"Where the hell are we?" Kieran twisted his neck as daybreak started to shine in his face. He had enough of being cramped up with the Thesians, who were much thicker and weighted more than his kind. No one knew exactly why. Rumor had it that the Goddess Thesia wanted to give her people the upper hand on brute strength and power. Some of their elders believed that they just evolved that way. However, the size of them still didn't hold a candle to his kind's agility and swift power. But there was an old saying that Aristans were built for speed; Thesians were built for comfort. There was nothing underdog about the Aristans.

He laughed to himself at his own pun. "I need to go for a run."

Nornos glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Augusta, Maine. This is where the majority of us are holed up."

Kieran looked through the window and steadied his eyes on the abyss of trees and laughed. Strange, he figured the Thesians to infiltrate a more modern, urban area. Since they were only able to change once a month, choosing a place of excessive flora seemed unnecessary. Perhaps they did have sense to realize that such a rare treasure to change should be cherished.

"Reminds me of Maryland. How many of you are living here?"

Dante took a swig of water and smiled. "About 400 loners."

"And still growing," Nornos interjected.

Kieran sat back and gave Dante a smirk. "What's the matter? Can't any of you play fair in the sandbox?"

Nornos glared defensively at Kieran through the mirror. "I was banished for killing humans to protect my pack, Aristan. I was betrayed by my own people as many of us. Play fair in the sandbox we do not."

Kieran shook his head. "Fair enough."

He wanted to tell Nornos that he left out how he killed those 11 humans. He heard that not all of the pieces were found. But then why judge? He butchered his own mother to prove a point.

No, not butchered. Exacted justice more like it.

She contributed to his downfall and disgrace. Coddling some bastard Aristan over her own son. He should have been Alpha leader and everyone knew it. He was cheated out of his birthright thanks to his mother and that conniving elder, Onyx. It was all justice well served for his own people to turn their backs on him. They had more justice coming their way and they just don't know it. If he can't govern it, he'll destroy it. Simple as that.

"We'll have you talk to Riko. He has his bar as a haven in town. From there he can give us information on getting you settled and start recruiting."

"Good."

As they pulled into the town, Kieran breathed in the air and sighed. It was true. This place of overrun with Shadow Shifters. Loyal pack members as well as loners he was sure. How nice to live in the open instead of being in seclusion like the council and his father believed in. It was why they were behind in everything. Had he been Alpha that would have been his first change. To enter the human world mainstream and take what belonged to them. Now his former pack's ignorance will be their downfall.

"Quaint little city, isn't it?" Dante looked out his window admiring the old fashioned buildings of brick and classic wood. The town maintained a lot of its historic look and scenery throughout the many years he lived here.

"What of human law enforcement?"

"Riko is better off answering that for you. As far as I know, we clean up after ourselves and not alert the police."

Riko stood at six-foot-six easy. His dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, with a streak of gray. To even get gray hair the wolf had to at least be well over 100 years old.

Riko scowled at Kieran. "Why is he here?"

Kieran didn't flinch as he sat in his chair, relaxed, staring into Riko's eyes.

Dante stood between them. "He's clan-less, Reek. No colors." He called the alarmed Thesian by his nickname that so many gave him. "He's with us and we need your help."

Riko cursed under his breath. "I can't have him here, clan or no clan. You three know that! This is for Thesians to socialize in peace."

"And I have come here in peace as well, Riko." Kieran put his cigarette out on the counter ashtray. "I'm not stupid, Riko. No self-respecting Thesian who belonged to any pack would come here. This is for the abandoned only. Even yourself have been cast away."

Riko's face softened.

Kieran eyed him rather flippant. "Am I right?"

"What do you want, Aristan?"

"I want what you and all the others want, Riko." Kieran sipped his drink. "We were thrown out, cast out of our respected places. Thesian or Aristan alike, we deserve respect and a pack of our own. We are all just as strong and formidable alone; imagine if we all were together?"

Riko laughed in their faces. If he ever heard of something so ridiculous...

Kieran's stoic face didn't condone the laughter on his expense.

Riko slowly sobered. "Wolf, you are insane to think that you can wrangle all of these animals to work together for anything. And you're thinking of mixing both Shadow Shifters for your pack?" He shook his head. "The Goddesses will rather see this world burn than to see that happen." Riko took Kieran's empty glass. "Hope you enjoyed your drink. Goodbye, and save your "We are the world" idea for someone else."

Dante turned to Riko. "Give him a chance Riko. He's a great fighter and he knows his people."

Riko slammed the glass on the counter. "Good! Then he can go back to them! We are Thesians, Dante! What do we need from an Aristan?"

Dante scowled. "Nothing from an Aristan, Riko. That's the point. We will only have allegiance to ourselves. We belong to no one now! Kieran's right. No Thesian who is loyal will even come here. They do not even consider us Thesians anymore. We're nothing to them. Aren't you tired of relying on yourself and humans to keep your business alive when our own people refuse to help any of us?"

Riko looked away.

When he was exiled and left for dead, they made his son watch, telling him that's what happens to traitors. Years passed until he laid eyes on his son. And when he did, Berwyn looked at him with such disgust, it took everything in his power not to hurt his own son. Even in his own son's eyes, he was nothing. Indeed, he was tired of being nothing.

"What do you need from me?"

Kieran smiled. "From what I hear, many will listen to you. That will make you quite useful. We'll start with your people first. After the Thesian loners are reigned in, I will seek out the loner Aristans, who indeed have a lot more animosity for what I have planned. Where do they gather?"

Riko motioned to the window. "They often hang on the outskirts of town. Close to the wooded areas, so I've heard .A couple of bars and such out there."

"Figures," Kieran said rising from his seat. "What of the law enforcement? Are they in pocket?"

Riko looked at him as if he spoke a foreign language of some sort.

"Do we own them, Riko? We can't have the police meddling in our affairs...That is, of course, you want to infiltrate them too?"

Riko shook his head. "We don't own them. We are just very careful. I don't know of any of us loners in the force. I highly doubt it, but some loyals are."

"Screw them." Kieran scoffed. "We don't need their help. Point me to the highest voice and I'll silence it. Sheriff?"

"McTiernan." Dante replied. "He's easy to find. He's been poking his nose around too much anyway. Riko here is running out of lies."

"All in good time then." He motioned to Dante. "I have something for you brother."

Riko stood behind the counter as Dante tossed an envelope in front of him. Opening it, he exposed several hundreds and looked at Kieran.

"Before you try to be noble and refuse it," Kieran said as Riko started to open his mouth, "Understand that money never was a thing of either of our people. However, to survive in these demanding times it's vital. This is for your business, Riko. Brothers of mine should never barter with humans or hope for the elders to help."

Riko thumbed through the money and placed it in his pocket. "Thank you."

Kieran leaned across the count and patted Riko on the shoulder. "You're welcome. You see, I'm not that bad of a guy."

"That remains to be seen, brother." Riko replied solemnly.

Kieran grinned. "Seeing is believing, indeed. We'll be in touch."

With that, all three of them walked out. Riko glanced at his pocket. A pack of their own. Sounded too good to be true. Aristan or not, he wasn't sure if they found a savior, or made a pact with the devil.

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