A/N: A shout-out goes to @Sylverstyle, @IAmCandiBaby and @TTgotswaqq who - with their idea that the white wolf could've been an ordinary wolf - inspired a part of this chapter.

PS: The facebook group I'm creating for you, my AWESOME readers, and where I'll be posting sneak peeks, what inspired me and ways you can win some prizes will be up next week. Who wants to join in?

*****

About two months ago, I'd tried to get into the Silver Bullets Pub; now I couldn't wait to get out of it.

The premises was filled to the brim with shifters; even without the patrols who had yet to come back from their search, there must've been about a hundred werewolves. All stools and chairs were occupied by adults with one or even two children seated on their lap; there were plenty of people standing between the tables - a few toddlers were perched on top on the wooden surfaces - or on the stairs and the second floor landing. The rooms that were the owner's residential area were opened so they could accommodate the rest of the pack.

Noise was everywhere around me, people whispering animatedly and breathing heavily in the stuffed dwelling; the open windows did nothing to disperse the heat coming out of our bodies.

"It won't be long before we branch out," Ivan - the boy Rhys had praised during the morning workout and also the pub owner's son - squeezed in between other members to lean on the railing next to me, his eyes set on the people on the first floor. Like all the other teens and children, he would not be going to school today. Rhys had insisted that I'd call the Milk & Cream and ask for someone to take my shift; with all that had happened, I couldn't say no to him and took the day off.

"What do you mean by 'branch out'?" I asked, happy to change the topic. I'd spent the last hour - although it seemed longer - retelling what I'd seen, first to Keri, then to other adult members of the pack; Kennedy had not missed the opportunity to question me either.

"There are too many of us now and the more we are, the more attention we gain from outsiders," he stretched and put his elbows on the railing. "It won't be long before a group of us - perhaps even from my generation - would leave in search of new territories. They'll form their own pack and come up with their own rules. Some adults will go with them, of course; there's no way we'd leave our young to fend for themselves around other packs and humans. No offense," he added, "but humans aren't exactly jumping for joy to have us around."

"None taken." I nodded just as the front door opened.

The crowd downstairs split up, forming a narrow path for the newcomers to walk on. The six were in their human form and I recognized them as some of the patrols Keri and Rhys had sent out; amongst them was Everett. He climbed the stairs along with two other shifters, but they didn't need to reach us for us to know that their mission to find the white wolf had failed; it was written on their cheerless faces.

"Not even a clue?" Keri asked when they joined us.

"Nothing." Everett shook his head. "We tracked them until the river and then we lost the trail. They must've shifted into human form when they got out of the water."

"Then track their human form," Ivan butted in.

"Son." His father put his left hand over the boy's shoulder and placed his right index finger in front of his lips. "Let the adults talk."

"I'm nineteen; I'm not a child anymore..."

Keri raised her hand and the boy fell silent.

"Why couldn't you track them in their human form?" The Alpha asked what I'd been wondering as well.

Why would it matter what form the shifter was in?

"All the scents we picked up on the other side of the river bank were familiar ones; there was no one new," Everett replied.

"Does a shifter's scent differ in human and wolf form?"

I immediately regretted my inquiry; I had everyone's attention once again.

"Yes, Riley, the scent changes," Rhys answered in the same grave tone he'd been using since the first time the patrols had checked in with no news of the intruder.

"I could call back the extra patrols and leave only those on duty?" Everett suggested, but Keri shook her head.

"No, let them search." She let out a deep breath. "Nevertheless, we should start the meeting; we've kept our people waiting long enough. Are you ready, Riley?"

"A-am I... I'm sorry, what?" I stuttered.

"To speak," she clarified. "You are the only witness; you must speak in front of the community."

"But... But I already spoke to you. I told you everything."

"You told me and some Council members, but you haven't spoken to the community."

"Maybe I should speak instead of him." Rhys stepped forward. "Riley is obviously upset, Keri."

"I can do it," I insisted; I didn't want Rhys to think I couldn't handle myself around his pack. "I just don't know what to say," I admitted.

"Don't worry, Riley." Keri gave me a small smile. "I'll start, then you'll describe what you saw and answer some questions from the pack if they are aimed at you."

She stepped closer to the railing so that each of her wards could see her and raised her hands. Everyone immediately quieted down, just like Ivan had.

"We all know why we've gathered here this morning," she began in a clear voice, "and I'm sure you've already guessed that we have yet to capture the intruder. Our patrols managed to track them South to the river, but lost the scent amongst the water. The patrols that have returned would not be going on a search mission again; my brother is still out there with the rest of us."

I'd expected a riot at the lack of results, but the news was taken with quiet murmurs and shakes of the head.

"As you know, Rhys' mate Riley is the only person who had met the stranger; he'll now share with us what he saw."

She pulled me gently next to her and my face and neck flushed when I saw the plethora of eyes set on me.

"H-hi." I cleared my throat.

"My name is Riley and I'm Rhys' boyfriend," I began in my version of the Alcoholics Anonymous introduction formula.

No one seemed impressed.

Feeling Rhys' fingers intertwine with mine as he stepped by my side, I inhaled and exhaled slowly.

"I saw the white wolf a little over an hour ago at the edge of the training grounds," I spoke with a bit more confidence and without a stammer. "The creature - I'm sorry, shifter - had a very unnerving gaze, but didn't actually try to attack me. She - or he - didn't growl at me or look tense. I'm saying 'she' because they appeared a bit different than the male wolf forms that I've seen. I'd never actually seen a girl in a wolf form, but the white wolf was more... slender than you. I don't mean thin as in they haven't eaten, but less bulky, with less muscle mass. They weren't exactly white actually; they had a bit of a yellowish hue," I added simply because I didn't know what else to say.

"Thank you, Riley." Keri gave me an encouraging nod and turned to her pack.

"Are there any questions?"

Several shifters raised their hands in the air like school kids. Keri first addressed the man who stood by Mira and who was probably the girl's father.

"How do we know that the boy didn't see an ordinary stray wolf?" He asked. "No offense, Rhys, but your mate is human; I doubt he can tell the difference, especially when he's only seen what? One? Two of us in animal form?"

"You raise a good point," Keri began, "and the answer is: we don't know. It could, indeed, be an ordinary stray wolf, but we better make sure that they are. It is unlikely though. White wolves aren't common in these parts and this particular one has obviously gone through great lengths to evade us."

"Animals get on well with the shifters that take their form," Rhys whispered to me. "It will be surprising if one hides from us."

While he explained, Keri allowed another member to speak and their question was one that everyone had in mind, the option that terrified us the most.

"Could they be the murderer?"

For the first time the Alpha seemed hesitant to talk.

"It is a possibility," several members snuggled their offspring closer to them, "but we don't think they are. Not after the way they treated Riley. A lone human boy would've been an easy prey, too tempting of an opportunity to pass on."

"What I want to know is how did they get through our defences?" Jasper shouted. His hand had been amongst the first to dart into the air, but Keri's gaze had avoided him. "Obviously, mistakes were made when coming up with the patrols' schedule and routines..."

"I did not allow you to speak, cousin," the Alpha's voice trembled with anger, "but I will overlook your intrusion because I'm sure you only spoke in haste out of concern for the wellbeing of our community." Her tone suggested she did not believe that was so; my guess was that he wanted to undermine her authority.

"And I will give you a reply," she went on. "The schedule was prepared by my Beta and my brother Anthony, then approved by me, and then by the Council. I cannot tell you whether mistakes were made during the drawing of that schedule or during its application, but I remind you that you, as a member of the Council, also voted for its current version."

Jasper clenched his jaw and crossed his arms over his chest; even from where I was on the second floor landing I could see that his hands were balled into fists.

"Any other ques..." Keri did not manage to finish her own question. The pub door was opened once again and just as before everyone craned their necks to see who had entered, anxiously expecting an update from the patrols.

Many seemed disappointed as the man in the long brown coat walked in and few moved to make way for him. Even though the fedora that matched the color of his coat hid his face from those of us who were on the landing, I immediately recognized him.

"Wonderful, another human," Jasper muttered, but in the quiet room we all heard him.

All it took was for the Detective to turn his head towards him and to my surprise the spiteful man was startled and bit his tongue. I did not think anyone could achieve that; after all Keri was the Alpha and Jasper obviously had no qualms starting an argument or disrespecting her in front of their pack.

"Miss Greer," the forty-or-so years old man greeted the Silver Bullets' leader rather stiffly when he joined us.

"Detective Callum." The Alpha's tone wasn't any friendlier.

By the looks of it, she was tempted to throw him over the railing.

*****

A/N: So what are you thinkin'?

Any ideas why they couldn't pick up on the intruder's scent?

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