Peter Carlson looked around the beautiful location he was visiting for a client who he was also supposed to meet here. The shifter was still a bit tired from last day's gathering so the outdoor appointment was much welcome because the fresh air helped him focus. Whatever got Cian to host a gathering on a Monday evening he hoped he wouldn't do this again any time soon. As usual Peter was a bit early on site so he could have a quiet first impression and walk around.
He let his eyes wander. There was little clearing in the ground devoid of grass or plants where a fire could be started. They only needed some stones for extra safety. They could place the tables around it and maybe use the fireplace for Marshmallows or something like that.
The bridge into the lake caught his attention next. Did they say something about children attending? Maybe they had to add a provisional railing to keep them from accidently falling into the lake. Peter walked the bridge and kneeled down to inspect the planks to find out how a railing could be added for the event without causing damage to the bridge when he heard footsteps. Thinking it was his client arriving he was in no hurry to look around "I think we could…" he started sharing his thoughts when he heard a nasty laugh.
"I told you it would be easy enough to fake a client to lure that shifter scum here." A voice sneered and when Peter turned around he saw two men he never met before. They trained what looked like an oversized flashlight with a transparent stone attached before the bulb onto him. "Who…" before Peter got over his confusion or could shift the man holding the flashlight gun pulled the trigger - or turned the switch for that matter - and a bright light blinded peter and bathed him. The light was somehow intensified and fractured by the stone - or was it a crystal? Whatever it was it made different colors dancing before Peter's eyes.
He finally snapped out of his shock and confusion, sprang snarling to his feet, trying to shift but it didn't work - he just couldn't change shape. He felt pure panic from his jackal. The beast was clawing around inside him, feeling dragged. Hot pain brought Peter back to his knees and suddenly it all stopped. A huge emptiness spread out inside him. Wide eyed he hugged himself and stared in disbelief at the yellow glowing apparition in form of a jackal slowly drifting away. It desperately tried to counter the pull and get back to Peter but it did not stand a chance.
Peter tried to reach out with his hand but found that he couldn't reach his jackal from where he kneeled, his legs not complying to move and get him up again. Paralyzed, Peter just fell over. He didn't lose consciousness though. Unable to move he had to watch how the two men pulled the apparition of light which was his jackal into a kind of glass, screwed it shut and, with a last disgusted sneer in his direction, left him lying on the bridge. Sunlight glinted of a pin fastened at the jacket of one of his attackers. A logo… He knew it from somewhere. He couldn't remember, couldn't focus.
Finally it hit him what just happened - the two men had stolen his beast. A tear ran down his cheek as he was still mostly unable to move, all alone with no one to find or look for him any time soon.

After some minutes which felt like hours to Peter he was able to move again slowly. He managed to fumble his phone out of the pocket of his jacket. Ben had always given him shit for not properly securing his phone. Today he was grateful he never listened to the developer because now he only had to push the button on the side, swipe up to get the dialing interface and just hold down the zero - for it was the speed dial for Cian.
"Peter, what's up?" the Chief answered on the third ring, in a cheerful manner.
"Help…" Peter just breathed out and immediately Cian's tone changed. "Where are you?" he wanted to know trying to sound calmer as he felt. Peter already heard a chair shifting, keys jiggle and sounds indicating Cian already left the room he was in. "The lake…" it took Peter so much effort to speak "…Oak Tree… Clearing…" he couldn't be more specific or talk any more. "I'm all alone…" he whispered short of crying.
"We'll find you… just stay there." Cian tried to calm him and hung up. He didn't get what Peter meant with 'All alone' until later - he thought the shifter just meant he was in no immediate danger or no one else around who could help him. While getting into his car he called other shifters in the area to help him find Peter.
Peter, after Cian hung up, just curled into a ball, hugging himself crying.

The first to find Peter about an hour later was Hanson Walker who returned to town somewhen during the night. Even though Cian had woken him up and he was exhausted from his construction gig over the course of the last week and getting caught in a five hour traffic jam, he immediately agreed to be part of the search party.
Peter still was curled up and silently crying. When Hanson rushed to him to check his vitals Peter just looked at him "I'm all alone…" was all he managed to whisper over and over.
"You are safe now…" the huge man tried to calm him and pulled out his phone, looking around if someone else was there, maybe sneaking up on them. Like Cian he couldn't make sense of the 'all alone' just yet. "Cian? Found him. I share my location." He just stated, hung up and pressed some buttons.
A short while later Cian, Alanis and some others came along. "I can't see any obvious injuries but he doesn't respond to me." Hanson informed them "All he says is 'all alone' and this he says over and over." he shrugged helplessly and was clearly shocked himself "And his eyes… they are blue! His tattoo is gone too." He added in horror.
Alanis kneeled next to Peter, touched him lightly "Peter…" she spoke in a soft voice "It's me… Alanis… Can you tell me what happened?" she caressed his upper arms when Peter looked at her wide eyed and tearstained "They stole my jackal…" he managed to get out.
"What do you mean 'stole your jackal'? Who… how…?" Cian was beside Peter now too, the information Hanson had given him about missing tattoo and eye color just sank in, but the younger shifter didn't answer just repeated 'They stole my jackal…' over and over while Alanis checked him up.
"He is in shock." Alanis informed the others "I could admit him into hospital but I'm not sure this would be the best option… I'd rather like we bring him home but someone needs to watch over him." She suggested.
"Agreed. I will call Novac too... We probably need help from the police here." Cian nodded and organized shifters taking turns to be with Peter.

It was the next day Cian joined Anya and Ben in their Lair for a coffee break - or hot chocolate in Anya's case. "How is Peter?" Anya wanted to know. Cian had informed all of the Tribe that something had happened to peter but had no more information to share other than he had been attacked, his beast seemed to be gone and they should all watch their backs.
"A bit better as it seems." Cian answered "Alanis called after she checked on him. He stopped crying and repeating the same thing over and over but is still in shock and hasn't spoken much." He sighed "Alanis thinks at this rate he maybe can tell us what happened in two or three days." He added.
"His beast is really gone?" Ben wanted to know, horror in his voice audible. Cian nodded "Yes, it seems so. That's why he repeated 'all alone' over and over." He confirmed in a grave tone "I don't want to even imagine how it would feel like without Red. This seemed to be the main reason for the state he is in." He swallowed, shook his head to expel those thoughts and pulled out his phone "Alanis send this too…" he showed them a picture of a pencil scrawled symbol "Peter scribbled it… looks familiar?" he asked even though he already knew the answer.
"Looks a bit like the 'peaceful existence' logo." Anya remarked and Ben nodded "Yeah, clearly their logo." He looked at Cian "Does that mean they did that to him? But how?" he wanted to know.
"That is our working theory right know but we have neither proof nor know the 'how'." Cian admitted and sighed again "At the moment I try to get a hold of Puck. Maybe he has an Idea how it is even possible to separate a shifter from its beast." He looked at them "Be careful when you go out. Until we know more I think it would be better not to go out alone." He advised when his phone rang.
"Aaron…" He answered the call and his face went blank and he paled while he listened to the wolf on the other end "I'm on my way. Have you called Alanis?" Cian asked and nodded at the answer and hung up looking at Anya and Ben "There was another attack. Chin Akara. He is in shock like Peter." Cian rubbed his face and let his fingers run through his hair in frustration and fear "We need to stop this!" he exclaimed while getting up "Ben, I'll need you. Chin was attacked somewhere more urban… maybe you get an idea how to find out what happened. Find some CCTV or private cameras maybe…" He ordered and Ben got up too after a short glance at Anya who gave him an encouraging look, kissing her on the cheek "See you later, love. Be careful on your way home." He gave her a lightly worried smile and Anya nodded "I'm no shifter so I'll probably be fine but I'll be careful… Watch out too… both of you." She called after them.
After they left she still looked worried at the Lair's door before she went back to work with a big knot in her stomach. She could hardly concentrate - she probably wouldn’t relax until later when Ben would be home.
She didn’t know Chin Akara but she had met Peter a couple of times. Memories of last year's star gazing event and watching the pegasids bubbled up. She couldn't fathom how someone could have jumped him - or was this something done from a far out of a hiding place? In how much danger were Ben and Cian at this moment?
She forced herself to expel those thoughts and go back to concentrating on the code on the screen in front of her. 'There is nothing you can do right now…' she said to herself, taking in a deep breath.
The rest of her workday was far from productive but she didn't care.


When Anya came home after work, Ben hadn't returned yet. Anya glanced on her phone for the umpteenth time but no texts, calls or whatsApps. Not from Ben nor Cian or novac for the matter - she took a deep breath and hoped this meant nothing bad happened.
She decided to prepare dinner. Maybe Sandwiches? She could put them together and toast them in the Sandwich maker when Ben was home. When she took out the toast package she dropped it. Multiple times. "Gawd… fucking concentrate…" she scolded herself and put up single toasts in a row, buttering them which went without incidents. Of course afterwards she cut herself in the finger when she cut the ham and the cheese.
When Ben came home, Anya was in the process to put a Band-Aid around her finger. "What happened?" Ben asked, putting his keys on the shelf next door "Tried to make dinner…" Anya answered in a grumble but was clearly relieved to see her mate save and sound. "I was worried…" she added blushing. Ben laughed lightly at that. "Sorry I worried you." His laughing got him a glare from Anya - which resolved into a grin when she stood up and gave him a hug "I'm just glad you are back." She let go of him and returned to the kitchenette to finish dinner.
"Chin is in a really bad state. Cian said Peter was the same when they found him." He sighed, his hands linked behind his neck and he walked restless around until he plunged down on the couch "This freaks me out, Anya." He admitted "Someone running around ripping beasts out."
Anya had put the first two sandwiches in the maker and walked up to him and hugged him from behind. Unable to find more than platitudes to comfort Ben she just stayed silent. She knew Ben wouldn't appreciate a 'There, there' speech.
"There was nothing which could help us find out whoever did this… They definitively planned that very good…" he whispered and held her hands tight. After a second he sniffed "Love… the Sandwiches will burn if we don't take them out now." He stated.
"Shit…" Anya hurried back into the kitchen and opened the Sandwich maker "Still good." She was relieved when she took the Sandwiches out and replaced them with two untoasted. This time she stayed beside the Sandwich maker to not let them burn.
Ben had gotten up too and joined her in the kitchen "Thank you… I'm starving…" he helped her put the sandwiches on plates and carried them over to the coffee table in front of the couch followed by Anya with two glasses. With their dinner they settled in the front of the TV and tried to relax as much as possible.