outfit

On top of working in her shop and working with Dahlia, Amanda had spent most of her time the past few days with Valerie. They'd been poured over some really old books both studying what she needed to learn for this spell and trying to figure out how this vampire guy had gotten past people to their children so easily. She'd finally solved what she needed to fix Kailah. She wasn't even going to talk to Jack about which side they would mask: it was obvious Kailah was more wolf than witch, and she she didn't have her magic now anyway. They would hide her as a werewolf.

They were on their way to her parents' to use the spell and potion when Valerie got the call. Kailah wasn't the only hybrid in town that needed help and they had only made enough of the potion for Kailah. Amanda continued on to her parents' house and picked Kailah up, shoving the potion down her throat as soon as possible and recited the spell. She was nervous though because it might already be too late. She'd felt something earlier; someone or something was coming and it was bad news.

When she and Kailah arrived at Jack's cabin, she told Jack to get the pack. "Kailah isn't the only one in danger Jack. There's another hybrid in town, one the Order knew nothing about. Another kid.." Valerie had told her the moment she realized they had miscalculated the allure the town had to people like this guy and vanished. Before long though, Alice was standing outside the protective circle. "Jack? Valerie said I could find you here..." She was there to help though, hopefully they would accept her help, even if she couldn't see them. With her many acquired gifts, she could feel them though. If she could feel them, so could the perpetrator.

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Valerie ran off the moment she got the call from Alice, telling the vampiress she should go to Jack and Amanda before she went looking for this other hybrid. It took some time, but finally she uncovered a scent highly unfamiliar to her. Taking a huge risk, knowing full well that it was the home of several vampires, she knocked vigorously on the door until she was dragged in by her hair. The male snarled at her, wondering what exactly she meant by coming to their house like that. "Marcus? Alice sent me," she choked out. His grip on her shifted, though he was now practically choking her instead, clearly angry with her. When she told him why she was there, he threw her across the hall and she landed rather roughly on the living room floor, crashing through the table on her way to a halt as she skidded across the floor from his force. "Alec!" he called, still angry with the werewolf, though needing his hybrid to take care of her. "Take care of her, will you?"

"Equilibrium sends its regards," she spat when she tried to get up, ending up with Marcus telling Alec to just restrain her instead.

Jack smelt something foul in the air. It was a scent he had never smelt before and he called Hunter to his side."Who is it Hunter?" He asked the wolf. Hunter telepathic skills have improved greatly and he could actually eat thoughts miles around and focus on a perticular one. He finally found the vampires thoughts but his eyes widen some."I found him.....but his not after Kailah first there's another in this town he wants an is going after....." Hunter said.

Before he could acquire what that was, Amanda showed up with Kailah and told him that he should call the pack. He did just that and sure enough the pack show up and were ready to battle. He saw Alice then outside the circle and quickly made his way over to her."She's not here but from Hunter and Amanda told me the vampire is after another hybrid first but he knows about Kailah and is coming after her next." He said.

Alec was in his room when he heard banging and quickly went downstairs when Marcus yelled at him to take care of the wolf. He honestly didnt know what Marcus would want him to do with her."Why is a werewolf here?" He asked curiously and then smelt something. He left the wolf and Marcus side to look outside and saw a shadowy figure."Theres a vampire outside...." He said and looked confused. He don't know that someone was after him.

When Alice showed up and knew they were there, Amanda knew that the other vampire would find them just as easily and that he might have a way to get through to them when he finally did come for Kailah. Alice looked at Jack when he approached her. "Valerie told me to come here when she went to find the other hybrid. We didn't know until today or we would have offered to hide him, someone tipped us off though so we know where to find him now." She figured there was no point to keep up the secrecy anymore or try to keep her hands clean. "If I could sense you through whatever protective spells you've got set up here, he will find a way through if he really wants to. The spell takes time to work, even if it kicks in before he gets here, it's too late."

Marcus wasn't too happy when the werewolf said Equilibrium had sent her. Memories he didn't even know he'd lost came rushing back as to how he'd survived when his family had been killed and he owed the Order a favor. If that favor also coincided with keeping Alec safe, he would gladly return it. "She's here to warn us about the vampire standing outside. He's come to collect you." He answered Alec's question and got the werewolf back on her feet. She was a little banged up, but otherwise ok. "So, do your job wolf-girl. Take Alec to safety."

Opening the door, he went outside and met the vampire. This vampire was different from any he'd encountered before though as despite his many years of experience, he couldn't hold him off for long. He could only hope that Valerie and Alec got away safely and that they had the good sense to bring Ana with them. Luckily, Arya came outside to help and brought the two girls with her. Together the four of them managed to hold the vampire for a few more minutes before they were all brought to the ground as a teen witch stepped out of the shadows and immobilized them. They wouldn't be able to move for quite some time now, regardless of the fact that the vampire had taken off after the small party.

Valerie was glad the forest was almost right behind the vampire's house as it made getting the hybrid and the witch to the cabin that much easier. Once they were there, she told Alec that these were wolves he could trust and watched as Amanda pulled the two newcomers inside the protective spells. Ana went straight to work, she grabbed Amanda's arm and broke whatever spell held the bracelet in place before she made the other witch double over in pain. "I'm truly sorry about this, but I'm gonna need you to be ruthless and angry for a little while, I'll snap the bracelet on later." She explained herself as she could see the blonde struggling, until finally she laid a hand over Ana's own and it burned, making her pull away quickly.

A pack of wolves? Check. A pissed off witch? Check. A necromancer? Yes, they were ready for whatever now. "Hunter, take Kailah and this kid inside. Whatever happens, don't let them out of your sight," she said strictly. Whatever control she'd had over her magic had vanished once the bracelet was gone and Ana made sure she was angry enough to kill. They had to stop this guy, regardless of how many times he'd done this before.

Alec was stunned to learn that someone was actually after him. He didnt want to leave Marcus and actually grabbed the mans arm."I don't want to leave you." He said but the wolf had pried him off Marcus."Marcus!!' He shouted as the wolf had dragged him away from his home. They arrived in a entirely new place and actually hide behind the female wolf. She reassured him that he could trust this people even though he had never seen or met them before.

Jack and Hunter both stared at Alec for a moment."A werewolf and vampire hybrid very interesting." Jack admitted and turned his attention back to the situation at hand. The pack of wolves stared in fascination and some made a face as if the mix was a abomination. Hunter merely nodded and escorted Alec into the cabin and made sure that Kailah was in his arms. Their was a hidden door that lead to a cellar in the kitchen and went down there with Kailah and Alec.

Jack looked around the perimeter, allowing Alice into the circle for the time being and made sure his pack was together. He sent a telepathic message to Hunter to scope out the vampire. Hunter concentrated and found the vampires mind but also found the mind of another that was with him. He warned them now that their was another with the vampire.

"Hunter said that there's a witch with the vampire that is helping him...." Jack revealed and prayed himself for the vampire as he and this witch was getting closer and closer.

They'd had no choice but to forcefully remove Alec from the house, but Ana would come as well, so at least he wouldn't be completely alone. Once they arrived, Ana smirked at the two wolves. "That's what happens when you're bitten by a werewolf and happen to live with a necromancer." She was proud of it too, despite the fact that it would have killed her if she hadn't been surrounded by vampires at the time. Turning to Alec after Amanda had told Hunter to take him inside and before he was taken, she offered a few comforting words: "Sweetie, Marcus will be fine. Just please stay safe or he'll never forgive me..." All that mattered to her now was that he remained safe or she wouldn't be very safe herself.

"It may look like just one witch Jack, but you can bet she's linked to a full coven of his previous acquisitions," Alice chimed in when Jack revealed there was a witch with the vampire. If she was right, she was one of his hybrids witches, and if that was the case, he had more where she came from. "We can't kill him until we learn where he's keeping the children. You think Hunter can do some digging while we hold them off?" This vampire probably had all his hybrids held up in the same place and if he'd taken any infants lately they couldn't survive on their own. The Order wanted to terminate the culprit, but they also wanted to return the children to their families. Surely Jack and Hunter could appreciate that.

Finally a lone figure appeared in the clearing. Ana could feel his eyes on her like he could actually see her, and she realized he probably could, he just couldn't get through the protective spells just yet. "I'll try to draw the witch out, try to knock her out without killing her. Without the witch he can't get through." After that was said, she grabbed the hands of Amanda and Alice as they were standing closest to her. A vampire and a witch helping her were better than nothing, even if they couldn't hold up long if Alice was correct. Amanda understood what she needed and helped her willingly, Alice was in the dark so she had to drain her without her understanding at first. She didn't need to chant a spell, she just stared at the vampire and made him take a step forward before he was completely immobilized. It worked, for a while, until the witches were struggling to keep up and Alice finally sank to her knees. Hopefully it had drawn out the witch, or they would have to find another way.

Alec had tried to look out the small window that was in the hidden cellar and saw the vampire and witch. It scared himm alittle that the vampire coould have finished with fighting Marcus and the others that fast aand was worried now thhat he might have killed them. He wanted to get out of here, but the beta stopped him from trying anything stupid and told him that the vampire was after him and that his fate is unknown if the vampire gotten ahold of him. Alec looked down and tried not to start sobbing at this.. Kailah knew something was going on and patted Hunters cheek, saying dada and mama. He sigh."I know....you have to stay here though." He said softly.

Jack saw the vampire and witch finally approached them, they couldn't get into the protective circle though yet. The pack growled and bared their fangs at the vampire who seemed to be quite calm about the whole thing. Jack only stared at the vampire and the witch that was with him, ordering the pack to not make a move unless he does something first or get in the circle some how.

He sent a telepathic message to Hunter, telling him to try and explore the vampires mind. Hunter had to close his eyes and concentrated and as the vampire was immobilized, he could search around in the vampires darkest corner of his mind. He finally found the location where he was keeping the other hybreds and personally wanted to rip the vampires head off in the condition they were kept in. But he relayed the information he had gathered to Alice, Valerie, Amanda and Jack. Hunters telepathic was outstanding to say the least, if he wanted to, he couldn't even be detected when reading someones mind.

Immobilizing the vampire for the short time they had, put the witches at a disadvantage. They were weakened, and not really ready to face the vampire or the witch again. There wasn't much they could do at all really. Alice could barely move, Ana herself was weakened. Amanda was the only one out of them that didn't seem ready to fall down. The grass around her feet was dead and she had a smirk on her face. "Always have a contingency plan," she chuckled. The grass would grow back eventually, she just couldn't risk being on her knees at the moment.

Valerie listened to Jack when he told the pack to stay still, after all, she had two masters now. The Order and Jack, right now Jack was the one that was closest and they all had the same goal. When they learned that Hunter had found the location of the children, Valerie looked at Jack. "I can get there, Jack. Hunter is fast, but he's preoccupied and Alice is otherwise incapacitated..." It wasn't that she wanted to get away from the fight, but someone had to get the kids and it was obvious Jack wouldn't let anyone of the truly loyal pack members go as he might need them.

Amanda looked at Jack. She was aching to try her hand at the witch, but she wouldn't do anything without his approval this time.

The vampire finally had his body back and merely shook himself off, helping the witch he had brought to her feet. Jack growled at the vampire who kept his eyes on the alpha."You must be the were witches father." The vampire said and gave a smug smirk. Jack narrowed his eyes at the man."I'll spare everyone's life if you hand out the werewitch and the vampire/werewolf hybrid.....both would be a great addition to my collection." He added.

Jack bared his fangs at the man."There not something you can just collect leech." He growled.

Hunter kept tabs on what was going on outside by his telepathy while Alec was looking out the window. Jack looked back to Valerie for a moment when she offered to go."Fine take a couple of the pack with you." He said. Four men stepped forward an went by her side, offering to go with her. The witch regain er composure and actually brought down the shield. Everyone inside the protective spell was on high alert now. Jak quickly gathered the fallen witches and had them put inside the cabin while the pack surrounded the cabin.

He looked to Amanda."If you can fight then fight but I you can't then trade places with hunter to watch Kailah with the hybrid." He said.

"Come now wolf, if you want to fight and be difficult then fight." The werewolf said. Jack left Amanda and the other witch inside the doorway of the cabin and left to push his way through the crowd. He had a feeling that the witches would recover hur until then it was left to the pack and him. Jack made the first move, disappeared and reappeared to the side of the vampire and tried hitting him but was thrown to the ground with the vampire ontop of him. The pack grew restless as they watched their alpha and the vampire fight one another. The vampire got his arm around Jacks neck, but not before another wolf tackled the vampire to the ground. The whole pack charged then, trying to keep the vampire and witch busy whole Valerie and the other four headed to the place where Hunter told them to go.

They all listened to what the vampire had to say, but Amanda couldn't help but frown in disgust at his words. There was no way they were handing Kailah over. The other hybrid she couldn't really care less about at this point, but there was no way he was getting their daughter. Not if he wished to live. "Leave us alone and you might just walk out of here alive," she spat back at him.

Valerie nodded when Jack said she'd take some of his wolves with her. The four men that stepped forward looked like they could handle themselves if it came to a fight, so she gladly accepted the help. Amanda looked at Jack and chuckled slightly. "However much I appreciate your concern, Jack, this isn't just your fight. I might not be as physically strong as that bitch, but I've still got enough of Kailah's magic left to do some real harm. Antonette on the other hand, she knows this other kid, she can trade with Hunter."

Amanda was fully aware that she was willing to trade someone she trusted with her daughter with someone she barely trusted, but they all wanted the same thing and they had to be where they were of most use now that the shield was down. Antonette was a witch too, however different from Amanda and there was some form understanding between the two that they had to do whatever it took to protect the two hybrids. Walking right out to where they were fighting, she grabbed the witch by her shoulder. "Use your magic, I dare you," she said with a smirk and found herself pushed away, scrambling to her feet a few feet away. However much her ways had changed, she still knew her dark magic, and Ana had made her access it again. Whenever the witch used any magic on Amanda, it was slowly drained from her. She'd get it back, once the vampire was down and the threat neutralized. So she kept letting the little girl try to use her magic on her until she finally made it back to her and put her hand over the girl's mouth, putting her to sleep.

Valerie ran, fast as she could to the place Hunter had told them they'd find the kids. It was further away than she'd first expected, and more guarded than they'd been told. They would have to fight their way in, without killing the hybrids guarding the little ones. This vampire sure had brainwashed a lot of children to become his perfect army...

Jack transformed into his wolf form as did the entire pack. Finally the vampire honestly couldn't hold out his own against the entire pack and was put down. Four of the pack members held the vampire down, but they didnt bite him they knew that their alpha was going to be the one to kill him. Jack walked over to where the vampire was being restrained and narrowed his eyes at the vampire. Finally, he snarled at the vampire and broke his neck with his jaws. Finally the vampire was dead and the wolfs jumped off the dead vampire.

He looked to Amanda now and headed inside to change and a few of the wolfs had turned as well and dressed. He went downstairs and got Hunter, making Ana watch Kailah. Alec had gotten out for under the cellar and ran out the cabin, he wanted to see Marcus and the others.

"We're going to go and help Valerie.....Amanda you can come or stay here." He said and headed out the back of the cabin with Hunter leading.

The witch was powerless and down, the wolves killed the vampire and all that was left was to save the kids. Antonette had tried to stop Alec from running out, but she couldn't. The threat was over with anyway, so he'd be fine. They might have to get this order to help them hide Alec though so he wouldn't be in danger like this again, especially since she could only make a temporary fix like she'd done with the hybridism. She'd be fine watching the infant while the others went to get the other kids, she was still recovering after all.

When Jack said she could come or stay where she was, Amanda knew she couldn't come with Jack. She was too full of magic that wasn't hers to be any good to anyone. "Go get them Jack, I have something I need to do," she said and dragged the unconscious witch to the doorstep. She would have to use the witch's magic against her and try to clean out whatever the vampire had gotten into her. Make her less vicious and want to see her parents again. Become the teen she was supposed to be rather than the fighter he'd made her. Once she was done, the girl would get back what she was hers.

Valerie and the wolves were fending for themselves the best they could against the hybrids, but the moment Jack arrived she knew they'd won. "The vampire's dead?" She asked, just so the hybrids could hear them, they were clearly confused about it all and the fighting stopped.

Alec had ran back to Marcus house and was happy that they were relatively alright. He really thought of Marcus like a father and almost cried in joy when the other was clearly not dead at least and told them that the vampire was dead.

Jack had made it there, helping Valerie out but he ordered the pack members to not kill any of the hybrids. He looked to Valerie."Yeah I killed him." He said and oce the hybrids around them heard that, they stopped and stare at Jack in shocked. A very young girl who was only five crawled out from her hiding place, she was dirty and her cloths were raggedy. He really didnt take care of any of these kids like they were suppose to be taken care of."I can go back home to my mommy?" She asked, staring up at Jack.

"Yeah everyone can.......you no longer have to he under his control anymore!" He said, making it clear to everyone that was under his influence that the vampire was really gone.

When Alec arrived at the house, the other inhabitants were finally able to move again and they all huddled close to Alec and hugged him tightly. Even Arya joined in on the hug as she could see the relief on Marcus' face that the boy was safe. "You shouldn't have run off like that Alec, but it's really good to see that you're unharmed." He ruffled the kid's hair as they let go of him. The three females were quick to head back inside and get the mud off of their clothes as they'd fallen when they'd been immobilized. Marcus on the other hand didn't care about a little mud and kissed the top of Alec's head. He didn't know what he would've done if the boy that was almost like the son he never had had gotten hurt.

Valerie was pleased when Jack announced that the vampire was dead and watched the little girl ask such an innocent question. Kneeling down to pick her up, Valerie smiled at her and brushed some dirt off her cheek. "Your mommy never stopped looking for you. We'll take you all home, clean you up, feed you and find your parents." Valerie didn't know what else they could do but to bring them to the Quarters to house them while they tracked down each child's real parents from the files they had on the missing children.

"It's time you see where home for me really is Jack. I don't know anywhere else big enough to house thirty something children and be able to feed them... You trusted me, now I'm trusting you." She wasn't looking at Jack though, she was busy putting the girl down and picking up a toddler that started wailing like there was no tomorrow. They seemed to calm down when they were given proper attention though. Fishing her cell phone out of her pocket, she call home and asked to be picked up along with the pack and the children. "Hunter, is that witch we left with Amanda still OK?" Valerie didn't trust the blonde when it came to the young werewitch.

Amanda had sat down across from the young werewitch, she knew what she was about to do was highly frowned upon, but she couldn't help it as she wanted the girl to have a more normal life than this. She placed her hands of the girl's temples and focused. Before long they were connected in such a way that allowed Amanda to purge out whatever darkness the vampire had beat into the girl, until she was just a regular teen again. It took a while, but she got there. While still holding onto the girl's magic, Amanda raised the protective spells once more, making them stronger this time before she gave the magic back. She didn't really want to, but she knew she had to, and to make it all the easier, she went to Ana straight afterwards and had the bracelet placed back on to be sure she wouldn't hurt anyone else while she was hurting herself. With the bracelet back in place, she could feel whatever was left of her rage be drained out and she held her daughter close, telling her she was loved.

Valerie turned to Jack again. "We'll do for all of them what we've done for Kailah, but I'd like you to be our liaison between the Order and these families Jack. We tend to come across as biased. Help us get in touch with them so they can have their child back, and to understand that they can be hidden in plain sight. If I hadn't known better I would've said Hunter was just bringing a regular werewolf with him into the cabin, that's all she smells of now."

Alec smiled up at Marcus."I wanted to make sure up were okay.......I think the alpha killed the vampire......so we don't have to worry about him coming after me or anyone else...." He said. People would try to come after him because of what he was, but Alec was still naive and even innocent. He laid his head on Marcus chest, wanting to be near the man.

The children looked stunned and happy all mixed into one. Jack looked back to his pak members."Go upstairs and searh for more children, if you see infants then take them straight to the cabin, their more on danger of dieing." He ordered. His pack mates nodded and a searched throughout the house. They found a few infants, more were dead though from not being cared for. Hunter picked up the dead body of a seven month old child and gently covered the baby with a white blanket and went to searching for more bodies while the others did as Jack said, all going to the cabin with the infants. Most of the pack were very well muscular men like Jack was and it was kids cute watching then take care of the babies once they got back

"The witch is fine." Hunter sent a telepathic message to Valerie as he continue to look for more dead bodies.

Jack looked to Valerie, his eyes shifting to the younger children who now stood around him and Valerie."Fine ill help you.....first we need to get this kids out of here and back to your quarters, the infants are being taken care of there severely dehydrated and hungry probably." He said. Hunter finally came down."I found seven dead children....." He said and as he walked more children were followed behind him, he carried a three year year old who was tired. "There's ten of them that survived." He added. Jack only nodded and took the three year old who was sleeping now. He looked to Valerie."Is it okay if I come alot with you to help you transport this kids to the quarters?" He asked.

Marcus had never been happier that one of his fledgelings had defied him or that another vampire had been killed. The most important thing was that Alec was safe and sound. He wrapped his arms around the boy and held him close, glad that he was back where he belonged. "We can't just make this go away. People have come after you for a while, we need to find a way to mask your scent so people can't pick up on how unique your are." More than anything, he wanted to keep Alec innocent and in the dark, but he needed to know he would always be in danger unless they found a way to make sure people couldn't learn what he was.

Valerie smiled when they all went inside to look for more children. She had her hands free, so she made two phone calls. One to Alice to alert the two witches at the cabin to what was coming so they could prepare and one to her brother. "Mark, I need a lift. We're bringing the children to HQ." Their conversation quickly switched to German after that as Mark turned their call into a conference call and added a senior Agent from Berlin to their conversation. They quickly sorted out the details and Peter, who had been on this case for a long time, would take care of the details. When she hung up, she looked at Jack when he asked if he could help transport the kids to the quarters.

"I arranged to have everyone brought to the Quarters via two cars. We can't take everyone at once as it would be too obvious something was up. If we take them all to your cabin and get them some water, you're all invited to help bring them to the Quarters, they'll need some familiar faces around and we could use the help getting them situated while we find their parents." Chuckling slightly, she pushed Jack gently in the shoulder. "We'll be picked up outside the forest by two vans, as close as possible to your cabin without revealing its existence, and I need at least one adult per car to keep an eye on the children. I'm sending Alice with the first cars to make sure you'll be take good care of until we're all there."

They needed to bring the dead children too, but that was no priority. "Get Antonette here to preserve the dead to the best of her ability. Dead or alive, their parents deserve to get their children back. We'll be back for the dead once everyone else is safe."