Summary: Elena thought she was the only female werewolf, until Nick finds another in the woods around Stonehaven.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of BITTEN

Rating: T+

ANOTHER BITTEN:

Afternoon came to Stonehaven with Jeremy in his studio painting while Clay lounged on the deep leather sofa making notes for another book he thought he might write. Elena was stretched out, her head resting on a pillow next to his thigh. She was flicking through pictures on her Nikon, not really settling on one or the other. Even though he knew what notes he made on the legal pad, he kept glancing at the front door. Clay had anticipated Nick and his new little sister home by late morning. Now it was nearly two in the afternoon and the pair of wolves had yet to return home.

"Clay," Elena said. "Stop watching the door." She pushed her head into the pillow to nudge him in the thigh. "They'll be back when they get back." A laugh bubbled in her chest. Clay was ever the protective, watchful wolf of all the Stonehaven residents, and especially of her. She could always count on him to have her back. Setting her camera aside she sat up, turning to him with a smile on her face. "Verayne is safe with Nick. He wouldn't hurt her or any other woman for that matter. You know how much he loves them."

"I know, and that's exactly why I watch the door." Clay set the legal pad on the coffee table in front of them. "I'm just worried about her in general darlin'." A sigh escaped him as he ran his hand through his hair. He was the enforcer, he was a big brother. The first title he knew how to deal with, the second. Well that was a learning curve. Nick and Pete had been just like brothers, with all them around the same age, but then there was Verayne, frightened and alone, suddenly thrust into a world that should have killed her. She survived on her own long enough to find her way to her family, to her father.

Elena cupped the back of Clay's head, "Nick knows better than to hurt her, and I doubt the thought would even cross his mind. We've seen Nick woo other woman, yet with Verayne, he's completely different; almost settled." She said urging her strong wolf to look at her. "Besides, if he ever does hurt her, you'll kick his ass like you always do." Elena joked, sort of, but it earned her a chuckle from Clay. He stretched out his arm draping it over her shoulder, and pulled her close dropping kiss after kiss to the top of her head.

Clay laughed, "Right you are darlin'." Then, almost on cue, the sound of Nick's car rumbled up the drive way. As one, Clay and Elena got up from the couch knowing that before too long Jeremy would be coming down the stairs to welcome the two wolves home.

Outside Verayne lingered in the car watching the front door of Stonehaven. She couldn't believe that she had a home again, that she had a family that had immediately taken her in. There was still so much to get used to, and she knew that her father, that Jeremy would want her answer as to what fate would befall her stalker/kidnapper. It wasn't until she was sitting here, until she was staring at this house that she knew what that fate should be. Death.

Nick reached over and took Verayne's hand. "Hey, you ok?" He asked lacing their fingers together. Holding her hand felt so right. "We can turn right around and go back to the city if you want. You wouldn't be the first to run away." Nick joked and then laughed when she twisted his hand. "Elena does it all the time." He said it as a jest, but for a while that was all she did, and it killed the pack a little inside to see her leave.

"No, no running." Verayne answered. "I was just coming to a decision about the psycho in the basement." On the drive back, she'd been weighing the pros and cons of her choice. So far the pros were winning. She turned to Nick, and with great relish, she said, "I want to run him down, hunt him, and when it gets boring, I want to sink my teeth into his throat until all his blood drains out of his worthless body."

"Then that's what we'll do," Nick smiled getting out of the car. He rushed around to the passenger side to open the door for her. His father had always taught him to treat a woman with respect, to make her feel like she was the only one in the world. Now that he had Verayne, the second known bitten female, he wanted no other. Nick pulled her close, fitting his lips to hers.

Verayne melted into the kiss, melted into Nick. Seconds seemed to last for hours before Nick pulled back to smile at her. "I'm finally happy, finally in a place where I can truly belong. Nick… I…" Behind them the front door opened revealing Clay and Elena. They were smiling at her and it just served to drive him the fact she had a home here. Looking at Nick, Verayne didn't hold back. "I love you."

Nick felt his heart swell. With great speed, he scooped her up into his arms and spun her about. A few times she'd said she'd thought she was falling in love with him. Now, to hear her say it was the best thing in his life. Nick set her back down on her feet, his hands cupping her face. "I love you." He replied sweetly.

At the door, Clay draped his arm across Elena's shoulder. "I think things are finally getting back to normal." He whispered.

"It's about time." Elena replied. "Do you think she made up her mind about the animal we have in the cage?"

Verayne looked over at Elena hearing the blonde's question. "I want him dead." She answered.

"Then that's what you'll have." Jeremy appeared behind Clay and Elena. "Come inside, we'll have lunch and then we'll get to the business at hand." His pack nodded, walking into the house. Jeremy waited until Verayne was the last to pass by him. He pulled his daughter, a word he would never get used to, into his arms and held her close. Jeremy had a son, created by the monster that was his father, and now he had a daughter that had been born out of love with a woman he would never see again.

Verayne wrapped her arms around Jeremy in return. This man was her father, someone she hadn't been looking for, and yet she'd stumbled across him without meaning to. Now, she didn't want to think about being anywhere else. This was where she was supposed to be and once the monster in the basement was dead, she could start her new life in her new home. Pulling back from him she asked in alight tone, "So, what's for lunch?"

"I was thinking sandwiches." Jeremy let a laugh rumble in his chest.

"I like sandwiches." Verayne replied keeping her arm around her father's waist as they walked inside.

Inside, at the long farm table, everyone sat with their plates full of food and the table filled with even more food waiting to be devoured by the pack. Elena was on Clay's right and Jeremy's left while Verayne was at his right. This was what a family was; the warmth and acceptance she found here with her pack was more than she could ever wish for. This was her true home, not Toronto. In the week that Verayne had been here, she'd assimilated into the pack life quickly. Elena wished she had been able to do that, but she was home now and glad for it. "So, Verayne, how was your night last night?" She asked of her pack sister, a gentle teasing in her tone.

"It was great," Verayne chuckled. "We danced, we had drinks, and I was totally free. The music almost seemed to be in my blood, it pulsed with the beat of my heart." She sighed. Then the levity surrounding her faltered. "There was something that happened, my ex-boyfriend was there." She thought back to last night, tried to recall Braidon's demeanor the way he stood, the way he watched her and Nick, and the way he spoke to Nick. "I don't think he knew we would be there, but once he was there, he watched us."

"You sure?" Nick asked. Last night he'd been so focused on Verayne, people in his club hadn't registered, not until she'd tensed up. It was then that Nick went on alert.

"I felt it, but I tried to let it go because I was with you." Verayne turned to Nick. "I only wanted to focus on you, on having fun." Too many of her nights had been spent hiding. Last night was meant to be a celebration of her new life, of her home, and the man she;d found who finally fit with her.

Nick smiled at that, but there was something more. There was something she wasn't say. "What else?" He glanced at Jeremy for a second to gauge his Alpha's reaction. So far Jeremy was keeping his face neutral. "There's something you're not saying."

"It's stupid…" Verayne shook her head.

"Nothing, no matter how small, could be stupid." Elena offered. "Being what we are, we have senses that work while our mind is distracted. What you feel, or felt, could be important."

Verayne nodded, "When we were in town, when Braidon happened upon us, there was this sense of shock, but not the shock of seeing me after all this time or the relief that I was alive; it was like he knew I should be dead and I wasn't." She took a moment, took a breath. This was the missing piece of her abduction; why had it been her? Braidon knew her abductor, had wanted him to take her, to kill her.

Nick slid closer to Verayne, draping his arm across her shoulders. "Do you really think he could be a part of this?" He asked, wanting her to be sure. Then the replayed last night in the club over, picking apart every second he interacted with the human. There was a tone, a demeanor that made the wolf in him raise his hackles, raise his alert. The man was a threat.

"After everything, I wouldn't put it past him." Verayne didn't look to Nick, she looked to her father and to her brother. "It makes sense. I never fit the pattern of victim. They were all over the news, blondes and red heads were the preference. I don't know…." She shook her head. "Maybe this is just my brain trying to rationalize what happened to me after all this time."

"Hey," Elena gained her attention, "What you sense, what you feel, that's the best way to keep yourself safe, to keep all of us safe." Then Elena turned to Jeremy. "Clay and I can venture into town to track this guy down, Clay can have one of his unique conversations with him, and if it turns out he had can hand in this, we can bring him back here."

"Jeremy, for what it's worth, last night when he was at the club, that guy gave off the impression he was tracking her. I get the feeling he'll try something." Nick offered.

Jeremy nodded at Elena and Clay, "After lunch, head into town." He took Nick's words into account, knowing that any threat to them had to be eliminated. Especially if that threat was to his daughter, the daughter that had just found him. The wolf in him would do anything to protect her, to protect his pack, and his home. Now that that was settled, they continued eating.

BEAR VALLEY:

Clay and Elena satin Clay's SUV in the parking lot of the motor lodge; the popular place of respite for visiting psycho's it would seem. The window was rolled down, the wind coming right at Elena so she could catch all the scents in the vicinity. She was keeping her attention on the upper lever of the lodge. "Do you think this guy would be stupid enough to come back here?"

"He tracked Verayne all the way to Nick's club in New York." Clay answered. "If what she sensed from him was real, then he'll be back here." Shifting in his seat, he reached out to place his right hand on Elena's thigh where he squeezed gently. She had done so much to finally settle in at Stonehaven, to fully come home, but every threat against them made him fear that it would be one more reason to drive Elena away again.

Elena knew what Clay was doing, he was reassuring himself that she was actually there. Turning her attention to him she rested her hands over his. "You know I'm not leaving, right?" She asked wanting Clay to know that she was really home, that she was really back with him. The ring she wore, the matching one to his, was on her finger glinting in the sun. "I am home where I belong, and I'm with you." She leaned over, pressing her lips to his cheek where some of his beard tickled her face.

"I know darlin'." Clay let his accent wrap around his last word. "We have a chance to be whole, and I'm going to give you everything you need to ensure you never feel you don't have to run away again." He promised to her.

"You, the pack, Stonehaven, and a place to run is all I need." Elena answered. Then a scent wafted into the SUV making her turn her head to the second floor. "Why do they always return?" She shook her head, knowing that Clay would pick up on her implied insult.

"Let's get this over with." Clay growled his eyes following the human as he made his way down the hall to room 210. In concert he and Elena climbed out of the SUV covering the distance of the parking lot and then up the stairs. Clay took up position in front of Elena, always on guarding, always guarding her. His hand was just about to grasp the door knob when Elena's hand fisted in the back of his shirt. "What is it?"

"He's by the door," Elena whispered. Her sense of smell was better than the rest of the packs. She could tell where people, animals, were just by scent. "Go in fast and hard just the way you're good at." In front of her Clay laughed darkly. Elena took up position by the door while Clay braced himself against the railing. He gripped the metal, kicking in the door. The door knob busted off, the wooden frame splinted, and the door burst open followed by Clay charging into the room.

Clay surged through the door seeing the human scurry back, falling to the bed. A growl rumbled in his chest as his nose filled with the scent of fear; his wolf delighted at that. He went right over to the bed where he fisted his hands in the front of Braidon's shirt, hauling him up. "You're coming with us."

"What?! Who are you?" Braidon tried his best to sound confused, but he knew what this was. It was Verayne. She sent them. In a last ditch effort Braidon struggled, kicking, turning, fighting to get free. "Let me go!"

"Not a chance," Elena checked to make sure the way was clear. Lucky for them no one was around; not even a maid. While Clay dealt with the struggling ex-boyfriend, Elena quickly jogged down the steps being the first one to reach Clay's car. She hopped into the driver's seat and brought the car to life. Clay shoved the other man in the car and slammed the door. Without being told, she pulled out of the parking lot to head home.

STONEHAVEN:

Verayne jogged down the stairs of the manor house wearing yoga pants, flip flops, a sports bra, and a loose tank top. She needed to be in easily removed clothing for tonight. She felt a sense of apprehension and exhilaration at the thought of finally putting her nightmare to rest, at finally being able to stop running. This was what she wanted more than anything. She strode into the den where she saw Nick standing by the fire; his shoulders hunched. "Hey you." She wrapped her arms around his waist, pillowing her head on his back.

Nick leaned back into Verayne. "Hey, are you ready for tonight?" He asked turning in her arms. More than anything he was eager to see how she handled herself when she was the one in control, the predator; the hunter. They all wanted her to put her demons to rest once and for all. They wanted her to finally be part of the family, part of the pack.

"I'm ready for this to be over." Verayne sighed. She'd spent too many weeks running, too many days alone. There were nights that she wondered if she would wake up, if her hunter would find her and finally kill her. "Is it bad of me to be eager to take a life?"

Nick left her embrace, but only so he could face her, so he could look deeply into her eyes letting her see the truth of what he was saying. "No, it's not. You are a predator, but not a killer. This man hunted you, and a wolf can only be hunted for so long before it turns to make it all stop." Nick cast his gaze to the floor. "That man down there is dying, you can smell, we all can smell it. Hunting him, would be a mercy."

"It would be." Verayne agreed. "But I'm not in the mood to be merciful." She added with a deadly growl vibrating through her words. "I want him to hurt, to feel fear. I want him to know that he dies tonight." The wolf in her was hungry, it wanted to run, to breathe in the air of the forest, and feel the earth under paws.

"That's my girl." Nick said with pride welling up inside him. He could see the woman she was merging with the wolf she'd become at the hands of a mutt. "Once this is done, you'll be free." Nick wanted her to shed the weight of this torment, to leave the ghosts of her capture behind her tonight.

"I am yours." Verayne nodded in agreement. Before, when she had been with Braidon, the thought of belonging to any one person made her feel anxious, gave her the urge to run away. Yet, with Nick, him staking his claim to her, that didn't terrify her. He had already marked her body last night, and with her heart had followed. "I will never belong to another."

Nick knew what he was saying but he hadn't meant to say it in that way. When he staked his claim to her, he wanted it to be in a way that honored the human and the wolf sides of their nature. But, now that he said it, there was no turning back. "And I will never want anyone else other than you."

"What the hell am I doing here? I'm calling the police! You won't get away with this!"

Verayne and Nick turned at the same time when the doors to Stonehaven opened with Clay and Elena dragging Braidon behind them. He was wailing and whining just like she remembered him to do. The sound of his made her ears hurt and her stomach twist in knots. How had she ever been with someone like him? "God, he's such a little bitch." Verayne commented in complete shock. How had she honestly not seen this before?

Nick turned his head to hide the smile and to rein in the bark of laughter that wanted to escape in response to what Verayne had said. He did was every other man in the world did, he hide his laugh inside a cough that didn't fool his wild werewolf woman. She eyed him, but smiled. "Has he been kicking and screaming all the way from town?"

"Pretty much," Clay growled yanking the human by the scruff. "Knock it off he threatened. That brought all of Braidon's caterwauling to a halt in a hurry. He looked over to Verayne and asked, "How on Earth did you ever date something like this, little sister?"

Verayne shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine." She replied setting her eyes on Braidon. "You should have left when you had the chance." Beside her Nick slid his arm around her waist, his hand resting possessively on her hip.

"Oh, I think he was too stupid and arrogant to run away." Elena snarled. She hated men who thought they could do whatever they wanted to a woman. Men like Braidon thought women were possessions; bought and used for their own personal delight or torment.

"You're definitely right about that sister." Verayne looked at Elena, warmth radiating in her gaze that matched the same welcoming warmth in Elena's. Family was everything. This family was hers and she wasn't going to let anyone harm it.

"Sister?" Braidon looked at the tall sandy haired man and then over to Verayne. "You had no siblings when I knew you."

"My brother, Clay, and that's his wife, Elena. You'll meet my father soon enough." Verayne had this odd sense of finality settling over her. This moment her past came to a close and she would no longer be the hunted pathetic animal she had been. Tonight she was the wolf that had been bred into her bones. She would run free with her pack, with her family.