The night was beautifully lit by the full moon. Bryanna felt more powerful than she ever had on any full moon night. She was in some sort of control. She no longer wanted to attack everything to be release. She wanted to follow the pack.

Her blood pulsed as her legs moved faster. She could smell and sense everything. Freedom surrounded her, and she was basking in it. She didn't want the night to end, and it didn't seem to.

                                                ~~~~~~~

Monique yawned as she walked to Bryanna's room. She knocked on the door. "I'm coming in." She opened the door and walked inside. The room was empty. Monique's brows furrowed as she recalled Bryanna saying that she would be back by the morning.

Monique took a deep breath and shrugged it off. She paused as she heard something vibrate. She looked at Bryanna's drawer, spotting her phone. The phone continued to vibrate, and Monique answered it.

"Hello," Monique said.

"Monique," Alex said cheerfully. "How have you been?"

"I've been good. What have you been up to the past four years?" Monique laughed lightly.

"Getting a degree." Alex laughed. "What about you?"

"The same."

"That's cool. Did you graduate already?"

"Yeah."

"Me too. Where's Bryanna? I thought this was her phone."

Monique paused. "It is. She's just... sleeping." She looked at the empty bed. "Did you need to talk to her?"

"Sort of. I just wanted to make sure that it was tonight that I would be coming over."

"Tonight?"

Alex was silent for a moment. "Is that bad, or did Bryanna not tell you?"

"It's not bad. I think she just forgot. A lot has happened around here."

Alex laughed lightly. "I bet. It's a lot different here from Lancaster. Anyway, I'll be over around five if that's alright."

"Yeah. That's fine. I'll let Bryanna know when she wakes up."

"Cool. Make sure you get the games ready."

Monique let out a small laugh. "I've saved every game from my Game Cube. We'll be fine."

"Good. See you later."

"Later." Monique hung up and walked to the living room. She sat on the couch, wondering when Bryanna would arrive. She was glad she didn't have work that evening. The whole day was off.

Then she remembered all her business transactions. She had to pay the storage bill, the water bill, half the rent, buy groceries, and then there was Dimitri's deal. She had a few ideas of what it could be. She was either going to a be a hit man or a body guard from the sounds of it. How else would she possibly die from helping him?

But Bryanna didn't like the sound of any of it. Monique risking her life for some guy she barely met didn't sound good at all. However, Bryanna didn't know Dimitri would be giving Monique a cure. Her phone vibrated. It was a text from her sister wondering what her plans were for December. Monique replied that she didn't know yet.

Then her phone vibrated as if someone was calling. She stared at the phone for a moment, noting the call was from Dimitri. She hesitated, but she answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi... I'm going to explain something a bit more about the deal I'm offering you. It's been four days, and you haven't said anything to me. I thought if I told you a bit, maybe you would bite."

Monique shifted to sit up straight on the couch. "Go on."

Dimitri stayed silent for a moment. "If you enter this deal, you're going to hear a lot of things about me, more than if you don't take this deal. It's unfortunate to say, but even if you hear something you don't like and take the deal... you still have to answer me when I need you."

Monique sighed angrily. "I'm still wondering what the hell you need from me. You're a vampire, what do you need from a human?"

Dimtri stayed silent for a moment. "The wolves have told you about that."

"Yes, and more. Now, what do you want?"

Dimitri was silent again. "I know a bit about you. I saw you once before we met. A year ago, you were bleeding in the woods, that's when I found you."

Monique froze. She only bled once in the forest. She was practicing her archery, but she got a cut when she grabbed one of the arrows wrong. It wasn't a big wound. It was barely a pinch. But how did she not notice somone else around?

Dimitri went on. "I saw you shoot arrows. You weren't perfect or even that brillant, but you stayed up for hours shooting arrows. It looked like you were going to pass out as you walked to your car, but you didn't. You've been trained to outlas something, but not entirely, haven't you?"

Monique rolled her eyes. "What do you need of me?"

"Will you take the deal?"

Monique stayed silent. She was on the verge of answering, but she caught herself.

Dimitri let out a small laugh. "It's all right. I know we were supposed to meet two nights ago, but--"

"I can't tonight. I'm having a friend over." Monique nodded to herself. "I'll have an answer tomorrow night, when I meet you. I will not give you my answer over the phone."

"I understand. Where shall we meet?"

"The same place. Same time."

"All right. See you tomorrow."

Monique hung up. She jumped as the front door unlocked.

Bryanna smiled as she walked through the front door. "You have got to become a werewolf."

Monique groaned and threw her head back onto the couch. "I already said I don't think it works that way."

Bryanna shrugged. "It does and it doesn't." She laughed lightly and locked the door behind her. She walked to her room.

Monique followed her. "Alex is coming over."

Bryanna paused. "Right now?"

Monique shook her head. "No. Later. around five tonight."

"Good." Bryanna smiled. "I have to sleep."

Monique nodded. "I know. Good night."

"Good morning."

                                                   ~~~~~~~

Bryanna sat the computer, typing emails to her parents, letting them know she was planning on visiting soon. She even hinted she was planning on making a Christmas trip. She had hundreds saved in the bank. She would just have to see the full moon's schedule. She paused and looked at Monique.

Monique was surfing the internet on her laptop. She was saving a few pages of vampire mythology and werewolf mythology onto her usb drive.

Bryanna took a deep breath. "You're pretty quiet over there."

"I'm just thinking. Well, concentrating really." Monique opened three more tabs as she closed two. "You've been quiet too. What are you working on?"

"Trying to figure out why you're looking up vampire myths."

 There was a knock at the door, and they both jumped. Monique shut her laptop and opened the door.

Alex smiled and waved. "Hello there."

"Hey." Monique smiled.

Bryanna turned off the computer monitor. "You're here a bit early."

"Well... how do you two feel about having dinner out?" Alex looked the two over. "You two won't have to change, will you?"

Monique said, "No. I could go like this."

"Same here," Bryanna stood up and walked towards them.

"Cool. I have an idea of where to go, but we have to go now in order to get a table by the time we're hungry."

                                                      ~~~~~~~

Alex laughed loudly as Monique's character, Roy, flew off the screen. Monique ridiculously bit her bottom lip and respawned, sending Roy to kill Kirby, Alex's character. Kirby went flying, but he quickly turned into a block and smashed Roy. Roy was quick and sent Kirby flying off the screen.

Alex stared with a dropped jaw as Monique laughed, with the results of the battle showing Monique was supreme.

Alex yawned and looked at the time on his phone. "It's almost midnight."

Monique's eyes widened. "Shit. I have work in the morning."

"I better go." Alex stood up. "I have a lot of job hunting to do tomorrow."

Bryanna sat up on the couch. "I thought you were applying at my place."

Alex laughed as he grabbed his brown sweater. "Your boss hasn't called. It's only been four days too. I need a job ASAP."

Monique walked to the door with Alex. "Well thanks for dinner. You're welcome here anytime."

"Thanks. Good night, Bryanna."

"Night."

"Night, Monique."

"Good night." Monique locked the door behind him.

Bryanna changed the input channel to cable. "I can't believe he has family a few towns away."

"I can't believe he didn't decide to live in New York City. He could have made it big there if he's really good." Monique sat on the couch in front of the T.V. "He's one of the friends we have here now though."

"Yeah. I wonder if anyone else will come here without us telling them." Bryanna kept flipping through channels. "Didn't you say you had work in the morning?"

"I do, but I'm trying to get sleepy. Just give me a few minutes." Monique noted the late night anime on, but she didn't say anything to stop it. She didn't like it anymore.

Bryanna stopped on a cooking channel and muted it. "Why were you looking up vampire stuff?"

"I got curious." Monique leaned back against the couch.

"You're not going to take Dimitri's deal."

"If I do?"

"I will beat your ass!"

Monique closed her heavy eyes. "Well, I still don't know if I want to."

"He will try to kill me. I've seen vampires beat the shit out of werewolves for no reason."

"But you're part of a pack."

"Who say that he will kill anyone to get his way."

Monique sighed. "Do any of them really know him?"

"I told you before. He killed Garth's wife."

"Oh, yeah."' Monique sat up. "Well, what if I did--"

"He's lying," Bryanna said quickly. 

Monique looked at Bryanna. "How do you know?" 

"That's what everyone's been saying. Dimitri has a violent history." Bryanna locked her gaze with Monique. "He isn't to be trusted." 

Monique said, "I don't think we judge him before we know him. Yes, it is risky, but there is always a price for something you want." 

Bryanna's brows furrowed. "What is he offering you?"

"A cure for you."

Bryanna froze. The thing they were looking for was right in front of them. If she was a human, she could easily go back home. She could be a normal human again. She wouldn't have to worry about anyone. But what about here? She had just met people like her. They were looking for an escape too.

Bryanna nodded. "Does it work?"

"I don't know. He hasn't told me what it was. I have to accept the deal to know what the cure is." Monique stood up, sleepily and began walking to her room. "Either way, I really want to know what it is."

Bryanna sighed and began flipping through channels again. "Just... Don't... Just be safe."

Monique paused and nodded. "I will."

Bryanna's phone began to ring. "I might be out," she yelled to Monique as she noticed it the call was from Andrew.

"... Be safe!"

Bryanna answered. "What's going on?"

Andrew spoke calmly but gravely. "You have to come to the house."

"Your house?"

"Yes. Jude just found a werewolf body next to a pile of ash. Bryanna, you have to come quickly and safely. This could be the start of something bad."