"Bailey, did I bite her?" Adam repeated. His voice still shaking.

Adam's eyes were on me. Begging for hope. Begging for clarity. Begging for a lie.

I don't know what to say. The supportive smile I wore to make things look better was on the ground. Tattered and bloodied. I couldn't stitch back to my face. It was too worn down. Covered in holes. Only held together by thin strings.

I have to deal with this now. But what the hell do I do?

Protect your pack. You can do that, right? Or are you gonna let them die?

"I think we need to worry more about that there's a hunter in a safe town." Gwen chimed in. "How the hell did she find this place?"

"She probably tracked us after last night," Will answered, his voice soft. He was starting to reboot from what was happening. "If she followed us then she probably called others about the town."

"So what do we do?"

Everyone's eyes were on me now. Gwen looking at me with half-suppressed fear biting into her cheeks. Will was staring out through the window. Watching the sunlight fade off the streets. I bit down on the inside of my bottom lip. Staring down at the unconscious hunter. Doing all I could to focus on her. Watching her new fangs and claws retract back.

There's another full moon tonight. And the sun was already starting to set.

Well? Protect your pack? Or get them killed?

A throbbing pulse started to shake my left hand. Tremoring as the anxiety built up. Needing to get out. My right thumb found the center pal of my left and pushed down. The tremors were slowing down enough so it could only twitch. Guess the anxiety was finally getting to it. Or it was the nerves getting overloaded from the amount of pressure being given to them.

Do something besides panic, you idiot.

"We're taking her to Brew," I said flatly. The words rolling out like a boulder, crashing down on all of us.

"What?" Gwen exclaimed. "She's a hunter!'

"She was. Now she's one of us. If we take her to Brew and get some wolfsbane in her before she changes we can try talking to her."

"She just tried to kill Adam!" Gwen shouted back. I could feel the heat of her glare burn into the side of my face.

I should look up. Face the glare head-on. But I can't. If I look at her then I'd be wasting energy fighting instead of doing something.

"She's a hunter! She's gonna kill all of us as soon as she wakes up!"

"She's still alive though," I replied. My words dropping off like boulders. " Hunters kill one of their members as soon as they get bit. But she's still alive though."

"That doesn't matter-"

"Yes, it does!" I snapped, the words crashing against the stones on the ground.

Everyone flinched from the sound of my voice. The aftershock of my yell was still reverberating in my chest. Adam looked taken aback from it. The frown was boiling over his face as he took a step back away from me. Was it shame? Was he afraid of me? Did he feel guilty that he made shout?

What the fuck am I doing?

"If they didn't kill her," I lowered my voice, speaking through the throbbing veins as they tried to burst out of my neck. "Then that means something is different. She's different. If we take her with then maybe we can talk to them. Maybe they'll listen and let us go. Including her."

"But-"

"Almost getting killed by someone isn't new for people like us. We even get attacked by people like us. Cause we bit them on accident, we attacked their pack, or they want to take over another pack. We hate some of us just as much as they do."

The words crashed against Adam's face as he twitched uncomfortably at them. Gwen opened her mouth to interject but I cut her off.

"She's no different from any of us when we first became one. Should we die cause we tried to kill the person that bit us ?"

Gwen shut her mouth shifting her eyes to the ground, glaring at it. Adam looked over at the hunter. Growing pale the longer he stared at her. Will didn't break his gaze at the window but he heard it all. His lips forming a small frown as he watched the empty street.

"Adam," I said coolly, "Go check the office and see if there's anything in the back to tie her up. The manager should have something for stuff like this. Gwen, go with him and find a phone to call Brew. Tell him we need him back at the house now."

"'Kay," Gwen said half-heartedly.

I think her voice was filled with bitterness. Or disgust. Whatever it was, she wasn't looking at me. She kept her eyes on her feet as she walked away. "Come on, Adam."

Adam nodded keeping the grim look on the hunter. He kept it until he had to turn his head to look where Gwen was leading him.

The air felt thick as they left. My lungs tried to shove the air into circulation. Straining themselves so I wouldn't suffocate. Images of past flashing behind my eyes, trying to take over my sight. Their bone fingers creeping around my throat. Ready to choke me. Ready to strangle me if I let them take over. If let them out.

One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.

"How am I doing now?" I asked looking over at Will. Making what I hoped was a smile.

Will looked back at me. The reboot was finally finished but the frown remained. Scaring away the ghost at my throat. Yet that look made my stomach wither and churn.

"You're doing what you think is best." Will nodded wiping away his frown into his half-smile. I wanted it to sting me but it was still soft against me.

"Am I though? What if I get everyone killed?"

"You'd do the same even if she wasn't a hunter."

I nodded back slowly. The air was starting to loosen up. Allowing my lungs to breathe more freely again.

"Can you do me a favor though, Bailey?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you let go of your hand?"

I glanced down at my hand to see blood oozing out of it. My thumb was a claw digging into my palm. Letting the thick, dark red liquid seep out. I relaxed my hand. Pain Shot through me now that I was aware of my own body. I shrank the clawback into my thumb. The wound closed up letting the blood pool in my hand. I never got used to that.

"Thanks," I said, wiping some of the blood on my jeans. I tried to make a smile but I couldn't. I couldn't make my own smile anymore.

How fucked up am I?

"No prob." Will nodded looking over to the hunter. "What do you want me to do?"

"Take her to the kitchen and keep an eye on her in case she wakes up. I'll clean the cook's body before we go."

"'Kay," Will said softly, scooping up the hunter up onto his shoulder with ease. Lumbering away into the kitchen.

They're gonna die because of you.

I shook the remaining pain in my palm. The faded blood on my hand looked brighter the longer I stared at it. The sight of it was stirring the ghosts. Some of Adam's blood was on my hands from last night. I had to shift to stop him as well. For a new one, he had a lot of energy. He stayed down once I had his neck pinned under my hands. Whimpering with his neck under my...claws.

I made my legs move to behind the counter. Moving away from the ghosts. To help a body rest before it added to my collection of ghosts.

Once by it, all I could smell was blood. The metallic scent punched the inside my nose, stabbing my nostrils with each sniff. My stomach boiled from the smell. Nothing good came from blood. It always led to something horrible. Attracting misery and other unwelcome guests.

I reached over to the cook's eyes and closed them. His body was still warm as I laid him down to the ground.

I didn't know much about him. I didn't even know his name. I never asked even though I often came here. He didn't know mine either but he was nice. He never asked, he just kept smiling. Serving food to me after a bad shift. Trying to distract me from a heated argument with Brew with a slice of pie on the house. Giving Gwen a mini cake after being with us for a year. Always there. Trying to make us happy.

I'm sorry.

He died because of you. If you can't protect a normal person from your own mistakes then how can you protect the others?

A chime twinkled in the air. The sound of the door being open and feet clomping in filled the diner. I inhaled through my mouth to settle my nerves. They were burning against my neck and shoulder in retaliation. They weren't ready yet. The faint smell of blood crashed against my tongue. The taste making me cringe. My throat gagged, blocking off any airway. It didn't want any more blood to slip in.

Just get whoever came in here to leave. Then you can worry about what's happening.

"Sorry we're closed," I blurted, standing up over the counter.

A young man stood before me. He jumped in the air when he saw me. A mop of faded yellow hair curled down to his ears The baggy sweatshirt he wore had holes and stains as it flopped around. A thick neck held up his jolted square face. On his cheeks were a couple of cuts that were trying to close. Dull blue eyes scanned the rest of the diner in case any more surprises popped up.

Another survivor.

"Jesus!" The man exclaimed laughing off some shock. "Ya scared me."

Are you gonna let him die because of you too?

"Sorry." I smiled back. "I didn't mean to."

"Nah, that's okay." The man nodded rubbing his chest. His hand looked cracked and rough from use. "Um, this is a safe town right?"

You don't have time for this.

"Yeah." I nodded calmly. "But we're closing up right now. Sorry."

"How come?"

"There was a fight a little while ago. So we need to close so we can clean up."

"Doesn't look much of a fight." The man whistled pointing at the tossed table and chairs. "Think you guys you can stay open for a little longer for me, please?"

I let out a huff, flexing my fingers. I'm gonna have to throw him out. Before I could move I heard the sound of a car door shutting. I through the window to see a group of people surrounding the van, About five. They weren't being subtle. All of them stood tall and rigid. They all had the same kind of knife the girl had. The same kind of knife used on the cook. Each of them was cradling a different type of gun in their arms. Handguns, Shotguns, Hunting rifles. All could hit someone from a varity of distance.

I looked back over at the man who had a sincere smile smeared over his face. His left hand was holding a revolver. The barrel aimed to the ground as it leaned next to his leg. Shining against the lights eager, ready to be used. Wanting to kill. Begging to see blood.

"I just need a cup of coffee and I'll be out of your hair." The man assured. His voice sickeningly kind. Turning into poison as it fell into my ears.

One mistake. That's all it takes.

I took in a deep breath, letting the smell blood fill my nose.the scent burned my nostrils. Rattling the monster with the taste of blood.

I pushed out a calm smile. Coating it with ice as my hands twitched. "Sure."

The man smiled as he sat at the counter. Plopping the gun on top of it, keeping his hand around the handle. The barrel casually pointed at me. The thing growled back as my heart pumped new blood into my limbs. Waiting for their chance.

"Hey Will," I called out not breaking eye contact.

"Ye....yeah?" Will answered his voice sounding unsteady.

"You can close the kitchen and head out."

"You sure?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah. Make sure to tell the cleaners in the office that they can leave too."

The man looked over my shoulder holding up his smile giving a wink to Will.

"Alright," Will said flatly. "Make sure to come over when you're done."

"I will," I replied. The thing uttering out a growl under my words. "I promise."

The man waved gently watching Will walk out of the counter window's sight, Then moved his eyes back to me. The smile still loose on his face. But his eyes remained cold staring into me. Digging for a response. Waiting for the right moment.

Well, aren't you brave now? Are you sure you can do it?

I kept up my smile. The muscles in my cheeks feeling sore without the stitches to hold it up. Ready to show an icy cold smile of my own. Unflinching.

All I need is five minutes. That would be enough for them to get out of here and get to Brew. They'll be safe with Will getting them there. He can take them to the back door that's connected to the back end of the diner. The other hunters outside won't see them. They were too busy glaring at me through the window, Brandishing their arms. Like they still scare me.

They'll be okay.

I know they'll be okay.

'Cause all I need is five minutes to kill this hunter.