First it started with a wolf or something larger that had been spotted in Central Park on and off for a few months, Stephen told the twins once, wolves were not commonly seen on the Upper East Side.

Teachers at Dalton confirmed to Caroline and Cassidy Priestly, wolves were not known in the city of New York.

Cassidy swore when out ice skating last week when Cara was supposed to be watching them not on her phone, she saw it.

Pointing at it to Caroline who couldn't see it in time. Car missed it.

Cassidy thought she saw it more than once, even looking through their townhouse window.

Staring at Mom who was enjoying herself with just them that night, not at all like Miranda Priestly, playing scrabble and convinced to try Guitar Hero with them.

No Stephen to make Mom upset and then it just looked right at her. Making Cassidy freeze in fear.

It was bigger than anything she'd seen on the nature channel. It didn't look like a wolf to her. Bigger.

Cassidy started to think it was something that didn't exist. Something that was in horror films they weren't allowed to see. A werewolf.

Whit their friend at Dalton loaned her a book on werewolves and other weres. Cassidy was convinced it was what she saw.

Mom was back from Paris and was somehow less now, she was Mom still with them, but no more sparkling eyes and usually every night she'd stay dressed still from work and five minutes before the door opened, Mom would take time to fix her hair and put a hint of lipstick on, both girls noticed this occur and greet Andy.

Andy often stammered at Mom at the foot of the stairs, looking right at her. It was so cute.

Usually she'd ask Andy up to take notes on errands she wanted done in the morning.

Caroline still thought it was funny when Andy almost walked into a door following Mom to her study. Mom didn't.

Mom liked Andy both girls could see it.

For the last two weeks Mom hadn't been doing that. No lipstick or planned expectant waiting at the stairs as if she was not waiting for Andy.

Stephen had moved out of the townhouse, he sent movers to get his things, hearing the front door, Cassidy peered down and scrunched up her freckled nose at who entered as her twin sister's face fell at seeing who was delivering the Book tonight. Emily again.

The cheese cube eater who Mom made into a nervous wreck with a brow rising.

Where was Andy?

They liked Andy. It had been two weeks without her. Driving them to lessons Roy told them Andy wasn't out sick or had a cold or was away on vacation but Roy wouldn't say where Andy was.

Caroline shared a look with her twin, disappointed again tonight at not seeing Andy, maybe Mom fired her.

They really hoped not, if only Mom saw how she was cool and talked to them and didn't put up with pranks now.

Caroline said Andy's name to Mom last night. By Mom's face at Andy's name, both twins had a bad feeling Andy wasn't promoted at Mom's magazine to explain her sudden absence from their nightly secret chats.

Miranda's blue eyes fell on her daughters spying again, their bright redheads leaning over the staircase rail, watching Emily put the dry cleaning away.

Did her daughters miss that dreadful girl?

Andrea was gone and she was a disappointment to her.

Andrea she'd seen every day for the last few weeks since that stupid wave, now the silly thing was happily working at the Mirror, writing serious things not ever fashion, her mouth thinned knowing Andrea truly disliked her.

What she thought of her world was obvious.

Miranda saw something in her garden, the alarm was on, fearful if it was a prowler and if Stephen was here, he would deal with this. Cara was off tonight, out on a date.

Grabbing her phone to dial the police.

Miranda saw how Patricia kept clawing and whining at the French doors tonight, Miranda saw Cara hadn't shut it as Patricia opened it, her large dog bounding out. Miranda was only in her grey robe, rushing after Patricia in bare feet with a flash light.

Stilling as she heard a howl that made her yell out.

''Patricia! No!''

Something large lunged at her sweet natured St Bernard hungrily as another dog in the darkness came out of nowhere. Growling, with its hair up, raised hackles and teeth bared into a nasty snarl. Placing itself in front of Patricia and Miranda who had dropped her flash light.

Circling it.

This creature the size of painted dog with obsidian glowing eyes, giving a feral growl at him.

She was unpaired. No mate by a non-bite to her nape.

Facing him bravely standing her ground. What was he doing here prowling near Miranda and the twins?

The other dark creature snarled to the trespasser interrupting his almost dinner of the canine, communicating to the unwelcomed shifter. ''In my pack all female bows down to the alpha. They never interfere in my kills. Move aside.''

Snapping his fangs at her moving closer right in her face.

''What do you kill all your prey with, halitosis breath. Leave my territory. Now.'' She wasn't submissive to this flea-bitten possibly inbred Wendigo from the Ozarks.

''Go jump a fire hydrant.'' Cockily talking back to him.

Damarchus was bigger than the female shifter, he would make her bow her head down to him.

This snack of a docile domesticated pet wasn't so interesting now.

Cold silvery eyes noticing her, smelling her, the human woman's scent filling his snout, inhaling her fear. He hadn't mated in months.

Lunging at the frightened snowy haired woman.

The shifter came between him and Miranda. Baring her teeth angrily at him.

''Bone eater I'll ask you nicely submit and let me mate with the human.''

The strange shifter was different to her, he was rabid and an untamed Loup Garou mix, fangs long and sharp biting at her, sinking into her side. Crying out a high snarl, the female shifter with sharp teeth began attacking him.

Damarchus was fought off and away as he ran away from the raging shifter of the night with brown eyes that rolled back as she collapsed.

The security light lit it up in her garden.

It was hurt.

Miranda carefully strided to it, reaching out to it with shaking ivory hands, hesitant in case it mauled her, the wild creature felt wet and sticky, seeing blood on her palms, slick with it, bleeding profusely from a gash on its side.

It was panting in a labored breath, pained eyes as it began giving out an almost low growl then a whimper, Miranda made to touch it again less timidly this time, brushing fur.

Blue eyes saw it began to seep more blood as it moved up, trying to hoist itself up, it couldn't manage.

Splay and snapping fangs then another pitiful whimper, falling again unable to support itself on its paws. Gave out a desperate whine, falling back down.

Miranda saw a strange necklace on it. Her fingertip on the medallion. ''What are you?'' The beast snarled at her finger on it.

Tapped its nose not to snarl at her.

It looked shocked and obeyed Miranda.

Her reflection in its big dark eyes, Miranda soothed. ''I just want to help you. Let me.''

Resigned with almost a sigh let out, it began to allow her ministrations, the large dog nosed her hand with its muzzle and licked her hand slowly as Miranda took it inside, gently cradled it.

It would stay the night.

Patricia kept staring at it and acting strange around it, backed up from the new dog as Miranda had the twins bring her a first aid kit.

It had no collar on.

Miranda had to stop it from licking its gash.

Cleaning the wound and began bandaging it as she placed a soft blanket down for it to rest near her St Bernard.

She'd never seen a striped dog before. Cassidy stared at it watching them.

''Mom are you sure that's a dog?'' Cassidy warily eyed it.

Miranda didn't have a clue of what kind of breed it was. ''Cassi it is a hurt animal. Not a werewolf.'' Miranda knew all about Cassidy thinking she saw a wolf then a werewolf.

Cassidy made to protest but shut her mouth at her Mom's look.

Cupping some water for it to drink from her hand, Miranda had to force it to swallow one of Patricia's travelling pills. It looked dopey and happily rolling.

Falling back in content inert heap.

Filling a bowl of water, she would call the vet's tomorrow morning herself. It opened later in the morning on Saturday, Roy would help her drive it over. Her brother was visiting them for a few months.

Patricia made to go with her upstairs. ''Stay.''

Patricia obeyed her owner staying with her new canine friend.

Miranda flicked off the light as she went to bed, she'd check on it in an hour.

She smelled her still in the room with her, every scent in the city was different, unique a heady blend of humans and food filled her days, some stunk or were cloying or smelled like curry or too much aftershave but Miranda's scent she was inhaling again after weeks apart she soaked up, Andy could smell Miranda had just had a shower, that she used orange blossom shower gel nightly, she always liked her scent.

Snuggling with Patricia safe under the townhouse roof.

A pulsating tingling feeling through her from her scalp to her toes as she started to reform, her toes were licked with slobber.

Andy's mouth curved with her lids squeezed shut, a small smile twitching on her face from Patricia's licks.

Andy's bare long limber legs flexed from being curled up in a fetal position, clenching her pearly teeth hissing out as she stretched naked, that 213 pound wild werewolf almost killed her trying to hurt Miranda.

No meant no Damarchus. He was not welcome to mate with her mate.

Andy felt almost as strange as the night she was made into this, getting up, clutching the wall, picking up the pill jar. Miranda gave her pet valium.

Turning her head to wide alarmed blue eyes holding a tennis racquet up to strike her with.

What was Andrea Sachs doing naked in her kitchen?

Author's Night:

Happy Halloween All my readers and reviewers. Thank you very much for the suggestion Leslie Atwood. Every review means the world to me.