~Darcy's POV~"Anytime, Mani!" I was confused. This was certain. Instead of blocking everything out like I had done for years, I was finally letting it all in. My senses weakened and my movements became faster, more precise. They weren't as good as Mani's, but they were better than they would have been two weeks ago. Soon the wolves surrounding us began to shrink, leaving an increasingly panicked crowd behind us. "They're almost there!" I circled just as Mani smashed the heads of two wolves, leaving them confused enough to dig into their necks and part of their spines with each hand. A howl was heard as Dion's pack burst into the forest clearing. Mani's smile turned into one of wild victory as Dion stepped out from behind the trees. It jumped at a wolf that was in front of me, successfully dispatching it with a swipe of its claws. “We're losing your hunter's touch, aren't we?” I rolled my eyes as I tried to distract myself from the blood rushing down her head and soaking into her eyes. “Do you have a little…” his eyebrow raised as he brushed away the blood with the pad of his thumb. “Baby,” I actually laughed a little this time as I emerged from the confusion trying to locate Winnie. It took me a second to find her through all the confusion, but soon I saw her lying helplessly under a dead body, out of sight of the people arguing around her. “Winnie,” she shivered at me, the sight of her. “Go away, Darcidian,” I gasped at her using my full name, my eyes unable to meet hers as she struggled to get up from under the dead weight on her. “Win…”, “Don't call me that,” I could see the anger and desperation flowing out of her in… middle of paper… memory here. All-consuming emotion there. Hunting is one of the careers you can't retire from easily. If you don't keep yourself busy... it can destroy you quickly.” “I won't let it destroy you, Lucie. I'm here for you. I'm your companion. We should share our pain or our memories. This is how we survive. It's how we deal with a past we're not so proud of. Together. This is what it means to be a companion. That's why we're so good for each other, don't you see? You help me forget the darkness in me... the pain that has surrounded me since I lost my parents, from taking on the responsibility of Alpha so young. You help me make better decisions for my pack, our pack." "Casey...", "Lucie, it's time." "Casey think about it...", "You have three days. Make your choice. If it's me, you know where to find me." "Choice? What do you mean by choice?" "Accept me or reject me.”