Lucian watched her intently as she gave him a thousand yard stare. When her head cocked to the side, he couldn't help but feel the end of his lips twerk up in a smile at the sight. It reminded him of a puppy trying to learn something new. He wondered what was going through her head at that moment. When her eyes focused again and she looked back at him, he quirked an eyebrow. When she said she may have found a phone, his other eyebrow rose to meet the other in surprise. “Oh?” He asked. When she asked if he knew the number, he nodded fiercely. “Yeah, by heart.” He had made that call countless times before he was snatched. Jessie was definitely the one who had his back even in the roughest of his days. He wondered what she had been doing since he was taken. Did she think him dead? He bit his lower lip in an anxious way before he situated and sat up properly. He wasn't sure how this call was going to go, but they needed help.

Lucian gave a small chuckle as she reached out to poke his forehead, swatting her hand away in a playful manner. When she said she would like it for him to rest, he couldn't help but agree. Resting sounded so great right about now. He could barely keep his eyes open. At least he could get more than a few words out without having a coughing fit. He assumed his angelic blood had some kind of healing ability behind it, not an instantaneous healing as he would like but he was at least feeling better than he was before, if only more exhausted than before. “Yeah, rest. Shouldn't be a problem.”

When she went to rise to her feet, Lucian saw her wince in pain and his hand shot out to grab her wrist. A look of concern crossed his face as he gently tugged her close to him. “You're hurt. I'm sorry. We've been dealing with me so for long, I haven't even thought to look at you.” He watched her hand rise up to her side and he looked up at her eyes, concern flaring behind his green irises. “May I?” He asked, as he gently raised a hand up to her side. He didn't move anymore than that. He didn't want to cross any kind of boundaries than he already has.

"I'm fine." Aneira replied reflexively, muscles loosening as his eyes met her own. In their current positions she towered over him, which had her nose scrunching up before she shook her head. She lowered herself down until she was resting on her knees, eyes never leaving his even as another wave of pain flared along her side.

The flare of concern in his eyes was an odd sight, after only seeing the emotionless eyes of the Scientists for so long this confused her. His hand dropped as she did, his soft question ringing in her ears and making her swallow. Friends wasn't something she'd ever been good at, defensive and easy to anger had become her striving forces since she was a child. But this man who could've so easily left her behind and save himself, she felt her walls soften slightly.

Biting her lip she let her head drop down, her hand fingers gently tapping along his own in a silent sign that he could look. She could smell the copper scent of blood now, a sharp tang that made her stomach curl. "I...I think it's a bullet. But not any normal kind, one made to...to weaken what I am so I can be easier to handle." Her words are a quiet whisper, free hand reaching out to lightly grab at the front of his shirt. "I'll be fine...we need to make that call." She tries for firm she really does, but all she manages to so is sound tired and breathless. The pain now that she's registered it moves along her side in constant waves, the storm outside raging still with no signs of stopping anytime soon.

When Aneira gave him permission to check with those gentle little taps on his hand, he slowly lifted up her shirt to see just what kind of damage was done under there. He didn't take his eyes off from hers until her side was revealed and only then did he finally look down to see what they were working with. There was a hole in her side, about the size of a dime. It looked scabbed over but the scab was thick like it kept trying to heal over the hole time and time again, growing thicker with each new session of healing. It was obvious her body was trying to push out whatever was in her side and when she shifted, a small bit of blood trickled down her side.

He frowned at the sight and reached up to gently feel along by the scab, feeling it flake off and peel away under his gentle touch. “That doesn't look great.” he said as he looked closer. He could see that there were black lines of something extending out from the small hole just below her skin, almost like ink spreading along a white page. “I think-” he said as he thought over what he was looking at, “your body is trying to push out whatever is under there.” He gave a little push on her side where the dark lines began and a new little flow of blood came from the hole.

“Shit.” He exclaimed as he covered the hole with his hand to stop the blood from getting on the carpet. Only then did he notice was it was tinted black against his tan skin. He moved his hand in front of his face before his eyes locked on hers, his face very serious. “I think we need to get this thing out of you. I think it's poisoning you. Maybe if I push,” he reached out and pushed lightly on the same spot he had pushed before and more blood came out of the hole but he felt movement under his finger, like a big splinter moving just a little bit closer to the surface. He took the pants she had given him and used them to cover her side, blocking the blood flow. All the new blood that was coming out of her side was just as black and tainted as the bit that was on his hand.

He looked at her, a fire and intensity dancing within them. “I can get this out.” He wasn't completely sure but he knew she needed it out and he wasn't going to talk in maybes or I thinks. He was going to talk to her confidently and like he knew exactly what he was doing, which he didn't. “Your body is pushing it out already. I just need to help it along but it's going to hurt like a bitch. But once we get it out, I bet you'll feel way better. Will you let me?”

When he finally looked away to see the wound she could feel along her side like a burning itch, she let her head drop until her chin was resting along her collarbone. She could feel that same exhaustion from before coming back over her, accompanied by a weakness she could feel slowly moving along her limbs. Like whatever it was was slowly draining her of energy. The air that meets her skin when her shirt is lifted feels like ice, a shiver racing along her entire frame.

His soft exclamation had her eyes moving to where he was inspecting her side, free hand pressing into the wall. She was beginning to feel dizzy, stomach rolling uncomfortably in a way that had her throat working around a swallow. His words had her brows furrowing, lips parting to speak only for any words to be silenced by the gentle press of his fingers along her skin.

The sound that came from her throat was only muffled by the way her jaw clamped down hard at the pressure, knees almost buckling as black spots appear before her eyes. It's like he's pressing on a nerve, the wolf in her head snaps and bass its teeth. The mention of the bullet poisoning her echoing in her ears, heart pounding harshly along her temples.

His next words were accompanied by a tone that she knew was meant to be confident and reassuring. And yet her ears catch the way his heart skips a beat, and somehow instinctively she knows he's not being completely honest. But in this scenario he's all she has, and despite everything she trusts him. There's a part of her that's bulking at the idea of aid, she bites her lip and swallows around a throat that feels like sandpaper.

"Yeah, but....we should move to the bathroom I think..." She manages in a low whisper she's not even sure he hears, she's beginning to shake for real now as a chill settles over her body. Breathing ruggedly in a way that it feels like it echos in the silence, Aneira straightens up as best she can as her other hand settles over his at her side. There are warning bells going off in her head that she can't help but wince at, teeth gritting hard enough to make her jaw ache. The world is growing fuzzy around the edges, that chill seeming to spread like liquid along her entire body. Like the scab that's not bleeding again, her body is trying to heal itself while also shutting down to protect itself from further harm.

Her tongue feels like lead in her mouth, knees trembling even as she tries to adjust her grip on the wall. She can't tell him that the apartment still has water, that she can hear that faint buzzing of electricity moving through the unit like a bee. Words have left her brain, even the wolf fades as her knees finally give and she tilts forward.

When the shakes started, Lucian looked up at Aneira with a look of concern. She was looking worse for wear with each passing moment. They needed to get this dang bullet out of her side before it really got her.

He bit his lower lip before he focused his eyes back on her side, trying to get a feel for just how quickly he could get this thing out of her and how little pain he could cause her. Despite how much he hated it, he was going to have to hurt her quite a bit to get this thing out but he knew that he could probably do it. It would just take some time and some pressure, two things that would make this incredibly uncomfortable for her.

When she began to wobble, Lucian looked up at her again, his eyes bright with concern. He could tell he was losing her. She was going to go down in three,

two,

one.

He caught her as her knees buckled and she landed against his chest. He gave out a gruff grunt as she put pressure against his newly healed wound but he paid it no mind as he slowly situated as best he could. He laid her on the ground in front of him. It sucks that the poison had gotten this bad for her but it was also fortunate for them. She was unconscious now and she wouldn't feel what he was about to do. He thanked god that she had given him permission before passing out. He would feel really bad about doing this if she hadn't but he would have either way. She needed this damn bullet out, whether she wanted him digging around in there or not.

He slowly stood up, feeling the ache of his body as he did so. He rolled the stiffness out of his shoulders and reached down to gingerly pick her up. She was right. He probably should do this on some kind of tile. No point in staining the area of where they were probably going to be sleeping tonight. He released another grunt as he straightened with her in his arms, shifting her ever so slightly. His body hurt all over and damn, he was so tired.

He carefully carried her into the kitchen, resting her carefully on the counter so he wouldn't have to bend over the whole time. Checking her pulse and making sure she was secure before he began, he started to push on her side right under the bullet. He could feel her body pushing against the bullet, trying to force it out and he worked with that natural reaction, easing it closer and closer to the surface with each push.

After a few minutes of pushing and wiggling, the bullet was close enough to the surface, he was able to reach in, just barely, and grasp it with his fingertips. He carefully pulled it out and tossed it into the sink before he turned to look at Aneira. He felt her pulse once more and checked her vitals before he tore a piece of the bottom pants he had used earlier to stop her bleeding off. He pushed it gently to her side and held it there with firm pressure. In the meantime, still keeping one hand on the pants, he reached over to the sink and tried the facet. He wasn't sure if this apartment had power or water but he might as well try. He let out of a victory cry as the water turned on.

He waited as the old water pumped out of the facet in a nasty brown tint before it started coming out clear and clean. He tucked that free hand under the water and started to rinse the blood from his hand before he switched hands and started to rinse his other hand. When his hands were free of blood, he peeked under the cloth to see if her side had clotted. Sure enough, her side had stopped bleeding and so he took the fabric away and got to work on rinsing that piece of pants clean of blood before using it to wipe her clean of blood. It didn't take long and soon she was nice and clean.

He pulled her shirt down then picked her up. He cradled her against his chest and made his way back to the front room after turning off the facet. He settled back against the wall and left her against his chest as he leaned his head back against the wall. He kept one arm wrapped around her and tucked the other behind his head. One crisis averted.

Aneira wakes with a jolt, wincing almost immediately at the flare of pain it causes. There's too much saliva in her mouth, body heavy in a way that has her brows furrowing.

Slowly is clicks in her brain that she's not leaning agaisnt a wall or on the floor, instead she's leaning agaisnt a firm and warm body. Her right ear is muffled by the beating of Lucian's heartbeat, her left is greeted with the rumble of thunder from the storm still happening.

Heavy eyes blink slowly up at the popcorn ceiling above, throat working to swallow the extra saliva.

Her stomach revolts harshly, rolling even as she jerks to her feet. She barely makes it to the kitchen sink before her body is vehemently protesting.

When she can finally breath without retching, she opens her watery eyes as a hand turns the water on. Nose wrinkling at what she finds, she straightens and wipes at her mouth. Making a mental note to write down black goo as a side effect of the bullet, she settles a hand on her stomach as the gunk washes down the sink.

Her body aches she notes with a slow blink, right hand reaching down to touch her side. It doesn't feel like a burning itch anymore, calmer but still sensitive. Grimacing she leans over the sink to rinse out her mouth, then turns it off to return to Lucian's side.

He's out cold, slightly slumped over agaisnt the wall he'd settled along. She lifts a hand to glide her fingers along his cheek, frowning slightly in concern at the chill she can feel emanating from his skin. His heartbeat is slow and steady, with careful fingers she smooths his hair down and stands.

Now that her stomach feels more steady, she can feel hunger pricking at her. A glance outside shows that night has truly fallen, the sky a violet gray as lightning streaks across it. She remembers that Lucian needed a phone to make a call, and for that she needed to go out.

Biting her lip and glancing down at Lucian's sleeping face, she inhales slowly through her nose and nods her head.

"I'll be back, okay? Get some rest." She whispers softly, patting his cheek once before turning to the front door.

Outside is chilly and wet, and yet people still mill about under umbrellas and jacket hoods. She glances around in hopes of finding someone using a phone, nose scenting the air for food all the while.

"Do you need help?" A female voice from beside her makes her jump, snarl lost under a rumble of thunder. She'd somehow wandered from the apartment complex, and now stood in what looks like a market of some kind. Vendors call out jovially despite the rain, and the smell of food teases her senses. The woman beside her is dark-skinned and tall, curvy with black hair tied high. Something about her has Aneira stepping away, only to pause when a slender hand grasps her wrist.

Heat travels up her arm like a pulse, warm and oddly comforting. "I..well a friend of mine needs to barrow a phone." She says without really meaning to, cheeks flaming immediately as the woman grins at her.

"I can lend you one, and some good." Her tone has an accent to it, eyes bright and kind.

"I'd be grateful to you. We lost our phones somewhere on the bus." She offers as the woman turns away, Aneira follows after a beat and a glance around.

"Here you go, darling." Is said as she reaches a wooden stall, eyes landing on a phone and a two large containers of food.

A whine draws her attention to a dog slowly approaching, a white-black border collie with what looks like a gray ball of fluff in its mouth. "That's Pipper, the pup we can't close to so we haven't given it a name. I'm Monique by the way." The last minute added on introduction had Aneira wincing, her lips lifting into a sheepish grin as she crouches down. The dog's scent is sour and yet spicy in a way, the pup wiggles and yips softly.

"Aneira, and thank you very much." She says as she holds out a hand, black-tipped ears flattening against white fur for long moments before they relax.

"A pleasure, I'll be seeing you around!" Monique says with a grin, Aneira licks her lips as she collects the items before her.

"I'll pay you back for these. Thank you." Turning on her bare heel she takes off, keeping her treasures close to her chest to keep them as dry as she can.

It's only as she reaches the apartment building, thar she notices she has some followers. The Scientists used to put dogs or wolves in with her, a test they said to see if she was advancing or not.

They always either attacked her or themselves. Or hid and refused to move, only to be taken out by the guards.

Pipper and the puppy were behind her, one tail wagging and the other its entire body.

Opening the door they sprinted inside, shaking off water and leaving a puddle on the floor. Shaking her head she moves towards the stairs, clicking nails following behind her.

The apartment is quiet when she opens the door, Lucian's heartbeat steady and slow. She sets the food and phone down, watching as the dogs settle in the living room curled up together. Exhaustion tugs her toward where Lucian rests, body shifting with little hesitation.

She's gentle as she tugs him against her, curling around him in a protective manner. Sleeps claims her with little fight, head lowering onto the carpeted floor as her eyes slip closed.

When you are so exhausted, that someone could climb out of your lap and all that happens is your arm falls down to rest there instead, you might as well be dead to the world or in a coma. And that was essentially how Lucian was at that time. Hand tucked idly behind his head, and the other now resting in his lap, he snored ever so slightly as the pressure of her body against him let up. Some say, when you sleep that hard, you don't dream. When you're just that tired, your mind can't come up with a dream. It just rests but Lucian, he dreamed. Oh man, did he dream.

He was sitting across from Jessie at the diner, spinning his NA coin of sobriety. They were celebrating his three month mark. Three long, hard fought months. He had a fight with his family just the day before and had called her for support. She came, of course. She always comes, doesn't she?

They split a pie and at the end of dinner, he let her take home the rest. He didn't need the extra carbs. He was sober now and getting his life in order. He could use to lose a little bit of weight too. She had laughed at him and told him he was perfect the way he was before she gave him a peck on his cheek, wished him a good night and headed home.

He wasn't sure why but he felt a tightness in his chest that the sight of seeing her go, like he wasn't ever going to see her again or for a really long time. He watched her back as she just seemed to vanish off into the distance before he finally turned and began his own way back home. A van pulled up to the curb and the door open to a blinding white light and Lucian woke up.

The first thing the angel man noticed was he was very, very hot. He was practically sweating. He reached up to rub his face and felt something fuzzy along the way. He opened his eyes to see something fuzzy, and black and white laying across his chest and side. He shifted with a grunt and the border collie jumped off him and gave a mighty stretch with a yawn. “Well hello.” He told the dog as he looked down to the weight that was now wiggling around on his legs. Some kind of husky puppy had been stirred awake from it's slumber and was staring up at him grumpily.

“Don't look at me like that.” Lucian said as he raised his hands in surrender. “You decided to sleep on me.” Speaking of sleep. He was pretty sure he had fallen asleep against the wall. He looked around and found Aneira curled around him in wolf form. He grinned softly before making a face of disgust and rubbing at his chin. He must have really slept hard cause he had a drool trail that had hardened into a crusty, nasty thing on his chin. “Gross,” he muttered to himself before he released he could move around without too much pain. He may have slept like the dead but man did it do him some good.

His stomach rumbled so loud, Lucian was pretty sure the people next door could hear it. The pup looked up at him and he gave a chuckle. “Hey man. I haven't eaten in a while okay. Don't judge me.” He slowly pushes the pup off his legs before she stood up. He wobbled a moment before he was able to finally get his balance. He lifted his shirt and checked his chest wound to find it was complely healed. He did a few stretches just to check for any aching before he noticed the phone and food Aneira had brought back earlier.

“Hello,” he said as he walked over to it and picked up the items, “what's this?” He examined the phone for only a moment before he took a peek at the food. The aroma was intoxicating and his stomach rumbled again loudly. He closed the food and set it to the side. He was going to wait for Aneira to wake up before he even touched the food. She got it for them, she deserved first bite. Instead he picked up the phone and fidgeted with it as he waited for her to wake up.

She wakes slowly, eyelids fluttering as consciousness pulled her to the surface. There's a weight wiggling along her side, another slightly larger weight presses against her other. A grumble leaves her throat as her eyes open, ears flicking up as she's met with brilliant blue eyes and a rather Unimpressed expression.

The husky puppy yips and wiggles its tail, ears perked and heartbeat a quick little thing in its chest. Aneira shakes her head once, extending a paw out to settle it atop the pups head. Her nose works as she adds the slightest bit of pressure, something instead of telling her that this was a way to reprimand the hyper ball of fluff. A flash of white on her left as Aneira blinking, Pipper stretches with a yawn before sitting and tilting her head. They both smell young in age, coats dried and in no doubt in need of a washing.

Her head lifts when she finally realizes Lucian isn't laying on her, ears perked even as she glances around the room. She finds him holding the phone in his hand, heartbeat steady instead of hummingbird fast like it had been. Standing on limbs that feel heavy, she shakes out her entire body once before yawning.

The aroma of food reaches her as she moves closer to the other man, steps slow and stiff. Scrambling paws echo behind her as the pup races to catch up, Pipper following at her side with her nose already sniffing. Gently nudging Lucian with her head against his hip, she carefully retrieves her discarded clothes. Thr pup is dancing around Lucian's ankles as she turns to head into the bathroom, Pipper wiggles where she sits by the fridge.

When she shifts it's quick and not as painful, her side flares slightly as she slips into her pants and shirt. She's not sure who's stomach is rumbling so loud, but at this point she's mildly worried the neighbors will call in a complaint. "The food and phone are from a woman I met last night." She says softly as she leans against the doorframe, bare feet shifting slightly as the pup pauses to eye her. "The dogs...usually they don't react well to me but these two..." She slowly lowers herself to a crouch, extending a hand with her palm upward. Pipper comes immediately with a wag of her tail, the pup tilts its head before snorting and moving closer as well, a quick peek tells Aneira that they have a male and female pair with them.

"They followed me here. Did you want to make your call first or eat? I'm not sure what these guys can ea..." She falls silent as she notices a third container beneath the other two, one she's not sure she'd taken into account as she ran here. Moving closer to Lucian she sets the two tantalizing plastic to b tanners aside, opening the third to find it filled with kibble and pieces of chicken. "Huh, well Monique is kinda freaking me out now." She murmurs as she carefully pulls the top off, splitting the food equally between both "plates" before turning to both dogs. "The collie was named Pipper, the husky doesn't have a name..." She adds with a shrug as she sets both down, blinking when they don't immediately lunge for the food. "Okay." She says in Russian despite doubting they know the meaning, she's left feeling surprised when both immediately begin eating.

Standing she glances at Lucian and shrugs, turning to wash her hands before hoisting herself up onto the counter with a wince. The sky outside has stopped jts storm, but thick clouds hang low as if ready to start again at any given moment. She's not sure if they're keeping the dogs or not, she's not even sure about their next few steps. But she's glad to not be dealing with this alone, she's exhausted with being alone.

Lucian fidgeted with the phone from the moment he picked it up as he waited for Aneira to wake. He chewed anxiously on his bottom lip. He had dialed Jessie's number like ten times but he couldn't seem to bring himself to hit call. Each time, he felt that same tightness in his chest that he had felt in his dream and clicked cancel over and over again. He slid his fingers along the buttons, listening to their quiet clicks with a deep sigh. What did Jessie think happened to him? Did she call the cops? Were the cops in on what was happening to them in that prison place? At this point, he was almost chewing through the top layer of lip with how anxious he was. Thankfully, he was spared when Aneira finally woke up.

He smiled lightly as she stood and shook out her big body. She was cute as a wolf.

When she padded up to him and nudged him on the hip, he faked like she had used way more force than was necessary and let his body sway like an air dancer in front of a store trying to pull in as many people as it could. “Jesus woman,” he chuckled as he found himself actually fumbling with the puppy swirling around his feet in excited circles.

As she leaves him with the excited puppy, he scrambled to keep his foot to only lose and fall down, catching himself in an extended arm push up to keep from landing on top of the pup. The puppy looked up at him, let out the woof typical of the hyperactive breed before he slobbered all over his face. Lucian made a disgusted face before he reconsidered and thought a moment before allowed himself to drop, carefully, down on the pup. The pup let out a yelp of surprise as Lucian wrestled it into his arms, rolling onto his back and resting the puppy there in his chest. He let out a laugh as the playful puppy nipped him on his arms and shirt, trying to get him to play with him.

He reached out a hand and rested it directly on the top of the pup's head before he leaned his head back to see Aneria stepping out of the bedroom. When she mentions the food, his stomach rumbled loudly for all to hear, “We'll have to thank that Monique person.” He let out a chuckle before he shoved the pup off and began to stand up. “Man, food sounds amazing right now.” He waited patiently for Aneira to sort the dog's food out first and watched as she finally came to settle on the counter. She remind him of his grandmother to a degree. That woman, no matter how old she got, was always trying to be the perfect host and constantly moving around and doing things until someone finally grabs her hand and leads her to a chair to tell her to settle and eat something. It was his turn to take Aneria's hand and tell her settle for a moment, to enjoy a meal.

He grabbed the containers of food and opened them to look within. It was some kind of thick curry that had big pieces of meat, possibly chicken, and nice large chunks of potato scattered within. He assumed that buried under it all was rice as well. He wasn't a huge fan of cold food but right now he could probably eat anything. He emptied half the container onto it's lid and handed her the container, keeping the messy lid for himself. He was right. Rice was under the curry. Thankfully, cold curry and rice tended to stick together pretty well, actually making the meal possible to be eaten without any kind of utensils.

“I think we should eat first. The call can wait.” He pinched a big chunk of rice, dunking it into the curry and getting it nice and covered before stuffing it into his mouth. “Eat. I bet you're starving.”

The food did smell amazing, sweet and spicy in a mixture that had her stomach grumbling. She settles in to eat with little hesitation, legs absently shining forward and back. Though not a fan of eating with her hand, she's too content to have actual food that any complaints are silenced.

Her mind begins to wander as her eyes settle on the pups, eating slowly with their tails wagging behind them. For now they can keep them, but what happens when they leave this town? Or if the property manager comes knocking?

Lips pressing into a thin line, she exhales a slow breath through her nose with a shake of her head. For now they're going to take things slowly, one step at a time. Softly and absently Aneira begins to hum, legs swaying forward and back and she eats her meal.

When she's finished and her stomach isn't trying to eat itself, she jumps from her perch on silent feet. "Do you think we should name the boy pup? Pipper already has a name." She murmurs quietly, setting her empty "plate" down before turning on the sink to wash her hands. The pup in question yips as if he understood, Aneira hummed softly as she pats her hands dry on her own shirt.

He like Pipper are gorgeous and stunning, how they ended up together without an owner is baffling. Crouching down and glancing between both, she lifts her eyes to Lucian who's "plate" is just about finished as well. "I say Atlas, or Echo. Thoughts?" She adds after a moment, lowering herself carefully go the ground despite the flare it causes in all her muscles. She feels relaxed and yet not, like there's something prickling along her senses. Pipper stretches out her entire body, the puppy all but jumps into her lap.

The impact doesn't really Hurt at all, but her body's still recovering. She catches him in her hands as he wiggles, a click of her tongue has him stilling though his tail keeps wagging.

Lucian watched Aneira as he took his time eating the curry and rice. He was still trying to think of a way to get in touch with Jessie without causing her too much distress, or himself really. He figures that the stress from it all was really just coming from his anxiety. How would he feel if someone he cared for suddenly disappeared, to only reappear years later, calling out of the blue and asking for help? He wouldn't trust it, that's for sure. Those stupid people kept them locked away for four plus years with no contact with the outside world. Hell, for all he knew, Jessie wasn't even alive anymore. The anxiety ate at him and tightened his stomach. To try and fight it off, he stuffed a large piece of rice into his mouth and chewed fiercely, trying to focus on the intense flavors of the curry. It only helped somewhat, surely didn't squelch the anxiety completely like he hoped it would. So he just kept shoveling food into his mouth, only slowing a moment to answer her question about the puppy.

"I guess we can name him. Echo sounds like a good name, but does that mean we plan to keep them with us? Are you sure it's a good idea? You know, we're kind of on the run. What happens if we have to up and fly off somewhere? How are we going to carry two squirming dogs with us with me carrying you?" He shoved the last bit of rice in his mouth before wiping his hands on his pants clean of any crumbs or mess from the curry. He didn't mind the pups right now but if they had to run, he couldn't imagine they could end up taking them with them. He could just see it now, carrying Aneira under one arm, a pup in her arms and another pup under his other arm. He frowned at the prospect of it. They could backpack train the dogs. Maybe get them to jump into a backpack and stay in there. At least the puppy, anyways. That would free up his arms to properly hold her and she could hold onto Pipper. He wasn't so sure he could wear a backpack while flying. He might have to just see how that would work out. He groaned lightly at the thought of it. The pups could turn into a pain down the road.

He closed the containers again and stacked them on top of each other on the counter before he cleaned his hands in the sink. He watched Aneira interact with the dogs and sighed quietly. He would try his hardest to find a way for her to have her little pack with her as long as they could. She needed something outside of that prison and she found it in these little canines. So he figured he could at least try and devise a way to keep them around her. They seemed to really be bonded to her already after such a short time. They followed her all the way here, after all. He rubbed the back of his head with a small smile on his face, watching her with the puppy. He had to admit, the pup was cute. So small and excitable. He really could make a goo-

His thoughts were cut short as he heard a knock on the door of the apartment. His heart froze for a moment as his eyes locked on the door. He looked to Aneira, raising a finger to his lips before he quietly stepped up the door and peered through the eyehole. There was an elderly gentleman and a young woman just on the other side of the door. They were standing stiffly there, just waiting. He slowly slide away from the eyehole, moving to crouch by Aneira and the dogs. "Two people. An older man and a woman. They aren't saying anything and seem to be very intense." He looked around the room, checking the area for an exits that they could take quickly. He clenched and unclenched his fists as he tried to think of what to do, being sure to slip the phone into his pants' pocket for safe keeping. Before he could come up with an exit strategy, there came a much harsher and fiercer knock on the door then the older gentleman yelling through it.

"We know you're in there. We also know that you don't own this apartment. Open up the door or we'll open it up for you." His words were a stern warning and it caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. Something didn't seem right about this man and the way he spoke. If they thought they were just squatters, why were they the only ones out there? Shouldn't they have come with police? Something wasn't lining up right in this situation.

Lucian looked to Aneira for a moment before he stood to his full height, rolled his shoulders, stretched his neck, then walked up to the door. He grabbed a hold of the handle and braced for whatever might come from the other side of the door as he slowly opened it.

There's a prickling sensation along the back of her neck, eyes following Lucian as he moved towards the door. The wolf in her mind snarls lowly, Pipper and Echo still and go quiet.

The voice and words have Aneira rising to her feet, entire body rigid and coiled tight. There's a mixed need to run towards the door and hide everyone until these people leave. But even before she was caught and locked away, she was never one to back away from a fight. Inhaling through her nose, she moves forward and nudges Lucian aside with her hip.

She can hear two heartbeats on the other aide of the door, nostrils flaring slightly to catch the scent of a man and the softer scent of a woman. Hand flicking the lock, she curls her fingers around the knob and pulls the door open.

An older man and a young woman immediately fill her field of vision, one with his arms crossed and the other with a bored expression on her features. Though that quickly changes when Lucian moves behind her, eyes widening and lips lifting into a grin.

"Hello there~" The girl all but purrs out with a wave, painted nails gleaming with the gesture from the overheard lights.

"I've never seen you two before." The old man who she assumes is Mr. Solomon from the call she'd heard yesterday's, frowns at them. They're both tall and slender, alarm bells shriek in her mind.

There's the simultaneous need to tell the truth, and lie through her teeth as she eyes them both. She lifts a hand to push a strand of dark hair behind her ear, the girls eyes watch her intently.

The wolf, who's she's slowly beginning to think of as herself snarls and snaps her jaws within her mind. "We need a place to stay for awhile." She settles on saying, voice calm and soft despite the urge she has to snarl out her words.

The girl arches a brow and takes a step forward, face inches from her own as brown eyes flick this way and that. "Oh? Do you now?" It's said mockingly, a smirk curling pink lips upward. Aneira inhales through her nose, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from punching the girl before her.

-----

"We have our choices." A monotone voice murmurs quietly, metallic door sliding closed behind them. A tablet was held in a gloved hand, glasses reflecting the light hid the gaze behind the lens. The Conference room fell silent, murmurs falling away until the only thing that could be heard was the soft buzzing of the air conditioning.

"Perfect. Now let's see and get them ready to hunt." The Directors voice echoed in the silence, words underlined with an accent and a curl of crimson-painted lips.

"Sir." That same voice replied evenly, right gloved hand lifting to begin tapping along the tablets screen. The office held nothing personal, shife walls with a line of windows on one side. A desk and a blank wall that held a large screen that flickered to life and filled with four different profiles.

When the girl stepped up into Aneira's face, Lucian got incredibly defensive and stepped up to rest a hand on her shoulder. He leaned forward so his face was in the face of the girl. “How about you back up there?” He didn't like these people so much. The girl seemed annoying but the older man was obviously the one in charge and he sent Lucian's instincts into code red. There was something about the tautness of his muscles, the way his eyes watched them like he was looking down a prey animal instead of two people he didn't know. He especially didn't like how long the man's eyes lingered on Aneira.

Lucian slowly stepped up in front of Aneira, his arms crossing in front of his chest as he put himself as a barrier between them. His green eyes scanned the two in front of them, his body almost as tight and ready to move as the older man in front of him. “Look, like Aneira said, we just need a place to lie low for a bit. We won't be long. We just need a safe place to-” before he could finish his sentence, the older gentleman moved. He was hellishly quick and he grabbed out at Lucian with a outstretched hand, going right for Lucian's throat. Lucian jumped back, almost tripping over Aneria in his attempt to get out of range of the older man. The younger girl ducked under Lucian and dove right for Aneria.

“What the fuc-” Lucian cursed as he reached down to try and grab a hold of the girl as she tried to slip past him to go for Aneria. As he directed his attention to the girl, the older man reached out again and grabbed a hold of Lucian's arm and wrenching him back and out of range of the woman. Suddenly, Lucian was moving and fast. The older man was much stronger than he was expecting but before he could even really register what was happening, the man had spun Lucian around and slammed him hard into the wall right next to the door. He used the arm he had a hold of and cranked it behind Lucian's back, causing the angel man to release a loud cry of pain as his face smashed into the wall. There was a harsh burning along his lip and he knew that it was probably split from the hit. Damnit, this man was strong.

Things turned into chaos within a moment as Pipper, the border collie, came barreling into the area and dove at the man. She grabbed a hold of his arm and began to thrash her head about harshly as the man released a curse and let go of Lucian so he could get the dog off his arm. Lucian took the chance to push off the wall and use that momentum to get out or range of the older gentleman. He reached up and dragged the back of his hand along his lip, looking down for only a moment to verify that it was indeed bleeding. The man ripped Pipper off his arm and threw the dog to the side. She slid on the ground for a moment before she lowered her head and barred her teeth at the old man. “What the fuck man. Normally people talk shit out before they attack.” He raised his fist and got into a defensive stance, ready for if the man came for him again.

All the while, the woman had gone after Aneria. There was a broad grin on her face and her eyes shown golden as she kept her body low. There were vicious looking claws on the end of her fingers and she brought them up in a vicious swipe when she got in range. She kept the attacks coming, one swipe after another. Left hand, right hand, up, right, left. One swipe after the other. She even let out a laugh like she was enjoying herself as she kept the barrage of attacks up. “You're in our territory, pup! Time to leave,” she called out with a laugh before she launched herself at Aneria in an attempt to grapple her and pin her to the ground.

One moment Lucian was stepping forward, speaking to the two arrivals and the next all hell breaks loose. Warning bells blare in her head as she watches Lucian being grabbed and forcibly slammed into the wall beside the door.

Her attention zeroed in on the woman who had been smirking at her seconds ago, eyes scanning her expression. She looked different now, features distorted in a way that had her swallowing. Then the attacks came from claws that extended from her fingertips, thin and sharp-looking as they sliced through air.

A flash of white in the finner of her eye had her looking away, stomach churning when she saw Pipper aiding Lucian. The girls taunting words drew her focus back long enough to lift her lips in a snarl before claws met her skin. There's an echoing snarl in her head as she steps back, pain racing along her skin as she takes stock of what just happened.

Something that felt like liquid heat coiled in her chest as the wound across her cheek slowly healed, anger spreading through her veins until it was all she could focus on. Unnoticed her own features shifted to match the other womans, longer canines and her nails becoming claws. Her vision sharpened significantly as she dropped down to a crouch, hands lifting in front of her face as if she knew how to fight. She could make out the movement of muscles beneath thin skin, the sweat that was coating her skin as she lunged forward again. The beat of her heart along the column of her throat, and the individual lasbes that fluttered as she moved.

Though her heart was pounding in her ears, Aneira could feel nothing but detached calmness. Something in her saying that this wasn't going to be any normal fight, not by a long shot. The girl snarled and rushed forward when her taunting was with no reaction,  Aneira ducked and lifted a leg up instinctively to aim a kick

The girl was sent flying into the same door they'd just opened, only to immediately come lunging out with bared teeth and glowing eyes. A yip met her ears seconds before Echo came flying out over the shattered door, little ears lowered and teeth on display.

Aneira felt her body shifting within a beat of her heart, form shifting and then lunging forward with a growl. She caught Echo as he was sent flying, pausing long enough to gently set him down before spinning on her heel.

They met with a body-crushing slam of their bodies, jaws snapping at one another on a bid to injure. Claws meeting vulnerable underbellies and digging in, Aneira stepping away only to lunge forward again to ram her head against the girls side that sent her flying back and hitting the elderly man she'd been with.

Lucian had to move quickly. The older man had started an assault on him much like the other girl, claws glinting on his fingertips now. He ducked, slid, and dove every which way to avoid the man's new weapons as he cursed to himself. What were these people? I had figured there had to be other magical beings out in the world. How else would the research people change them into these monstrosities if they didn't somehow have DNA from the source? But he wasn't sure what exactly these two were, that was until the girl Aneria was fighting went flying into the open front door. He couldn't take the time to see just what was going on Aneira because the one time he took a glance, the old man sliced him across the collar bone and he couldn't risk another wound like that. So he just kept moving, dodging, and slipping just out of the old man's attacks. That was until suddenly a large wolf slammed into the old man and sent him toppling over into the hallway.

Lucian whipped his head around, hoping that the wolf he saw go flying wasn't Aneira and felt a wave of relief when he saw her in her own wolf form, panting and growling just behind him. So they were werewolves. Well, at least now he knew what they were fighting. Within in instant, he activated his own transformation and he felt the familiar burn as the angelic runic language slid along his arms and chest. The blue markings settled down into his flesh and his wings burst from his back, spreading out wide behind him. He could feel his hair elongating as his shift finished and he rolled his shoulders as he prepared.

The two in the hallway slowly stood up from the ground, the older gentlemen locking his eyes on Lucian and the wolf snarling as she bared her teeth at Aneira.

“Look,” Lucian said with a sneer, “We didn't have to do this. We don't want to fight. We just want to be free and safe. You don't want us here, fine, but if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get.” He flared his wings out in an aggressive posture as the old man crouched down into an attack stance. Then he was moving, just as fast as before. It was as if he didn't suffer any kind of damage from a giant wolf barreling into him and forcing him out of the apartment.

Lucian let out a cry of rage before he ran up and met the man. He grabbed a hold of the man's hands and they stood off against each other, pressing firmly on each other and twisting this way and that to try and get a upper hand on the other. The wolf man, in an attempt to catch Lucian off guard, released one of Lucian's hands and went for a wing, however Lucian took this chance to twist his body, slamming his hip into the man's own, twist his arm over his shoulder, and bend down fiercely. The man came hurling over Lucian's shoulder and slammed hard into the ground, the air leaving his lungs in a loud “oomf”. Lucian twisted the arm he had, bringing his knee down hard on the man's chest to keep him disorientated and tried to get him in a hold to lock him down. However, the arm he had a grip on slimmed down and Lucian could feel fur growing out from under his grip.

He cursed loudly as he jumped back from the old man as he began to shift into a large white werewolf. This was quickly getting out of hand. “Fuck this, man.” He muttered to himself, unsure of how he was going to help Aneira face off against two werewolves. He didn't have claws. He didn't have fangs. All he had was superior strength and wings.

There's the need to defend rearing its head in her chest, muzzle parting to show her canines. She moved back to stand beside Lucian, eyes flicking over him and the pups in search of any wounds. Her muscles relax minutely when she doesn't find anything, ears flicking forward at the sound of nails moving along the floor.

The girl with her dark-chocolate brown fur is slowly pacing beside the white wolf, tail held stiffly and ears pinned to her skull. Their heartbeats echo in her ears as silence fills the air, nostrils flaring out slightly as she tries to gather some information. The older male has this authoritative aura around him, Aneira catches a sour scent coming from him that she somehow instinctively knows means irritation. The younger girl snaps her jaws at them, the scent Aneira catches from her is sharp like spices and it filters in her head instinctively as mirth.

She dips her head and nudges Echo and Pipper back a few paces, nipping gently at soft fur when they wiggle as if to try and evade. She can't focus on them and Lucian during this fight, rumbling lowly at them she nudges gently once more until they lay down with lowered ears.

Shaking her head with a huff of breath, she nudges Lucian gently as the faint coppery scent of blood reaches her nose. A rumbling sort of sound has her looking away, muzzle curling up as the female lunges forward.

Instincts guide her forward with little hesitation, teeth seeking purchase in a bid to harm. They meet once more with their bodies colliding, but this time Aneira let's the wolf side of herself take over just a bit more instead of pushing it down. She ducks her head and lets instinct guide her in her next movements, ears flicking at the yelp of pain that echos in the air as her teeth find a spot to sink into. She's not at all gentle as she tightens her hold and begins to shake her head, using her advantage to physically shove the girl away while never once releasing her hold.

The girl is sent flying back with a howl of pain, blood trailing after in a mimicry of a trail until she slams into a wall. The Aneira's turning away and lunging towards the male, fur marred by blood and her teeth on full display.

She will fight to defend her pack, her family until she can't anymore.

Things were quickly spiraling out of control. He needed to somehow call this area and bring this boil down to a simmer, at least until they could talk something out. Just fighting in this damn apartment wasn't going to do anything for them. They needed to call Jessie and get going. They can't stay in one spot for too long.

Damn, Aneira was quite the fighter. Either the other werewolf just wasn't as experienced or wasn't expecting Aneira too be such a savage, either way, Aneira was wiping the floor with her. When his werewolf turned to face the white one, Lucian could tell this was going to be a different fight all together. The white wolf looked like he had quite a bit of experience to him. He didn't blink when his younger counterpart was sent flying. His eyes were just locked on them and stayed locked the whole time.

When Aneira began her approach on the white wolf, only then did he focus his attention on her completely. Lucian could almost feel the pressure of that gaze. He took a few steps forward and met her half way, dropping his head and attempting to get it under her chest so he could flip her on her back. Lucian cursed at the sight of it. Yep, this older werewolf was definitely skilled in fighting but it looked like he wasn't quite going for blood just yet. Perhaps Lucian could get his hands around the wolf and with Aneira's help, they could pin him down without having to draw too much blood or fighting for too long. It was a long shot, he knew. But damnit, they came this far already. They didn't need some territorial werewolves causing them so much hell just because they took a breather in some apartment while they healed up. Lucian gritted his teeth let out a long, “Shittttt,” and joined Aneira in the fight.

He jumped on top of the older werewolf, who was not pleased by the sudden entrance of a large angel man into the fray. He tried to knock Lucian off with dramatic shake of his body, like a large dog trying to get every little droplet of water off his coat. Lucian held on, however, wrapping his arms tightly around the wolf's neck, cursing the whole while.

“Can we all just,” he had to stop talking as he adjusted his grip on the man, grabbing a leg to try and trap it against the wolf's chest. “Damnit! Can we just take a moment.” He held tightly as the wolf tried to rip its paw free from Lucian's grasp as it continued to fight with Aneira. That showed just how experienced this wolf was. Even with one leg being held in place and unusable, he kept his balance and kept the fight with Aneira up. Eventually Lucian released the paw and reached for the jaws. It wasn't a very smart idea, really and he knew it. But if he could just keep the wolf's mouth closed, he wouldn't be able to fight and they can finally get a word in edgewise. “We don't want to take your territory. We were just running for our,” the wolf thrashed harshly as Lucian's hands came around his jaws, locking them in place. “Damnit!” Lucian cursed as he tried to stay on the wolf's back just by the grip on his jaws. Eventually he fell off, but still keeping the grip, he found himself laying on his back under the wolf's front end just before the wolf brought its head down in a headbutt, right on Lucian's forhead.

The world went white for a moment as Lucian gave his head a fierce shake. “God damn that hurt.” The wolf tried to rip his jaw free from Lucian's grip but the angel was not letting go for a second. “Can we just take a breather for a second?” The wolf went to slam his head once more into Lucian's but he managed to rock his body enough that the blow landed on his collar bone and now his forehead. It hurt like the dickens. Did this wolf have a cement block for a forehead?

“Stop it! Damnit! We just want to talk!”

Her sole focus shifts as Lucian's words reach her ears, jaw closing from the open-mouth snarl she had been aiming at the older man. Though her wound and body aren't rebelling against her, she knows that this fight can't keep going. Pulling away and exhaling a breath, Aneira let's her focus and senses expand outward.

Various doors below are opening, voices murmuring amongst themselves as soft footsteps follow. They've drawn attention from the other tenants, which can only mean one of two things. She needs to wave the verbal white flag and try to explain just why they're here, or turn tail and flee and hope they find another place. A low whimper has her head turning to find the other woman lurching to her paws, head shaking once Aneira exhales a huff and closes her eyes.

The shift this time moves fluidly along her body, no extreme pain aside from thr tug along her side where the bullet had been. Her eyes open, and widen as she's met with an open mouth and rows of sharp teeth. Her right arm lifts to block the attack, her left lifting and aiming a punch straight agaisnt a black nose.

"We're not here to take your territory or cause problems." She says succinctly with her eyes flicking from one wolf to the other, body curled and head slightly ducked so she wouldn't accidentally flash anyone. Her ears catch the faint sound of claws moving along the floor, she shakes her head and huffs out a breath. "My friend and I, as well as these two strays just need a place to stay and rest for a few days." She adds with a frown tugging her lips down, attention pulled away when something soft is nudged against her bare thigh. Echo has a shirt in his mouth and his tail wagging, Pipper stands beside him with a glance at everyone and a twitch of her ears.

Slipping the shirt on she feels slightly better, not minding that it's double hrt size, and has a faint scent of sweat and dried blood. Below voices and movement move almost as a group, no doubt the others are trying to find out where the noise is coming from. With a click of her tone and and an annoyed glane at both, Aneira lifts a brow and shifts so that she's kneeling on her knees. "Unless you want the othe tenants to start asking questions or come up here. Maybe we should go somewhere to talk?" She says it with a blank face, tone soft in the silence. Someone needed to be the responsible adult here, and if no one wanted to listen to Lucian then she would have to take charge.

Lucian kept a firm grip on the wolf's snout as it thrashed its head back and forth, spinning Lucian wildly along the floor in the process. He cursed and tried to pull his wings in as close to his body as he could to keep them from getting too battered. This wasn't the most elegant way to fight but this was really all he had at the moment. He didn't have claws or teeth. And speaking of claws, Lucian had to keep the wolf distracted enough to make sure he didn't remember that he had claws and he could use them to rend Lucian's stomach open while he lay on his back just under him. It probably helped that this was most likely the first time anyone had ever grabbed a hold of the wolf's snout like this and didn't let go. It probably kept him confused and unsure of the next move. But Lucian still hoped something would happen soon before the wolf came to his senses and ripped him apart into little angel man chunks.

That something came in the form of Aneria taking her human form and trying to talk some sense into the wolf. Lucian could see the beast's eyes leave him and lock onto Aneria as she spoke. The wolf listened to her speak and when he turned those wolf eyes back on Lucian, he instantly released the muzzle and raised his hands up by the side of his head in surrender. The wolf slowly backed off from him, his fur retracting and once more taking his human form. Lucian took the chance to scramble off his back and go stand next to Aneria.

The female wolf stepped up next to the older gentlemen who was now fully human and staring them down intely. He stepped further into the apartment and closed the front door behind him.

“You say you're running from something. What are you running from?” Lucian practically let out a sigh of relief loud enough to be heard in the hallway.

“Finally,” he said as he dropped down on the ground, allowing himself to try and relax as the adrenaline in his veins began to fade. “Some government type people snatched us off the streets years ago. Turned us into this.” He waved his hands in a gesture to incorporate both him and Aneria. “They want us back.”

The older gentlemen locked his eyes on the other girl, both sharing an intense look before he addressed Lucian. “We know of them. They've been making a habit of snatching supernaturals off the streets for experiments. It's one of the reasons why we're defending our territory so fiercely. They started letting out people like you to capture pure supernaturals and take them back to their base. If what you're saying is true, and you two escaped, you're in for a lot of shit.” He looked back at the two of them, a frown on his face. Lucian just sighed and allowed himself to floop down on his back with a grunt.

“Yeah, we know. We're screwed.”

"In terms of you two staying here long term-" Aneira grimaces and wrinkles her nose, hands moving through soft fur as Echo and Pipper settle down in between them both.

"Not long term, no. A few days at the most and then we have to move on." She replies with a shrug, legs crossing and fingers unconsciously tapping along both dogs spines. "In all honesty we ended up in this town by accident, and aside from a few....disagreements we've been lucky to find some help." Aneira adds with a slightly stiff nod of her head towards both Weres, there's still that urge to defend herself but she stamps it down with a bite along her tongue.

"We can...we can offer a seasonal lease." The young woman says with a hand lifting to cradle her cheek, eyes focused on Lucian for whatever reason. Her lips are curled into a smirk that Aneira wants to punch, pride curling in her chest at the sight of the others disheveled hair. "It will mean that you'd have to pay rent- but the apartment will be yours and you can come and go whenever you want." Her tone retains an almost purr as she speaks, Aneira exhales through her nose and glances at Lucian.

"What do you want to do?" She asks lowly, eyes flicking to both Weres before settling on him once more. She can't make the decision for them both on her own, Lucian said he'd call his friend first and then they'd go from there.

But a place to stay while he gathers his courage to make the call would be nice, a respite even if temporary.