Wounded.

The smell of a wounded human. She knew it all too well. At times she herself had that same awful stench upon her after a good hunt. It was something to hate.

And at the same time, she was drawn to it.

The scent of this wounded human. Because within the scent lay something else... something powerful. It held a promise of excitement and danger to her mind.

So narrowing her eyes, Veruca pushed through ahead, walking into one of the many cemeteries in town. A vampire? No, she thought. It was a human scent. She was sure of that. Besides, none of the vampires she knew of held that promise of power this scent rang of.

Then she saw it.

Just a tiniest flash of light. A glimpse of silver as the pure sound of metal hitting metal rang in the air. Smile spreading across her features, Veruca moved towards the sign. Seeking the person who held this power.

Not since Oz... since meeting with someone else of her kind, had she felt so drawn to someone. Wolves mate for life, yes, that's true. But he wasn't her mate.

No, she snarled on thinking of him. He was weak. He couldn't even kill her to defend the one he loved. All he did was wound her... wound. Her eyes grew dark at the thought. At how unnatural it was. To be wounded instead of dead. It was better to be dead and have your pride.

She was sure the one she sought knew that too.

Just then, they appeared before her eyes. Dark hair flying in the wind, eyes... eyes as wild as hers in the heat of battle, and a body that moved as graceful as the wind.

Narrowing her gaze, Veruca watched carefully from the shadows as the object of her search clashed her knife with the sword of some ancient demon. The battle was heated but she knew the outcome already.

She would win. She had to win. She wanted to win. She needed to win. She craved it in her soul.

And win she did, spinning around to hold the demon's back against her chest before plunging the knife deep into his heart. Seconds later, she let him fall to the ground and breathing heavily, she smiled slightly.

Oh yes, this was the one she sought.

Veruca knew this just as surely as the other girl did as she stepped out of the shadows to reveal her presence.

The dark girl didn't say a word. She simply looked Veruca up and down, stopping on her eyes as she saw that same wild and hungry look there that were in her own.

"You here to fight?" she finally asked.

"No," replied Veruca easily, pausing to form an arrogant smirk. "Not unless you want to."

"I think I had my fill for tonight." Dark brown eyes searched green ones for a moment, then she said, "Faith."

"Veruca," was the only reply as the distance between them closed into nothingness.

Faith paused to look Veruca up and down. Then suddenly, she yanked the other girl to her in a lightning fast movement so they were pressed together. Soft lips hovered inches apart as she asked, "What are you, huh? You're not a vamp, I can tell that much. But you got the scent of something vicious on you, that's for sure."

"I'm a werewolf," Veruca said, her eyes honest as they steadily met Faith's. "And you?"

"Slayer," Faith answered, holding their gaze. She paused to form a slow smile. "I knew a werewolf once."

Frowning on realizing which werewolf Faith meant, Veruca said quietly, "Did you?"

"Yup," said Faith. "But he didn't seem anything like you. He seemed... I dunno, soft somehow."

"Weak," hissed Veruca. "He was weak."

"Knew him too, huh?" Faith quirked an eyebrow.

"To say the least," Veruca said, pulling out of Faith's grasp. They remained silent then looking up at the half moon, she said, "Do you know why I tracked you here? You smell wounded."

"Yeah?" asked Faith. She turned to meet their eyes again and she said, "You smell the same way, sugar."

"I know," said Veruca. "We're both wounded. Wounded by them," she snarled viciously. "By those who don't understand us and our nature. They merely condemn it."

Faith stared at Veruca, watching the shadows play on her face and contemplated all she said. Moving her eyes forward, she murmured, "Quit complaining, brother."

Turning to look at Faith's strong profile, Veruca felt a hint of a smile cross her features as she finished the rest of the song lyric, "No one lives forever."

Chuckling together, the two girls met their gazes and once again, the space between them seemed to vanish. Breath on breath, their lips met in a heated kiss that was as much to prove that they were alive as it was to enjoy the very fact that they were once again amongst the living.

And living life to the fullest, wounded or not, was what the both of them did best. Why waste their time on thoughts of those who left them behind? On those who couldn't possibly understand just who they were and what they wanted from their lives.

Especially now. Because now, they had each other. They finally had someone to live their lives with and for. Someone that understood, instinctively, just who they were.

Which was all either of them ever really wanted.