With Tooth and Claw {IC}

[May]

The Pack
Rebeca

She smiled down at Jory as he pushed his nose against her leg, her long fingers coming over to scratch at his ears for a moment before he moved away and shifted back. She watched the pair in front of them with something like annoyance, which was impressive for her. She was normally the happy cheery type, and yet, at this moment, she was annoyed. She closed her eyes as Jory ran around, rubbing at her temples for a moment longer before he was back at her side.

"Forget the shirt," she growled. As soon as she did she looked Jory, an apology clear on her face. She hated getting angry like this, she hated being mean lovers. "We'll get it later. Just come," she said softer, reaching for his hand, slipping her fingers into his and tugging him along after her and back towards their camp.

She was quiet after that, walking along with Jory at her side and constantly looking over her shoulder at the other pair behind them. She had to trust they would follow, trust that they would behave. But that didn't stop her from being tense, from feeling like any moment the hard won peace she had established would slip from her fingers and they would be at each other's throats again. Finally they were close enough to the camp that she pulled herself away from Jory some, leaving him a few steps behind to watch the others as she called out their alpha's name. She stopped then, just outside the line of tents and waited for Darius to join them and decide what to do about these new comers.

[tirgesfu]

The Pack

Jory

He kept hold of Rebeca’s hand and tired hard to keep his pacing matching hers. He had the urge to pull her forward or hold her back, in playful swings of her arm. But she was not in a playful mood. She was thinking aiming ahead and glancing behind. So he kept his fingers laced in hers as long as he could trying to prove to her he was worth hanging on to.

But that only lasted so long. As soon as camp was close she let him go. She trotted off to find the big dog, the main hound, the lead wolf. Jory grumbled and growled under his breath. Someday, he could play this out. He turned his sour look to the two behind him. They had followed right? He was sure he smelled them both behind him.

He shook the snarls from his face and decided not the wander after Rebeca. Instead he would stay with the new scents, the young smart ass pup and his crippled angry bitch. He knew he better change his attitude if he was going to hang with the new meat.

“Hey, sorry for the ..ah…jump out there. I admit I was sort of in the mood for snarls.” He held out his hand to the male. Then he chuckled and realized his hands were full. So instead he offered it to the paw of the one he carried. “I’m Jory.”

[Cerianis]

Alexis easily kept a small polite smile on his face as the hound ran circles, teasing him about losing his shirt. Ah, the head bitch can keep them in line it seems. His face turned thoughtful as the other two turned and started hand in hand back towards their encampment. He shifted Quinn slightly, and then turned her on her back with ease so that she was cradled a lot more comfortably in his arms. He smiled down at her disapproving glare for the man handling and continued on, not bothering to explain himself. He kept to the shadows, and easily made no noise despite carrying the two packs on his back, and Quinn in his arms. He felt more than saw Rebecca looking back at them often, and he could feel her tenseness like a flavor on the air. Her tenseness meant that it was more then likely that she offered peace, and so he felt himself relax, ever so slightly.

As they got closer to the encampment, he could hear the other pack members; a word said louder here or there, or a muffled exclamation at points. As they got closer, and the sounds got louder, he could feel quinn tensing in excitement in his arms. He looked down at her fondly, but held her tighter to him, ensuring she couldn't get away for whatever reason. He looked back up and noticed that Rebecca had left,to go see the leader, no doubt. He stopped quietly in the shadows until he realized that the other pup had been scanning for them. He stepped out of the shadows as if he had only just caught up to them.

Alexis appraised the man in front of him. He removed one hand from under Quinn and dropped a pack to the ground, before reaching for the man's hand that had moved to shake Quinns hand. I low growl echoed in his voice, a warning to back off from his mate as he said, "Understood. We should have been prepared for something like this, but it has been far too long for either of us," he muttered, his eyes glowing angrily, with a hint of sadness edging onto his face.

He reigned his emotions back in and stood straighter, gripping the other man's hand tightly. "I am Alexis, this lovely lady that I carry is Quinn." He let go of Jory's hand and placed it back under Quinns back. He could feel her quivering in excitement, and could tell exactly what was running through her mind. He grimaced as he felt a tweak through the scars on his shoulder, letting him know he had been carrying too much weight for too long, but still he didn't put Quinn down, but rather held her tighter, knowing that they were very outnumbered in an area that was not known to them and in the prescence of a pack they knew almost nothing about. He breathed in deeply and on the breath out, he loosened his hold on Quinn, realizing that he had been squeezing tighter without realizing it.


He sighed, knowing that tonight of all nights, he couldn't let his emotions run away with him. He had already let his mouth run off with him when he had been talking with the alpha bitch. He knew, for Quinn's sake, he had to tie down everything and more. Anymore travelling without a pack to go home to would just about kill her, he had reckoned many times before. So he smiled, and let his air of dominance drop slightly. "I am sorry for my behaviour tonight, it has been far too long for either of us without a pack," He said honestly. "I am not used to being around others, and it has put me on edge." He smiled softly, and rubbed between Quinn's ears, knowing that she enjoyed his attentions even though she whined softly at him to stop it.

[Cerianis]

Ceridwen, The Society

Ceridwen growled as she noticed the Kirin bumping into her office furniture, likely bruising herself even more. She hissed between her teeth as he anger mounted at seeing her friend frightened of her. Her hands began elongating into claws and it seemed as though her very tight clothing was about to buckle from the sudden mass that had entered between the layers. She couldn't control the shift at such a level of fury. It had left her power and she screeched in horror as a pain slid through her back, legs, head and stomach. Her eyes widened from the sudden piercing pain as the fury was halted in its tracks. God she hated it when she lost control and was given to the pain. She shuddered as her screech echoed through the office cubicle, and outside into the general office. Everyone paused in their motions before hurriedly rushing on, ignoring the dragon and her screech, mistaken for fury, not pain. The pain slipped through her like a knife, and lingered like an old friend. Of course, she knew exactly what that felt like. She had known such pain for most of her life, but this pain was always different. This pain usually meant she had let herself get out of control, and that always troubled her.

Despite the slicing pain, thoughts rushed through her head, most of them about her friend. She knew she was lying. But why. She looked like she had fallen and then rolled herself down a set of stairs. If she had said that, Ceridwen would have calmed down a little. But falling in the shower? No matter how slippery, she wouldn't have gotten some of those bruises, especially not on the front AND back of her.

Ceri fell onto her knees as the pain left, taking along her transformation with it, leaving her skin scale free, without a trace of horn showing, and leaving her frame fitting her tight and snug clothing. She hissed between her teeth as she reached up to wipe the tears away from Karin's face. "You lie" came the short hiss between her teeth, her eyes narrowed, both in anger and in pain. "Why?" She asked, gasping for air that her stomach protested at. She grimaced again. She ignored the Kirin for a moment while she looked aroung for the chair, and pulled herself up into it, muttering, "Clothes, clothes.. where the bloody hell am I to find clothes in a place like this?" Her shoulders eased as she let her head rest in her hands as her elbows rested on her knees. She knew that her friends nakedness was a big thing for her friend, even though she herself couldn't care less about nudity.

She growled. "Elena would know where to get you clothes, I am sure." She gnashed her teeth. She really felt like playing with her sword, but knew that would scare the kirin even more than her temper had. She took in a shaky breath and stood up. Elena had probably heard of her temper or more likely heard it for herself and would be hurrying this way to figure out if she should stop Ceridwen, or if she should encourage murder. She sighed and let herself sag and closed her eyes in a pained fashion. "Would you care to go flying?" she asked. "Unlike you, I can't wear clothes in my animal form, as you just saw from their appearance a few moments ago. You can wear my clothes and I'll fly us to yours. Your shift is almost over anyway, isn't it?" She asked, keeping her voice void of any emotion, her face not visible.

She knew that she would upset her friend if her friend saw her crying, so she hid it. The tears of pain, both for her and her friend, slipped quitely to her clothing. She knew that forcing the issue wouldn't get her to open up, but rather clam up more. She wondered how much she might betray her friends trust if she got Elena to come and help her do some mystery solving. Her eye's widened in surprise. Whose office had she come out of? She would ask Elena later. If she remembered to do so, for now, she would ask straight out. "Whose office were you just in?" She looked up, the tears no where to be seen, staring pointedly at her charge.

[May]

The Pack
Rebeca & Darius

It took another minute or so, but Darius' lean figure appeared from between two tents. His light eyes took in Rebeca first, then Jory just behind her and the others as well. He saw her state of undress and didn't miss the red marks from Jory's attentions and the twigs that had found their way up into Rebeca's ginger hair. He knew what they'd been up to, there was no doubt that. But he had bigger problems to deal with then his bubbling jealousy.

He looked at the new comers, stopping next to Rebeca. "So? he asked in a soft murmur to her, his eyes not looking away from the others.

"There was nothing in the woods," she started, lips pursed and eyes on her alpha. "They don't seem the type to have done it, whatever it was. I don't exactly know why they're here though."

The pair shared a look at last, communicating something more in that glance alone then either of them had with words. They knew each other well, knew each others looks and the way thoughts and feelings made their faces change. Finally the alpha looked away, stepping forward to greet the new pair, standing tall, chest out some, and looking every bit the alpha that he was.

"Jory," he said softly, calmly. The fact that he could smell his mate all over the pup was not something he was focused on. He just wanted their attention.

[Fallenreaper]

The Pack

Quinn

Quinn growled at Alexis’s summary of her lacking control, letting out a small wolfish sigh and indignant grunt. Her eyes widened and her body lifted upwards as his board arms scooped her up, pulling her tighter to his thick chest making her fur bristle in that excited way every time their bodies came in contact. It sent jolt of pleasure up her spine enhanced by the nearness of his scent, almost impossible not to jump Alexis right then and there! Inwardly she was thankful he held her tightly even as he made his reason clear, adding the fact she was getting him dirty. Alex had always been a neat freak, especially for a male while in the other hand; she was slob and could care less. That had its advantages because it always encourages him to…clean her up a bit.

His kiss caught her off guard, making her sneeze and murmur at his timing even as he grumbled about his shirt drawing a wolfish snicker. It served him right for pissing her off though she wasn’t against him being a bit muddy as she purposely leaned deeper into his arms, farther muddied his chest out of spite and play. Her ear perked and then flattened as the pup, Jory wasn’t it, yipped out echoing her mate’s exclamation like he had spoken some great joke before leaping about. He looked like a frantic and inattentive puppy, darting about for some Hawaiian shirt with purple palms making Quinn shake her head. Dumb pup, fucking around like some newly turned were. It was a hilarious and made Jory’s rank in the pack rather clear, an omeg, at least from what Quinn saw. Finally his hype seemed to die, his eyes narrowed and looked serious before speaking again about the shirt figuring if there truth to what her mate spoke of. The female just rubbed her temple at his antic and soon enough, her patience seemed to hit it’s break, snapped to forget the shirt.

Quinn wasn’t bothered, didn’t care what this Rebeca thought of them while Alexis and her bickered. Though at the reaction from the snapping, it seemed the female hadn’t meant to redirect her anger at him and her face softened with regret. It only took moments as her fingers slipped into Jory’s and she lead him off, heading back to their camp. That was when she quickly found herself turned upside down and on her back! Damn Alex, Quinn inwardly cursed fighting the impulse to nip his face with the slight jarring of her maw making a clicking of her teeth. He was hiding something. Inside she felt he knew about the pack as her earlier thoughts came back to the front of her mind making her wolf eye narrow in a human gesture, eyeing him up. if he so help her, Quinn was going to tear him a new tail!

The alpha bitch seemed uneased, nervous and though Quinn knew why she felt it was unreasonable. If they had wanted to run then it would have been the moment the others were vanished from sight. Both would have been gone with a trace, lost to sight and smell in the damp scenery. When they came to the camp was when the female, Rebeca Quinn reminded herself, pulled away to summon the alpha.

In their trail to the encampment and he ranger died down, Quinn noted her mate steered into the shadows keeping his body and hers hidden. The bags danged from his arms even as she noticed he was carrying a lot of weight, including herself, forcing her to not to wiggle out of his grasp out of fear he would just clash her tighter. His body seemed to relax at Rebeca’s tension making Quinn flick to watch the alpha female from behind, wondering the relationship between the both, her warm devotion as odd being directed to one that wasn’t alpha. She couldn’t bear to show affection to another as easily as those two, not in front Alexis no doubt even to make him jealous. The notion hurt her making her twist and lean her head now on Alexis for comfort and loving reminder.

He was her everything.

The place came into view and the idea of meeting a pack made Quinn’s tail wag in a bit of joy. A pack, it had been so long to feel the presence of others just like her. She missed the play and romps, the meals together, socializing, and of course the moon light runs finally letting the feeling of being a part of something more than just the two of them sink in, her tail whipped against Alex’s shoulder with a hard whack showing how she felt. For a moment her body wanted to escape her mate’s arms and sniff about, exploring the place with wondering eyes until her mate’s tightening arms brought her back to reality. They had yet to be a part of them. This wasn’t her pack, it might never be. It made her body settle instantly to realize that and her eyes looked to Alexis with worry, fear of rejection and reliving what had happened all over again.

Quinn’s eyes turned to Jory, seemed to sank at the loss of Rebeca not forgetting the sour look he gave them Quinn returned it with her ears pinned along her head and a face of annoyance. At least one closest to a wolf’s version as possible, daring him to try something even if she was injured Quinn would make sure he remembered the scuffle. Finally realizing Alexis had moved from the shadows and into full view, his body standing still without the discomfort of jerking motions with each one of his human steps.

Jory turned to Alexis making Quinn’s doggish head defensively pull back a bit, looking form his hand to face. She was expecting a trick while he introduced himself. Realizing there was earnest there, Quinn’s paw moved to “shake” until Alexis beat her to it. Her ears pressed back making her black lips pull back, curled at his jumping the gun and greet Jory. The heavy sound of a bag dropping to the moist ground made her look down checking of what made that noise, pulling her form her disgruntle growl. She let her mate talk, not like anything she spoke would be understandable in this form, while absorbing the emotions through his voice. The positive part of her being in her wolf shape was that extra sense. A unique feeling to someone’s feelings and intentions, giving her an edge where Alexis lost his then again it was likely all her time with him that helped.

She felt a heat of arousal flood through her mind at his possessive show, the tone was rough and dominate, a rare treat to hear while she blinked once then twice at him. He spoke the truth, much better than her about the lack of manners due to their lack of pack influence. Her nose pressed to Alexis’s cheek letting the chill creep in finally turning back to Jory, sparing a slight lick praising Alexis’s gruff tone for fear he would cease all too quickly. He was lucky she was in wolf form or she might really give the pack a show they wouldn’t forget. It wasn’t a surprise it showed on the outside as well.

Her eyes caught Alexis’s grimace, a low whine and shift in her body made her try to move from his grasp with a dire need to shift back. She knew the cause, those damn scars. Her efforts were stopped suddenly by the tightness, making her wiggles still, the tired muscles finch at still holding her light weight putting strain on him. It was far tighter than before.

He seemed to realize before loosen, his mouth let out a sigh. It wasn’t hard to know what ran through his mind, feeling guilty at being the cause, about her recent depression and piss off mood that seemed to sway to and fro. Quinn felt an irritation at his submission and finally apologizing for his attitude, even his intro of her as this lovely lady seemed so far off the mark, drew a low whine making it clear she didn’t like this change. He shrugged it off naturally as was so like him. His hand came to rest between her ears, stroking them and making her head push into his digging fingers making the whine louder yet it was clear she didn’t want him to stop.

The alpha revealed himself at last. There was no doubt in Quinn’s mind he was in charge, her eyes shifted to take him in and her whining silenced while the alpha demanded attention from one of his own: Jory. It was calm, soft as if hiding the fact his scent bothered the male and for a moment, Quinn could understand why. If some bitch had her damn tramp scent on Alex then her fangs would be tearing flesh, fur, and blood into a floor mat right then and there. It was surprising he had not yet. Quinn’s gaze would soon draw her mate’s to look on Darius.

[Fallenreaper]

Society, Karin

She didn’t like the fact she angered Ceridwen though she knew her fear only made her friend angrier, it was only natural to seeing the change in the dragon shape shifter. Claws busted through the nails and the clothing seemed ready to give at any moment before an ear piercing screech erupted, filling the tiny cubical with sound that rocketed into the office level. The sound seemed to fill Ceridwen and though it seemed to be one of rage, Karin knew better given that her species were good hearted and sensitive. It was one of pain that made her gentle heart break. The dragon’s body trembled violently that rocketed through her core and up her body making Karin feel helpless then and guilty for the misery.

Why couldn’t she learn to keep her stupid mouth shut?

Silence outside, a moment but clearly notable one that hung in the air before being replaced by the shuffling of papers, moving bodies to erase it from their minds. It was natural with Ceridwen around, those that didn’t have her fury set upon them were often grateful not bothering to see the source knowing it would become primetime gossip later. The ill temper dragon and the office joke, such a pair thought Karin as she pulled closer to the crumbling dragon now reforming back into her human guise. A deep pain etched into the deer dragon while Ceri hissed in her fallen face, scraping the wetness the hit on the desk had caused against her will- it was out of the normal for Karin to cry out in public, shameful- about the lie. Karin’s shard of hope was shattered while feeling the guard’s eyes narrow on her, fixed to see something she had missed below the surface in her inquiry.

Karin couldn’t tell the reality. Not what had happened in that office, the wolf making her woman in his roughness as he carelessly bruised even in his most gentle movements, not even the fact they broke a desk in the act! Heat swept across Karin's cheeks making her flustered at the most confusing feeling of all, the she actually enjoyed it. Every moment even as her common sense screamed it should be differently. It was odd to realize how she liked it before realizing Ceri’s breath was far too strained for it to be good, jerking her out of her thoughts and into concern for her friend.

The dragon pulled herself upward, Karin upset her attention had been ignoring her for too long, muttering and pulled into the desk chair wheeled over. It squawked in its normal protest of weight, an older model to ease office cost and likely an inside joke among the co-workers. At Ceridwen’s fierce demand and frustration at being unable to fill her request, Karin was about to speak to ease it saying she could find her own clothes. How her last lie ended up, it was unlike faking she remembered there was a spare set in the desk would not be helpful. Besides those were coffee stained from earlier this morning.

The dragon looked so crest fallen then siting like a troublesome child, the growl animated her a bit as Karin’s hooves drew nearer with mention of Elena’s name adding a spark of ease to the current situation. Please let that work, pleaded Karin closing the gap between. The offer was sweet and tempting, though it expose her shape a little too much, she was willing to accept but the flying itself was a little terrifying. She seen Ceridwen try to fly and it looked as it hurt her more than when she was angry and the last thing she wanted to do was cause pain. Unlike Ceri’s shift, Karin could control hers well enough even in extreme emotion since her mother found it ill manners when she cried or jumped for joy one moment before poof becoming a deer the next. It still happened once in a while but now it was strictly stuck when she was purely happy. A rare and impossible feat in modern times, she quit trying.

“I won’t mind the clothes, thank you Ceri. As for the flying, how about we walk until we find Elena? She still has that…birthday present from last year. Remember the tight night dress you both picked out,” Karin asked.

Karin fought the inward shudder at picturing the dress in her mind and her request for Elena to hold on it until she needed, both of them laughing at the early birthday present. There were concerns it wouldn’t fit as the kirin was talked into wearing before bending over and hearing the click of a camera go off! The cleavage was rather low cut and cupped under her bosom and its curves fit her shape perfectly with the short skirt ending quite a bit above her knees that bending completely over left little to imagination. It wasn’t like she was going to get into trouble wearing at least right away. There other females, Elena and Ceridwen included, that wore much skimpier clothing on casual days letting the guys’ eyes roam for a bit of a treat. Karin thought they would cringe at seeing her in one thanks to her insecurities.

Too distraught seeing the ach from her roar, Karin pulled closer since the dragon was currently sitting down to shift to settle between the legs of her friend’s sagging form hunched over the chair. Her neck brought her deer like face close to the woman’s face before leaning in. Closer as Ceri should lift her eyes in curiosity, now noting Karin’s closeness. It hovered there, her hesitation and uncertainty very clear in her body’s stillness before the kirin let her courage push herself into Ceridwen’s lips! Since it wasn’t expected it should have been successful that was if there wasn’t a motion away from her beforehand, making Karin stop in her tracks.

Her lips opened letting a blue mist waft from her soul and into the dragon, easing the pain that still likely borrowed into the creature, soothing and numbing in a warm feeling of bliss. It was a talent of her kin. The ability to heal wasn’t amazing, she could never heal grave wounds or bring the dead back, could eliminate suffering and fade away agony with a single kiss. It worked best mouth to mouth then just on skin, the effect far lighter and less helpful. She held her lips against Ceri letting the energy swirl into her friend as her own scales melted into flesh, her legs bended and cracked to rest under her. Her forelock rose to rest her hands on the legs as support with her locks casted about her face, the head tilted to allow more mist to engulf in Ceri before Karin finally pulled back to sit.

Her expression, slightly warmer and less fretful, while she added as a comment,” There…better? No pain? It’s a Kirin’s gift of healing,” Her cheeks reddened realizing she was bare and in human form, being a deer was different, but human made it all too clear her true gender. Her hands wrapped about her chest and lower half, shield it from sight while feeling a little embarrass on her impulsive reaction and lack of explanation, adding to clarify,” It works better in a kiss… hope you aren’t offended by it, are you?”

Hoping to cast off the awkwardness of the moment, she instinctively blurting the answer right out to Ceri’s earlier question before the kiss,” Mark’s office, not our boss’s, the one that’s newly assigned.”

Her eye widen at her lack of thinking as she looked to Ceridwen with a stunned look, watching the shape shifter’s reaction at the idea of what she spoken ready to take off after her friend should there be a hasty dash.

[May]

The Pack
Rebeca & Darius

Rebeca padded forward on her unshod feet, slim hand reaching for Jory's. She knew he'd be calm, and she knew that Darius wasn't focused on what had happened between the two of them in the forest alone. He had bigger things to focus on just then. But it was safer if she pulled Jory away now. They weren't needed for their alpha to talk with the new comers. And this way he wouldn't be around when Darius could shift his attention to the fact that she smelled liked Jory and he like her.

She pulled the younger male closer to her, out of her alpha's direct line of sight, but they stood by for now, waiting until he dismissed them.

"You two go clean up and see about openings," he said, not looking at the pair long before he looked back to Quinn and Alex. He didn't need to say more for Rebeca to understand his meaning. They were to find an open place for the new ones to possibly stay in. They might not, but it would be wise to look. She tugged on Jory's hand and pulled him along with her as she left the other three alone to talk.

He stood looking at the pair still, not speaking for a moment. But finally he broke the silence. "Who are you and what are you doing here? His tone was cool, but not angry or accusing. Tensions were high and he had a careful line to tread, but he did not want act like there was no reason to be cautious either.

[Cerianis]

Alexis watched the display between Alpha and the two who had led them here. He looked thoughtful as he did so. He wondered casually as to why the female seemed to be pulling Jory out of the man's immediate attention zone, although he figured he knew why, but he still liked to muse on such things. Openings? Openings for what? he wondered cautiously. Then the man's attention turned towards them. He bowed his head slightly. "We are Alexis and Quinn Rovenharte, currently of no pack. We have been wondering pack-less for what seems and age. It's not been until recently that we've been missing a pack of our own, and Quinn managed to convince me to search out a possible pack. When we heard of this one, we decided that we would, with your permission join with you." He swallowed hard, slightly nervous about the fact of going back into another pack, and speaking with an alpha. He hadn't done such in so long that it was a bizarre feeling for him, and the weight of Quinn in her wolf form clinched it for him. They were really about to join back in with a pack. He thought. Hunting! Laughing, romping... Everything that they had both missed during the time that they had spent by themselves. He felt a tension seep out of his body as he uttered the words, pulling Quinn closer to him at the same time. He closed his eyes as he waited for his possible soon to be alpha to give the verdict.

He hadn't realized just how much he himself had missed being in a pack. He loved Quinn tremendously, but sometimes he just couldn't always keep up with her no matter how much he tried. He needed a pack even though he wasn't the most social creature as it was. He wanted to occasionally to be something bigger than himself and his mate.
He ran his fingers through Quinns muddy fur, trying to calm her as much as himself. He kept his breathing calm and slow, trying to keep his heart from beating unnecessarily fast. He swallowed slowly and opened his eyes and lifted his head back up, awaiting whatever should happen and looked the alpha eye to eye, pleading with the other man, for himself, and his mate.

[Fallenreaper]

Pack
Quinn

God did Quinn want to shift back so badly, feel her emotions die down and fall apart like the fur would from her body. To stand upright on her two feet instead being held some whimpering child cradled in his arms, held so firmly to his chest. His scent wafted into her flaring nostrils making her shiver with a rush of affection and heat. Their escorts seemed nervous as the alpha’s mate reached for Jory’s-not the mate’s- hand pulling him closer and to the side, exposing the couple to the alpha’s sight. Yet they didn’t leave, at least they were smart enough to stay. There seemed to be a slight tension, though it could be her, in the authorized male especially in his voice that ordered them to a task of cleaning up and seeing about openings.

Quinn’s ears perked at the idea. Her head tilted to the side, bright eyes stared at Darius that now turned his focus upon the pair. There was an air of business about him and the wolf inside felt a stir of excitement feeding into a thought to be forgotten: being part of something more than him and her. That natural pull of a wolf’s instincts into a group. Out of the corner of her, Quinn spotted the two begin to fade from the scene and in search for the alpha’s request trying to ignore the feeling of pity to watch the one you love never return the affection. It was sight like that which made Quinn the more grateful to have a life mate, his honey coloring and deep brown eyes still sent electric shocks through every time she felt them roaming her backside. It sent pride and love flaming her heart in a hard to describe way, even after all these years it never faded.

Her mind snapped back to the alpha as his words raked across her mind, making her ears pull to the side and consider changing back without Alex’s permission until her love answered. She felt angry, pissed to hear his reasons for the deception and more learning she was the cause of it. Quinn wanted to take him by the scruff of the neck and shake, pulling his body to the ground where she could kiss and show her Alex how much she cherished his love. He wasn’t the most sociable creature unlike her, out of the two of them if either had the best chance of being a loner it was Alexis. It was clear her love was nervous. This notion had Quinn pulling her nose to press into his cheek, her way of comforting him when stuck in her current form letting the wet chill settle into his flesh.

He was a sweetheart in her eyes even if the alpha said no; she was determined to make what was left in her life happy for him. How could she do this to him? Quinn felt a guilty pang settle in her soul at what her depression had caused, wishing for a small measure of the misery her mood had caused. Now it was done and no matter what she said, growled or barked there was no taking it back now. Not without it causing a problem that would end with their tails being chewed beyond identification.

It was the alpha’s choice that they waited on. The most dreadful moments in Quinn’s life seemed to be ticking by at a painfully slow pace, her heart muffled by the silence and hanging for a single word. Her eyes were closed, fearful for what it might be. Feeling Alexis’s fingers stroking her muddied fur and feeling his heart race so differently than hers, Quinn focused on that sound. It soothed while her head leaned into his with her muzzle tucked under his jawline, drawing strength from the touch.