Slowly Markus looks up at Aldo his brows flat as he stared at him. “No… Thanks.” He reaches up and takes the beer downing about half of it before setting it down. “I don’t see the rush. You are welcomed here. I said as much. You are allowed to stay up to seven days, and if at the end of those seven days or be you want to leave you are welcome to. If at the end of those seven days you wish to stay well then… We will test you.” He looks behind himself as he feels Val behind the door and lets out a heavy sigh the anger and irritation leaving him. “You can come in.” He takes another gulp of his beer and sets it down. Leaning back in his chair his fingers gently tap the top of the table as he starts to relax more and more. Reaching into his pocket he pulls out a cellphone and taps his finger across the screen sending a text message to Sasha. ‘Sorry come on back, I was being irrational.’

Suddenly the howl hit him and he jerked upright in his chair. A wild worried expression grew across his face as he stood up from the chair so hard it went flying across the room. “Sam.” He turned to Valarie “You heard that didn’t you? That cry… I don’t know what is wrong, but that was Sam.” He takes in a deep breath and turns towards the door and looks about seeing that he didn’t have any of his enforcers around to go with him, but he couldn’t just leave one of his pack alone in the cold with that howl that had popped out of their muzzle. “I have to go Val, there aren’t any enforcers to go with me, you have to stay here. The danger is too high. I have to go alone.”

Frightened by the sudden words in her mind, North yelped and took a few steps back. As they registered, however, she became considerably calmer. So this woman was friend instead of foe. She sighed, her tired legs shaking from relief as well as exhaustion. In response to Sasha's question, she nodded. Indeed, she must have looked pretty pathetic to gain sympathy like this.

Struggling to think of a way to communicate with the other female, North was tempted to pace, but her body was having none of that. She gave in and slumped into an upright sitting position, resting her back legs at least. "Is she part of a large pack? She must have some way of maintaining herself, as she appears to be in excellent physical condition." North tilted her head, attempting to show her confusion.

Marrec – Hati

Not certain how best to respond to the interaction between the Lupa and the hunter, Marrec decided it was likely best not to respond at all. He tracked Valerie as she went into the house, waiting until she was well out of the way before moving to follow the man. Marrec was just stepping into the house behind William when he heard the strident tones of the Ulfric, a sound which caused the enforcer to move into high alert – for the second damned time that night. A grunt of annoyance passed his lips as he gestured for William to stomp a little faster.

“I'm here, Markus, so you're not going anywhere alone,” he called out, his voice sure to rumble its way through the house. By the heavy, concentrated scent coming from the main hall, Marrec knew most of the others were something near the kitchen, and pointed William in that direction, not distracted enough by concern to allow the man at his back.

When they reached the kitchen, Marrec looked around until he located Markus. “Where are we going? And what do we do with William here?” A sideways glance at the hunter followed Marrec's question, though there was no menace in the tone.

Valerie had only wait a few minutes before the man she loved had called her forward, his irritation clear to the blind young woman as she stepped toward him, her gaze downcast and her eyes half closed though she found her way to him easily enough and listened while his fingers typed on his cellphone. She couldn't tell who it was or what he had said though she could tell from the way his shoulder felt beneath the soft skin of her palm that he was relaxing ever so slowly inside of the house. Sometimes she disliked his drinking though it never affected him the way it would a human and instead of asking him to stop she simply refused the drink when it was offered in most situations; she'd only drink with Markus, and even then nothing too strong. Her touched him, quietly and gently until the agonized howl echoed through the air and she stiffened in response to it, knowing then and there that she shouldn't even try to follow after him this time. This time it really wouldn't be safe for her.

She felt him stand and just barely made it out of the way as it tumbled to the floor where she had been standing a moment before and held onto his hand as he move away from her in the direction of the door. "Markus. . . " She looked up at him when he spoke to her, pale eyes wide with concern as they tried to find what it was that she couldn't see and instead of arguing against his decision she reached up both of her hands to touch his face gently. The scruff on his cheeks tickled her palms as she reached up on her tip toes and brought him down toward her as well. Valerie touched her lips to his, just once though it was tender and sweet and full of her worry and affection. "Come back to me, safe and unharmed." She whispered against his lips and puled away, her hands still on his face for the moment as Marrec stepped forward with the hunter in the room. She was not shy or afraid of others seeing her kiss her mate, the act often reinforcing her place as the Lupa and showing those who coveted him and her place that there would not be a change. It was common knowledge among the pack that the two spent little time really apart from one another.

The pink haired lady did not turn her gaze from Markus as she spoke louder this time, though in this case it was in defense of her Ulfric's orders. "Would you leave the hunter unattended here?" She asked the man, her voice catching slightly, almost impossible to notice as well. It showed just that hint of fear she had of hunters though she feared more for the fate of the one that would dare to hurt her or Markus while the other still drew breath.

Sasha – Skoll

Sam waited for the other to calm down, noting the nod but being uncertain how to proceed. Luckily, the weakened state of the other lycanthrope seemed to make the telepathy easier, despite Sasha's homid form. Due to her intense concentration when sending the thought, she was in turn able to catch the edge of the wolf's thoughts, specifically the questioning tone that followed pack. A spike of pain burrowed into Sasha's temple, warning her to cease her efforts. Sighing, Sasha looked down at her clothes with a discriminating eye, debating if they were worth it.

“Guess I'll have to,” she muttered aloud, mostly to herself. Shooting the other a wary glance to take in the potential threat, Sasha backed several steps away and threw herself into the shift. She could shift with more ease than some wolves, but it was still an unpleasant event – less so than when returning to homid form, though. A large, bipedal wolf of black and brown tones stood where the woman had before. Giving a brisk shake, Sasha cautiously moved a few steps closer.

You will trust me, she demanded, once more thrusting her thought in the direction of the other wolf. She followed the thought with brief images of the pack house, zooming in to focus on the kitchen. Sasha had been a werewolf long enough to see the intense fatigue the other was suffering, and knew the pack house was simply too far for the other to make it. Impatient and unwilling to move at such a sluggish pace, she hoped to simply toss the other over her shoulder and head home in a more timely fashion.

Coming into the other's personal space, Sasha knelt and gestured with her arms to show that she wanted to pick her up. She followed with an image of her carrying the wolf, happy to find only a hint of struggle to the telepathy in her current form.

North marveled at the thought of the pack house. She had assumed that wolves, as social creatures, would band together, but not to such a civilized extent. Her only previous experience had led her to believe that werewolves were savages - more beast than human. She shuddered, remembering the cold, cruel beast that had mauled and nearly killed her. There had been no shred of humanity left in it.

As Sasha approached her in her strange new form, North shrank back slightly, unsure of her intentions. When she seemed to be suggesting that North should be carried back to the pack house, North slowly and tentatively obliged. She allowed herself to go limp in the other's arms, relaxing her strained muscles completely for the first time in what seemed like forever. Letting her eyes flutter shut, she let out a soft whine.

When the Ulfric had answered her, Vashti's serious expression had molded into one of confusion, then surprise and gratitude. Her eyebrows raised and she held herself from staring at the older male.

He had mentioned her staying with them.....forever.....

The mere thought of being a part of the pack again; within the order of domination and working alongside her kin. Vashti was a social soul, and the time she had spent alone out in the wilderness had been like hell.

Aside her underlying need to feel a part of something, Vashti still sought a mate…..despite what had happened to her in the past. Without a pack her chances of finding her mate was slimmed to almost nothing.

Standing there, Vashti looked up when the Ulfric called to someone who had been waiting nearby. The pink haired woman had entered and made her way to him; almost immediately confirming Vashti’s suspicion the moment it arose. She could smell her scent and watch her actions as the female rested her hands against the male’s shoulders. She was his mate….

Tilting her head to one side Vashti studied them for a moment, watching the bond between them. But then there was an agonizing howl; one that made her jump and let out a sharp growl to no one in particular.

The Ulfric reacted similarly, but stood and announced he had to leave. Vashti heard him direct his mate to remain at the house, and saw them share a quiet moment; heart swelling in admiration of the bond they shared.

But then, the Lupa mentioned something Vashti had hoped to never hear. A hunter was here amongst the pack.

At that moment two figures appeared outside the kitchen doorway and Vashti tensed; smelling the second’s scent to be human. Her eyes burned and she stared at the figure, before shaking it off and turning to the Ulfric as he prepared to leave, “If it is any reassurance; I’ll make sure to keep an eye on things while you are absent…..I would be happy to help after the kindness you and your pack have shown me.”

Standing straight she nodded to him, then glanced back at the hunter with a wary expression. She knew what they could do…..

Eyes of electric blue and emerald flung open as the crack of a comrades call rung true to the wind, a cry that snapped her from that threateningly mind scrambling peace she so desperately wanted. Something was wrong and she lay stiff within the still body of motionless liquid, sights fixed upon the ceiling above as she almost held her breath, ears focusing on the sound of faint chatter among the other room.

Porcelain lengths of narrow limbs arose from the waters surface, fragile digits wrapping around either side of the baths solid rim, faintly outline muscles tensed as she lifted herself, the water clung almost dragging against her sensitive skin breaking bonds from liquid and solid forms caused waves to race towards every surrounding ivory wall. She stepped lightly onto the pale almost sky blue rug as crystalline beads melted from her bodice towards the ground, reaching for a towel she'd unhurriedly dry herself.

Acacia had avoided getting her hair wet at this point and began to wiggle her way into a pair of panties followed closely by faded denim shorts, at this point Acacia collected her bra and fiddled with it over both arms and clasping it from behind, she wasn't a fan of the way they were designed, but didn't fuss as she pulled a pure white tank top over her head and around her torso, it stopped just short of her belly button as she played with her hair a moment and used a foot to shove all her clothes off to the side of the room, 'I'll clean that up later,' she thought to herself before pulling the bath plug and heading for the main room again.

Wandering towards the door she'd open it and peer out and down either side of the corridor, eyes actively shifting about as she saw no one about and after a moment began to swiftly stroll through the houses length once more. After a moment she found herself standing at the door to the kitchen, side on to it's frame she'd inspect the contents of it's expanse, seemingly not as oblivious in her relaxing bath, Acacia found herself watching the Ulfric preparing to leave and picking up on the last few moments of the Lupa's interaction with her mate, Acacia then proceeded to glance towards Vashti, then Aldo and then Marrec and the Human Hunter, her peaceful alone time barely lasting as she grunted a huff to herself.

Barely seeming alarmed she silently stood where she was, observing and avoiding most things.

Upon entering the building, William could hear that there was certainly a commotion going on. His eyes shifted slowly around his surroundings. The cabin felt rather cozy inside. He glanced back at Marrec, the man pointing him towards the sources of the voices. The hunter headed towards them, stepping inside the kitchen.

"That howl certainly had them riled up." William thought to himself. "A warning perhaps, but of what?" The Ulfric considered going out to discover the source of the howl, but William could tell none of the people around him wanted that, and William was the problem in their equations. The kitchen was bustling with quite a few members of the pack, although William didn't have time to look at them as he focused on skirting around the Ulfric and his clingy Lupa. Reaching the table, he let out a sigh of relief and pulled a chair out for himself. The hunter fell back into his seat, the weight of his body shifting from his legs and to the chair. "Hmm.. comfy." William quietly mumbled to himself. He listened to conversation around him, silently amused every time his name or the Hunter was mentioned.

He glanced at the woman at the table, who confidently told the Ulfric she could keep an eye on him. As she stood, she gave William a subtle look, and one he noticed too. "Well considering that my weapons have been disarmed from me, I shouldn't be causing much of a ruckus." William said, sinking comfortably into the chair. "I'm not the sort that goes around biting strangers, so I think we'll all have a comfortable night here."

William glanced over at the man by the counter who appeared to be preparing a meal. "You there, by the counter." The hunter said in an assertive tone. "If you're not too busy, fetch me something warm to drink."

The sign in the door's window stated the small store was open though the grand opening wouldn't be until tomorrow. It was a new bookstore located just around the block of the middle of Odessa's main street. The new owner of the building had worked hard in the last few days to get the store ready to receive customers. Beside the door to the left was a large bay window that allowed pedestrians a good look inside. Upon the huge window was the store name, Westfield Bookstore, freshly painted in gold with big letters, and underneath the name were the smaller painted words 'Selling & Buying New & Used Books'. In the corner of that window was a small help wanted sign. The exterior of the two story building was brick as was the interior. The interior of the store was quaint and snug. The checkout counter was located to the right a few feet from the entrance. Shelves that reached from the floor to the ceiling lined the walls. Smaller shelves lined the center of the store arranged in a zigzag pattern upon the hardwood floor. Two doors, currently locked and off limits to patrons, were located in the back of the shop. One door lead to the buildings basement that contained the owner's personal library and a collection of rare books, or it would within the coming months. The other door lead upstairs to the shop owner's living quarters.

Nina Ivanova zipped up her leather coat before flipping over the sign to notify future pedestrians that the store is closed for the day. Retrieving her keys from small, designer purse Nina exited her building and quickly locked the door. The young woman returned her keys to her purse then placed her delicate hands in the pockets of her coat to protect them from the cold air. Being from the south east of the nation Nina was not used to seeing in snow in April. The 2.5 inch heels of her black leather ankle boots clicked upon the sidewalk as she began walking towards the corner of main street. Her deep blue jeans fit comfortably around her legs and hugged the curve of her wide hips and plump heart shaped derriere quite nicely yet provided little warmth at the moment. Turning the corner a gust of wind sent a shiver through the seventeen year old's slender body and whipped her dark hair about her head. Nina cursed under her breath as she hastily brushed her long wavy locks from her face. Lowering her head Nina pushed through the wind and frosty air as she walked swiftly towards the diner down the street.

To put it simply, Aldo was speechless. It wasn't exactly difficult to make such a person speechless, but this was a whole new level of speechless that was totally new to the man. He hadn't been a werewolf long, yeah, but not for a single nanosecond in his couple-month existence as a Lukoi had he imagined that there would be a hunter. And on top of that, the sound of a howl had really made him tense. In the pack house. Asking him for a hot drink. He scratched at his beard briefly, and somehow this seemed to help him recover from the initial shock. He certainly didn't want to risk pissing off the Ulfric, who'd apparently given him permission to stay, but...well, come on. He liked getting treats for the pack. And it was clear that he didn't mind pretty strangers from other packs. But someone who went around killing werewolves, that just about crossed the line for Aldo.

He took a deep breath and scowled a little bit at the smell of the human. Fucking nerve he's got. "Listen," he said, proud of himself for keeping control of himself. "I hope you're willing to understand my...my hesitance, to do anything for you? If you're going to run around murdering our kind just because of who we are, and then stay a night in this pack's cabin because of the Ulfric's kindness, you could at least say 'please'." The irritation was clear, but he wasn't all that mad. At least, not yet. Not as long as he hadn't killed any of the Odessa Pack, and if he was allowed to stay then he probably hadn't.

Vashti huffed when Aldo finished his statement; she had her own words to say to the human man. He said he wasn't 'the sort to go around biting strangers'. He just so easily blamed her kinfolk of something they didn't commit....and it fried her.

"This world is made of assumptions Hunter. If you humans are angered by false truths and guilt, then do not condemn the entirety of our kind for the mistakes of our few kin."

She added, giving the human a snort, "Some of us bite your kind not because we take joy in wounding innocent strangers; but because they hold a knife at our throats laughing."

Vashti crossed her arms and smirked at him, "But then....I would be blaming Your kind for the mistakes of few.....now wouldn't I?"

Finishing her point she turned to Aldo and nodded, "If it is alright I would like to help you with the food.....I'd like to help out as much as I can in return for the pack's kindness." Reaching up she swiped a loose lock of brown hair from her face, then chuckled, "Right after I tame this mane of course...."

Sasha

Sasha paused momentarily to dig through the tattered remnants of her slacks, withdrawing a small cellphone. Although she noticed a new message was waiting, she didn’t care enough at the moment to check it out. Sasha was relieved to find that the wolf wasn’t going to resist and swiftly picked her up, heading back towards the house at a light, easy trot. She held the other away from her body to minimize jostling her, not sure if there were any wounds to be avoided, and not willing to stop and poke around. Thick dreadlocks in a myriad of colors rustled, streaming out behind the enforcer as she leapt over meandering creeks and retraced her earlier path.

Soon she began to hear the general low roar that was the constant inner workings of the vast house, from talking werewolves to the heating system cycling on. Sasha had some time to consider her actions, not certain why she should give a damn about some stray werewolf knocking on death’s door, but perhaps it was as simple as knowing Charles had done much the same for her. Besides that, Sam had a policy where she didn’t start treating others like dirt until they proved they were dirt, which inevitably happened.

Showing no strain from running while carrying a wolf that despite apparent malnutrition was still large, Sasha approached the house, skipped stairs ascending the deck, and arrived at the sliding door. Using a furred foot to nudge the door aside, Sasha ducked inside and moved towards the den, a room a few feet down from the kitchen. Her steps finally faltered when she heard all the voices coming from the kitchen, but Sasha only spared a glance for the collection of people before slipping into the den and setting the wolf down in the couch.

Stepping back, she stared down at the wolf. I will bring you food. Stay here.

North watched Sasha go quietly, and wondered for the first time why this stranger was going out of her way to help her. The woman obviously already had nothing to gain from her, so why bother with such a useless scrap of fur and bones? This thought struck a sudden chord of fear in North. "The others...what if the rest of her pack isn't as charitable?" She shivered and pressed herself down into the couch. "And if they are, what will I do next? It doesn't seem right to just say 'thank you' to someone for saving your life."

To distract herself, North tried to focus on all of the sounds of technology that she had long since forgotten - and missed, though she would never admit it. If only she knew how to turn back human...

William glanced over at Aldo, who gave his piece on the Hunter's request. He visibly frowned when Aldo said he was a murderer, and remembered that the Ulfric had called him such as well. The term never sat well with him, although understandable why they would believe him to be so. He was about to open his mouth to protest him, though Vashti cut him off before he could even start.

Her words made him clench his fist. William listened to her talk, opening his coat slightly to remove his flask yet again and setting it on the table in front of him with a small thud. Promptly removing the cap, he tilted his head back and took a quick swig of whiskey before setting it back on the table. He grunted as she finished speaking, pushing his chair out as he slowly stood. He leaned forward slightly, placing both hands on the table now, and looked up at the woman, giving her a stern look. He held his stare for a moment before he opened his mouth.

"Perhaps you're right darlin'. Our world is full of assumptions." He spoke calmly, although there was an underlying sense of coldness in his voice. "This 'murderer' could have easily walked out of those woods looking to start a bloodshed. This 'murderer' could have pulled his trigger rather than open his mouth, but he didn't." William grabbed his flask again, tossing his head back for another quick swig, then setting it back on the table with a sigh. "I didn't come here to prove a thousand years of assumptions, wolf. You'd do well to remember that I only wish to protect my kin, just as you would to yours."

William sat back down into his seat, grabbing his flask and screwing the cap back onto it. He glanced back over at Aldo, simply saying only one word. "Please."

He knew this moment was stressful for not only himself, but everyone else in the pack. The Ulfric running out into the snowy woods alone to investigate a howl that indicated something horrible? Unthinkable, but Markus was not one to sit idly by and let things happen. He was a go getter. He reached behind himself and yanked his pistol free before slapping it into Marrec’s hand “I don’t know where Sasha is.. You keep everyone safe.” As he heard the hunter speaking to his pack he turned and pointed a finger. “Keep your trap shut you’re a guest, if you over do your bullshit I’ll kick your ass naked out in the snow, and then when they find your frozen body they’ll think you’re some kind of retarded exhibitionist.” He looks to the rest of the pack “Beat the shit out of him if he tries anything.” He swings the door that lead to the den open and ran out, but as he moved out the door he let his hand stroke down Val’s arm. With that though he was gone and out the front door sprinting through the snow.

Markus didn’t look back as his legs carried him through the snow and it didn’t seem to impede his movements either. Though with every step something about him seemed to change, hair began to grow from his skin, his eyes took on darker look as the iris slowly turned to a burnished gold. His face began to elongate and bones cracked through it didn’t seem to pain him, and seemed smoother than the younger wolves went through. He leap into the air just as he reached the treeline and when he landed he was full wolf, in lupus form he was huge his back on all fours about five feet high, and he could get up to 7 feet standing on his hind legs. His enormous form tore through the snow as fast as he could as he moved through the woods. He could smell Sam and knew he was getting closer, then there was blood in the air, wolf’s blood, but it wasn’t sam’s it was others of the pack members who had gone out earlier.

Growling he increased his output to reach the site quicker, leaping into the clearing he growled in every direction looking for any danger, but seeing none. That’s when he saw Sam next to the other wolve’s bodies and his brows came down as he slowly walked over sniffing around the ground. ‘Wasn’t the hunter in the house.’ he thought to himself. He looked up at her and tilted his head. Using his mind he spoke to her. “did you see?”

The woman had had to let him go when he moved again, though as he spoke she could sense that urge to protect that was always present, the gentle touch of his hand on her arm as he walked out letting her know that he would be back as soon as he could, safe and for her not to worry as much as he knew that she would. She stared at the door until she couldn't hear his footsteps anymore and turned away, touching the wall with her fingers to orient herself while she found the direction she wanted to go. Walking up to the table she found a seat, unaware that she was sitting right next to the hunter and closed her eyes again. "I hope he's careful. . . " She said quietly to herself, reaching up a thin-fingered hand to brushed a stray lock of pale pink hair out of her eyes and behind her ear where she opened the blind orbs again. Thick, black and curled lashes cast a soft shadow over her eyes, making her already high cheekbones even more elegant and her soft eyes brighter.

"Aldo?"

He spoke again, this time to the one who had brought her husband his drink and a sweet smile came to her lips though it was tainted with worry and without a doubt she was never sure of anything that happened around her, not since she had been blinded. "May I have a mug of tea please? Jasmine preferably with two sugars and a little milk." She asked him softly, wondering if he would mind at all. The young woman held her hands on her legs, trying to keep them from shaking as best as she could though she needed a distraction to really push away her worry. She scented a girl in the room, one she had not known before and had heard her speak up before though it had not registered the same.

"Markus has allowed you into out home."

She stated quietly, allowing her blind gaze to hopefully find the girl where she sat though she was fully aware that she would probably be a little ways off as she had yet to full become able to pinpoint the scent of someone she did not know. "Welcome, stranger. Let me know if there's anything you need."

There was quite a lot of nodding with agreement at Vashti's addition to Aldo's retort, and he stood still with his arms crossed and the scowl still on his face. He glanced at William and saw the frown; something began to feel the tiniest kernel of pity inside of him... and then the hunter spoke coldly toward Vashti, erasing the vestige of sympathy and making Aldo's muscles tense hard as rock. He didn't like the way he swigged from the flask, he didn't like the way he glared at the (admittedly a stranger) pretty woman standing nearby, he didn't like his threatening-seeming stance. He narrowed his eyes when the man said 'Please' and replied very quietly, "Very well then."

He turned around to hide his satisfaction at Markus chewing out the hunter with very serious and vulgar language. Hearing such an inherently unlikeable presence getting this kind of talking-to was making him try very hard not to smile, but of course he did anyway, just a tiny bit.

And then he heard the Lupa's voice addressing him, at which point he spun to face her out of respect despite the fact that she couldn't see. He was slightly astonished at Valerie's politeness but could hear the worry in her voice; it was almost tangible. "Of course, Miss, coming right up," he said respectfully. He turned back around to make the tea, thankful the water was still hot, and pointedly avoiding looking at William, he gently held out the mug for her. Guessing what was on her mind, he spoke in a soft voice to her and hoped that the hunter wouldn't hear. "Markus will be fine. You've got to remember that. The howl was probably nothing, too. Enjoy your tea."

And finally he fetched another mug, one with a chip in it, and quickly got together some hot chocolate for William. Looking at the mug and not the person in front of him, he handed it over to the man without a word.

Sasha – Skoll

Sasha walked into the kitchen in her tall, muscular lycaon form, administering the gathering of pack members and strangers a cool glance before opening the fridge. It didn't occur to her to discuss the other wolf, since Sasha didn't feel like she owed them an excuse for her behavior and really didn't want them doing anything typically stupid. A flicker of mirth crossed her face when the strange man who had the boring scent of human started lecturing the equally unknown wolf.

Digging out an armload of food, she backed away from the fridge, dumped it all on a tray, and headed back to the den. Sasha dropped the tray on a rather large ottoman, pointing to a host of leftover meat as well as raw venison.

I could cook that, but I didn't think you'd mind too much, she said lightly. Giving the wolf her back, Sasha moved to the large hearth that acted as the centerpiece for the den and stirred the smoldering remnants of wood to life. Strategically adding a few pieces of wood, Sasha finally felt satisfied the fire was properly attended and moved to sprawl in a loveseat, turning her attention to the wolf once more. You can rest up and all that, or we can get the Ulfric to help you shift, she told the wolf, perceiving the issue at hand simply from several years of experience as a werewolf.

Marrec – Hati

Despite the annoyance of being forced to babysit everyone, Marrec accepted the Ulfric's demand. Might as well be corralling students again, he thought idly. Marrec stared at the third gun now in his possession, a grin allowing a brief glimpse of teeth. His grin widened as Aldo and Vashti started snarling at William, only to burst into laughter when the hunter got all hissy back at the two werewolves. Pulling a chair out, the large werewolf settled in and stretched out his legs, only to grunt and straighten his posture. Reaching one hand behind him, Marrec adjusted the two pistols tucked into his pants.

Knowing the night was going to be a long one, Marrec subsided into a state of distraction that was tethered to the present only by his awareness of where William was. He considered the days that led up to him becoming a werewolf, when he had been working with kids outside of the classroom, as both a confidant and a counselor. Now he was a full-time enforcer and being a teacher seemed a distant impossibility, though he still subbed at times. And you'll be dying in a little while, too. Might as well not try too hard to get back to teaching if you'll croak soon.

Stirring from the dreary path his mind was trying to take, Marrec glanced around and noticed Sasha in lycoan form. His mouth parted to ask what was going on, but he decided she didn't want the attention when she stalked right back out of the kitchen.

Sam – Geri

Though she knew they were already dead, Sam checked their pulses anyway. Blood coated her fingertips as she touched the wounds to try and identify the weapon used. The scent of blood, even of her own pack, was one that touched the wolf pacing beneath the surface and threatened to override Sam with a more primitive mentality. Forcing herself to control the instincts, Sam backed away from the corpses and settled down against a tree to wait for her pack to respond.

She hadn't really cared for the two werewolves who lay dead at her feet, but Sam had fought her way to Geri and in doing so, had become well entrenched in pack politics. Part of that had been protecting some of the weaker wolves and, ultimately, protecting her pack. Liking or not liking them as individuals aside, they had been under her protection, and she had failed them. The Odessa pack had grown, but it had done so mostly in wolves who were not and perhaps never could be considered dominant. Fear rippled through the woman's chest as she considered how very weak their pack was, with such werewolves that couldn't really survive on their own. One of the Ulfric's enforcers was a part-time school teacher, after all.

Sam had reverted back to homid form by the time Markus arrived and was sitting rather dejectedly against a tree, scowling out into the night and hoping the hunter would wander back over to the killing. Despite being in homid form, she still heard his thought. Raising to her feet and smearing blood splatters from her hands onto her pants, Sam lifted her shoulders in a shrug.

“No. I came upon them, though they're not long dead. We're being hunted, Marcus,” Sam growled out, nails beginning to lengthen along her fingers. “We need to kill them all.”

The cold and bitter air nipped at James’ flesh as he trudged slowly, yet surely, atop the thick blanket of snow. His snowshoes kept him from sinking into the heavy banks and his entire human body was covered from head to toe in winter gear.

Looking up with ice blue eyes the man came to a stop and reached up to remove the thin waterproof hood from his head,

It’s a little ways further than I had anticipated…….God I hope that woman wasn’t leading me on a wild goose chase.

He thought back to the mysterious old woman he had tracked down, back in town. He had heard rumors and followed the crumb trail of information; leading him to the seemingly ancient werewolf female. He didn’t know if she had helped him…..or fooled him into climbing up a barren mountain for laughs.

He, seeking quidance and information about his wolf side, James had questioned her. But she refused to tell him of anything on her own. Said she was too old and crippled to give him the help he needed.

The old woman instead told him of a hidden pack located in the mountain range just outside of Odessa. She told him to look for a man named “Markus”. He was the Ulfric of the pack; a young strong male that she also warned James to be wary of at first.

She had said “Wouldn’t help having your innards thrown across the pretty white snow.”

Great…..lots of encouragement.

So now, he trudged up towards where she said the pack’s main shelter would be. He remained in human form not only because he wanted to seem as peaceful as possible, but because in truth he hadn’t used his wolf much……not until he had finally packed up and moved out of the city.

Suddenly, catching his breath, James’ senses picked up on the faint but detectable scent of fresh blood.
Blinking he tensed and sniffed the air; finding hints of male…..and female….werewolves.

Something pulled tight inside of him, and James was surprised to find himself growling under his breath.
His……mental tick…..if you called it that……edged to the surface.

As a child he had endured the pain of watching his mother beat and bloodied beneath the hand of his drunken father.
Because of it he was especially sensitive to instances when females were threatened or injured.

And now…..it seemed as though he smelled one’s blood on the wind….

Growling again James marched foreword through the snow at a threateningly fast pace.
There was a ripping sound, and he winced when he felt the change come over his body.

Slowly the man fell foreword onto his hands and knees in the snow, but he continued relentlessly on towards the source of the blood scent. The clothes on his back ripped beneath the reshaping body underneath, then fell away and crumpled in the snow.

Fur grew at a rapid pace and protected him from the cold, and finally, a grey wolf stood in the equally pale snow around him.
Black ears twitching James' gait suddenly faltered and he blinked, glancing back to find one of his snowshoes still tied against his boot; with his paw now stuck inside.

Shaking his head he kicked his hind leg sharply and flung the nuisance away, before turning and running foreword over the surface of the snow.

I really should have stuck to this form in the beginning.

It went to show just how little he knew of his wolf side.....he had to find that pack.....