Chapter 17: Unleashed!

A couple days passed since the safe was discovered, and Sasha was beginning to feel the soreness from the progression of her lycanthropy. Each day she would document the progression of her metamorphosis into a werewolf. She rode back home with Toby sensing her family fragmenting before her very own eyes. What was supposed to be a moment of happiness was quickly turned into an overwhelming sense of dread and helplessness as her father had been staying out late and posting hateful rhetoric on his social media accounts.

Zoe decided that it was best to resume training, so she took her friends out to the quarry to help cheer Sasha and Todd up. Sasha and Todd both sat on a blanket looking glum as Zoe thwacked Toby about. Clare looked at Sasha concerned, and she touched her arm gently, which she gasped noting how much warmer Sasha had gotten. "What's going on? Did he accidentally bite you too hard?" she teased.

Sasha let out a heavy sigh and shook her head slowly. "No...my dad has lost his mind...he's the only human left in the house, and he can't stand us anymore" she muttered.

Clare frowned before she looked off at Toby and wedged her arm between her chin and her knee. "Wow...I thought your dad was cool with this?" she muttered.

Sasha frowned and looked over at her. "I thought so too...but Grandpa said that his pride of being able to protect us has been broken. Now everyone is protecting him, and he doesn't like it" she said before she rubbed her neck sorely. "At least Grandma and Grandpa like him...I can't imagine what would happen if they weren't here" she said.

Todd looked up at them sadly, and he whimpered softly. "I hate being a werewolf!" he muttered. Sasha looked towards him hurt, but she pulled her knees to her face and looked down at her feet.

Clare looked away discouraged before Kari scooted closer to them. "Don't be like that Todd! Look at what you have! You got us, Toby and his family, and Zoe and her family...don't forget about your grandparents and your dog!" She chimed in.

Todd clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "But my dad hates me now..." he said lowly.

Kari shook her head. "Now he does not...he just...doesn't understand. He's scared that he lost his son even when he hasn't. Some grown-ups aren't able to handle these kinds of things, so they like to put blame onto someone else..." she said.

Sasha looked at Todd and wrapped an arm around him. "I'm here for you...I know what you're going through" she said as she rubbed his shoulder roughly. "She's right though...We have Toby and Bernie...I'm sorry about dad, but just give him time" she said trying to be brave where she herself felt as if the universe was imploding on itself.

Toby approached them as the sparring reached an intermission, and he opened his backpack taking a swig from a gallon jug of water. He sat down beside Sasha as she looked over at him with soft eyes. "Toby...Be careful around my dad...okay?" she warned him.

He looked at her oddly, and then he realized why she was worried for him. He smirked and tried to act tough. "I'm not worried about it. If it isn't your dad, it's something else" he said.

She frowned. "I know, Just because you aren't worried doesn't mean I'm not...I don't want you to get hurt or lose you for that matter" She said looking away. "You mean too much for us" she said timidly.

His eyes widened and his heart became heavy. "You aren't going to lose me. He knows Bernie is watching him like a hawk" He said before muttering the last part.

"Still...I wouldn't put it past him to do something totally insane" she added.

Clare and Kari watched them with glee at the two werewolves cuddling. Todd remained very quiet and antisocial, and Toby looked over at him worried sensing the dark clouds looming over his head. He touched her shoulder and squeezed it firmly. "This is a good chance to get Todd to vent a little" he said.

Sasha nodded slowly as he stood up. "Okay, just don't be too rough with Todd" she warned him.

Todd picked his head up and looked over at them nervously, and Toby smirked at him. "You ready?" he asked.

Todd nodded and picked up a thick stick, and Toby found a similar sized stick and grinned widely. "Let's get going" he said calmly. Sasha smiled weakly noticing just how much Todd's personality had changed. He growled and charged at Toby and swung with ferocity. It swooshed and clashed violently with Toby's stick. Toby pushed back with enough force to bow both sticks back threatening either one of snapping in half.

Todd got turned around before he jumped back, and Toby pursued him. Todd instinctively swung the stick, but Toby dodged the swing chuckling, while Todd continued to thrash the stick about towards him. Zoe waltzed over and sat next to Sasha watching the two spar from afar.

Todd matched Toby blow for blow, but Todd did not give up wanting to hit Toby. His strikes had gotten progressively harder with each succession, and the sound of the colliding stick was growing louder and more energetic. Toby laughed. "What are you doing? Swinging at a piñata?" he asked. Todd's nose snarled, and he swung one last time with all his might.

Toby caught the stick with his bare hands as Todd growled pushing down into the stick, and the stick shattered in shards of splinters. Sasha looked over at Zoe, and who smirked seeing how fluid Toby moved. "Looks like his instincts are kicking in" she said with pride.

After the stick snapped, Todd fell forward plopping onto the ground, and part of the broken stick rolled off him onto the ground. Zoe snickered as Todd picked himself up off the ground glaring at him. "Hey! Keep it up! Kick his ass!" she shouted at him.

Todd panted heavily, but he was annoyed with everyone laughing. Toby laughed and tossed the scrap wood aside. "Whew, that was fun. Hey, you thirsty Todd?" He asked.

Todd snarled at him transforming into his anthro form. "The only thing I'm thirsty for...is blood!" he shouted. The laughter grew even louder, and he barked viciously. "Stop laughing at me!" he shouted as he started to charge at him. Toby frowned watching him closely as he drew near, and he jumped aside from a swipe from Todd before he grabbed onto his wrist. He quickly picked Todd up off the ground and brought him up to his eye level staring him down.

"Enough!" He spoke sternly. Todd stared into his eyes and shivered as Toby's hand was clamped down onto his throat. "This isn't sparing!" he said firmly.

Sasha jumped onto her feet. "Hey! That's too rough!" she shouted before Zoe grabbed onto her hand. Sasha looked back anxiously, and Zoe shook her head before she released Sasha's hand. Sasha watched nervously and whimpered softly.

"He's not hurting him any! It's just a submission hold!" Zoe said calmly.

Toby dropped Todd to the ground, and Todd moaned still lying on his belly trying to recover from being placed into obedience. Toby walked to the backpack and pulled out a jug of juice, and he looked up at the girls awkwardly. "You think he's pissed off at me?" he asked.

Clare looked over at Todd carefully before she shook her head, and Kari rubbed her arm nervously. "I think he might think we were laughing at him" she muttered.

Todd got up and dusted himself off before he looked up noticing the jug. "Hey, can I have some of that?" He asked. Toby did not stop chugging the juice, which Todd growled ferociously. "Hey! Don't drink all of it!" he yelled. Toby stopped smirking at him as he wiped the juice from his chin. He strolled back over giving Todd the jug, and he ruffled his hair playfully.

Todd brought the jug to his lips and started drinking, which his sister gasped seeing him drink a quarter of what was left. Clare and Kari both snickered at the sight before Clare nudged Kari. "Someone has worked up a thirst haven't they?!" she remarked.

Sasha laughed looking at the empty jug. "Wow, Todd that was like a half a gallon jug you just drank right there" She said.

"I was very thirsty" He said as Zoe quickly jumped onto her feet, and she started to ditch her weighted gear.

Toby glanced over at Zoe and smirked. "You get some rest, Todd. I'm going to continue my training" He said before he removed his weights. "Hmm, I feel much lighter" he said before he looked up in the air noticing a speck flying around past the trees.

Zoe looked up and squinted her eyes recognizing the speck. "I think that's Percy's drone..." she said before a Washington County Sheriff Squad Car pulled up with its lights off. Clare and Kari gasped, but Todd darted off screaming "Run for it!"

Toby looked at Bernie as he got out with his sheriff cap on, and he looked up at Toby and waved at him. "I've come to see how your training was coming along!" he shouted.

Zoe smirked. "It's been going well...Toby's actually fighting decent for once" she shouted back playfully.

Bernie frowned crossing his arms over his chest annoyed. "I see either of you aren't wearing the weights like I asked you to" he scolded them.

Zoe cringed, and Toby laughed. "We did, but my arms are being rubbed raw" he said pointing to the redness on his wrists.

Bernie squinted his eyes and snickered to himself. "I don't blame yea...They will do that after a while" he said before he looked up at Sasha on top of the cliff and smirked. "How's your folks doing, Sasha?" he asked.

Toby frowned looking at the ground before Sasha looked down timidly. She was about to speak until the wind shifted, and Toby sniffed the air. His head perked up, and he looked upwind. "That smell...it's them" He muttered lowly. Zoe looked towards him confused as she got a whiff of the scent as well, but she noticed her father begin to respond with just as much aggressiveness.

Bernie's nose flared as he took in the concoction of disdainful aromas, and he looked back at Toby concerned. "Wait for help, Toby!" he shouted before he pulled out his cellphone. There were a loud gunshot that echoed through the trees, and Bernie looked up helplessly as Toby took off. "I told you to wait!" he shouted.

Toby growled running faster. "That bastard...I'm not letting him take my mother too!" He yelled.

Zoe gritted her teeth and looked back at her father. "Dad! We can't wait!" she shouted before she took off after Toby.

Bernie quickly jumped into his squad car and turned the lights on as the car peeled out sending rocks flying. It sped off down the quarry road, and Sasha got off running after Zoe while grasping onto her sore quadriceps.

Toby had already run down the tracks and jumped over the fence by the time Zoe got down the embankment. The street lights just flickered off eerily as he ran down the sidewalks, and he made it to the street his home was on. He could tell someone had parked a utility van with a big American flag painted on the side in the middle of cul-de-sac. "Where is he hiding you vermin!" a man shouted.

There were a group of look-outs wearing bullet proof vests and camo trench coats by his house. These men had ear pieces and bared M16 riffles held snuggly against their chests facing away from the street. Toby walked to the van growling lowly as his nails grew into claws before he punctured the tires with his claws. The hissing noise attracted the attention of one of the guards, and they walked down the driveway. A black van pulled up at the intersection of SW Fuller Drive and SW Aspen place fifty yards up the street, and Don stepped out before he snapped pictures and filmed with his phone.

Toby waited for the guard to look around the van. "Hey! What the fuck are you doing!?" The guy yelled as he turned. Toby looked back at the man with a cold and murderous look on his face as he pulled his claws out of the tire, and with only one hand on the van he pushed it over like it was a tower of building blocks. Glass shattered, and there was a loud crash within the van as the equipment was tossed around.

"Shit the pup is here!" The guy yelled into his earpiece and the other look-out started to run down the driveway. Toby grabbed the gas tank and ripped it off from the bottom of the overturned van. He smirked throwing it at the man before he could squeeze the trigger, which his head snapped back violently, and he fell to the ground as he miss his shot

Another man ran out of the house to see what was going on after hearing the gunfire. Toby drug the body off behind a group of hedges and bushes where he ripped off the body armor and weapons. He put on the earpiece listening in on the chatter, which Zoe caught up to him.

"Fuck! I wasn't told this was going to be a highly developed Were! Barry's gone! I can't find him anywhere!" someone shouted.

There was groaning coming from someone else. "What the fuck Percy! I thought I told you to warn us of anything!" a familiar voice shouted.

Percy continued to groan. "I can't move!" he muttered.

"The fuck you shoot at my son for!?" Nathan shouted in anger.

"He's the enemy now! He's no longer your son! He's just another goddamn dog that needs to be put down like all the rest!" the familiar voice shouted.

Toby frowned looking over at Zoe handing her the M16, which he leaned into her ear. "Cover me...I'm going on ahead" he whispered before he jumped out from the hedges.

The other guard shot several rounds at Toby before Zoe shot a couple rounds managing to hit the guard in the throat. The man fell to the ground, and Zoe ran to the van ripping the back door off its hinges. Percy was pinned against the wall with his drone piloting goggles still flickering light in the darkness. "Toby! Hold up!" she raised her voice.

Toby stopped watching Zoe yanking the equipment from the van before she pulled out Percy from the wreckage. She ripped off the goggles from him, and she pulled him up by his coat collar hanging him off the ground as she clenched her fist about ready to punch him in the jaw before she looked into his deeply. She dropped her fist, but Toby over shoving Percy to the ground with rage once Zoe released him.

Percy looked away vacantly, and Zoe grabbed Toby's bicep as he was ready to pound him into the asphalt. "Toby...save it for someone else!" she said before she crossed her arms over her chest with disappointment. "Well? Are you going to help us?" she spoke to Percy severely.

Percy looked up at her timidly. "I don't know how...only thing I could do was lie about not seeing you" he said.

Toby ripped off the body armor from the dead guard, and he gave it to Zoe. "Just tell me what their plan is! And I may consider not tearing out your spine!" he raised his voice impatiently.

Percy gulped and looked away. "They were just planning to go in and go out, but you weren't here, so they drug me over here to find you while they waited. They just made shit up as they went along. My Uncle is holding your mom hostage in the living room, and Sasha's Dad is freaking out over Todd getting hurt. He's inside his bedroom with a sniper rifle" he said as Zoe put the armor on.

Toby looked over at her and sighed heavily. "I want you to take him out...I'm fucking done with him" he said before he looked over at Sasha as she ran up to them panting. He looked at her sternly before Zoe took off. "Stay here!" he said firmly. He followed behind Zoe as she kicked Sasha's door.

Zoe looked over at Sandy who was on the ground unconscious, and she growled rushing up to the room Nathan was in. He faced the door with his hands up as he stared down the barrel of her gun. "I...fucked up..." he muttered. They both watched Toby get to the pathway before he got shot at, which he got it in the arm.

She grabbed hold of the snipper rifle, and she shot the man in the neck, which the man grabbed his neck, and he pulled his hand away looking at the thick amount of blood that coated his hand. He soon collapsed to the ground hemorrhaging to death.

The man's partner looked at the wounded man as he started to convulse before his partner pulled out a glock, but Toby had already made it to the front door of his house. "What's all this!" A man yelled from in the house. Toby's eyes widened as the man stepped outside looking at them. It was that same man with the scar on his face that ordered Steele's slaughter.

The leader did not even recognize Toby, but he saw the carnage. "So I see that this were is resistant to our Theobromine coated bullets" he said smirking. The young man inside looked at his boss in shock before he lowered his gun.

Toby growled baring his teeth at them. "Where's my mother!" he demanded.

The leader's grin grew wider as he opened the door. His mother sat on the floor propped against the wall clutching her side. "Oh, so you're that runt! I remember you now...I'll put you down just like your father" He said as pulled a huge gun out from his trench coat.

Toby looked towards his mother noticing the blood pouring from her wounds. "Mom!" he yelled. He took one step, and the leader pointed the gun at Toby.

"This time...I've increased the dosage!" He said. A laser was pointed over Toby's neck. "One shot and it'll all be over" he bragged.

Lilian struggled to stand up. "Toby! They've came to finish you off! Run away!!" she yelled before the young man shot her in the abdomen. She yelped and fell to her knees holding onto her stomach in agony.

Toby froze in horror, and he soon started to see red as he started to transform into his anthro form. He snarled at the leader who haphazardly aimed his gun towards him. The leader laughed. "We've been commissioned by SAD to terminate you. We can't have 700 pound werewolves running amuck in the city now do we? When creatures like you grow too big...that's when we start to have a problem" he said taking a couple steps closer.

Toby continued transforming past his anthro form as a tail sprouted and more fur grew all over his body. "You bastard! We've done nothing to you! Yet you choose to take away the lives of innocent wolves! And I doubt that SAD called for you! You lying piece of shit!" he yelled in a vicious feral tone. The fur on his neck stood erect and his canine fangs grew large enough to protrude from his bottom lips.

"Innocent?...You think I haven't heard that cock of crap before!? Take a look around you...all this peace you see was created by us Van Helsings. We take out the creatures that threaten mankind and their livelihood" The leader yelled. Toby's face started morphing as the leader chuckled. "Yes, now you be a good little pup and go to sleep" he said in a cocky tone.

"You call genocide peace!?" Toby roared out.

Sasha arrived to see the gun pointed at Toby. "Toby!" Sasha yelled before she looked at Lilian bleeding out on the floor, her eyes widened in horror. "Lilian!" she shouted before the leader looked glanced at Sasha smirking and pointed the gun towards her instead.

"Ah...so you must be Sasha...It's a shame, but I can't have you breeding with a monster. I'm still going to have to euthanize you too" he said as his finger moved over the trigger.

Toby shoved Sasha away and charged the leader, which the leader redirected the gun at Toby. Sasha looked up and screamed in disgust seeing the dart in Toby's chest. To the leader's horror, Toby was so not affected by the toxins in the dart, and he kept charging on ahead.

The leader looked at Toby in horror. "The fuck!?" he yelled in confusion. Toby grabbed the leader by his neck and started to strangle him. Toby grinned sadistically as the leader tried to break free, and he reached for his thigh for his silver knife. Toby caught the thrust and drove the knife into the leader's stomach.

"Toby!!" Sasha screamed in horror, which Zoe rushed over to drag her off. Police siren screamed through the neighborhood. The young man shot Toby in the neck, and Toby looked at him irritated and swatted him in the side of the face shattering it upon contact. Toby's muscles bulged as he put even more force into the leader's trachea before he just threw him into a tree sapling snapping it like a toothpick.

Toby followed him in a threatening manner getting the satisfaction out of the hunt. The leader picked himself up limping off knowing he was being chased. Toby growled and bared his teeth like a rabid wolf. His breaths grew heavily and his nose flaring feeling irrepressible rage, and Sasha could clearly see that he lost himself to his past and his primal instincts, which she held onto her heart wishing the nightmare would end.

The bullet in Toby's neck expelled out from his wound pinging onto the ground as he walked towards the man with slouched gait, and the left over guard started to panic rushing over to empty out his clip into Toby.

He turned to the man, and with one swift motion, he charged and sent his hand through the man's chest through the vest's arm hole. Toby's hand came straight out the guy's back with a gruesome crack. The guy coughed it up blood spattering all over Toby's vest. He pulled his hand out of the bloody cavity, and the blood started spraying out.

He drew closer and closer to the leader who stumbled once he put pressure over his punctured lung struggling for breath. He saw his overturned van and growled. "Fuck!" he yelled. Percy sat on the curb looking up towards his uncle dazed with Zoe and Sasha standing nearby to protect him from his uncle.

The uncle pointed at him. "This is your fault! I should have known you were on their side!" he shouted.

Don walked up to him and frowned. "Correction...Percy is on our side" he said casually.

The uncle looked back at Toby loafing near Percy before he looked back at Don enraged. "Aren't you going to stop him? It's your job! You're supposed to protect us!" he shouted.

Don pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. "I'm sorry to say, but...my job is to Secure, Conceal, and Protect the Supernatural. So I'm not your tax funded backup...I'm just here for the clean-up the gore, sir" he said as he put the cigarette to his mouth and lit it with his Bic lighter.

The uncle looked back to see Toby's arm raised before he hacked into the man's stomach disemboweling him. Blood was pouring out from the huge gash in the man's abdomen, and he fell to his knees looking as pale as paper. "No...I should have killed you when I had the chance" he muttered.

Toby let out an evil laugh. "Payback's a bitch isn't it!?" he asked in his animal like tone. He stopped smirking, and his nose snarled. "You took my father away! Now I'll slaughter you like the Pig you are!!" he said.

"Stay back you beast!" The uncle screamed.

Toby bared his teeth. "Who gives you the right to determine who's a monster? Do you think you'll go down as a martyr for a noble cause?" he shouted as the squad car pulled up.

Bernie stepped out and was stunned to see what Toby had become. "Toby!!! Control yourself!" he yelled drawing his gun. Don watched on casually smoking his cigarette while filming the exchange with his phone.

Toby looked over at him and growled savagely. "Stay out of this Bernie!" he yelled.

"Just stop! You know killing him isn't going to bring your father back!!" Bernie yelled.

Toby growled. "I'm not going to allow him to kill any more innocent werewolves. His day of judgment has arrived...No more will others feel the pain that I've endured!" he yelled.

Todd rushed over to Bernie, which he gasped lowering his gun when he saw the boy covered in blood shivering violently.

The uncle looked back at the Bernie annoyed. "Shoot him now!" he yelled just before Toby kicked him in the neck. The force of the kick was enough to decapitate his head clear off his shoulders, and Sasha cringed as the head plop onto the ground.

Bernie froze in horror as Toby put his foot on the man's severed head. The man's eyes still had signs of consciousness, and Percy looked away. "Burn in hell!!" Toby yelled before crushing the head in like a pumpkin. Brain matter gushed out, and Sasha threw up as blood and grey matter was splattered all over the pavement.

Sasha's father watched from the window in horror, and Bernie shielded Todd from the grotesque sight. He saw Clare and Kari at the intersection both daze and shocked at the site, and he walked Todd over to the barricade. "Take him to my place where it's safe...and be careful" he told them.

Kari took Todd's hand without any second thought, and she whisked him away from the horror show. Toby come back to his senses and sat on the curb staring at the pavement in defeat, which Sasha pulled him up into a hug. "I'm so sorry...please...just calm down" she whispered softly.

Bernie looked at Don concerned. "What happened!? Why did this guy return!?" he yelled.

Don flicked his cigarette to the ground and waved his phone. "I have all the evidence if you want, but...from what Percy told me was that Nathan came over drunk and told his uncle about Toby. He even spilled the beans on Zoe...luckily for you, he didn't know where you guys lived" he said before he smirked at Percy. "That kid was loyal to you all in the end" he said lowly.

Toby calmed down and withdrew into his thoughts trying to forget what just happened. He looked off to see the street light flicker. Much to his surprise, He saw his father again, and his father had a sad expression on his face. He stared at him before the light flicked which his father disappeared instantly.

"Help me! Please!" Lilian shouted in suffering.

Bernie ran over towards the house, and Toby quickly stood up only to have Zoe and Sasha hold him back. A car rushed passed the barricade before it screeched to a halt, which Dr. Lovejoy and other nurses came out bearing medical supplies. Tai ran out ahead to assess the situation, but he stared at the dead bodies strewn out all over the place.

Bernie came back out after Dr. Lovejoy started to work on Lilian. Tai paced outside aimlessly before he heard the doctor shouted out. "The pups are alive!" He ran into the house and saw his mate being carried out on a gurney unconscious. The doctor looked back at him grimly. "We're going to have to give her an emergency C-section..." she muttered.

"Do it!" Tai shouted out in impatiently.

Bernie walked over to Zoe before he gave her a big hug. Sasha looked up at Bernie worried. "What's going to happen to Toby?" She asked.

He looked at her and frowned. "Toby had his own right to protect you and his mother...I'll put it as self-defense...I just hope that less wolves are in danger with these guys gone" He said sympathetically. He looked at the bodies and cringed.

Sasha moaned holding her stomach. "I feel so sick..." she muttered. She stood up and took Toby's hand. "Toby, come on. Let's get out of here!" she said urgently.

Bernie looked at Percy and frowned. "You alright kid?" He asked. Percy gulped and nodded quietly. Bernie stern gaze softened as he let go of his daughter, and he patted her on the shoulder. "I think he's proven his toughness enough" He said softly before he saw one sole survivor lying near the hedges. He scowled at the young man groaning and grabbing his neck in great discomfort as Bernie approached him. "Who are you!? Are there more of you!?" he yelled.

The guy looked at Bernie in fear. "G-g-greg, s-s-sir...I don't know sir! It's my first hunt" he said nervously. He flinched. "Please don't shoot me!" he yelled.

Bernie was stunned as the guy looked to be just out of high school. "You're awful young to be a Van Helsing member...do you have any idea the trouble you are in boy?" He asked

Greg gulped. "I thought joining would be exciting. The Van Helsing said we were fighting evil...not killing innocent people" he said ashamed. He frowned. "You aren't going to arrest me are you?" He asked.

Bernie looked at him annoyed. "You broke into a house, vandalized it, assaulted someone, attempted to murder people. Give me one reason I shouldn't take you in?" He asked growling.

Greg's lip quivered. "I can pay for the damages, I can be an asset!" He said nervously.

"Not good enough!" Bernie shouted before he looked towards Percy and sighed. "How about pay and shadow our clan for a year...it's a little community service" He said smirking.

Greg gasped. "What about that woman's son?" He asked looking towards Toby worried.

Bernie sighed heavily. "You are going to have to make amends with him somehow...you really picked the wrong werewolf to be messing with kid. He's our Alpha, and he's the strongest werewolf you could ever see in your lifetime" He said proudly.

Greg's eye twitched. "He's an alpha!? I've never seen one up close before!" He shouted. He gulped. "I hope he can forgive me" he said.

Bernie looked at his neck and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll take you to the hospital...for all they know this was a fall down some stairs" He said as he helped him up and escorted him to the back of the squad car. He looked back at Toby who was totally secluded from the outside world, and Sasha tried to orchestrate a way to remove him from the area.

She touched his shoulder gently. "Thank you for saving my life" she said before she looked over at Zoe. "Let's go to your place..." she said.

Zoe looked over at her father, who nodded with agreement, which she helped Toby and Percy up. "Sure...I think that would be best for now" she said as she took off the vest and tossed it aside. She helped remove the vest from Toby as he finally reverted to his human form.

Don walked over to them handing them a card. "Before you all leave, how about we hose him off before he goes making us a bigger mess to clean" he said firmly.

Sasha looked at the card hanging off his suit and raised an eyebrow. "The Supernatural Administration? Secure, Conceal, Protect?" she muttered before she gasped. "For real!? You guys exist!?" she shrieked.

Don turned away and assessed the scene. "We don't exist" he said before he looked back at her and grinned at her playfully. "Get going...It'll take a couple hours to clean this mess up" he said as Bernie sped off with his lights off.

"Can you please put my videos back online? I'm trying to put something positive out there!" she asked.

Don stared at her before he covered his mouth. "I'll consider it" he muttered before he waved them off. "You kids get outta here!" he told them.

•••

Zoe brought Toby over to the side of one of the houses, and she used their hose to wash off the blood from his shoes and arms. He looked down the driveway hearing whimpers and yelps from little puppies inside his house. "Everyone's going to be fine" the doctor shouted happily. Toby let out a deep heavy grateful sigh as Don walked into Sasha's home.

Zoe tugged on Toby's sleeve. "Let's go...your mom is going to be okay" she said impatiently. As they headed back Sasha's grandparents stood behind the barricade looking at them worried.

"What happened?" her grandmother asked anxiously.

Sasha sighed in exhaustion. "Toby's mom got shot...and Toby went nuts" She said lowly before she wrapped her arms around his. "He saved me" she said.

Zoe frowned. "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! We can talk about this later!" she raised her voice.

They started to make their trek back to Zoe's home when Sasha clutched onto Toby's chest. Her grandparents followed close behind whispering to each other, which Zoe looked back at them sternly. "Nathan knows he fucked up. He knew that when they started shooting at Todd" she said sternly.

Sasha looked up at her worried. "What about my mom? Is she okay?" she asked lowly. Zoe looked ahead and without saying anything before Sasha growled at her. "Answer me!" she raised her voice.

Zoe clenched her fist. "She's fine!" she growled back. She looked back at her troubled, and Sasha's grandmother frowned reaching up to tap her on the shoulder. Zoe looked down at her wearily before she sighed. "I just can't stand seeing domestic violence like that" she said lowly.

Sasha's grandmother nodded. "No one likes it...I don't like how alcohol brings out the worst of us either. I'm sorry that you got to see the darkest moment in our family, but I'm grateful that you prevented it from being a tragic one...you and Toby are a blessing" she said.

Marty slapped Toby on the back. "You're a good man, err...wolfman" he said before he looked up at the scab on his neck. "You hungry? I can only imagine how much energy you lost transforming, healing, and what not, am I right?" he asked.

Zoe looked back at him and smiled weakly. "Maybe we can all go to an all-you-can-eat joint or something. That sounds good about now to be honest" she said.

Marty looked at her curiously. "Do you know a place that serves enough food for werewolves then?" he asked.

Zoe grinned. "Giuseppe's is a good place near here. They got great food for a reasonable price" she said before she leaned over towards Sasha's ear. "He's a minotaur" she whispered.

Sasha grinned. "I can't wait to see one" she said eagerly. She looked up at Toby and smiled. "I'm glad to have you around you!" she said as she hugged him tightly and murred happily.

Once they got arrived at Zoe's home, Yvonne looked at them intensely before she rushed over to hug Zoe. "You're okay! I was so worried about you!" she said until she saw the blood on Toby, which she sighed heavily. "You look like a mess! Come on, I'll wash your supersuit for you" she said before she lead him off upstairs to the laundry room where she pulled out a grey shirt with a picture of a husky on it. It said, "Iditarod 2028".

"Why don't you take a shower too, I left a towel in there for you" she said before she took his shirt from him. "Remember you're always welcome here Toby" she said sweetly.

He walked into the bathroom and found a nice clean towel in there just for him. He washed himself off, and this time he put the shampoo bottle over his head as he opened it. The bottle squirted on his head, and Toby closed the bottle. He sighed staring at the drain.

He was having some flashbacks when he saw his father on the light rail and then just recently at the street light. "What is going on?...am I losing my mind?" he mumbled. He rinsed himself off and stepped out of the shower grabbing the towel. He sat down on the toilet drying his head. He rested the towel on his lap as he stared into space.

"Why now?" Toby muttered. He shivered. "What does he want from me?..." he said quietly. He growled standing back up. "Maybe I'm just seeing things..." he said finishing up. He soon put his clothes on, and he opened the door.

Toby looked up at Sasha, who was standing at the door, and she quickly averted his gaze and blush. "Toby are y..." she asked timidly.

He frowned looking to the side. "I'm sorry that you saw all that" He said feeling horrible.

She just wrapped her arms around Toby and cried. "I was so Toby...I thought you got shot, and I'm sorry that I didn't listen..." she said before she buried her nose into his chest. "I love you so much! I thought I lost you!" she sniveled into his chest.

He stared her totally confused, which he thought she knew he would be okay. He clutched onto her tightly as he tried to pull himself together with her. Yvonne walked up to them blushed. "Oh um...I was going to let you two know that you two, and Todd are staying over. If you're going to want time to yourselves, we could pop a tent in the backyard. We have plenty of air mattresses...just don't wake up the neighbors" she said awkwardly.

Toby began to blush as he nodded slowly. "We'll be quiet..." he said shyly.

Yvonne shook her head at him smiling. "I'm more worried about Zoe" she joked as she gazed at Sasha. "You've lost a lot of weight! You're almost back to where you were this summer...well almost. It's amazing to see how fast your lycanthropy has progressed" she said thoughtfully before she reached out to slap Toby on the shoulder. "You're going to be alright!" she reaffirmed.

Todd stared at his sister holding onto Toby tightly before he looked away timidly. "Sasha? What's going to happen to mom and dad?" he asked.

Sasha stared at him vacantly before she looked towards Yvonne who whimpered softly. "I don't think you should be worrying about that right now, Todd honey" she said. Todd gritted his teeth and walked off.

Zoe passed right by him as she rushed over to Toby grinning. "So how about we all race to Giuseppe's? Dad said he was going to take everyone else if you and I take our mates by foot" she said.

Toby groaned rubbing his head. "My longboard is back at the house" he said before his cellphone started to ring. He pulled it out which it shown it was Tai on the other line. When he answered, he could hear distracting medical equipment running in the background. "How is mom doing?" he asked.

Tai sighed heavily. "You're mom's going to be fine...they're treating her for the theobromine, but I'd suggest you take it easy too. You got hit by that stuff too...you aren't feeling woozy or tingly at all are you?" he asked.

"No, not really" He muttered before he looked towards Zoe who was listening in on the conversation. "Maybe racing isn't such a good idea" he said.

Zoe nodded lowly, and Sasha looked at him frightened noticing that some parts of his body spasmed, but she paid notice until now. "Your muscles are still twitching..." she muttered.

"Watch out for him. If memory serves, he's got a higher tolerance, but these are much higher doses that are used usually...you know, just in case he can't handle it..." he said before Lilian groaned in the background.

"Did you tell him what his brother and sister's names are?" she asked weakly.

"I will" Tai said softly before he paused briefly. "Your mom and I picked the names Kainani for your sister and Laki for your brother" he said proudly.

Sasha smiled thinking to herself about baring puppies of her own as she laid her head upon Toby chest, and she could hear his heart beating rapidly. She frowned shaking off the thought as she looked up at him nervously, and she squeezed his arm gently. "Your heart...it's beating really fast" she spoke softly.

Zoe looked at him sternly. "Toby...are you sure you're okay? You can ride with dad if you want" she said with growing alarm.

Toby's eye twitched slightly. "I'm just stressed out..." he said before he sighed. The three shewolves looked at him skeptically, and he knew they were not letting him off that easily. He changed the topic by adjusting his phone more direct over his ear. "I'm starving...let me know how everyone's doing, okay?" he told Tai.

"Alright...take it easy. Talk to ya later pup" Tai replied.

"Yea...see ya" Toby said before he hung up. He looked up at Zoe and sighed. "I'm really hungry, the sooner we eat the better" He said.

Once they got outside he looked at Sasha and grinned. "I'll give you a lift" he said kneeling down. She stared at him and gulped. Sasha got onto his back timidly, and Zoe watched carefully.

"Don't overdo it, nuff said" She said before she looked back at Percy kneeling down. He looked at her funny, but he quickly jumped on after she shot him an annoyed glare. "You better hold on!" she shouted as she stood back up.

Sasha rested her chin onto the trunk of Toby's neck, and he held onto her knees at his waist before they all dashed down the sidewalk. They both ran so fast that they were over the fence and on the railroad tracks in five minutes instead of their casual fifteen minute stroll. "Toby! Take it easy!" Sasha shouted as she squeezed into his pectoral.

Toby laughed as he ran along the track for a couple of miles. The sky had a beautiful orange and pink towards the west as daytime transitioned to nighttime. Percy had a death grip on Zoe fearing one slip would be the end of him. Sasha was having the time of her life watching the trees whoosh by and the power lines seemed to dance on their poles. She had placed her fear and anxiety on the backburner for now.

They soon turned off onto a sidewalk at railroad crossing and ran down the sidewalk alongside a busy road. The people in the cars stared at Toby and Zoe as they drove passed. Neither of them noticed the commotion, nor did they care as their hunger was first priority.

"Um, Toby...you mind slowing down just a bit?" Sasha asked nervously.

Toby slowed down to just a normal human sprint, but still his inhuman stamina was ever so apparent. They went under the Freeway underpass, and he got blindsided by a car as it made an illegal left turn on a red light. Toby smacked into the car's rear, and the car fish tailed into an electronic sign mounted on a pole. The sign crashed into the ground, and the car was facing the wrong direction. Zoe snickered as they kept on running, which he looked back grinning back at her. "Did I do that?" He asked.

"Pay attention to the sidewalk!!" Sasha screamed in terror.

They ran through parking lots and past unsuspecting people busy with their uneventful normal lives. A group of teenagers laughed at Percy being carried off by Zoe, which he blushed as they finally arrived at Giuseppe's Pastaria. Toby and Zoe let off their passengers, and they went inside lobby where they were greeted by a large plump woman who smelled of flowers. The woman examined Sasha and Percy before she placed a hand on her massive hip. "You two look emaciated! Come! I'll get you squared straight away" she said before she led them through the restaurant and up a massive flight of stairs where they passed through large swinging oak doors.

They wondered through the large upstairs section which the tables were much larger and sturdier. The walls were filled with paintings of scenery and various indigenous creatures and plants. There were a family at one end of the section looking over at them curiously before they started to gossip with each other.

The woman set her hand on the table and leaned on it waiting for Toby and the others to sit. She pulled her tablet from her deep cavernous cleavage, and she flicked it on. "So what's going on in your neighborhood?" she asked.

Zoe frowned. "Hunters came over to finish Toby off...but not on my watch they aren't!" she said before she looked over at Percy. "Percy helped out a lot from what heard from that SAD agent" she mentioned.

The woman's eyes widened with shock and awe. "Well...I never thought I see the day when SAD would actually do something to help us supernatural folk out. Why would they do something like that?" she pondered.

Percy gulped. "Um...I was told that the agents figured that if Toby was killed, then it would make damage control less than point zero-one percent successful. With him and Zoe around if would be about ten to twenty-five percent" he said before he looked over at Toby nervously. "If they had more funding and meddled procedures, their success would be at about seventy-five percent" he said.

The woman frowned and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "What does success mean anyway? Cooperation from us? Or what?" she asked with skepticism.

He ground his teeth and thought hard. "From the start they were trying to stop the public from finding out about the existence of werewolves, but they seemed to be planning for supporting what will happen after the public finds out. Don told me that technology has advanced so much that reports of incidents have skyrocketed exponentially, and within two years they will lose their ability to manage it. Success is having the ability to show the public there are good werewolves out there" he said.

The woman stared at him before she looked back up at Toby. "Oh, so this is what that whole football deal is all about then?" she asked.

Percy shook his head. "It's more nuanced than just football. There's like a handful of werewolves out there that are the gluons that keep the quarks together. Some are strange but others have charm. If there are no gluons then there's no strong force, and the universe breaks down to just a bunch of darkness and chaos" he said.

The woman looked at him confused as if he were speaking a different language, which Toby sighed heavily. "I think what he's getting at is that every clan have prominent figures and play a pivotal role in our society. One dies and..." he said before the woman interrupted.

"Okay, I get it...you have less glue to stick people together" she said.

Toby cocked his head cutely. "Uh, sure? That's about it, I guess..." he said before Sasha grinned at him and his smartness before she huddled up to him and reached over his chest placing her hand over his heart.

"You know I'm stuck to him like glue! The more I pull away, the more I get stuck to him. Good thing I'm strange" she joked before Percy and Toby snickered to themselves.

Zoe crossed her arms over her chest. "Smartasses!" she grumbled as she tried her best to not be impressed by them, but she could only manage a faint smirk. "What I got out of it is that good leadership and planning will breed success. A good leader brings their team mates together and resonates with them" she said.

Percy frowned. "That's what I just said!" he interjected.

Sasha laughed before she took in a deep breath. "Anyway...What's the deal with SAD removing my werewolf vlogs if they are pressing for good publicity? Isn't that a serious contradiction?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yea, well, it's coming from those people higher than Don. From what I've heard, they have an alternative agenda. It's been like that for years, but I think thinks are finally changing with them...not that they have any choice in the matter. The Supernatural Affairs Ministry saw the video and they are pushing SAD to remove the restriction or they'll post the video up themselves" he said.

Her eyes widened. "Wait what? So who's this other group?" she asked.

He slapped himself in the forehead and rubbed it vigorously. "Okay, So SAD is ran by the US...SAM is ran by the UK" he said as Bernie and the others arrived.

"So what's this talk about SAD SAM?" he asked. His heavy feet thundered across the wooden floors, and Steele--his youngest son--sat on his shoulder peering down at them with a smug grin.

Yvonne followed behind with Nate looking at the floor depressed, but when he looked up and made eye contact with Toby, he huddled up closer to his father. Toby frowned looking at him worried, and Bernie sighed heavily as he sat the werewolf pup into a baby seat. Yvonne sat down beside the pup, and Nate waited for Bernie to sit down before he sat on the side away from Toby's view.

Before either of them was able to speak, Todd came in with his grandparents with a similar disposition that Nate had. When he looked up at Toby, he looked away nervously. His grandfather approached Toby and tapped him on the shoulder. "Uh, May I speak with you...alone?" he asked.

Bernie's eyes drifted over towards them. "If you got something to say, just be up front with it! I'm going to hear it anyway..." he said gruffly.

The grandfather looked over at him nervously and gulped before he looked back at his granddaughter. "Um...we're going to be staying a while longer. Until your mom and dad get things figured out" he told her.

Sasha looked towards her little brother with concern as he stared into the table aimlessly. "That would be a good idea" she said in agreement. She leaned into Toby's shoulder before she murred into his ear.

Her grandfather looked over at him sternly as he mustered the courage to speak. "Uh...well...I would like to know if you're having second thoughts in being in a relationship with my granddaughter?" he asked.

He stared at him confused and shook his head. "Why would I?" he asked.

Sasha looked at him wearily causing her grandfather to gulp nervously. "If you're fine with it, then just don't worry about it. At least I know you won't bail out when Nathan goes off the deep end. It's not the first time that it's happened either" he muttered.

Bernie looked up at him coldly. "It's going to be the last time it happens! I can tell you that!" he said in a deep intimidating tone. Sasha's skin began to crawl as a lot of hostile and agitated energy filled the air from the Alpha.

Toby looked over at her as her grip tightened on the far side of his ribs. He reached around pulling her up close to him by her hip. "You're alright" he said reassuringly.

Bernie glanced up at Percy and stared him down. "So what exactly do you know what's going on with SAD SAM?" he asked with a great intensity of intrigue and urgency.