Sunlight poured into the clearing and he took a deep breath. The training men were shifting between their preferred forms and their human selves. A few of the men were grumbling and his jaw tightened. The grumbling soon was replaced with a low resonating growl and he shifted his gaze to the approaching spectator. Michael joined him with the guard hanging back out of respect.

Michael studied the soldiers and sighed "It seems time doesn't bring acceptance."

Joseph shot him a black glance and said "You scream government."

"I haven't worked for them since my daughter was 4 years old."

"They can still smell it."

The man looked at the blonde man and studied his hardened face. There were minute changes to his built from the strengthed phoneix blood. Any scars he had observed were gone and his energy seemed more potent than he remembered.

"How's the blood lust?"

Joseph kept his gaze on the training bunch and said "Bareable."

"Any other side affects?"

"A growing annoyance with your questions."

Michael chuckled and asked "How is Kara mending?"

"She's rested."

"You two spent a lot of time merged. The separation going okay?"

He let out a sigh and said "Enough Michael.

The man looked at him and let out a sigh. Joseph was a granite wall when it came to answers. He scratched his head and heard silence quickly overtake the training yard. The all the soldiers stood at attention and then their leader took off. His body had shifted in a blink of an eye and the black wolf led the chase back to the ruins.

He ran until he found himself overlooking a battle field. Smoke was bellowing all around them and his eyes swept the area for Kara. He couldn't detect her wolf anywhere, nor his son's. A black wolf threw an enemy to the ground and met his gaze from the other side of the field. Zeke stepped aside and he saw his son cowering beneath Angel with his cousin and Rachel at her back with Griffon.

Gun shots and explosions rocked the battle zone and his soldiers tore through the crowds. The numbers evened the two sides and gave him a chance to pick through the enemy. He kept his senses stretched to find her but still couldn't detect her. A howl filled the area and the chill left everyone in a frozen state. His ears detected the source and Joseph saw Emily standing over her fallen father.

Leon was bleeding out with his attacker staring down at his daughter. Joseph picked up his pace to intervene and caught sight of the firebird dropping in with burning talons outstretched. The soldier screamed as his eyes were ripped to shreds and fell back ono the ground. Emily snapped his neck with a quick bite and resumed her position over her father. Michael kept watch from the air and his presence forced the army back enough that he finally picked up on the battle in the far distance.

Flashes of metal reflected the setting sun and he heard the scream as the wolf broke the man's armed hand. The soldier kicked her off and she slid across the ground. Joseph felt his legs racing as he watched her go back for another attack and the man scream as she took his knee out. A knife glared in the sunset and he lunged for the weapon. His mouth jerked the blade off course and he bit down until the bones shattered.

The man screamed again and watched the black wolf stand in front of his prey. He tried flexing his broken hands but they were useless.

He looked to the trees and yelled "Do it now!"

They saw the snipers rush into the clearing and begin spraying shots throughout the field. Kara's eyes lit up as the bullets reached intended targets but then they crumbled into ashes. Flames surrounded their kind and Joseph watched as the guns began to combust in the snipers' hands.

"I just need to take one of you down."

His hackles went up and he searched the shadows for the missing sniper. The smallest glint of metal reflected from the other side of the clearing and he felt the burning heat behind him dissolve. Whipping his head around, he saw her racing across the field and tried to relocate the weapon. Sweeping his gaze for its trajectory he saw Zeke and Angel in its path.

"She'll never make it."

The laughing idiot drew his attention back around and he sunk his teeth into the man's throat. With a twist of his head the neck snapped and he pushed off the body to gain momentum. The battle field was growing hot and smokey with all the fires. His eyes settled onto her fleeing back and he reached for his brother.

"You are in the line of fire. Get out of there."

Zeke's eyes never wavered but he backed up to Angel. She disappeared from sight and tossed her daughter onto her back. The little one clung tight with her wolf paws and Angel followed Griffon and Rachel to safety. Mikail remained beneath his uncle as low to the ground as possible. Zeke nudged him towards Angel's escape and jumped in the way of an uproaching soldier.

Mikail watched his uncle remove the threat and heard "Move!"

He tried to take a step but a bullet hit the dirt next to him. Jerking back, he searched the area for help and barely registered his mother catching his coat in her mouth.

"Kara?"

"I have him."

"Keep going."

She pushed her legs towards the nearest tree line and felt her legs fly out from underneath her. Mikail flew to the ground and shook his head clear. A large shadow loomed over him and he looked up. One lone soldier stood with his gun pointed at him. The hand hooked around the trigger and the finger pulled back.

The gun shot echoed through the clearing and the fires disappeared. Smoke darkened and the humans withdrew. Mikail slowly opened his eyes and found his mother's coat over him.

"Mom?"

He dug himself free and heard the rushing paws as he walked around her. Her eyes were closed and he saw the red blood coating the ground. It ran up to his paws and he stepped back.

"Mom?"

Running around to her back, he used his front legs and shook her. Whimpering, he kept trying to get her to wake up and saw his father finally reach them.

"She won't answer me."

Joseph nuzzled the soft muzzle and leaned his head against hers. He could feel her with them and looked up to the sky.

"Michael!"

The smoke began to drift away as the phoenix approached and disappeared as the man approached. He ran his hand through his daughter's coat and rested his hand over the wound. He could feel the damage and allowed his warmth to quicken the power inside her.

"She is still fighting. We need to get her somewhere safe."

"Can you stop the bleeding?"

He pushed his power into the wound and began to repair the multiple tears. Slowly the bleeded receded and he sat back drained. Joseph released his wolf and ran his hand through her coat once more. Mikail nudged her fur and looked up at them.

"She needs rest."

He looked at his father and released his little wolf. The boy laid his head on her coat and Joseph ran his hand through the black hair.

"Kara?"

He looked up and found multiple of their kind watching with intent. He didn't hold back the growl and reached as deep as he could to connect with her. Joseph felt the light warm touch and forced her to release her wolf form.

"Will she live?"

"Who will lead if she doesn't?"

"What are we going to do now?"

"Won't the enemy come back?"

His jaw tightened and he stood up to face all the frightened faces. The entire clan stared at him and he took a deep breath. Looking for Emily, he found her sitting with her father's body and saw her give a single nod towards him. Slowly he sought out his siblings and Zeke nodded once as well.

"We leave in the morning."

"Where? Where can we go now? They may come back.

"They might but I doubt it. This was a desperate attempt to force our submission."

"That doesn't matter if we don't have a home!"

He took one more deep breath and said "We can either run tail and fend for our own or we can stay together and rebuild. For now we move into the nearest city and recover. We've lost enough. Rest up and then we will come up with a plan."

"We? Leon has always guided us."

"Leon is dead. Kara is badly wounded. It's time we change the leadership roles and responisbilites."

The questions finally stopped and the standing began whispering amongst themselves while helping their injuried friends and family. Joseph knelt next to Kara and slipped her into his arms. Mikail joined him at his side and they began walking through the battlefield in the direction of their new home. With their homeland behind them, Joseph and Mikail walked through the smoldering woods and the rest of their kind slowly followed.

"Nice speech. Didn't know the runt had it in him."

He shot Griffon a look and the man chuckled. The smile faded as he looked down at the spit fire fighting for her life. The wound had been in the chest area. Hopefully her crazy father was able to heal enough of the wound to give her a chance. If they lost Kara, he knew they would lose Joseph.

"The rest of you don't have to stay with us."

Zeke joined them as the city came into sight and said a"For now we will remain."

The mayor met them in the town square and ushered them into a small vacant house. The bedrooms were on the second floor and he followed the man into the master bedroom. It wasn't much bigger than their old bed chambers and he gently lowered Kara onto the bed. Mikail joined him at the bed as he removed her boots and freed her hair. The boy looked up at his father and took his hand.

"She is going to make it, right Dad?"

Joseph looked down into the young black eyes and said "We hope."

Mikail leaned his head against the strong leg next to him and Joseph ran his hand through the soft hair again. Michael wandered into the room and took a seat next to Kara. His hands rested on her bullet wound and he let out a slow breath.