☽ feral ✘ hunger ❤ [private!]

[bbisho]

a l l xx of xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx,
i n xx s i l e n t xx m o m e n t s xx , xx i m a g i n e xx y o u ` d xx b e xx h e r e xx .
a l l xx o f xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx ;
t h e xx s i l e n t xx w h i s p e r s xx , xx s i l e n t xx t e a r s xx .
m a d e xx m e xx p r o m i s e xx i ` d xx t r y xx t o xx f i n d xx m y xx w a y xx b a c k xx i n xx t h i s xx l i f e xx .
i xx h o p e xx t h e r e xx i s xx a xx w a y xx t o xx g i v e xx m e xx a xx s i g n xx y o u ` r e xx o k a y xx .
r e m i n d s xx m e xx a g a i n xx i t ` s xx w o r t h xx i t xx a l l xx , xx so xx i xx c a n xx g o xx h o m e xx .

Helena’s words brought yet another look of puzzlement to the young woman’s face, her jaw nearly going slack. Adrianna fell into step behind the she-wolf, perhaps too intrigued by her choice of discussion to stay put. Ludolph wouldn’t be coming back for her, she was sure – she would be lucky if she never saw him again. For now, she had decided to stick behind the gorgeous woman in front of her, gazing at the back of her sunny dress as they made their way back to the village. At least someone is giving me the information I need, Adrianna thought callously. Why hadn’t Ludolph told her anything? It was his job, or at least she assumed it had been. When she had left the alpha’s abode, the beta had been kind enough to remind the two that they had something to talk about. He had still evaded a majority of what he was supposed to tell her, most of what being a wolf would be like or what it meant.

Her eyes never leave Helena, listening to her speak. It almost frightened her to hear that there were plenty members of the pack who were curious about her, perhaps even ‘star struck’ by her. When she mentioned that some would question her, she nodded, “Ludolph asked a few things,” Her mouth tasted horrible after saying his name, yet she knew the conversation would make little sense if she didn’t use it. “I didn’t give him much, and I don’t see why anyone would expect me to. After all, I’m still the enemy.” Her voice sounded quite harsh, yet gentle. Adrianna had come to terms with this, having thought she wouldn’t be accepted due to it. But, when Helena had revealed it didn’t have that large of an impact on her social standing here, she almost felt sad. The young woman wasn’t happy with this, either – some would hate her, some wouldn’t. These creatures are far too fickle to agree on one thing, the young woman mentally cursed, her nose wrinkling unhappily. “Well, for the time being,” Adrianna corrected herself loosely, running a hand through her hair. Strands had fallen into her eyes, creating a sense of annoyance.

When she was questioned on what she had been told, the brunette shook her head, “I wasn’t told anything.” Ludolph had failed his orders again, having bounced around the subject. Perhaps he had thought it too difficult to talk to her about – but the longer he put it off, the harder it would be for Adrianna to accept it. Her comment about what Ludolph had decided to do instead of inform her was spot on – her hands had almost balled into fists again, recalling his giddy smile that had faded into a somber hatred. “He took me to play in the water,” Adrianna mused unhappily, annoyed by the thought of it. Sure, he had showed her how to get home, but that wasn’t a necessary thing to know yet. She needed to know what was in store for her and how she was supposed to survive here. The brunette had no other option than to stay here, knowing she would be hunted elsewhere.

Helena’s scoff brought a tiny smile to the hunter’s lips, recalling the men who lived in her village. There were several her age who were obsessed with women sometimes – they only thought of impressing them, rather than creating a stable environment for them. Adrianna could easily name two of the worst ones – who she just so happened to grow up with. One was a few years her senior, while the other was a few years her junior. The sad part was, they were brothers – or, rather, partners in crime.

It took the brunette a moment to realize Helena had asked her a question, having thought it had been aimed at the rabbit in her arms. She delicately prodded her stomach, as if feeling for any soft spots. The brunette was sure by the time they arrived at their destination, she would be hungry enough to accept the woman’s offer. “I could eat,” Her expression almost seemed unemotional, perhaps more concerned on whether Helena would enlighten her or not. If not, she would have to beat the information out of Ludolph. Sure, she didn’t want to see him right now, but if he was hiding important information from her, she’d tear his a** up to find out what it was.

Adrianna had voluntarily stumbled into Helena’s abode after her, having decided this was her only other option. None of the other pack members had approached her yet, but she had noticed some stares that weren’t menacing. It was odd to receive so many odd looks. Without much thought, Adrianna located the nearest chair at the table and pulled it out. She slumped down into it, perhaps revealing a bit of her hunter-like nature – they were brutes and lacked some manners. She was perhaps the most refined of them all, though she would keep her act together around the alpha from now on. Considering who he was, she had to do as he said – otherwise, she feared she would force Betty into some sort of fight with him. The brunette would love to see that, but she knew it wasn’t right to do that. Not even to a wolf.

Setting her crutch aside, she allowed it to lean against the table beside her. One of her hands idly reached toward the fruit bowl, removing a strawberry like Helena had. It wasn’t often that she ate fruit, seeing as their village was rather cold. The climate could not sustain the succulent little fruits. Chewing it, she watched her, leaning forward in her chair. “So, Helena, are you going to tell me what Ludolph didn’t?” Her voice was rather even, layered in calm she had not felt until now.

[resplendent llama]

in hell i'll burn in flames
if looks could kill then death would be my name

████████████████████████████████ h e l e n a ████████████████████

When Adrianna called herself the enemy Helena's gaze narrowed and she'd pursed her lips together. She made a humming noise of uncertainty, but let Adrianna get to the correct conclusion on her own. She wasn't the enemy anymore. In fact, she was an important asset that could allow the wolf pack to survive. Ultimately, Ludolph could have played this off as a plan. That's what she would have done. She would have told everyone she changed a hunter to gain the knowledge of other hunter's she undoubtedly possessed. There was a very positive spin to a horrible situation. Unfortunately no one seemed as quick witted as she was. The pack was still fickle about Adrianna mostly because they didn't know her. They had very shallow opinions of her, and weren't as quick to judge as some others. She was part of their family now. They had to keep as open a mind as possible.

Helena laughed, truly amused at what Ludolph had done. He took her to play in the water. The fool. He's missing an opportunity here. A really great one to show the rest of the pack he's capable of leading once Al passes on the torch. What a moron. But, no worries. I'll take that from him willingly. Everyone knows I'd be the better Alpha anyway, she thought. She and Ludolph were not the only young wolves eying the leadership position, but they were the two most thought of when the approaching the subject. A lot of people sided with Ludolph. He was Al's son, a man, and a very strong wolf. He had good potential. However, those who doubted he'd ever realize that potential sided with Helena. She was a good cook, a great tracker, and a disgustingly fast runner. She could easily learn how to hunt with the rest of the pack. If they'd let me go on a stinkin' hunt now and again, she thought bitterly. Helena hadn't been there when Ludolph bit Adrianna, but if she had been they wouldn't be in this situation.

"Good," she replied simply. Once Adrianna had followed her in and sat down, Helena grabbed two bowls. She didn't mind how relaxed the brunette was inside her home. In fact, that was what she wanted. She ladled stew into both bowls and tore of a large hunk of bread for each one to mop up the broth. After sliding a spoon into each she brought them to the table and sat down next to Adrianna. The square table had four chairs, despite only two ever sitting at it. Her home looked a lot like Ludolph's, though there were only two rooms instead of three.

At the question Helena's brow wrinkled. She set a bowl in front of Adrianna and kept one for herself. "I can tell you some things, but not everything," she admitted reluctantly. "I also, unfortunately, can't help you out when the real transformation comes. It's his responsibility to be there for you, as horrible as that sounds. He's your sire, and the bond you two share... It would be blasphemous to betray that, as much as I'd love to help you. I can also only tell you what I've heard, since I've been changing my entire life," she explained.

Pausing to take a spoonful of her stew, she chewed on it as she thought about what to tell the former human. "When you're born a wolf, the transformation seems a lot more natural. Since the day I was born I haphazardly switched back and forth between being a child and a pup. The day you can control your transformation is the day you become a man, or a woman, to a wolf. It's that first full moon where your entire body feels perfectly at ease, weightless, and--" she paused, a wide, genuine smile lighting up her face. Her hands gestured toward her body and then glided upwards, thinking about the first time she'd been able to control herself. "The wolf is what feels natural. When two feet become four and that thick, lush fur covers your body and you feel the raw earth beneath the pads of your paws. When that cold night air strokes your fur and the scent of pine trees and dirt covers and consumes you. There's just--" she sighed heavily, laughing at her own wistful enthusiasm. Her hands dropped back to the table and her posture returned to normal. "I'm sorry," she said with another small laugh. Just thinking about turning into that sleek, beige wolf made her hot under the collar. "It's a very exciting time," she added.

"It's rather... different, for those who have been changed. I can tell you about other things, if you'd like. About what you'll be doing, the different roles of the pack, mating, things like that? I know someone who could better explain the transformation to you, and would be very willing, but she's busy at the moment. Lunchtime with newborns is a hassle," she said with a small grin. Her expression was more relaxed here, less suspicious and malevolent. Helena really did wish she could take control over Adrianna's guidance, but that wasn't acceptable. She knew quite a few people who'd be upset if she did. So Helena brushed her blonde locks to one side and continued to eat, waiting for Adrianna to absorb the information and collect her thoughts.

[bbisho]

a l l xx of xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx,
i n xx s i l e n t xx m o m e n t s xx , xx i m a g i n e xx y o u ` d xx b e xx h e r e xx .
a l l xx o f xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx ;
t h e xx s i l e n t xx w h i s p e r s xx , xx s i l e n t xx t e a r s xx .
m a d e xx m e xx p r o m i s e xx i ` d xx t r y xx t o xx f i n d xx m y xx w a y xx b a c k xx i n xx t h i s xx l i f e xx .
i xx h o p e xx t h e r e xx i s xx a xx w a y xx t o xx g i v e xx m e xx a xx s i g n xx y o u ` r e xx o k a y xx .
r e m i n d s xx m e xx a g a i n xx i t ` s xx w o r t h xx i t xx a l l xx , xx so xx i xx c a n xx g o xx h o m e xx .

Adrianna eyed the woman, glancing past her and to the items she was preparing. The brunette could smell the richness of the stew, perhaps even catching a whiff of some sort of meat. It smelt – and looked – delicious. Though, when it was placed in the hands of a she-wolf, the meal felt less appetizing. Helena had done nothing to harm her – for now – yet she was unsure if she should trust the woman’s dish. Reminding herself of the things she had been told by Helena, Adrianna quickly accepted the bowl into to her eager hands. She could feel the heat pulsating from the stew, heating the bowl and her palms. It wasn’t a painful heat, though she felt no reason to welcome it. The outdoors were warm, as well as the stew, but she held it close without any thought. Grasping the spoon, she stirred the stew about, her eyes remaining on the blonde in front of her.

So, even she would be limited – without Ludolph’s words, Adrianna feared she wouldn’t learn what she needed to know. He hadn’t exactly jumped at the opportunity to tell her anything, especially things that had to do with being a wolf. They had merely shared some smiles and quite a bit of laughter – but that wouldn’t help her. Adrianna leaned forward in her chair, encroaching on the distance between the two women. Her expression urged Helena to continue, hoping that she would give her all the information she could. Though, when Helena had mentioned their ‘bond,’ her nose wrinkled. Raising her brows in confusion, she cupped the bowl tightly, shoulder’s tensing. “Bond? We don't have a bond.” Last she checked, the only ‘bond’ they dared to have was an equal amount of hate for one another. But, by the sound of Helena’s explanation, it seemed as if Ludolph were responsible for her.

Helena had been so kind as to explain her experiences as a wolf – taking quite a bit of time revealing what it was like to change. It sounded pleasant – and, by the look on Helena’s face, it was hard to argue. Adrianna’s skin grew hot at the mere sight of Helena’s excitement, glancing about nervously. It was more than a little awkward to hear such a pleasured tone and to hear such words coming from her – yet she knew the experience would be different for her. Much different – first of all, she wasn’t born a wolf. She had never transformed before, and when she did, she had no idea what she was going to expect. Would it take days? Or would it just happen all at once? The only thing she could factor in was that it occurred on the full moon – at least, the first transformation did. The brunette could feel her skin crawl as she tried to remember the moon’s most recent appearance, guesstimating it would only be a week at most before the full moon rose in the night sky.

Lifting the spoon to her lips, she slurped the liquid into her mouth, the taste cause her mouth to salivate. It was delicious, more so than the porridge she had eaten that morning. This was her kind of food – hot and tasty. Though, as she continued to slurp down the juices, occasionally ripping pieces of damp bread and tossing them into her mouth, she could slowly feel herself becoming sick with the taste. Listening to Helena, her rainy eyes rose back to her face, her hands hesitantly placing the bowl onto the table. “Tell me what the change will be like for me,” Her voice was quiet, her hands wringing themselves unconsciously. She had to know what to expect, seeing as Ludolph wouldn’t be telling her any time soon.

Adrianna had listened her, picking which subjects she wanted to hear about – though, the second the word ‘mating’ escaped the woman’s lips, the brunette nearly knocked her bowl over. “Wait, mate? I’m supposed to mate?” It was clear by the tone in her voice she wasn’t pleased with mating. She wanted nothing more to do with them, let alone procreate with them. The brunette quickly changed the subject, agreeing somberly to go with Helena to speak to someone with a little more experience. Her eyes rose back to Helena’s face almost excitedly. “Wait, newborns?” A smile crept up to her lips – an actual, genuine smile – as she relaxed in her seat. “Are you talking about Nina?” Her hands rested on her knees. Adrianna’s excitement was almost tangible – she may have the chance to go see the pups Ludolph had mentioned earlier, as well as learn more about her transformation.

[resplendent llama]

in hell i'll burn in flames
if looks could kill then death would be my name

████████████████████████████████ h e l e n a ████████████████████

Helena nodded her head at Adrianna's objection. "Oh yes you do, and it'll only grow stronger the older you get," she insisted. "You two will have a bond forever now. No matter how far apart you are he'll be able to find you, to know where you are and what you're doing," she explained matter-of-factly. She didn't like the idea, personally, of having a sire. There was too much of a connection and possible reliance. Adrianna probably wouldn't use it that often, but the option was there and good to have. After sopping up some broth she added, "It's not one sided, though. You'll be able to call for him, and he'll have no choice but to come to you."

That was that, unfortunately. Adrianna and Ludolph were bound together forever. Ultimately, Helena wouldn't be surprised if they wound up mating. Sure Adrianna had a bit of a set back with the fact she wasn't pure blood, and yes they hated one another. However, they were both also attractive wolves. Attracted to one another, undoubtedly. Helena didn't feel jealousy, just sorrow for the impending relationship. In her mind it was inevitable. But that doesn't mean I won't try to stop it, she told herself. Pale brown eyes just watched as Adrianna started eating the stew. Whether she wanted to accept a meal from a wolf or not didn't matter; she enjoyed it. Helena smirked to herself and kept eating as well.

The expected question came, and Helena sighed lightly. She set her spoon back into her bowl. Fiddling with piece of bread between her hands she pulled off little crumbly bits to nibble on. The only reason she didn't want to answer this question was because she knew she wouldn't be able to explain it properly. She'd heard fewer rumors than Ludolph. While Nina wasn't shy about the fact she'd been changed, she also didn't flaunt the fact. It wasn't something to necessarily be proud of. But she'd voluntarily changed, so the transformation was even more different for her. Fortunately the subject took a different turn. Helena laughed and nodded, edging the bowl away from Adrianna's hands so it wasn't in danger anymore.

"Of course. The main purpose of existence is procreation," she declared. "No one will force you, of course, and you don't have to right away. It's a process. You're welcome to fraternize with whatever men you choose, but eventually you will need to settle down with someone compatible and expand upon the pack. Once you decide, it's for life. So these things take a while. Usually," she explained. This pack was more relaxed with rules of mating. They could fool around with whomever they chose, as long as they hadn't already be partnered. Once someone chose a mate there was no going back. The bond created was much like the one Adrianna and Ludolph already had, and it was for life. Helena was intrigued at the idea of it, but hadn't quite found a male she deemed worthy of her affections.

Then Adrianna caught on. She grinned at the smile. The brunette looked genuinely happy. Nodding, Helena took another spoonful of her soup. "I am. How did you know?" she asked. Waving a hand before the woman could answer she shook her head. Standing, Helena said, "I'll be right back. Don't move, keep enjoying your meal. You've been moving around way too much today as is."

With that she leapt across the room and out the already open door. She turned to the right and scurried into a house a few down. There was a bit of yipping and barking, and before Adrianna could count to ten Helena was back inside her house, laughing hysterically. Three tiny little wolf pups nipped at her heels excitedly. One was a medium brown, the other a reddish brown, and the other a strange, streaked red and cream mixture. They tumbled over one another and nearly tripped up Helena as the woman made her way to Adrianna. "Let me help you," she said, offering a hand. She helped Adrianna to the floor with ease, and the pups immediately attacked. Their sharp little teeth playfully nipped at her fingers and their fluffy little butts wagged excitedly back and forth with their tails.

Nina soon followed, a human-looking child cradled in her arms. A bright orange sling kept the babe strapped to her chest as it slept peacefully. "Hey there," she greeted. She looked rather relieved to have company around. "I'm Nina," she said, carefully offering a hand to Adrianna. A wide smile split her ruby red lips. Her sleek, dark brown hair had been braided back and looped around one another so it was all up and out of her face. Little wispy strands fell out here and there from having to run around all the time. Her almond-shaped eyes, a stormy gray color, looked tired, yet very happy. She looked a little young to have four children: a set of triplets that nestled around Helena and Adrianna, and the one in her sling.

"When I saw the look on your face, I just had to go get her. She could use the break anyway, eh Nina?" she said with a small laugh. There was no real harm in being loud, the babe wasn't anywhere near waking up. Nina laughed as well and nodded. Helena picked up the marble-colored pup and placed it between her crossed legs. It whined and rolled onto its back, nipping at her fingers as they tickled its tummy.

Nina's stormy eyes moved to Adrianna's rainy ones, smiling lightly at her. "Were you interested in my little babies?" she asked Adrianna with a light tease. She nuzzled her nose against the baby's soft little head, which was covered in dark hair. "This is Fenris," she whispered toward the baby in human form. Leaning over to bet the one in Helena's lap she continued, "That's Dara--" she pointed to the dark one and the reddish one pouncing on one another and Adrianna, "Ralph, and Lucien Junior. They're father's at the meeting right now, with the rest of the men." The pups looked as though they could only be a few months old, but were about two years old in their human forms. The baby in her arms was almost a year, though he was rather small for his age.

[bbisho]

a l l xx of xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx,
i n xx s i l e n t xx m o m e n t s xx , xx i m a g i n e xx y o u ` d xx b e xx h e r e xx .
a l l xx o f xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx ;
t h e xx s i l e n t xx w h i s p e r s xx , xx s i l e n t xx t e a r s xx .
m a d e xx m e xx p r o m i s e xx i ` d xx t r y xx t o xx f i n d xx m y xx w a y xx b a c k xx i n xx t h i s xx l i f e xx .
i xx h o p e xx t h e r e xx i s xx a xx w a y xx t o xx g i v e xx m e xx a xx s i g n xx y o u ` r e xx o k a y xx .
r e m i n d s xx m e xx a g a i n xx i t ` s xx w o r t h xx i t xx a l l xx , xx so xx i xx c a n xx g o xx h o m e xx .

Helena’s words were not welcomed, her heart dropping as her hopes were crushed. From her words, it was clear it would only get worse – she worried that the two may even become friends because of it. The knowledge that she would be bound to Ludolph forever made her stomach twist into knots. He would know where she was and what she was doing at all times, leaving her with little to no freedom. The brunette could only hope that he would not know how she felt at all, even when her hatred for him was obvious. He had no business knowing how she felt or what she was doing. Why had he not brought it up? Perhaps they could have avoided their second argument, which ended in Ludolph tripping her. Then again, if he had been the one to tell her this, she would have shoved him down a hill or into the shallow pool.

Her head lulled to the side impatiently, listening to the she-wolf speak. So she actually had a say in that department? Good. If she wound up with any wolf she disliked – especially Ludolph – she would kill herself before she ever let them lay a finger on her. Though, she assured herself she wouldn’t be bothered with Ludolph anymore. The way he looked at Helena, his eyes practically undressing her, only made it more obvious he had his sights set on the blonde she-wolf. She looked to be a quite a catch, yet she was unsure what she was like as a wolf. That may have not mattered to him, though, whether she was a great wolf or not – Helena’s physique was more than enough to catch his eye.

“Have you found anyone? Perhaps a certain brat?” Her tone was curious, yet pointed as she mentioned Ludolph. No matter how much time she spent with him, Adrianna assured herself they would never get along. Today was an accident – one that reminded them that they could never be friends. It just wouldn’t work, especially when you considered what problems they had caused for each other. Deep down, Adrianna hoped that one day they would give in and forgive one another. As if that would ever happen, The hunter thought, eyes narrowing unhappily at the thought.

Her shoulders shrugged when asked how she had guessed, her lips curling into a polite smile. Though, she wasn’t given the opportunity to answer – Helena had stood, dismissing herself for a moment. Adrianna took the time to glance about, beginning to compare the abode to Ludolph’s. It was just a nice, yet smaller – perhaps even homier feeling. Her fingers brushed against the wooden top of the table, intricately circling any viewable grooves or discolorations. With Helena gone, her mind wandered, stumbling upon topics she would much rather leave be. She hadn’t realized she was changing yet – though, that didn’t stop the disease from running rampant through her sister, devouring and poisoning her cells.

Her body jerked swiftly, hearing strange sounds coming toward her. Helena had returned, with three little frisky pups scurrying about. Her eyes were trained on the small creatures, her heart lightening and swooning over the tiny beasts. She accepted Helena’s help without a second thought, standing easily before lowering to the floor. Two of the pups had approached her, jumping about and creating little cute sounds. They wanted attention and she was more than happy to give. She could feel their sharp teeth n** at her finger tips, the pain well worth it. She could feel their little tongues lovingly lap at her hand, beckoning to be touched. Her hands rose, rubbing the two creatures gently.

Glancing up, her eyes stopped on the woman she could assume was Nina – she, too, was a gorgeous woman. Her hair was dark, much darker than Adrianna’s, and her lips were stunning. Her hand was removed from one of the pups, raising it to coil about Nina’s. “Adrianna,” The brunette introduced herself, a rather sweet smile on her face. One of the two pups had rolled over – or rather, had collapsed at his touch behind his ear – and her fingers instantly scratched gently against the pup’s belly.

A look of embarrassment clouded her face, her eyes darting away before she nodded with a quiet ‘mm-hm.’ Though, as Nina revealed the name of each pup – as well as the one in human form – she smiled once more. She could feel Ralph and Lucien Jr. biting at her fingers, her eyes flicking down to them, applying a name to each child. Though, at the news of the meeting, the hunter’s rainy eyes rose to Nina’s face. It must have been the same meeting Ludolph had been called away to. As curious as she was, she couldn’t muster the words to ask the two what it was about – they might not have even known.

[resplendent llama]

in hell i'll burn in flames
if looks could kill then death would be my name

████████████████████████████████ h e l e n a ████████████████████

Adrianna's question released a pleasant, truly amused laughter from Helena's lips. It would have been offensive and condescending had Ludolph been there. "Heavens no!" she exclaimed through the laughter. Helena wasn't particularly careful about whose feelings she hurt; she didn't care. Adrianna was an exception for now. Whether it continued or not depended on which direction the brunette chose to go in. If she wanted to be a more important, authoritative member of the pack, well, then there was no way they could be friends. Al wasn't going anywhere for a long time, but any competition in the meantime was not welcome. A lot of things could change, of course, but Helena wasn't banking on Ludolph making any lifestyle changes anytime soon. He didn't care. But mated pairs have a better chance of gaining authority, so if she and Ludolph--- "Absolutely not. I won't deny he's an attractive man, and we've had our moments. However he's the type to become a reliable, caring mate. No, I should be surprised if any self-respecting woman decides to mate with him." Helena would do her best to keep Ludolph and Adrianna from happening. It'd make it harder for Adrianna to find a mate, of course, since few wanted a turned wolf. But anything that hurt Ludolph was worth it.

Both wolves chuckled at Adrianna's brief embarrassment. There was nothing to be ashamed of. New pups were an exciting, wonderful thing. Helena did, indeed, envy Nina for finding someone so wonderful and getting to start a life. She had things to do and learn before she did, but her heart ached at the idea of being pregnant and having pups; she wanted them almost as badly as the title of Alpha. There was a lull of silence as Adrianna and Helena played with the pups. Nina closed her eyes, just happy to have that silence exist. Who would have thought it was the cause of the baby's disturbance. It started wiggling in the sling, and though Nina tried to calm him with her arms, the babe's whining and shrill cries soon filled the small house. The other pups sat up and immediately started howling, tilting their heads back to the sky. Nina smiled apologetically and stared to work her limbs so she could stand up. "I'm sorry. They do that every time he starts crying. I don't know why--"

"No, Nina sit," Helena objected. She placed her hands on the woman's shoulders, feeling the soreness and tension from having to carry so many children in a row. Her body had gone back to its lithe form soon enough, but her chest hadn't and neither had her butt; two things she'd complain about if given the opportunity. Nina sighed heavily and nodded, helping Helena with the sling. The blonde draped it over her shoulders and cradled the baby in her arms. "Shh~ Fenris, what's the matter?" she whispered with a sweet smile to the baby. She bounced it up and down as she walked toward the door. A gentle little lullaby left her lips as she tried to sooth him. Her creamy voice lent itself well to singing, yet was nothing particularly admirable over carrying the tune properly. The baby gurgled as they walked out the door. She plopped them down in a rocking chair on the porch and nestled him against her body, singing still to soothe him. It was an old, ancient song of theirs about the moon and the protection and love she gave. Her loyal little bunny rabbit still sat on the porch, now joined by a black one streaked with white. Exact opposites of one another.

Nina sighed heavily with relief once Helena was out the door. Her body flopped back onto the hard wood. Her pups yipped and frolicked around her eagerly. They nipped at her fingers and hair, but she hardly seemed to notice. Puppies she could deal with. Babies like that were much harder. She'd done it before, obviously, but that didn't make it any easier. "So, Adrianna," she began, rolling onto her stomach. She rolled over one of her pups, but hardly seemed to care as Dara barked and wiggled from beneath her mother's side. The pup growled lightly, trying to dig its paws into the wooden floor to gain leverage and get from beneath Nina. Giving up rather quickly, Dara's body slumped against the floor and she tilted her head back, howling woefully. Rolling her eyes, Nina scoffed and lifted up her side. Laughing she shoved her daughter playfully in the side, "You're such a drama queen." Nina was rougher with the pups than one might expect, but it was how to properly raise a tough, good wolf.

"So Adrianna," he continued again, smiling at the young woman. Her stormy eyes looked over the girl and she sighed gently. "You are rather lovely," she commented. Nina looked only a few years older than Adrianna, though she'd been changed at the hunter's age nearly a decade ago. "Forgive me for eavesdropping a bit, with this hearing it's rather hard not to," she jested. One downfall to the pack living so close together. Everyone knew what everyone else was doing or saying. There were ways around it, and most tried to ignore chatter, but with Adrianna around everyone's ears were on red alert. "But I hear you'd like to know what's going to happen to you, when the full moon rises?" she asked, her tone taking a more serious tone.

As her voice calmed down so did her children. One of them simply curled up in front of her arms, desiring to be pet to sleep. Nina humored him, and watched as the other two found solace in Adrianna's lap. They liked her. It was a very good sign about her potential as a wolf. "The transformation is different for everyone, but more so for people like us. I changed willingly--" she explained, lifting up the side of her blouse. Along her stomach and ribs was a huge scar. It was bumpy, a deep red even still. There were veins of scar tissue that webbed out and ruined what could have been perfect, creamy skin. It looked like someone had taken a giant hunk out of her side. "Don't worry, the pain of being bitten is nothing compared to the shift," she warned with a small chuckle. "Lucien was kind enough to give me a large bite," she continued, lowering her blouse, though since she laid against the floor some still rode up and revealed a bit of the scar, "and the larger and deeper the bite the easier it's going to be on your body. It's fine, really, I drank a lot of whiskey before he did it."

Nina tried to make light of the situation, but there was really no way to avoid telling Adrianna how awful it really was. "Do you want me to lay it all out on the table, or go over it piece by piece? There's a lot that happens to you before the full moon, and since you have less than a week it's going to happen fast. It's a lot of information and I don't want to scare you, but even if you want it to happen like I did, it's a terrifying thing. That's why your sire is there for you, and Ludolph will be there. He's an immature dolt, but you should have more faith in him than Helena does. It's built inside him now to care for you," she said reassuringly. Nina's voice was a little rough from being so tired, but had a matronly quality that soothed and assured someone everything was going to be alright. Even when it wasn't.

[bbisho]

a l l xx of xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx,
i n xx s i l e n t xx m o m e n t s xx , xx i m a g i n e xx y o u ` d xx b e xx h e r e xx .
a l l xx o f xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx ;
t h e xx s i l e n t xx w h i s p e r s xx , xx s i l e n t xx t e a r s xx .
m a d e xx m e xx p r o m i s e xx i ` d xx t r y xx t o xx f i n d xx m y xx w a y xx b a c k xx i n xx t h i s xx l i f e xx .
i xx h o p e xx t h e r e xx i s xx a xx w a y xx t o xx g i v e xx m e xx a xx s i g n xx y o u ` r e xx o k a y xx .
r e m i n d s xx m e xx a g a i n xx i t ` s xx w o r t h xx i t xx a l l xx , xx so xx i xx c a n xx g o xx h o m e xx .

Helena’s laughter was more than enough to prove to Adrianna that she was not interested in Ludolph – she almost felt bad for the guy, since he was so clearly interested in the blonde she-wolf. From his behavior earlier, the wolf had no clue that she wasn’t interested. The young woman had to stop herself from pitying him, instantly recoiling and changing her line of thought. The brat deserves to be miserable, Adrianna mentally snarled, still furious about his little stunt earlier. The brunette made a promise to herself to get him back for it, even though Helena’s sudden presence may have been enough to correct him. Her nose wrinkled as the blonde continued, explaining the type of person Ludolph would become if he were in a relationship. Her final comment caused her to tense up, cringing at the words – any self respecting woman would not mate with him, even if he were the alpha’s son.

Adrianna’s rainy eyes rose, her attention immediately arrested by the crying infant. Though, the infant’s cries were soon joined by the howls of the pups. Her eyes were drawn away from the babe for a moment, lingering on each pup as she listened to each distinct howl. Even Adrianna had moved toward Nina, her expression interested, perhaps even a little worried. But, before she could speak or move any further, Helena had instructed Nina to remain seated, removing the babe from the dark haired woman. Her eyes followed the blonde, watching as she held the child – motherhood must have come naturally to Helena. The babe had quieted, and Helena’s expression was that of a caring woman. The monster that was beneath her flesh had vanished in Adrianna’s mind, having forgotten what kind of beasts these women actually were.

As the blonde shifted out of the abode, her eyes slowly made their way back to Nina. Her attention remained on the dark haired woman, watching her pups frolic about her, nipping at her hair and fingers. It was adorable – yet the woman looked used to the actions of her children. Rainy eyes rose to Nina’s face once more, having heard her name exit the woman’s lips. Though, her attention was stolen and Adrianna peered toward the female pup – Dara – and watched her struggle beneath her mother’s weight. When she had ceased moving, the brunette could only assume she had given up – at least, until she tossed her little head back, letting out a little cry of her own. A laugh bubbled up and escaped the hunter’s lips, watching and listening to Nina as she moved, allowing the pup to escape.

Adrianna had been addressed again, her attention shifting to Nina once more. Hopefully, the two wouldn’t be interrupted again. Her compliment was simply shrugged off, the brunette feeling that the woman in front of her was far more lovely than herself. Though, she kept it to herself, seeing as Nina had continued on. Her brows rose curiously as she spoke, unsure as to what she meant when she explained she had overheard them. Though, before she could ask to clarify, the answer dawned on her. Wolves were known for their infamous senses, one of which was their immensely strong sense of hearing. They could hear things for quite a distance – Adrianna had even heard rumors that they could hear for miles. The moment the words fell from Nina’s lips, Adrianna nodded swiftly, her expression having sobered.

Her fingers gently caressed the two pups in her lap, their weight light enough not to aggravate her wound. Adrianna was known for her tunnel vision as a hunter, yet it had been her downfall the previous night. But, for now, she kept her mind solely focused on Nina and her words. Listening to Nina, she nodded slightly, knowing their change – or rather, her own – would be much different from the pure-bloods. Her eyes traced Nina’s arm, following it down to the elbow, slowly lowering toward the scar on her abdomen. It looked painful, yet Adrianna did not cringe at the sight of it. Hers was much smaller, and would scar just as much. The brunette’s fingers found her own, brushing against the newly damp bandage. When she had fallen, the wound had seeped a little, causing the bandages to gain a fresh layer that was slowly drying.

Her eyes dropped to her own thigh, her fingers pressing against the surface. “Should I have him bite me again?” Her eyes rose to meet Nina’s, a rather serious expression clouding her face. As much as she didn’t want to be bitten again, she wondered if a larger bite would make her transformation easier. Though, before Nina could answer, she shook her own head, as if dismissing the idea. Ludolph wouldn’t be up for the idea – he would rather watch her kick and scream then help her. “I wish I’d been drunk,” Her head lulled to the side, recalling the pain of the bite and the lasting soreness.

The young woman weighed the woman’s words, deciding whether she wanted to take it step by step or all at once. Considering the information she had been given that pertained to her transformation, she opted for the latter option. “All at once, please. From the sounds of it, I don’t have the time to take it slow.” Her voice was quiet and even, her gaze alert. She felt the need to know what was in store for her, considering her change would be coming on much quicker than normal. There was a date that she would change by, and there was only a week or so left until the full moon.

The mention of Ludolph made her skin crawl, her eyes closing a moment as she thought. He would be there for her, whether he wanted to be or not. She was his responsibility due to their bond – he was a slave to his instincts and would have no voice when it came to her transformation. Part of her cried out in frustration, refusing to let him anywhere near her when she would be in a such a vulnerable state. Yet, the other part – the part she despised – was glad to have him at her side. That part rejoiced as she learned of the bond, excited to have such a strong hold on the man. No human would wish for this, and she was sure Ludolph felt the same. He would most likely see her as a burden, a creature he had to sacrifice and care for even when he didn’t want to. Perhaps, instead of the hunter receiving the majority of the bad parts of the deal, it was actually Ludolph who would suffer. Though, she brushed the thought aside, her intense gaze returning to Nina.

[resplendent llama]

in hell i'll burn in flames
if looks could kill then death would be my name

████████████████████████████████ h e l e n a ████████████████████

Nina's lips pursed together at the first question. It was a difficult one to answer. The chances of Ludolph wanting to bite her again were really slim. He'd done a disservice to the brunette. There was not enough virus inside her to make the transformation shift in such a short period of time. Briefly she wondered if she, or Helena, could bite Adrianna. Then she'd be able to tolerate the transition more, right? But two sires is completely unheard of. It might kill her, she reconsidered. Besides, she wasn't ready to be responsible for anyone else. Not right now. Before she could answer Adrianna dismissed the question. Nina shrugged, looking down at her daughter. She could smell that the wound had reopened and needed a new dressing, but couldn't offer assistance at the moment. Clearly it wasn't what was on Adrianna's mind, either. There were more important things to discuss.

"We can arrange that," she jested with a small laugh. Ultimately she would not approve of Adrianna being drunk during the transformation. No one would. That didn't mean the thought wasn't amusing, and that it wouldn't work. It was hard for a wolf to get drunk, though. Their metabolisms were fast so they needed a lot in a short period of time. Not that it stopped them; they had celebrations were alcohol was abundant. After that she relished in the silence again. Helena's soft, sweet voice reached her inside the house. It was barely above a whisper as she cooed and soothed the young babe. Nina closed her eyes and nestled her face against her daughter's back, rubbing her cheek against the soft fur. They'd taken strongly after their father both in human and wolf form. As was the case with all mated pairs, the offspring took after the stronger of the two; whichever parent had the purest blood was the one who the child resembled. Usually in more ways than just physical appearance.

Her stormy eyes lifted to Adrianna. Part of her wanted to deter her from this option. It was a lot to handle at once. However the woman was right. She didn't have much time, and unlike a lot of other pack members she wouldn't underestimate this girl. "Alright," she breathed, sitting up on her elbows. Her fingers fiddled with Dara's fur, knowing if she didn't keep it up the girl would wake up again. It was their nap time, thankfully, but that didn't always mean they slept. Nina ran her teeth along her bottom lip, wondering what she should talk about first. There was a lot, so she thought maybe going in chronological order made the most sense.

"I'll tell you how mine went. Yours will be very similar, but of course accelerated and before I say anything else there's one thing you have to try and remember: Relax. I know it sounds simple, but believe me it's difficult to remember when every bone in your body is breaking and reshaping. The harder you fight the wolf, the more pain you'll be in," she instructed. Her tone and expression were serious, eyes locked onto Adrianna's. She had to make sure she had the girl's full attention. The huntress didn't seem to be taking the situation lightly, which was good, but they only had so much time to go over things. The meeting wouldn't take more than fifteen or twenty more minutes.

Looking down to the pups in Adrianna's lap Nina grinned briefly before continuing. "At first everything will seem normal. I thought it was rather exciting. The first few weeks-- for you will be days, your senses will soar. You'll be able to hear, see, and smell things you never even knew existed. Food will taste extraordinary. Just remember that everything bad will also be amplified. You'll feel stronger, move faster, and your would will heal--" she snapped her fingers, looking back up to Adrianna, "like that. I was not really good at anything as a human besides cooking, sewing, and other home-body things. But whatever you are good at now will be amplified as a wolf. You're a hunter, right? So you're ability to track, thick quickly, use the forest, will seem so much more natural

"Then," she breathed out, puffing her lips like a fish, "it will become overwhelming. Just as you think you have a hold on everything, it turns on you. The sun becomes unbearably bright; the sound of a pin-drop is deafening; food becomes inedible. Your body will be stifling. With every inch of your being you'll want to tear off your skin and do something. Your limbs will ache and your body will throb." Dara started to whimper, interrupting Nina. Her little paws grappled at the air, as if running. Nina grinned at her and stroked the wolf's tiny ear. Dara almost immediately settled down, and Nina went on. "Eventually, the full moon will arrive. I almost envy you for having it come so quickly. After experiencing childbirth I can confidently say I have a high tolerance for pain. I always have, but lord I didn't think I was dying that night," she said, squeezing her eyes shut at the memory. Nina's body nearly shuddered as she pushed onward. "My entire body burned. Every inch of my flesh felt as though it was being poked and prodded with white hot pokers. My bones popped, cracked, and twisted inside my body. I fell to the floor, crying like a little baby. The muscles beneath my flesh clawed at my skin, shifting in the most disgusting, uncomfortable fashion imaginable. Slowly, or quickly-- however long it took you'd have to ask someone else. It felt like an eternity to me. I was surprised I didn't pass out. I changed my mind I don't know how many times, but of course by that point it was too late. The softest fur I'd ever felt in my life protruded from my transforming body, a strangely light brown, actually. Almost the color of your hair. And then--" she held up her hands, shaking her head, "it was over. I was a wolf. I won't go into how that feels, since I think Helena did a nice job explaining earlier--" she eavesdropped a little more than she admitted, "But it's quite painful the first few times you do it. Just now, after nine or so years, I'm used to it."

Nina smirked, stifling a little chuckle. "I realize that's not the best news you've probably heard all day, but it'll be okay. Lucien was there for me, telling me it'd be okay. He held me in his arms and when I turned transformed to make me feel better. He gave up the hunt for me on the days of the first full moon, showing me what being a wolf was really like. The pain was worth it. I would do it again without a second thought," she admitted with a large grin.

[bbisho]

a l l xx of xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx,
i n xx s i l e n t xx m o m e n t s xx , xx i m a g i n e xx y o u ` d xx b e xx h e r e xx .
a l l xx o f xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx ;
t h e xx s i l e n t xx w h i s p e r s xx , xx s i l e n t xx t e a r s xx .
m a d e xx m e xx p r o m i s e xx i ` d xx t r y xx t o xx f i n d xx m y xx w a y xx b a c k xx i n xx t h i s xx l i f e xx .
i xx h o p e xx t h e r e xx i s xx a xx w a y xx t o xx g i v e xx m e xx a xx s i g n xx y o u ` r e xx o k a y xx .
r e m i n d s xx m e xx a g a i n xx i t ` s xx w o r t h xx i t xx a l l xx , xx so xx i xx c a n xx g o xx h o m e xx .

Nina’s humor was welcomed, yet she felt it didn’t quite matter how drunk she was. She feared the alcohol would not number her – perhaps not enough – for what was to come. Her hands idly rubbed the pups, gently scratching them behind their ears for a few moments. The two had lulled into a fairly slight sleep and Adrianna knew they would only fall deeper. She appreciated the warmth of the pups, peering down at them with a rather loving expression. They were so small and sweet – how could they be even remotely similar to the beasts she hunted? Even so, she dared not call the children beasts; they did not fit the part at all. Just watching them sleep, their little bodies curled up, faces pressed into her stomach, melted the brunette’s heart. She was a sucker for these sort of things, and she knew in that instance, she wouldn’t be able to harm them. As odd as it sounded, she felt unable to lift a threatening finger at the pups. Hunters normally killed all of the wolves, even their litters. Hunters were cruel, yet they were only trying to protect their own from the beasts.

When the woman had agreed to share her knowledge with her, her lips pressed together. She was anxious to hear about the topic, knowing it would soon be her own fate. Adrianna lacked the power to stop the transformation – the only thing she could do was try to make the process a little smoother. As Nina began, she leaned forward ever so slightly, physically showing the she-wolf she was listening. Words had begun to pour from Nina’s lips, beginning rather vaguely. So it was true – her transformation would be just like Nina’s, only quicker. Nina may have been given plenty of time to adjust, while Adrianna would only be given less than a week to get it under control. Her first tip was one that Adriana had heard often while learning to hunt: Relax. Relaxing was the key to focusing, yet she knew that was not what Nina meant. Her explanation had continued, causing the brunette’s stomach to loop into knots. Her bones would be snapping? She swallowed hard, having a difficult time accepting that part. It sounded painful, and Nina only assured her it would hurt more if she was unable to relax. As much as the huntress didn’t want to accept her new life, she would have to if she wanted to survive.

Nina had only paused a moment, taking a few seconds to let Adrianna take what she had said in. Relax. I think I can do that. The brunette assured herself, feeling her skin become hot at the thought of pain. It made her nervous; she was not a fan of pain, though her transformation would cause her a great deal of it. Of course, Nina’s first few warnings weren’t so bad. Everything would be fine and dandy; Adrianna would feel fantastic and strong. Her senses would be enhanced, allowing her to view the world the way it was meant to be. Though, those senses would drive her mad – each one would back fire and send her into a tizzy. She would feel ill, the sounds, smells, tastes, and sights would make her shrivel up and cringe.

The pain of the first few days wouldn’t compare to that of her transformation – the full moon was drawing near, and with every word Nina spoke, she could feel her heart drop. Her description of her change only frightened Adrianna – it would be unbearable. It would feel like no pain she had felt before. Her body would be on fire, every bone would break and reshape itself along with her muscles. Her skin crawled at the thought, one of her hands brushing against her arm gently, as if trying to imagine what it would feel and look like. She could already image the sharp bones shifting under her skin, pressing up toward the muscle and their shape becoming visible just beneath the skin. Her eyes darted away from the woman for a moment, feeling a slight sweat dripping down her forehead. Her fingers rose to her face, whipping the laying away without a word.

Her fears were solaced after a moment, her eyes turning back to the woman’s face. She would have to endure a moment of severe pain, and then she would be a completely different being. The shifts would still hurt, but she was sure it would not hurt like the first one. Eventually, her body would become accustomed to the pain or the pain might even fade away. She envied the purebloods, now knowing they did not have to suffer like any sired wolf would. Her lips curled into a slight frown, unhappy with this news. “It’ll be fine,” Adrianna assured herself in a low voice, her eyes drifting to the ground once more.

“Yeah, it’ll be fine.” Adrianna’s eyes rose to Nina’s. “Sure, he will be there because he feels the need to be – but he will not comfort me.” Adrianna murmured, her eyes drifting toward the pups in her lap. Her fingers stroked their fur gently, her lips pressed together as she paused. “He hates me, and I hate him. He’ll only pity me, if he doesn’t laugh, that is.” Adrianna’s words were quite bitter, and it was clear that she didn’t want Ludolph around. “We don’t have what you and Lucien did.” It was clear by the tone of her voice that she did not long for that relationship with Ludolph, either. Though, her lips parted slightly, a sigh escaping her lips. “I mean, having him as company wouldn’t be so bad, since he had been there and done that, but he better take responsibility for whatever happens.” Even she wasn’t sure what point she was trying to get across now. It seemed as if she was struggling with the decision of letting him help her.

[resplendent llama]

in hell i'll burn in flames
if looks could kill then death would be my name

████████████████████████████████ h e l e n a ████████████████████

Nina was no fool. She was a very observant woman and saw Adrianna's reaction to this whole thing. The mother couldn't blame her, though was at least glad someone had told her. Ludolph would glaze over it, saying it'd be fine. But he didn't understand, and neither did Helena. They were pure bloods, and even as children the transformation had been easy. The baby in Helena's arms had yet to even find his wolf form, but the other three actually usually remained wolves. It was easier for them. And for me, she thought, idly running her fingers through Dara's fur. Part of her was proud that her knowledge could finally be put to use; she only wished she had better news to offer. The huntress was strong, though, and she'd survive. She listened to the woman convince herself things would be fine, and grinned. That was the kind of confidence necessary for survival.

Her ruby lips parted to say something, but Adrianna continued. Her words about Ludolph made a loud, genuinely amused laugh seep from between her lips. "Oh no no no," she interrupted through chuckles, waving her hand. "You've got it all wrong, Adrianna. Ludolph is not capable of hating. Anyone," she insisted. She felt Dara's skin twitch beneath the fur. As she continued to speak, she curled her body around the tiny pup's, comforting it with her warmth. "Ludolph is an impossible, stubborn, pig-headed little man who throws a fit when he doesn't get his way. He's upset about how the hunt went, but I've known him for a long time-- even when I was human. There's not a hateful bone in his body. Well--" she reconsidered, planting a hand on Dara's side as the girl whined and writhed against the floor, "I mean apart from hating hunters and most humans. But you're neither now. You're one of us. He'll be there because he knows he should be. He'll never admit it, but he feels bad for what he did. You should both cut him some slack; he's not so bad."

The dark-haired woman grinned, though, at what Adrianna said about her and Lucien. They'd felt a bond before she was even turned. He'd stumbled into her village once, injured by a hunter but in his human form. Said he was attacked by bandits and robbed. She'd nursed him back to health and the two could not get enough of one another's company. She abandoned everything for him, and would do it again. Adrianna slightly surrendered to the idea of having Ludolph there, which made Nina grin. Her eyes, however, remained on her daughter, who was writhing and whimpering against the floor. The woman did not look very concerned. "He'll take responsibility for his actions. It may just take seeing you in all that pain for him to fully understand," she replied softly. Dara's body started to snap and pop, her four tiny legs sprouting into something longer. Her canine noises turned into the high-pitched whines of a little girl, and eventually that's what rested in the crook of Nina's body. They preferred their wolf bodies, but couldn't always stay in them. Dara was a pale little girl with limbs thinner and more toned than those of most three year olds. Her hair was a fiery red, streaked with strawberry blonde from the sun. It fell in loose, thick waves and covered her sweet little face, upon which rested freckles and Nina's stormy grey eyes.

"I'd be careful if I were you," she warned Adrianna playfully, scooping the silently sobbing girl into her arms. Nodding to the two pups sleeping and slowly twitching in Adrianna's lap she said, "The triplets tend to change all at the same time." Standing up with the naked child, Nina took in a breath and suddenly her face lit up. A giant smile split her lips ear to ear as another voice interrupted Helena's singing outside. It was masculine, deep, yet not rough or as grating as some others in the pack. In walked Lucien with baby Fenris strapped to his chest. His kind, slightly droopy blues locked onto Nina and a wolfish grin curled up the corners of his mouth. He wrapped an arm around her, the two expertly avoiding the children in their arms as they came close to one another.

Lucien was tall, perhaps a little taller than Ludolph, but not as broad or thick. His skin was tanned from the outdoors, and freckles littered what used to be fair skin. Reddish brown hair had been slicked back, and he wore a cream tunic, brown vest, brown pants, and simple dark shoes. He looked more human and normal than anyone else Adrianna had probably seen, but was one of the fiercest, boldest hunters they had. "Boys," he barked, his face turning toward Adrianna.

Two little bare bodies groaned and crawled over Adrianna's legs. Ralph and Lucien Jr looked identical. They both had their mothers dark hair, but their father's strong jaw and puppy-dog eyes. Their bodies, too, were lithe compared to most toddlers and silent tears of pain streamed down their cheeks; they'd been taught to accept the change, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. They whined and headed out of the house as Lucien affectionately brushed a hand through one of their heads. He turned his affections to Nina then, pulling her in. "Good afternoon mama," he greeted lowly, almost purring at her. Her body leaned willingly into his. Nina tilted her head back, lips lingering near Lucien's. "Hey papa," she whispered back. Their lips overtook one another's then, gliding together slowly, perfectly. The passion and adoration that radiated off them, and the way their lips unabashedly moved against one another's with buckets of lust, would make anyone a little hot under the collar. It was clear why the'd had so many children in such a short amount of time-- once Nina had become fertile, anyway.

A high whistle came from the doorway and Helena laughed as Nina nervously broke their kiss. The dark haired woman chuckled at herself and nuzzled her cheek against her husband's clean shaven face. "You two oughta be careful about that," Helena teased, walking over to Adrianna, "I'm not sure you want anymore pups so soon." Lucien and Nina chuckled, though their gazes never left one another's.

Nina sighed contently. Her face glowed and her smile looked so blissful as she turned her attention back to Adrianna. "If you ever need anything, I'm only a few houses down. You're welcome any time," she offered.

As she walked away Lucien lingered back, studying Adrianna. His expression became stern for a moment as he pondered his wife's words. Then, slowly, a smile crept over his lips and he nodded. "Any time, honestly. If we don't help each other then what's the point?" he commented. His kind smile turned to Helena and he offered her a hand. She walked over, took it, and bowed her head a little when he kissed the top of it. "Thank you. Nina needed the afternoon off, and I'll give her the evening," he said earnestly. Lucien gave Adrianna a little wave before walking out of the house with baby Fenris. Obviously he'd have no problem with someone changed, since he'd changed someone as well. Certainly the circumstances were different, but that hardly seemed to matter to him.

Helena sighed wistfully when the couple had finally left. "That is the kind of man you need," she declared, gesturing toward the door. "Handsome, kind, sweet, a great father, but absolutely relentless during the hunt. It's a shame they don't make 'em like Lucien anymore. He used to have a brother but," she sighed again, shrugging, "things happen." She grinned, walking over to Adrianna to help her up and back into the chair.

When they'd nearly gotten her in the chair, Helena's body became rigid. Since Lucien was back from town and now came for Nina, it meant the meeting was over. He and a few others had gone to gather intel, and reported back. Helena only knew because of the man who now walked through the door to the house. He was a large, burly man. The one who'd objected Ludolph so vigorously and been struck by Al. His milky eye and good one zeroed in on Adrianna immediately. His face was in a sour scowl, boring holes into her with his fiery gaze. "Papa!" Helena greeted happily. She made sure Adrianna was in the chair before frolicking over to him and leaping into his arms.

Immediately his expression softened and he grinned, spinning her around as he embraced her. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head; she bowed it in the same fashion she had for Lucien. "Papa this is Adrianna. She--"

"I know who she is," he grumbled. If someone thought Al's voice was deep and gruff, they were sorely mistaken after hearing this wolf. He looked like a wolf in human form. "What's she doing in my house?" he asked. However the question was not directed to Helena as the man walked to get some stew off the stove. His gaze never left the brunette, though, not even when he sat down across the table from her and started to eat. Helena came over and brushed her fingers back through his salt and pepper hair, trying to tame it in some way. Her amber eyes locked onto Adrianna and she gave a warning, yet also pleading look. Her father didn't approve of Adrianna's existence. He didn't trust her and hated Ludolph indefinitely for causing this mistake. "Isn't someone else supposed to be looking after you?" he grunted. Obviously he knew the answer to that; he'd just been in a meeting where Ludolph sat across the table from him. But he didn't have to let her know that and he had to gauge her reaction to him in order to see where to take this conversation.






[ooc; ohh~ that got a little long. my b. @_@ also her papa is the guy from my, like, second or so post. didn't know if i illustrated that well or not. >> ]

[bbisho]

a l l xx of xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx,
i n xx s i l e n t xx m o m e n t s xx , xx i m a g i n e xx y o u ` d xx b e xx h e r e xx .
a l l xx o f xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx ;
t h e xx s i l e n t xx w h i s p e r s xx , xx s i l e n t xx t e a r s xx .
m a d e xx m e xx p r o m i s e xx i ` d xx t r y xx t o xx f i n d xx m y xx w a y xx b a c k xx i n xx t h i s xx l i f e xx .
i xx h o p e xx t h e r e xx i s xx a xx w a y xx t o xx g i v e xx m e xx a xx s i g n xx y o u ` r e xx o k a y xx .
r e m i n d s xx m e xx a g a i n xx i t ` s xx w o r t h xx i t xx a l l xx , xx so xx i xx c a n xx g o xx h o m e xx .

The brunette’s eyes rose to Nina’s face, studying her expression. Her expression was laughable, her painted lips curled into an amused smile. Her words almost instantly confused the huntress, her brows rising incredulously. The mother had wrapped herself around Dara, keeping her comfortable. Her eyes did not leave her face for a moment, though. Nina’s description of her sire was rather accurate, at least from what she had seen of him. Though, as she continued on, explaining that he was deterred by how the hunt went, her expression softened slightly. She could understand the feeling; her first hunt had gone awry, and she had disappointed her father – she may have even broken his heart. Her next comment almost roused an interruption from the brunette, lips parting to speak up before Nina corrected it. She’s right, though, Adrianna thought, lips pursing ever so slightly. The dark haired woman had a point – surely Ludolph wasn’t so bad, and now that she wasn’t a human or a hunter, she pretty much fit in the category of ‘likeable.’

Dara seemed to be shifting and whining, each movement becoming more and more noticeable. It was strange – even Adrianna was unsure as to why the young girl was doing it. Glancing to the face of her mother, she realized Nina didn’t look frightened at all. It may have not been a big deal – for all she knew, the girl was moving in her sleep. The brunette nodded toward Nina, agreeing with her point – if Ludolph saw what pain he had caused her, he may be nicer to her and even respect her some. Her eyes rested on Dara, listening to the cracking and popping, intrigued by the sight of the little girl. Her bones had shifted; her fur receded and revealed a little girl. She didn’t look quite like her mother, yet her eyes were more than enough evidence to prove who she belonged to. Her warning was headed, and Adrianna lifted the two pups from her lap, aware that the pressure would only injure her further.

The two boys had changed right before her eyes, though she had been too busy examining the male who had walked in. The moment he wrapped his arm around Nina, she knew almost immediately that this man was Lucien – even the children resembled him. The two boys left her side, both buck naked much like Dara. They followed their father’s command, running toward him when he called them. Her eyes slowly drifted back to the couple, her expression resembling one of shock as they engaged in a passionate kiss. Her cheeks grew pink for a moment, her eyes shifting away. She felt like she was intruding, but it wasn’t like she could get up without interrupting them. If she tried to stand now, she feared she would knock the chair down or collapse into the table. She waited patiently, her skin warm as she tried to block out the image of their kiss. It was clear why the two had so many children.

Thankfully, Helena had intruded, breaking the two up successfully. Even they looked a little embarrassed. Nina was quick to turn her attention back onto the sired wolf, inviting her over if she ever needed to talk. Adrianna had paused, unsure if this would be alright with Lucien – his expression was different from Nina’s, but soon it mirrored hers. He, too, welcomed her to visit. The brunette nodded, a smile dancing across her lips. Surely those two would understand her far more than any pureblood. She watched as Lucien kissed the top of Helena’s head, her smile fading ever so slightly – they were all like family, while she still remained a partial outsider. Lucien left soon after, trailing behind his mate. Adrianna turned her rainy eyes upward to Helena’s face, accepting her aid. Soon enough, she was poised on a chair, glancing up to Helena as she spoke. So that was the kind of man that Helena wanted – it was a shame his brother wasn’t around anymore.

Adrianna’s eyes shifted around and past Helena, drifting toward the man who had stepped into the abode. He was a rather burly man. Her eyes found his, noticing that one was a milky shade. His appearance mirrored that of a wolf – he was perhaps the only man she had seen that resembled his true form even when he was in his human one. His appearance wasn’t frightening, resembling a mix of many of the hunters and wolves she had seen in the past. Though, once his expression shifted into more malicious one, her eyes dropped from him. His expression softened when Helena leaped into his arms, yet she knew that kindness was only reserved for her. This man was Helena’s father, and their relationship reminded her of her own father. He was a harsh man, yet softened whenever she was around.

The blonde had tried to introduce the new sired woman, but the man cut in, clearly expressing how he felt. Adrianna was not a welcomed guest, even though the man had not asked her to leave. He never took his eyes off of her, his grimace growing only more dangerous. It made her unhappy that he kept looking at her, never once taking his eyes off of her – did he see her as a threat? An annoyance? Either way, it was clear that this man didn’t like her. His gaze differed from Ludolph’s heated expression earlier – this one was much more intense. Compared to this, Ludolph may as well have been smiling at her. The man had soon filled a bowl with his share of the stew, moving toward the table and sitting across from her.

Her eyes drifted to the man’s daughter for only a moment, noticing the expression she wore – it was a warning. She may have even been begging the brunette to leave. Adrianna wanted to, yet she was too prideful to admit she felt anything close to fear around the wolfman. At the mention of her caretaker, her eyes only narrowed ever so slightly, her hands grasping at the bottom of her dress. The one who was supposed to be watching her had left earlier to attend an important meeting – one that this man may have attended. She could only assume he had been there with her sire. “He was taking care of something important,” Her voice was even, lacking the nervousness she felt. “He’ll be along shortly.” The brunette mused, leaning back in her chair ever so slightly. This man made her uncomfortable, and the brunette could only hope Ludolph would find her quickly and remove her from the abode. If their bond was real, surely he would hear her anxiously calling out to him.

[resplendent llama]

in hell i'll burn in flames
if looks could kill then death would be my name

████████████████████████████████ h e l e n a ████████████████████

Helena did not want Adrianna to leave; she wanted her to be respectful. Her father meant the world to her. All she wanted was to make him proud. But at the same time, she couldn't leave Adrianna alone. Not in the hands of Ludolph. So if Adrianna made a good impression, he might let her come and go as she pleased. He would not approve. He would never approve of someone sired. Nina still received dirty looks from him, and he thought less of Lucien despite how good of a killer he was. Her father wasn't the purest man. Her mother had been far more pure in her bloodline, but for some reason he despised anything to do with humans. Well it's not just some reason. Not that he's ever told anyone what exactly it is... she thought, hands dropping from his hair.

The man studied her carefully. His expression never changed and he sipped at the stew. Tearing off a piece of his bread he mopped up some broth and chewed on it carefully. Adrianna answered. She defended her sire. Good. No matter how much of an idiot he was, it was her job to defend him regardless. She and Ludolph were bonded. If she disrespected him there was no telling how deep her hatred may take her. And there was hatred there. Perhaps as much as he had. She was not as sure of herself, though he appreciated her level tone. "You sound so sure of him," he replied coldly.

The blonde took in a breath and sat down at her chair in between them. Her stew was cold, but she took a spoonful of it anyway. "I thought it would be a good idea for her to come over for a bit. You all were at the meeting, and the fool hadn't explained anything to her," the blonde said. Her cool, easy confidence was shattered around her father. Her voice almost shook as she addressed him. Helena was not physically afraid of her father. She wasn't really afraid of him at all. What she was most afraid of was how he'd react to Adrianna. Already she could tell she could have kept her mouth shut. Her father's shoulders grew tense and his bi-colored gaze slowly shifted toward her.

"That wasn't your place," he scolded firmly. His brow wrinkled a little. Disappointment and skepticism radiated off his body.

Her pale pink lips trembled and she glanced at Adrianna, then back to her father. "But Papa she has to know, and you know Ludolph. He's a stupid little--"

It was not your place," he repeated. He emphasized each word, turning back to his stew. "If she's going to survive it has to be on her own. If her sire doesn't help then he doesn't help," he explained sternly.

At this Helena's expression grew taut. Her own brow set and she took in a deep breath. "Ludolph is a fool. He's not fit to teach anyone anything. If she is to be part of our pack then she needs to be well educated, else the entire pack will suffer. You can disapprove of his actions all you like, but you cannot punish her for it. Her desire to be turned is as great as yours would be to turn human," she stated. Her voice grew firmer, but still did not reach the level it'd been at with Ludolph or Adrianna. A few times her pale brown eyes glanced toward the sired wolf. It wasn't so much for support, since Adrianna couldn't help, but it was to look away from her father. While her tone was firmer she couldn't stare him down. Al was the only one who really could. Maybe Betty.

Fortunately he was interrupted from the words on his tongue that would undoubtedly sting. She had made fair points, but that would not stop him from scolding her. She'd technically broken the rules. That wouldn't stand in his house. Both wolves glanced up as a new person entered their house. Or at least made his presence known. Helena smiled over at Ludolph, and her father ignored his existence completely. "Hello," she greeted smoothly.

He managed a smile at her. His weight shifted from one foot to the other. Clearly his body wanted to go toward her, but his gaze moved constantly to the father. He was also clearly too afraid to move out of that doorway. When he spoke Helena sighed gently and stood. She grabbed Adrianna's crutch and aided the girl in standing up. She may not have needed it, but Helena wanted to walk with her to the door. "You're welcome here any time," she whispered to the brunette. "Forget what he says. You're part of the pack. I'm here for you," she added with a smile. Her hand rubbed Adrianna's arm assuringly. She lifted her gaze to Ludolph when he spoke to her and simply smiled, letting him twist a strand of hair around his fingers.

"We got her up to speed for you," she teased with a little wink. His expression made her laugh, and she turned to get back to dinner with her father. It was clear from the look on his face their conversation wasn't over either.

[resplendent llama]

Who's that L u d o l p h sees w a l k i n' in these W O O D S ?
Why it's Little R E D R I D I N G H O O D !

Hey there Little Red Riding Hood, you sure are looking good.
You're everything a big bad wolf could want.

I'm gonna keep my sheep suit on until I'm sure that you've been shown
that I can be trusted walking with you alone.

The meeting hadn't exactly gone well. Lucien and Gregory had gone into town and learned far too much. Adrianna and her father may have been the only hunters they hired at the moment, but Thomas was talking about trying again. The rest of the town didn't seem keen on it. They didn't have the money to spend. He wanted it, though. Either that, he said, or he was going to get a hunting party together to find the wolves themselves. They were a plague. A monstrosity. When the meeting was over, no solution or plan of action in sight, Ludolph took his time getting back to his house. He assumed Adrianna would be there, impatiently waiting to get back at him for something or other. However when he got there no one was home. Not even Betty preparing dinner. Confused, he headed outside and smelled the air.

He caught Nina's scent mixing with Lucien's. The very notion made him hot under the collar. The two of them were bad at hiding affections in public. Very bad. He'd caught them in the act once by the river. The image burned into his brain forever. More so than their naked bodies, though, was Nina's scar. He wondered if Adrianna's would be that bad. He hadn't bit her that badly, though. Right? He didn't think he did. Hoped he didn't. He wasn't aware that it was better if he had. Ludolph just paced the main yard in front of most of the houses. He didn't know quite what to do. He didn't want to talk to Adrianna. Didn't really want to face her. The looks he got at the meeting were beyond nasty.

Then he caught Helena's father, Wilhelm, and Adrianna's scents in the same gust of wind. He frowned, knowing that couldn't be good. Then his body was overcome with anxiety and panic. Fear, maybe. Ludolph knew that wasn't his body feeling that way. So-- Well s**t. The wolf hurried over to Helena's house, pausing on the porch. He heard Helena trying to defend her actions and scowled. She didn't approve of his actions either? But she'd been so sweet earlier. Away from her scent it was easier to feel anger toward her. He was downright pissed. He was fit to teach someone!

Ludolph slid into the house, crossing his arms. He stared at Helena, though his hard shell melted when she smiled at him. He grinned at her, and glanced at Wilhelm every once and a while. Ludolph shifted from one foot to the other, desperately wanting to grab Adrianna and get out of there. Entering the house further, though, wasn't really an option. It would mean interacting with the burly man and that was not a plausible course of action. He refused. Oh come on~ Look how pretty she is! his body screamed. He nearly took a half step toward her, but hesitated. Gesturing toward Adrianna he said, "I came to get Adrianna. The meeting's over so I figured we should head home."

Then the two women approached and he couldn't help himself. His hand reached out and fiddled with a strand of her silky golden hair. It made his skin crawl in the most delightful way. His insides burned and he took a step toward her, brushing his hip against hers. She was intoxicating. As far as he knew at that moment Wilhelm didn't exist. Neither did Adrianna. "Thank you for taking care of her," he said gently. Licking his lips he added, "Maybe we could get together sometime? Go on a hike or a run like we used to?"

At her lack of an answer, and instead new information, the smile completely dropped from his face. Panic filled Ludolph. First off all, who was "we"? What did they catch her up on? The transformation? Or him? His eyes grew a little wide and he gulped, walking out of the house. Once in the grass again, he looked to Adrianna. "So what did they tell you?" he asked cautiously. "If it's about the full moon I was going to get there. But we were having a nice time so I didn't want to ruin it, and then we weren't so..." he shrugged in lieu of an apology, heading back to his house with her.

What big eyes you have,
The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad.
What full lips you have.
They're sure to lure someone bad.

xxxxxx

What a big heart I have, the better to love you with.
Little Red Riding Hood even bad wolves can be good.
I'll try to be satisfied just to walk close by your side.
Maybe you'll see things my way before we get to grandma's place.

[bbisho]

a l l xx of xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx,
i n xx s i l e n t xx m o m e n t s xx , xx i m a g i n e xx y o u ` d xx b e xx h e r e xx .
a l l xx o f xx m y xx m e m o r i e s xx k e e p xx y o u xx n e a r xx ;
t h e xx s i l e n t xx w h i s p e r s xx , xx s i l e n t xx t e a r s xx .
m a d e xx m e xx p r o m i s e xx i ` d xx t r y xx t o xx f i n d xx m y xx w a y xx b a c k xx i n xx t h i s xx l i f e xx .
i xx h o p e xx t h e r e xx i s xx a xx w a y xx t o xx g i v e xx m e xx a xx s i g n xx y o u ` r e xx o k a y xx .
r e m i n d s xx m e xx a g a i n xx i t ` s xx w o r t h xx i t xx a l l xx , xx so xx i xx c a n xx g o xx h o m e xx .

She eyed him cautiously as he sipped his stew, studying his jaw as he chewed the soggy bread. The entire time he ate, the stern look never left his face. It was impressive. Though, when he spoke up coldly, she only batted an eye. She was used to tones such as this – more than half of the hunters lacked any sort of emotion. “I am. He’s a rather dependable sire. With his aid, I have nothing to fear. Once my leg heals, I’m sure he’ll still keep an eye on me.” Adrianna’s tone resembled that of faith; though, the young woman felt as if she were trying to convince herself. Ludolph was indeed strong, having aided her in her previous times of need. Yet all of those moments were merely physical, lowering her to the ground of helping her to her feet. Yet he had not once asked her how she felt, or even tried to assure her of anything. Even now, she wanted to believe in Nina’s words. If she couldn’t, she was sure her sanity would slip, and the whole process would become much harder. The more she fought the wolf, the more it would hurt. The huntress had even dared to apply this theory to Ludolph, knowing now she needed her sire for guidance. For now, she would make him look good – in return, she would only ask for the help she needed to adjust. After that, she didn’t think she would need his knowledge.

The moment the blonde she-wolf had spoken up, the brunette’s eyes drifted toward her. Her words were insulting, and she wondered if the blonde spoke of Ludolph like this with everyone. The terms she had used earlier weren’t quite as harsh as this – hell, they had even been more playful. But now, they were aimed and sharp. The young woman’s eyes shifted to the manwolf, listening to him scold her. In his eyes, she was out of line – apparently, she wasn’t allowed to tell Adrianna what she had. Yet the blonde protested further, continuing to insult her sire. A low amount of anger simmered inside of her gut, though it didn’t show on her face. She did not appreciate the woman’s insults, and she definitely didn’t appreciate how she argued with her father. Adrianna had been taught that her father’s word was law – having disobeyed it was what got her here in the first place. The man with salt and pepper hair spoke once more, cutting in abruptly. Even Adrianna agreed with him – if Ludolph didn’t help, he didn’t help. Simple as that. Adrianna feared going through the transformation alone, but she would do it if it meant living another day. It would hurt, but she would grin and bear it.

Helena had continued with her stream of insults, causing a rather displeased look from more than one person in the room. The brunette certainly didn’t agree with her, and neither did her father. She was sure even Ludolph would argue against her and her words. He wasn’t there to protest, though, now was he? Though, the moment she dared to think those words, someone had come inside the house. She didn’t hear or smell him exactly, but she had felt how heavy the room felt. It was natural for a hunter to feel like they were being watched. Adrianna’s rainy eyes rose from the two rather slowly, perhaps too intrigued by their words to even look up. But, as she did, her eyes locked on Ludolph, blinking in slight shock. She couldn’t confirm if the connection was really there; he could have easily have heard the two wolves in front of her. For now, she let the idea slip, her attention drifting back to the two. Ludolph looked angry for a mere second before Helena worked her charms – she had him in the palm of her hands. It was pitiful, really – though she would never reveal what she had learned to the poor guy. He was her sire, and though she wanted to make him miserable, her instincts proctored otherwise. His words were more than welcomed, her body eagerly awaiting their journey back to his abode. Adrianna studied her sire impatiently, waiting for him to draw closer and help her escape. All he did was shift, showing everyone in the room he didn’t dare step in any further. Once more, she mentally insulted him, having a hard time restraining her hand from making contact with her forehead. She had spoken so highly of him, and yet he failed to live up to her words.

Soon enough, Helena had helped her from her seat, the brunette’s eyes casting onto the she-wolfs father one more time. She couldn’t decide who she liked more – the rule-abiding father, or the charming little girl who couldn’t look him in the eye. Helena nearly turned to mush around the man, but in the instant Ludolph appeared, she was strong again. Ludolph was exactly the same – so long as Helena smiled, he felt nothing but ecstasy. When she was brought to his side, she adjusted her crutch with little thought, having already grown used to the instrument. Her eyes turned up toward Ludolph, waiting for him to exit. When he took his time, her teeth gritted together, her eyes darting away from him. Once more, he was touching Helena’s hair, charmingly grinning at her. She wasn’t interested, yet even Adrianna struggled to see it now – though, her brisk speech was enough of an indication that he needed to go. Upon hearing Helena’s words, Adrianna glanced back at her briefly, “Thank you, Helena,” she thanked lowly, trying to be polite. The brunette preferred not to be an outsider, but she knew she couldn’t ignore his words. Even when looked down on, she would take their words to heart and improve. Helena had ignored Ludolph’s offer, simply springing into the one thing he needed to know most of all – Adrianna had learned something.

Their quiet walk was brisk. She could feel the cool grass beneath her toes again, her nostrils flaring as she gulped down the fresh evening air. Her eyes peered about, as if searching for any remnants of Nina and Lucien. They were nowhere in sight, and she could barely smell what remained of them. Her nose wasn’t as refined as the wolves, but it would be soon. Her fingers rose to her face, gently brushing the hair from her eyes, which intently focused on her surroundings. This was her new home, and in the next few days, it would change drastically. Everything would look different, smell different and even taste different. As her sire spoke up, she turned her gaze on him for a moment, keeping an even pace with his. It wasn’t hard, seeing as she couldn’t move much faster anyways.

Her lips drew downward in a scowl, an anger simmering below the surface once more. His words were setting her on edge, even if he wasn’t trying to. It had been his responsibility to tell her and he had planned to in due time. As much as she wanted to lash out at him, to criticize his horrible timing, she reminded herself of what Nina had told her. Give him some slack, give him some slack, Adrianna chanted in her head, hoping that by repeating it over and over, she would successfully be able to control her anger. The brunette pressed her lips together harshly for a moment before relaxing her jaw, licking her lips as she thought of what to tell him. ”I know, but I don’t have much time to wait.” The young woman admitted, unsure if he was aware about the amount of time she had. Her humanity would not last much longer, and the change would be swift. “I wanted to hear it from someone who has been through it. I wouldn’t take it seriously otherwise.” Her voice had returned to an even tone gradually, resembling the tone she had used while speaking with Helena’s father. She hadn’t meant her comment as an insult, curious if he would understand what she was meant – she had only found it more reasonable to learn it from someone who had been in the same boat.

They had told her plenty of other things, such as Helena’s lack of interest in her sire. They had even informed her that Ludolph only acted malicious, though he would never hate her or anyone. Even now, she tried to peer at him using her new information, but she knew she didn’t have much patience for him. ”I learned that, among other things. I even spent some quality time with those pups you mentioned earlier.” The huntress had tagged the bit about the pups on at the end to hint to Ludolph as to who she had spoken with. He may have already known, but she couldn’t be sure of that. Her tone wasn’t quite friendly, yet it wasn’t angry either – she had found a healthy median, and hopefully she wouldn’t piss him off any further tonight. The brunette was too tired to fight, but she knew the instant she arrived home, she would scurry off to fix her leg. The moment the damage was unveiled, that hatred would spring up again. As much as she wanted to give him a piece of her mind, she would put it off until later – she had plenty of time to decide on what to say and do. The brunette would strike when the timing felt right, hoping there would be several moments where she was along with Ludolph. If she couldn’t win an argument, she could easily knock him off his feet and send him hurtling down a hill.

[resplendent llama]

Who's that L u d o l p h sees w a l k i n' in these W O O D S ?
Why it's Little R E D R I D I N G H O O D !

Hey there Little Red Riding Hood, you sure are looking good.
You're everything a big bad wolf could want.

I'm gonna keep my sheep suit on until I'm sure that you've been shown
that I can be trusted walking with you alone.

There was not bitterness in his expression, though he tried to feel some. The same went for anger, frustration, and regret. Ludolph was feeling a lot of things when it came to Adrianna. However when he tried to turn his positive feelings for Helena into negative ones he simply couldn't. Although he'd heard those words, he knew they weren't all full of hate and judgement. Helena wanted to be Alpha. So did he. She was far more competitive than him, though, so she felt the need to sling some mud. He'd said some nasty things about her when they were younger, too, but not so much anymore. Now he just wanted to feel her soft skin against his again. Her lips near his ear, whispering his name in hot, heavy breaths. Maybe he was a fool, for wanting such a thing. It was more about the sex, though. He thought they could be a fantastic team when it came to ruling the pack. He thought she was absolutely perfect, from her golden hair to her long, toned legs. And no pointy chin in between, he declared internally, looking toward Adrianna.

There was that scowl again. Always a sour face. Helena always smiled. He tried to remember how beautiful she'd looked with that smile, that little laugh. It never seemed quite genuine, but it had been getting there. He'd felt good about it. That maybe they could stop hating each other. Then again, it'd been his fault that the mood spoiled. He'd avoided what he wanted to tell her, hoping to drag it out over the next few days. Ludolph planned on telling her things, he really did. He studied her as her face tightened, then softened a bit. Her answer was reasonable. Ludolph slipped his hands into his pockets and sighed. Since she kept a quiet, even tone, he didn't feel attacked. He felt bad, of course, but he didn't think she was insulting him. He wouldn't believe it either coming from someone like him. "And that's why I wanted to take you to Nina's in the first place," he admitted. Just because he smelled Nina on her, and knew she'd been with the pups, didn't mean he was lying. She'd been intrested at the idea of the wolf babes, so he thought while they were there he could get her to talk to Nina. It'd be more informative than talking to him, anyway. Even as a child the transformation hadn't been all that bad. But he'd seen Nina's.

With a little laugh he followed her into the house. "Yeah? How'd you like that?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at her as he grabbed some fruit from the counter. He brought it to the table and rolled an apple her way, biting into his own. "They can be a bit of a handful. I'm sure she enjoyed the company. Lucien's been out a lot lately. He's working on some stuff for us," he mentioned, purposefully remaining vague. Adrianna wasn't allowed to know the details of the meeting. Hell, Ludolph had been surprised that he was. "They're cute little things, though. Even in their human forms. She's a good mother, too. Knew she would be from the day Lucien introduced me to her. I always thought there'd been something a tiny bit wolfish about her as a human, to be honest," he continued, waving the bitten apple around as he spoke.

Bringing it back toward his lips he noticed how the air browned it around his teeth marks. Sliding his teeth back into it, he felt the sweet and slightly sour juices flow into his mouth. It was nice and juicy, picked from a neighbors group of trees. He grew silent as he ate it, chewing pensively. Blue eyes stared at the table and he tried to figure out what to say to her. He still didn't like her. Didn't want to ever like her. But he did have a responsibility. True. Nina and Helena took care of most of it for him, but he felt a little wary at that, too. Helena would tell Adrianna anything if it meant it gave her the upper hand. Her conniving nature, to him, was also part of her sex appeal.

"So now that you know what'll be happening, I guess you don't have any questions for me, huh?" he asked. Ludolph almost sounded disappointed. But it was a better way, he thought, to figure out what they'd told her than to outright ask. That might sound skeptical or bitter. He was both, of course. He now knew why Wilhelm had looked like that. Helena broke the rules. She truly thought he'd be such a bad sire that she nearly took his place. Ludolph could't decide if he should applaud her efforts or go beat her up. When initiating a fight with a woman, though, it was always important to change into wolf form first. Or, better yet, don't initiate a fight with a woman, he reconsidered. But if he got close to her maybe she'd remember what a good time they'd had and one thing could lead to another.

Still, he'd neglected Adrianna enough for one day, hadn't he? "I also thought you would've wanted to figure some things out on your own," he mentioned, chewing through some more apple. "You're accustomed to doing things for yourself, aren't you? So I thought it only made sense you'd want to be independent and do you own thing. I'd just be there if you needed me," he explained with a shrug. It was the closest thing to a compliment that he'd be able to give her. Unless they spoke about the way she looked. Because even know, with Helena in the back of his mind, he couldn't stop looking at Adrianna. His eyes just ate her up in that sweet ivory dress. If only she'd stop scowling so much. If only.

What big eyes you have,
The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad.
What full lips you have.
They're sure to lure someone bad.

xxxxxx

What a big heart I have, the better to love you with.
Little Red Riding Hood even bad wolves can be good.
I'll try to be satisfied just to walk close by your side.
Maybe you'll see things my way before we get to grandma's place.