Conor stretched lazily as he rolled over. It was Sunday morning and he knew his mother had made plans to be gone most of the day. Maybe Pizza and Cake would join him for a movie marathon. He sat up slowly rubbing his eyes as he looked around his room. Cake rubbed against him happily as Conor pet his fluffy head. He frowned when Pizza was nowhere in sight. He got out of bed lazily as he headed down into the kitchen. His mother had a piece of toast sticking out of her mouth as she slid on shoes.

"Morning, have you seen Pizza?" Conor asked her as she glanced up at him.

"No, he isn't with you?" Mai asked concerned as she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. Conor gave her a look that made her smile. "Right if he was with you, you wouldn't be asking. Try looking him up on the tracking system on your phone. I had him fitted with a tracking device to ease the Vets mind since he still is a wild animal. Just follow the prompts and you should see his location on your gps. I have to go, but I love you and I will see you tonight." Mai told him as she kissed the top of his head. He looked more and more like his father every day. Conor nodded as she left and went up to his room to dress. So much for a lazy day. He entered in the information his mother had told him and waited as the little light plinked on his phone. According to the app, Pizza was about a mile or two deep into the woods behind his house.

"Well, I guess I am going for a day hike." Conor grumbled as he headed out. Maybe Pizza had gone to Ulrich's place again. Did that mean he might run into him? Conor growled even as his cheeks flushed pink. That guy was just a stupid bastard, why was he getting so worked up? He followed the little beeping on his phone as he looked around the woods. It was beautiful this early in the morning. He was about half way there when he decided to pause for a break. He sat down on a log and smiled at the serenity of the woods around him.

"You would have loved this dad." Conor muttered quietly as he let the breeze blow his hair around. He should have put it up, but wasn't in that big of a hurry to do so when Ulrich might be involved. He got to his feet slowly and rechecked the signal. Just a little more to go. Conor started off again, frowning when he felt like he was being followed. He paused to look around hesitating when he saw a familiar brown dog.

"Alois? What are you doing out here? Are you looking for Pizza too?" Conor asked as he greeted the brown dog. He remembered that Gabby and Alois were still searching for Ulrich, it was possible that they decided to look here since they knew Ulrich was paying him frequent visits. He looked around for Gabriella, frowning when he didn't see her. He got to his feet and started off again as the little brown dog followed him. They reached the bottom of a little hill making Conor sigh.

"According to the phone, Pizza is just on the other side. How good are your climbing skills?" Conor asked as he showed him the phone. Alois frowned as he realized Conor was tracking Ulrich. If Ulrich got caught with no Pizza in sight Conor was bound to figure out their secret. Alois needed to stop him and quickly. He snatched the phone while Conor was distracted looking at the little mountain side making the boy squeak.

"Hey that's my phone. I need that!" Conor yelled after him as Alois dashed off into the woods. He needed to warn Ulrich that he was being tracked. He ran quickly, losing the boy in the woods. He was too focused on getting the phone to Gabriella and Ulrich that he hadn't heard them coming until it was too late. He was blindsided by a larger wolf and thrown to the ground. There were three of them this time as they smelled of the stranger who had attacked him in the maze. They hadn't hurt him and stood smelling him quietly as he growled.

"Son of Amos, we have come to take you home." The leader said as he changed back into his human form. He was rough and rugged, looking more wild than human. They belonged to a wild pack that chose their wolf natures over that of their human counter parts. Alois growled still knowing that he stood no chance against them. He would rather fight and lose than not fight at all. "We do not wish to hurt you. Come with us and you will be taken care of." The leader growled losing his patients. Alois growled louder making it clear that he would not be going willingly. He was backed against a tree and would need to move quickly if he was to escape. The leader hissed at him as he lost his humanity switching back into a wolf. He went to snap at Alois yelping when something hit him in the eye. He howled in a rage as the other two attacked Alois as he ran.

Alois was panting as he sprinted through the woods, yelping when one of them caught his leg in their jaws. The second one grabbed at the back of his neck and he struggled against the two of them. The third wolf showed up with a bleeding eye socked where the rock had hit him. He was pissed and bit Alois's muzzle as he struggled, forcing him into submission as if he was a pup. Alois was terrified as they over powered him and desperately wanted someone to save him. He just wasn't expecting it to be him.

A loud crack sounded through the forest as Conor hit one of the wolves over the head with a branch. The wolf released Alois's leg and turned on him as Conor kicked him hard in the side of the head, knocking him out cold. The wolf holding onto Alois's neck released him and launched himself at Conor. Conor growled as he thrust his arm into the wolfs open maw, hitting the back of its throat hard before it could close its jaw around his arm. The blow caused the wolf to suffer a violent attack of spasms as it gagged and tried to breath. It left the wolf defenseless as it twitched on the ground uncontrollably. The last wolf growled as it dropped Alois. Who was this human to come here and fight them? Conor pulled out a leash from his pocket as he eyed the last predator worth fighting. He didn't believe in kicking them when they were down, even if they were vicious animals. He ignored the other two wolves as the leader attacked him. Conor dodged and weaved just barely keeping out of reach of the animal's claws and fangs. Alois got unsteadily to his feet as he watched them fight and decided he needed to help. He caught the wolfs tail in his jaws and prepared to suffer his wrath as the wolf turned on him. That wrath never came as Conor looped the leash around his jaws and tied him to a tree. The wolf struggled as Conor paused to catch his breath.

"That's not going to hold forever, we need to get out of here." Conor told Alois as he nodded in agreement. The dog tried to limp away before he yipped as he was lifted into the air. Conor carried him as he ran through the forest trying to make his way back to civilization. A deep throaty howl filled the forest with rage and Conor tried to run faster. They needed to get someplace safe. Now.

Ulrich sighed as he laid in the grass listening to Gabby scold him about being human around Conor. He had tried telling her that it was an accident at first, but she refused to listen. He sighed and wondered what Hass would do if he found out he was hanging around with some human boy. Or what his father would do. Ulrich sighed as he sat up pausing when they heard a hunting call.

"Those don't sound like wolves I know." Ulrich said getting to his feet. Gabby frowned before her eyes grew wide in a panic.

"Alois! He should have been back by now!" Gabby told him shifting into her wolf form. Ulrich followed her example and together they followed the rage filled howl. Something wasn't right. If the wolf that had attacked Alois in the trials was crazy, then why were there more strangers in their territory? Something didn't add up. They hurried through the forest when an odd sound caught Ulrich's attention. He paused to investigate, shifting into his human form to pick up the ringing phone that had been crushed. Gabby whined at him frustrated as he growled back.

"Conor's phone." Ulrich told her as she paused to consider that. He shifted back into his wolf as he ran with more determination. What was Conor's phone doing out here? Did that mean Conor was out here too? They came across a small clearing with two wolves lying unconscious. The scent of blood filled the air and they padded around to investigate.

"Alois is hurt, this is his blood. They hurt him." Gabby hissed angrily as she shifted to touch the pool of blood on the forest floor. Ulrich grabbed her arm to keep her from attacking the defenseless wolves.

"There is still one more and he is after Alois and Conor." Ulrich told her as he held the torn bloody leash in his fist. She nodded and they both began the hunt for the trespasser in their territory. They ran at full speed only stopping when they came to the naked bloody man standing at the edge of the forest.

"He may be yours for now, but we will get back that which is ours." He growled as he turned and ran away from them. Gabriella went to the edge of the forest to look down at the busy neighborhood and the bottom of the hill. Alois and Conor had gotten away though they could no longer follow them by scent in this busy town. Well, they could, they would just be caught and reported before they found them. Gabby growled as she led the way back through the forest to her car. They needed help, and not the human kind.

Conor ran quickly down the street until he saw something he recognized. He turned at the corner and made his way to the vet down the dirt road. The wolf had quit following them giving Conor a chance to breath. He walked through the door and paused when he saw Dr. Mavis. She looked at him confused before she noticed the bleeding animal in his arms. She ushered him quickly into a room and shut the door.

"Did Pizza do this?" She asked as Conor shook his head quickly.

"No, I was looking for Pizza when I ran across him. He belongs to a friend of mine who knew Pizza's last owner. We were attacked by wild dogs in the forest." Conor told her as he gently laid Alois on the metal table. She nodded as she went to work cleaning and mending his torn leg.

"We have been getting a lot of complaints about wild dogs in the forest. Farmers have been warned to lock up their animals at night because a few have gone missing. What have you learned about the person who keeps a wolf as a pet?" She asked as Conor paused to think about Ulrich.

"He cared very deeply for the animal. He was a runaway and the wolf went with him, they got separated in a storm and he has stopped by to check on him occasionally. Though he has made no move to take him back because he thinks Pizza is better with me than on the run with him." Conor told her as she nodded slowly.

"That's good. At least he didn't mercilessly dump the animal. I am going to give the dog a few shots to help with infections. How do you plan on paying for his treatment?" She asked him as Conor paused. He felt in his back pocket pulling out his wallet.

"Do you take credit?" Conor asked as she smiled and nodded. Alois received a few stiches in his nose and a colorful blue bandage on his leg. The drugs made him drowsy and he fell asleep as Conor softly stroked his head. Who was this guy? Alois wondered in his sleep. Dr. Mavis finished her work and nodded satisfied.

"Are you going to be taking him home now?" She asked as Conor nodded. He had lost his phone with Gabby's number, but maybe Hass could help him out. He ended up getting a dog carrier with wheels so he could let Alois sleep as he pushed him home. He paid for everything on his mother's credit, hoping she would understand when he explained it to her.

"Conor? Where's Pizza?" Conor turned around to see Zack coming out of one of the examiner rooms. Conor glanced down at the cage and sighed.

"I am not sure, but Alois and I ran into a bit of trouble so I brought him here first. Hey, you didn't happen to get Gabriella's number, did you? I want to let her know Alois is alright and that she can pick him up from my house." Conor told him as they left together. Zack paused and flipped through his phone.

"No, we didn't exchange numbers yesterday. At the time, I didn't see a point." Zack told him as he carried Mila. It wasn't that he didn't see a point, it was that he hadn't been interested in her in the slightest. Conor sighed and nodded as he pushed the crate down the street. Zack walked beside him quietly trying to work up the courage to talk to him.

"You want to come over to my place for a bit? To be honest, my mother is not home and I am worried about Pizza. I was trying to find him when I ran into trouble. I am not comfortable leaving Alois alone like this and home alone doesn't sound appealing." Conor told him as he wondered about Ulrich. He knew Ulrich would never visit him on the weekends when there might be a chance his mother would be home. But he was nervous about his dog too. Zack nodded, frowning when Conor paused to look at a young man who looked like a slightly older Ulrich cross the street towards them. Zack frowned at him as the man glared back at them.

"What are you doing with Alois?" He asked in a grumpy tone. Conor and Zack exchanged looks before Conor stood between Alois and the stranger.

"How do you know my friends dog?" Conor asked as the man turned on Zack and growled.

"He is not your dog." He told them as Zack shuffled away from him making Mila growl at this stranger.

"I never said he was Zack's dog. I said a friend. Gabriella. We got into a little bit of trouble with stray dogs and I brought him to the vet for treatment. If you could let her know I have him..." Conor started pausing when the angered man grabbed his shirt, pulling him to his toes and off the ground.

"Tyson, enough." A woman scolded as she smacked him on the shoulder making him drop Conor. She turned her blue eyes on Conor as he stifled a blush.

"Forgive him, we are struggling with stray mutts ourselves and it has made him a bit... on edge." She told him in a sweet voice. Tyson snorted and folded his arms. He hated dealing with humans. "How is it you know our Gabriella and Alois?" She asked as Conor glanced down at the unconscious dog in the cage. He didn't know who these strangers were, but he wasn't interested in telling them everything.

"Gabriella and I met at a corner store. She said she was looking for someone, but I never knew him. She visits from time to time when she is in the neighborhood. Alois is her dog and he gets along with my cat. That's all." Conor told her using as much truth as he dared. She watched him quietly thinking as she stared into his eyes. He felt like it was some sort of challenge and that he would lose something if he looked away.

"What is your name?" She asked him as he paused.

"Conor." He told her as she nodded. Tyson frowned at them as she pondered the brat in front of her. She smiled brightly and nodded her head when she came to a decision.

"Alright Conor, does Gabriella know where you live? Can I send her to pick up Alois after we are finished here?" She asked as Conor nodded slowly. "Then please continue to take care of him until she can come for him." The lady told him as Conor nodded nervously. He and Zack hurried off leaving the two strangers behind them.

"Why are you trusting a human to look after one of ours?" Tyson asked as his mother petted his cheek.

"Because he is interesting. Wild dogs would not have touched Alois and yet they had a run in with them. Alois was injured, but the human was not. Very intriguing if you ask me. That and the fact that he refused to lower his eyes. Only a dominate wolf can meet the gaze of another. The other young man caved quickly, but Conor stood his ground as if my dominance meant nothing to him. I should like to meet him again I think." Melinda told him as she went off to hunt with her husband. Tyson frowned after the humans knowing his mother had been right. It felt odd having a scummy human talk back to him. Maybe that's why he had felt like beating him into submission. Not that it mattered, his main priority was locating the youngest brother and clearing his father's name. Even kill him if he had too. Now that was a pleasant thought.

Ulrich and Gabby ran through the forest heading towards her car. Ulrich hesitated as the car came within sight and Gabby paused. He shuffled nervously before turning back into a human. This was the only way to talk to her and he needed her to understand.

"I can't go with you. You need to call my father and I agree, but I can't be caught by them now, not when Conor might be in danger." Ulrich told her as she shifted back into her human form to argue back.

"I knew that, but still. Ulrich, Alois is hurt, I must find him. Those mutts are after him!" Gabriella told him angrily. Ulrich nodded as he paced.

"I know, but right now Conor and Alois are together. What happens if my family runs into him? They are not going to make friends with a human and an injured wolf. What if Alois had gotten hurt trying to protect Conor? He's just a human damn it!" Ulrich growled as he hit a tree. He was trying to keep his rage in check when Gabriella put a hand on his shoulder.

"Ulrich, what is Conor to you? Why do you care about him? I mean I get that he is cute and sweet and naive, but what is it you see in him?" She asked as Ulrich stared at his bloody fist. Ulrich growled as he thought about the stupid clever boy. His know it all attitude and the way he kicked his ass. He found himself pacing before he stopped and looked at her. He met her eyes and quickly looked away. "Tell, me this then. Hass is your best friend. How is Conor different than Hass?" She asked him. She was angry and scared for her mate, but Ulrich needed to get his head on straight and realize that he was in love with the human boy. Alois had noticed it and so had she. His feelings for Conor had been obvious to everyone, but him. Ulrich growled before he sat defeated.

"I am in love him even though I know I shouldn't be because it will never work." Ulrich told her finally as she nodded and sat beside him.

"I know, but you are not part of a pack right now and your family is no longer in charge of your life. Have you always been into men?" She asked him as Ulrich shook his head.

"No, I like girls just fine and find most of them attractive. Conor is the only boy I have been attracted to, but the only person I have ever had feelings for." Ulrich told her as she nodded.

"I am going to call your father; you should take a dip in the lake and head home to look for Conor. Hopefully Alois is still with him and safe." Gabriella told him as she got to her feet and walked away.

"Thank you. I owe you one." Ulrich told her shifting back into his wolf and running through the woods. Gabriella sighed and went to her car, quickly speed dialing her alpha.

"Hello?" Damien asked as he worked with someone else on his side.

"Alois has been attacked by three strange wolves. A second pack is hunting in our territory. I am at the park entrance, though Alois is hurt and missing, I was only able to find a puddle of his blood." Gabby told him quickly.

"The pack will be right there. Hold tight." Damien told her as he disconnected the call.

"What else is there to do?" Gabriella told him as she hunkered down and waited for her pack to come.

Zack helped get Alois upstairs onto Conors bed. The wounded dog shifted slightly before returning to his sleeping state. Conor worked to make sure the dog was comfortable before running downstairs to check out the rest of the house. Zack sighed as he sat Mila down and watched her explore the room. Conor's room was cooler than he was expecting with his own sofa and TV system. He was browsing the books when Mila started growling at something. Zack turned to stare at the large fluffy cat staring down at his little dog. Mila looked scared as the cat tried to decide if she was friend or foe.

"Mila, don't hurt Conors cat." Zack told her calmly as he silently panicked. Oh, god! Conor would hate his guts if Mila attacked his cat. Then the chances of them getting closer would simply vanish. Something grumbled making Zack turn to look at Alois as he snorted at the cat. Cake purred happily at him and passed the tiny dog up to cuddle with his new BFF. Alois frowned at the fluffy animal, but settled back in watching Zack closely. Conor came back up the stairs with a sigh.

"No sign of Pizza, I hope he wasn't attacked by those dogs too. Hey buddy, your awake. Would you like something to eat? I made you a chicken sandwich." Conor told Alois as he sat the food down in front of him. His muzzle hurt while he ate but the food was good making him sigh satisfied. Conor pet his head gently making Alois wonder why he felt so calm when this boy was around. Conor had risked his life to save him. From werewolves, even. If Conor had been exactly what he looked like, a weak human, he would have been dead.

"I'm sure he is okay. He fought off burglars once." Zack told him as Conor smiled at him.

"Your probably right. Want to watch something while we wait?" Conor asked sitting down on the couch. He sat in the middle and put his feet up making Zack blush as he sat beside him. Alois watched them as he frowned. Ulrich wouldn't like Zack getting so close to Conor. He hoped down off the bed and weaseled in between them forcing Conor to move away from Zack. He put his head in Conors lap with a sigh and tried to ignore Zack's jealous scent. He wondered if Zack would keep his cool if he knew Alois was a werewolf purposefully keeping them separated. Conor let Zack pick and they enjoyed a few episodes of Sherlock. Zack laughed as Conor tried to solve the crime before Sherlock to prove he was smarter. Zack had already seen the series and tried not to give away any clues to the real villain. They were joking as they talked making Cake jealous. The cat crawled up on the other side of Conor begging for attention.

"You must really love animals." Zack told him as Conor smiled.

"I find animals to be honest and true. They have a certain way about them and are full of unconditional love. Unless you're their human, then they are full of jealousy and grudges." Conor told him as Zack agreed. They paused when they heard something coming up the stairs. Pizza rushed in making Conor sigh in relief. "Where have you been mister? I have been worried about you." Conor told him making Pizza whine softly as he climbed up next to Alois licking his ears. Conor chuckled as Pizza's tail wacked Zack in the face. "Sorry, you can come sit on this side of me." Conor told him moving the cat as it grumbled at him. Zack got up and shifted over, trying not to blush as he rubbed shoulders with Conor. Pizza snorted at him as he continued to love on Alois and Conor, licking them both until Alois growled at him to stop. The five of them settled in as Conor and Zack kept talking about the show. Conor kept a hand on Ulrich's head, finding comfort in his presence. A phone went off and Zack quickly dug through his pocket to pull it out.

"Hey dad. I'm at a friend's house. Yes. Yes. Alright. I am on my way now. Yes. Yes. See you soon." Zack told him as he hung up the phone. "My dad's coming to pick us up. It's time for us to go home. Thanks for having me over, it was fun." Zack told him nervously as he got to his feet. He picked Mila up out of the little cat Hammock on the floor. Conor weaseled out from under the animals and walked him down to the door.

"I had fun too. You should come over again so we can watch more Sherlock. I am pretty sure I figured out who the villain is, but I won't say until I confirm a few things." Conor told him making Zack chuckle.

"I would like that." Zack told him as they made their way outside. A car pulled up and Conor frowned at the tall woman from earlier. Gabriella was with her and she hurried over to him.

"Alois?" She asked him as he opened the door letting her and the woman inside.

"On my couch, go on up, I am just saying goodbye to Zack. Make sure that weird lady doesn't go into my room, I don't want to get sued because my cat attacked her." Conor told her as she giggled relieved. She hugged him briefly before darting up the stairs. "Girls are so weird." Conor muttered through the heat in his cheeks. A second car drove up and Zack sighed.

"That's my ride. See you at school?" Zack asked as Conor nodded. He smiled as he waved good bye before turning his attention to the lady that paced in his living room. She wrinkled her nose at the place before turning back to Conor. She simply smiled as if he amused her before Gabby came down carrying Alois. The woman stopped and frowned taking Alois's face in her hands.

"You poor thing, let's get you home where you will be safe." She told him as he whined worriedly. She pulled out a check book and wrote out a check for Conor. "I'm sure his bill wasn't cheap. This should cover the costs. Thank you for your efforts in looking after him." She told him as she walked out the door. Gabby stopped to kiss his cheek before they followed her out. Conor shut the door behind them and headed upstairs tackling Pizza as he waited patiently.

"You are in big trouble. No more running offinto the woods without me. You could have been hurt you know." Conor told himas he wrapped his arms around his fluffy white neck. Ulrich whined softly as helicked his cheek. "There was a woman with Gabriella, I don't much care for herattitude. Let's hope I don't run into her again." Conor told him suddenlyexhausted. He pulled Pizza up onto the couch where he put on some cartoons andcuddled him. He had been so stressed and worried about him. Ulrich licked hisface wishing he could tell him that he had felt the same way about his boy. Hesighed as they fell asleep on the couch together, too worn out to stayawake.