Silently two men and one woman stood over the body of the dead shifter, hair swinging by a light September breeze. They knew it was a shifter because the woman was naked underneath a folded up blanket, which let her head visible to the onlookers and showed a fractured variant of the typical tattoo consisting of single lines resulting in a canine or lupine form was visible from the side of her neck, over her cleavage, disappearing under the blanket ending on her chest. Her eyes were open, having regained their human brownish color. Her skin pale and her curly hair mud stained but clearly multiple strands of it dyed in various colors.

The reason the head wasn't covered was because Janosh Novac - detective and responsible for investigations involving supernatural stuff - was showing them various injuries.

"Shot in the head. The same like the other two bodies." Novac looked up "And like them, she has bruises here." The detective showed them the temples and cheekbone.

"She is none of ours, too." The first man mused. His tanned skin didn't fit his red hair - making him look like either he had a butchered hair job or too much time spend in a tanning salon - but he held himself with a confidence that showed that, if he was mocked because of it, he couldn't care less. His tattoo was moving slightly on his neck. His beast, like him, seemed at unease because of those recent developments.

"From the tattoo I'd say she was a canine or lupine shifter. Wolf, Coyote, Jackal or something like that." He mused and the second man, taller than the first, dark skinned, hands in the pockets of his jeans and an annoyed look on his face, squatted down and peeked under the blanket.

"Really, Logan?" the blond woman rolled her eyes at the dark-skinned man who didn't even look at her. "Yes Rixley! Really." He glanced at Novac, then the redhead skipping Rixley in the process "How else should I check if she had been to the same night club like the two others." He snapped "She has no stamp by the way." He straightened himself again "But sure, I'm just a fucking pervert…" his tattoo started to move around in sync with his rising annoyance.

"Shut it, Bennet." The first man ordered and, because the woman suddenly had a smug grin on her face, he added "You too, Tamara." He then took a deep breath.

"Tamara, that's your expertise. Do your stuff" He stated "Share your findings with Detective Novac and keep me in the loop." Tamara nodded "Will do." She promised and the redhead went on "Detective, we are off. I don't think Ben and I are of any use to you with the investigation anyways other than not be able to identifying the women." Cian sighed and bid goodbye to Novac who nodded and gave him a light smile "Thanks for coming by nonetheless."

The redheaded man gave Ben a pad on the shoulder to make him walk with him back to where a couple of cars were parked.

"You really need to work on this, Ben." Cian Cruz, Chief of the Tribe, said after they were far enough away from the crime-scene, making it sound like a command but a light pleading audible because he couldn't deny he was worried for his friend. "Rixley started it." Ben insisted

"Are you five? And it's not only about Tamara." Cian sped his pace for two steps only to turn around and face his tribemate, Hand light against Ben's chest, forcing him to halt too and look at him "I mean it! It even starts to affect your work." He managed to tower the one half a head taller Ben.

"No it doesn't …" Ben denied but his Boss and Chief just glared at him, continuing his way to the cars "Give me one example, Cian!" Ben called after him, catching up and both were getting into a sleek, black car. "Julia Morris." Cian stated while starting the car. Ben threw his hands up over his head "Come on, she deserved that chewing out given how she wanted to play us and her coworker." he argued and Cian sighed.

"I agree, that was a dick-move on her part…" he admitted "Still you lashing out wasn't professional." He pointed out and Ben scoffed "What had you proposed? Going to her Boss so she just will be more careful next time?" they had had that talk and it frustrated Ben that, if it had been a guy on the other side, this never would have blown up that much - this he was convinced of.

"What about Irina?" Cian tried with another example, this time from their workplace, but held up a hand "No, don't answer, that was a rhetorical question." He silenced Ben and continued "You know that tomorrow your new coworker starts. If you scare her off like all the others, I swear you will do overtime for the rest of your life!" Cian threatened Ben who raised an eyebrow "Only two of them where female and one quit because of Witting." He pointed out which caused Cian to let out a frustrated scream because that specific customer was a sore spot. One he couldn't get rid of. "Sometimes you frustrate the hell out of me, Ben." The addressed leaned against the passenger side window, a smug smile on his face but knew he was close to overdo it. "I will be professional, as always, Promise." He promised and made Cian grumble "That's what I'm afraid of." He said.

Candles tried their best to light the basement in an abandoned warehouse building. A mattress had been laid on the ground. On it, covered with a worn blanket over its shoulders, sat a huge figure - more beast than man. Its limps were elongated and its face was a cross between cat and wolf. On the floor in front of him was a gun and in its shaking hands it held a picture.

The women standing next to him in the picture wore a bright smile on her healthy fair skin. Golden eyes of a shifter gleamed but the tattoo was hidden by her colorful hair falling down her shoulders. Two other men - shifters too - had joined them looking happy too.

A tear fell on the picture "I failed you…" the huge figure whispered. Within the last weeks he had lost three of his friends. Not the human souls… the beasts. "It will not be in vain, I swear!" he promised "I will find out how the balance can be changed and then all beasts will be free."