*A few hours after the events of the previous chapter*

*5/6/90*

The sun was a red orb in the distance, the air was becoming cooler, and people were settling in for the night. Rose sat outside, staring at the sky with troubled eyes. She glanced up as Brianna approached. "It's almost time, huh?" she murmured, her voice uncharacteristically heavy.

"Yes." Brianna sat down next to her. "Are you okay?"

Rose shook her head. "What if we aren't doing the right thing, Brianna? Maybe Coraline's supposed to be alive. She survived the raid, didn't she? Out of all the werewolves we ran into, it was her. And then she didn't attack us. We all thought she was dead, and now we're gonna kill her again. It doesn't feel right," She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them.

Brianna wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulder. "I understand. It's not just you. None of us are thrilled about this. I'm not even sure if Hunter will be joining us tonight.”

"Really?" Rose wiped her eyes, leaning into Brianna. The comforting, subtle scent of flowers that always lingered around the sniper soothed her nerves just a little. "What did he say when you told him?"

"Nothing. He just nodded," Brianna looked up at the darkening sky. "I think we should enter the forest with an open mind. Be ready for any outcome. Don't be opposed to adapting to changes if they happen."

Rose looked up at Brianna. Her words were vague, but she knew Brianna well enough to find the meaning behind them. She was ready to let Coraline go if the situation allowed it. She smiled, wrapping an arm around her friend's shoulder. "I'll follow you and Hunter. That's never failed me before."

Brianna smiled at her best friend's simple, trusting nature. "Things will be okay. One way or another," her heart wavered. Though her tone was sure, she couldn't have felt more nervous. She could tell that things would never be the same after this hunt.

~o0o~

When night fell, Ellora and Coraline slipped away from the denning area. Coraline, in her old and tattered clothes, Ellora naked and ready to change into her wolf form. It had been relatively easy to slip away since most of the pack assumed that Coraline was still being trained.

Also, Ellora was beginning to realize that anything that separated her from the pack was borderline encouraged by Ember. Any other wolf, particularly an alpha, would normally be scolded for neglecting so many hunts and going off on her own so often, even if the purpose was to train a new whelp. She thought about what Bandit said a few days ago about Ember allowing Coraline to stay because she'd be a distraction.

"Ember won't miss me when I go," she realized. "And she won't shed a tear if Coraline and I are killed. Then, she'll be free of a new whelp and a potential challenger." She had always told herself that Ember was above the gossip and politics of the other wolves, but was that really true? Had the years of whispers concerning Ellora's destiny been whittled down the pack leader's cold, calculating nature? Was it possible that she was afraid, somehow?

They approached the forest's edge, and Ellora allowed the change to take her, pushing her unsure thoughts aside. She welcomed the moon's rays as they seeped into her naked skin, drawing out the fur, fangs, and wildness that always lay dormant within. She shuddered with pleasure as the change ended, shaking her fur with a satisfied sigh.

Coraline watched Ellora, feeling only the slightest traces of revulsion. Now that she experienced the transformation herself, she was more fascinated and awed than disgusted. Every night, it was possible to change their very forms due to the moon's light. She once wondered why werewolves relied on the moon for transformations. Ellora explained that Shadows became more active in the moonlight and were most vicious when the moon was full. There was also "moon sickness," which sometimes befell humans, making them wilder during a full moon. But this is incredibly rare.

When the transformation ended, Ellora crouched on all fours, tilting her head at Coraline while lowered her shoulder. Coraline grasped the thick chestnut fur on the back of Ellora's neck and hoisted herself onto the wolf's back.

Ellora grunted at the weight. “Thank goodness you're so tiny,” she thought to herself. She started at a trot, feeling Coraline's knees tightening as she moved. Once she was sure that her charge wouldn't slip off, she broke into a run.

Coraline pressed close to Ellora's back, squinting as the air whipped at her face. She never ridden a horse and imagined riding a werewolf was significantly harder. She held on tightly with her knees, trying to find a rhythm to Ellora's rocking gait. Trees flashed by her, and she closed her eyes whenever they came close to hitting one, only for Ellora to swerve to the side at the last minute.

After a few minutes of running, Ellora stopped abruptly, sniffing at the air. A human was nearby. Her ears twitched, discerning its exact location. Carefully, she crouched down and crept closer, peering through the shadows.

She stopped short just a few yards away from him. He was walking through the trees, looking around frantically, one hand on the handle of his gun.

"It's him," she realized, ears perking up as she caught a glimpse of his blue eyes and blond hair. She looked over her shoulder at Coraline, who nodded before sliding off her back.

Coraline hesitated as she watched Hunter. "Why is he alone? Are they going to ambush me before I can say anything? Ellora would have smelled more people, though," taking a deep breath, she called out. "Hunter?"

Hunter, whose nerves had been on edge since his departure, spun around and pointed his weapon at the voice. "Who's there?" he called, his voice cracking. His arm shook. "Coraline? Is that you?"

Slowly, Coraline stepped out of the trees. She stared down Hunter's revolver, swallowing loudly before looking at his face. His eyes were wide and filled with emotions: fear, confusion, indecision, and a slight hint of relief. "Hey, Hunter," she smiled.

In an instant, Hunter felt his muscles relax as a sense of calm that he hadn't known since the attack flooded him. After going over every horrible scenario in his mind, after spending days thinking she was dead and hours wondering if she was corrupted, he stood face to face with his dear sister. He forgot the gravity of the situation for a moment and grinned back, lowering Red Redemption. "What, no hug?"

Coraline took a step forward, then froze, eying Hunter's weapon. She saw a hurt expression on his face and was immediately flooded with guilt. "Hunter, I…" She shook her head and stepped back again. "I'm sorry. Can you put that down?"

"Yeah, okay," Hunter dropped Red Redemption, feeling numb. "Did she really think I'd shoot her if she came over?" He thought about the others, who were probably entering the woods and sighed. "I guess I can't blame her," he thought before speaking. "Listen, Coraline. I don't want to hurt you. Looking at you now, I know I can't do it. I just came to warn you th-"

"I know," Coraline interrupted. "The others are coming to kill me, right?"

Hunter winced at how easily she said those words. "Yeah," he glanced over his shoulder. “They don’t want to, but… you know how it is.”

"Why are you here?" Coraline asked. "You've been taught the same things they have. Why did you come to warn me?"

"Because…" Hunter stared at his feet. "Well, I saw the way you looked at us last night. No animal could have made such a human expression. Also…there was the werewolf you were with... and well... I just wanted to..."

Coraline blinked. "Oh, that reminds me," she looked over her shoulder. “Ellora, you can come out. It’s safe.”

Ellora froze momentarily when Coraline called her before shaking her fur and mentally scolding herself. "Why are you so nervous? He already dropped his gun," yet she somehow knew that her nervousness had nothing to do with fear. Truthfully, ever since that night, she had entertained the idea of seeking out the blue-eyed human again. If one could see past her bestial nature, it made sense that more could. Occasionally, she would indulge in daydreams of befriending this human and uniting the civilized towns and the wild packs. Maybe even working together to find her long-lost baby sister and slay the monster that stole her. Those thoughts had always been mere fantasies, yet here she was, about to meet her human, whom she had never truly expected to see again.

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Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward, standing in the moonlight and looking closely at him. He had grown a lot since they’d last met. He was no longer a small or scrawny, scared little boy. He had a nice, young face that complimented his blue eyes, which looked like they often sparkled with laughter. She felt slightly sad when he instinctively stepped back from her and reached for his sword.

Hunter gaped, speechless. "I'm practically nose-to-nose with a werewolf," said the part of his brain that tried talking him out of this venture. It was eleven years ago, except this werewolf wasn't being held by brambles. Also, it was much, much bigger. If he had any doubts concerning this werewolf's identity, they were removed when it turned to the side, presenting its hind leg to him, and pushed the fur back. He saw a scar wrapping around the ankle, left by those brambles years ago.

Coraline watched the silent exchange, her brows furrowing with confusion. "What's going on? Ellora?" She looked up at her friend. "Why are you doing that? Do you know Hunter?"

Ellora nodded once before looking at Hunter. She cocked her head and allowed a smile to come to her muzzle. She hoped that it was a comforting face.

Hunter swallowed loudly, his mouth going dry as he counted the fangs lining the inside of the beast's mouth. "Ellora, huh? That's your name?" His voice came higher pitched than he intended. He looked at Coraline. "I, uh, guess I owe you an explanation," he quickly recounted his story to Coraline, who stared at him in utter shock.

"How did you never tell us about that?! Something like that is huge, Hunter! Maybe people would have started to think differently about werewolves. Maybe-"

"Maybe the townsfolk or even our clan would have hung me for freeing her," Hunter said. "You know how things are," he turned his gaze toward Ellora. "I'm just gonna ask you this once. Have you ever attacked Castell Henllys?”

Ellora adamantly shook her head, growling softly to emphasize the point. She locked eyes with Hunter and didn’t blink.

Hunter forgot how to speak momentarily as those brilliant green eyes fixed on his. He still remembered how they had looked years ago, like layers of green fire-entrapped orbs. Now, they were older, wiser, and fiercer than they had been before. He started to tremble, feeling more than a little overwhelmed by this powerful, wild presence.

Coraline noticed Hunter's discomfort. "She wants you to know she's telling the truth.”

Hunter nodded slowly, unable to do much else under that fiery gaze. "I…I believe you," he felt a flood of relief as the werewolf finally blinked. He realized that he had spoken the truth. Against his better judgment, he believed this werewolf. Everything he had ever been taught was being turned upside down. The others would never believe this. The others! "Coraline, we shouldn't be chatting. You need to run! You and your friend need to get out of here before the others get here!"

"I can't, Hunter," Coraline said. "If I run, they'll only follow me. I'm going to try talking to them. It’s the only chance we have of saving mom.”

"Mom?" Hunter let out a breathless laugh despite himself. "She's alive too?"

"Yeah, but she's in trouble," Coraline explained. "You see, there are actually two packs in this forest, and-" She stopped when Ellora stood on her hind legs, ears perking up. "Do you hear the others?"

Ellora nodded, her lips curling back into a snarl. This would be the moment that determined their fates. If the humans stopped to listen, there would be a chance. If not, only the smallest amount of Crystal would spell her and Coraline's doom.

Hunter groaned, turning toward where the chestnut wolf was looking. "Oh boy… Um, get behind me, both of you!" He picked up Red Redemption and readied his shield before shouting into the trees. "Hey! Guys! Lower your weapons!"

Mason's voice immediately responded. "Hunter, you moron! Stop shouting. You'll summon every wolf in the-" The red-haired boy broke through the trees, brandishing his mace. The words died on his lips as he took in the scene before him. His gaze shifted from Hunter to Coraline to the chestnut monstrosity casting a shadow over all of them.

"Mason, what's…wrong?" Rose stumbled to a halt as she broke through the trees. Her eyes locked with Coraline's. Her breath hitched as those all-too-familiar eyes looked at her, no longer tainted by a wolfish face. Her hands trembled. "I can't do this," she thought simply. "There's no way I can do this."

Brianna, Garrett, and Jade followed closely, stopping short when they saw the odd trio before them. They looked at Hunter and slowly lowered their weapons.

Coraline's heart pounded as she looked at her friends. "H-Hey, guys," she muttered. She looked at Rose, whose eyes were starting to well with tears. She looked at Mason, who looked frozen with shock. She looked at Garrett, whose face was hard to read but seemed to be contemplating something. She looked at Jade, who just looked confused. She looked at Brianna, who looked unsure of what to do. She desperately wanted to run over and hug all of them, forgetting about the last few days entirely.

Hunter cleared his throat. "Uh, guys, I think we need to lower our weapons and talk a bit." The others looked at him with varying reactions. "Obviously, Coraline isn't a savage beast. She was telling me something about our mom when you showed up. Something about her being in trouble.” He looks back at Coraline for clarification. “Right?"

Coraline nodded. "Yes. It's why I'm still alive. I need to save her," she looked at the ground, unable to look her friends in the eye. "Also, I found out that being a werewolf really isn't as bad as people think. It can actually even be fun at times..."

"Nonsense!" Rose snapped, raising her axe and taking a step forward. "Hunter, come back over here. She's obviously been corrupted by those creatures. The wolf is probably feeding her words! We must do this quickly!" She looked at Coraline, her lip trembling. "I'll make this quick, Coraline. I promise. I know your soul still has a chance."

Hunter moved to stop Rose, and Ellora let out a sharp growl. Rose clenched her fists, eyes darting between everyone as she tried to figure out what to do. Coraline raised her hand before any of them could do anything. A tear trickled down her cheek as she stepped forward, stopping when the tip of Rose's axe blade was just touching her chest.

"Rose, mom is in danger. Whatever you believe, you won't be able to save her without my help and Ellora's," she nodded toward Ellora. "If you want to kill me when this is over, you can try to do it then. I'd take the risk to hear you out if you were standing in my shoes," her eyes shone with desperation. "Rose. Please, listen to me."

Rose's hands shook. "Don't look at her eyes! Don't look-" Her gaze locked on that familiar, gentle, innocent face she had always known. It really was Coraline standing before her, even though her clothes were tattered and filthy.

"The Maidens are testing you!" she told herself. "You have to stay strong!" Yet, she still didn't plunge her axe's tip forward. The priestess's words surfaced in her reeling mind. "I think that we should do what feels right inside. Everyone has a sense that tells them when something is right or wrong, even if the answer isn't clear. We just have to believe in that feeling and follow it"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her hands twitched but still didn't move forward. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hurt Coraline. She thought of watching her beloved sister's lifeblood pouring to the ground and onto her axe blade. She thought of how she would feel every day for the rest of her life, haunted by that image. Slowly, shakily, she lowered her weapon. "The Maidens don't expect us to be perfect. If we always try to listen to what we know is right, they will forgive us any mistakes we make."

"Maidens, forgive me," Rose opened her eyes to see Coraline smiling. To see that smile again was so overwhelmingly wonderful she started to sob. She dropped Emberforge and stepped forward, throwing her arms around Coraline and hugging her tightly to her chest. "I missed you so much, Coraline!"

Ellora tensed momentarily, trying to see if the human would pull a dagger or something out of her belt. When Coraline hugged back and started to cry, she relaxed.

Hunter, however, stiffened. "Uh, Rose? The vials?"

Rose immediately jumped back from Coraline, hurriedly checking the vials at her belt before sighing with relief. "They're all secure," she looked nervously at Coraline. "I almost forgot. I'm so sorry."

Coraline stared at the vials, shivering as she realized how close to death that simple hug had brought her. "It's f-fine."

Mason zipped over, hugging her tightly. Garrett settled for a gentle pat on the shoulder while the others kept a wary eye on the chestnut wolf.

After a few more minutes of tears and confused smiles, the group finally settled down enough for Coraline to fully explain the situation. The others listened gravely. When Coraline was done, Rose let out a low growl. "So, mom's being kept prisoner by a crazy, human-hating werewolf leader who likes killing for fun? Is that the gist of it?”

"Yeah," Coraline nodded. "Ellora already said she'd help, but I don't know what to do. Ember's pack won't attack Scar's pack directly, and we can't lead Huntsmen from home to them. They'd just kill mom along with the others."

Brianna folded her hands thoughtfully, still shaking a little with all these revelations. "I think…we won't be able to figure all of this out in one night.”

"Good point," Hunter agreed. "We'll need to plan this together.”

"What if we planned things out in town and regularly met up with Coraline and Ellora?" Garrett suggested. "Plenty of people are going on solo food hunts, especially now that spring is almost over. We could go in pairs and return with deer or rabbits to avoid arousing suspicion."

"Ellora's a good hunter. We could give you meat to take back," Coraline suggested.

They eventually decided that Hunter and Rose would meet Coraline and Ellora the following day at a clearing a few miles into the forest. It would be during the sunlit hours and could easily play it off as a deer-hunting trip.

Rose looked up at the moon before standing reluctantly. "We should probably go back," she muttered, looking sadly at Coraline.

Coraline, on the other hand, couldn't stop smiling. Her friends hadn't killed her! Better still, they all acted like they just might accept her wolf nature. "Don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow.”

"I know, but…" Rose bit her lip and shook her head. "Never mind. I'll see you then. Take care, sis," she glanced at Ellora. "And, um, thanks for taking care of her." She picked up Emberforge and walked briskly into the trees.

Ellora nodded her head, smiling a little. "These humans are far more reasonable than I thought they would be," she mused, glancing at Hunter. "Perhaps we can all be friends. After we find Emma, I could talk to Ember and…." she quickly reined her thoughts. "One thing at a time, Ellora."

Hunter cleared his throat as he looked at the chestnut wolf. "It was, uh, nice seeing you again," he hesitated before holding out his hand. Ellora blinked and let out a loud huff. He jumped in surprise, wondering if he had done something wrong. Then, he noticed a cheerful glimmer in the wolf's eyes. Wait...? Was that…a laugh?

Still chuffing with amusement, Ellora extended her clawed hand, gently grasping the humans. It felt so small and soft compared to hers. "Were these really the hands of a werewolf killer?”

Hunter barely squeezed Ellora's paw as he shook it, still trying to reconcile the sensation of paw pads touching his palm and sharp claws brushing his wrist. He managed to return her smile. "Is that a smile? I can't tell," he wondered.

Coraline stepped close to Hunter, hugging him tightly around the middle. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you at first," she murmured. "Thank you so much, Hunter."

Hunter readily returned the hug, nuzzling the top of his sister's head. "Take care of yourself, okay?" he whispered.

Coraline nodded. "I will," she stepped back, smiling at her friends and looking sadly toward where Rose had left. Ellora crouched next to her, and she climbed on, urging her back into the trees. The cool night air on her face wasn't enough to push back the emotions rising within her. She bent down so that she was close to Ellora's neck. "Do you think we have a chance?"

Ellora, of course, said nothing. The same question was running through her head at that moment. She continued running as she tried to sort out her jumbled thoughts. "One way or another," she thought. "There's no turning back from the path we've set ourselves on."