When Maddison opened her eyes the oppressing loneliness was still there. The only thing that stopped her from crying out was the heavy arm draped over her body, and the warm chest she was pressed tightly against. She immediately knew it was Reece.

  She didn't throw him off, nor did she attempt to wake him. Instead she stayed as she was and stared absently into his shirt. It felt nice to just be held for a change. Normally she wouldn't indulge in such a comfort, but...

  Reece grunted and began to stir. She didn't move as he began to wake. First he wrapped her tightly, not realizing that she too, was awake. He placed his nose to her head and breathed deeply, pulling in her scent.

  "Some might call that sexual harassment." She couldn't resist saying.

  Reece fell off the couch. Laughing, Maddison sat up and saw him eased back on his elbows, smiling as she laughed at him.

  "Sorry." He said when her laughed tapered off. "I shouldn't be sniffing you."

  "That's true. But I can let you off with it this one time. I owe you at least that much I guess."

  Reece sprang to his feet in one fluid motion, stretching out and up. Maddison couldn't help but watch his muscles ripple through the movement. He really was something to look at... all that bulk packed into one man should look odd, but not on Reece. He looked sleek and graceful, just like the wolf he was. She was a werewolf now too, but she didn't look even one ounce as perfect. His pure blood at work she assumed.

  "Now who is being a perve? Keep looking at me like that, woman, and you may be in trouble."

  "I plead diminished capacity." She said giving herself a shake. Honestly! Openly gawking at a man? An older man too. What had gotten into her? Oh, right, a werewolf virus...

  Reece laughed before his eyes shifted from mirth to concern. "How are you doing this morning?"

  "Bad. Its like being depressed... but worse. Its alright though, I know the cause and I know it'll be over soon. Both facts are helping me deal with it." Maddison looked around the living room and noted how empty it was. The light coming through the curtains told her it was late morning. "Where is everyone?"

  "Your father and brother took off around nine- school night- and my brother, Andrew, and John left around midnight when Ryan was done making all of his calls. The run is set for sunset."

  "What about Kalie?"

  "Up in your apartment. Go grab her and I'll make us all breakfast. You missed out on steaks, but no way are you worming out of breakfast!"

  Maddison rolled her eyes at the imposing male with a goofy grin plastered on his face. "I hardly call being catatonic 'worming'."

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  "Yeah yeah, excuses." He said making his way toward the kitchen, a hand running though his dark mess of hair.

  Maddison smiled and followed him. She would take a shower once she woke Kalie. She felt covered in grime.

  Reece was just whipping together eggs for French toast and Maddison had just gotten her shoes on when there was a frantic banging on the door. She and Reece shared a worried glance before he rushed forward to get the door before she could.

  "Maddie!" hissed Kalie, tumbling through the door and into Reece's chest. "Oh, sorry- Oh that's not important! Its Wayne!"

  "What, where?" Reece growled dangerously, Kalie paled.

  "J-just outside." She stammered. " He and a couple of the pack. They just pulled up the street! I was about to come down when I looked out the window and saw Wayne's ratty jeep!" she looked terrified out of her mind.

  Maddison rushed forward and held her friend. "Why would they be coming here?"

  "Probably to see the crime scene." Reece snarled, glaring toward the front door. "Morons. They probably haven't any idea what happened once they dropped Kalie here, and now that the OWPD has cleared off they want to see the damage they caused."

  "Who would be that stupid?" Maddison huffed. "Even if Kalie and I both died from the attack, they cant possibly think you would have bit the dust too?" she said, sizing him up again in disbelief.

  Reece seemed to swell under her scrutiny. "Dumb asses probably never bothered to see who else lives here. The probably don't know that the person living below you is anything other than human."

  There was a knock at the door again and the echoed laughter of several men on the front step. Maddison bristled in fury.

  "Kalie, go call the OWPD and ask for Liam O'Shea. Tell him that the man he is looking for is on my front porch, and that if he does not get here quickly then I can't guarantee their safety."

  Kalie swallowed hard but rushed into the kitchen anyway, snatching up Reece's phone.

  Reece strode toward the door and flung it open. He was blocking her view somewhat, but Maddison could hear them just fine.

  "Whoa!" laughed one of the men. "Oh, sorry man. Didn't realize one of us lived here."

  "Then why are you here?" asked Reece gruffly.

  "We, uh, heard there was some sort of attack here the night before last." Maddison could hear the smile on his stupid face. "We think one of the people hurt was a friend of ours. Just wanted to find out what happened is all."

  "And what do you know about what happened here?"

  "Not much, Bud. Just that our friend may have been out of sorts, as it were, and attacked some human chick." Replied the first stranger who had spoken.

  "So that half crazy she-wolf was a friend of yours then? Funny, whoever dropped her on my porch wasn't her friend at all."

  "Well, my little Kalie Is known for poor decision making." Rumbled a new voice. This one Maddison did recognize. It was Wayne, the same voice that had been on the phone that night.

  "So, she just decided to run around in a silver wire collar? All beaten up like that?"

  "You shouldn't sound so put out by it man. That chick was a lesbo! Disgusting..." grouched yet another man.

  "Really?" said Reece sounding indifferent. "You do know she attacked my new neighbor?"

  "She was a lesbo too. Fucking bitch stole my woman!" snarled Wayne. Maddison could hear Kalie on the phone in the kitchen, talking in a whisper.

  Reece chuckled "Now, I will be the first to admit that my new renter has the looks to get any man or woman she could want. She had me panting right off the bat." Maddison flushed red at Reece's words, standing just out of sight. "But she didn't strike me as the 'woman stealing' type."

  "Well I'm telling you she did! And I wished I could have seen the look on the whore's face when my Kalie tore her to pieces!"

  Reece growled a warning, but Maddison didn't care. She shot out from behind Reece and plowed her clenched fist into the first face she saw. Happily that face just so happened to be Wayne's.