Author's Notes: This was the last part I'd written before I abandoned the story. I am posting it now to show that I am hopeful about progressing in this story and to let you know that, in that vein, I've decided to start again from the beginning. I'm re-writing and expanding Aspect of the Wolf. I want to flesh out some of the earlier chapters, and fix some of the flow problems. My hope is that by doing so, I will have the motivation to finally finish! Thanks to everyone who's stuck it out this long.

A branch cracked and then he was standing there, in Wolf form, framed by the bushes. He stared at her and then began to stalk towards her, ears back, tail erect, snarling. Oh, she wished that she could say that she hadn't seen it coming. But she had. She'd watched him coming closer and she'd frozen, costing her precious seconds. When she jerked herself free and tried to begin the Change, it was already too late.

He was on her then, slashing at her with lethally sharp teeth and claws. Futilely, she tried to fight back, but each would seemed to bleed her strength away. At one point, she could have sworn he was going for her throat, ready to rip it away, ready to end her life. But he had stilled and then the clearing was bathed in light as he Changed back into human form. He used his fists then and when one blow struck her cheek, stars spun before her eyes. She thought of Sean then, thought of what might've been.

The blackness pulled at her, sucking her down, away from the light. Faintly, she heard a howl, a long-drawn out cry that made Tyler pause. He reached for her throat then, grasping it in one strong hand and squeezing. She struggled again, in a last-ditch effort to save her life. He was relentless, bearing down until the darkness was all she knew.

Except for one single insistent voice.
/We're here, we're here, just hold on...You need to wake up, sweetness, wake up for me...Sarah, you're making me crazy here, wake up already...Goddammit, I swear I will follow you and pull you back here, if you don't wake up RIGHT NOW!/

Sarah's eyes flew up in response to the command and her body instinctively stiffened, sending waves of pain throughout her. Where was she? "Sarah?" A concerned voice called her name and then her mother was there, bending over her with tears in her eyes. Sarah glanced around the room, seeing only her father by the window. She croaked, "Where"
"You're in the hospital. Sophia found you. Everything's going to be okay now, baby. You're safe, I promise"
But that wasn't what she wanted to know at all. Sarah tried to speak again, but the blackness took her again, this time to sleep.

There is a special ward in the Lakeside hospital, hidden in a maze of corriders in the basement. This ward is used only on rare occasions. For the most part, the nursing staff has learned to stop commenting on the rapid healing rate of certain patients from the Wolf Lake region. They've also learned to steer clear of any visitors for a Wolf Lake patient. Depending on the severity of the injury, waiting room chairs might suddenly develop weak joints and break, or the pipes in the walls begin to make odd growling noises.

Right now, the waiting room was nearly empty. Matt and Vivian were huddled by the window, glancing at each other briefly as they shared their thoughts, guarding them from the teens. Luke slouched in a chair, leaning his head back against the wall. He hadn't let go of Sophia's hand yet. She wore his gym clothes and his scent is wrapped around her, a fact they both find comforting. Sean sat across from them and appeared to be sleeping, but Sophia could see his hands clenching on the armrests. There was still blood under his fingernails and his shirt was a loaner from her dad. Sophia sighed and huddled closer to Luke, closing her eyes.