Anger coursed through Ariana's veins, still upset at Jeremy for being so rash. He truly wasn't thinking of her position. How he would of acted if he were in her shoes. She knew she wasn't actually mad at him, more so hurt by everything he had said. But she didn't want to admit she was actually hurt. That was weakness, and Jeremy had already seen too much of that in her this evening. Hell, after the Hunters heard about this, they probably wouldn't even want her anymore. She walked along, slightly disoriented, but not willing to turn back around and seek out help. This certainly wasn't the night she had envisioned for herself. And now she didn't know where her relationship with Jeremy stood. If there even was a relationship at all. Knowing her luck, there most likely wasn't. "Ariana?" she heard a voice call, and she turned around to find the source. There Jeremy stood, eyes scanning the darkness for her. His eyes looked frantic, until they locked with her own. Relief flooded them as he approached her."Jeremy?" she asked, more surprised than anything. Why had he come after her? He had just been practically yelling at her, and yet now here he was, searching her out, looking positively happy to see her.

When he reached her, he immediately wrapped his arms around her in an embrace, the warmth of his body melting her anger away. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around him as well, snuggling her head into his chest, the smell of him welcoming. "Ariana...I'm sorry. I'm so so very sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you...this is just...a lot." She nodded immediately, reassuring him. "I know, I know... she whispered back. The fog in her brain seemed to clear, and she realized that he would never actually mean to hurt her. This was Jeremy standing before her. Sweet, loving Jeremy who would never want to hurt anyone. "I am still worked up after watching you almost die like that." She briefly wondered how she would have reacted if their positions were flipped. She had spent so much time being angry that he wouldn't see her point of view, that she didn't even consider his own. He had walked outside to not only see his date being choked to death, but it was by a supernatural creature that supposedly only existed in fairy tales. It had to be a lot to process.

"I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't have protected you." A smile appeared on her face. She couldn't help it. This guy standing before her truly cared about her well-being, even if she truly didn't deserve it. And someone truly caring for her, accepting her fully, meant more than she could ever say. This man was completely changing all of her, probably for the better. "And I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't have protected you." She knew he wouldn't understand how she could even protect him, but he would know everything soon enough. She reached a hand up to pinch his cheek softly. "You are too damn cute," she said softly, a genuine smile on her face. "You will be the ruin of me." What she didn't say out loud was that she didn't mind one single bit. They stood there for a moment, just looking into each others eyes. Ariana knew what had to be done next, but it would be one of the hardest things she had ever done. Talking about herself was something she never did.

"There's a lot we have to discuss..." she said, somewhat sadly. "Why don't you take me back to your place so we can talk?" Ariana let Jeremy lead her back to his squad car, where they both hopped in. The drive was silent, and she knew he probably had tons of questions running through his head. Just as she had many thoughts spiraling around in her own mind. She wondered what he was thinking. She wondered what he was going to ask her. And, most importantly, she wondered what he was going to think of her after the conversation that was approaching. The drive wasn't as long as she would have preferred. She felt as if she needed more time to prepare herself before being bombarded with questions. He pulled into his driveway, and let her into his place. She was surprised at how nice it was, since he was so young. But she didn't complain in the slightest. As she took a seat on his couch, she realized that he wouldn't have any alcohol in the house, since he had said he was too young to drink. That meant she'd have to do this completely sober. Damn.

She waited for him to take a seat, hoping it was beside her, although she would understand if he didn't want to. Her eyes met his, and she took the plunge. "So, what would you like to know first?" she asked, bracing herself for what was coming next.

Sam swept in a robotic fashion, his mind preoccupied, venturing off on tons of different thoughts. He wondered what exactly Axel was doing here with Cat, of all people. He had suspected something the previous day, watching the two of them flirt in front of Leanna. His Alpha had been trying and trying forever with Leanna, only to throw it away in one day with a complete stranger? But he couldn't say anything to Axel, because that would only be hypocritical. After all, Sam himself wasn't doing his duty as the beta male. Yet, his actions were out of love, but were Axel's? He highly doubted it. And, after the pack meeting, he certainly couldn't say anything else to piss Axel off. Sam had already spoken out against him, not backed him up. He couldn't do it again.

Axel was his best friend, and regardless of Sam's moral views of Axel's actions, he had to respect them. That was his his role as beta. Sometimes, for the pack, he had to put his personal views aside. That was just the way it was for a wolf. "So, what's up? You're more quiet than usual..." Axel's voice brought Sam out of his own mind, back to the present. "What? Oh..." He cleared his throat, attempting to search for an answer. "Nothing's up. Just thinking." he said simply. His eyes darted over to Cat, who was most likely confused as hell. But what could he say? The answer was nothing, because Cat didn't know that the pair were werewolves. He couldn't be honest with Axel in front of her. He just had to be quiet.

Absentmindedly, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, checking for a message from Caroline. Yet his phone had no new messages, and and he slipped it back in his pocket. She never really took very long to respond, probably because texting was really the only way they could constantly communicate. Where the hell was she? She hadn't been very specific in her message, just saying that she wanted to see him in a few hours. He couldn't really imagine what she would be doing alone, that he couldn't know about. If she had just been at the bar, he could have stopped by. And if she were at home, he could have gone there as well. No, she was up to something, and he had a bad feeling about it. And he wasn't there to protect her. If she got hurt, or even worse, he would never forgive himself.

With his phone back in his pocket, he began sweeping once more. Although, his mind was extremely focused on the phone in his pocket, waiting for it to vibrate. To hear anything from her. He barely focused on the other two people in the room. Axel was smart enough, he would guess something was up. His mind was now far away from worrying about the pack meeting earlier, or even pissing Axel off. There were far more pressing matters in his point of view. Anyone would think he was overreacting, but he just knew something was wrong. As a wolf, he had a sixth sense about trouble. They all did. It was animal instinct. And that impending doom feeling was growing heavier and heavier in his chest.

Sam threw the broom aside, listening to the smack as it hit the wall. He walked right past Axel and Cat, not saying a word. He walked through the back of the diner, and straight through the back door and outside, breathing in the cool air, trying to calm his head. But he couldn't get past that nagging feeling in the back of his mind. It was there, pushing him and telling him something was wrong. He pulled his phone out and dialed Caroline's number, placing the phone up to his ear. "Come on... pick up the phone..." he whispered to himself, listening to the ringing repeat over and over. Eventually, it went to voicemail, and he felt the urge to throw the phone as far as he could. After the beep, he spoke quickly. "Where are you? Call me back." He ended the call and jammed it back in his pocket.

"Yes, that would certainly be okay." The offer to run away with the book man was too tempting to not take up. Sterling was older than Leigh, but he was smallish, not very threatening; he was a kind man, too, from what Leighton could garner, and he’d given her no reason to fear him. The relative weakness of her little body didn't frighten her, and though this stranger could harm her, she didn't worry about inviting the possibility.

He lead her away from the sanctuary of her snow laden yard down the side walk in silence, and Leighton took that opportunity to study his face-his cavernous eyes, deep and dark like some cave that needed to be explored, before she eventually grew bored and began skipping so that the sloshy snow underfoot splashed up her pajama bottoms. It sent chills racing up her legs. None too soon, they arrived at his home. It was quaint, like something from a story book and it made her smile. A scary or dangerous man wouldn't have so sweet a house, right? She thought idly and before she could pass through the threshold behind Sterling, he piped up, startling her to the point of nearly jumping out of her boots. Not because he was scary, she reminded herself, but because he had been so quiet, she hadn't expected him to talk.

"So, do you have a favorite book?"

Leighton stopped directly in the open doorway and looked up at him. "My daddy used to read me The Velveteen Rabbit. I really liked that one." She replied with a meek smile, eyes looking past him to scan the innards of the cozy edifice. The warmth inside hit her like she had run smack into a brick wall of clement and rubbed at her frost bitten nose and her rosy cheeks evoking a contented sigh.

"You...uh...you could take your jacket off if you want." He started nervously as he gestured to a rack just behind her before adding "Oh, and your shoes can go there too..."

"Thank yah, thank yah." Leighton replied in a silly caricature of her own voice before stooping down to peel off her rain boots and her 'Michelin Man' pink puffer. "What's your favorite book?" She pried, eyes focused on the task before her, not paying him any head; unaware that her flushed skin and her exposed body that had worked up a mild sweat in her coat on the walk up there had created a scent that was very sweet to a vampire-a sanguisuge like Sterling. Temptation was a bitch.

As Derek's back hit asphalt from a blow to the gut, somewhere in the vicinity of his kidney—and he didn't have time to appreciate the fact that he had a spare because he was distracted by the sudden and agonizing pain that accompanied it, there was a verbal barrage with Sara's name on it sitting on his tongue like fire. Damn her naivety about other rogue wolves, they weren't all good intentions and she had to of known Derek was coming to get her...He had said he would, why couldn't she have just waited in the bar? If she had, then he wouldn't be laying flat on his back right now, engaged in some fight with an older alpha. He pushed Sara out of his mind as he kipped up--swinging his legs up to his chest before arching his back so that he popped up on both feet. His jaw was going hurt like a mother fucker tomorrow, but he wasn't going to cry about it now, besides, his adrenaline was pumping so furiously he couldn't feel the sting just yet.

If Derek Hale had been an ordinary werewolf, be would probably have backed down at this point--held out his hands and said something placating in an attempt to avoid exposing werewolves to mankind...but Derek Hale was not ordinary. He was a hot headed, alphic, testosterone driven male with his mate on the line(Supposedly). His eyes had gone feral, he was breathing heavily, and he was fighting for control. Werewolves could smell subtle differences in different emotions, and to a born werewolf who'd had his entire life to memorize the distinct flavors of the olfactory-emotional spectrum, he knew exactly just how enraged Albrecht was...but it hardly rivaled his own temper. This older alpha was fighting because Derek was fighting, Derek was fighting for his lover-for his claim.

A truly ferocious growl that rattled his bones ripped its way from his throat as he swung on Albrecht with enough force to send the man flying backward into Sara's vehicle, signaling the car alarm. The dent in the frame cast by Albrecht's body was no small thing. His sensitive canine ears picked up a sickening squelch and the crunching of bone. Nothing dire, barely a scratch by Were standards but still. He moved to advance on the downed dog before the flash of a camera phone lit up his face. His pupils contracted, trying to adjust to the light, giving him enough time to register just was what happening. He paused mid-stride to look out over a formed crowd with the cell phones whipped out, taking video, gawking like the spectators they were.

After Axel dismissed the pack meeting and left for the diner, she presumed, though he rarely consulted her on anything he did, so truly he could be anywhere, Leanna returned home. Usually, when she had some spare time, she headed down to the diner. Her shift didn't start 'til early evening, but there was always something to do there, be it sorting the books, ordering supplies or even a little help with customers. She even tried to use being there for work as an excuse to spend a little time with Axel, in the hopes of improving their always slightly precarious relationship. However, following recent events, the last thing Leanna wanted to do was spend time with her mate, especially if that new waitress he'd been flirting with the previous day was working. Besides, she was far too stubborn to go and see him. It would feel too much like she was trying to please him. This morning at the pack meeting she'd allowed her anger towards Albrecht to get the better of her and she'd agreed with Axel with so much vigour that some may have even deemed her behaviour sycophantic. But she wanted Axel to know she was angry at him for what had happened with Cat at the diner yesterday, so going to work wasn't an option.

However, Leanna could not just spend the day sitting around the house wasting time simply to spite him. She set about cleaning the kitchen in an attempt to fill her time. But the inane task was not enough to keep her mind off all the things that were troubling her. Albrecht was back. Was he really going to try and reclaim his position as Alpha? How could she bear to look at him every single day and have all those memories flood back to her? With him gone she was only just able to banish him from her mind, but now he was back, she could hardly manage to avoid seeing him, let alone thinking about him. And Axel. Their relationship had always always given Leanna cause for concern, but over time she had simply come to terms with the truth and tried to make the best of it. But between the new waitress, Cat and Axel's apparent utter lack of concern for flirting with her right in front of Leanna and Albrecht and all the feelings seeing him had dragged to the surface, her issues with Axel were weighing even more heavily on her mind than usual.

Eventually, Leanna hurled the cloth onto the surface, no longer able to continue the menial task. She immediately went to her bedroom and changed into a pair of black leggings and a tight fitting white t-shirt. She pulled on a pair of sneakers, scraped her hair into a high ponytail and left the house, locking the door behind her. She launched in to a jog the moment the key was in her pocket, her feet pounding against the side walk. Leanna had always found running helped take her mind off things, and it still proved to be correct. The moment the wind was whipping past her face, tousling a few loose strands of hair, she felt better. She was not as naive as to say her worries simply evaporated, but at least she could cast her mind elsewhere.

That was, until she reached the bar. She paused at the edge of the road opposite it in preparation to cross the road, when suddenly, she saw Al. Leanna froze. Albrecht was stood beside a car at the curbside. Directly in front of him was a man Leanna didn't recognise, but who obviously wasn't pleased with Al. His stance was aggressive, as though he was squaring up for a fight. Near the pair stood Sara, looking a little more than nervous. Leanna stood and watched their exchange, rooted to the spot. Even when the 'walk' sign showed and everyone else crossed, she didn't move, not wanting to stay, but unable to walk on by. She watched Al respond aggressively to the man before turning to Sara and asking her something. Sarah kept her eyes fixed to the floor in such a reticent way that Leanna wouldn't have known she'd responded, was it not for the slight movement of her lips. Then, in horror, Leanna watched the man stand up over Al in a predatory fashion, and it was then that she realised he was in fact a wolf. In one swift movement, he shoved her former fiancé in a gesture that more resembled a punch.

Oh shit, Leanna realised, people were beginning to stop and stare warily. The unfamiliar wolf growled viciously and his eyes flashed angrily, his features becoming more animalistic by the second. Albrecht recovered himself and responded sharply to his assailant. Then, out of nowhere, he threw a punch at the man's face before kneeing him in the stomach. What an idiot! Leanna thought angrily. He'd been back in town not one full day and he was already fighting with strangers in public places, attracting attention to his hidden identity. Leanna knew she couldn't leave it a moment longer, she had to intervene, as much as she hadn't wanted to go anywhere near Albrecht, his stupidity was about to expose them all. She crossed the street as the other wolf pulled himself back on to his feet. He growled in a way no human could before landing a blow to Albrecht that sent him flying back into the car, leaving a dent in the body of the vehicle and God only knows what damage to Albrecht. Immediately, the car alarm went off, and any remaining person in the area who had still, somehow, been oblivious to the events instantly turned towards the source of the noise. Leanna was nearly at Al's side when the man took a step towards him, but he paused, turning to look at a crowd that had gathered, filming him.

Leanna's hand closed around Albrecht's wrist. He hadn't hit the ground, but his body was pressed against the car. She grabbed him, her grasp surprisingly strong for her small stature, dragging him sharply to his feet.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she shouted at him, her brown eyes flashing with anger towards him. She began to march away from the scene, her hand clasped around his wrist, nails digging into the skin leaving tiny, red crescent moons in his flesh. Suddenly, she stopped, doubling back on herself so she was at the unknown wolf's side.

"And I don't care who the hell you are, but I am the Alpha Female in this town and there will be no public fighting between wolves!" Her voice was low enough not to be heard by the spectators, but her tone still conveyed her biting fury. She then turned to Sara, eyeing her. She didn't say anything to the woman but simply fixed her with a look of disapproval mixed with pity, before turning on her heel and beginning to march away, hand still holding onto Albrecht tightly, like an errant child who was expected to run away at any moment.

"She's leaving...Oh God..." Gabby voiced once she had made it around the corner of the building to lay eyes on the perpetrator. "Ahhh the barkeeper, I mighten have guessed as much." Nikolai stated, too caught up in the clicking and turning mechanisms of his mind to realize his protégé was so obviously horrified. "You do not have to accompany me for this..." He said, tacking on to his previous statement, still not bothering to tear his gold and green eyes away from the vehicle that raced from the lot. "It will quite possibly get very messy."

However, though Nik didn't understand it fully at the time, Gabrielle had agreed to go with him in spite of this. So just like that the pair was off again, racing once more through the wood but not with the same sort of glee as before but a darker fervor. The trees all seemed to be clawing at their clothing, outstretched arms reaching out to ensnare them. The jingling of icicles was no more a joyful song of winter but a sepulchral tone. The light of day dwindling away to evening. And all too soon they were at their destination one more, the time to plot and plan and scheme expired.

Nikolai looked over his shoulder to ensure Gabby was by his side before he tested the front door to see if it was unlocked, though it would hardly of stopped him if it weren't. Timing couldn't have been more opportune in his mind as the knob turned without catch and as he looked back again to lay eyes on an empty parking lot. "Perfect."

His footfalls were as silent as death itself when he entered the bar, like a great lion stalking it's prey. The whirling of machinery could be heard in the back by their heightened vampiric hearing and Nik just knew she'd be there, pouring over tapes for a still of his face. Timing was so very opportune indeed. He entered the office with a supercilious smile hanging from his lips, arms languidly stuffed in his pockets, belieling his agenda. "I hadn't know the bitch had such bite, you really are a quick clever girl aren't you?" His started, voice pealing like thunder, startling the wolf. "How did you realize that it had been I that killed that Russian hunter? Truly a very observant deduction, you have my respect...but that will not save you I'm afraid." He explained forebodingly, letting his tongue trace the rough contours of his fangs before he flashed her a more malicious grin. Caro didn't seem to be the type to be fearful, but here, trapped within the confines of the office with but one exit, she should have been quaking.

Vampires appeared human, that was their great guise so that they may lurk in the shadows undetected, but in that moment, the edges of Nik's mask were peeling away to reveal his true self-his words hitting her eardrum like a bullet to her brain. His eyes, the color of sunlight shining through a glass of whiskey, sparkled with murderous intent.

Ariana took a place on his sofa, hovering at the edge of her seat with anxious tension. "So, what would you like to know first?" Jeremy paced unwittingly before her, still so overwhelmed by the plethora of information he had obtained within the past hour. A nervous laugh bubbled forth and escaped his lips. "I didn't expect to have you over to my house until well after the fifth date." He pointed out light heartedly to lift the spirit of the mood. His shoulders visibly unwound as he came to a stop, catching her bright blue eyes. He was almost comfortable enough to sit now until a loud bark sounded from the back door and had him nearly jumping out of his skin.

Dang it, Striker!" he hollered, turning his back to the hunter to traverse down the hallway before disappearing from her sight altogether. Not seconds later a large brown and black mass of fur dusted in snow came bounding into the livingroom, leaping up to place his heavy paws in Ariana's lap and sniff at her tear stained face. "STRIKER, DOWN!" Jeremy commanded, suddenly appearing like an apparition behind the German Shepherd. "I'm so sorry, he honestly knows better." The rookie cop explained as the dog backed down off of the girl to come and stand by his masters side. "Striker this is Ariana, Ariana, this is Striker my dog." He introduced the pair of them like a child might.

At last, Jeremy found himself sitting on the couch next to his date, the dog finding a comfortable position by his feet as Jer absent mindedly scratched Striker's head. "How far does all of this go? Hunter's? Vampire's? How does it all work? How long have you been a part of it?" He asked before his cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, again, I am not pacing myself...don't run off okay?" He teased, letting out a breath of hot air.

Caroline ran a hand down her weary face as her eyes raked over the small screen before her, she felt like she had been here for hours, watching the images flash across her screen in a tedious haze. Unsure which tape the image would be on, Caro had four possible candidates stacked above the monitor, all unmarked and all just as boring as the previous and with each one she cursed herself further for not taking the time to mark them. Resting her head in her hand, Caroline sipped on her steaming cup of coffee before releasing a heavy sigh, her eyes briefly leaving the screen before she noticed herself walking into the bar into the clothes she wore yesterday. “This is it…” Caro murmured to herself as she became more alert, fast forwarding, she stopped suddenly as the vampires face flashed across her screen.

Pausing the tape, Caroline stared into the eyes of a monster and even looking at him this way, virtually, it made her skin crawl. She knew from the moment he walked into his bar that any warmth within had left the creature; creature, it was a term Caro seldom used, mainly because she had been on the receiving end of them in the past, hell, not half an hour ago she was being called a mutt by Sebastian and that still hurt. But this vampire was a creature, there was no humanity left in his soul, that much was certain. Hearing her phone ring, Caro looked around for her bag, spotting it behind the bar she moved from her seat and walked out of the small office towards her bag. Digging for a moment she pulled out her cell to see a missed call from Sam, quickly listening to his voicemail, her heart swelled at hearing his frantic voice, although the level of concern did worry her slightly and made her feel guilty for causing it. Sorry, just a little busy at the moment, call you back in ten. Love you! Caroline text back before shoving the phone into her back pocket and returned to her office, sitting down she turned her attention to the screen and proceeded to print of the picture, when a voice from behind the doorway startled her.

"I hadn't known the bitch had such bite, you really are a quick clever girl aren't you?" Caroline’s head whipped towards the doorway, her eyes widening in surprise mixing with shock as the creature from her screen, manifested before her. “How did you realize that it had been I that killed that Russian hunter? Truly a very observant deduction, you have my respect...but that will not save you I'm afraid."

Caroline rose quickly from the chair, her heart beat quickening within her chest as he cornered her in the small office, there was only one exit and the vampire was currently blocking it. “It wasn’t really difficult, a new vampire waltz into town and the first death occurs in months…” Her voice remains steady, not a quiver in sight, however despite her façade she knew exactly how dangerous this situation was. Despite being beta in training, Caroline was no fighter, she knew that, everyone knew that, don’t get her wrong she could defend her just perfectly, however up against an ancient vampire, she stood no chance. She needed back up, she needed Sam. Slowly, she reached into her back pocket and blindly dialled Sam’s cell, hoping, no, praying he would answer. “If you hurt me, you will have a pack on your tail and they will not stop until they find you.”

Nik studied Caroline with quick and calculating chrysolite citrine eyes.

"If you hurt me, you will have a pack on your tail and they will not stop until they find you.”

"Oh, I am not only hoping for it, I'm counting on it." Nikolai intoned as his mouth drew up into a jester's smile, or more like a macabre horror film caricature or version of a jester's smile--all cold malice and sharp teeth--sharp as a butchers knifes. And that's exactly what he was, at the end of the day, a butcher who found artestry in his kills where there was none.

In an instant, he was on her, if she'd of blinked-she'd of missed it. His long white fingers, as powerful and as cold as death itself, grasped at the collar of her shirt, hoisting her into the air and propelling her through the office wall. Sheet rock and splintering wood rained down over the confines of the small room at the force of the hit. Her body had punched a hole into the wall and landed her into the bar area. Nikolai sighed, disgruntled, as if annoyed by the fact the walls weren't thick enough to contain her after one of his blows.

He found himself leisurely strolling past Isabella into the next room where Caro lied on the floor, writhing in obvious pain. "You wolves are all alike, you know....think you are so far higher in God's graces than we fiendish vampires are...but let me fill you in on a little secret, dog. God made man in his image and therefore vampire in his image. You were built in the image of a canine, a beast meant to serve man." He drolled as he came to a stop in front of her before crouching down to her level to catch her wide eyes. "Deep down, you know this to be true. You long to serve in your rightful place. To kneel to subjegation. I will make the servants out of your pack members that they were born to be and will be the first vampire to possess supernatural guard dogs."

"Oh, I am not only hoping for it, I'm counting on it." Nikolai words caused a shiver to travel down Caroline’s spine, the fine hairs on her arms prickled as the coolness of his macabre tones resounded within her. She watched him like a deer caught in head lights, transfixed, petrified, had she had sense perhaps Caro would have tried to run, but a part of her still knew how useless that would be, unless she transformed there was no chance that she could take on this vampire. Staring into his eyes, Caroline felt as if she were staring at death itself. Now there hadn’t been many moments in her life where she had felt truly terrified, felt like her life could be gone from her at any second, but right now she knew that her moments were numbers. What could she do? Pray to a god that she wasn’t exactly sure existed? Hope that somehow Sam could hear them down the phone and come to her rescue? Plea to this monster in a bid to spare her life? No, most certainly not, she was many things, but Caroline King was not a coward, she would face whatever was coming to her with dignity, that much was certain.

“They are going to enjoy tearing you to pieces.” Caroline spoke rather uncharacteristically, the harsh tones sounding foreign on her tongue, she wasn’t prone to speaking so candidly but it was true. The pack…Sam was going to shred him to pieces and she would not feel any pity for the man who took her away from Sam, from them all. Suddenly all her thoughts were blurred together as he approached her, his long fingers wrapping around the collar of her shirt. The moments following were further blurred, for when she next opened her eyes, Caroline lay on the floor beside her bar groaning in pain. She gasped for air as her head throbbed from colliding with the hardened floor; however what pained her most was a warm sticky feeling coming from her side. Whimpering, Caroline reached down and pulled a large splinter from her side and dropped it beside her. She groaned seeing the vampire appear above her, the salacious grin still present on his features. It was haunting and damned unfair that his face may be the last thing she may see.

"You wolves are all alike, you know....think you are so far higher in God's graces than we fiendish vampires are...but let me fill you in on a little secret, dog. God made man in his image and therefore vampire in his image. You were built in the image of a canine, a beast meant to serve man… Deep down, you know this to be true. You long to serve in your rightful place. To kneel to subjugation. I will make the servants out of your pack members that they were born to be and will be the first vampire to possess supernatural guard dogs." There wasn’t much that Caroline could comprehend about his words, her mind drifted in and out of a haze, but the words she did hear were enough to cause a hoarse chuckle to escape her lips. “You really as pretentious as they come, aren’t you?” she grumbled, “we may be dogs but we are loyal to each other to the very end, to love and cherish…oh but you wouldn’t know a thing about it, would you? Because at the end of the day you force people to become like you and that’s left for your little play things, is resentment, towards you.” For the first time, Caroline looked past Nik towards the red haired woman, “she could never love a monster like you.” Came her final hiss.