Episode Recap: Prodigal

Elena arrives at Stonehaven (a.k.a. Stately Wayne Wolf Mansion), the headquarters of her Pack. Clay greets her at the gate and she is not pleased to see him. Just as the audience starts to wonder "What's the deal here?" we're treated to a flashback of Clay and Elena (we know it's a flashback because Elena has a ponytail) arriving at Stonehaven. It's Elena's first time there and she's nervous to meet Clay's "family." The two are obviously in love. Hmm....so what what went wrong between these two?

Elena meets with Pack leader Jeremy and agrees to help him find the wolf that's been killing humans, but afterwards she's outta there. Jeremy confesses his father, the former Pack master, is dead and Elena's surprised. Jeremy and his dad also clearly had some bad blood. This mention is too random to not mean something later in the season, so clock this.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned killer wolf has struck again, as Pack members Tonio and Nick learn from two local cops. Meanwhile, we see said killer - in his human form as a smooth talker - try to pick up a girl (ostensibly to maul) but her big brother puts a stop to it. Foiled! 

Elena has sexy dreams about Clay, which arouses her AND pisses her off. Do we sense angry sex in the near future? Meanwhile, back in Toronto, Elena's boyfrend Philip runs into her fellow Pack member Logan. He's about to go meet the Pack but in making chit chat with Philip, he lets some information about Elena's family "slip" that could poke some holes in Elena's lie about where she really is. 

Elena hangs out in the Stately Wayne Wolf Mansion basement, ostensibly for no other purpose than to look at artificats which teach us about wolf mythology. Specifically what we learn are:

1. Wolves are forbidden from harming humans, or turning in front of humans. Their existence must remain secret. 

2. That "mutts" are werewolves who run without a Pack - and they are often dangerous (Note: Elena, Jeremy and the others refer to the killer wolf as a mutt for this reason).

3. That there are no female werewolves because, for some biological reason, women don't survive the transformations. That is, except for Elena. She's the world's only lady werewolf!

Fellow werewolf Pete arrives and encourages Elena to fully rejoin the Pack. They take care of each other, as Pete recounts when he accidentally killed a woman who witnessed him changing while he was messed up on drugs. Jeremy made the situation "disappear." Elena busts out that SHE once killed a guy (whoa!) named Jose Carter and ever since then she's been trying to hold onto her humanity. Hence why she hasn't been hanging out with the Pack. Also, Clay probably has something to do with it.

Elena tracks some known mutts that are enemies of the Pack and thus might have reason to kill humans and dump their bodies at Stately Wayne Wolf Manor. She, Nick and Clay head off to investigate the home of one. Clay gets there first and becomes human before Elena, in wolf form, can change back. Clay pets her. When she becomes human again, Elena screams at him to not pet her ever again! Which is a really bizarre edict to issue someone, when you think about it. Anyway, no dice comes from the investigation but Elena - back in wolf form - is spotted by some teens.

Clay (and us viewers at home) have observed that all these frequent transformations are resulting in lots of discomfort for Elena (remember that whole thing about female werewolves don't exist because it's too much for them? Even ninja Elena has a breaking point). Clay reaches out to Elena and expresses his worry. His touch is electric, but she pulls away.

Jeremy calls Elena into his office/den/whatever and tells her that she was spotted in wolf form, which is just making the townfolk panic because of the two wolf deaths. Discussion turns to Jose Carter, the dude Elena murdered a year earlier. We get a flashback of Elena trying to buy off Jose, who had figured out werewolves existed and pllaned to expose it. Jose shoved her when Elena tried to stop him and we've learned by now that no one pushes Elena in a corner! Acting out of instinct, she attacked Jose and ripped the dude's heart out! Back in present day, we learn Jeremy helped cover it up but Elena remains haunted by it.

Before the plot can progress any further, a third body is discovered on the property. Another wolf kill. This time it's a little boy. Uh-oh.