Waiting, waiting, waiting.

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It was a miracle they hadn’t ended up in the hospital themselves, with the way Mack had driven. She had been able to hold it together well enough, just some yelling at Hunter so far. She didn’t know if she could once she saw Tatum however, the younger girl had quickly become the most important thing in her life. She couldn’t imagine living in a world without her; it tore at her heart every time she thought about it. Waking up to the redhead tucked safely at her side, their legs and arms entwined had become routine. What would she do if she had to wake up alone now? They had done so much work on the apartment already. She didn’t think she could move into the room she was decorating for them if Tatum didn’t make it. It would only remind her every day of what she had lost.

Not bothering to wait for Hunter she had run into the emergency rooms lobby to find Michi, nearly losing it once the girl told her what had happened. Now they were just waiting, Mack sitting silently chewing on her lip as the tv droned on in the background. Hunter had stayed with her while Michi had gone off to use the restroom and get warm drinks for everyone. No one else had arrived yet, and Mack was thankful for that. She didn’t want to be around anyone right now, Hunter excluded. She just wanted to see Tatum.

Letting out an angry growl, Mack stood up suddenly and turned to punch the wall behind them with as much force as she possibly could. She didn’t do well with these kinds of feelings, and anger was her only outlet. “Fuck!” She yelled, pummeling the wall again.

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Hunter had been sitting in a corner seat, legs folded and phone in her lap, absently texting Sera while the younger girl informed her that she and Leland were on the way. Mack would be happy to hear that, but as she looked up to inform her friend, she was just in time to see her friend putting her fist into the nearby wall. "Hey! Whoa!" Hunter cried, jumping out of her seat and moving over to where the shorter blonde was, catching her arm in midst of a punch and holding it. Michi had been very strict on telling her to make sure that they didn't get kicked out, this was an important time to behave, and Mack was getting some stares for the violence against inanimate objects.

"Don't be a cunt," she growled, glancing in the direction that Michi had gone to get their drinks. She could kill for that coffee right now, it was going to be a long ass night, even if she was going to have Eddie to keep her amused. Still, she was worried about her girlfriend as well as Mack's, she was unimpressed by the fact that the younger girl had gone ahead and lifted Tatum. It was a lot of weight to be throwing around when she was due in May, even with adrenaline probably working on her side. She didn't know for sure if she believed Michi that she was fine, and she was terrified that the stress and lifting would cause something horrible to happen to her girlfriend or their son. She was no doctor, but she wished someone who was would look at the other girl sooner.

To be quite honest, it was a little out of line she knew, but she was a little jealous that no one had taken the first move yet to make sure Michi was doing fine. Even if she said she was, Hunter was more than a bit pissed that no doctor had come forward to make sure. Pregnant girls weren't supposed to be hoisting ninety pounds of people into their cards in their third trimester. "You better get a hold on yourself, 'fore I put one on you. Everybody here got a lot on their mind," she grunted.

She was a bit sour about their night together being ruined as well, both with girlfriends and lives, it seemed like they never got to just hang out lately. Things were gone to shit now, the night was done, and she had a whole lot of worry and concern and feelings that she hated dealing with.

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Mack yanked her fist out of Hunter's grasp and glowered at the taller girl. It was unusual for the two of them to really express their feelings, but it was even more unusual for Hunter to respond like that when Mack needed her. She might have started a fight with her just to let the girl burn off some steam, but there was a lot more weight behind those words than just a play fight. Everything was going horribly down hill now though and Mack needed her best friend to be there for her. Hunter sounded genuinely angry however, and that only sent Mack over the edge more. Ever since Michi had gotten pregnant Hunter had suddenly become a wet blanket about everything. Between her lack of actual friend time and the events of tonight, Mack had a lot of pent up feelings.

Mack growled slightly, giving the taller girl a small shove. "Fuck you," she grumbled, plopping back down in her chair with her arms crossed. "My goddamn girlfriend might fucking die!" It was horrible, and deep down she knew it, but she was angry that Tatum was the one in the emergency room. It wasn't fair that Tatum had to go through so much, that they had to go through so many things to be together. She loved Hunter and Michi to death, but she was tired of them getting to have the picture perfect relationship, even despite all the bumps.

"Last I checked, you're girl was fine. So stop actin' like ya'll got so much god damn shit on your mind! Her life is going to be fucking changed forever!" Her voice grew steadily louder as she snapped at the other girl. "Our lives are going to be changed forever! Everything!" She was back on her feet now, getting in Hunter's face. "If she lives. I could lose her!"

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When Sera received Michi's text, she had just started to settle into bed for the night. She'd been propped up against her headboard, trying to get through her Arithmancy assignment but she'd mostly just been dozing off. Buzzing next to her bed from her phone brought her to though, she definitely hadn't expected it to be Michi, and certainly not from the hospital. She had honestly been expecting Jenny, telling her good night or something. Reading the text though, she jumped up quickly, pacing briefly and looking a bit lost. "Keys!" she decided, grabbing the her keys from the top of her desk. She didn't bother to change, just throwing on a sweater over her pajamas.

Her first thought, at least until she got Michi's second text, had been that something was wrong with the baby. Tatum getting hurt had been the very last thing she had was expecting to hear, and by a wolf. Just a wolf. Something about it didn't sit right with her, but her real concern was still getting to the hospital. Michi had said it was bad, and frankly she didn't know what she would do if something happened to Tatum, especially before she got there to be with her.

They may not have got along all of the time, but she was still her sister, they weren't exactly the type of people who would tell each other often but she loved her. Most of the time lately, Tatum felt like the only family she had left. She had her mother, of course, but she couldn't help but feel a little bit like Madeline still sided with her father, even if not outwardly. She hadn't exactly fought to get Tatum back in the house. She just couldn't lose her sister, she knew she was younger but she couldn't help but feel responsible for the other girl.

She doubted she could have done anything to stop it, what happened to Tatum, not just the attack but everything. Tatum was her responsibility now, they were kind of each others responsibility. Tatum might disagree, but now more than ever with them both out on their own, Sera felt they needed to look after each other. Their parents still needed to know though, of course they did, even if her father was pissed. Wouldn't he still want to know if one of his children was injured? She was still his daughter.

Immediately after leaving her room, Sera called Leland, already on her way to the parking lot. She doubted she'd be able to drive herself, not with the way she was shaking, she was still a novice driver as it was. She basically told the older boy to apparate and meet her at the campus parking lot as fast as he possibly could, and continued on her way there. He'd probably have to bring Eddie, she felt sort of bad for probably waking them up, but there would be plenty of people at the hospital to take turns looking after her, and the little girl was always a good distraction for Hunter anyway. They had very similar mentalities.

She began to cross the parking lot, trying to ignore the mess of what she was sure had to be her sister's blood on the ground near some other cars. There was a lot of it, more than she had ever seen, and she felt her stomach turning as she kept walking as fast as she could. She was crying almost uncontrollably by the time she met up with Leland, it had been a miracle that he had been able to understand her on the phone at all, and she was crying much worse now. But there he was, she knew she could count on him.

Still sobbing, she tossed her keys over to him and took Eddie, helping to buckle her into the booster seat in her backseat. It was lucky there was still one in there from the last time that they had gone into town together. She tried to get herself under control, not wanting to upset the little girl, but she didn't think this would be the last crying that she'd have to see tonight. Things were bleak. Getting into the passenger seat, she sniffled. "Just hurry," she told Le. "Speed if you have to, just.. I don't care, just get there."

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Eddie had been in bed for a while now and Leland had just gotten to sleep himself with a wand core manual laying open on his chest when the phone rang. He almost rolled over on the couch and ignored it but seeing the caller ID he thought twice and answered. He had barely understood Sera but from what he got was that she needed him and that Tatum was in trouble. The phone call woke him up with a jolt, his hair was standing on end, he felt guilt creeping into his stomach like it was somehow his fault.

Quickly he ran through the apartment to get Eddie. He knew Sera would understand he couldn't leave her there by herself and at the very least kids were a comfort when the world was going to shit. He picked her up gently and held her close to his chest. "We have to go visit Auntie Sera okay baby," he cooed as she started fussing.

"Daddy," she whined. "Moosey..."

"I'll bring Moosey too," he grabbed the Moose out of her crib. Then apparated to the school parking lot. He walked toward Sera's car to wait for her, the faster they got there the better, he was only waiting a few moments before he spotted her. While she was buckling Sera into the booster seat he got the car started and buckled in. As soon as Sera was buckled he took off, driving faster than he ever would with Eddie in the car, but he knew it was important that they get there.

He reached over and took her hand, a small comfort. "I'm gonna get you there," he said gently as the sped down the nearly empty road toward the hospital. It was the only reassuring thing he could stomach to say. "What happened?" he braved to ask after a few minutes.

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When Leland reached over and took Sera's hand, she turned to her friend offering just a weak smile. It really was calming, even if she could still feel herself shaking. She just couldn't stop thinking about her sister, but mostly all the blood she'd seen in the parking lot. Tatum didn't even technically weigh enough to be allowed to give blood at the blood bank, let alone lose that much of it. She couldn't shake the sinking feeling in her stomach, or the nausea that was still accompanying it.

"Tatum was attacked.. just by a wolf, Michi said," Sera began with, sniffling a bit when she first spoke. "They don't just do that, do they? It must have been something else, right Le? Did you see all the blood back there?" She lowered her voice down a bit, so Eddie couldn't hear from the backseat, if she was even paying attention.

Sera really hadn't realized how fast they were driving until they finally passed another lone car on the street. She jumped a bit as they passed it, squeezing Leland's hand. "Maybe slow down just a bit.. i-it's just really dark and no one else needs to get hurt tonight." She tried to her best to smile looking over at him. "Seriously thanks though, I don't know what I'd do without you right now. I owe you so much."

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His grip on the wheel tightened as he listened to Sera's explanation of what had happened to the little red head. He realized for the first time that he was shaking but holding Sera's hand "Wolves don't just attack," he said darkly. "But the fuckin thing I pushed off her last full moon did. It-" he sighed, shaking his head. "It was a fuckin were and it had her scent. Them damn things don't back down from a hunt. I fuckin told here not to go out into the woods alone," he pursed his lips. Not for the first time he felt like he could have prevented something bad from happening.

He took a deep breath. "We're gonna do whatever it takes to help her get out of this thing okay?" he tried to reassure her. H e knew it was looking pretty grim if he was right though. At the best she'd be a lovable house trained ginger wolf once a month, at the worst she'd be an insatiably hungry.

"Sorry," he said quietly. He was sorry for it all really. He eased on the gas pedal as soon as Sera asked, not having noticed how hard his foot was pressed down. He slipped into a slower but still speedy pace, racing down the road. "You don't owe me nothing little sis," he said gently. "We family, we gotta take care of our own."

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For the first time, Sera realized that Le's hand was shaking as well. In all of the time that she had known him, she had never known him to be the type to be easily scared. Whatever he was about to say was not going to be good, Sera could just tell. She turned to him while she listened. Werewolf? That just couldn't be. That would mean Tatum was going to be a werewolf, too.

She pulled her hand away from Leland's, covering her face. It was a lot to take in, she was already on the verge of breaking down as it was. If she had known there was something out there, a werewolf, why the fuck had she gone out there? Some part of her wanted to yell at Tatum as soon as she got there about being so completely stupid and foolish. What was that going to do at this point? If Le was right, then what was done was done now. Even after her cuts healed up, her life would never be the same again. She highly doubted he could be wrong, the full moon was too convenient, no matter what she tried to tell herself or how much she avoided looking at it.

"Le, it can't be.. it just can't be, you know what that means-- not to mention the size of them," she gasped. "How big was the one you saw last month?" she asked, but kept her face covered. She really wasn't sure she wanted to know, in fact she was pretty sure that she didn't. Her stomach felt like it couldn't sink any lower, and she really thought she was going to be sick.

Sera had never seen a werewolf in person before, not in real life, but she had learned and read enough about them to know all that she really needed to. They were huge and extremely vicious. Tatum was barely even ninety pounds, and that would be soaking wet. She was really lucky to be alive at all against something like that.

When Leland slowed down the car a bit, Sera relaxed somewhat but just barely. Reaching over, she took Le's hand again. "Thanks," she offered with a weak smile. She wanted to say something else but she wasn't exactly sure what. Family or not, she owed him really more than he could ever know. She knew she'd have been losing her mind with fear if she had to be alone right now. "For everything," she added. "Just being here tonight, telling me about the wolf.. saving her last time. Why would she go back out there?" she asked. "If she knew, why would she go back out there by herself.."

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He didn't want it to be true but there was a nagging sense that he was right about this. When he heard her speak again though, he instantly regretted how he had said it. He hadn't thought about softening the blow. Fuck he hated this. There were so many things to deal with. He didn't know how much longer his brave face would last with the way Sera was crying.

"I know, but we'll take this day by day," he said quietly. He didn't know if he wanted to tell her the truth about the wolf but he sure as hell couldn't lie to her, not little sis. He nodded. "This thing wasn't no pup. At least two and a half - three times her size," his voice was almost fragile when he said it.

He was glad to have her hand in his again though, it was calming and reassuring. "Any time," he didn't really didn't know what to say, he had never been good with words. "I'm here for you no matter what kid." As for her question, he had no idea why Tatum would go out when she knew there was danger out there. He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know what she was thinking. She probably wasn't even with it," he shook his head. "I shoulda reminded her er somethin," he grumbled.

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It was still dark outside, probably another hour or so before the sun would actually come up, when Tatum woke up, sitting bolt upright in a rather uncomfortable hospital chair. Whatever room she was in, it smelled way too clean and sanitized and just.. medical. She might have been in pre-med, but she liked to think no one enjoyed that hospital smell that always hung around. There was a faint steady beeping, and some other noises from machines around the room, distracting her.

What had she been dreaming out? She couldn't put her finger on it. When she began to look around the room, however, the redhead quickly realized that she had to still be dreaming, or something else was wrong. She felt fine, never better. But she wasn't the only Tatum in the room. Lying in the bed in the middle, hooked up to all of those annoying machines, was a much more haggard version of herself.

She was glad that of body experiences seemed to be painless, because she looked like shit in that bed, like she had a much rougher night. Which was true, of course, as she began to remember everything that went on the previous evening. The wolf, coming to the hospital..

Tatum reached out a hand as she stepped closer to her own bedside, tentatively trying to poke at one of the bandages on her own face. She jumped a little when her hand just kept going, slipping through herself like water. "H-Holy shit," she managed to get out. "I-I'm dead, I'm actually.. I-I'm done," she decided.

What other explanation was there!? Who else could stand outside their own body and put their hands through things. Turning, she tried to pick up a glass of juice from the side table, her hand going right through that too. Her eyes widened, and she tried to turn to face her body again, when she noticed another slightly more familiar figure standing across from her, on the other side of the bed. Now she was sure that she was dead. "F-Frankie?" she managed to sputter out.

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Frankie had been doing her usual daily activities around the afterlife when it was all rudely interrupted by someone calling her name. When Tatum had started losing that much blood she had called for her, and she wasn't about to ignore her and had decided to check it out. Which she had been doing most of the night, just flitting in and out and watching the red head with curiosity.

"Not quite dead" she remarked quietly, cigarette dangling from her fingers as usual and she puzzled a little, her eyes not leaving the Tatum in the bed. "My guess is an out of both experience. You might be close though" she said a little hopefully as she stooped to peer in the unconscious girl's face.

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It had to be some kind of dream or hallucination or something, but she couldn't deny the distinct skip in her pulse when Frankie spoke to her. Assuming she even still had a pulse at that point. She wasn't exactly relieved by the other girl's words, and she had to stop herself staring, turning to examine herself as well.

She wasn't looking forward to waking up, if this was how she looked. She was tore up, no doubt about that. "I-If I'm not dead t-then," she hesitated for a moment, glancing at the brunette before looking away, attempting just to prod at her own unconscious face again instead. "W-Why did you come?"

There were about a hundred more questions she wanted to ask, things she needed to say, especially since if Frankie was right and she wasn't officially dead, she didn't know how much time she was going to have here in this sort of dream world. But, just like when she had been alive, Tatum struggled to find the right words, any words, to express herself. "S-Sorry. And s-stuff," she settled on simply.

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Tatum really was a mess, why was she going out alone? How did such an unassuming person always end up in the middle of such chaos? Frankie looked up at Tatum when she questioned her. "You asked for me" she shrugged, as if it was obvious, as if dead people always appeared when you asked after them.

Frankie took a drag of the cigarette before stubbing it out on the hospital nightstand and folding her arms across her chest. She had a faint smile on her lips. "That's okay. I like it here" she said honestly.

"I was watching you after the attack" she carried on. "I didn't think you would make it as far as you did. Pretty impressive. You got something to live for, or something?" She was grinning fully now, as confusing as ever.

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"Did I?" Tatum asked, still staring down at herself but lifting her head to watch Frankie crush out the smoke. She thought to say something, but she supposed it didn't really matter. When you were dead, you could pretty much butt out where ever, she figured. "I didn't.. uhm, I w-wasn't trying to bother you," she finished with.

Most of the attack was one blur, it all seemed to happen in the span for a few quick moments, and everything after that was patchy at best. She had yelled for everyone she could think of, and the dead girl was the only one who actually came. It was ironic, if nothing else. She frowned a little when the brunette stated that she didn't mind the afterlife, just letting it go. She didn't like her being here, but Tatum's opinion wouldn't change much. It didn't bring her back then, and it wasn't going to now.

She was slightly taken back at Frankie's question, and she looked up at her friend, staring at her closely for a second. Could you lie to ghosts? Didn't they know everything? She probably knew all about Mack, and for the first time in a long time, her feelings for the blonde made her feel incredibly guilty. "Y-Yeah.. sort of, I m-mean.. I already p-paid for school, so I m-might as well live," she offered weakly. "And I have.. a lot more f-friends now."

When it had been her and Frankie, that was all there had ever really been. They had spent every moment together, usually wasted in some way, but it had been nice. Not as nice as all of the friends she had now, but she missed it. If she did die, maybe she wouldn't be so sad. Drugs were probably free in the afterlife.

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A lot more friends now that Frankie was out of the picture, she meant. She supposed she had consumed a lot of the other girl's time, but at least they had fun together. Tatum never got mauled by wolves on Frankie's watch.

"Your new girlfriend isn't really taking care of you, is she?" Frankie cocked her head before lifting the bed covers up to peer at the rest of the damage Tatum had taken. She raised an eyebrow. "How come you could leave daddy for her but not for me?" Frankie had to admit, she had a lot of questions for the red head.

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Fidgeting somewhat uncomfortably as Frankie examined her, she managed to hold back a wince as she got a look at the bandages wrapped around what seemed like most of her torso. It was, again, making her feel less and less reassured about waking up. She could go back to where things were hard, where she had no family, and she was probably going to be in a lot of pain. Or she could just stay where she was, which was almost preferable.

Until Frankie started asking questions, making the redhead tense up all over in response. "S-She's not-- w-well, she is my.. and she's.. it's not her f-fault, it w-was me," she offered back weakly, not sure she was even answering the question. She was quite put on the spot, and it was easier said than done to come up with an answer. It wasn't Mack's fault at all, but Mack hadn't been there. When Frankie breached the subject of her dad, Tatum frowned.

She stared across the bed at the younger girl, pouting her lower lip out a little, her typical face when Frankie called her out. It had happened enough times while the girl was alive, she didn't know why she expected the dead version to be any different. Frankie rarely skirted around or minced words, it was part of what had made her so attractive. "I-It's not like that.. it j-just, happened, I guess. I didn't think.. well, I-I'm braver now.."

Trailing off, she chewed her lip a little. "I s-should have did it for you, I was-- I was j-just a pussy. I really.. I really like you. L-Liked you. W-Whatever. You know I did.. I still sort of.. w-well, it doesn't matter, does it? It's not like y-you waited for me, you just.. left m-me."

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Frankie's smile widened. She had missed Tatum's stumbling and stuttering, that was for. It was an endless source of amusement when she was alive. "You're braver now" Frankie echoed and nodded her head, a little pissed off to be honest. She was a million times better than that Mack bitch.

"I didn't leave you!" Frankie defended herself. Yes, she had flung herself out of her bedroom window and knew she was going to die when she hit the ground, but Tatum had always said she would follow her. "You never came after me! You always said if I did anything, you would too" she accused her with a hint of a pout. "So if you're braver now, get your coat and get a move on and come back with me" she said abruptly.

"

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He had already been to the hospital once this morning and then back to campus for his brief conversation with the headmaster before coming back to the hospital. He was worried this time that more people would be awake, that he would have to finally face Mack. They had just started hanging out, she was the only one who knew his secret beside family and the headmaster. He hated to loose their friendship before they really even had a chance to enjoy it but he was sure she would never forgive him for this.

"That was not such a bad ride as you said it would be," Ichirou said contentedly as he hopped out of Sam's old truck with a box full of breakfast pastries and a few coffees. He figured it would be a small comfort to those still in the waiting room.

Sam grinned at the headmaster and headed toward the hospital with him silently. An eerie quiet had spread over the entire place like the city itself was still in a sleepy daze. As they got closer, Sam spotted the familiar blonde locks. His chest felt cold but he forced himself to keep walking forward. "I'll see you inside headmaster," he said to Ichirou.

Ichirou nodded and skipped along, humming to himself while Sam meandered quietly toward Mack. He didn't even know what to say, sorry would never be enough, it didn't even cover how he felt. So he just stood there; devastated, lost, angry with himself, and scared.

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When Mack saw Sam pull up, she glared daggers at the boy. This was all his fault. He had as good as betrayed her, and she wasn't about to let it slide. She blew out a plume of smoke and stared at him as he stood in front of her.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here," she snapped, her glare narrowing. "What the fuck do you want, murderer?"

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It stung like hell. "I aint a murderer," he mumbled. Though she seemed to be the only one willing to admit it was his fault aside from him. "I needed to know that she was okay," he wanted to tell her that he had already been there but he was sure that would only get him hit faster... fuck it... maybe that's what he wanted.

"I had to be the one to tell her... so I came early when everyone was asleep. An'... an' you might not want me around her anymore but I gotta get her through this. I aint gonna let her go through this alone."

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"She shouldn't have to go through this at all!" She yelled at him. She hadn't had a chance to really unload her anger on Hunter earlier, it had really only made it worse. Out here though, there was no one to stop her. She hit Sam square across the jaw, feeling a slight stinging in her knuckles.

She shook her hand a little, pumping herself up to do it all again. "Don't you go near her you fucking monster!" She screamed hysterically, giving him a rough shove. She placed herself between him and the hospital doors. "I fucking trusted you Sam! I fucking trusted you to keep her safe!"

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He didn't even have a chance before she punched him across the jaw. It hurt, he felt his whole head move with the blow. "I know she shouldn't have to go through it. I never wanted this for anyone," and despite it all there was still a low growl in his voice, like he couldn't quite shake the wolf yet.

He cringed when she called him a monster and stumbled backward. He knew if he tried to speak he would just loose it. He knew he was a monster and Mack was the only one willing to confront him about it. He just took another step forward, his hands hanging uselessly at his sides. He wouldn't fight her back but he wasn't going to walk away from Tatum.

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She slugged him again, not as hard as the time before, but still enough to make her knuckles hurt. Mack hadn't realized it, but tears were streaming down her face. Even though the low growl in Sam's voice kind of scared her, she gave him another rough shove. She wouldn't back down.

"Fucking fight back!" She screamed at him hysterically. She punched him again, feeling more and more desperate by the second. "Doesn't this make you mad? C'mon, change! Rip me up like you did to her!"

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He took the hit just as he had taken the first one. Sam shook his head. He wasn't mad, he deserved it, he could feel blood running down his face, it wasn't nearly enough to make up for what he had done.

His fists tightened into balls at his sides, not in anger or frustration, not even in pain. He just needed to control every little thing. He had to maintain control, especially so close to the full moon cycle. He hadn't changed in the daylight yet but he knew it was possible when all the elements were right. "I won't," he said through clenched teeth. He stepped forward again.

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