I'm not crazy{Mick first, clan, whoever next}

[Riley]

Lying on the white bed, staring through the small, chicken wired window, a mere glint of sunlight had trouble pushing through, so the inside was mainly lit up by the light bulb. A girl on the other bed was whimpering, moving back and forth and tearing at her head, fingers curled into her hair. I had been here, many years, my father didn't want to admit I was a werewolf, and my step mother forced him to keep me here. So, I was stuck, no chance of leaving. Hell, even my werewolf form I could no nothing. All the medication they forced down my throat hindered most of my wolf abilities. The heightened senses were there, but on the full moon, I became a complete animal without changing into anything else. It was both tiring on my mind and body, and as such, I dreaded those nights, knowing a wolf wanted to be free, but was trapped. I knew how that wolf felt. Being trapped, it was worse than death. I wanted death just to be free, this prison, I would die here.

A nurse poked her head through the door, I heard her feet before she peeked through, not even bothering to stare at her like most times. I liked staring, it made the nurses a little uncomfortable in case I attacked them(not that I would) but they were still hesitant. "Just do your damn checks and get out of here." I mumbled tilting my head upwards so her face appeared upside down, seeing the frown upon her face. "Oh no, your kidding me right? I did nothing wrong." Jumping up, landing in a crouch, I started backing up to the wall as time around me seemed to slow down. The nurse rapidly gave orders to a few others, and they all swarmed in the room. Even the girl on the bed freaked out, ducking under the blanket in fear they were after her. "I didn't do anything wrong." I repeated, hands clenching into fists by my side. A snarl tore through my throat, as my mind screamed out, not the first time, for someone to help me, anyone to get me out of here. I wasn't crazy, I was a real werewolf! But no one, not even my father, believed me.

"Get away, stay the fuck away from me." I shook, seeing a needle come forth from one of the nurses, making me cling closer to the wall. They tried calming me down, using hand gestures, but it was working me up. Plowing forward, I jumped up to the bed, bouncing slightly before doing a jump and roll, skidding out the door on the ground and getting linoleum burns on my exposed flesh. Ouch, damn, never going to do that again. I thought, pulling myself up to my feet, stumbling and running into the living room area. Others were alert, watching me being chased, darting my head about to figure out someway of escaping. There was nowhere to go, despair hit me like a hammer, pulling me under. Then, getting hit, arms wrapped around my body in a big bear hug(sort of), a needle being stuck into my arm. "You will pay." I murmured, eyes fluttering closed. "You, will, pay." "Not today Riley. Not today. Come on, get her to seclusion before she wakes up."

[Mick Loup Garou]

For days, going on weeks, hell even years, there would be times when a headache ripped through my skull, with no provocation at all. It was not a tumor or anything, just seemed random, and when one hit me during my healing creation(fancy term, wanted to sound smart), I stopped what I was doing, nearly shattering the bowl with the ingredients, standing up and heading right into Nyta's hut. "Nyta, I apologize for interrupting but-" A wave of pain exploded behind my eyes, shutting them quickly when the world around me spun. "The headache returns?" Nyta pressed her fingers against my temples, putting pressure and making me wince. "Ouch, that, that hurts." Trying not to whimper and sound like a baby, Nyta got that all knowing look in her eyes. "Whats wrong?" I asked, worried as she chuckled in response. "Nothing dear. Those headaches, someone is trying to get to you. They don't have a telepathic channel, its wavy." I opened my mouth before closing, who would try and get hold of me that way?

The subconscious mind, wait, it sounded a little bit like when Stryker was captured and tried to call for Arwen, except that manifested into dreams. "I have to find the caller. Thanks Nyta." I bolted from the room, ignoring my head for the moment to tear along the grounds, kicking up dirt and dust in my wake. "Cole, Syren, forgive me. I must go to the city, someone is calling me, and I don't know who." I explained my headaches and what Nyta said, Sarah peeked up from her lounging position next to Syren, allowing the sun to flicker through her fur. Her eyes said it all, even Syren mimicked what Sarah was thinking. "Family." Running fingers through my hair, I bit back a growl. "I have to find her." Her, yes that sounded right, but who was I looking for? "Riley!" Dawning realization hit me then, and I immediately tore back along the clan grounds to my own hut, shoving herbs, salves, food, water, clothing, into a back, shoving it on my back.

Everything hit me, where I needed to go, where Riley was, even images of her slumped against the wall and I knew I had to get her. "Thank you Munin, mother, father." Dipping my head, I whipped around to find Syren at the hut door. "I have to go." I repeated, and I knew Syren wouldn't stop me from bringing family back, but bade me good luck. "Tell Arwen. She can find me by smell and by our link. I'll bring her back and if Cole and you deem it fit for her to live here, then she can stay." Without waiting for an answer, I began to run, pulling off my jeans and leaving my upper torso without a shirt as I shifted easily, running faster as the wolf than as a human. It took from lunch time, to dinner time, and in that time I hunted instead of stopping and getting food from the pack. A rabbit was enough to stave the hunger away, and I neared the city limits when it was incredibly dark out, but the streets were awash in orange light from the street lamps.

Stopping, I shifted to human, digging out a fresh pair of jeans and a top, flicking the water bottle open and draining it dry along with the bread I had gotten from Syren. Wandering around, using my nose to track certain scents, I soon made my way into the inner city, passing cars and people without a care as I was a man on a mission. On the outskirts sat an old asylum, and I knew this was where they had my cousin. Sniffing the air, there was medicine smells and the same sort of scents that had been present at Tempest Hollow, and I wondered if they were connected. Scanning the chicken wire window, trying to figure out where she would be, I heard a growl from inside one, and I tensed up, slipping back into the darkness so I could come up with a plan. "Riley! It's me, Mick, your cousin. Hold on, I'm coming to get you! Be brave kiddo, I'll be there soon just keep holding on. A feeble struggle hit the line and I contemplated channeling the Munin and shifting into the beast, to tear the building down. But I knew that was not the way to go.

[Arwen Loup Garou]

I'd been playing with Arya, constructing mini castles out of sand, mud, rocks, and sticks, when her tummy rumbled loudly enough for me to hear. We both giggled. "Let's get you back to Styker and fix up some lunch." She nodded, smiling brilliantly as she reached up for me. I stood and scooped her up, tossing her into the air before catching her and placing her on my hip. I did that just to hear her squeel with laughter. We entered Stryker and Midian's hut, and she slid from my waist to jump onto Midian's lap. "Hop on pop, aye?" I snickered. "I'm going to go grab Mick, see if he's hungry too." I waved to them as I left, heading for the shelter Mick and I shared.

I was surprised to find him not there, but what frightened me more was seeing a bowl of herbs scattered across one of the counters. Mick was never careless with his creations or his ingredients. I tore from the shelter, nearly running into Syren on my way. "Shit! Sorry." I braced myself by grabbing her arms. "Mick, something's wrong with Mick! I have to find him!" "Shh, easy Arwen. He's gone to the city to find someone. Someone trying to reach him through our links. He sent me to tell you. You know how to find him." I breathed deeply, trying to calm my racing heart rate and equally speeding thoughts. "Ok, thanks Syren. I've got to go after him." She nodded, she knew too well I wasn't going to sit on my ass while my mate went off on a personal mission.

I dropped my jeans right there, flinging my shirt over my head and dropping it on top of my pants, I shifted and bolted for my cabin. I didn't have time to waste, if I was going to catch up with him. I raced as fast as my four legs could carry me to my cabin, shifting only when I reached the porch so I could dig out the spare key and let myself in. I went straight for the fridge, drank down half a carton of orange juice, ripped open a package of sliced turkey for sandwiches and ate it all in three bites. Next I pulled a back pack from under my desk in the living room and shoved a pair of tennis shoes, jeans, and a couple t-shirts inside it. I tossed the bag on the porch, locked up and shifted back into the wolf, grabbing the back pack up with my teeth. Keeping my jaws firmly clamped on the bag, I ran with all my might, sniffing the air in intervals, gauging Mick's position.

It was harder to track his scent as I neared the city, not unusual due to the myriad of smells that assaulted one's nose this close to a purely, (or mostly, anyway), human population. They used little and wasted much, polluting the air, the water, and damn near everything they touched. Though I did harbor a fondness for some of the sights and sounds of the city, I also despised the way humans wasted so much and how they could live in such filth. Finally getting a good lock on his scent, I called the Munin to aid me in speed alone. "Brothers, sisters, and those who've gone before, lend me your speed!" It was like an adrenaline rush, suddenly I was moving far faster than normally, and we Loup Garou are hell on four legs.

I ended up tracking him to an asylum of sorts, a mental hospital, and faintly I could smell another were inside. "Mick!" I called out as I rounded the corner of the massive structure to find him crouched in the darkness. I hadn't even noticed nightfall, I'd been too intent on following Mick's trail. I padded up to him and dropped my bag in order to lick and nuzzle against his hand. Grabbing his hand in my teeth, I bit gently, not enough to break skin, as I stared up into his eyes. "If you ever take off on me like that again, I will rip this hand off. Got it?" I released him and licked where I'd bitten, moving to press my body against his leg. "I can smell her in there, another werewolf. Is that who's been trying to reach you? Who is she?" I didn't ask out of jealousy, I knew Mick loved me, but I was curious to see who we were saving. There was no way in hell I was letting him go about this on his own. Catching a certain look in his eyes, I knew what he was thinking, as if I could read his mind. Which was far from the truth. I just knew him that well. I stood and barked quietly. "Uh uh, no way. If you channel the Munin to bring forth the beast, I'm going in that way too. But it'll be dangerous. Let's use it as a last resort, and try the back entrance instead. Check my bag, there should be a lock picking kit in the front pocket." I ducked my head in a sheepish gesture, I was probably blushing, but thankfully, you couldn't tell through all the fur.

[Mick Loup Garou]

Hearing another animal fury growl coming from the building, I had to stand my ground, teeth gritting together when I thought who was being hurt in there. Tilting my head backwards, the hair on the nape of my neck grazing along skin, seeing the full moon shining in the sky, it was then that dread fell over me. I did not know why, for normally I loved full moons and it was just so calming. But right now, I dreaded it as if it carried the plague, hissing between my teeth and curling back into the shadows, for the shadows meant safety. This was not normal for me, I knew that. I also did not know why it was like a sudden shift, another howl and I knew what it was. I was close enough to Riley to feel her own fear that radiated like poison, being family I was more inclined to feel her own seeping emotions, the wolf inside clawed out, wanted released and protect the werewolf inside. How though? I could barely look around without slinking back in fear at the moon.

My savior came in the form of a wolf, Arwen to be exact, her calling my name was enough to snap out of whatever had been upon me, my lips curling into a very relieved smile. "If anyone came, I am so glad its you." I pressed my hand on top of her head, her fur curling around my fingers as I petted her, scratching behind her ear before reaching down and hugging "so glad." I murmured into her fur, but that little moment was shattered, feeling teeth in my hand enough to keep me from moving suddenly, hearing Arwen speak which elected a smile from me, nodding my head before replying. "I got it. And I understand fully." I bite my lip. "There just wasn't much time. But next time, sure!" I added hastily in case I got one of those 'looks' you know, one that said 'well you better make time.' I paused, knowing she wasn't jealous, I only had eyes for Arwen and she knew that. She just wanted to know who it was we were rescuing. And if I was in her paws, I'd want to know too, that way it was much easier to find if we had a name.

"Yes, that is the one that has been trying to contact me." I replied softly, unsure on what to do, how to rescue her. "Shes family. My cousin. Her mother and my mother were sisters, twins, but she died when I was a child. Some sickness took her." I shook my head, breathing calmly as if I wasn't talking about something so sad, even though it pulled and tugged at my heart. "Her name is Riley." I chuckled, almost blushing in the darkness at her words. "Good point, plus I don't want any others thinking they are more insane than they think they are." I hated using the word insane, but I found no other alternative. It saddened me to think people were locked up in these places because they were different from what society deemed normal. "Arwen, your a godsend." I kissed the top of her head, before digging in her bag, searching quickly while another scream hit the air, causing me to dig deeper and quicker, grabbing out my prize and smiling triumphantly.

Making sure Arwen was beside me, I tore along the road, making sure nothing was speeding my way to make me a Mick pancake on the road, doubling around and spotting the back entrance as if it were highlighted in neon red lights. Using the lock pick, I had to try for several minutes, first figuring out how to use the damn thing when I finally heard the faint click. "You know, if it was still day, I could have lied and said I was her new guardian." I whispered, pushing open the door with a slight creak. I was reminded of Tempest Hollow and out mission, hopefully these would just be normal people, and if I could avoid any conflict, then that would be better. "Riley is hurting. Shes in pain, she cannot shift." Pain hit me like an avalanche, I doubled over as I felt what she was feeling. Being robbed of changing into the wolf, I moaned as the pain passed, but increased my desire to find Riley and get her out. "Well have to make her shift." I stumbled forward, gripping the wall so I didn't fall flat on my face.