Rachel was just barely starting to see the horizon when Chris pulled off the dirt track that they'd used as road and parked the truck. Rachel sat in the quiet for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to the lack of headlights before she hit the release on her seatbelt and took a deep breath. It took a moment to let her senses catch up after the rough ride. It had been fun; though she'd smacked her head on the window a couple of times before she'd grabbed the handle above her head for some stability.

“It looks like we beat them here.” She spun around in her seat as she looked for other vehicles.

“It looks like it.” Chris released his own seat belt, opened the door, and climbed down.

Rachel stayed where she was for the moment. Her eyes weren't as good in the dark as she knew his would be. A few seconds later, the door on her side opened, and she stared down into Chris's face.

“You ready to come down? Let me help you.” Large hands wrapped around her waist and lifted her down, setting her gently on her feet. He was lowering his head towards hers, and Rachel thought he was going to kiss her, when they heard the soft crunch of rocks moving against each other.

Chris spun around, stepping between her and where the sound had come from. Rachel leaned over and looked around him in time to see a wolf approach. The wolf stopped several feet away and transformed into a man. Between the darkness and distance, she couldn't be sure who the newcomer was. Rachel stepped around Chris as a low growl trickled from his throat. His hand grasped hers to keep her from getting too close to the other man.

“Thank you for meeting me,” the new man spoke quietly, as sound carried well in the darkness. “I wasn't certain if you would show.”

“You.” Rachel turned to find Chris's eyes narrowed as he stared at the other man, unveiled animosity clear on his face. “Why did you make me come all the way out here? We could have met in the city far more easily.”

“We could have, but we could have been seen. I didn't want it to get out that I had met with you.” The new man's gaze shifted to look at Rachel. “Though, I didn't realize you'd bring someone with you, much less a dragon.”

As Rachel's eyes adjusted better to the darkness and the sun crept a little closer to the horizon, the sky lightened and she was better able to see the wolf-turned-man. Now she knew who he was. Benjamin, the leader of the wolf shifters was who had summoned Chris to this meeting.

“Let's just say I have a vested interest.” Rachel squeezed Chris's hand as she spoke.

“I received word that you think I may be behind your missing wolf.” Benjamin's gazed turned back to Chris. “I am not, and you are not the only one with missing Fraction members.” 

“I know we're not the only ones with missing people, but how do I know I can trust your word that you're not who's responsible?” Chris snarled through clenched teeth. Rachel could feel the tension in his body and knew he was fighting the urge to jump at Benjamin.

“Ask you're 'vested interest' there, she knows who I am.”

“I know who you are, yes. But I don't know what your interest is in this, or what exactly Chris suspects you of.”

“He thinks I'm the mastermind behind his people running an underground meat market.” Benjamin tilted his head to one side as he watched Chris's re-actions.

“You are!” Chris stared. “I know there's someone pulling the strings behind Harrison's back. He's not smart enough to run the operation on his own. And the trail leads right back to you.”

“Your investigators have taken the crumbs that were left for them without looking past the obvious.” Benjamin kept his voice patient. Rachel knew from having dealt with him before that he did his best to deal with the business before letting any-thing personal interfere. “Whoever is pulling your man's strings isn't local. From what I can tell, they are in Reno, or somewhere in that direction, possibly Carson City. “

“Why did you make us come all the way out here to tell me that?”

“I thought you'd enjoy the trip down memory lane.” Benjamin glanced around at the crumbling remnants of the old mining town. “You know, revisiting the place you were born.”

“How would you know that?” Chris's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“I know a lot about you. It's my job to know about all the Fraction leaders in town, but I have a special interest in you.” Benjamin's eyes flicked from Chris to Rachel and back again. Rachel wasn't sure what was going on, why did these two act as if they didn't know each other when she could tell they were brothers? Did they really not know each other?

Chris growled again. Not the low, back of the throat growl from earlier, but a loud, aggressive growl.

“I don't know who you are, and I don't like what-ever is between us, but I've already found my mate. I have no interest in you.” Chris's hand on Rachel's tightened as he spoke to the man across the clearing. Benjamin threw his head back and laughed.

“You're crazy. Not only do I not swing that way, but I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Chris growled again, this time lunging toward Benjamin. Rachel watched the two, wondering again what was going on between them.

Benjamin lunged, shifting mid-air. Chris released her hand and shifted as he jumped to meet Benjamin in the middle of the clearing.

Not wanting to watch a pair of brothers tear each other to shreds, she used the same power that al-lowed her to fly to thicken the air between them in-to a barrier separating them. Rachel watched as the two men hit opposite sides of the invisible wall and slid down like cartoon characters. Rachel bit the in-side of her lips to keep from giggling as she watched the matched looks of shock appear on their lupine faces. Stepping forward, she cleared her throat.

“Now that I have your attention,” she set her hands on her hips and stared down at the two of them as they picked themselves up off the ground, “I have a few things to say.” Rachel looked back and forth between the two of them, waiting for them to look at her. “I came here to find answers, not watch brothers tear into each other. Now, I have some questions, so if the two of you would shift back, we can address them.”