~Taylor's Pov~

Taylor's claws clicked against the hardwood frantically.
No friction!
Her nail clicks were soon drowned out by the cries of the public.
Yup. She was a dead wolf.
But she could smell Kaden around the corner--safety.
In contrast, she could also smell the male werewolf bounding towards her in human form-- death.

Shitshitshit-shit!

As it turned out, people weren't as good of cover as she'd have hoped.
Being so low to the ground, it blocked her view. True, she wasn't as short as regular wolves
or dogs, she was still only up to mid-drift on a human.

She wouldn't have shifted if she had thought she might've had any hope of getting away on two feet.
Ordering at a local restaurant, complete with charming tables, Taylor had waited for their orders of four 8 ounce steaks, medium rare.

Kaden, her best friend and fellow packmate, was in the restroom; a one stall bathroom room.
Kaden had barely left the table when he arrived.

He was a tall man-- most Weres were,-- with amber eyes and sand-orange hair.
As soon as his eyes landed on Taylor he had made a bee-line for her table, completely ignoring the hostess who sat customers.

The enclosed room had made his scent as strong and completely ignorable as a ragingly pink skunk.
His eyes, which were growing lighter by the minute due to his wolf rage, fixed on her with such animosity it took her a second to react.

Taylor unceremoniously had dropped her fork from her trembling hand and proceeded to dive underneath the table to 'grab it'.
There she--well her wolf, made a split second decision to Change.
It had been painful in the cramped position she was in and with her panicked stated but she had bigger problems.

Just as the toupee table cloth was lifted up from one edge, she took a leap.
The male fell back, surprised at her new form, giving Taylor time to run.
She gave a sharp bark to alert Kaden.
The woman's restroom door swung open with a deafening clap...
But no one seemed to notice.
They were all starting wide-eyed at the humongous sand colored German Sheppard that looked like it had gotten into a vat of miracle growth.

"Sadie!!" Kaden chided, wadding through the people scurrying away from Taylor.
Kaden made her way over and grabbed the scruff of Taylor's neck, "How on Earth did you get here??"
She faked bewilderment well.

Kaden gave a millisecond once over to the man still on the ground before throwing money on the opposite
end of the table- away from wolf man.

She then proceeded to haul her 'dog' outside and around the corner, away from prying eyes.
It was there in the saftey of the shadows that Kaden released her, looking over her own shoulder at the same time.

They didn't have much time.
Taylor gave an impatient yip.
Translation: Let's get the hell outta here.

Sure, they probably could have handled the wolf.
But he was part of a pack.
A pack they had no idea how larger or strong.
And they had no idea how close or fast this pack could be there if the tattle cried for backup.

Kaden gave a brisk nod in agreement following Taylor's thoughts.

They ran.
Taylor & Kaden didn't stop until they reached the outskirts of town.
It was still in the hostile pack's territory, but further out from their den-- they hoped.

Taylor shifted back.
Now naked but fully human she panted for breath,
"What the hell?"

Kaden thrust the very clothes Taylor had shifted out of, at her.

"How-?" Taylor blindly reached for the clothes while looking increduously at her friend.

"When I put the money on the table. Everyone was watching that...or you and I swiped up the clothes with my foot." Kaden explained, a tiny hint of a Spanish accent peeking through that most wouldn't have noticed.

"Niiice," Taylor grinned gratefully, pulling the shirt over her head.


By the time Taylor had pants on, Kaden was deep in thought.

"Why'd you change?"

"Same reason you ran."
Taylor pulled on the collar of her shirt, it had been slightly stretched out during her Change.

"Alpha."
They replied in unison.

"What the hell was an Alpha doing in that old place?!" Kaden grumbled.

"Getting steaks? Like us?" Taylor offered, smoothing the material down before giving up on it completely.

Kaden gasped, "That bastard! I bet he got our steaks! I thought it was weird, him not running after us."

Taylor sighed thinking about smells coming from the kitchen.
They were almost ready too...

"Well, now what?" Kaden asked warily while absently rubbing her stomach.

They had this discussion much too often, but this time it was different.
Why hadn't that Alpha come after them?
Was he just a second, a Beta? Or a really dominant wolf they had mistaken for an Alpha?
That said a lot about the pack's Alpha then, because the power radiating--not to mention anger, off of him was sizzling.

"It's risky to stay..." Kaden admitted.

Taylor gave her a droll look, "But you want to, don't you?"

She gave her a sheepish grin, "Welll..."

Taylor shook her head, hiding a smile,
"This one's different. We've met the head honcho, which means he'll tell the Marrok."

"Not necessarily," She argued back.

A piercing howl tore through their argument.
It was decided.
They were leaving.
Now.

Kaden made it through the Change first.
Taylor looked at the pile of clothes that had been on her moments ago.

"I'll stay in human form," she told Kaden's wolf which was barely visible in the dark.
If it hadn't been for her charcoal coat fading to white on her underbelly, she would have been nearly invisible in the dark.
Kaden gave a low disapproving wine.

"I need to carry your clothes. Plus, shifting twice in a day wears you out. I need energy."

Kaden reluctantly turned her back on Taylor and loped through the forest headed due north.
The further they got away from that call, the better.
Taylor scooped up the clothes and followed suit.
It was harder to keep up in human form, but she figured they had time.
She figured wrong.

-Pack pov-

"Cal!" Mason shouted into his mobile as he exited the diner.

Cal gave a rude reply back.

He chose to ignore that comment and proceeded to give orders,
"Gather Emma and Jesse, I need you three to herd some sheep."

Calvin's tone changed, "Where? Who?"

There.
That was the second he appointed.

"Heading east off of Brunswick. Two rogue Werewolves," Mason hesitated "Female."

The other line went silent for a moment, "And you said TWO?"