"Kara run!"

She lunged at the man and felt the bullet rip through shoulder. Landing on her side, she tried standing up as the attacker approached but couldn't get her legs under her. He raised his gun again and she stared up at the barrel of the weapon. He placed his finger on the trigger and she saw the black blur tackle the guy. The gun landed on the ground off to the side and Joseph stood above her.

The man stumbled up to his feet and pulled out a knife. She tried pushing herself up and watched the two charge each other. His teeth sank into the man's throat and the knife buried deep into his side.

"NO!"

Her eyes flew open and she sat up breathing hard. Her head was killing her and she was shaking from a cold sweat. Running her hands through her hair, she took a deep breath and looked around the room. She was alone and she pushed the covers aside. Her left arm ached from the nightmare and she rubbed it as she made her way to the bathing chamber. The room's warmth seeped into her skin before she was finished removing her clothes and the water absorbed the pain from her as she slipped beneath its warm surface.

Her mind was still in chaos as she bathed, trying to remove all signs of the nightmare. She stretched out on the floor clothed and stared up at the ceiling. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and tried to ease her mind.

"NO!"

Her eyes opened quickly and she covered her face with her hands. Sitting up, she took a deep and climbed to her feet. Her stomach was in knots and she knew she needed to eat to shake the side effects of the nightmare but she couldn't take on those emotions at the moment. She took her time getting her shoes on and fixing her hair back out of her face. When she was ready to leave, she stood up and felt everything flash again.

His hand slid through her hair and she felt his warm breath on her face. Opening her eyes, she held his gaze and heard the gunshots. She broke from his hold and ran outside

"Kara!"

"Kara."

Shaking the images, she looked up and found him standing inside the entrance. She took a deep breath and left her room. He followed her out into the hall and stayed one step behind as he ran his eyes over her. She looked fine but her state of mind he didn't trust. He had left her early to make sure there were no changes to the plans and that small period of time left her devastated.

They descended the stairs and stood by a pond waiting for everyone that Leon selected to go with them. She kept her gaze from his and he looked elsewhere.

"Can you do this?"

"I'm fine."

He glanced down at her and found her in more control but he wasn't sure if she had completely overcome the inner battle. He didn't question her decision and looked up when he heard the group approaching. The entire pack that had been living here for at last two years were coming and he settled his gaze on Rafe. The pup was great except for his failure to control his human form but if he was coming it was for her peace of mind more than her safety.

"We ready to go?"

She nodded and the young pack led the way out through the waterfall. She shifted and made her way out with him quietly following. He moved to the front of the pack and kept her by his side as they ran through the woods. The run took them until late morning to reach the city limits without tiring out the young ones. He had them wait in the tree line and turned to face them.

He shifted and said "Once we leave these trees, you cannot allow yourself to shift out of human form."

They nodded and Rafe glanced at Kara. He nodded to her and she shifted next. The young ones all took their human forms and she felt some pride when Rafe was fully human. She turned her attention back to Joseph and he guided them out into the open. He checked all the building tops as they entered the city and she felt some tension building in her head.

Who are you?

What do you want?

Her mind felt like it was being shattered in millions of pieces but she held the pain in. Black eyes glanced at her as they came to a stop in the center of the city and she watched a few people step out of a run down building.

"What do you want?"

"To help."

The man raised his gun and she took a deep breath. It wasn't like her nightmare but she could feel the overwhelming feelings returning.

"You don't want to help. You just want to loot us."

She shook her head and said "No. I promise that we are here to help."

The man spat on the ground and said "Prove it."

The tension built in her head as more voices bombarded her and emotions from the hiding people swept through her.

"Kara."

The voice eased some of the pain and she looked over at Joseph. He held her gaze with his black eyes and she looked back at the people in front of them.

"Tell me what you want and I'll prove our innocence."

The man lowered his gun and looked at a woman beside him. The woman held a young child beside her but the child broke free. Her green eyes focued on Kara as she approached and a smile appeared on her face.

"It's you!"

The girl looked back at her mother and said "Mom, it's her!"

The woman caught her daughter from getting any closer and said "I need you to prove who you are."

The man set the safety on his gun and asked "Why do you think we want your help?"

Kara took a deep breath and said "Your children deserve the chance to learn who they are and what they are capable of. We can give them that chance and keep them safe."

"And what do we get out of it?"

"A city that is all for you and will provide."

The man smiled and said "You really are the real deal. Your mother told us you would come some day."

She held her tongue and watched the man wave her into the building. Joseph gave one nod and allowed her to follow the man and his family into the place. He turned to the pack and found them waiting for instructions.

"Keep watch on this place while we are inside. Do not leave."

They nodded and he stepped inside. He took a spot by the door and watched her sit down at a table. The man laid papers in front of her and explained the history of this city and its glory. Joseph studied Kara as every detail was discussed and he saw her inner turmoil slipping away as she worked with this man. The woman gave them each a drink and brought out more papers.

They spent at least an hour discussing the plans their arrangement would cause and he could feel the lack of energy slowly settling in on her. She hadn't eaten on the trip here and had taken no food in the past few days. The emotional roller coaster earlier had left her drained to a point and he could see it slowly taking over. The man finally stood up and allowed her to rise. They shook hands and the connection bound them together.

"Keep my daughter and the rest of these children safe."

"I will."

"I expect to see your grandfather tomorrow then."

She nodded and they were shown outside. Their scouts stood up and they waited as all the children were brought out of hiding. None of the new recruits were upset about leaving their parents when they saw Kara and she felt their excitement flood through her. They walked with the children back to the forest and when they were out of sight, Joseph allowed them to shift. The new children stared at them in awe and Kara had them all look at her.

"Close your eyes and focus on that inner image."

Each child did as instructed and she saw all the images flood through her mind as each one took their wolf form. They would not be able to hold it for long without aid and she kept her tie to them as they moved through the forest. Joseph led the way back and took it slow so the young ones could explore their new senses and feed. He took the older pack out and let them attempt their first hunts. Rafe showed them how to take down the prey and he returned to Kara.

"Go eat."

She looked up from her spot on the ground and said "I'm fine."

His black eyes narrowed in on her and she knew he was not going to take them home until she ate something. Despite her stomach being famished, she couldn't handle hunting with young ones around when it was difficult for her. The connection between her and Joseph was getting to be difficult to guard from and she was afraid he was going to pick up on her discomfort in the hunt. She looked at the young pack and climbed to her feet. He watched her walk off and settled down by the young ones until he could be relieved of duty to check on her.

It took a few minutes before Rafe and the others returned with full stomaches and her trail was nearly gone. He turned to Rafe and the pup approached him.

"Keep them all safe until we get back."

The young wolf nodded and he took off in a run. He tried to pick up the trail and was hit with an overwhelming wave of fear. Stopping in his tracks, he studied the feeling and looked around. The fear was coming from the prey source and was pounding against his head. Shaking his head, he followed the trail and came up on her cornering the rabbit.

It looked up at her with fear in its eyes but he also saw the acceptance in its fate. He lowered down into the grass and watched her feed. As soon as the rabbit was put out of its misery the emotions faded and he watched her take her time with the food. It had been days since her last meal and she needed to savor it to get her through the next few days. When she finished, she took a drink from the stream she usually hunted by and looked up at him.

He rose as she approached but remained silent as she walked past him. The connection they shared was powerful but he had never thought about her being that connected to every living species. He knew she suffered from their inner conversations and emotions when in close range and in animal form but he didn't think she fought them when pursuing a real animal and not one of them. He watched her walk back to the waiting pack and followed at a distance as she let the emotions disappear. When they came up on the pack, everyone rose and Joseph led them home.

They took their time entering the ruins and she shifted immediately when they were home. Leon stood on the steps to the temple and she watched him examine the new residents as she approached him. He cast a brief look at Joseph and led her to his chambers. He had her join him in his room and sat down across from her.

"What are the arrangements?"

"We help them advance their way of living there and in return they will supply us with whatever we need as long as their children are safe."

He sat back and said "It sounds feasible."

"You have to go there tomorrow."

A slow frown captured his face and he said "I am not surprised. If we extend our hospitality everyone wants me to meet with them."

"It's only fair."

He looked back at her and said "I hope you fed."

She nodded and said "The children we brought back did not."

"I will have the mothers hunt for them. I take it the older children now can hunt on their own."

"Yes."

He smirked and said "You did well."

"Thank you."

He watched her stand up and head to the exit. She caught his gaze as she left and walked down the hall. Rafe ran up to her as she moved to the other side of the temple and she wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"I told you that you could do it."

He smirked and said "It took Joseph's warning."

"He has that effect on people."

Rafe laughed and said "I wanted to thank you for letting me go when no one thought I could do the job."

"I knew you could and that is all that mattered."

He looked to the side and she knew his mother was calling him. They had a private connection she couldn't read unless she wanted the throbbing headache and she watched him leave. Her body was tired and her head was still sore. She walked to her room but stopped outside when she found a handful of the mothers waiting for her.

"Can I help you?"

"What are you doing with all the new children?"

"Right now, I hope you ladies can help take care of them until we can get their parents to join us."

Rafe's mother stepped forward and said "I think we can handle that and thank you for what you did today for my son."

She nodded and watched the women leave. She slipped into her room and headed into her bedroom. Needing the peace and quiet, she climbed up outside and let the night sky welcome her with its solitude. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. The distance between her and the other residents eased the tension in her head and she closed her eyes.

Her thoughts went back to the comment about her mother. She hadn't really thought about Emily in nearly ten years but the mentioning of her brought back the old separation and the loss she went through with her father's death. Stretching out on her back, she stared up at the starlit sky and felt her old buried emotions settle down as the air temperature dropped. She didn't want to go to bed before she was ready for another onslaught of nightmares but she knew rest is what she needed to get over the day. The burdens she carried wore her out the older she got and the side effects were becoming harder to shake off.

She knew she was supposed to play a major role in bringing her species back together from hiding but no one told her it meant enduring mental hell in the process. Her emotions were left tattered at the end of every day and with each new interaction her nightmares grew more powerful. She wasn't just dreaming about her but now she dreamnt about everyone she knew and it was exhausting. When Joseph wasn't with her it nearly killed her but she managed to fight them off through the day following. When he was with her, the nightmares were there but they weren't physically draining or hanging on with nasty flashes throughout the day.

She closed her eyes and felt the weariness draw up one tear and she wiped it away. She couldn't afford to break yet because she wasn't sure she could overcome it when that time came. If she let the emotions pour out, it was going to wreck her and she had too much left to do in her life at this point. Opening her eyes, she sat up slowly and took in the night air. For now, that single tear was going to have to get her through and she climbed to her feet.

She dropped down into her bedroom and changed. Usually she would go soak in the hot spring but she was too drained to cross her chambers. Lying under her covers, she stared at the empty firepit but didn't light it. The empty hole was a reflection to her at the moment and she needed to let that feeling settle in and pass before she fell asleep. As her eyes drifted closed, she could feel the pull her nightmares were using and gave in hoping she was have enough strength to get through them alone.

"Mom it's her!"

"Get away from her!"

Looking over her shoulder, she saw her mother running at her and she looked back at the guy in front of her. He seemed surprised and focused on her.

"Who's that?"

She held the guy's gaze and saw one of his men jump past her. He raised his gun and she tried shoving him off course before he fired.

"No!"

The bullet ripped through her mother and she went down.

"Mom!"

Her paws carried her to the downed wolf and she nudged her mother's face. Emily opened her eyes for a second and slowly closed them. She let go of her form and took her mother in her arms.

"No. No. Wake up. Wake up!"

Her body felt like it was over heating and she closed her eyes. Buring her head in her mother's coat, she let the grief overwhelm her. The pressure peaked inside and her head flew up as flames engulfed them.

"NO!"

Her eyes flew open and she sat up fighting for her breath. Her body was on fire and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Taking deep breaths, she drew her knees up to her and dug her hands into her hair.

"Kara."

Looking up, she saw him as he entered the room and he moved to the bed before she could see it. He didn't shift this time but took her in his arms and held her close. Her body was burning up still and he closed his eyes as his contact helped her catch her breath.

"It's okay. Just breathe."

Her body was still shaking but it was slowly calming down and he could feel the pounding in his own head easing. He hadn't realized she had been in so much pain until it had pulled him from his evening walking on the other side of the temple. The massive wave of terror and pain had left him frozen in place at first but he managed to fight it back and make his way here. Holding her to him eased his own pain and he felt hers slowly slipping away.