When we arrived at camp, Gabriella was shown around, while I sat in a corner watching others interact. Once upon a time that was me who Donny joked so freely with or who had Andromeda’s attention. I had been one of them. I had been human, but now I was the monster everyone ran from. I took a nearby stick and prodded the fire, not needing it to warm myself anymore. Tears struggled to burst out but I swallowed them back down. To hell if I showed anyone my weakness. I jabbed at the fire watching it consume the stick.

“You alright, Matt?” asked Greg as he came to sit beside the fire, Betsey by his side. He pet that animal between the ears and it barked happily. Even Greg had Betsey but I had no one and no one cared. I felt a rustle of cloth and looked over to see Gabriella putting up a tent. She was having problems. No one seemed to notice her struggle. I stood and helped her.

“No that pin goes through there,” I coached as Gabriella nodded and slipped the pin into the corresponding slot. I nodded. “Good, now…”

“You’re pretty good at this,” she said turning to face me.

“I’ve had a bit of practice,” I said as I pointed to the last two pins.

“You mean the rest of the tents?” she asked grunting as she pulled the cable for the last pin in place.

I shook my head. “The others can put up their tents. Where I come from I took a survival course. We had to learn to pitch our tents.”

“Oh!”

“Yeah…well your tent is up. If you need anything else I’ll be by the fire,” I said as she nodded. I started to leave when she called me back.

“Yeah?” I said, watching her gather her wits about her. “Uhm, want company?”

My eyes widened and I smiled. “If you want to.”

“I…”

“Get away from my sister!” yelled Tarric as he tried to push me away key word tried. He wasn’t very successful despite being bigger than me.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. “We were talking, Tarric. Unlike you, I refuse to let fear dictate my actions.”

I smirked and watched Tarric retreat from me. “He’s dangerous, sis.”

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I frowned. No, I wasn’t. Not to them, but if that’s what they thought of me…Andromeda peaked her head from behind her tent. My tent. I noticed my things in a corner. This made it easier. I spotted Donny nodding perceptively with Tarric’s words and that was the last straw.

“Fine! You want me gone? Then I’m gone,” I said walking past a now quivering Andromeda. I grabbed my things and grabbed the duffle. I packed everything I owned taking down my tent and leaving Andromeda in the cold. I rolled everything up and set off towards the end of camp not saying a word to anyone. That’s when all hell broke loose as constant howling began from the outskirts.

“Called a few friends?” Tarric sneered as he shuddered when another howl ripped through the air.

I narrowed my eyes before smirking. “They’d never eat such a coward, so you’re safe, Tarric.”

Gabriella giggled while Andromeda snorted. “He got you there, scaredy cat,” she muttered, smiling at me. I ignored her. She just wasn’t worth exploring right now as another howl sounded. Betsey growled from her place by the fire, and I shook my head.

“No, girl. Your job is to protect your cubs. Leave these guys to me,” I said.

Greg sat beside Betsey nodding. “He’s right. Worry about them, babies. You have three to worry about.”

Another howl, this one far closer.

I dropped my gear and got into a stance. Beside me, Gabriella cocked her laser gun and Andromeda switched her anthropomorphic suit on, becoming a wolf again. If she got stuck I was going to laugh.

Donny hid behind us shaking like a rattle. Through the night haze, five figures materialized. A woman and four men. The woman smiled showing rotten teeth.

“You’ll be a great offering to the Welcoming,” she said almost cooing. I blanched welcoming of what? I was through being used! I growled and made sure to show my fangs. My nails elongated on their own accord and I watched as they became sharp claws.

“That could have been handy earlier,” said Gabriella as she watched my claws extend curiously.

“You’re telling me,” I muttered. “I’ve only been able to do something like this one other time,” I said remembering the first victim of my fangs. I stared down at my claws and made a slight fist wincing. Yeah, they were sharp. Turning to the woman and her smiling entourage I leveled them with a glare.

“We don’t want any trouble, Houl. We aren’t food and I’m certainly not above kicking a little ass to survive. Turn around and you won’t get hurt.”

The houls laughed and crept closer.

“You are a funny human. Tell me what can a human do to me?” said the woman gesturing from me to her and shrugging with another damn smile on her face. If that’s the way she wanted to play it then fine. More fun for me when she realized she was dealing with a monster of equal footing.

A big growl overtook the forest and the woman grinned. “My son is hungry. Enough chat.”

The Houls attacked like whirl devils. One minute they were in one place the next they were someplace else. Gabriella shot her laser gun clipping one in the shoulder and the shriek it let out was akin to a dinosaur’s. It was big and loud. I thought she’d killed him. A few feet ahead Andromeda was fighting a male Houl with her speed and claws. Over to the side, Tarric was a quivering mess and hid behind Donny who was just as scared but was shooting the Houls as best as he could beside Greg, who had his shotgun firing laser balls with precision. I focused on smilie.

She wasn’t laughing as I zipped past her drawing blood from the cut I left in her side. She gasped at my speed.

“Y-You are Houl!” she cried holding her side.

“I prefer Hybrid,” I said smirking and showing my fangs. I zipped around and flipped around her slicing her face. She shrieked as loud as her son. I licked my claws goading her.

“Why do you fight for these humans? Surely they fear you?”

My eyes narrowed in anger at her words because it was true. They did fear me. She seemed to sense my hesitation and attacked, swiping her own claws down my side. I grunted. Hers was probably carrying some kind of poison from the green hue they glowed in the dying fire. I had to end this fast. I zipped by her and scored my claws down her back making her wail, before gripping her shoulder and sinking my fangs deep into her throat. She kicked out of my hold, but I held on.

We wrestled to the ground and I overpowered her drinking her blood, and watching as she shriveled. I felt better and better with each pull, but before I could finish I felt something hard whack me in the back of my head and pry me off her. I was too groggy to open my eyes and the poison was still in me. I heard Gabriella scream No! Then everything went black.