Post by ♥ Nathan ♥ on Jun 11, 2012 18:27:39 GMT -5
Nate said:
The rain predicted in the previous day’s forecast had held off, but not forever. A Thursday afternoon finds itself dull gray and overcast, an early herald of the oncoming season, and wisps of fog and wind alike float through the drowsy little town. Windows are shuttered, doors are closed; despite the downpour’s temporary lull into a mild, sporadic drizzle, there are few cars on the streets and less figures on the sidewalks. It is easy enough to pretend that there is no one else out there – just a man and a window and an endless gray sky.
Nathan sits upon an armchair in his living room, still covered in tarps and paper and smelling cleanly of fresh paint. Lark is curled up sleepily in his lap, and together the two watch the world drift by outside, as lazy as the rainstorm and in ongoing slow motion. A dark cell phone sits in the man’s hand, thin and modern and heavy as a stone, and behind him the occasional sounds and scents of cooking come wafting in from the kitchen.
He makes the decision; holds up the phone and shoots Billy a text. Funny story, Logan had an accident and is probably most definitely a werewolf now. Also you’re invited to dinner. Be here in 20.
Yeah. That’s probably how Billy would want to know – quick and easy and softened with food.
Rising, Nathan deposits the dog onto the floor despite her whimpered complaints, and slips the phone back into his pocket before making his way into the kitchen. The sight of Logan greets him, poised in front of the counter, and Nate settles his hands onto the other man’s hips before slipping in close. The upcoming evening isn’t the thing he wants to do, but Nathan is a man of obligation, and it’s the thing he has to do. Leaving Billy in the dark any longer – leaving Logan without another lifeline – would be a violation of trust for all of them.
He just hopes it all works out.
”I invited Billy over. Think you made enough for three? …Or maybe four?” Because if Billy eats every meal like she does pizza, there won’t be any leftovers.
Logan. said:
His lip is still tender, his pride still a little bruised, but Logan is no worse for wear. He is, in fact, better than he has been in years. Werewolf business aside, he feels like he has reached one of those unnamable milestones in his life. Sure, he nearly strangled a guy and lost control, but the result was him telling the man he loved that, well, that he loves him. Glass half full. Glass three-quarters full, really.
Logan called his brother earlier in the day, left a message. Small steps to rebuilding bridges that have long since fallen into disrepair. He is hopeful, optimistic, and probably not taking the werewolf thing as seriously as he should. Why rain on his parade.
He is leaning against a kitchen counter, thumbing through a Cabella’s catalogue when Nathan returns from outside. The hunter sets the magazine down and grins when the werewolf sidles in close. That grin falters when Nathan delivers the revelation that Billy is coming over. Logan has met the woman before both as her wolf and her human. Disregarding her weirdness –everyone in Blackwater is weird—and her pranks, Logan likes the girl, thinks she has a good heart and a good head on her shoulders (when she’s not running around in bunny masks.)
This feels different. This feels like being sent to the principle’s office, like meeting an in-law. Logan has hunted werewolves; he understands how they operate on the field, how they hunt, but the social laws and nuances escape him. Does he bow or salute -- and now he’s imagining how dogs greet one another which is ridiculous and dehumanizing. Play it cool, he thinks.
”I hope she’s not expecting dessert.” Because there is none. He flashes a disarming grin, which is stilted because his lip is scabbed over, and starts to get the dishes out of the cupboards. Logan sets the table for three and does a good job in hiding his anxiousness.
The last plate is set slower than the others. He’s thoughtful, contemplative. Logan turns his gray eyes onto Nathan.
”You, ah, don’t think she’ll hold the bat thing against me, do you?” Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.
Billy. said:
Aw, it's all icky outside and instead of staying inside and being clean like a normal girl -- she's spent most of the day jumping in puddles with her rain boots like some retarded gleeked child. Of course, Vianne joins her in the fun (like sister like.. other sister?) and Billy doesnt find Nate's message until late (she go's inside because Vianne may or may not have splashed some in her mouth) because well.. mud + rain + cellphone = lolno.
Funny story, Logan had an accident and is probably most definitely a werewolf now. Also you’re invited to dinner. Be here in 20.
.... ... Billy stares. Logan, like.. the hunter? Babe Ruth? Didnt he just knock her out with a bat how many weeks ago and now he's a werewolf. And more importantly, who's done it?
But instead of jumping to conclusions, she forces herself to text him back. ''What kind of dinner?" and that's that.
Thirty minutes later (okay she can be fashionably late whatever) she's all clean from her shower, wearing jeans and a jean jacket. She grabs at a cute spongebob Umbrella that lays on the kitchen table.. which is probably Vianne's. And heads out the door. Careful this time to avoid puddles.
Her Jeep starts in a flash, and she flies down the dirt-road and into town towards Nate's. Slows down not too soon after because well.. she's not looking forward to getting anymore wounds any-time soon and a car crash = wounds 101.
Billy reaches Nate's house in a record hour, awh yeah, she thinks, take that. And get's out of the car to amble up the steps. Knock at the door with her knuckles.. and then unceremoniously open it. Peak her head in. "YO." she says, just because she's in a yo mood.
"You lured me here with food you monster."
Nate said:
Nathan doesn’t bother texting Billy back – the mysterious allure of unknown food possibilities will have a far greater impact than a simple thing like telling her.
”She will totally hold it against you. But probably not in a bad way.” Nate places the cutlery down pointedly. ”More in the pin-you-down-and-pee-on-you way. You know? Which I guess is pretty bad, when you think about it. You might want to change.” He turns his head – flashes Logan a cheeky smile, trying to charm any nervousness away; he figures he fails, but giving it a shot can’t hurt. Billy, after all, isn’t the one he has to worry about.
Her wolf, though, is another story. Nate can only piece together pictures and memories of terror and insanity, half realized nightmares of the chaos they’d caused in their wild forms; there are moments when he is amazed that the bloodthirsty image he associates with Billy’s wolf somehow keeps this pack in check. It is the real motivation behind inviting Billy over tonight, a very real concept of protect, defend that doesn’t just stem from the beast. Letting Logan succumb to his wolf in the alpha’s territory without some sort of introduction is asking for trouble, and Nathan won’t let that vulnerability remain.
A foot wrong in that regard would tear their fragile little Blackwater world apart.
Billy is late, which Nate really should have expected. The minutes tick by until the werewolf gives up, distracts himself by distracting Logan – all in the name of reassurance. Honest, decent, pure-hearted intentions. He has to peel himself from the other man’s neck when the telltale sound of the doorknob rattling returns him to reality; Nathan manages to wipe the sheepish grin off his face by the time Billy lets herself in.
”Invited. I invited you for food, I didn’t lure you. You could have said no,” but isn’t that how a successful lure should work? Billy can’t say no to free food. It’s as much a part of life as death and taxes. Nate clears his throat, busies himself re-straightening the forks and knives on the tablecloth. ”We’re in the kitchen,” he calls, figuring she’s smart enough to not knock over paint cans or trip on the plastic.
…Then again, maybe not – and it’s with a quick change of heart that he heads to the front to escort her back.
Logan. said:
”You know, I’m always willing to try new things, but I’m going to have to draw the line at werewolf watersports,” Logan deadpans and sends Nathan an impish smirk. He rolls with the cheeky comment, even if part of him is kind of worried about the whole wolf dominance deal. He has had his fair share of dogs; he has seen how they establish and enforce a pecking order. The unflattering relation drawn from werewolf to dog paints some wildly embarrassing scenarios. Pissing, sniffing – humping.
He distracts himself from spiraling further into a basket of what the hell by getting the roast out of the oven. Logan slices the meat into palatable slivers and sets the table. Roast beef cooked with potatoes, and a side of green beans. It is not the most extravagant meal but it is hardy, filling. Logan stands and assesses the table while quietly battling with his anxiety.
Billy is late, Logan grows more tentative. Nathan takes the initiative and decides to help by getting Logan riled up for other reasons. It is a suitable distraction but Logan has to fight from getting too excited, which is difficult, because he’s stupidly easy to get excited, especially now what with his wolf weighing in with yes, have sex in the kitchen, against the counter. Do it.
Gray eyes move to the ceiling. He thinks about Ben in a thong and the image is enough to derail his ridiculously inappropriate libido.
Logan gives either a sigh of relief or frustration when Billy finally arrives and Nathan goes to escort her in. The hunter quickly takes a seat at the table to disguise any telling physical issues. He makes a mental note to get back at Nathan later and prepares one of his best smiles.
”Hey,” he greets. ”Hope you came hungry.” Logan doesn’t really know what to expect but he doesn’t see any reason to treat the woman like a stranger. Proceed as usual, for now. He figures Billy will address things on her own time, in her own way.
Billy. said:
”Invited, I invited you for food, I didn’t lure you. You could have said no,We’re in the kitchen,”
Nate manifest to escort her back and she follows after him (already halfway there anyway). "Nate," she says exasperated. "It's food." Because come on. Free meals? Um. yes plz. If there was one thing Billy loved more then anything in the world it was eating. Some of her fondest moments were when she was eating something.
When she comes into the kitchen Logan is already sitting down and Billy almost wants to laugh at how.. normal he looks. Stepford house wife. What happened to the man she'd met that shot down another werewolf in cold blood? And then held that gun with perfect aim at the center of her forehead.
And then hit her with a bat.
”Hey, Hope you came hungry.”
She waves at him, pulls out a chair and takes a seat. "Im a werewolf, Im always hungry." and her eyes are on the meal, she's practically salivating because .. fuck yes meat. Billy takes no time in waiting, she picks up her fork and digs in. Chews. And after she's done points her fork towards Logan accusingly. "An' apparently you are too."
Her and Nate have this ritual by now. Food dulls out her anger, gives her something else to focus on besides her wolf pounding at her brain. It's a healthy distraction and she figures Nate has found her kryptonite. Billy is horrible at multitasking emotions.
Satisfaction is all her right now because god damn Logan can cook.
She tilts her head a bit, takes another bite and begins chewing. "Who brought ya' over?"
Nate said:
Billy and Nate always have the best moments in their friendship while eating; their entire relationship might, in fact, be based around pizza, and Nate doesn’t really mind that. It’s no coincidence that he’d invited her over for dinner – both as a ruse to actually get her to show up, and something resembling on time, and also to keep her placated while dealing with… things. Logan things. Things that if handled poorly will result in an unhappy everybody – so better to handle things cautiously.
A year ago, Nathan would still have said he was never into pack politics. It was easier to remain non-involved, to let his wolf handle fighting for a place in the hierarchy and otherwise stay decidedly neutral; to remain a part of everything simply because of a poorly-understood need for a connection with his own kind, and nothing else. But somehow Blackwater and Billy have wheedled their way into his monkeysphere of caring, instilling him with some sense of responsibility, and part of that involves taking care of Logan, and taking care of the pack. It involves playing these wolf games about eye contact and territory to make sure he can be safe; to make sure Blackwater can continue to function.
A year ago, he would have just taken Logan and ran.
Billy’s already digging into her meal by the time Nathan even sits down to join them, and she wastes just as little time delving into the real reason for her being here. Nate gags on the bite in his mouth; sucks down a few gulps of water to clear it while she questions Logan. A few more mouthfuls of food to replace it serve to keep him resoundingly out of the conversation – a back-and-forth that doesn’t warrant his intrusion. It’s Logan’s story to tell, if he wants to, but only if.
Nate should just really start expecting the unexpected with Billy – should really know that she’s not much for tact and has all the subtlety of a hammer. Maybe, though, that bluntness is what the hunter needs.
That, and his wolf just wants to puff up in pride and show off – look at what I found, isn't he great, I didn't make him but he is mine – and Nate figures that’s probably unnecessary and inappropriate right about now.
Logan. said:
Logan doesn’t give the whole man-wife thing a thought. He can cook, he can clean, he can do the laundry. He can also change a tire, build a deck, fix a faucet and put a bullet square between a werewolf’s eyes. A man of many talents, some might say. Logan just considers them the necessary skills a man needs to function as an independent, capable human being.
At least he isn’t wearing a pink frilly apron.
Billy digs right in and Logan relaxes. The atmosphere isn’t as tense as he feared; he has a habit of expecting the worst case scenario – a methodology borrowed from the hunting trade. He is slow to follow suit, takes a small bite of the roast, chews thoughtfully. He is pleased to find the meat tender, well seasoned. He is totally, completely not a Stepford house wife.
The Blackwater alpha jumps directly towards the subject, but does it in such a way that the hunter doesn’t feel threatened. He wonders if she’s playing the good cop, being smooth and lackadaisical in order to put him at ease. Intentional or not, the tactic puts Logan at enough ease that he is willing to talk. He sends Nathan a glance because he hasn’t exactly been forward about what happened. He’ll spare the details, as he did with Nathan, offer what he feels are the important bits.
”I went up to Baneberry to help my niece with a hunt,” he says after he swallows – Logan never talks with his mouth full. Manners, ingrained and smacked into his head by his dear old mother. ” It was a pack of rogue wolves pulling reparation kills. A group of hunters hit their family some time before, stirred the pot, made them angry. I went there to help clean up the mess.” They had managed to track down the wolves, to kill them.
”I made a stupid mistake.” Logan is man enough to own up when he’s clearly done something foolish, but there’s displeasure in his expression. His machismo is withering, pulling in like the legs of a dying spider. ”Ended up being jumped by one of the wolves. Hell, I probably would’ve been killed if my niece hadn’t…” he trails off after looking at Nathan. It doesn’t matter because he’s alive. Logan levels his gaze onto Billy.
”Anyway. Whoever changed me is dead. I don’t know who it was.” He has told his story – the important parts, anyway. He has not lied. It is not unheard of for a hunter to be mauled by one of the animals they hunt. What is unheard of is for a hunter to survive the attack. Wolves usually go after them with a particular vengeance, with an intense desire to kill. He was lucky, on some level, that the beast that attacked him was crazed and weak. ”Is that going to be a problem?” Logan wonders if there is some sort of magical, invisible werewolf birth certificate or papers of ownership.
He figures that it doesn’t matter anyway because he’s nobody’s bitch.
…Just Nathan’s man-wife.
Billy. said:
They are passing little looks at each other and Billy notices in-between her bites because damn, she's got nothing better else to do. She would further embarass the boys by saying something vulgar ''ya'll or so cute'' or maybe start chanting ''Nate and Logan sittin in a tree b-u-t-t-t f-ing." But that's probably really uncouth and inappropriate. Even for her.
But she still thinks it.
While she's wolfing down her foot, only stopping to every once in a while breathe.
”Anyway. Whoever changed me is dead. I don’t know who it was. Is that going to be a problem?”
Billy tries not to let out a breath of relief because her suspicions arent (for once) confirmed. She's been a bit afraid that Nate was the one to bite him - bring him over. Knows that if it had been Nate there would have been some repercussions for not asking her about it. She doesnt know what they would be (and thankfully isnt in the situation where she has to) but she knows it wouldve not been.. kind.
"So you came back here?" She says, takes a sip at her glass. "Sorry for asking but, you dont got your hunter family after you or nothin' do ya?" Because the last thing they need in Blackwater is more hunters flocking. Maybe hunters that wont end up falling in love with one of the werewolves.
Mostly the matter of the fact is Billy knows zelcho - zero - about the hunting world (didnt even know they existed really) she believes them all to be crazy fanatics that kill wolves indiscriminately. Rather they have families, rather they are confused and lost and dazed - or feel cornered. Rather they are old or young. Logan is a exception but as far as she knows? The only one.
"You change yet?" Billy sobers for a moment, starts to think about having to guide another through a change and suddenly loses part of her appetite. Slows down with her eating and just swirls her fork around the plate with the promise of taking a bite. And if Logan answers yes, well - she'll say after"Lookin' to join right?"
And she catches his eyes, stares at him. Every wolf in this territory has joined her pack. She's given them the guise of freedom, she's let them see what it's like to be aimless. And each one of them have gotten into a mess she's had to clean up. There is a ultimatum each time, she'd help for their help. And so far, she's gotten her wish.
Somewhere along the lines Billy has realized she's become what she conspired against. She can understand Austin forcing her to join -- she realizes that perhaps condemning him for that was naive of her. But well, there are other things thrown into the equation of course.
Billy regrets eating with the realization she's probably just going to throw it all up. "When you're ready were gonna have t' change. Gotta get your family and scent and stuff." She forgets to add to the sentence '' or I might lose control and see you as a threat and slaughter you''. Because Billy doesnt trust this situation, how does she know this isnt some sick devious plot to get into her inner pack relations? She doesnt know how far hunters will go for the kill. She just knows they kill.
They do whatever it takes to kill.
Nate said:
Nathan just eats as the story unfolds, figuring if he can keep his mouth occupied he won’t interrupt, will give himself something to concentrate on instead of lasting vestiges of loneliness and fear. He shifts hopelessly in his seat; hopes subtle changes in scent don’t give him away. Human noses aren’t quite as keen, but he doesn't know how attentive Billy might be – particularly as an alpha – and Nathan doesn’t enjoy giving any of that side of him away. That show of weakness is only for Logan to bear witness to.
Being a werewolf is annoyingly complicated.
That Logan’s assailant is dead is the only fact the tale has going for it – but even the retelling has Nate’s wolf agitated, pacing, flooding the man with visceral emotion and feral instinct in an attempt to drown out human creations like anxiety and replace them with anger. He pushes both halves down with practiced direction, preferring to remain dutifully dispassionate, impassive about this whole ordeal. Logan is a trigger that he needs to get a grip on – testing the bounds of that control by letting himself get emotionally invested in something so trivial as a conversation is dangerous. Better to shut it all out.
Nathan needs to be here as Billy’s third, not as Logan’s overprotective boyfriend.
”His wolf brought him back,” he adds in slowly, pushing his beans around with his fork – because the meat is all gone and that’s just not fair. ”Here.” Specifically, Nate’s porch, which is a fact that his wolf won’t let go, needs to specify. ”Nobody saw him.” And he levels a hard look at Billy, hoping he’s preempted her next question; lets her see the truth in his eyes. Werewolves wandering around her territory like lost dogs, trying to find their way home, would be her responsibility – and Nathan doesn’t want her to have any doubt that there’d be no further problems. He’d checked the papers; all had been silent on the “unusual bear sighting” front.
He shoots Logan a pointed stare at Billy’s curious follow-up, because he knows the man’s been a wolf at least once since, and his dirty laundry had ended up covered in grey hair to prove it. Nate thinks Logan’s wolf maybe has a problem.
”There’s leftovers. I’ll send you home with a doggie bag, after.” A lopsided smile is sent Billy’s way, knowing full well the repercussions of a full meal before changing. Also because the term ‘doggie bag’ suddenly has a whole new meaning. ”Where do you want to go?” It’s unquestioning, spoken conversationally as Nate begins clearing the table – as though they were going out for the night, and not to the woods to roll around like animals. Logan can voice his opinions, but Nate is already aware of what has to be, what needs to get done.
And he’s sure as hell not having Billy’s wolf in his own goddamn house, for more than just a bristle of hackles at perceived territoriality. No, it's because she’d probably drool on them before peeing on the couch for good measure.
And werewolf pee is really hard to get out of upholstery.
Logan. said:
He flushes around the collar, clears his throat. Logan’s wolf dragged his ass back from Baneberry straight to Nathan’s door – like some sort of scene out of Lassie Come Home. He’s not ashamed of the dedication but preemptively embarrassed; like she’ll assume he’s some sort of lovesick dog, which he is, but that’s beside the point. Machismo is a delicate, fickle thing.
”Guess I came back to where I knew I’d be safe,” Logan adds to Nathan’s revelation with a shrug. At the suggestion that his family will come after him, Logan immediately shakes his head. ”Only reason they’d come after me, is if I started making trouble.” He turns a pair of hard gray eyes onto Billy. ”And I don’t plan on making trouble.” Maybe it’s not that simple, but Logan is determined. He does not want to become one of the murderous animals he has hunted down in the past.
Billy asks if he’s changed and Logan gives a nod of assent. ”I know how to do it, if that’s what you’re asking.” He spent a day trying to channel his inner wolf –or whatever the hell it is called – and managed to find the trigger, the button that makes it work. Again, he nods, confirms that he wants to join. His reason for doing so is obvious and is currently cleaning up the plates. Logan takes the prompt, stands and helps clear the table.”Yes, ma’am. I figure being part of the family means less chance for trouble,” and Logan doesn’t plan on making any trouble, as he’s stated before.
He leans against the counter, lingering near Nathan. Logan can’t know what to expect and he’s a little worried. The hunter does not know his wolf as well as the others in the room. He’s the new guy, the outlier, the potential catalyst for something to go very, very wrong. Gray eyes turn to Nathan, then Billy.
Sometimes a man just has to go for it and hope for the best.
”M’ready whenever you two are.” Not ready, but willing.
Billy. said:
Nate is shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Billy only notices because she's done eating and more importantly the tension is so damn high in the room a fly could buzz by and she might just have a panic attack. But she's focusing on Logan with a brown stare, and not letting up. Even when Nate divulges into answering her questions she only shoots him a glance.
”Yes, ma’am. I figure being part of the family means less chance for trouble,”
She's waited eagerly and anxiously for Logan to confirm he wishes to join the pack. When he does she visibly relaxes a bit more, settles into moving her hair from the side of her face and sweeping it beyond her shoulders.
The table clears out, and Logan and Nate both stand. Billy follows suit, stretching and rolling her shoulders for a moment as Nate and Logan drone on.
”M’ready whenever you two are.”
”Where do you want to go?”
She's considering something, wondering if this can wait or if it should, or maybe if Nate should be allowed to turn with her. She can dimly recall crossing Dolan, his change of attitude towards her after their little meeting. She suspects she's almost killed him. He'd been bleeding and cut up and Sabra hadnt been happy, wolf or human. But her beta had confirmed she hadnt been there for the fiasco. Mate's were a dangerous thing, whatever dominance Billy needed to assert, that her wolf needed to take hold of - drill it in - if Nate was there, there was a chance he would spring.
But she really wasnt looking forward to the hissy fit he would throw if she said no.
"Nate," She says anyway, plants her hands on her hips. "We're gonna go out back just a bit into the woods, you can come but you aint gonna change. It'll be too dangerous if he's your mate, aint gon' let me get what I need to get outta the way."
Billy sighs. Fingers clasp the buttons of her flannel shirt. She wonders if this is somehow considered cheating. "Be careful as a human, I dont know what Im like around humans - even pack mates - up close." Billy slips into the frontroom, she flips of her shoes and stops with her shirt hanging half open. Looks a bit embarrassed. "You got a towel or something? This seems wrong on so many levels."
And after she's given her towel, she drags it with her outside. Barefooted she slips out the back and into the cool grass, crosses into the woods and shoulders off her clothing while saying "No peeking." After everything is neatly put aside, and she's got a towel draped comfortably over her, dipping at her collarbone. Standing buck naked in the woods. She leans down on all fours, arches her pack and reaches for the chord that is ''animal''.
And the three hours begin.
Nate said:
There’s a thread of excitement that is cut short at Billy’s decree, and the werewolf has a difficult time reining in his anger. It is a gut instinct of a response, a need to chomp at the bit and throw off her shackles and demand what he’s owed, what he wants. It’s his first response, but that doesn’t make it right.
Nate gets it; he understands, even if it rankles him to hear so bluntly how little Billy can trust him. Can trust his wolf. It’s enough that he’s able to make the distinction – that he can hope she would extend a little more faith his way were the situation any different. Were it not about things like mates and instincts. But her intentions are good and so he can’t exactly argue; he’d gotten them all into this situation, and Nathan is not a man to put people at risk needlessly. Including himself – sometimes.
”Go,” he sighs, shrugging in a show of grim finality. ”You know I can’t.” The stare he levels at her is as unemotional as he can manage. ”It’ll be that much worse if I go out there and try to resist; it won’t happen.” Nate doesn’t like admitting even that small amount of lack of control, though he figures it’s well within reason. Had it been either of them alone, he might have stood a chance – but together, his alpha and his – well – mate, would be impossible. Nathan balks – for his safety, for theirs. "I can't risk otherwise."
He hadn’t yet thought of that aspect of their other halves; the completion he feels that’s more than skin deep. It had been satisfying enough that his wolf seemed to crave the man as much as he did, to know that the beast, too, was content – but he’s never had a word for it. They haven’t even changed since that first night, so how does it know, how does it feel right? Does Logan even want to hear that term; does it embarrass him?
It doesn’t matter. The wolf would kill Billy over Logan, or die trying, and he can’t guarantee a steady hand at the wheel enough to argue with her. The jealousy, though, is near debilitating. His want to be there is more like a need; he vows to be there next time.
”I’ll wait here.” For as long as it takes – hours. The entire night, more than likely, if either of them remember to come home when it’s through – if they don’t end up hunting until morning. Fighting until dawn. Dead. Nathan’s anxiety kicks in and he swears he won’t succumb to treating it; that this is what he’d brought upon himself. What has to be done.
He finds Billy a towel, escorts her to the back lawn, and meets her eyes in a cold stare as he hands it to her; the expression is tempered only by a hint of fear, an undercurrent of unbearable concern.
”Keep him safe.”
Or don’t bother coming back.
Logan. said:
Logan watches and listens to the exchange. He remains mute, thoughtful, and while he is new to this werewolf thing, he thinks he understands. There has always been a need to protect Nathan but since his turning, that need has turned into an obsession. The smallest things set something inside him curling, spitting in anger. People touching Nathan, looking at him too long – smiling at him. It’s ridiculous, like the thing inside of him is a child determined never to share.
Billy is right. They can’t risk what might happen if one of the wolves is set off for whatever reason.
The Blackwater alpha disappears into the woods and Logan leans in the doorframe of the back door. He reaches out to Nathan, pulls him into a tight embrace. Maybe he’s a little terrified of what might happen –nothing scares the man more than something he doesn’t understand – but it doesn’t show. ”Keep the doors and windows shut,”he advises with a wan smile because from what he’s seen of his wolf, it has its own compass where ‘true North’ points directly to Nathan.
Logan undresses, sits out on the porch because he’s not comfortable undergoing the change too far from home. He reaches out, surrenders to beast. Hours later, the man falls away and the animal rises. It does what comes naturally. It scratches at the doors of the house, it searches for known methods of access because what it wants is beyond those walls. It huffs, sniffs at the cracks of the doors, whines because it can’t get in. When the gray proves ignored, it finally gives up. The animal retreats into the woods because there is another calling, another primal instinct that needs to be addressed.
There is a scent, familiar and known because it is everywhere here, in Blackwater. A mark of ownership, a declaration of territory. The hulking bear of an animal wanders through the woods, compelled to find the source of the smell because the last vestiges of human thought declare it necessary.
Necessary to be ordained into the family by trial, perhaps by blood.
Billy. said:
Billy's change finishes off before his does, the wolf rises from the dust and dirt and leaf with lumbering shoulders. Jaws open and spew out the dinner from earlier. In a gesture that is pure animal - she sniffs and noses it, debates on eating it again.
If only for dramatics, leans away with lip curling to wait instead.
Light brown eyes, syrupy, watch as the ice wolf scritches and lumbers around the house from the tree-line. The blonde monster is revolted - and intrigued - by this newborns behavior.And yet there is not a breath, a brush of movement. She sits back on her haunches like a great panther and observes from her throne of bristle and hay. Her ears hitch and flatten and lips calmly smooth over saliva slick teeth as time flitters by. She is a hunter, and understand precisely the significance in the wait.
And then, he is searching for the disturbance - the tingling down the spine.
She smooths in two steps beside a tree, crouches so close to the ground her chin looks as - if it is touching. And when Logan is close enough she springs.
She is not pointless - ever - in her violence, she is not unnescicarily cruel - she is as she should be. She is a animal. Both beautiful and dangerous. And he is a puppy who is yet to know his order, how things revolve here in the wild. Here under her claw. The one that falls, always, beneath her. As she has taught the brindle's mate, given him the chance - she's learned from experience to teach first. Test later.
Smooth teeth ambush to attach to the bear-wolves muzzle. A wry attempt to wrap around and never squeeze but hold. First to see his reaction, and if it is correct, decide from there.
Logan. said:
His human side has a well-managed phobia regarding the night and the forest, but the wolf does not know this fear. He lumbers on, huffs like a grizzly. Noisy, uncaring. The gray has no need for stealth; he is large, he has no reason to be afraid. A youth unaware of the dangers, then. New blood, a new mind that, thus far, only understands two things – Nathan and home.
The foliage whispers its disturbance. A sudden and apparent danger latches itself around the gray’s muzzle. The hulk of a wolf falters, pulls away in alarm. Triangle ears flick back, his gaze, posture reads unsure. He is being reprimanded but does not understand why. The animal reads aggression, authority from the mutated blonde’s stance.
This form lacks the knowledge of the human. The human that knows that submitting would be the best option, would lead to the quickest, most positive end. This form, the beast, understands its allegiance to its mate, understands that if he was ever to submit, it would be to the black animal that smells of life, home, fulfillment.
A lazy hound dog, perhaps, but not one without his pride. Black claws dig into the earth. Hackles raise. Lips pull back into a snarl. The decision is made. He lunges forward.
If he is to throw in his lot with the demon-wolf, he needs to understand why. Why is she queen, why do these woods reek of her presence. What is her strength, what gives her the right to so much authority.
When he understands, he will relent, he will submit.
But only then.
Billy. said:
Bear reels backwards and spits, Billy lingers and rounds in smooth arcs. She is allowed one and a quarter before he is leaping at her. Sharp reflexes - years of being what she is - allows her to move fluidly from his attack. She avoids it with a eerie familiarity, a settling shouldering that says she's done this hundreds, thousands - of times before.
He snaps at thin air and she follows through. Her hackles have shifted and risen, her lips are pulled to show off disastrous gapped and yellowed teeth. Her face has morphed from scarily intelligent, to crazed animal, in all but a second and vice jaws - like a missle - aim to slam into the back of the new-born's nape. Her body, though small and bony sends a punch to pack. Attempts to throw angled shoulders into the expanse of his neck and collide one paw with ribs in a simultaneous attempt to send him barreling into the ground. To lose his footing.
If she is able to accomplish this much she will descend like a rabid animal. Snap jaws in finality for his ear to sink tooth into it, wretch it in a half circle. She doesnt sick to draw blood - but to tighten the skin - let the weight of what she could do sink in.
He is new, she knows, she doesnt know how but she knows that there are certain things he shouldnt suffer for. Like his ignorance.
In a sense he has shown his strength by attacking her, he has shown that he is a animal and that he questions and that there is thought beyond a stray animal scratching longingly at a wooden door. A door that he could just open. There lies potential. And though she is a monster, though she takes her tooth to things before she contemplates why --
She too, possesses this potential.
Logan. said:
The gray is all strength, all stocky build. He absorbs her hits, takes them in stride, rounds about to retaliate, to snap with a set of large, white teeth. But where once was a mass of yellow fur, is air, time and time again. She is quick, nimble – as agile as a swallow. The silver beast is not willing to simply let things go. He pushes, he fights. The ground beneath their feet is a mess of lines and paw prints – physical testimony to the chaos of their dance.
She keeps him on edge, as quick as a mongoose, darting here and there. The gray exhausts himself in trying to keep up. The huffs turn ragged, bursting into the night air, slobber runs down his jowls. A shoulder bombards into his neck, paws find purchase against his ribcage. He loses his equilibrium. The hulk of a wolf falls against the forest floor, air rushing out of his lungs from the sudden force of it.
It was a blitzkrieg of an engagement; his energy was burnt during the first frantic minutes. Adrenaline courses through the animal’s blood but it is not enough to warrant a second attack. A barreled chest rises and falls in exaggerated huffs. Indignant anger falls to resignation. A furious river dies down into a quiet brook.
He lays on his side, silent and still. Gray eyes dilate and refocus, lose their fight-induced madness. He stares ahead into the dark tree line and waits. The gray no longer radiates challenge, but an innate, bone-deep calm that harkens to his human side.
This wolf, young and new, understands.
Blackwater belongs to the blonde beast and as long as he is here, as long as he makes his stay within this land, he too is hers – but only in allegiance.
He submits.
Billy. said:
There is submission, flat out - understanding. Blonde recognizes the tall tale signs and relents. If the beast could quite feel ''humor'' and not some weak fundamental version of it. She'd find it mockingly hilarious how the blue had thought to win this battle.
This battle in her territory that she's won fair and square, that she's won through trial and error - that she's killed for.
She lingers over him for a moment more, perhaps to let it sink in. Before she lumbers backwards, looms and arches again in a half timid circle to watch him rise. Monster switches from angry to motherly in a eyelash then. She nears him to lick a trail up beyond the ear, just at it's crease. It is a silent acceptance - a welcome.
It falls in line one after the other. Yes it is true the order switches up every now and then but there has always been set result, no matter the number previous outburst appear in.
She steps through the tree-line and into Nate's yard. Hulking crinkly beast licks her lips as saliva slips from the corner. Now that's she's gotten what she needs to out of the way there are other - hungers - that beckon her. And the smell of food. Of food and ''family'' drawls her into the backyard and up the stairs.
The head turns slightly, tilts to angle and catch Logan. Look, she says, pay close attention. She mounts the frame with clicking claws, attaches her jaws to the knob and twist and pulls. It is more forceful then graceful, and perhaps from inside Nate is .. wishing that he wouldve listened to Logan's plea's to lock the door and window.
But the door clicks and creaks open, and the blonde werewolf pushes her way in and bee-lines for the kitchen.
Billy is still Billy, afterall.
Logan. said:
The gray animal lays there, happily lethargic and useless. The Blackwater alpha has proven her merit; the exchange is over. There is nothing keeping the hound from curling up and sleeping right there, save for a suggestion pressing at the back of his mind. Home is just beyond the tree line. The yellow wolf makes for it and the silver rises.
At the door, she attempts to impart knowledge, to teach the gray beast the secret of doors. The hulk of an animal tilts its head, lets its tongue loll out in a canine equivalent of a grin. He does not seem as if he quite understands. She is, effectively, some sort of wolf-wizard using her magic to make the barrier disappear.
Free to enter, the wolf scrambles inside. The alpha wanders straight into the kitchen; the silver animal’s mind is elsewhere. He searches until he finds Nathan, gives a happy wuff, sticks his nose straight into the man’s groin and snorts.
Logan is still Logan, after all.
