"Don't be so sure," Torrance muttered, selecting his play. "Hail Mary, bitch."

The two hunched over their controllers, both ready to run the familiar plays, each hoping for the success they normally had. Torrance hiked the ball, and quickly scanned the field to see which players were open. Just as he was ready to hit the button to release the football, a loud beeping noise started from behind. Startled, he hit the wrong button, sending the football to the other team.

Duane dropped his controller, no longer caring about his newfound victory, and instead rushing to his computer.

"You fucker," Torrance said. "You planned that to win."

"Don't get too cocky," Duane replied. "This alert is actually for you."

"What?"

"I've been running a program to tag the word werewolf. It found one."

"Werewolf?" Torrance asked, intrigued. Knowing what sort of information Duane had a habit of digging up online, he was not sure exactly if he should be interested or worried.

"Transverse U . . . " Duane whispered.

"The university sent something out?"

Duane laughed. "No, it's an interdepartment e-mail. Biology."

"Duane, you're not a bio person."

"No shit. It's not for me."

"Oh . . . " Things were clear for Torrance. Once again, Duane had mastered the communication system of the city. "So, what's it say?"

"New professor . . . lycanthropy . . . cure . . . "

"Cure?" Torrance asked. "For werewolves?"

"That's what it says."

"Hmmm . . . " Torrance suddenly started daydreaming what his life would be like if he did not have to worry about his transformation problems.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, anyway. A lot of times, it's just a new professor getting a little overexcited about a new discovery using the new expensive equipment that he's only ever dreamed about using.

"Um . . . yeah, sure. I'll keep that in mind." Torrance quietly set his controller down. "Um, I just remembered something I have to do at home." He stood up, and walked toward the door.

Her feet were sore and tired. She just wanted rest.

"This is enough!" she exclaimed as she stopped. "This nightmare is over!" Quickly, she spun around to face her pursuer. "Come out! Face me!"

A form appeared in the mist. It was tall and slender, with a feminine quality.

"Come on! Don't stop there!" Sedona shouted as she slowly started to walk towards the dark figure.

The figure took a step forward, and Sedona could see who it was.

It was Tigra.

"You! Why are you chasing me?"

"I'm not chasing you," Tigra replied. "I thought you were chasing me!"

"Then that means that someone is chasing both of us," Sedona concluded. She turned her head to see if anything was behind her. When she turned back around, Tigra was gone.

Sedona continued walking, wondering how long until she would wake up. She stopped suddenly when the man with the tattoo appeared in the distance.

Sedona fell to the ground suddenly, as her chest erupted with pain. "No!" she shouted, standing up. She grabbed the front of her shirt, and ripped it open, not caring about modesty, exposing the mark of I.

Light started peeking through the mist, separating it. The face of the man was starting to be revealed. Only a little more and Sedona could identify him . . .

"NO!" she shouted as she woke up. She clutched her chest. The I mark was warm, the heat was intense, even through her nightgown. She flung the sheets off of her, and walked over to the mirror.

"What the hell?" she whispered as she saw her reflection.

Her once blond hair was now completely white, and her eyes had turned red.

The driver's side door opened, and the driver stepped out. He pulled off his mirrored sunglasses and sniffed the air.

He put the sunglasses back on and stroked his red beard.

"He's close . . . "

"Excuse me, but your secretary said to just come on back," Torrance said.

The looked up to see his visitor. "Oh, hello. Yes, yes, she's right. I'm sorry, I just get so involved with my work sometimes."

Torrance smiled weakly. "I can understand."

"Please come in," the professor said, gesturing. As Torrance walked in, the professor put his glassed back on. "Now, I'm afraid that since it's my first semester here, and I teach multiple high occupancy lecture classes, I don't quite know all of my students as well as I would like."

"That's okay," Torrance replied. "I'm not a student."

"Um . . . well, okay. That's a little odd. I usually don't get visitors your age unless they are seeking a grade."

Torrance smiled. "Perhaps soon enough."

"Well then, I'm Doctor Henry Thorpe," the professor said, extending his hand to Torrance.

Torrance returned the gesture and then said, "I actually came to talk with you about your work."

"Teaching?"

"Lycanthropy."

"Oh, that work. I'm afraid I don't talk about it to random civilians unless they have been referred to me by a colleague."

"I'm not any random civilian. I have a very personal reason to be interested in your research."

"Parents eaten by a werewolf?"

"What? No! I'm a werewolf."

Thorpe was silent. "Forgive me if I am being rather skeptical at the moment. But I have gotten a lot of strange kids coming to me thinking they were werewolves, vampires, all sorts of nasty creatures. Turns out, they were depressed little souls begging for attention. Except for that one . . . she was just a little freak . . . "

Torrance allowed the werewolf inside of him to partially transform. His hands reshaped and grew hair. "I'm not like them," he stated.

"No, no you're not," Thorpe said, leaning in for a closer look.

Torrance transformed back to human. "That would be why I came to you. I wish to rid myself of this disease."

"I don't know if disease is the right word. I believe some people would consider it a blessing."

"It's a curse!" Torrance exclaimed. "And three nights a month, I end up losing all control over myself. I hate not having control."

"I understand," Thorpe said, standing up. He walked over to a cabinet in the corner of his officer. Opening it up, he reached for a box of sterile needles. "Here's what I'm going to do," he said, walking back. "I'm going to take a sample of your blood, and take a look at it. I'll get back to you with the results."

"When might that be?"

"Let's say, meet me back here tomorrow."

Mere seconds after hearing the knock on the door, Julie West answered it.

"Wilburne! What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Tracking. You knew that."

Julie put her head down. "Yes, I suppose I did. Come on in, have a seat." She gestured toward the living room.

Wilburne McConnell stepped in, bowing his head slightly to avoid hitting the top of the doorframe. He took off his hat and sunglasses.

"Are you sure it's him?" he asked.

Julie sighed. She closed the door slowly, and then turned to look at McConnell. Taking a deep breath, she responded, "I'm sure."

He looked up from the microscope and picked up the phone next to him. Quickly, he dialed a number.

"This is Thorpe. I need a crew in Transverse immediately. We have a live one."

He heard a noise in the dark corner of the shelter. Paranoid, he jerked his head to that direction.

Nothing.

Silas was on edge this evening more than usual. After several unsuccessful attempts and scrying spells, he had opted for a solo spell that would draw less attention. So far, it did not seem to be working.

The room started filling with smoke from the candle. Silas watched the map on the floor in front on him. Vague pinpoints of lights were emerging, but nothing that could tell him anything for certain.

It has to be Sedona, Silas thought. But she's not showing up. And that Tigra is around . . . but where?

Silas felt his eyes start to close and his head grow heavy. He looked at his watch and extinguished the candle. It was late, and he was exhausted. He had been performing spells for the better part of the evening, and it was taking a tremendous toll on him.

"Just for a minute," he whispered as he lay down on the floor and closed his eyes.

Moments later, a dark figure stepped out of the shadows. It was Cole October. And he was laughing.

He walked over to where Silas lay passed out. A rope appeared in his hands, which he proceeded to start tying around Silas's legs.

It only took mere minutes to tie Silas up and hang him from the ceiling. Cole stepped back to admire his handiwork and laughed again. Slowly, he faded into the shadows once more.

Torrance leaned down to kiss her. But something was not right.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure. Of course I am," Julie said, trying not to betray her the front she was putting up.

"No . . . " Torrance replied.

Just then, Wilburne stepped out from the living room.

"Torrance Angus of the Clan Angus, I am Wilburne McConnell of the Clan McConnell. I am here to settle a debt between our clans. You are the last of your line, and today, our age old war will be settled."

"Really?" Torrance asked. "Get back, hon," he added, shoving Julie to the side. He began his transformation into a werewolf.

To his surprise, although thinking back, it should not have been, McConnell also transformed into a werewolf. Torrance growled and leapt at McConnell.

Julie screamed and ran out of the door. She was looking back at her door in horror when she was run over by the men in the strange outfits. Seconds later, she heard loud electrical noises. She scurried to hide behind a tree. Not long after that, the men were dragging the two werewolves out of the house and into a van. As they shut the doors of the van, Julie herself transformed into a white wolf, taking off after the van as it sped away.