Silently two men and one woman stood over the body of the dead shifter, hair swinging by a light September breeze. They knew it was a shifter because the woman was naked underneath a folded up blanket, which let her head visible to the onlookers and showed a fractured variant of the typical tattoo consisting of single lines resulting in a canine or lupine form was visible from the side of her neck, over her cleavage, disappearing under the blanket ending on her chest. Her eyes were open, having regained their human brownish color. Her skin pale and her curly hair mud stained but clearly multiple strands of it dyed in various colors.
The reason the head wasn't covered was because Janosh Novac - detective and responsible for investigations involving supernatural stuff - was showing them various injuries.
"Shot in the head. The same like the other two bodies." Novac looked up "And like them, she has bruises here." The detective showed them the temples and cheekbone.
"She is none of ours, too." The first man mused. His tanned skin didn't fit his red hair - making him look like either he had a butchered hair job or too much time spend in a tanning salon - but he held himself with a confidence that showed that, if he was mocked because of it, he couldn't care less. His tattoo was moving slightly on his neck. His beast, like him, seemed at unease because of those recent developments.
"From the tattoo I'd say she was a canine or lupine shifter. Wolf, Coyote, Jackal or something like that." He mused and the second man, taller than the first, dark skinned, hands in the pockets of his jeans and an annoyed look on his face, squatted down and peeked under the blanket.
"Really, Logan?" the blond woman rolled her eyes at the dark-skinned man who didn't even look at her. "Yes Rixley! Really." He glanced at Novac, then the redhead skipping Rixley in the process "How else should I check if she had been to the same night club like the two others." He snapped "She has no stamp by the way." He straightened himself again "But sure, I'm just a fucking pervert…" his tattoo started to move around in sync with his rising annoyance.
"Shut it, Bennet." The first man ordered and, because the woman suddenly had a smug grin on her face, he added "You too, Tamara." He then took a deep breath.
"Tamara, that's your expertise. Do your stuff" He stated "Share your findings with Detective Novac and keep me in the loop." Tamara nodded "Will do." She promised and the redhead went on "Detective, we are off. I don't think Ben and I are of any use to you with the investigation anyways other than not be able to identifying the women." Cian sighed and bid goodbye to Novac who nodded and gave him a light smile "Thanks for coming by nonetheless."
The redheaded man gave Ben a pad on the shoulder to make him walk with him back to where a couple of cars were parked.

"You really need to work on this, Ben." Cian Cruz, Chief of the Tribe, said after they were far enough away from the crime-scene, making it sound like a command but a light pleading audible because he couldn't deny he was worried for his friend. "Rixley started it." Ben insisted
"Are you five? And it's not only about Tamara." Cian sped his pace for two steps only to turn around and face his tribemate, Hand light against Ben's chest, forcing him to halt too and look at him "I mean it! It even starts to affect your work." He managed to tower the one half a head taller Ben.
"No it doesn't …" Ben denied but his Boss and Chief just glared at him, continuing his way to the cars "Give me one example, Cian!" Ben called after him, catching up and both were getting into a sleek, black car. "Julia Morris." Cian stated while starting the car. Ben threw his hands up over his head "Come on, she deserved that chewing out given how she wanted to play us and her coworker." he argued and Cian sighed.
"I agree, that was a dick-move on her part…" he admitted "Still you lashing out wasn't professional." He pointed out and Ben scoffed "What had you proposed? Going to her Boss so she just will be more careful next time?" they had had that talk and it frustrated Ben that, if it had been a guy on the other side, this never would have blown up that much - this he was convinced of.
"What about Irina?" Cian tried with another example, this time from their workplace, but held up a hand "No, don't answer, that was a rhetorical question." He silenced Ben and continued "You know that tomorrow your new coworker starts. If you scare her off like all the others, I swear you will do overtime for the rest of your life!" Cian threatened Ben who raised an eyebrow "Only two of them where female and one quit because of Witting." He pointed out which caused Cian to let out a frustrated scream because that specific customer was a sore spot. One he couldn't get rid of. "Sometimes you frustrate the hell out of me, Ben." The addressed leaned against the passenger side window, a smug smile on his face but knew he was close to overdo it. "I will be professional, as always, Promise." He promised and made Cian grumble "That's what I'm afraid of." He said.

Candles tried their best to light the basement in an abandoned warehouse building. A mattress had been laid on the ground. On it, covered with a worn blanket over its shoulders, sat a huge figure - more beast than man. Its limps were elongated and its face was a cross between cat and wolf. On the floor in front of him was a gun and in its shaking hands it held a picture.
The women standing next to him in the picture wore a bright smile on her healthy fair skin. Golden eyes of a shifter gleamed but the tattoo was hidden by her colorful hair falling down her shoulders. Two other men - shifters too - had joined them looking happy too.

A tear fell on the picture "I failed you…" the huge figure whispered. Within the last weeks he had lost three of his friends. Not the human souls… the beasts. "It will not be in vain, I swear!" he promised "I will find out how the balance can be changed and then all beasts will be free."

Anya was excited and nervous. Her hand ran through her middle length red brown hair. She would start her new job today and she hoped she wouldn't mess up and that her coworkers would be chill. She took a sip out of her cup full of hot chocolate to calm her nerves.
It was a sunny and quite warm morning in September and Anya stopped at the huge fountain in the middle of the park she was walking through to reach her new place of work. When she saw the ground of the fountain covered with coins which sparkled due to the first sunrays reflecting on the water surface, she fidgeted in her pocket for a coin of her own which she eventually tossed into the fountain - for good luck. She was just about to resume her way when something big and furry skidded past her and landed in the fountain with a splash drenching Anya's upper body in the process.

Ben was late. He had promised Cian to be professional and that meant he had to be in the Lair early today but he had run late after all. So he had shifted into his Snow Leopard form, clamped his small workbag in his mouth and ran the whole way. On the home stretch - the park around the corner - he misjudged his speed, didn't make the turn and tumbled into the big fountain, splashing some woman in the process. He tried for a charming 'Sorry' smile - which derailed because of the bag he carried in his mouth - and ran off.

The shifter - at least Anya presumed it was one because it carried a bag - shot her what could be anything from an apologetic look, a sneer or a laugh, and ran off. "So much for my first impression…" she grumbled looking in the direction the huge white/grey cat had vanished. Had that been a freaking Snow Leopard? A smile appeared on her lips while shook her head in slight disbelieve "At least it was a cute cat…" she wrung out her shirt, shouldered her bag with a sigh and made her way to her new place of work.


When Anya entered the spacious office floor, her new boss came to greet her, but paused "Are you alright?" he asked worried looking her up and down "Yes, it's just water…. I had a little… adventure with a fountain on my way." She gave him a grin "If you point me to a restroom I'll dry off as much as possible." She asked.
"I can do you one better, come." Cian answered with a smile and motioned her to follow him. In his office he took a spare shirt out of a cupboard and offered it to her "Advantages of working with shifters. We store spare clothes about everywhere. Restroom is there."
"Much appreciated thanks." Anya took the shirt and went into the direction her boss had gestured. Within five minutes she was dressed in Cian's spare and he led her to a door labeled 'DEV-LAIR' which made Anya smirk.
The inside of this Lair consisted of two desks facing each other, a cupboard/shelf combination and a small couch with a little table in a corner. The slightly bearded man, who was obviously her coworker, stood in the middle of the room in his boxers and had a towel across his shoulders. He was tall - well for Anya most people where tall but taller than Cian - had dark skin, short dreads, the golden eyes of a shifter to go with his tattoo and looked slightly shocked at her. He was in the middle of putting on his jeans.
Cian groaned and looked at Anya "That… adventure at the fountain… did it involve a reckless snow leopard by any chance?"
In a split second decision she went for 'not getting her new coworker into trouble' and feigned ignorance "It was too fast, sorry." She answered but her new coworker just narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion before looking at his boss sighing "It was me. I was late. Sorry." He shrugged. He wouldn't fall for a woman's games or owe one ever again. They didn't know each other - if she covered for him she definitely would want something in return.
"I'll… wait outside for a moment, ok?" Anya kept the grin from her face and stepped back outside. He probably felt embarrassed enough without her watching him get dressed. She wondered why he hadn't gone with her not remembering him. He had looked at her with so much distrust she wondered what that was all about.

"It was a bloody accident, Cian." Ben sighed when Cian threw the shirt waiting on the couch at him "I believe that but the timing was horrible." The redhead grumbled.
"I said I was sorry…" Ben pulled the shirt over his head "…and she is still here…" he added. He would have found it ridiculous if she would run off because of this - it was only some water for god's sake. She wasn't made of sugar.
"I hope it stays that way…" Cian turned and poked his head out the door "Introductions take two…" he smiled apologetic to the waiting Anya who entered the Lair again.
"… Ben Logan, my single developer and this is Anya Jarret hopefully still your new coworker."
"Hi…" Anya offered her hand to Ben who, after a second, took it. "Hello…" he answered a bit reluctantly "I've prepared your laptop with all the basic tools… feel free to customize." Ben continued with practiced professionalism "I'll give you a quick tour of the processes we use and find you some tickets to help you get familiar with everything…" he added and suppressed an annoyed sigh when Cian jumped in "Maybe Anya can give you a hand with Hardigan? There's a deadline for it next Wednesday." He proposed.
"Cian, I'll already cut it close. I'm definitely not gonna make it if I have to explain the project to her first." Ben glanced for Anya who fortunately didn't look offended or disagreed. Cian nodded slowly "Then…" he looked between Anya and Ben "...have fun." He bid his goodbye and Anya booted her Laptop and let Ben run the quick tour for her.


Over the next days, Anya tried to settle in. She liked the work, the projects seemed interesting… the only thing she was irritated with was Ben. Not that he was hostile towards her - not at all. But it was a kind of cold professionalism. He was perfectly polite, answered her questions but did not get engaged in small talk and not even swore once - which creeped her out. It felt like he was restraining himself from his normal behavior because of her or maybe it was only the deadline stressing him out. She had decided on being patient and observing until an occasion would arise to show him she wasn't offended the moment she heard swearing or was teased.


Tuesday next week arrived and neared quitting time and Ben was aggravated. There was one problem he just couldn't get his head around and he only had about half a day left. On the plus side he started swearing by Monday which Anya enjoyed.
"Fucking maggot brained dependencies!" Ben cursed and then remembered again he wasn't alone and visibly bit back more swears. "Maggot Brained Dependencies…" Anya tasted the swearing in her mouth "Never heard that before but I like it." she grinned but only got a puzzled look "What?" Anya asked "I already started to worry… non-swearing developers irritate me." She mock-shivered and got a scoffing laugh in return "And here Cian made me promise to not scare you off with my swearing." He grumbled.
Anya frowned then fumbled in her pocket, got a D20 out and offered it to Ben "We could roll a bloody dice to establish who should be fucking more offended by this." She suggested dryly with some swears to get her point across "Me, because obviously he thinks I'm too fragile and do what? Run off just because I hear some swearing? Or you because you can't be trusted to decide on your own."
And that's when ben gave her a short genuine laugh. "You first." He asked and Anya rolled - twelve - then handed the dice to Ben who rolled a twelve too. "Huh…? What are the odds… 1/400th?" Anya mused "Now that we established where we stand on the swearing front… Wanna show me what you are stuck with? Maybe an outside view can help." She offered.
"I'm good." Ben's slight smirk he wore since she pulled out the dice vanished while he returned to his work. He knew she was right but he couldn't bring himself to admit it.
"Come on. Are you scared of me or what is it?" she snapped frustrated and knew that instant it was the wrong thing to say and she fucked it up. "You know what, Anya? Go fuck yourself." Ben growled.
Anya nodded slowly stood up and left - time for desperate measures. Ben on the other hand thought she called it a day because it seemed anyone else had already went home. Tomorrow she would complain perhaps even quit. Whatever. Stupid woman. Good riddance.

But 20 Minutes later Anya returned with Pizza. "For the record." she sighed while setting down the food and lost her jacket and bag "What kind of go fuck yourself did you mean - the literal fuck yourself which, to be honest, I always have been curious how that would look like. Or would it be more like go to hell or do you just mean I should piss off? Tell me" she kept his stare a moment "so we can sort this..." she gestured between them "out later and see how we can coexist." she had rolled her chair next to his
"For now you will let me try to help so we can get this shit fixed by tomorrow lunchtime." it was a risk. If this didn't work she wasn't sure she would ever be able to work with him. She felt relief when he made some more room for her and started to work her through his problem and his steps.


"What a tremendous fuckup. We are nearing technical impossibility territory here." Anya's head fell back against the back of her chair. She was chewing on her warmed-up Pizza while thinking in circles with all the things that had to stay the way they were and taking them into account. "No kidding…" Ben scoffed with agreement. It was nearing midnight. "Can't we refactor this bullshit so it's split up in different classes? And then we are back with the dependency fuckup, right." she grumbled. Ben, who looked at her, shaking his head "Your swearing is pathetic." he went back to their screen "I know, still learning. Might steal some from you." Anya shrugged tired turning in her chair before concentrating again. She grabbed a sheet of paper and started to scribble down the architecture. "The IDE gives you a cleaner and dynamic overview. UML, Dependency Graphs all there..." he grumbled "True. But it always looks so super logic and pristine... I never find where I went wrong there... I tend to question messy scribbles more likely" Ben was skeptical but watched her closely.
It took them the whole night and somewhen around four Anya fell asleep on her Chair. She woke up around six thirty on the office couch - Ben must have had put her there and covered her with her jacked - to the smell of hot chocolate and a breakfast burger with bacon and egg on the table before her. Ben had his own Burgers and a coffee. "Aw fuck sorry." Anya yawned "You could have woken me up." she sat up "Breakfast... thanks." she smiled at him "You brought dinner." he reminded - he didn't know what she liked but the last days she had brought a cup of hot chocolate with her. "And I fell asleep shortly after you too." he admitted which Anya took as a very good sign of trust. Perhaps that would work out after all.
Anya rubbed her eyes and took a big swig from her cup "That's good..." she moaned and looked at Ben "Where are we?" she asked coming back to the desk, unwrapping her burger and took a bite. Ben turned his screen and leaned back into his chair "almost there. Syntax error. Just before I went shuteye too..." Anya reached for the keyboard Ben held out to her and adjusted something. The next error focused on something she had written "What the heck have I thought doing that?" she raised one eyebrow in disbelief "Not much, obviously." Ben shrugged and watched her closely. "Yeah... my sleep deprived coding is worse than my drunken one... who knew." She grinned instead of bitching and Ben realized he could really work with her.


When Cian came into the Lair later he instantly realized what his developers had been doing "Pizza boxes, Breakfast burger wrappers… You two have been here all night?" Anya shrugged and let Ben answer before she said something wrong again. "I was stuck and she helped me." Ben answered "So we finished it and I don't mess up the bloody deadline." he winked at Anya who grinned back "You are fucking welcome." She bowed slightly while Cian raised an eyebrow irritated with the swearing but decided he was just happy that for once Ben seemed to get along with a coworker. "Good Job…" Cian stated "Finish up the deployment for integration and go home." He added.

Tamara Rixley had spent many nights at various nightclubs over the last weeks and tried to find out who the dead women or the two men were. Even though the woman hadn't been at 'Limelights' - the nightclub the two male shifters had been before they were murdered – that didn't mean that she - or the other men - hadn't visited other ones too.
With a beer in hand she leant at a pillar, peering over the rim of her sunglasses observing and deciding who would be the most likely persons to actually remember something important. She heaved a deep sigh and wished it would have been a regular bar. Bars were easy. What the barkeeper didn't know a regular did. Regulars at bars where easy to spot, mostly they were sitting around at the counter, aside from others. Regulars at clubs? Not so much.
She pushed her sunglasses back up her nose to conceal her golden eyes, her tattoo hidden under the collar of her jacket and her blond hair. This made her wolf beast unhappy but Tamara didn't care - not that it could complain but Tamara had the feeling that her beast's disapproval felt stronger lately. She didn't like it.
She took a sip and tried to wash away the emerging memories of her awakening - it didn't work.

She never wanted to be a shifter – it had scared her and it still did. She once saw a video of a shifter running amok and had to be ended - it was secretly recorded footage by a reporter who filmed an awakening. She was scared that whatever lived inside her would overwhelm her and starting to kill.
But then she had gotten sick. The doctors didn't know what was wrong and only treating the symptoms but it had gotten to a point it was a question of days to a few weeks before she would die. Her parents had found this shifter who was able to awaken beasts. She wasn't convinced but her parents were very persuasive once it was confirmed she carried a beast and so desperate Tamara agreed for their sake.
The beast felt her distress, her illness and her fear but it was sure to convince the human soul, that it was harmless. It decided to trust Tamara and they formed the balance. The beast healed her but its trust was never returned. Tamara never stopped to fear her newfound powers and her beast killing someone.
Tamara always suppressed the beast as much as she could and the beast grew more and more angry in return.

Her tattoo swirled around her neck and temple as the beast's only option to show its frustration. Tamara took another sip and started for the barkeepers to ask them her questions but other than that the woman had indeed been here - they remembered her colorful hair - they couldn't help her. Patrons sitting at the bar were not helpful too, as was the bouncer she asked last when she left the club. One remembered one of the men being there but they weren't sure.

Frustrated, Tamara slammed the roof of her car with her hand. At least she now knew the woman had indeed been at clubs around the time of her death. She pulled her coat tighter around herself when the wind freshened up and was about to get into her car when a man approached her.
"They are really dead?" the man asked. He was quite tall, of lean build. He had the golden eyes of a shifter but his tattoo was partly hidden under the collar of his jacket and the part which was visible, Tamara couldn't place - maybe Coyote or Fox?
"You knew them?" Tamara answered his question with one of her own.
"Not really. Loners they are… were. They didn't want to join a pack." The man looked down sighing.
"What can you tell me about them?" Tamara wanted to know and when the man kept silent she added "They were murdered. I want to find out who did that." She offered a business-card with her name and contact info to him.
The man's head snapped back up "Murdered?" he asked in disbelief, took the card. And after a glance on it he pocketed it away "My name is Walter." He introduced himself before he came back to what they talking about "They weren't happy shifters. Andrew, Billy and Hel I mean." Walter started and Tamara pulled out a small notepad, scribbling away.
"Have they been friends?" Tamara asked but Walter only shrugged "I don't know. Never saw all three of them together. They were mostly alone by themselves." He shrugged.
"Do you know if they spoke with someone else? Where they lived? Their full names maybe? Anything can be important." Tamara wanted to know.
"I don't know where they lived or there full names…" he mused and Tamara felt her hopes drown "But…" he suddenly looked at Tamara with gleaming eyes "There was this guy. Really tall. He wore a dark Hoody deep into his face - looked quite creepy." He remembered
"When did you see him the last time? And was it here at this club?" Tamara was eager to know more.
Thinking, Walter looked up in the air "Not here… must have been the 'Limelights'. That was a while ago… Late August or early September I think."
Tamara looked at him expectantly "Sorry that's all I got." He held up his arms defensive, palms forward
"Thank you Walter." Tamara smiled at him "Can you call me, if you see the hooded man again?" she asked "Will be worth your while." She added
"Will do." Walter nodded and disappeared into the shadows again, leaving Tamara to get into her car. Progress. Finally.
She looked at her notes. She had three first names now - and she now knew why she had been unable to find out anything about the three victims. She knew they all spoke to a mysterious hooded man. The two males - Billy and Andrew - had been at the 'Limelights' the night before their deaths - that they knew from the dated stamp - very considerate of the management - even if no one remembered them. This had been 30th of August.

She fished out her phone and dialed for Novac.
"What?" a sleepy voice answered grumbling
"It's Tamara Rixley. I may finally have a lead for the shifter murders." She started "But I need your help to get some CCTV feeds." She added
"And that couldn't wait for tomorrow?" he asked
Tamara was silent for a second "Of course. I apologize, Detective." She was about to hang up when the detective sighed "Sorry, I'm cranky when I get woken up middle of the night." Tamara could hear him shifting in his bed "E-Mail me all the details please. I'll see to get you what you need." He promised
"Thank you… and good night." Tamara hung up

The next few days, Tamara and her coworker Aaron Moore where busy sifting through days' worth of CCTV material until they found what they were looking for. "This is not helpful." Aaron sighed, looking at the grainy picture of the CCTV feat showing a hooded figure and something maybe a face. Tamara agreed "Maybe Cian can bring our Lord of Swearing to help." She grumbled "I need to update our Chief anyway." She pulled out her phone and put it on speaker.
The Tribes chief answered after the third ring "Emergency?" he wanted to know because a call from Tamara at this hour usually meant business "No… but maybe a lead for the dead shifter case." Tamara replied.
"Listening…" Cian sounded tired but relaxed a bit, now that there was no immediate problem.
"We have three first names. They were loners - that's why no one knew them - but someone saw a hooded, tall man approaching them before their deaths." Tamara informed him "Novac provided CCTV Material and Aaron and I have been through this the last days." She sighed "We found the person but the material is rubbish. Can Ben help with that?" she wanted to know.
Cian sighed "The two of you need to sort this! I'm not your secretary." he growled but added "Come over to my office tomorrow morning and show Ben. If he can help, he will." Cian was sure.
"Thank you, Chief." they hung up and Tamara leaned back "And we call it a day too, Aaron." She decided.

When Ben entered the Building Cian's business had its offices in, he was already in a bad mood. When he had left his apartment he overheard two of his neighbors talk.
"Yeah… I'll give Logan from 12a a sweet smile, fluttering eyelashes again and then ask him to do it for me. It worked the last few time too…" She laughed but didn't realize Ben was in earshot and flinched when he suddenly spoke up "Maybe looking for some other idiot…"
He had given her the finger, walking by ignoring them both in the process. God he hated women. It was always the same and always would be. His thoughts went to Anya, his new coworker, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was playing him too.
Lost in his thoughts he nearly slammed into Cian who waited for the elevator.
"You look like you had a bad morning." His Boss commented but Ben only grunted "Just idiot neighbors." Ben waved it off when they stepped into the lift.
"Tamara will come by shortly. She needs your help." Cian informed Ben making the developer groan again "Ben, be civil! She may have a lead on the dead shifters." He stated
"Fine… I'll play nice." Ben answered and left the lift.

Before Ben entered the Lair, he took a deep breath. Inside he threw his jacket over his chair.
"Who or what pissed you off?" Anya asked worried. "Idiots." Ben answered, letting himself fall into his chair. "I dealt with it. Just still a bit pissed." He started his computer.
Anya pulled a golden package out of her bag, opened it and placed it between them "Chocolate helps." She winked.
"Thank you…" he skeptically reached for the golden bag and helped himself, watching Anya "What?" she asked confused "Nobody offered you chocolate before?" she asked teasing
"Not without ulterior motif, no... You just carry around chocolate in your bag?" he answered. Anya sighed "You seem to hang with the wrong crowd…" she answered with a raised eyebrow "And I carry a lot of weird things around like…" she grinned and held up a small sewing kit consisting of thread in four colors, a needle and a safety pin packed in paperboard.
Ben laughed "What the fucking hell?" he let out "I thought that went with the seventies." Before Anya could respond someone entered the Lair after a short knock.
"I thought Cian told you to stop the swearing…" a blond woman looked at Ben reprimanding.
"We tried that… irritated the hell out of me." Anya responded without thinking making the women frown "Tamara, this is my new coworker Anya. Anya… vice versa." He introduced them but Tamara wasn't interested much. "Let's do this fast so I can be out of here." She handed Ben an USB device "I got some surveillance material from outside a nightclub from Novac." She told him while Ben opened the folder on the USB. It filled with about a hundred of files "Which one...?" he asked, fearing she wanted him to look through all those files "That one." Tamara pointed on a specific file and Ben forced himself not to slap her finger for touching his screen. He opened the file "Forward to 1:03am. The hooded guy somewhen looks straight in the cameras direction." She ordered and Ben did, pausing the video and creating a still of the person looking roughly at them "Ok… what do you need me for?" he asked
"Well not very useful like that, is it?" she raised an eyebrow "You are the computer nerd. I'm sure you can zoom it in, enlarge it… make a recognizable face out of it…"
Both Ben and Anya suppressed a groan. "You know this is the reality and not a bloody crime TV show?" Ben asked Tamara while he used the video viewer in-build zoom-in function - only blurring the image more.
"Logan! Take this seriously. This could be the one who killed the three shifters!" Tamara growled at him. Ben looked at her helplessly "If you only have 50 blackish grey pixels not making out a face, enlarging doesn't change that as you only get even more pixels with a slightly other blackish hue - the fucking information is just not there. What do you expect me to do?" - "To help for god's sake!" she nearly yelled, throwing her hands up "Fine. If you refuse to help…"
"You don't believe me?" Ben crossed his arms "Anya? Could you explain this to my… tribe-mate?"
Anya took in a deep breath, not sure if she liked being involved in this "Explain… the zoom in to see the face problem..." she let it sink in while Tamara looked expectantly at her.
Anya stretched her shirt "Wrong type of printing…" she mused and looked around the room and finally stopped at Ben's shirt with an airbrush TARDIS "Flocked… that will work…" she nodded, got up and stood behind Ben who looked very skeptical at her "Ok... look at Ncuti in the TARDIS on Ben's shirt." On Tamara's confused look Anya added sighing "The blue police box, the person looking out." She clarified and continued "Zooming in is the same as stretching the fabric… sorry Ben" she reached over the chair's backrest, gently stretched the shirt around Ncuti Gatwa peeking out the TARDIS doors before letting it go again "See? The face gets larger but not sharper - the contrary even. It blurs." She shrugged.
Tamara grumbled "So that's a dead end…" she admitted and held her hand out for the stick which Ben gave her "Thanks for your time…" Tamara left cursing under her breath.
"Ok… from now on you explain the tech stuff to dummies." Ben decided looking at the now closed door. Anya smirked at him one eyebrow raised up "Because I make them go away?" she asked and he pointed a finger on her "That and they leave not pissed at me." He added.
"The last time I did that I smashed a slice of Banana for demonstration." She wavered with her hand "Semi good but I was frustrated because it was the third time within a week I tried to explain this to the same person."

Tamara had slumped down on a park bench. She was frustrated about hitting a dead end again. She had a blurred image of someone talking to each of the victims. It had looked like they knew each other already, being kind of friends.
She took in a deep breath. Frustration wouldn't help her. She still had three probably first names to the victims. She would join Aaron in trying to find the full names and where they had lived.

The truce Ben and Anya had called had been evolving to a really good and relaxed working atmosphere over the last weeks. Ben grew more and more comfortable around her even starting to like working with the shy women who sometimes surprised the hell out of him when she seemed to forget her shyness. The main thing, though, she even seemed to like his swearing and teasing. Before he knew it, they joked around while working and he was torn between liking this and getting suspicious if she only played him and threw him under the bus the moment he wasn't useful for her anymore - like it always happened to him in the past - and he withdrew again.
For Anya this was kind of frustrating. Him changing from all fun and jokes to closing back off made her worry she did something wrong but couldn't think of what it could be.

On one day in January the landline rang and it happened to be Anya answering the phone after wrenching her overly long doctor who scarf down under her chin. She had self-knitted it somewhen because she was always cold in winter. "You reached IT, It's Anya." she hadn't realized it was an external call because frankly? Those never happen.
"This is Jerry Witting." The gruff voice greeted her "I call to enquire the state of the bug on the API you provide. We still don't get report details if we provide the report's authors ID instead of reports ID." He sounded pissed so Anya opened up the project to check for entry points. "Let me check that, just a second…" she found the file and the specified routes for report details. Funny enough there was a big comment 'Only report ID search ordered by clients wish - idiot will claim this as bug someday.' She took a second to wonder if that file really was deployed on the customer's server including this comment.
"I'm afraid this is not a bug but was not requested that way when this was specified. I'll…" She tried to sound diplomatic but Witting decided to go berserk on her "It WAS requested, stupid girl." He raised his voice "I must know it because I did so. It's always the same with you code monkeys…" - "Mr. Witt…" Anya tried to get him to calm down "No, you shut up and just listen and I'll tell you what you will do. I need this by tomorrow or I will personally make sure you are fired." He was yelling now and Anya had enough of it.
"I propose you call back when you calmed down and learned the difference between a bug and a sodding change request!" Anya slammed down the phone, blinking and breathing hard trying to wrap her head around what just happened. Ben, who contrary to Anyas sweater and scarf just wore a short-sleeved T-Shirt with Scotty on it and the line 'Oh, you didn't tell him how long it would really take, did ya laddie?' looked at his coworker with a lopsided baffled grin like she sprouted wings. Then it hit her "Fuck, what have I done… What have I done…" she leaned back in her chair, face buried in her hands, turning around "Something I would have?" Ben finally found his voice again. "Cian will fire me!" Anya shot him an evil glare to show him she wasn't in the mood to be made fun of.
"No he won't…" he smiled reassuringly "Honestly, this was awesome! Witting is an ass…" he tried to assure her but Anya didn't seem to hear him. She was still super nervous, had gotten up and walking around "I shouldn't have hung up and swore at him… I should have behaved like a fucking professional…" she scolded herself.
"You need to stop second guessing yourself… you are doing Great." he advised and deep down Anya knew he was right but she just couldn't admit it because she was so angry with herself "Go fuck yourself…" she grumbled when the phone rang again - clearly internal call by the type of ring - and Ben picked up "Pissed off IT department." He answered because he really felt for Anya. He listened for a second and hung up "Witting called Cian and he wants to see you… Cian I mean." He told her "Gnaa… and I liked that job…" she sighed but left the room, scarf trailing like Tom Bakers doctor before Ben could say something more.

Anya entered Cian's office after knocking without waiting for an invite and was immediately greeted by her boss.
"Please hear me out before you quit…" Cian practically begged while motioning to a chair before his desk. Anya frowned "I don't intent to quit…" she assured him confused "I thought you called me over to fire me!" she stated which made Cian frown "What? No!" He looked at her "Witting is the one customer I let Ben have an unfiltered go at." He explained "I lost two or three employees over the last two years because of his behavior but I can't get rid of him because of the communal contract." He was clearly unhappy about that. "We have a routing for all known numbers of him to me since a while but he must have a new one." He explained
"So, I don't have to feel bad I hung up on him and you don't want to fire me for it?" Anya wanted to make sure.
"Hell no!" Cian assured her "Not firing you!" he reassured her again. "Not Quitting!" Anya smirked in response. More relaxed Cian noticed the monstrous scarf Anya wore.
"What's with the scarf?" Cian wondered "I'm cold…?" she didn't know what else to answer "You realize it is your office too, right? Tell Ben to turn up the heat…" which made Anya laugh "I did and he did… but he already sits there in just a T-Shirt - any warmer and he would melt. That's our compromise." She explained and winked "At one of my last jobs my coworker completely didn't care at all, sitting in a warm sweater while I wore a jacked so I'm very grateful Ben went with it that far."
Cian shook his head laughing "I'm glad to hear you two get along..."

When Anya returned to the Dev Lair Ben waited with Pizza boxes sitting on the table before the couch and she rose an eyebrow at him "Isn't that the appropriate answer to 'Go fuck yourself'?" Ben smiled then added "I take it you are not fired?" he smirked and Anya slapped his shoulder with the back of her hand "You could have told me that Cian wouldn't mind me hanging up on Witting!" she grinned.
"I tried." Ben shrugged "But you were too riled up to listen…" he pointed out. Anya sighed and took a slice of pizza and made herself comfortable on the couch "True." She sat down, a silence ensued and she could practically feel Ben starting to close off again.
"Can I ask you something, Ben?" Anya took all the courage she could muster "Shoot." Her coworker looked at her curious taking a seat on the couch too.
"What is it I do, that I always piss you off with?" she tried to find words, taking a bite of her Pizza leaving Ben with a frown "What are you talking about?" he asked wary and Anya realized it perhaps was something unconscious.
"Well one minute we joke around, teasing each other and the next you are kind of… I dunno…wary maybe? Like you are unsure how I'd react…" she tried to explain.
"I do this?" he asked but it was more of a rhetorical question "It's nothing you do…" he assured her "Can we leave it with that?" it was phrased as a question but there was no doubt he wasn't comfortable to share anything more. Slowly Anya nodded "Sure... just say something if that changes… because I really enjoy what we have here…" she smiled.
Ben allowed himself a smile "Will do." He answered and noted to himself he needed to watch out for this because Anya seemed genuine. He didn't want to drive her away.

It had taken Tamara more than two month since that November night to find the house of the female victim 'hel', which they finally had been able to identify as Helen Kelly. The apartments of the two men, which they could identify too, had already been cleaned out for new tenants by the time she found them and therefor where dead ends. The landlords had just believed their tenants vanished like it often happened - and since they apparently didn't have any family no one looked twice.
But the house, which belonged to the single shifter women, stood empty. As far as Tamara researched, Helen had inherited this house from her mother last year. She had no more relatives so the house had been unclaimed yet.
Tamara made short work of the lock and went in, shoving away the multiple letters piling up behind the door. Mostly it was advertisement, bills and a letter from HOA complaining about her lawn. Tamara let the letters lie on the floor and went further into the small two story house. The ground floor was made of a large Livingroom/kitchen combination and a small bathroom with only a toilette. Upstairs consisted of two bedrooms plus a nice bathroom.
Tamara always had wished to live in a home like that - back when she was with Juliet and thought she had a future with her. Juliet. She still saw her and Ben kissing in front of the club. They didn't even deny it - only Ben claiming he didn't know it was her girlfriend. As if. He was a shifter. He should have smelled her on Juliet. But that was Ben for you. Never caring and never more than meaningless one night stands - ruining relationships.

She wiped the tears, which started to run down her face, off and found herself in the master bedroom. It looked like it hadn't been used by Helen. She couldn't pinpoint it but it didn't felt used. Maybe it was because it seemed tidy in contrast to the rest of the house.
She went on to the second Bedroom and was proven right. The bed was unmade, various items lying around. She looked around, picked up random items in order to find something which could help her to find her murderer.
Finally, on the small desk, lay a small purple notebook. When she opened the book it turned out to be a diary. She skimmed through some pages until she found 'ALONE' written all over the page. The date was the same day the mother had died. The next few entries - not consecutively days - drew the picture of a woman unable to cope with the death of her mother. Who felt alone and suicidal. The latter was prevented by her Beasts pleading. But Helen wasn't sure how long she could go on.
Finally Tamara found something interesting.


I met this guy a while ago. He calls himself Beastlord. First I thought he was a weird creep but actually he is quite nice. My beast likes him and I think he can help me… us.


And then there was the last entry:


My beast and I decided we will let him test his theory of flipping the balance on me. Best case my beast will go on and live my life… its life - and I can rest. Worst case we die and I couldn't care less.


Tamara was in shock. With shaking hands she fumbled out her phone and called Cian. "Tamara, hello…" he greeted her because he always made use of caller ID's.
"We are looking for a Shifter not a human. Someone, who can touch beasts like at the awakening." Tamara blurted out, her voice shaking.
"Are you sure?" Cian stiffened audible.
"Yes. I found her diary. She writes about the man we caught on CCTV. She calls him Beastlord and she agreed to let him try flipping her balance." She still stared on the pages of the diary "Cian whoever this is he wants to destroy a shifters balance to bring the beast in control. This will end in a rampage!"
"I agree. Without the human soul in control they will kill anyone coming close." Cian admitted "Any hints on what he plans?" Cian wanted to know but Tamara shook her head "No." she voiced because Cian couldn't see her.
"He killed the shifters... " he mused "Something must have gone so horrible wrong that they were unable to exist. Otherwise he would have just tried it again." Cian let this stand on its own "Aaron and you… you need to find him. Before he succeeds."
"We will, Cian." She said determined "We are dangerous enough as it is… we don't need a lunatic setting the beast free." She added and her tattoo churned angry with what Tamara had said.
Cian paused "What do you mean?" he wanted to know wary.
"You know what I mean." Tamara grumbled "The awakenings… how many have you seen go wrong Cian?"
"Many…" Cian admitted finally "But if a balance was formed we are safe…" he argued.
"Yes. Until now." Tamara sighed "Because no one ever tried to flip a balance." She reminded and Cian grunted.
"Let's hope we don't find out." He said finally "Bye Tamara. Keep me in the loop."
"Will do." Tamara promised and hung up. She had a last look around the room before she pocketed the diary, left the house and went home. Maybe she found something more in it.

Buried in thick volumes of books and papers, the Beastlord grew desperate. He had found out what had gone wrong with Helen and the two others. When the balance had been flipped, they hadn't been able to hold onto the human souls and lost them. And without the human souls, there was no anchor. The same would have happened if the beast would drown out in the balancing process - the human would go insane.

What he was looking for now was a way to prevent the human souls from drowning but he was stuck. Frustrated he whipped all the books and papers from the table with a snarl. One of the books landed on the floor with a page opened – a page he hadn't read yet. It was all about a special herb. It was said it calmed the spirits, make them sleep. He went on reading, new hope flared.

Again Anya asked herself why the hell she was doing this. She turned the long cocktail glass filled with 'Chi-Chi' in her fingers. It was her Birthday and some of her friends - even though 'friends' was a too strong word for them she decided and so she settled for acquaintances - insisted to go out for drinks. Which itself wasn't bad but as always, she realized her hobbies and the things she enjoyed didn't match theirs much – again raising the question: how on earth did Anya and them hanging out happen in the first place. Her nerdness was tolerated but soon the talks went on to something else, letting Anya float in the background. A tiny part of her had hoped Ben would have shown up. They had spoken about her plans and she gave him an open invite if he felt like it because then at least someone would get her jokes. But he had already declined. In the end, when her friends proposed a change in location, Anya used the chance to bow out. She just wanted to finish her cocktail and go home - it was a workday tomorrow after all. After they all said their goodbyes and made her promise, she would text them so they knew she arrived home safely, Anya was alone and took a deep breath.
When she finally took a large sip, she knew immediately something was very wrong - it tasted different than before. Now she realized little bubbles... did someone spike her drink? Who? Just now or a while ago and she just hadn't noticed? How much had she had of it? She needed help. Someone she trusted. Without thinking much she went for her phone and looking for Bens contact. When her thumb graced the call button and the phone started dialing, her hand and phone was pushed on the table head down. "Your friends left you here all alone… at your Birthday as I heard... That's mean." A man sat beside her. Anya tried to blink the coming dizziness away "I prefer to be alone but thanks for your concern." She tried to politely turn him down realizing she was kind of drunk.
"Come on… give me a chance…" he slid closer to her instead of leaving "I'm Sean…" he smiled "I'm not interested..." Anya was as firm as she could in her drunk/drugged state, her words started to get slurry.
"Give me some more minutes and you will think otherwise…" he tried to put an arm around her but Anya pulled back "Come on sweet cheeks…"
It was that moment Anya noticed Ben at the bar scanning the room with a determined expression and his phone in his hand until he locked eyes with her. She never felt so relived in her life. "Bennjamiiin…" she greeted him overly enthusiastic so if a fight ensued it would be clear for the audience who of the guys she'd belong with.
"Thank god you are here Benji…" she whispered gave him an awkward hug.
Confused at why she called him Benjamin, Ben looked down at her "Decided to come for a drink after all… and then you butt called me…" he gave the guy a glare because he had heard what had been spoken.
"Dude, she is with me…" Sean dared to challenge Ben "She clearly told you 'Not interested'" Ben towered the man, gently shoving Anya behind himself, letting his snow leopard play in his tattoo and showing off his golden eyes, daring Sean to attack him. He waved his phone at him, the active call to Anya still visible. As intended Sean backed down "I hate shifters…" he mumbled while going away "…thinking everything belongs to them…" While Ben put away his phone he watched this Sean closely not that he changed his mind midway.
Finally Ben grabbed Anya's jacket from the chair and phone from the table, put an arm around her and led her outside.
"Your drink was spiked, right? I take you to a doctor." he offered after he gently cupped her face for a second, checking her eyes for her pupils, realizing how shaken she still was "No… no thank you Benji… I'm fine…ish. Just had one sip I guess and it made me somehow …drunk? Dizzy? Both…" It was a statement and question the same time. "ER would be over the top for this…" she added
Ben regarded her with skepticism "I can call our Tribes Doc. I'm sure she wouldn't mind coming around to have a look. Alanis is really nice." he really wanted her to see a doctor but Anya shook her head "Thank you but I just need a hot chocolate to sober up and sleep…" she was sure.
"If you are sure then let's go to the diner and get you one…" He proposed with the hidden agenda to keep an eye on her a while longer - maybe she would change her mind. Ben smirked while he led the way "Ben is short for Bennet by the way… not Benjamin."
"Bennet, huh?" in her current state she didn't realize the implications of her mistake.

"Here you go…" Ben put a cup of hot chocolate before Anya on the table, taking the seat opposite her with his own cup. "What happened?" He wanted to know
"Not sure… The others left for another club… I just wanted to…" she tried to concentrate "…to finish my drink and go home." She rubbed her temple "I must have been distracted when we said goodbye and someone used the chance to spike the drink…" she reached for her cup and took a sip "I tried to call you but that dipshit…" she giggled, then laughed, completely forgot the thought "Dipshit is a good word right?" she looked at her phone, suddenly sad "'Nobody cares a fuck about you…' that's what my uncle always said…" she started to babble.
"He sounds like an ass…" Ben commented, patiently going with her derailing from her story and Anya nodded "He is… but he is right…" she showed him her screen "I had to promise my friends to text them when I'm home. That should have been…" she slurred her words "an hour ago. No.one.checked.with.me.yet." she pronounced every word of the last sentence as if it stood on its own.
"Well… I care about you." Ben stated and surprised himself with that "Work is more fun with you around…" he added and Anya smiled and whispered "Thank you…"
"And I have not the urge to constantly watch my back around you…" Anya had got him into talking mood too "What does that mean?" Anya frowned and Ben sighed "Usually in my experience women are all smiles and sweet until they have what they want or you have no more use for them. Then they just disappear, dump you or try to ruin your life."
"You…" Anya pointed a finger from the cup she was holding at Ben "…are not wrong…" she admitted and tried not to burp "That's why I went into computer science." She explained "I was sick of all the drama and manipulating…" she stated and drained her hot chocolate.
"I think I should go home now, sorry I kept you and thank you for saving my butt." Anya decided and stood up and Ben followed suite
"I'll take you." Ben smiled "You called me for help and so you receive the full package." He stated and refrained from bringing up the Doctor again. She really seemed ok now and more sober.

When Anya reached the Lair the next morning she was late and hungover. "You look like shit…" Ben greeted her with a mixture of teasing and worry. Anya looked at him for a second and just hugged his sitting figure "Thank you for caring for me…" she whispered sitting down at her desk after she released him. She hid her face in her hands.
"Feeling ok?" Ben wanted to make sure "Yeah… Waiting for the painkillers to get rid of my headache but at least I don't have a black out…" she tried to look at the bright side.
"So if you remember yesterday evening…you really thought my full name is 'Benjamin'?" he grinned and Anya blushed rubbing her face "I'm sooooo sorry… this is embarrassing… five month of us working together and I didn't even know your fucking name." she sighed "I'm just one of those superficial boobs-for-brains after all I guess…"
That she really blamed herself for this made him skip further teasing.
"Don't fret about it. Bennet is mainly used on me when I pissed someone off, so you couldn't know…" he smiled.
"So you are not mad at me?" she wanted to make sure and peeked from under her hands "funnily enough, not at all… I don't even mind you calling me Benji." He shrugged then looked at her for a minute, unsure to ask her about something she said the night before which somehow still riled him. Anya, noticing his gaze upon her, slowly growing insecure "Did I do something else?" she asked wincing which made Ben shake his head "No, just… Your uncle really said that no one gives a fuck about you?" he asked in disbelief.
Anya leaned back in her chair, looking towards the ceiling, hands rubbing the side of her neck "Yeah… among other things." She sighed "Let's just say my whole family isn't very… loving… towards me because I don't agree with them on… many things." She told him "That's why I'm happily no contact with them and that's all about it." She shrugged.
"You are definitely better off without them if they tell you bullshit like that…" he answered and it was the first time he realized he had started to care for her. He cursed himself for it because it never ended well - women and him.

He sat on a tree trunk with a water bottle in his hand, taking a sip from it every now and then. He didn't bother to check for poisonous animals or large ones with claws because he was the biggest predator here.
He needed to hunt again so he could eat. He didn't like that part but it was necessary to survive. Survive… this seemed to be the big theme of his life.

He remembered the day he was awakened. The human soul - just turned twenty-one - was so in distress it wanted to kill itself. He didn't remember what exactly was the cause had been but it woke him - he called it survival instinct.
The urge to survive was stronger than the incomprehensible rage and fear he felt. He had embraced the human soul, finally soothed it into a sleep and took over the body. The human soul - even though asleep - anchored him. He had retained some faint memories of the soul he hoped help him to get along in this strange new world he found himself in. Without a plan and still scared he went to the place the human soul had called 'home'. This should have been a safe place, right?
He encountered a few people on his way - either frozen in fear or running away. In a shops window he saw why: He looked somehow wrong compared to the others wandering the streets. His legs and arms were way too long for his body and his face seemed elongated, sharp teeth visible. His eyes like those of a predator. His skin more hairy… no: furry.
He pulled the Hood of his sweatshirt over his head to hide his face and made it home without much of an incident. When he entered a woman - the mother of his human soul - peeked he head from the next room, smiling "Jad…" she started, her face froze and whatever she held in her hands fell from them and shattered on the floor. "Jad? Oh my god…" the mother gasped in horror "Horatio!!" she yelled and a man came running from another room "Damned monsters." He grabbed for an umbrella and started to beat down on the confused and scared beast. Under normal circumstances no beast would have had trouble to 'disarm' the human but he was too stunned and shocked so he ran. He needed help. Help from others like him. Shifters.

Scared and drenched, because it had started to rain, he arrived at the home of the Alpha of the local wolf pack. While other shifters grouped themselves more irregular and worked well as loners too, wolves always formed packs of various sizes - nearly every medium sized city had a pack. He didn't even know as what kind of animal he had manifested in this world but still hoped they would help him.
He didn't even make it to the porch before he was surrounded by wolves and a large man appeared among them. "Wonder who messed up an awakening here…" He snarled "…and again we need to clean up after someone…" he exploded in his wolf form. As if this was a secret command all the wolves started to attack him, chased him through a forest and to the river. Only with very much luck he escaped with his life. The wolves thought he had fallen into the wild river and drowned.

He still saw himself sitting in a little cave, cold and scared - rain pouring down outside. Later he had realized this had saved him because the rain prevented the wolves to scent him.
That day marked the beginning of him learning to despise humans - especially those who let the beast they carry wake up only to subdue and enslave it. He started to gather information, to learn all about how the balance worked and how it could be stable with the beast in control.
His first attempts nearly a year ago failed because he hadn't been able to steady the human soul after the beast took over. But when he found that herb, he could achieve it. He was sure.

The next months pretended life was drama free. Since the incident with Anya's spiked drink, the two developers formed a real friendship with Ben reluctantly accepting that Anya was not playing mind games and was really just enjoying his company.

It started with them regularly playing table soccer in the break room. Anya was really bad at it but still had fun and her erratic pulling the sticks laughing and realizing she had no Idea what she was doing - and exclaiming it - led to surprising results.

One day in April, when Anya entered the Lair, a cup waited for her on her desk. It had a flowchart printed on it showing 'Problem' and 'Hot chocolate' going into 'Programmer' resulting in 'solution' with 'sarcasm' and 'swearing' as byproduct. A card leaned at it "I survived Ben longest." was written on it. A grinning Ben and Cian were watching her "What's going on?" she looked expectantly with a raised eyebrow towards them.
"Well, you now officially hold the record for the coworker bearing with Ben the longest." Cian announced "I thought about flowers but Ben was sure you'd like this better." He added and Anya grinned "You just know what makes me tick, ben. I love it. Thank you…"

Sometimes it happens that a coworker's child was in the office. Maybe just picking Mommy or Daddy up or childcare fucked up and they need to bridge up two or three hours. Sometimes those kids wandered around and became a sweet, little distraction.
Anya was just on her way from the kitchen back to her office when she saw a maybe six year old boy silently crying over a teddy bear whose arm was half ripped off. "Sweetheart… what happened?" she squatted down, carefully avoiding to spill her hot chocolate "That mean bully Darryl ripped my poor Mr. Snuggles arm off." he sobbed and Anya felt for him.
"How mean… what do you think, you take my hot chocolate and I'll see what I can do for Mr. Snuggles?" she smiled encouragingly and both entered the Lair
"New coworker?" Ben smirked when Anya sat the boy down on the couch with her cup and fetched her bag "No, the victim of a very mean bully." Anya explained while she dug out her small sewing kit and carefully sat the Teddy on her lap to examine the arm "Why did Darryl do this?" Anya wanted to know while she threaded the needle "Because I'm too old for stuffed animals." The boy answered with sad conviction "This is bu…" Anya started, fought the swear word down "wrong." She ended "Really?" the boy asked, suddenly his eyes twinkled and Anya nodded and set the first stitches. "Tell you a secret." She glanced around conspiratorial "I still sleep with a stuffed tiger." She winked and placed some stitches while the boy drank the hot chocolate and watched her stunned "But you are… a grown up." He finally said in disbelief and Anya shrugged while finishing the sewing "So?" she smiled and held out the Teddy to him "All done." The boy hugged the Teddy to him "Thank you…" he ran off calling for his dad to show him the repaired toy.
"All unexpected talents with you…" Ben gave her a smile "Is it true?" he asked "That you sleep with a stuffed tiger?" he clarified and Anya couldn't help blush a little bit "Yes, it is." She admitted "Don't you laugh!" she warned, grinning to herself when she picked up her cup "I guess I'll need another trip to the kitchen." She smirked
"You sacrificed it for the greater good…" he quoted a movie he loved and was stunned when Anya, in an eerie voice, answered "The greater goooood."
"YOU know hotfuzz?" Ben asked in disbelief and Anya laughed "One of my favorite movies." She admitted. So it happened that they had an impromptu movie night at the office after hours. He sat up the laptop in the conference room to make use of the large screen and Anya got Popcorn and drinks.

Movie nights became a thing with them. In the office after hours at first but slowly they spend time at each other's place watching movies or playing games. They even went to the theater once - TMNT Mutant Mayhem.

And even the things Ben disliked like company outings started to be fun. Usually he tried to just keep his mouth shut to not cause trouble - which gave him the reputation of a grouch. With Anya he had a partner in crime, someone he could talk to without fear to offend - even karaoke became fun.
One time a company outing ended with a water bomb fight, he couldn't remember how it started though - but he got the blame and Cian ordered him to clean up afterwards. So, when everyone was gone, he grumpily started to mop up when Anya came back in with trash bags and started on cleaning up the tables and sorting the dishes from the throw away stuff. On his questioning look she just shrugged "you may have started it but I had a loooot of fun too."

But the moment when Ben was sold to Anya as a friend was, when one day Cian burst into the Lair, looking angry. "Irina just came to me because she is convinced you put up cameras in the kitchen." He looked sternly at Ben who groaned in defeat "For fucks sake, what have I done or said now?" Ben let himself fall back in his chair, turned it to face Cian and let his arms fall to the side on his armrests in defeat.
Cian held up a yellow Post-It 'This is MY lunch. Touch it and your Browser History will be published.' it read, making Ben grin "I love it but it wasn't me." he shrugged
"Cian? That's…" Anya tried to get his attention but Cian held a hand in her direction one finger raised to tell her to wait while he continued to chew out Ben. "Don't play dumb!" He growled at Ben.
"Cian…" Anya started again louder, hating to be silenced like a school kid, but was completely ignored this time "You will…" Cian continued to reprimand Ben.
"Bloody fucking hell, Cian!" Anya now shouting at her boss and finally got his attention
"This is mine, not Bens." She bluntly told him looking in two suddenly very confused faces. "Yours?" Cian finally asked and Anya sighed "Yes. Once or twice my lunch vanished." Anya shrugged "Frankly? I thought it was funny..." She explained
"Stolen lunch…?" Cian asked "…no cameras?" he wanted to make sure.
"What the… NO!" Anya looked at him "Which sane person would come to this conclusion?" she looked at her boss in disbelief.
"Go and explain it to Irina… without the 'sane person' comment!" he ordered and with an annoyed grunt Anya got up, snatched the post-it from Cian's hand and went to look for Irina.
Ben, meanwhile, still couldn't belief that Anya stood up for him. She could have just kept her mouth shut and let Ben take the blame - no one would have believed him anyways.

The friendship between the developers led to Anya being involved with others of Cian's Tribe too and Ben even became comfortable enough to ask her for help - like today.
"Frankly? I don't even know what I'm looking at." Ben exaggerated smirking letting Anya have a look on the screen. After a minute of up and down scrolling she sighed "That's a block style simulation language. Reminds me of GPSSH." She looked at Ben who looked back puzzled "Sounds like a fucking disease… you know how to modify this?" he asked drawing a laugh from Anya "At least I'll try." She promised and looked at Peter Carlson, the event manager they were helping out "Just for the rules: This is the amount of drones we have?" the blond, tanned man, who looked like he would grab a surfboard any second, nodded "…what about the constellation order? Can we rearrange it or change the timing in general?" she wanted to know
"Timing is a bit tricky but it we could change the order. I only need to change it in the presentation too." Peter looked at her "Thanks for helping out, I owe you one." He added.
Anya waved it of "I don't do this owing bullshit…" she winked "Just hope the weather holds up and it's not getting cloudy. Clouds and stargazing doesn't mix… or shooting stars for the matter."
Peter nodded "True. Not even with my jackal eyes I could see the pegasids through clouds." He sighed.
Anya tabbed away on the keyboard while she used the chance getting to expand her knowledge of the Tribe a bit more "I'm curious…" she looked at both Ben and Peter "I heard of wolf packs or cat clowders before but never of something like the Tribe … foxes, snow leopards, wolves… jackals…" with the last she looked at Peter who smiled nodding
"The Tribe is unique, indeed." He confirmed and traded a glance with Ben who added "It started with Cian helping out unaffiliated Shifters of all kinds if he could. Just having an open ear… or knowing someone who knows someone who could help… that kind of thing."
"Right," Peter nodded "and somehow this led to us sticking as a group somewhen calling it Tribe and electing Cian as Chief… welcoming everyone." he grinned shrugging.
"So no dominance games but democracy." Anya smiled and Ben confirmed "Exactly. I mean could you imagine me in a strict pack hierarch?" he laughed and Anya snorted "I'd take some popcorn and watch you tank it." She hit a final key and set the simulation in motion. It ran for a while but still three drones crashed while transitioning from Ursa Major to Draco "Whoops…" Anya made "But progress…" she saw the positive and grinned "I can't wait for the show." she smiled confidentially "Looking forward to this for days" she smiled confidentially.
"Great!" Peter nodded "We will even have some rafts so you can watch while floating on the lake, taking a swim maybe… and afterwards watching the pegasids and hope we see some." The jackal Shifter gushed but Anya felt Ben stiffen for a second before he caught himself and took the focus back on the task at hand and said, "But we need to solve this first… otherwise no show."

On July 11th the lake and the area around was crowded with people wanting to see the pegasids and the little drone show before highlighting some constellations and another guy Anya didn't know giving little fun facts about them.
Most tried to get a place on a raft. Anya just had spotted Peter who had reserved a spot for her but she couldn't see Ben "Where is Ben?" she wanted to know "Over there… didn't want to come on the raft." Peter shrugged and offered her a selection of drinks ranging from beer, coke and lemonade to alcopops out of a cooler. Anya glanced over where Ben was sitting alone looking a bit lost "I'll join Ben. He looks so lost." She took out a beer for Ben and something for herself "If you are sure?" Peter looked confused but smiled.

"Hey… you ok with some company?" Anya asked Ben holding out the beer to him. Her coworker looked up and reluctantly took the bottle, shuffling aside a bit so she could sit too "You sure? You put in all the work and now you sit at the sidelines?" he asked and taking a sip.
Anya mirrored him "You do too…" she pointed out and made herself comfortable on the ground. Ben was quiet for a second, both watching the start of the drone show "I can't swim." He finally admitted and Anya nodded "Ah… that explains…" she looked at Ben who was clearly uncomfortable - no… ashamed for being a non-swimmer.
"That's nothing to be embarrassed for." Anya said but Ben still averted his eyes "Maybe… but I am." He sighed "No one knows beside Cian." He added.
Anya sat in silence for a second. "I can't drive." She gave up a secret of her own no one knew about and it worked because Ben looked at her again "Wait, you don't have a license?" he asked in disbelief and Anya shrugged "Nope. No one knows this but you." She smirked and Ben realized she shared this secret to make him - a friend - feel better.
"I'm curious." Ben started still watching the sky "Shoot." Anya encouraged and Ben prompted "What you told Peter about 'not doing owing bullshit'… what's up with that?" he wanted to know.
Anya was silent for a second when she watched the transition between two constellations and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Close call…" she commented then focused on Ben again "The owing nonsense… My genitors were like that. Every time I didn't want to do things they want it always was 'You owe me' to pressure me into obeying…" she shrugged "I'm more the 'paying forward' kind of guy. If I can help you, great. But I don't want to be owed… maybe you can help someone else in turn somewhen in the future." She added.
"Huh, interesting… I only know it the other way. I hate asking someone for a favor because I never know what I have to pay in return." He chuckled "On your first day when you pretended not remember me splashing you I only thought 'What will she want in return covering for me.'"
Anya laughed "God, we are both so fucked up and clearly involved with the wrong kind of people." Ben and Anya clinked their bottles "Yeah… Good thing we changed that." Ben stated and gave her a side eyed smirk which Anya returned.

While Ben and Anya enjoyed their lives Tamara grew more and more frustrated. More than six month had gone by since she had found the diary and she had nothing to show. This was half a year ago!
The Beastlord seemed to have vanished. On the plus side there had been no more dead shifters had turned up and no raging beasts flooded the streets. But this didn't ease Tamara's mind much. They had to find this Beastlord and stop him before he turned out to be successful - he had to be somewhere because no one disappeared into thin air.
Tamara had gone to Novac when she realized she was at a dead end and together they had started to look into similar deaths within the last decade. Maybe this Beastlord went somewhere else? Or he had tried before? But until now they had no lead.

While Tamara's frustration rose Cian grew more worried about Tamara. Since that phone call he had kept a closer eye on what she said and how she was. He never noticed her dislike of shifters - or being one.

And while Tamara was still looking for him back at home, the Beastlord was still in the jungle - and he had slipped. This had not happened to him since he was awakened. He tumbled down the gravel, scraping himself in various places. He lay still when he finally came to a halt, eyes closed. If he hadn't been a shifter he would have seriously hurt himself and probably died here in the jungle alone.
He waited until his wounds had closed before he got up slowly. He immediately wanted to find his way back out without another look when something made him turn around.
Before him, growing between the rocks in the cave was the herb he was looking for so desperately. He kneeled down to verify his finding and was beyond excited when he realized those indeed where the herbs.
Carefully he started to dig out some of the plants including roots and, together with some earth, he put them in his bag. He needed to cultivate them to secure his supply.

When, after nearly a year, Tamara had been called to another crime scene with a dead shifter she was excited and fully expected the Beastlord had returned. She could barely conceal her disappointment when she realized it probably was a 'normal' murder. But since she had no lead whatsoever for the other case she could as well take this one - maybe she had more luck with it.

This time the dead shifter had a name, a social life. He wasn't one of the tribe but belonged to the cat clowder of the next city.
Tamara looked at the pictures that had been taken at the crime scene and wrote down all they knew. The victim had been a regular at the 'Madnights' and the 'Afterparty'. He had been beaten - probably with baseball bats. But what killed him had been the shots in his head and chest.
All that meant they had ambushed him because if he would have been aware he would have shifted. Ocelots may not be strong fighters but they are pretty fast.

Both nightclubs - among others - had reported growing incidents of humans trying to provoke shifters into violence or trigger a fight. Well that couldn't be that hard in Tamara's opinion. But was the shifter killed by them? Had the hate become that strong? In the end she had posted within the Tribe Chat group asking for volunteers spending the evening in one of the multiple clubs - in groups for protection. She got a handful of conformations - even Ben announcing he would do 'Madnights' and bring a date. Scoffing Tamara called it a night. Ben and a date? Never!


"Thanks for doing this, Anya." Ben, wearing dark slacks, a white t-shirt and over this a dark red button-down shirt whose long sleeves were rolled up, was leading his friend to the 'Madnights' club entrance. "You know I like hanging out with you… why not help out your friend the same time." Anya shrugged. She had opted for blue jeans and a dark, long-sleeved shirt which let her shoulders free. It was warm so she had pushed the sleeves up. Since she disliked purses she had her phone in one of her jeans pockets and some cash and her keys in the other. "What do we keep an eye out for?" she asked and Ben answered "Humans looking for trouble…" He shrugged but Anya nodded "The 'you see it when you see it' thing?" She suggested while Ben opened the door for her and led her inside with his hand on the small of her back "That's a good way to put it… evening is on me by the way." He made clear.
Inside they went for the bar to order drinks and while they waited for their order Tamara Rixley approached Ben but froze and looked at Anya "Oh my god, Logan. I thought you were joking when you said you bring a date!" she exclaimed and looked Anya up and down again, like she had never seen her before and ignored her completely afterwards. "She is human… How could you bring a human into this?" she hissed.
"Tamara, you remember my friend Anya, we work together?" Ben introduced to force Tamara to acknowledge Anya's presence "And what the hell is your problem?" he asked and a little stare-down ensued between the two shifters before Tamara looked at Anya "Not sure what he promised you for this… 'Date' but it is probably not enough to bear his presence." She hissed "I'll call Aaron and we go for the 'Afterparty'" and with this she left them to go for the other club to observe.
Anya just looked after her one eyebrow risen "Drinks and a place on your couch? I think I made a good deal…" she shrugged grinning "She really doesn't like you…" she stated and sipped from her drink which Ben handed to her.
Ben became suddenly insecure if bringing Anya had been a good idea or being too dangerous. On the other hand that would mean they should stop hanging out completely and that was just rubbish.
"We never got along…" Ben shrugged taking a sip of his own drink and waved it off "Come on, let's have some fun…" he smiled.

While Ben and Anya were doing their thing and enjoying themselves they in turn where watched too, out of a corner.
"I found today's victim, guys…" Sean sneered, hatred in his eyes. This would be the last time this shifter stole someone's girl.


It was after one in the morning when Anya and Ben decided to call it a night and left the 'Madnights' for Ben's place. The wind had freshened up unexpected and Anya started to shiver slightly. Ben slipped off his button-down shirt and put it onto Anya who blushed "Thanks…"
"I just don't want you to get sick and leave me alone with next week's deployment." He had put an arm around her shoulders grinning. Anya giggled. "Foiled my secret plans again…" she slipped her arms through the sleeves.
They had just reached the bridge over the River dividing the city when suddenly one of the two men they were about to pass, grabbed Anya's wrist and pulled her away from Ben who was hit by a baseball bat from a man who had walked some paces behind them and closed up suddenly. "Fucking Shifters…" the attacker grunted and the other one, who had walked beside the man now grabbing Anya, suddenly had a bat too.
"Ooof…" Ben held his head and tumbled against the railing "Anya…" he looked around but the guy aimed for another hit which he could barely block.
Anya twisted her wrists trying to get free, but her attacker grabbed her other wrist and forced her to look at him. "Remember me, Beautiful?" he sneered. Anya frowned and decided she didn't need to and thrust her forehead right on his nose. He yelped and lost his grip on her. She tried to follow up with a kick to where it really hurts, but was hit by dizziness. What a stupid move to head-butt him, she cursed silently. Her foot connected painfully but not enough. Before she could clear her head, his fist smashed full force on her cheek, sending her to the ground.
Distracted by her crying out, Ben took another blow with the bat full force which sent him flying over the railing.

"BEN!", shocked Anya saw Ben fall into the rivers dark water. Without thinking twice Anya scrambled up, scaled the railing and jumped after him, leaving their attackers behind. The cold water washed away the last bits of tiredness which clinging to her after the attack.
Looking feverishly around she eventually found ben who struggled to stay above the surface but losing the fight. As fast as she could she swam to him, dived and fished for something of him, finding his arm. With burning muscles and fighting the urge to breathe she pulled and flailed her legs until they broke the surface.
The flow of the river dragged them downstream. While the stream did not want to drown them anymore it did not want to let them go either. Each time the bank came closer, a gush pushed them away. Finally with shaking hands and chattering teeth, Anya managed to drag Ben to a riverbank. Wheezing and panting they crashed on the soil which was covered with pebbles and grass.
Ben lay on his back, coughing, Anya next to him. She managed to turn her head towards him. "You ok?", she asked still breathing hard. "Alive…", Ben answered between coughs. They managed both to sit up. "Thank you… I… can't believe you… jumped after me…", Ben breathed.
"If I can't get sick… you can't die.", equally out of breath, she grinned at him then looked around "It is pitch black… I can't see anything." Anya stated "And I have no fucking Idea where we are." She added with a sigh.
"I guess your phone is as fucked as mine…", Ben had gotten up too, hand on his ribs because they still hurt. "I can see a bit thanks to my beast… but I'm not sure it's enough I can navigate us anywhere.", he turned around. "There is a cave.", he noted. "Let's see if we can't start a fire, warm up and stay until dawn.", he suggested. "You sure you can walk? You took quite a beating.", Anya worried but Ben waved it off "Already healing.", he calmed her. "The moments I envy you shifters.", Anya sighed and took Bens offered hand to lead her through the darkness

Shortly after they sat inside the small cave and Ben had managed to start a small fire. They had shrugged off their clothes, spreading them out on stones to dry - they had not much hope for their phones though.
Anya and Ben sat in their underwear, listening to the crackling of the fire and the twitching flames. As a shifter, Ben was used to being mostly naked around others, for Anya this was something new but since she knew Ben close to a year now and she liked and trusted him, she wasn't shy either.
Both sat in silence for a while. Bens Tattoo was restless when he gently put a finger under her chin, tilting her head "He got you there…" he noticed the faint blue shimmer around her cheekbone "Sorry."
Anya raised an eyebrow "And how is this your fault?" she wanted to know
"They attacked us because I am a shifter…" he reminded her
"Still not your fault." Anya insisted "You didn't hit me." She smirked "And he did because I kicked him - I wish I had kicked harder though." She admitted and sighed "I'll never understand that shifter hate…"
Ben shrugged "I guess our beasts scare them." He tried to explain "Or that they enhance our strength and health…"
Anya frowned "You always call it 'Beast'… No name?" she asked "I mean you spend so much of your life together…"
"No, we don't usually name them… It's not like we can talk with each other." Ben answered "It's more I know it is there and feel its emotions. It knows what I think and sense though." Anya could see the tattoo shifting around for a moment.
"Not happy?" Anya asked and Ben looked at her curious "Right… how you know?" he wanted to know "The way your tattoo just moved… gives me unhappy vibes." She shrugged.
"I think it does sometimes feel unappreciated…" Ben admitted looking at her for a moment "What would you name it?" he asked making Anya think "Snow." She finally said, making Ben scoff "What a cliché…" he stopped, sighed "But it likes the name…" he laughed lightly "So Snow it is." He agreed.
A light breeze made Anya shiver "This is gonna be a loooong night." She hugged her knees. Ben put an arm around her shoulders rubbing her arms and Anya leaned in but she still shivered. "I'm not much warmer on the outside…" he sighed
"Idea…" he let go of her, pulled off his boxer shorts "I'll change. My fur should warm you." He explained and the next second a snow leopard stretched out at the fire. Anya cuddled herself into the huge cat and Ben put his tail around her for additional warmth. "This is awesome…" Anya relaxed "Thank you." She added and all the exhaustion from the last hours made her fall asleep. Ben blushed when he noticed even though it was hardly visible in his snow leopard form. Finally he fell asleep too.

When the first rays of sun illuminated the small cave Ben stirred first, gently nudging Anya awake. "I fell asleep…" she yawned and got up, shivering again slightly. The bruise on her cheek had gathered a nice shade of blue within the last hours. While Ben changed back Anya checked on their clothes which where a bit damp at places but dry enough to be put back on.
"You good?" Ben asked Anya while they dressed "Thanks to you. Slept like a baby. Nice and warm." She smiled "You?" she asked "Fell asleep too." He gave her a smile too. For a moment there was something between them, making them both blush. "Did one of our phones miraculously survive?" Ben cleared his head and the moment was gone. "Nope…" Anya tried hers and Ben shrugged too "Same." He sighed "Let's gather our stuff and try find the way to the next street." He suggested and Anya nodded "We can't be that far away from home."

It didn't take them long to stumble onto the next road and determine the right direction. They only walked for a minute until they came across a signpost indicating they had been drifting about two miles.

"Where is Anya?" Cian entered the Lair two days after their wet adventure "Called in sick." Ben informed "Cold. Anya texted me she was sorry but puny human apparently can't take a swim without getting sick and her fever coding is worse than the sleep deprived one... her words." he grinned because he found the text immensely funny "I remember a cold not being funny." Cian scolded Ben.
"But her text is." Ben pointed out "I'll plan on leaving early today and check on her. Make her some dinner, see what she needs."
Cian raised an eyebrow "You playing nurse?" he asked in disbelief making Ben blush "She saved my life, Cian." He reminded him "The least I can do is check on her." he had found a plausible reason to convince himself he didn't worry for her because he liked her.
Cian nodded slowly "Alright. Give me a text how she is feeling, ok?" he asked and Ben nodded

Ben knocked at her door, suddenly unsure if he should have called ahead. He heard movements and Anya's grumbling threats promising murder and felt sorry to made her get up. "I come in peace, don't kill me." he sheepishly smiled when she opened the door and held up the bag he was carrying. He had left the office early, like he said he would and went home to prepare a soup - one his mother always cooked for him when he was sick.
Anya looked paler than usual, nose runny and red and her eyes glazed over from fever. The bruise on her cheek nearly faded though. "Damn, you look like shit." he stated with a compassionate grin but Anya just stared at him stunned, her face softened and lost all grumble. "Ben?" she even managed a smile as she stepped aside to let him in "I am a grumpy, whiny asshole today... just you know." she said and sounded funny because of her blocked nose.
"Noted." Ben grinned and put the bag on the counter "I brought some soup, maybe it helps you." He looked at her "No garlic, no onions." He promised "It's my mom's recipe." He added.
"God, I love you so much right now." Anya blurted out which made Ben smile "That's just the fever talking." he stated "You have all the meds you need? I can run down to the pharmacy…" he offered but Anya shook her head "I'm staffed, just need a cool pack." She assured him.
"Then lie back down, take some meds and I'll bring you a cool pack and warm up the soup." Ben commanded and Anya went back to the couch, where she had a pillow and a blanket, and snuggled into it.
When Ben brought her the cool pack and she placed it on her forehead, tears started to flow - her fever must just have had reached a certain level. Ben squatted down beside the couch "Anya, you are crying. Have I done something wrong?" he feared and felt a bit helpless "No... God, no. You did nothing wrong... It's just the fever... it will stop in a couple of minutes." she assured him. "This is so embarrassing" she mumbled.
"It's not." Ben sat down beside the couch and started to caress her shoulder and arm, handed her tissues until she stopped crying some minutes later. "Better?" he gave her a smile "Yes, thank you..." she assured him, eyes still fevered and Ben went back into the kitchen "Never heard of that before." He called over his shoulder and Anya huffed a laugh "Yeah I'm weird." she admitted.
Ben came back with two deep plates filled with a soup Anya could hardly smell "No one ever cooked for me since I was seventeen…" she looked at him and tested it "This is good." She smiled "Thank you, didn't know I needed this." Ben chuckled "You are welcome."

When they were done eating they decided to watch a movie together during which Anya's cold meds kicked in and she fell asleep. When Ben noticed it, he tucked her into her blanket and put the stuffed tiger sitting on the backrest next to her. He caught himself nearly kissing her forehead and drew back scared. What was he doing?
He carried the plates and cutleries to the sink in the kitchen part of her living room and cleaned them. After that he put the container with the rest of the soup into her fridge. His thoughts stayed with the sleeping woman on the couch though. He leaned on the counter and watched her sleeping form for a second. Her soft features, even in her sleep a smile on her face, her steady breathing - maybe a bit fast due to the fever. She was beautiful. He realized how much he had grown to like her. When had she become more than a friend to him? Two days ago? Last week? Last month? He couldn't remember. The smile on his face froze and all the old memories crawled up to haunt him. How he was laughed at, beaten, dumped when he had no more use... He needed to go. He had become way too invested with Anya.
He grabbed a scrap of paper from her desk and a pen, scribbled a note "I'll call you in sick. Sleep. Rest of the soup is in the fridge. Get well. Ben." He put the note on top of her phone within reach and silently left her apartment.
Outside he leaned against the closed door for a moment, eyes closed, just breathing.

When Anya woke up the next morning, she felt much better but startled when she realized she slept through her alarm. She grabbed for her phone and noticed a note on it - Ben's handwriting. 'I'll call you in sick. Sleep. Rest of the soup is in the fridge. Get well. Ben.'
She smiled when she remembered the day before. He had been so caring. She blushed when she realized something. Never in her life had someone cared that much for her like Ben did. She remembered how much she enjoyed the hugging after their unwilling bath and how he changed to leopard to keep her warm or the caressing yesterday when she had involuntary cried. She realized, she actually felt more than friendship for Ben. She wasn't sure if Ben reciprocated that feeling but he definitively did care for her.
She reached for her phone, texting Ben. 'Thank you!' read the first 'Feeling much better.' followed. After a moment she added 'No more fever - still love you.' She stared at the screen in silence for a second after she had sent this last text and groaned - she shouldn't have sent that last one.
'Glad to hear. Thanks for letting me know.' Anya frowned on the answer. She had expected some joking… teasing because of her last text but this? This was the same cold professionalism she knew from when they started working together. He had closed off again.
She felt a pang in her chest. They had shared a moment in that cave two days ago. And how he cared for her… and then she remembered something he told her about half a year ago when he saved her on her birthday 'Usually in my experience women are all smiles and sweet until they have what they want or you have no more use for them. Then they disappear or try to ruin your life' He never told her what had happened - and she never pushed - but something she had said or done yesterday must have scared him into closing off again. She forced herself not feeling hurt about it - he probably didn't even realize he did it. 'See you tomorrow.' she texted back.
She decided to give him a couple of days and then see how she could approach the matter. Maybe she could bring him to tell her what had happened to him so she could understand it better?


When Anya came into office the next day she found not only Ben waiting but also Cian, Tamara and an unknown man. "Anya, you feel better?" her Boss asked.
A slight smile showed in her face when she side-glanced at Ben. She knew him well enough that he wouldn't appreciate it if she 'outed' him for cooking for her in front of all the others - especially not after something scared him into closing off. "I am, thank you. Someone brought me a magical soup which helped." She answered mysteriously.
The man Anya didn't know rose and offered her his hand "I'm Detective Novac, hello." He introduced himself "I just showed Ben pictures of the suspects we arrested and who could be your attackers." He explained. The pictures still lay in front of Ben.
"That one is definitively the one who tried to smash my head with the baseball bat. The other one I'm not sure." Her coworker stated, holding up one of the pictures before he turned all of them towards her. Anya looked at the pictures "That one here." She held up a picture "That is the one who grabbed me and whom I head-butted." She was sure
"They belong to an anti-shifter group 'Peaceful Existence'." Novac explained "It looks like they are responsible for the murder Ms. Rixley helped us investigate too." He glanced at Tamara who had been quiet the whole time. "But that one…" Novac pointed at the picture Anya still held "…seemed to have a personal motive too… you sure you don't know him?" she asked.
Anya looked over the picture again. "Huh… He did ask if I remembered him, called me 'beautiful' like it should ring a bell…"
"Wait…" Ben stood up to have another look at the picture "… is this the dipshit who spiked your drink and then hit on you on your birthday? I heard him call you 'beautiful' over the phone." he looked at Anya who squinted "Maybe… Memory is very blurry. Jean… Gene…" Anya tried to remember the name but again Ben could help "Sean… that's how he introduced himself."
Novac nodded "That is his name." he smiled "He seems to be pissed on Shifters for 'stealing their girls'." He explained.
Ben frowned "Hadn't recognized his scent… Neither did Snow but I had been a bit caught up in preventing my head getting smashed in." he shrugged.
"Snow?" Tamara and Cian asked the same time. Ben blushed lightly "We named my beast. So?" he looked challenging at Tamara, who sneered, and Cian who just shrugged.
Novac clapped his hands drawing the attention back to the case "Maybe the murder and the attack on you are connected. We will look into those guys social connections. We need to prevent further violence." He collected the pictures "I'll better get back to work." He bid his goodbye.
"I see if I can help you." Tamara followed Novac out. She had wondered if there was something going on between Ben and Anya the moment she saw her glancing at him when she came in and Cian asked her if she was better. She took it as a given he made the soup for her. And now they even named this beast of him.
Maybe she should hit on Anya. Not that she was her type - she had too much in common with Ben - but maybe Ben would see how it felt when your girl goes off with someone else.

When the Beastlord came back home he had realized the PI who had supported the police to solve the killings of his friends, was still looking for him. Intrigued he had started to follow and watch her while his herbs started to grow in his little greenhouse.
He knew she was a shifter – he saw the tattoo escaping her attempts to conceal it. The way it flowed showed him how suppressed the beast felt. From all that he deducted the PI wasn't comfortable being a shifter. He had to help her. Help the poor beast. Today was the day he would approach the woman. While she was distracted, he put a note on her windshield.

Tamara went back to her car, eyes on her camera while looking through pictures she just made. The night was a mild, late summer night and she had been observing a maybe unfaithful husband and who he met in a hotel - trivial, every day PI work.
She noticed the note immediately. When she unfolded the paper there was only an address scribbled on it together with the words 'two hours' and 'Beastlord'.
Tamara looks around but couldn't see anyone. She played with the note in her hand. There was no question that she was going. Should she bring backup? No. If this turned out to be a kind of scavenger hunt he would be alarmed and maybe she would lose him again.
She dug out her phone and dialed Aaron, her partner "Aaron, meet me at the Chrystal's parking lot. I have a new lead for the Beastlord and need you to finish up the Alton case."

"You have been looking for me." the low, slightly growling voice, cut through the silence of the abandoned warehouse the Beastlord called home. Tamara had felt the presence a second before the person spoke so she wasn't as startled as a human would have been but she was uneasy because not many could sneak upon her that way.
When she turned, she knew who that figure standing in the shadow produced by the candle light was - even before he took off the hood.
His appearance, demeanor… the way he fixed her with his eyes froze her. In front of her stood a beast - but not how she remembered from awakenings. This one was not out of control rampaging. It was nothing Tamara had ever seen. Her tattoo swirled restless.
"Now you have found me… what do you want to do?" he continued when Tamara didn't speak.
"Stop you!" Tamara answered not as fierce and determined as she had hoped, her beast openly disagreeing with her.
"Go on then…" he stood there, inviting her to attack, which Tamara did. The Beastlord easily evaded her punches, kicks and everything else she packed.
"You hate to be a shifter." He just stated as a fact "You fight as a human even though your beast would have a better chance and I see how your beast moves around your skin - unhappy, angry." He didn't sound patronizing or boastful about it - just sad. At her next attack, he gripped her wrists when she went past him and held them behind her back with one hand. The other arm wound around her chest and pressed her to him. He held a kind of water skin he pulled from his belt in his free hand, filled with tea from his herbs and forced Tamara to drink before she managed to pull away from him. The water skin fell to the ground with a thud when Tamara slapped it out of his hands but it was already too late.
The PI looked at him, spitting and whipping over her mouth "I can help you." The Beastlord continued.
"I don't need help!" Tamara snarled and charged again.
"I was not speaking to you." The Beastlord made clear, evading her attacks again and steered her to a wall, turned during her latest attack, sending her against the wall. He grabbed for her arms, turning Tamara around to face him, her back against the wall. "I'll free you!" he announced and put his hands on Tamara's temples. Her eyes grew wide and she couldn't move. "Let her sleep, my friend but not drown." He spoke to the beast again

Tamara found herself on a bare plane together with a large light gray wolf - her beast. The last time she had seen this was at her awakening.
The wolf looked at her angry "I did everything I could and you only gave me hate and distrust in return." It growled, the voice radiating in the 'room' without the wolf moving its muzzle.
Tamara felt a heavy sleepiness settle on her. That's why she thought her mind was playing tricks on her when the wolf started to change his form. "No one should trust us… We are a danger… You are…" her tongue felt heavy "I must contain you, don't you understand this?" she asked the beast who just shook its more human head
"You could have benefitted from me…" the beast was sure "If you just had accepted me… embraced me…" she sighed "Juliet could still be with us…" she added. The beast had liked Juliet too… a lot. But contrary to Tamara it never blamed Ben.
"Juliet left me because of Ben…" Tamara started but she grew so tired.
"No. Juliet left because she wanted to be with a shifter and you hated being one. She went to Ben because he embraces what he is. He even named his beast. You never thought of me as a partner or a friend, right?"
"He just wants into his coworker's pants, fool." She snarled tiredly and had to lie down now but the wolf - more and more resembling the mid change appearance the Beastlord had too - didn't agree "You envy Ben for being in peace with himself. That's why you hate him."
"Help me… Please." Tamara pleaded now, realizing what was about to happen. She fought to keep her eyes open and started to sink into the ground but the wolf just continued "No, Tamara. I saved you twenty years ago. And you just subdued me, contained me and enslaved me. How often have I wished to never have been awakened…" the wolf beast shook his head "How many beasts have the same fate I have? No… had…" a smile crept on her face.
Tamara closed her eyes and fell asleep. "How much I just want to let you drown…" she squatted down and looked at Tamara sinking some more before she started to steady the floating form until she was sure the human soul was fast asleep and not drowning anymore "But I would probably go insane and on a Rampage so you will be my anchor like I was yours all those years."

The Beastlord watched as the body of the women in his grip started to change into the overly lanky form of a shifter caught in mid-change. The tattoo steadied itself in a somewhat fractured but stable way. The eyes which had been wide in shock and showing fear from when Tamara was in control, regained their normal size and a smile spread out. The whole body relaxed in the Beastlords grip "Thank you…" she whispered.
The Beastlord released her from his grip only one hand still resting on her shoulder "Welcome… Lu." He gave her the first name he could think of. Lu… from Lupus, the Latin word for wolf. He needed to come up with more names.

When Tamara didn't check in with Aaron the next day and couldn't be reached by anyone, they organized a search. Aaron only knew she wanted to follow a lead on the Beastlord but not where she had gone.
Ben was assigned an area south of the city and now stood on the nearly deserted parking lot of an abandoned warehouse - nearly abandoned, because there was one car sitting alone in front of a side entrance. He recognized it as Tamara's.
He carefully approached the car and crouched down to check the car for damages when he suddenly was hit by something blunt and heavy - a metal pipe.
How had someone managed to sneak upon him like that? He was still dazed when he was hit a second time, bringing him flat down on the ground fighting to stay conscious.
"...in peace with his beast…" - "…larger dose…" he got scraps of a conversation and felt someone lifting his head and forcing lukewarm liquid into him. Not someone. Tamara. That was definitively her smell. He forced his eyes open and saw a shape resembling Tamara pulling back from him. Before he could scramble up a man, looking caught in mid change, reached for him and before Ben could react the person placed its hands on his temples.

His surroundings seemed to change as he found himself lying on soft ground n a meadow. He knew this place… He had been here when Snow had been awakened? He couldn't concentrate. He was so tired. So ineffable tiered. "You need to fucking stay awake!" he heard a growl and was suddenly aware that a lake had appeared under him and he threatened to drown - only the malformed arms of Snow who grabbed him prevented this. For now at least.

The change on Ben's body was nearly instant and the Beastlord smiled "Welcome…" he started but was shoved back and Ben crouched, ready to attack. No, not Ben. Snow. The tattoo fractured and swirling.
Terrified of what just had happened he began to run and that was the moment Lu had Tamara's gun in her hands and fired, hitting Snow in the shoulder – the bullet went right through – but Snow didn't stop. He lashed out, hit Tamara - her beast - and ran off into the night.
"Will he inform other Shifters?" the Beastlord held Lu back from running after him. She was still looking where Snow had vanished when she answered "He will try but Cian will kill him first." She was sure "A shame. He could have been useful." The Beastlord nodded "We should move locations nevertheless - just in case."

Snow just ran. His attention divided between clinging to Ben and finding someone to help him. Suddenly he found himself in front of Cian's office and remembered the Chief coordinated everything from there. He staggered inside the building and to Cian's office.
"Help…" he just breathed, steadying himself on the doorframe. Cian looked at him in shock and jumped up. "What…" he asked but already drew his gun. He had seen enough of malformed bodies like this that he knew the beast was in control. "Beastlord…" Snow tried to speak but Cian fired, missing him only because he dived out the door again. Not trying for a second time he fled.
Cian stood still behind his desk, stunned and shocked. Tears flowing down his cheek "Oh Ben…" he whispered, swallowing hard before grabbing his phone "Aaron, meet me at my office. Ben is gone - his beast is in control." His voice sounded broken "Inform the others. Finding and neutralizing it before it kills takes priority over Tamara's disappearance." He decided.

A very loud knock made Anya jump. No, it was more a pad with a flat hand. She was cuddled on her couch watching an episode or two of Doctor Who before she would go to bed. She glanced at the clock - 20:51. Who could that be? The pounding on her door occurred two more times before Anya made it to her door. When she opened it, Ben, who was already sagged to his knees, just fell into her apartment.
"Bloody hell Ben…!" Anya exclaimed kneeling down beside him, trying to figure out what was wrong. Ben started to get up again and Anya tried to steady him as best as she could, kicking her door shut in the process. She steered him to her couch where he finally crashed wheezing.
Only then she saw the blood, some of which had transferred onto her shirt, and that he was somehow mid change. Bens limbs where longer than they should be and his fingernails were clearly enlarged and sharp pointed at the end. His face slightly distorted. His tattoo moving around but kind of fractured. His clothes ripped in various places to fit his new form.
She bolted for her Bathroom, rummaging through the cupboard and returning with towels to press on the wound "Ben, talk to me… what do you need… I'll call Cian and…"
Ben grabbed her hand tight "NO… he will… kill me…" he brought out. His eyes grew wide "Promise me!" he insisted, fear and terror on his face. His voice was rougher than usual.
Worry showed in Anya's face and shock. "Ok… Ok…Not calling Cian." She assured in a soothing voice "What happened to you? Why does he want to kill you? Why are you bleeding?" she still pressed that towel on his wound.
"Beastlord..." He grunted out "Destroyed … balance." He added and took a breath "Scared… coming here…" closing his eyes leaning back "Ben trusts you." And that was the moment Anya realized this wasn't Ben in control. "Snow?" she asked breathless and when he looked into her eyes she had her answer. Anya let out a breath and sat beside the couch. She gently caressing his arm like he had done when she was fever crying "We can do this…" she said more to herself "Snow… you have to tell me what you need, what I can do." She made him look at her. "Just… rest…" he breathed out and Anya nodded and continued to caress his arm "I'm here if you need something else."
Snow fell asleep almost instantly - like he just had waited for somewhere to feel save and Anya swore to herself she would not betray his trust. While she watched him sleep, she saw how his wound slowly closing and healing.

Unfortunately Snows sleep was not a peaceful one. He started to move around as if he had nightmares. Anya, who had fallen asleep beside her couch, woke up from his stirring and gently caressed his shoulder in hopes to sooth him but it had the opposite effect. Snows eyes snapped open, wild with fear, lashing out and hurting Anya, leaving four gashes on her upper arm. The Tattoo fractured over his face "Gnaaaa…" Anya jerked back in pain, covering her arm with her hand. "Snow, it's me… Anya…" she called out as the shifter crouched on her couch, growling. "Wake the fuck up!" Anya snarled back and suddenly understanding flared up in Snows eyes, the tattoo setting back together, still fractured but better than before "Anya…" Snow raised his hands, looking at his claws, seeing the drops of Anya's blood on one side and realizing what he had done.
"I…" he stuttered "Sorry… shouldn't have come…" he ran for the window and jumped out from her first-floor apartment "Bloody hell Ben… Snow…" Anya yelled in frustration but there was nothing she could do right now. Cursing under her breath she assessed her gashes and went to the bathroom to put a bandage over them.

Just when she was done and it was nearing midnight her door was pounded at again. She still wore the bloodstained shirt and had ripped of the shredded sleeve to better bandage her wound. Who could it be? Ben/Snow wouldn't come back. He had looked so shocked that he had hurt her… "I'm coming…" she grumbled and ripped the door open "WHAT?" she snarled and looked into the face of her boss who in return looked shocked at her arm and the blood on her shirt – mostly Bens blood.
"What happened?" Cian gently shoved Anya into her apartment and a male shifter Anya didn't know followed inside looking around, checking the rooms while Cian checked out Anya's arm "Hey… what the hell… that's my fucking bedroom!" she called after the man. "It is not here…" the shifter ignored Anya completely and spoke to Cian.
"Fortunately, those gashes are not that deep." Cian said to Anya "You should have called me…" he had a light patronizing tone but decided to skip the lecture "It is very, very dangerous… where did it go…"
"You really want to kill Ben… he was right…" Anya breathed in shock.
"Anya! Focus!" Where is it?" Cian's voice rose and became commanding.
"I don't know. And if I knew I wouldn't tell YOU so you can just kill him!" she answered equally loud.
"Listen… Ben is gone… I'm sorry" Cian's tone softened when he gently grabbed her shoulders to make her look at him, sadness clouded his eyes and tears glistening again. Ben was one of his best friends even though they fought a lot. "The Beastlord destroyed the Balance between him and his beast. By now only the beast remains and it will go on a rampage - you are lucky to still be alive." his tone was insistent.
"If he…" Anya insisted to use this pronoun, not accepting to have lost Ben just yet "…really wanted to kill me you would look at my dead body right now." She swallowed, broke free of his grip and grabbed for her jacket, phone and keys "Where are you going Anya?" Cian demanded "Looking for my friend. And when I've found him, I find a way to get that sodding balance back." She reached out for the handle of her apartment door.
"There is no balance to bring back. It will just rip you into pieces." Cian grabbed her arm, making Anya yelp in pain because he unintentionally grabbed on her gashes. Immediately Cian let go, shocked to have hurt her but caught himself quickly "You stay here and call me should it return." He commanded which didn't bode well with the pissed off developer.
Anya gave him a huff "You mistake me for one of your Tribe to order around, Cian." She glared at him "I am still your Boss!" Cian glared back, trying to stare her down "I'm fucking off clock…" she answered, Cian growled instead of saying something which pissed off Anya even more "… you know what? I quit. And now get the bloody hell out of my place, dipshit." Without turning again, she marched for the stairs and out of the building, shaking with rage and fear.

The next hours they all searched the town separately and with their own agendas. Anya wanted to find her friends Ben and Snow - fortunately inhabiting the same body - Aaron - the shifter Anya hadn't known - and Cian looking for a rampaging monster. None of them got lucky.

A silent tear was running down Anya's cheek while she sat in the dark on the riverbank hugging her knees shivering in the cold wind. It was the same place Ben and she had crawled out of the water after their involuntary swim and found that little cave she had her back turned to right now as shelter. She really didn't know how she ended up here again. After she stormed off and leaving her ex-boss behind, she realized she came up blank and just walked without thinking.
Where the hell should she even begin searching for Ben …and Snow for that matter? He was a wounded, scared beast who couldn't even go to his chosen family because they would end him. She felt like a failure because she just realized that, even if she miraculously found him, she had not the slightest idea how to rebalance him.
"I let you down, Benji… Snow… I'm so sorry…" she whispered to herself "I can't even find you." She sniffed while her forehead fell on her knees crying.

"I hurt you…" a gruff voice came right from behind her "Still you looked for me?"
Anya turned around startled and looked with wide eyes at Snow. "Snow!?" she rubbed over her tearstained eyes while standing up and closing the three steps and hugging him. After a shocked second, he returned the hug carefully to not hurt her again. The swirls of his Tattoo moved closer together again, steading his mind some more.
"Your arm… does it hurt?" Snow looked down on where he remembered he had hurt her - the bandages Anya wore hidden under her jacked "A bit." Anya admitted
"I'm sorry…" Snow averted his eyes.
"Snow… it was an accident. Not your fault!" she assured but Snow just shook his head "I shouldn't have come to you…" he stated which in turn made Anya angry "Why not. Because I'm just a fragile human and totally useless?" she snapped "Anya…" Snow sighed but Anya was in that special state of mind where she had forgotten about her shyness.
"Maybe you should have gone to Cian… Oh wait, he wants to kill you because he thinks you are a mindless killer." - "Anya…" Snow tried again and despite his gruff voice he sounded soft.
She rubbed her face in frustration "Sorry, I'm just sick of people deciding what is good for me especially when they are wrong like Cian." She looked at Snow who heaved a deep sigh. "He isn't wrong…" he stated
"Oh, that's why you jumped me snarling and ripped me into shreds…" she remarked sullenly.
Snow regarded Anya with a sad smile "Let us sit and I try to explain." They both sat in the same spot Anya just had. Snow looked a moment at the silently flowing river bevor he started.
"Balance means one soul is in charge, the other anchors, completes. They still influence the one in charge." Snow explained "We are all led by instincts. When we are awakened, we beasts find ourselves in this unknown realm, scared, furious - I don't know why we are angry though." He looked at Anya "That moment it comes down on either the beast trusting the human soul and form the balance or something in the human soul makes us wary, untrusting and trying to gain control, drowning out the human soul in the process." His gaze went over the river stretching before him again "When this happens the beast lashes out in his fury and wouldn't stop killing." He sighed "Right now, I'm clinging to Ben for sheer life because I need him to not submit to my instincts. With you around, it feels easier. Like, you are his anchor, something to fight for."
Anya blushed "So, Ben is there the same way you are when Ben is in control? Cian is wrong and he is not gone?" she asked hopeful and Snow nodded "At the moment he is but we are fighting a losing battle, Anya. Ben drowns and my grip slips." He looked at her with sad eyes "When Ben is gone I'm not sure what will happen. I'm scared the fury returns and I will go on a rampage…" He swallowed "Call Cian. I'm a ticking bomb…" he started, wanting to accept his fate
"…not before you are balanced - one way or the other." Anya looked at him determined "Even if it's not the old balance and I can't have Ben back the way he was…" she shrugged "as long as Ben is there somewhere you can be in control without being a danger." She stated "And I'll fight Cian killing you unless there is definitely no hope anymore." She huffed a sad laugh "And embarrassing myself in the process because let's face it: I'm a lousy fighter. He'll hand my ass to me within the first five seconds."
Snow looked at her stunned. "Why would you do this?" he just asked which puzzled Anya "Because you are my friend, Snow…" she looked at him, paused, but knew she had to say it now because maybe it was her last chance "…and I love Ben." A stubborn Tear formed in her eye "You hear me in there? Don't you dare to drown…" she stabbed a finger at Snows chest "…Whatever that means." She mumbled.
"Anya, I…" Snow started but suddenly gasped grasping his temples the tattoo started to wildly swirl and reform. "Snow?" Anya asked scared what would happen if he lost control completely.
"It… hurts…" he grunted in pain and looked scared at first then suddenly is features relaxed "Ben's fighting to reemerge…" he added doubling over but a smile on his face and Anya did the only thing she could think of - she gently cupping his face, kissing him until he suddenly sacked onto her, out like a light.
Anxious she just grabbed him tight in a hug - who would he be when he woke up? Ben? Snow? Or pure beast which would possibly kill her. For now, the only thing she could do was to hold him. That his tattoo was back the way she used to know gave her some hope.

Anya lost track of time when Ben stirred and his body began to revert to human. "Benji?" she whispered "Any… other person… I'd kill… calling me that." His voice just a more than a whisper but she heard the underlying chuckle. Anya hugged him tight "I thought I'd lost you…" suddenly crying and laughing at the same time because all the tension was gone.
When Ben returned the hug, he made her gasp in pain because he involuntary had put pressure on the gashes on her upper arm. Her yelp made him let go of her in shock, gently pulling down her jacket over her shoulder on the side she hurt until he saw the bandage and the bloodstains. "What on earth happened? I only remember drowning and Snow trying to hold onto me." He ran a hand through his hair while trying to remember "He was never that substantial in my mind." He looked at the women before him carefully reaching for her arm and gently examine her gashes by peeking under her bandage.
"Snow came to me, all bleeding from his shoulder and looking like he was caught in mid-change. Claws, elongated limbs. All this." She started "He said the Beastlord disturbed your balance. Begged me not to call Cian because he would kill him." She swallowed "He fell asleep but had nightmares. I guess I startled him and he raked me with his claws…" she recognized shock and guilt on his face "It was an accident, Ben." She added hastily but saw this didn't sooth his guilt "Yeah… Me assuring this didn't ran with Snow either." She sighed "He ran off because of this. I didn't know what to do and then Cian came looking for you… Snow… whatever…" she was confused "We fought about him wanting to kill you and I yelled at him for it." She huffed a laugh "I somewhen just grabbed my stuff and ran aimlessly around until I ended up here, no Idea where to find you or what to do if I did." She leaned back "In the end Snow found me here. We talked…" she went on but Ben interjected "…and you said you love me… and kissed me." Ben suddenly remembered which made Anya blush.
They sat in silence for a moment "I meant that, Benji." She whispered looking at her hands resting on her knees, not daring to look at him. She was afraid he would laugh at her, turn her down "When you came visiting me when I was sick, taking care of me, held me when I fever cried… that's when I knew it." She confessed.
"And then I closed up… again… I got scared because we became so close." Ben grumbled unhappy with himself but Anya, now daring to look at him, said "I… got scared too, I think?" she tried to put her own feelings in words "I didn't know how to tell you… how you would react…" she sighed unsure what to say prompting Ben to put an arm around her shoulders inviting her to cuddle if she felt like it. Anya decided to act on it, resting her head against his chest.
"This feels right for me..." she admitted, getting confidence out of his opening up.
Ben smiled "I'd say we should start dating but frankly? Just realized that's what we did the last few weeks... Dinners, hitting the bar, Movie nights, gaming…" he agreed which made Anya chuckle "Aw... and you never even got a good night kiss..." she lightly turned in his embrace to face him "I really enjoyed those 'dates'…" she admitted.
"So, since we agree on this too..." Ben grinned suddenly shy "Do you want to give that 'us' a try?" it was the first time in ages he even considered opening up to a woman more than for a meaningless one-night-stand. Anya leant her forehead against his "I'd really like that."

Still Anya in his arm they watched the pink-redish sky of dawn peeking over the treetops "I guess we are gonna be late for work." Ben smirked and felt Anya shrugging "Not working for Cian anymore. I Quit." She told Ben and he pulled away for a moment, looking into her eyes to make sure she didn't joke "What the fuck?" he blurted out.
"He ordered me to stay at home when I wanted to look for you… even drew the Boss card… like he bloody owned me or something which pissed me off so much I told him I quit." She was still furious about it.
"I see…" Ben sighed "He was worried for you and wanted you to be safe. From his experiences at awakenings, he was sure I was already gone." Anya scoffed "Awakenings, yes. But this was the Beastlord disturbing a fully functional balance…" she argued.
"…and he saw the bodies of what the Beastlord did over the last year to others like me." Ben cut her off. Anya knew he was right, still she couldn't bring herself to admit it so she said what they always said in such moments "Go fuck yourself…" she murmured and had to laugh when Ben joined in their trademark line in the end.
"Anyway…" Ben started to get up "I need to check in with Cian and the tribe. Come with me? You can stick it to him you were right…" he teased and held his hand out to her "Maybe you can even sort this out? I don't want to go back to onboarding new hires who will quit the next day." he smirked and Anya let him help her up "And here I thought it's because you like me… but I called Cian dipshit… so I wouldn't bet on it." she admitted and Ben laughed "You what?" he started crying tears in laughing "I told you I was pissed." She blushed and put her hands in the pockets of her jeans.
Anya looked Ben up and down noticing how tired he still looked and pulled out her phone "I call Cian to pick us up - at least he can do that… plus I don't want to walk over an hour back home." She grumbled and searched for Cian's contact "If he still picks up my calls, that is." She mumbled when she hit the call button and was surprised when her former boss answered at the first ring "Damnit Anya, I was worried as hell… Where are you? Are you ok?" he bombarded her with questions. sounding worried and relieved at the same time.
"I found Ben. He is back in balance." Anya just said and silence ensued "Care to pick us up?" she asked in the silence. "Where to?" Cian just asked.
"You remember where at the river Ben and I had been washed up last month?" she asked "On my way…" he confirmed.

Cian pulled up at the roadside and got out of the car. He had his gun ready in his hand at his side facing downwards. Anya and Ben had made themselves comfortable while waiting for him, leaning against a tree. Ben had his arm around Anya's shoulders and she rested her head on his chest.
When Ben raised his perfectly human hand and waved at him, a smile on his back to normal face, and his not fractured tattoo calm where it should be, the weapon just dropped from Cian's hand and landed on the ground with a thud. "Ben…" he whispered.
Anya slapped the back of her hand lightly on Ben's chest, crossing her arms afterwards "Told you he wouldn't believe me and bring a gun." Both peeled away from the tree while Cian rushed to them, pulling Ben into a tight hug his eyes glistening. "This is unheard of." He stated in disbelief, looking at Anya "How…" but he decided an explanation could wait and hugged her too then smacking her lightly at the back of her head with his flat hand.
"Ey! What was that for?" she rubbed the spot and felt Ben stiffen, ready to fight Cian if necessary. "For running off into a situation you had no experience with and which, under normal circumstances, would have killed you! This was pure luck!" his angry face softened again. "I don't know how this is possible but I am just grateful for it." He hugged them again.
"Snow said Anya anchored me so he could hold on until she dragged me back up." Ben gave him the short version. "But how?" he asked in disbelief "She kissed me and said she loves me." Ben smiled and glanced at Anya who did too, pulling her closer to him and kissing the top of her head.
Cian pointed from one to the other "The two of you…?" he asked and shook his head grinning when he saw Anya blushing "Well, good thing we don't have a company policy against dating coworkers, then." He teased which made Anya frown "You do remember I quit on you last night?" Anya blurted out making Cian lose his smile "You mean you were serious?" he asked which made her shrug "It was a rage quit." She admitted which made Cian pull a face "Because I was a…dipshit wanting to kill Ben." He clarified and Anya nodded "Well, yes… No… yes…" she sighed frustrated and Cian looked at her confused "You ordered me around like I fucking belong to you, Cian …" she ran her hand through her hair not sure how to continue or if she wanted to tell Cian. Her potential not-so-ex-Boss picked up on her unease "True. I unfortunately tend to do this. Especially if I'm worried for people I care about." He admitted "If I promise I'll try my best to tone this down you'll stay? You'll have to call me out if I do it again." he offered his hand and Anya took it after a second "Ok, I'll stay." She gave him a smile. She was relieved it went that way… she liked her job.

They all filed into Cian's car with Anya going into the back as the smallest person. "Tell me what happened." Cian wanted to know from Ben after he started the car and made a U-Turn.
Ben was quiet for a second, trying to remember. "I remember searching for Tamara when I was hit with somethings heavy. I blacked out afterwards." He rubbed the back of his head "After that I only remember being in a kind of meadow - the one I met Snow when he was awakened, I think - Snow holding onto me to keep me from drowning." He shrugged then smiled "And I remember Anya's presence." He sighed "That's it."
Cian nodded slowly "I'll take you to Alanis. Maybe she can help you trigger your memory and she can look after Anya's arm." Cian decided.

Doctor Alanis Parker was a woman in her fifties. Her hair was greying but the sharp golden eyes of a shifter made her look younger. While she listened to Cian and Ben bringing her up to speed to the latest events, she looked over Anya's gashes, cleaned them and put a fresh bandage around them.
"Child, this was borderline stupid… you know this, right? Running after someone controlled by its beast" Alanis scolded her. Anya sighed "Ok… fine… you are right. This was stupid." She smirked at Ben "Still, glad I did it."
"I can see that…" Alanis smiled too before she concentrated on Cian and Ben again. "I never heard of a stable beast before but I have heard of Shifters claiming they had a deeper connection to their beasts after naming them." She stated when she let go of Anya's arm and the developer slipped back into her jacket. "It is very much possible the naming saved you there." Alanis looked at Ben smiling who in turn smiled at Anya because it had been her nudge which made him do it. "But then again those already were close with their beasts when they decided to name them." She mused "For the problem you not remembering… I'm not sure how we can trigger your memory, Ben." She sighed and looked at Anya "And Snow didn't know what happened, too?" she wanted to make sure. Anya shook her head unhappy "I didn't even think of asking him. I'm really useless sometimes." She sighed.

"Not Useless!" actual growled words accompanied the Feelings, which Ben usually received from Snow. "Are you OK?" Anya was scared as he just looked ahead with unfocused eyes. Ben just held up a hand.
"I can hear you, Snow", Ben closed his eyes. "Can you do this again?" but stopped himself "Do you remember anything that happened?" Snow was confused that he could be heard by Ben, trying to replicate this without immediate success. Then frustrated, finally angry and suddenly images flashed in Ben's mind. The parking lot, Tamara's car, the warehouse, the man - the Beastlord - Tamara, a flashing pain, and how she made him drink something. How he was suddenly in control, Cian who shot at him and how he went to Anya. Anya who took care of him, how he accidently hurt her and ran away. How he hid in the little cave and how Anya found him.
Bens eyes snapped open "Holy shit…" he breathed, staggered against the bed Anya sat on "…I just could hear Snow actually speaking to me over the emotions I usually get from him…" he explained and gave Anya a faint grin "He is pissed you called yourself useless." He looked at Cian "He showed me pictures… his memories… and mine… probably of what had happened…"
Ben tried to focus and thankfully the others gave him time "I was at a parking lot in the area Cian assigned me." He started slowly "I found Tamara's car but before I could investigate more, I was hit with something…" he frowned, fighting to find words "… hard, metal… a pipe maybe?" he shrugged deciding it wasn't important "I smelled Tamara… she held me and forced me to drink something…" he broke off for a moment "The Beastlord touched me and tried to flip my balance. I grew so tired and if Snow hadn't prevented me from falling asleep I'd be gone." He remembered looking at Cian alarmed "This Beastlord flipped Tamara's balance like he flipped mine. She seems stable, Cian." He added.
"Then we can't lose any time…" Cian said and looked at the doctor "Thanks Alanis for seeing us spontaneously." He smiled and Anya chimed in "And for patching me up."
"You are welcome…" Alanis gave Anya a soft, motherly smile before she looked to Ben "Take care of her… and I'd like to interview you about what you just experienced with Snow." She winked.
"Will do." Ben promised.

"I was worried about her for a while… Tamara I mean." Cian admitted when they had left the Hospital "She wasn't at peace with her beast. She distrusted it. Was scared to lose control and rampage." He sighed and shook his head in disbelief. "I didn't realize it became so bad that she started to hate us."
"And I always thought she just hated me…" Ben finally said in the ensuing silence. Anya frowned "Why is that… I always wondered." She asked and Ben sighed.
"I once met that woman in a club… Juliet. She smelled of Tamara and claimed to be a friend of hers, visiting and staying with her. She flirted with me and when we went outside for some fresh air, we kissed. Suddenly Tamara was there, making a scene." He shrugged "Turned out Juliet wasn't just her friend but Girlfriend. Partner. Whatever. Tamara never believed me that I had no idea though." He looked at Anya with a sad smile "She used me… Juliet I mean. She wanted a shifter… Probably she meant one who didn't hate who they were." he sighed. "Story of my life I guess…" the moment he said it he looked wide eyed at Anya. Did he just accuse her of having an agenda dating him? But Anya just gave him a soft smile and now understood even better why he tended to pull away every time they started to become closer. "I think we need to rewrite this story then." she whispered and winked. Ben put an arm around Anya, drawing her closer to him in the process "So… what next, Chief?" he asked Cian.
"First, we will go for the warehouse you have been before you were attacked. I call some of the others for backup." Cian decided, glanced at Anya. He wanted her to go home and be safe but didn't know how to put it so she didn't feel commanded again.
"I guess there is nothing I can help you with…" Anya had guessed what Cian thought. She was a programmer, good at drawing and not useless with a needle but she was neither fighter or had any knowledge about supernatural stuff for that matter.
"No. In addition, we don't know what to expect… maybe we get into a fight or find nothing at all." Cian nodded and so did Anya when Ben didn't object his assessment. "Take the day off, Anya. It was a hell of a night and you are injured. You should get some rest." Cian offered and Anya nodded "I think I'll do that." Then she looked at Ben "Call me so I'll know you are safe, ok?" she asked and he nodded, his hand resting on her shoulder and the side of the neck "Will do." giving her a quick peck on the cheek before Cian and he went off.

By the time they entered the warehouse to which the parking lot belonged, two wolves, a tiger and a bear had joined Cian and Ben. Given the fact that the Beastlord overpowered Tamara and managed to get near to Ben without him noticing the wolves and the tiger already changed. Only the bear shifter - a bulky, white man, usually working in construction, called Hanson - Cian and Ben stayed human for now.
What they found inside proved a bit anticlimactic. While it definitively smelled of Tamara and the Beastlord - at least they presumed because Ben was sure it was how the one who attacked him had smelled - no one was there.
They searched the place, found the makeshift greenhouse where the Beastlord must have grown herbs but all the plants where gone. Books lay discarded around. They would look through them but had not much hope to find anything important.
"What are you looking for?" Cian asked Ben who stood in the middle of the parking lot looking in different directions, squinting against the midday sun and obviously lost in thought "Traffic cams…" he sighed "But I can't see any around here."
"But it's a good idea anyways." Cian nodded. "I'll ask Novac." He added which caused Ben to look at him with a raised eyebrow "Heads up: We can't zoom in to read the license plate." he wanted to make sure. "I know, I know... but if they have them leaving on camera maybe the car is distinctive enough to follow it around through the cameras." He wondered then looked his tired friend up and down "Sorry I dragged you here… you must be exhausted too. Go home and sleep." He offered. Ben nodded "I'll check on Anya first."

'Still awake? Warehouse was a dead end and Cian gave me the day off too.' Ben texted Anya. He was sitting in a car next to the huge bear shifter who agreed to drop him off on his way to work. He didn't have to wait long until she texted back 'Couldn't sleep yet. Breakfast at my place?' she asked causing a small smile to appear on Ben's face 'On my way.' He texted back and his smile was fading because he lost himself again in unpleasant memories.
"Give…" Hanson gave Ben a quick glance. "You just went from happy to slight panic in two seconds." He explained.
"I'm going to have breakfast at my girlfriends place." Ben put into words and let out a breath.
Hanson was silent for a second. He knew Ben well - his problems with women too - so he knew what was going on inside him now "You got a girlfriend? This is huge…" he nodded, glanced again "Who is she?" he was curious and Ben complied "My coworker Anya. We started hanging out after work some months ago, having fun and just realized this became dating somewhen along the way. We both liked the idea and decided to try it… and she saved my life… My beast Snow and her…"
Hanson smirked "She sounds like a keeper." He was silent for a second "Don't run if you get scared, Ben. Just tell her. She sounds like she'd understand." He advised and Ben nodded "That's what I'm planning."

When Ben arrived at Anya's place, she already had prepared baguettes, wrapped in a kitchen towel to keep warm, some marmalade, honey and some hazelnut-chocolate cream. A pan sat ready on the still turned off burner "You want bacon and eggs?" Anya asked him and Ben nodded "That'd be great… I'll make the chocolate?" he offered and when Anya nodded, he filled some milk from the fridge in glasses, heated them in the microwave. He knew where everything was, the same she did at his place. "Sorry if I being clingy, Benji…" Anya had her eyes on the pan melting butter while the microwave ran "I thought I lost you… still freaks me out." Ben took two cups from the cupboard then reached for the instant powder up the shelf and filled it in the cups before he stepped over to the stove and hugging Anya from behind, burying his face in her neck, breathing her scent for a second. Anya enjoyed having him so close "You are not clingy… you just care about me, love." He decided as endearment for her. Ben kissed her neck and watched the bacon sizzle for a second "This relationship thing still scares me a bit." He admitted finally "And I have no idea what you expect of me as your …boyfriend? Mate? How do we want to call it?"
Anya chuckled "I like mate…" she decided "and just be the same you always are… because that's what I fell in love with." She added taking the pan off the burner "So… everything stays the same?" Ben smiled when Anya turned in his embrace "Exactly. We just add this…" she kissed him gently on his lips and he returned the kiss.
Both their stomachs began to rumble simultaneously making them both blush and laugh "Let's eat…" Anya suggested "…and afterwards we can catch up some sleep. My bed is large enough for two." She looked at him "If you want to, I mean." Ben grinned "Sounds like a plan!"

The Beastlord lay on the floor, looking in disbelieve from one beast smashing a chair and the snarling beast which had tackled him. Had it failed again? There was no intelligence in the eyes of this beast. Not like Lu or this shifter yesterday. This was more like Helen or the others. The human soul had been drowned. But why? They had been stable a second ago. Tamara was thrown beside him, scrambling up.
That was the moment when the Beastlord overcame his surprise and drew his gun to take out the rampaging beasts. Tamara yanked his arm and his shot went wide.
"We need to stop them, Lu!" the Beastlord was insistent, watching the beasts run out the door. Lu shook her head firmly. "You can't kill our brothers and sisters!"
"Lu, they will just kill… mindlessly kill… they are uncontrollable." he went for the door but Lu tackled him and knocked him out. He hadn't expected an attack from her. "Sorry, BL…" she stated and ran after the beasts - she needed to make sure Cian and the others didn't kill them. She knew they were out patrolling the city - that's what Cian always did when he thought his precious humans where in danger.

Anya and Ben were woken up in the evening after some hours of sleep by Bens mobile ringing and vibrating itself nearly off the bedside table. Anya raised herself from his chest, where her head had laid, to let Ben reach for his phone "Cian?" he mumbled answering it, still half asleep.
"Sorry to wake you." Their boss stated "But the patrols ran across two rampaging beasts. We drive them to the abandoned warehouse. That's the nearest location to avoid collateral damage." Cian explained
"On my way" Ben had already gotten up and started to reach for his jeans when Cian mentioned 'rampaging beasts'. He let them fall to the floor again, planning to shift immediately. Anya sat up, watching him putting his phone on her nightstand after he hung up and leaning over to her, one knee on the bed "I'll be back." He winked grinning and kissed her "Take care, ok?" Anya detangled herself from the bed while Ben lost his boxers and changed and let him out the front door.
Anya, after she had closed the door again, slid down to sit on the floor, her back against the door trying to reign in her fear. Maybe she needed to step up her self-defense training so she didn't need to wait on the sidelines in the future.

With his leopard speed Ben had been at the warehouse in record time. He was puzzled to only find Cian and Hanson engaging a single beast, no sight of the second.
While Hanson's bear tried to wrestle with the beast. Cian, when noticing Ben, changed to human. "Second beast didn't play along. The others bring it down without human causalities. We try to keep this one here busy until they come or we manage to bring it down on our own." The Chief informed him before changing back to fox and engaging the beast again, which had thrown Hanson off.
Ben charged too but as soon as he was onto the beast something tackled him, slamming him into the ground. When he finally was able to focus on his attacker, he recognized Tamara… or her beast to be precise.
Hanson still struggled to get up and the beast overpowered Cian threatening to tear out his throat. Another blur crashed into it and a fight ensued between the new arrival and the rampaging beast.
Ben was still struggling with Tamara but Hanson managed to get onto his feet and ripped her off Ben, snapping her neck in the process.
At the same time Cian and the other fighter, who Ben recognized as the Beastlord, had taken out the other rampaging beast.

Silence ensued. The fox had raised hackles, hissing. The bear and snow leopard standing by Cian's right and left side, growling - everyone was on the edge waiting for their enemy to attack first.
It felt like hours but only lasted a second or two, then the Beastlord saw Lu's unmoving body, neck clearly broken. He just collapsed on his knees, having lost her. "You killed her…" he whispered "… she was stable and you killed her regardless." Tears ran down his face I only wanted a family… Not be alone anymore." he whispered
Cian changed back followed by Ben - Both naked and towering the Beastlord. Hanson stayed in his bear form. "She attacked us. Wanted to prevent us from taking out the raging beast… prevented us from doing the same thing you did." He explained, intrigued by this development.
The Beastlord's eyes widened in shock when he recognized Ben "You…" he started but regaining his composure again "The human soul is back in control I see - subduing the beast…" he scoffed
"If not for Snow holding onto me and my mate stabilizing me, I'd be rampaging too…" Ben growled.
A laugh escaped the Beastlord "Now I understand…" he whispered, shaking his head finally looking into Cian's eyes "You won. Nothing will ever change. Only one true balance… the beast has no say, never… It will be as it always has." he stated "Go on, just end me already."
For a second Cian wanted to do just that but then he looked at Ben and realized something. "If it wasn't for Anya I would have killed Ben." It hurt to admit "I was convinced he was gone and the beast…" he stopped himself "…Snow would go on a rampage. But it didn't happen and I would have lost my best friend to 'It has always been that way'" He took a deep breath suddenly conflicted to kill the beast in front of him. He was stable. Well, rational. "I can't let you run around change the balance of beasts - even willing ones." He argued with himself but it was the answer the Beastlord gave which tipped the scales: "I realized this too, today…" the Beastlord admitted and started to explain when Cian looked at him puzzled "I thought it would be enough to make the human soul go to sleep to flip the balance but the beast must ensure the soul does not drown." He sighed "If there is too much hate, they let the human drown…" he looked at the dead beasts "… a beast in harmony with the human wouldn't let the soul sleep." He looked at Ben "Nothing to be influenced from outside… it doesn't matter anymore." he shook his head, looking at Cian waiting for him to shoot or the huge bear to crush him."

Another silence ensued "Cian?" Ben looked at his Chief, waiting for an order. Cian squatted down "I call truce." He had decided and looked at a confused beast.
"You want a family and not hide anymore. You can have this… be part of the Tribe." He offered "You would have to play by our rules though." Cian added, and the Beastlord smiled "And you can keep an eye on me…" he added, drawing a smile from Cian "Yes this too." He admitted "You can help us, too. The last year made me realize how helpless we are when one of us struggles with being a shifter." His gaze went to Tamara/Lu's lifeless body "We could be more observant, talk more about this, counseling… and if one truly wants to flip the balance - with both being consent, and know the dangers - then you can help them. With us all there, preventing a possible rampage." Cian held out his hand "Truce?" he asked and the Beastlord took the hand "Truce!"

Cian had the Beastlord, who called himself Puck now - he always liked Shakespeare - hooked up with Alanis Parker.
The Doctor was the right person to introduce him to a more social life within the Tribe - and to keep an eye on him. Alanis could benefit from Puck's knowledge of the Balance as he experienced it all from the other perspective.
Both started to analyze various reports or own experiences with the balance - including the latest development with Ben and Snow.
They came to the conclusion that flipping the balance should be last resort because it was dangerous. The human soul must be totally in agreement to go to sleep and the beast needed to not only let this happen but also to keep the soul from drowning.
In the end they started to work with the herbs puck brought back from his jungle excursion. They wanted to find a way to bring the beast and human soul together like at the awakening. So they could resolve any tensions together in a talk if needed.
In addition to that Alanis started a 'counseling hour'. Any shifter dealing with issues could just drop by - as anonym as possible because Alanis was bound by professional secrecy.

A couple of days after all was resolved some of the tribe gathered on a mild September afternoon for a picnic. Anya - even though human - became a part of it not only being Ben's mate but because she played a part in resolving the situation, too. In addition, it was her first anniversary working for Cian and with Ben. Still, the most confusing thing for many attendees was the fact Ben had a girlfriend - a mate.
"By the way… you realize you are a part of my tribe now?" Cian winked "I officially may order you around now." He added teasing.
Ben chuckled and looked at Anya "Having second thoughts now about being my mate, love?" he wanted to know causing Anya to shrug snuggling even more into his arms "Yeah but they are the same as the first thought… and the third, fourth and fifth: I love you Benji."