Mackenzie hadn't slept, the shock of Leland bringing her Tatum the night before had kept her awake all night. She was worried, from the way Tatum had described what had attacked her it sounded like there was a monster on the loose. She didn't want to jump to conclusions, her training was helping her keep a cool head. It was impossible that Tatum was actually attacked by a werewolf, right? It was dark, and she was scared, it could have just been an rabid animal that was looking for anything to eat. Tatum was small, anything must look like a large animal to her. Leland had seen it too though, had fought it off. She was incredibly thankful that her friend had been there when he had. She couldn't bare to think about what might have happened otherwise.

It was early morning still, she had watched the darkness of her room turn to grey as Tatum lay asleep in her arms. She had decided that sleeping wasn't going to happen, and if that was the case, then she needed to get some coffee. Tatum had always been partial to the cream puffs at the little coffee shop in town anyway and she was sure the girl could use a little pick me up. She had carefully extracted herself from the bed, leaving a note and making sure Tatum was tucked in soundly before making her way down to the parking lot.

She had only glanced down at her phone for a second. She had been about to text Kia and ask her to be on call while she took the twenty minute trip away from her girlfriend. All of a sudden, collided with another body and fell back onto her butt as she tripped over her own feet. She let out a few colorful swears before looking up to see exactly who she had run into. What she saw made her swear again and cover her eyes quickly.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph! What the fuck?" she screeched, turning beet red. In front of her was a bleeding, extremely naked Sam Ruiz. "Sam! Put that shit away! Fucking...Why? Oh god, I can't un-see it!"

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Sam hadn't been paying much attention to anything, he just wanted to get back to his room, shower, and sleep. Fuck classes. Anyone who had ever been hit by a truck would understand not wanting to go to class. When he collided with another body, a shock rolled through him and he didn't even have the thought to cover himself until Mack was screaming at him. "Fuck Mackenzie!" he yelled finally moving his hands to cover his lower extremities. "What the fuck are you doing awake this early?!"

Obviously this was her fault. Anyone else would be still sleeping or rolling over to hit snooze on their alarm clocks.

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Mackenzie was still shielding her eyes with her hands as Sam accused her of being awake to early. Their last encounter had been the homecoming dance, where Mack had drunkenly threatened him and tried to fight him. It wasn't exactly the best basis for meeting again, exactly under these circumstances. She glared at him through her hands. "What the fuck am I doing awake this early?"

She got back onto her feet and peeked out from her fingers to see if Sam was decent again. When she was assured his goods were covered, she dropped her hand from her face and crossed her arms. "I could ask you the same question, punk." She narrowed her eyes at him. "But first, I'm going to ask you the obvious question here. What the fuck are you doing out this early naked?" she looked up at the cut on his face as well, "and injured?"

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Sam had been hoping to get on better terms with Mackenzie, she was his best friend's girlfriend and he didn't want any bad blood between them. This was obviously not the fastest way to her heart. He could feel his whole body turning red under her questioning despite the fact that she was shielding her eyes for the most part.

His mind went blank. What the fuck could he say to make this seem even vaguely reasonable. "Uh... nothin'. I aint doin' nothin'. Just tryin' to get back to my room... injured?" Right. The fucking cut on his face and neck that stung like hell and hadn't healed up yet.

He must have gotten hit by some other magical creature or something because he could not remember the last time a cut or scrap from something mundane hadn't healed within seconds. "I... fell," he said awkwardly.

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Mackenzie raised an eyebrow at him, "So, being naked in the parking lot is nothing, huh?" She could let him get away with his little excuse, just accept it and let him run off. She probably would have too, if it hadn't been for the cut. The whole situation was just too strange for her.

"So let me get this straight," she started slowly. She eyed him warily, a frown on her face. "You went wandering off to god knows where, naked. Then you fell, and got that kind of a cut. From falling." She tapped her chin in thought, "Unless, you were wearing clothes and somehow lost them during your travels. Which is weirder, if you ask me."

"So, which one is it?" She asked, fixing him with a look that made it clear she wasn't going anywhere.

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"Uh... the... the first one!" he knew he wasn't going to get out of this one. He was totally screwed. He had to come up with something quick before she figured him out. "I uh... I have a secret... and I can't tell you otherwise it wouldn't be a secret but if you knew... if you knew it would totally make sense and not be weird."

Yeah. Good work ace, that was totally believable. He would have slapped himself had he the spare hand to do so. "And yeah... I fell... into a.. a branch?" he said questioningly. He had to tone it down if he was going to play it off right. Being a spaz was not helping.

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"So, you wandered out of your room naked?" she asked, both eyebrows raising now. "Then you fell into a branch." She tried to stifle a snicker. It was possibly the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. Her sleep deprivation wasn't helping her either. In fact, it was possibly making the whole ordeal more entertaining. Especially the part about his secret.

"Oh! You have a secret, do you?" She asked, cracking into an evil grin. This was turning out to be easier than she thought. "So...you're gay? You wandered into the forest, naked, to meet your secret gay lover. You must like it rough from the size of that cut, dude. That's some kinky shit Sam the man."

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"Uh yup," he said. He knew it sounds stupid. It was completely ridiculous!

And then that. "Hey! I aint gay! Not that I have a problem with it or anything you know.. you love who you love and whatever man but I aint gay!" Fuck, why did he have to say secret, thinking back on it he could totally see why she would think he was talking about being gay. "Fuck Mack that's real fucked up!"

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"What?! It's okay little Sammagram!" Mackenzie couldn't help but snicker at the boys obvious distress. She knew that it probably wasn't his actual secret, but if she pushed him enough she knew he would tell her. "I won't judge ya! You are who you are bro!"

She smirked, "I won't tell Tate about your kinky little sex life either! I'm here for you Sam the clam. Now, what's the lucky boy's name? Hm?"

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"There's no name because there's no boy! I aint gay!" he was totally stressing out. "Damn it Mack I aint got a kinky sex life er nothin!" he yelled. "It's another kind of secret that aint got nothin' to do with fuckin' other dudes!"

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"Woah!!" She soothed, holding up her hands in defense. "Calm down Samma-slamma! You ain't gotta blow up at me! I know it's hard to accept, but I love ya man!"

She leaned forward and patted him on the head gently, trying to ignore the fact that he was still naked. "Denying it will only hurt you in the end little buddy. You best just let it all out, um, metaphorically speaking." Her eyes flicked down to his hands for a split second, and she made a slight face of discomfort. "So we can like, stand here and talk about how not gay you are. Or, you can just tell me the truth little Spammy Sammy."

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"I aint gotta tell you nothin' bout the truth," he stammered nervously. "Aint nothin' I can help..." Fuck that was unhelpful too. He needed to just... think something up and say it and stick to it.

It came to him like a sudden stroke of genius despite how insane it sounded. "Look, I'm... god damn it I'ma nudist!"

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Mackenzie burst out laughing as Sam told her he was a nudist. It was too much for the blonde girl and she doubled over, clutching at her stomach. It took her several moments to calm down enough to stand up again. She wiped a few tears from her eyes and eyed the boy with interest.

"You're a nudist?" She asked, still snickering lightly. "Does Tatum know? 'Cause that's fuckin' hilarious kid! How'd she react when she found out? Oh man I bet her face was priceless!" She started laughing again, her hand over her mouth. "She's like, terrified of...well...you know, things like Little Sam."

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He wondered if she actually believed him. "Uh yeah, yeah I'm a nudist. But no one knows. See... I like to run around all free an' stuff but... uh... I don't wanna be judged. So... I do it in the morning when no one is around," he lied. "Usually," he said, his eyebrows furrowing.

"She aint never seen me all naked an' stuff," he flushed even redder, feeling completely exposed, like she might be able to see right through him. "Hey, it aint funny! People have... unique lifestyles!"

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"Hey Sammo, chill," she soothed, shrugging her shoulders. She wasn't done harassing him by a long shot. She figured if she pretended to back off, she might be able to catch him off guard. "If y'all like running around naked, who am I to judge."

She smirked and pulled out a cigarette, taking her sweet time lighting it before examining the boy in front of her. He looked dirty, too dirty for someone who had just gone out to wander around naked. The origin of the cut still bothered her as well, it was too deep. She puffed on her cigarette thoughtfully as she gave him the once over.

"So, Samabama, how long do you usually go do your little...nudist thing in the woods? You go out there a lot, right? To smoke and...well I guess be nude?" Her best bet was still the gay lover theory, to be honest. Even though she knew that it probably wasn't true. There was something suspicious going on though, and she would find out. One way or another.

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He watched her carefully. "Early mornin' run," he lied when she asked about how long he ran around. "I... I try not to go out too much at school. Usually just a few days when I just can't help myself."

"I don't smoke though," he said shaking his head. "Just... run and... stuff." Like hunting other animals...

"Look, Tate can't know..."

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Mackenzie's grin possibly rivaled the Grinch's. "Oh, Tate can't know? Pray tell Sambellina, why can't I tell my adorable little muffin head that you go for runs in the nude?"

She had him exactly where she wanted him now. "You see, something big attacked her last night. Luckily, Leland was there to save her. She's extremely distraught though, you know what a little ball of anxiety she is. I think she could use a pick me up, don't you?" She teased, raising an eyebrow. "You haven't seen anything, suspicious on your little run now, have you?"

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His eyes grew big. "She was attacked last night?" his heart dropped to his stomach. "Wh-wh-wh-what was it?" he stammered dumbfounded even though a little bit of him felt guilt, a guilt that he was responsible.

"Did she get hurt? Did it hurt her?" he panicked. If he had done something to Tatum he would never forgive himself.

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She was honestly surprised at Sam's reaction to Tatum being attacked. Sure, they were best friends, and she knew if Hunter was injured she would be devastated. It was only in passing however, and in Mack's mind, it was strange that he was so interested in the well being of her girlfriend.

"Yeah," she said slowly. Her eyes were narrowed suspiciously at the boy. "She's fine Sam, just a little shaken up. Lee said it looked like a big wolf." She crossed her arms and frowned. "Why do you ask? You look awfully nervous for just a nudist."

She stepped forward, drawing herself up to her full height. "Is there something you'd like to share with the whole class Sammie?"

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"Oh god," he stepped away from her, trying to put as much space between them as possible. He turned his eyes downward, searching for something, anything.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Little flashes of the night before flicked into his memory. The taste of blood. Tatum screaming. He shook violently but only for a moment. "A fuckin..." his voice was shaking. "A fuckin wolf..." He muttered to himself. "What the fuck did I..."

He shook his head. "How would you feel if your best friend got attacked?" he asked defensively, realizing he was acting strange.

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Mackenzie watched as the boy shrank away from her, observing his reaction to the news. He was muttering something that Mackenzie couldn't quite catch. Mack didn't want to admit it, but he was acting guilty. It was enough to put her on alert, and she could feel herself shift into auror mode. It was usually reserved for her classes and missions but this was starting to make her uneasy.

Getting in the boys face, she poked at his chest, provoking him. "My girlfriend got attacked, don't act like that doesn't mean something to me, punk. I will figure out what is going on around here."

She fixed him with a cold glare, "Now, I'm going to ask you one more time, because I am not as stupid as you wish I was. Is there something you would like to tell me? Or am I going to have to start drawing conclusions of my own?" She tapped at her chin, taking a step back. "Let's see, my girlfriend gets attacked by an over sized animal. She thinks it looks like a wolf. Granted, she was upset at the time and small, so it could have been anything. The next morning, I find you naked in the parking lot with a suspicious cut. It looks bad, but hey, it could have totally been a branch."

Mackenzie quickly stepped forward and shoved Sam up against a near by car, pinning him with her arm. "You don't think I know signs when I see them? Maybe I ain't the most qualified Auror, sure, I'm only a second year in university. I am near the top of my class however, Sampson. I did take an extensive course on magical creatures and how to find them."

She leaned in, fire in her eyes. "Don't. Try. And. Fuck. With. Me." She carefully enunciated each word, her voice calm but dangerous.

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He couldn't bring himself to look at her, not full on even as she pinned him against the car. He was breathing heavily through his nostrils and trying not to panic. He tried to play stoic but he just broke down. "I'm not trying to fuck with you..."

"I would never hurt her, I would never hurt anyone," he said breathlessly. "You have to understand..."

The guilt overwhelmed him and his temper flared. "I didn't ask for this fuckin thing okay? An' I never got out before... last night... it was a fluke, a fuckin' fluke!"

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"Yeah," Mack roared in his face. "A fucking fluke that almost got my girlfriend killed!" She pushed herself away from the naked boy, pacing back and forth in front of him. She was muttering angrily about accidents and stupid mistakes, all the while shooting glares at him.

Finally, she seemed to calm down enough to address him again. "What are you," she demanded.

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His eyes burned with tears, his stomach wrenching with guilt. He felt sick. "You don't even know how much I hate myself," he said through clenched teeth.

"I'm a fucking monster," he whispered. "Just... just fucking turn me into the aurors," he said defeated, using one arm to wipe the tears from his cheeks. "I thought I could control this but obviously I can't. I don't wanna hurt no one."

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Mack could feel all of her anger drain out of her, instantly feeling awkward as Sam started crying. She hadn't intended to make him cry, she hadn't even intended to let it go this far. Now she had a crying boy on her hands, which was almost worse than a crying girl.

"H-hey man, you ain't...you ain't a monster," she said. She took a timid step forward and placed an awkward hand on his shoulder, patting it. "I won't turn you in. Hell, I don't even know what y'all are. But you and I are gonna have a little talk about this. Deal?"

She gave him a weak smile, and took off her over sized zip up hoodie. She thrust it at him, offering it as the only thing she could really do so he wasn't so damn naked. "You don't gotta go through it alone Sam, just like how Tate didn't have to go through coming out alone. I...I'll help ya if you like, especially if it means keeping the campus safe."

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"But I am..." he said weakly. He still wouldn't look her in the face, just kept looking to the side until she thrust her hoodie at him. He took the hoodie and wrapped it around his waist, thankful to be covering at least his front half. "Thanks," he muttered.

He nodded, running his hands through his hair. He pointed to the scars on his chest. "I got five more on my back just like these a few years ago. A monster... a werewolf. It tried to rip my family apart. It killed my brother and scratched me and my dad up real good. Now every full moon... we turn into fucking giant wolves. Usually I take wolf's bane potion and lock myself up in the basement under King's Hall."

There was like a weight of relief lifted from his chest. He reached over awkwardly and put his hand on Mackenzie shoulder. "I never thought you'd be the first person I'd tell about this. It's been my secret for three years now man..." he said quietly. It was sort of surreal to be saying it aloud.

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While not entirely surprised, Mackenzie was shocked by Sam's story. She had no idea that the poor boy had to go through that kind of thing. It was the kind of shit you would read about in the news paper, but you would never know personally. She stepped forward and gave him an awkward hug, patting him on the back gently.

"I honestly never thought I'd be the one hearing it from you kid," she said, giving him a reassuring smile. "I was serious about what I said before though, you don't gotta do this alone. I won't tell Tate about it, I know that's somethin you gotta do on your own time. I'm here for you though. Anything you need, I'll do my best to help you with."

She sighed, and rubbed at her face. This was getting to be an exhausting chain of events. "Hey, you...like...uh, hungry or anything? I was going to run into town for coffee and sweets for Tatum. If you wanted to tag along, I wouldn't mind the company?" She paused for a moment before smirking slightly. "After you get dressed, of course. You might be a nudist Fido but I don't think the poor old lady at the coffee shop would care for it much."

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He hugged her back tightly, forgetting momentarily that he was rather naked. "Thanks," he said lightly. He didn't know what else to say. What could you say to someone who took the loneliness of something like this? "I think I'm going to need the help..." he admitted. "And someone to like... talk to about it," he rubbed his hair again when she stepped back.

His stomach was rumbling and he was exhausted and cold. Nothing a few sweets wouldn't fix though. He flushed entirely red at that though and nodded. "Yeah, yeah I could go for some warm coffee and breakfast," he smirked. "And pants."

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Mackenzie just smiled at him and ruffled his hair. It was weird, offering to help someone she had identified as the enemy only a few months prior. She understood how he felt though, feeling hopelessly alone. If she hadn't had Hunter, then Mackenzie was positive that she would have felt the same way he did. "You don't gotta thank me," she said, embarrassed. "You can come to me, like, anytime pup. I can't say that I'm really good at talking about my feelings or anything like that, but I'll listen. I'll do my best to try and help you."

"Well go put your dang clothes on, Cujo and we'll get some grub. Tatum shouldn't be awake for a while anyway. I, for one, am starving." She grinned at him. "We could be like the Marauders, you and I. Be pretty cool."

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"I aint real good at it either," he admitted. "Hence the three year silence," he grinned slightly. How had Mackenzie Dubinsky suddenly become his bro? He swore his life couldn't get much weirder.

"Right, sorry," he blushed again, smiling. "Shit dude that would be so boss," he nodded. "We could get into all sorts of shenanigans. And maybe... maybe when i'm ready to tell Tate she can join us in her animagus form," he said excitedly. "Alright dude, give me like five minutes," his stomach grumbled again.

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"Hey, just...don't like, shut me out or anything gay like that, got it?" She said awkwardly. As if she was one to talk about shutting people out. It wouldn't do any good if Sam did though, especially due to his condition. "I ain't gonna stand for shit like that, I gotta protect what's mine, ya know?"

She grinned back, excited at the prospect of having a little secret group. "We'll ask Tatum once you tell her, sound good? She's all kinds of cute in that little bird form."

Nodding she rubbed at her own stomach as it rumbled. "Quickly young padawan! Your master is ready to eat a cow!" She shooed him towards his dorm to get dressed impatiently.

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"Got it," he nodded once. Keeping quiet about everything that bothered him had become a specialty of his. He was relieved to finally have someone to talk to about everything. It might help with the transformations and the wild wolf behavior. He just hoped to never hurt anyone else.

"Yeah, definitely sounds good," he nodded. "Ovenbird," he grinned. "And she can fly off if I get to be too much," he was somewhat relieved at that. A flash of her terrified face came into his mind and he had to close his eyes and shake it off.

He scooted back toward the building, walking backward so that she didn't get the full moon. He couldn't help but laugh and fall further into their budding bromance when she made a star wars reference. "As you wish jedi master!" he hurried up to his room, which, to his dismay was completely dismantled, the door still slightly open.

"The fuck?" he asked himself, stepping into the mess. Another quick flash of his memory, he had been looking for wolf's bane potion last night and found it too late. Sighing, he tip toed through the mess and picked up a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, they smelled clean and looked relatively well enough. Finding two matching shoes was a little bit trickier but he managed to grab two Converse sneakers (albeit they didn't match). He practically ran down the stairs and joined Mack in the parking lot again, feeling a little more comfortable now that he was fully dressed but his body was sore as hell from the night before. "Breakfast is on me," he said. "I caused unnecessary duress," he was a bit shame faced.

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