I'm sure I don't have to reiterate that I have a natural inclination to choose to do the stupidest thing in any given moment. In all fairness, not once has it gotten me killed, and eventually, through a lot of wangling, I usually get the desired results.

I was hoping this would be one of those times.

As I'm surrounded by dozens of werewolves fighting, brutally and with no clear sense of what the hell is going on, I think, "Yea, the best course of action is to run straight into the middle of it all." Because, I mean, what else are you supposed to do?

So, taking my happy ass, I dodge flying werewolf after howling one, trying to make it to Cayton who, admittedly, is faring much better now. He's gained the upper hand on Joshua, but it's clearly because Joshua has a different target in mind. Meanwhile, I look around wildly to further assess the situation. I know there's a good mix of Midnight Fire wolves and Dusk Valley wolves, but even I know that we are outnumbered, and will certainly be overpowered if we stay longer. We're in their territory now—all their people are here.

My eyes search for matching yellow ones, and I spot Waylon looking around, frantic, the absence of a certain annoying cellmate suddenly catching his attention. One quick look shows me Neil is nowhere to be found. I huff, rolling my eyes. I should have expected that, but I guess Neil and I are even now. He's a free man.

A slight burning sensation on my back reminds me that Joshua may be after Roy, but he's still fighting Cayton. And frankly, I rather let Joshua take care of Roy, because Carter isn't doing too hot either.

So, between two snarling wolves, teeth bared and loud snarls echoing, I stand my ground. Genius, considering both were about to spring into another attack, but I made it with enough time for them to stop themselves. I hold my hands out between them, before directing my eyes to Cayton.

"Cayton, this isn't your fight," I say. He barks angrily, then snarls in Joshua's direction. He steps forward, but I put a hand on his neck to stop him. He looks at me, and I look at him, feeling something wash over me. Something close to anger, power, maybe even a little bit of dominance. "Cayton. Stop."

My voice comes out funny, like it suddenly is deeper, louder than before. Considering that I am panicking inside, my mental self running around in circles screaming and pulling her hair with both her hands, it shocks me, and I can tell it makes Cayton rear back too.

I look to Joshua, my hand firmly gripping the fur of Cayton's wolf. "Take care of Roy, the rest can be figured out later."

He looked at me, then to Cayton, lips pulling back over his teeth slightly, before he darted towards the fight between Carter and Roy. I knew this wasn't really Carter's fight either, but more so Bethany's. My main priority now was Cayton. Getting him to a place where levelheaded decisions could be made, and then he could stop Carter.

I watched as Joshua lunged at Roy, knocking into his side and causing them both to tumble. Carter wouldn't give up though, and followed the rolling mass of fur. You could see the Midnight Fire wolves all slowly stop, and I don't know what came over me because I suddenly yelled "Everyone, stop fighting NOW!" and every Dusk Valley wolf came to a screeching halt.

I kept a stern look on my face, but internally my mental self has ceased her running and is now smugly sitting on a throne, feeling powerful. I will totally be using this later on. Whatever "this" is.

Both groups of wolves are all staring around, confused, watching as Joshua and Roy fight, and Carter, looking more like a random trying to get in on the action, fight.

I look over to Bethany, who is still clutching her throat and looking terrified.

'Get inside his head, stop him. They're preoccupied with each other now, he's safe if he butts out for the moment,' I tell her. She looks up, reluctantly, and nods. Meanwhile, I drag Cayton to the side, towards Waylon, who has no clue what to do at this point, and ask him to grab some clothes for Cayton. He complies immediately.

I pull Cayton away, towards the side of the house for some privacy, and he, surprisingly, hardly resists. Once clear from most of the other's, I stand in front of him and wait for him to shift. He does, and Waylon comes back human and in shorts, a spare shirt and shorts in hand for Cayton. He takes them and puts them on.

Finally, he looks at me with wide eyes. "Whoa," is all he says.

I furrow my brow, confused. "What?" I ask. Slowly, a smirk creeps up on his face as he continues staring me down.

"I'm not surprised, but I didn't expect Luna Macy to make an appearance so suddenly," he says, and steps closer. "She's pretty hot, not gonna lie."

I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms. "Don't get used to her. She only comes around when someone," I uncross my arms and hit him upside the head, "is being stupid!"

He rubs his head where I slapped him, frowning. "Listen-"

"Oh no, mister, you're gonna listen to me-" and I lay into him. About everything. Blocking me out, charging into the fight, blocking me out. And because I'm on a roll, I throw in the times he's gone without putting his plate in the dishwasher, leaving his wet towels on the bathroom floor, that time he ate the last doughnut, blocking me out-

Waylon snickers from beside us, and both Cayton and I turn to him, remembering he was still listening to us. He stops laughing when we both look over, putting his hands behind his back and suddenly looking interested in the clouds.

Cayton and I face each other again, and he rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Is this what it feels like to be lectured?"

"Yea! Isn't so fun on the other side now is it?" I grumble.

He mumbles an incoherent response, and I turn my ear towards him, saying, "What was that? Come again?"

"Nothing, Princess," he says sweetly. I roll my eyes, before doing what I've been dying to do since I saw him after what feels like years, since Wolfette saw him in the flesh for the first time, and grabbed his shoulders to pull him in for a proper kiss. Wolfette hummed contentedly and I sighed too, happy to finally be back where I belong.

Of course, I had to cut things short because we were kind of in the middle of a werewolf feud and we were kind of responsible for one group. Even though I was perfectly happy to just stay like this, with his arms around my waist, bodies pressed together.

"Seriously though, don't block me out like that again or I have a fate worse than death planned for you," I smile sweetly, and pat his cheek before practically skipping away and heading back to the boxing ring. Cayton seems to have calmed down enough, surprisingly. That was the easiest it's ever been to calm the raging wolf.

"I can guess but is she always like that?" I hear Waylon ask Cayton as I'm walking away.

"What, able to rant for twenty minutes about a doughnut or be sweet but vaguely threatening?"

"Uh, both?"

"Well, she's definitely had her moments with each."

Smiling, I keep heading back to the fighting as I hear Cayton and Waylon follow behind me.

*

The state of the situation can best be described as follows: "Oh my god, where's my baby? Oh, here she is. Wait, no, that's not my baby. My baby is a he, right? Whose baby is this anyways? Oh my god, where's my baby? Is this my baby? No, it's a toilet wand. Hello? Baby?"

Make sense? No. Which is why it is a perfect summary for this situation. At this point, everyone, Midnight Fire and Dusk Valley alike, were all standing around, looking confused as they watched the Midnight Fire Alpha, Beta, former Beta, and the Dusk Valley Beta all snarl and claw and fight. The odds were clearly stacked against Roy, the Beta, but the thing was that all three of the men fighting him were trying to fight him at once, which was resulting in collisions and crashes and misdirected hits between the three of them.

Bethany was looking frantic, and she was soon in my mind telling me 'Carter has me blocked out. I can't get through to him.'

Honestly, I should probably be more worried, but this whole situation was so ridiculous I couldn't do anything but facepalm.

I mean, I've never been to a werewolf fight, save for the fighting going on ten minutes ago, but watching Joshua and Alan slam into each other as Roy flattens himself on the ground and Carter grabs his leg and begins dragging him, is more comical than it is threatening.

I start walking towards Bethany, Cayton and Waylon still following. Even Cayton is unsure what to do in this situation. And what can you do, anyways? All we need to do is get Carter out of there and let them fight their own battle.

As I near Bethany, something changes in the fight. Suddenly, Joshua has had it. I watch as he lets out a loud howl, loud enough to alert everyone in a ten mile radius what's happening, and loud enough to make me want to cover my ears.

And then, suddenly, I see him grow, become the demanding present an Alpha is. Hackles raised, growls low and threatening. Eyes becoming impossibly dark, to the point that it looks like even the whites of his eyes are disappearing. Everyone who was crowded around, watching like it was some middle-school fight, begin backing away, scattering even. Many of our wolves look to Cayton and I, wanting to know what to do.

I share a look with Cayton, hoping he gets my message without having to use any words. He nods, and like he's sending out a casual text in a group message, I hear in my head his orders for everyone to fall back behind us.

I hate to admit it, but it feels like there's a new connection between Cayton and I. And that new connection has strengthened our previously rock-solid bonds.

'That would be me,' I can practically hear the smirk in Wolfette's disembodied voice. 'Just like your human souls are connected, your wolf souls are now, too.'

Just for a second, a thought comes into my mind. Maybe Warren was right. Maybe it is better to be a werewolf if you're going to help run a werewolf pack. If not for sheer convenience, then for moments like this. Sure, beforehand, I'm sure I could have communicated my thoughts to Cayton with just a look. But it feels different now, like I'm being more respected, like these small moments mean more.

Of course, I'd hate to give Warren the benefit of me thinking he's right, and I can just picture the pleased smirk if he were to find out, so I push all those thoughts away, even though I know they'll simmer in the back of my mind.

I just can't help it though. So what, we had a fickle bond before, and now that I'm a werewolf, now we have a real bond? I thought it was impossible to love each other more than we did, but is this just going to prove me wrong?

"Don't be ridiculous," Cayton stops me, and I suddenly remember that he has access to my thoughts now.

I feel my cheeks burn the slightest bit. "I can't help it, I'm sorry." As wolves surround us and fall behind us, Cayton steps forward until he is in front of me, one hand goes on my waist and the other goes under my chin to tilt my head upwards.

"There is no way I could love you more than I did before, or do now. Our bond is not stronger, it's always been as strong as it could be."

"But, now that we're both werewolves-"

He gives me a soft kiss, the kind that gives you butterflies and makes your toes curl. "Nothing has changed. All of me loved all of you, and that is still true."

I smile, leaning my forehead against his. "How sweet. I didn't even know you liked John Legend."

He pouts playfully. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Mhmm." I hug him close, breathing in his scent, which is much more potent and calming than ever before. "Still mad about that doughnut though."

"That was, like, an entire month ago," he says, laughing slightly.

"I don't think you really understand how much I love doughnuts, Cayton. It's so hard to find the perfect doughnut--"

Our moment is interrupted when I hear a cry coming from the fighting, and I watch as Alan's wolf body goes flying, crashing into the grass and rolling. Joshua lets out a loud growl, and faces Carter, who doesn't back down.

I guess now isn't the time to be ranting about doughnuts.

Joshua isn't aiming to kill. So when Carter attacks, Joshua easily sends him flying just like he did Alan. Frankly, I would be thankful, if it hadn't given Roy a window to escape.

But of course, he wasn't going to run away.

No, he still has a goal in mind.

*

The frustration of not being able to talk some sense into Carter was driving me insane. He was right in front of me, but I couldn't speak with what Roy had done to my throat and Carter had a wall up between our minds.

I knew he needed to get out of there quickly, because Joshua was going into full, feral Alpha mode. I watched as Alan went flying, and then he turned his attention to Carter. I suddenly found my feet moving forward, towards him. But it isn't fast enough because he is sent flying as well.

Halting in my tracks, I run after him, tears welling up in my eyes. Joshua hadn't hurt him, even in his state of almost no control, and I was grateful for it, but I knew Carter was hurt from the fighting.

I see Carter shake his head and begin to get up. I sigh in relief, still sprinting towards him. Then I see his head shoot towards me, and he's suddenly on his feet and headed towards me.

I don't have time to process what happens, but all I hear is my name being shouted by him in my head, and Macy shouting my name near me. I turn to my side, to see both her and Cayton running towards me, Cayton slightly behind Macy, and then I turn around just in time to see Roy's snarling face, coming towards me. Teeth barred, eyes wild and enraged.

I want to scream, but my throat doesn't allow me to do so.

I close my eyes, ready for what's about to come.

I accept it, almost embrace it even.

However, I don't feel teeth sink into my skin. I don't feel claws rip away my flesh, or the warm ooze of blood dripping down me. Instead I feel someone slam against me from my left, and before I know it I'm lying in the grass with nothing more than a slight case of whiplash.

My eyes shoot open when I hear her scream.

I start to rethink my earlier thoughts. My doing-before-thinking reaction hasn't gotten me killed yet, but I might have found the one situation that requires a little thought to avoid certain death.

Maybe, if I had been focused on the situation instead of thinking about doughnuts, then I wouldn't have made, what I can definitely say, is the dumbest decision I've made so far.

Man, I wish I would I had the ability to think about my actions first.