15

The group conversed into the night trying to weigh the pros and cons of the situations;
if this was to create civil war among the wolves it would mean chaos in the pack lands and many wolves would loose their lives. This would eventually spread over into the other factions and no telling how many of them would die the cross fire. What would this chaos cost them in the end? Vampires roaming more freely? And what if the intent was to breed them out? just as Cami and Talia were doing so many other females would make that call and leave their pack if it came to that. Then the number of rouges would increase and over the years the wolf would be diluted in the gene pools.
In the case of Camie the men stood at a stand still- she was a wolf, an ally and pack mate to Bradley and Niko, to leave her behind was sentencing her to death. A stain on their souls they could never be cleansed of. To go in after her, they faced the very real possibility of it being a suicide mission. No one knew in the vast regions of the deadlands where Cami was taken to. Or even if she could be saved from the control they had over her.
The only real solid answer the men could all agree on was to send Talia back to the Crimson pack lands to heal and hopefully deliver her child safely.
When the sun broke through in the morning Mika stood facing it letting the warmth wash over him, rejuvenating him from his lack of rest. He had been up looking over each detail from the reports given, and had come to one conclusion.
"We send in a group to do recon. If we manage to locate Camie we must know how to release her. We do not engage till we know, or who knows what we will bring down on us. “The men silently agreed, listening to Mika as his voice took on a stern authoritative tone. His alpha was coming to surface, it was time to command his men. "Theo you and the females go to the pack lands." Disgusted Ari scoffed, "You don't boss me," he cut her off "Do not argue with me woman, you will do as I said and go to the lands. “Ari bristled with out rage. She didn't care hot attractive, and utterly earth shattering his kisses were- she did her own thing when she damn well felt like it. She snapped her mouth shut trying her darndest not to bite her tongue off or crack a back tooth.
"How soon can Talia be moved?" he continued, directing his attention now to Theo. "It'll be another day or so before I think she will be able to handle it. the red streaks have begun to retreat, she hasn't had a fever now in a day. She has even held down some broth. I feel good about her recovery." he replied. “As soon as you can get her out of here. Both of you. “he looked at Ari making sure she clearly understood where he expected her to follow. As soon as he was done speaking Ari stormed out of the little cabin, furious that she'd be told what to do. She did not just follow, she was not some ill advised little twit that had never protected her self before. *Oh no the big bad wolf has told me to go home.* she mocked him inside her head. She needed air, needed to breath away from all of them.
*Who does he think he is? I can take care of myself. Hell he wouldn't even know what that stuff was without my help!* she scolded. *And it is not even MY home! what the hell?!* her internal rants brought her up as she slide down a muddy embankment,*Well that is great you are some stupid hunter aren't you? Couldn't even pay attention to where you were going* She had mud in every fold of her body she could think of. The thick muck momentarily blinding her. "Ugg!" she growled.
She began scooping the thick grey slug off her. She didn't remember going this way with Mika the other day and she wondered how far off she had actually stormed off to. Every step she tried to make to the shore line she heard a sucking sensation. She was fairly sure she had lost her moccasins in this, which only pist her off more. Grunting and sloshing she made her way to the shore line. It took a lot more energy but damn it she done it. She laid there on the shore line where there was more harden clay, just catching her breath. Minutes could've past, maybe even a few hours she'd lost track of time just relaxing and processing her thoughts when a shuffling sound from a few yards off woke her up.
She slipped off wanting to find out what that sound was. As she grew closer the sound of shuffling, crashing and moans brought her up short- *Deaders!* she climbed up one of the near by trees and watched as a group of ten made their way in the direction of the cabin. Each one seemed to be various stages of decomposition. A woman with her top ripped and a large chunk of flesh missing from her right breast. her sunken face almost in a frozen state of horror. Another was a man who from outward appearances did not seem to have a injury but he was completely sunken in. What little bit of greenish skin clung to his bones, making his joints appear extra large, and his head too big for his body frame. *He must've been drained. A ghoul.* A ghoul would've been a person a vampire used to feed from until literally the vampire drained them. It didn't always mean if a vampire drained someone that they'd return. It was still unclear if the vampire did something to cause the person to become a ghoul or if it was merely by chance. But they were the real threat in a hoard- they could move faster than the others, and tend to be stronger despite outward appearances. She looked among the hoard as they slowly made their way but she only counted one that appeared to be the threat. When they had past she quickly and very quietly climbed down and raced as fast as her legs could carry her back to the cabin.

Her legs were burning and the breath in her chest felt like it was pure fire when she reached the cabin door. She knew she looked crazy from the expressions on the men's face. "We got company.' sucking a breath, “Deaders," gasp again, “And at least one ghoul." The men went to the front door at once. Each one listening intently. "half mile out. we don’t have a lot of time. Lets clean this mess up.' The men began to undress, each one shifting into his wolf. The wolves headed in the direction of the shuffling noise in perfect hunting formation. Mika lead them off into the woods to begin with , but then Ari could see he had broken off.
*Disburse the herd, let me take the ghoul.* Mika told his two. He could hear some briefs huffs and whines as Theo and Devion told Bradley and Niko the plan. But there was no further noise from the group. Soon enough the hoard came into the ring. The other wolves flank and enclosed the group. Mika watched not making his move too soon. The Deaders were set on one course but once the wolves began taking down the herd the became disorganized and slashing at the offending mass of fur. Mika saw it, he moved fast the man wearing a black shirt. He looked skeletal, but he moved as if he was vampire. Mika lunged coming down hard on him. Bones cracked and the thing groaned. It shoved back and was able to push Mika a full grown wolf off him. It's leg had broken under Mika's weight but it still tried to stand on it. The bone sticking out of the sickly looking skin. Mika went back again aiming for the other leg. **SNAP** there went its ankle. The thing fell to the ground and began pulling itself. Its mouth opening almost like a snakes as it wailed. it's black tongue wiggling. Mika circled making sure it was not going to try to get back up. Mika's back was to the woods as he kept his eyes on the ghoul, but also keeping the herd in his line of sight. He knew that his group was slaughtering them without complications. Mika did not hear the second ghoul rise up from the bushes. It went to lunge on to his back when a **thump** sound brought Mika spinning to face the threat. A blade was sticking out of the skull of the second ghoul. He dropped face down. Mika growled as Ari stepped from the trees, but then turned back to his previous prey. In one snap he put his massive jaws around the things head and snapped them shut. A sickening splat sound followed seconds later.
The others had made pretty quick work of the remaining Deaders and was checking the surrounding bushes for any left overs. Mika returned to his human form glaring at Ari. "You could've been hurt." he growled. She nodded her head, "Yeah and so could of you."
"How am I suppose to protect you if you just do whatever?!" he snapped. She looked at him letting her eyes widen, and her eyebrows raise. If Mika had any sense of women he would've known this is the look that you really really need to shut up. "Ok fine then. Don’t change into a wolf anymore." she said coolly. He scrunched his nose and brows, “I can’t do that woman that is who I am. Its apart of me.'
She walked right up to him, naked and exposed, she may have been a good foot shorter than him, but she squared herself, "Then do not for one moment think I will stop being me if you wouldn’t stop being you." she turned and walked away from him, seething.