many people outside of my pack were. But I want to remedy that. I request permission to fly myself and my most trusted allies into your territory to meet you and your Sleuthmates and to investigate these murders and disappearances further" Alpha Scottlin said.

Kaddian debated the idea for various reasons. For one, he and his father both had detested the late Reik. Kaddian remembered, as he was in training to become the Alpha after his father, having to negotiate boundaries and coordinate Sleuth get-togethers in an effort to help mates find each other. Every single meeting had been a struggle and beyond because the old man refused to be simple. However, this Alpha was his son, and he could be exactly the same or very different. Either way, Kaddian knew he had to make some sort of decision.

"Yes. I feel that is something that needs to happen" Kaddian agreed.