Night Academy II

[Pirateprincessporkchop]

“Anyone who tries to say that clearly hasn’t hung out around you very long,”
"Clearly," Trent grinned in response, though his eyes wandered to her hand. He wondered... would she get pissed if he took it in his? It wasn't as if he was trying to force a kiss on her, but...
What would she think?
He thought about it for a moment, and, timidly, he reached out and took her hand in his loosely so that she may pull away if she wished.

“We’re working on it….I got in touch with some old friends who are trustworthy,”
"Okay, you just call me if you need anything."

“Doesn’t seem that you are this very moment,”
"She needed a rest," Gage replied with a slight snarl as his eyes wandered over to Jeremy's feet, clearly making sure that the dark haired werewolf was not encroaching into his territory. He had no hard feelings towards Jeremy, but it was clear that he and Renata had sex - the two of them reeked of each other and bodily fluids.
To be honest... it enraged Gage. He had waited too ******** long in an effort to give Renata the space and time she needed to adjust to her new life, and now Jeremy had gone and claimed her for himself.
Gage's eyes flickered with jealousy, and it was clear in his eyes WHY he was angry.
Jeremy had chosen the wrong day to claim Renata as his own.
“….Gage….we used to be like brothers… and I miss that,”
"Aw, Jeremy, that's really sweet..." Gage replied, but his voice held a low snarl in it. "Why don't I get us a ******** tea party set so we can discuss our 'feelings'?" His gaze held Jeremy's. He still cared for Jeremy's well being. He was fond of the other wolf, and he also missed their old relationship, but right now, he felt bitter. As always, Jeremy was the favorite. "You're a sikla and I STILL come second to you. How the ******** do you manage that, Jeremy?" He stepped towards the dark haired wolf, danger in his eyes. "You weren't around to help her learn to shift. You weren't there to teach her how to hunt, how to protect yourself. You weren't THERE comforting her whenever the Seramos scared her into submission, and picked up the pieces when her reality came apart. Yet you STILL won the girl."
Beside Jeremy, Renata was silent, but as Gage came closer to her boyfriend, the she-wolf stepped forward, blocking him from getting closer to Jeremy.
"Because your leaders forbade him!" she snarled, her eyes dangerous. "Gage, Jeremy is here asking for your friendship again and all you're doing is faulting him for something that was beyond control! I've loved him for awhile now. And I thank you for being there for me when I needed you, but I wanted it to be Jeremy that was there!"
Gage went quiet, but as he drew back, the pain in his eyes was clear to see.
"... so that's it, isn't it? I don't mean s**t to you."
"I never said that."
"It's heavily implied, and you might not want to admit it, but you pretty much spelled it out." The silver haired wolf shook his head but looked to Jeremy. "A ******** sikla... and I still stand in your shadow." He turned away. "Leave. Both of you. I'm done."
Always... always he was second to Jeremy. Jeremy was always the stronger one, the more clever one... Gage was always close to being on par with him, but never did he quite make it. Jeremy was the one who was going to be alpha someday while Gage was destined to be a lackey... even now as a sikla, Jeremy held more power and respect than Gage.
And love, apparently.
Gage never told him, but it was always something that bugged him about their relationship. He loved Jeremy, but at the same time, loathed him because when they were together... no one ever saw Gage. They only saw Jeremy.
It was only the Seramos who ever took notice, but Gage knew why they chose him over Jeremy...
He was the follower. Not the leader like Jeremy.
And that knowledge drove Gage to both hate Jeremy and his own simplicity.
"Renata, the Seramos will get you when they need you, but you are no longer welcome in my territory."

[GemSola]

Ruby would blush faintly when Trent carefully took her hand, the second their skin touched she felt a slight spark of static electricity. Though she seemed to suddenly grow shy at the small gesture she still did not pull her hand away.

"Okay, you just call me if you need anything."
“Thank you Cook,” Zack said sounding relieved.


Jeremy was silent as Gage let out his anger. He did not even blink at the dangerous glare his former friend was giving him. Not that he didn’t see Gage as a threat that is, he knew just how skilled the other male was, but instinct and his training taught him to not show fear towards a potential opponent, and if Renata hadn’t stepped in when she had Jeremy did not doubt for a second that him and Gage would have been exchanging blows.
In their years of friendship Jeremy had never seen Gage as anything but an equal. And though he could not say he knew the full extent of what Gage had to go through, he knew that people paid more attention to him and his friend. And that did drive Jeremy crazy, it frustrated him when people only noticed Gage when they were comparing the two of them together, it frustrated Jeremy that they did not seem to see the skill that the silver haired wolf truly held when he saw it so clear himself. Many a time he tried to subtly step back and praised Gage’s own assets in order to take the attention off of himself even just a bit.
All for nothing it seemed….
Looks like any chances of the two of them rekindling their old friendship were gone, and worse, Renata was about to lose a friend in the process. All because Renata chose him instead. It literally was taking Jeremy all of his will power to point out that Gage HAD apparently just slept with someone else, all while claiming to have feelings for Renata….but he thought it would be smarter to just keep his mouth shut on that matter.
"Renata, the Seramos will get you when they need you, but you are no longer welcome in my territory."
“Gage….” Jeremy said slowly, carefully weighing his words before he spoke. “…think about this….please…”

When Tamra heard Renata and Jeremy at the door she would have gotten out of the tub and with a towel wrapped firmly around her quickly snuck out of the backroom and into the room she and Renata shared, staying just out of sight of the three other wolves as she moved.
As she dried off and dressed she could hear every word that was exchanged between the three of them through the walls as if she were right next to them, and with each word she felt her insides twist as a rainbow of emotions rushed through her.
First she couldn’t help by sympathize with Gage as he went on saying how he once again came in as second best when it came between him and the other guy. How could she not feel at least a little pity at that?
Though that pity soon would morph into annoyance at Gage’s reaction. So she chose another guy? That was her right. Yes, Gage may have done a lot for her but that under no circumstances meant she was required to like him in the way he wished. She did not owe him a relationship because of that.
She could not help the fact that she did not feel any romantic feelings towards Gage anymore that she could help how she felt towards the other male there. That and Renata was not some damn prize to be earned or won! She had her own feelings that needed to be taken into consideration, and Gage should really think about that being getting all butthurt about her own personal choice!
Finally would be a strange and unfamiliar combination of anger and hurt.
Here he was getting all mad that Renata wanted to be with another guy who was not him, and yet Gage had seemed to have forgotten that he practically JUST had sex with her not that long ago….
Seemed kind of hypocritical to her.
Yes, she knew that Gage did not care for her in the way and that he liked Renata…and so Tamra did not expect anything from their little fling. She wasn’t stupid, nor did worry since she did not see Gage in the way. She knew he’d eventually truly let on to his lovey dovey feeling to Renata….but she didn’t expect that right after he had sex with her (Sex HE initiated!)…with her being within hearing distance.
It made her feel like she was….well, used.
Tamra knew she shouldn’t feel hurt over that…but she did.
Good to know her own feelings meant THAT much…
As she was drying off as these thoughts ran through her head they started to drift off into an even more depressing territory.
Had Gage even really seen her as they were doing it, or was he imagining her as Renata since he clearly liked her that much (which…if he did he really shouldn’t have had sex with her….it wasn’t fair and really made no sense...). That of course made her feel even MORE used and disposable. The girl he really wanted wasn’t there and available, so he had to settle for the next best thing….her.
And once again, she was something that could simply be tossed away…looks like that pattern just kept on going…

[Pirateprincessporkchop]

Trent waited for her to pull away, but as she blushed in that adorable manner of hers and kept her hand in his, the male wolf smiled wide before he gently tightened his hold on her hand until their fingers were laced together firmly. He lifted her hand and carefully kissed her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Listen, I gotta go. Be careful out there... and I'll try to get some bears to rally behind you two. We will be there, whatever happens."
And with that, Cook hung up the phone.

"How's Cook doing?" Beth asked as Zack hung up the phone. Larka was in her arms, napping.

“Gage …think about this….please…”
"If she wants to be with you, let her go with you," Gage replied quietly. "Just... leave me alone."

[GemSola]

Ruby’s blush would deepen a shade as Trent raised her hand to his lips, her skin would be practically soft as silk against his lips.

"How's Cook doing?"
“He’s doing well,” Zack replied as he pocketed his phone. “He’s going to spread a warning among the other werebears so that they have a heads up of what may happen,”

"If she wants to be with you, let her go with you. Just... leave me alone."
Jeremy knew that he should argue, but the dark haired young man would shut his mouth. He knew Gage was upset and hurt, and he also knew just how stubborn he could be. Nothing would change his mind…tonight at least. Any arguing he or Renata would do would only make things worse.
It would be better for them to do as he wanted for now so that he would have time to sort things his feelings and think about things.
So, with that Jeremy would say not a word as he gently took Renata’s hand and gently started to lead her away.

[Pirateprincessporkchop]

"I like you, Ruby," came Trent's low voice as his eyes looked to her with tenderness. "A lot. I know it's sudden... I didn't want to freak you out before, but I... I needed to tell you. If you don't feel the same, that's okay. I will keep mentoring you and keep you safe. I won't try anything. But if you do like me, know that I WILL be loyal to you and treat you like the goddess you are."

Blu stretched out beside Connor, the female wolf yawning before pressing her lips against her darling's mouth. They had just had a busy night of love making (of course, after she had asked to join the pack and she had been accepted, they had gone to find somewhere more... private. She didn't want to scar the pups permanently). The beautiful girl laced her fingers against his, their palms pressed firmly against each other.
"I love you, Conner."

“He’s going to spread a warning among the other werebears so that they have a heads up of what may happen,”
"That's good," Beth replied with a nod. "If what my grandmother said was true, then this will give us an advantage." One that they desperately needed, but Beth did not voice it even if they both knew it. Some things were better left unspoken. "We should find an apartment to stay in. I know there's a few abandoned buildings nearby that we can clean up. We should probably mark our own territory. It'd also be a home base for us and your friends." She shook her head. "Dammit, I wish I had people to back me up." She smiled sadly. "You'd be a great leader, you know. You have the heart for it."

Renata said nothing as Jeremy began to tug her away from Gage, but the she-wolf lingered at the door for a moment more, her eyes pleading at Gage to please try to understand... and to try not to let his hurt cloud his judgment.
She was met with cold eyes, and her heart sank.
With a tiny bow of her head to the wolf who had helped her through so much, Renata followed Jeremy out to the night and darkness, her body shaking with fear.
She no longer knew where she stood, and she wondered what the Seramos wolf leading Jeremy's pack would think if he saw one of the newly made mutts join the pack with the Sikla as her mate. Would he take it out on Jeremy? On her? Or on both of them?
"Jeremy..." her voice whispered, cracked and dry. "I'm so sorry... I just lost you the chance you had with Gage... I... I didn't know how he felt..." She raised her head to look at him, her eyes bright with tears threatening to spill at any moment. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Gage stalked around his apartment for a bit, but with every minute that passed, his rage grew and grew until he couldn't take it any more.
It hurt to be second best and forgotten, it did... but Renata's words cut him deep. He could move on with her choosing Jeremy over him... if she made her choice, fine, but she didn't even want to acknowledge what he had done for her. She did not want to acknowledge that he had been there for her through thick and thin... no, she just wanted it to have been Jeremy.
Had he just been a replacement?
As he turned to stalk the same route back again, the wolf found himself stopping near Tamra's door. He couldn't really judge Renata...
Hadn't he just done the same thing to Tamra?
He knew, as a wolf, that it was only sex, and that any other she-wolf would have acknowledged it and known it was not emotional in the least. She had been in heat, he had been aroused. It was a mutual ********.
But, Tamra wasn't just any she-wolf... she was a newly turned mutt who held on tightly to her human beliefs, and even if she was one of those girls who liked to get around...
Gage knocked on her door.
"Tamra," he called out to her as he knocked again. "Can I please talk to you?"

[GemSola]

Ruby flush would deepen as she listened to Trent’s words, the she-wolf feeling suddenly stupid that she had no idea of Trent’s feelings for her until now. How could they have lived together for months and her not even notice a slight hint?! Was she that blind?
…on second thought she may not want to know the answer to that.
The young woman would just sit in her seat for several moments, a look of pure surprise on her face as she looked a Trent.
Then, slowly, she would lean in across the table and lightly brush her lips against his in answer.

"I love you, Conner."
Conner would smile wide upon hearing those words before he leaned up and captured her mouth in hers once again, the kiss sweet and tender. “I love you too Blu,”


"We should find an apartment to stay in. I know there's a few abandoned buildings nearby that we can clean up. We should probably mark our own territory. It'd also be a home base for us and your friends."
At that Zack would nod in agreement. They needed to get shelter and get out from the open and now. That and the rest for both of them was very much needed at this point.
"Dammit, I wish I had people to back me up. You'd be a great leader, you know. You have the heart for it."
Zack would lightly kiss his mate’s forehead as she cursed herself for not being able to add to their currently small ranks. “Don’t worry about it love,” he said softly as he wrapped his arm around her waist. “First things first…lets find those buildings you mentioned ok?”


"Jeremy... I'm so sorry... I just lost you the chance you had with Gage... I... I didn't know how he felt... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
As soon as Jeremy saw the tears threatening to spill from Renata Jeremy’s eyes widened as he quickly wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close to him.
“Shh…..shh…..it’s not your fault Ren….it’s not your fault,” he said soothingly as he rubbed small gently circles along her back in effort to calm her. “I’m sure Gage will come around…he’s just upset right now and needs some time to cool off is all,”

Tamra would keep herself niiice and safe in the room as she heard Gage prowling around the rest of the apartment. As much as she hated being stuck in a single room she would rather that than to go out there and risk Gage snapping. And when it became clear he wasn’t going to stop his pacing anytime soon the girl let out a soft sigh as she started to change into her pajamas.
Might as well TRY to get some sleep if she was gonna be stuck in there. That is if her wolf let her calm down enough to do so. Though the human part of her knew that Gage would not hurt her, the wolf part still couldn’t help but feel uneasy at having only a door separating it from a very pissed off alpha worthy male.
She would have been just about to settle down when she heard the knock.
"Tamra. Can I please talk to you?"
Hmm….oh how tempted she was to just ignore him and to pretend to have fallen asleep so that he would leave her be, though she was pretty sure he knew that she was most certainly still awake.
Better to get whatever talk he wanted to have over with. So, taking a small breath she forced herself to her feet and opened the bedroom door. She said nothing as she stood in the doorframe, waiting for him to say whatever it was he was going to.

[Pirateprincessporkchop]

Trent kept silent as he waited for Ruby's reaction, the wolf feeling anxiety rise up like a viper, threatening to strike.
s**t, he shouldn't have told her... he had probably frightened her now... why did he think it was a good idea?
As he watched her, his eyes would be alarmed as she began to move. Was she leaving? Had he really insulted her that much?
He kept still as he watched her, but as she moved closer to him, his body would visibly relax before their lips met softly. With a tenderness he would touch her cheek, his lips tasting hers.
They were like honey.

"I love you too, Blu."
It was all she ever needed to hear.
Blu wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a tender nuzzle to the neck, a croon vibrating from her throat.
She was finally healed. She finally felt okay.

It took awhile, but they finally found a small apartment complex that was abandoned but in good enough condition where they could live in relative safety. The front door lock had to be picked, but Zack seemed to have no issue with it (sometimes Beth forgot that he was a former hooligan until there were moments like this). After replacing the lock once they were safely inside, the two began to investigate their new found home.
It was perfect.
It took them very little time to clean up a space for them and their little Larka. Speaking of who... she needed to nurse.
Beth sank down in an old armchair, the springs creaking beneath her slight weight. In her bundle, Larka cooed happily and gurgled, causing Beth to smile before she lowered her shirt enough for the baby to latch on and greedily nurse. A sigh escaped the young mother before she looked up to her mate with relief.
"Home..." she whispered with a smile.

“I’m sure Gage will come around…he’s just upset right now and needs some time to cool off is all,”
In his arms, Renata felt herself begin to unwind, her eyes slowly closing as she breathed in Jeremy's scent. Her muscles relaxed and the tears ceased.
As she breathed quietly and listened to his heartbeat. She nuzzled him lovingly, but as she did so, Gage's words came back to her.
That the Seramos would find her when they needed her.
... Needed her?
She thought they only kept her so that she could be properly trained and introduced to the werewolf society. Renata was fine now - she had acclimated so quickly that even Gage had said she was a natural born werewolf in a formerly human body. So, why didn't they let her go sooner? And why were there so many mutts being created? When it began, it made sense, but why was it still happening?
It didn't make sense unless... unless the Seramos needed the mutts for something... something dangerous.
"Jeremy... I'm scared," she whispered into his shirt before she looked up at him. "There's something going on... I don't know what it is. Why are the Seramos so interested in mutts? I... I don't understand it. Gage let it slip the other day that other members of the pack have a few more... they won't let them see their families or friends. Why? Why are they doing this?"

Gage was silent for a moment as Tamra finally opened the door, her eyes peering out at him. It was clear that she had been hurt... it was so obvious, and he didn't blame her.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, and lowered his gaze, submitting to her. "I'm so sorry. I... I let it get too far. I was weak, and I should have controlled myself better. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you, and I shouldn't have acted like you didn't matter when Ren was here." He looked to her, his eyes sincere. "You do matter. I understand if you hate me now... it's fine, but don't think that I won't keep protecting you from the dangers outside."

[GemSola]

Ruby would feel a faint flush rise into her cheeks as their lips met, the sudden warmth reminding her to keep the kiss light and short this time, she was aware that very annoying heat time was fast approaching for her, and as much as she did trust Trent and his control, she did not wish to have to make the upcoming week harder on him than it had to be.

A tender expression crossed over Zack face as he looked at his mate and their little one relaxing. A slow smile spreading over his face.
"Home..."
“Home,” he said in agreement.

"Jeremy... I'm scared. There's something going on... I don't know what it is. Why are the Seramos so interested in mutts? I... I don't understand it. Gage let it slip the other day that other members of the pack have a few more... they won't let them see their families or friends. Why? Why are they doing this?"
A look of concern fill Jeremy’s expression as he took in Renata’s words. This was one development that he did not know about (not like the Seramos would tell him anything that is…). “I don’t know Ren….I really don’t know. Something has seemed off about this from the start, others have thought so too….and we still have no idea…but we damn well plan on finding out,”

Tamra would be completely floored by Gage actually submitting to her. Sure, the girl was feeling a bit smug about it, but the wolf within was practically screeching about how well, wrong it was. That this was not how it was done. An alpha would and should NEVER submit to a lowly omega like her.
She would listen in silence as he gave his pretty little apology before she would speak herself.
“Las time I checked it took two to tango,” she said a bit drily. “I wasn’t exactly forced to do anything was I? I had chances to say no, and I didn’t. Nor did I fight it,” she went on, her cheeks coloring slightly. “And as I recall I was the one who started to clothing removal,” she concluded with a shrug, as if saying, in her own vague way not to beat himself up over the little thing that went on between them. For a moment it would seem as if she were done talking, but then she continued.
“I knew it meant nothing. I know it means nothing,” she stated calmly. “I knew you had feelings for Renata…and don’t look so surprised. You may have done a good job trying to hide it from HER, but whenever she wasn’t around or wasn’t looking it showed clearly on your face.” She added matter of factly. “I was aware of what I was going into,” she finished.
Not once would she mention or hint at the fact that he had really just treated her like he thought Ren treated him. Not once would she accuse him of using her then tossing her to the side, or going on about her thoughts on how he reacted to Renata choosing another guy over him. Human or werewolf it wasn’t her place to say her own thoughts unless specifically asked. It was none of her business so therefore she would not openly comment about it.

[Pirateprincessporkchop]

Trent smiled as he pressed his forehead against Ruby's, his fingers lightly brushing the hair out of her cheek.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered before he gently pressed his lips to her forehead.

Beth yawned, the exhaustion of the journey finally hitting her as she leaned back in her chair, feeling her little one nursing in her arms. This was the first time in awhile that she felt completely at ease, and right now, it felt as if the future wasn't so bleak.
If things went well for them, then their little Larka would have a safe and happy childhood.
"Zack," Beth whispered as she glanced up at her mate, her gaze loving. "... I love you, so much. I just wanted to tell you because I know I don't say it enough but..." Her cheeks flushed. "I never thought I would love anyone as much as I love you and now... now we have Larka, and... she's everything now, you know?" Her smile was meek as she held his eyes. "If it wasn't for my family, everything would be perfect. THIS is my paradise."

“I don’t know Ren….I really don’t know. Something has seemed off about this from the start, others have thought so too….and we still have no idea…but we damn well plan on finding out,”
"How?" she whispered, Ren's gaze haunted. "They're so damn strong, Jer."

Gage said nothing but instead kept his gaze away from her. He honestly didn't know how to respond to her... for the first time in a very long time, he felt extremely vulnerable, and that was all due to this girl. She knew his bullshit, and she could easily call him out on it... she simply refused to do so.
Why?
Instead.... he walked out.
Oh he was such a ******** coward... he was so afraid of her saying to him what he knew was the absolute truth.
That he had just treated her like Renata had treated him... that he was the lowest scum.
His gut twisted and turned at the thought of what he had done to this girl, despite how she tried to alleviate the guilt from him. Instead, he shifted and took a much needed run. He ran and ran all of that night until he nearly collapsed from exhaustion. Quietly, the white wolf curled up under a tree and sighed to close his eyes and take a much needed rest, but as he was ready to drift off... he heard the faintest little sniffle.
Curious, the wolf opened one eye, the gold orb gleaming in the moonlight as he directed his gaze towards a nearby shrub. It was moving, as if something dwelled inside its branches. He watched it for a minute, unsure of how to proceed, but after a moment, decided that he needed to figure out what was in there.
Gage approached the shrub warily, the wolf's ears perked forward as he quietly padded towards it. The sniffles inside continued, followed by a hiccup of what could only be a child. The wolf peeked inside, and as he suspected, he found a child. It was a little boy, no older than three, with a mop of curly bark hair and the biggest chocolate eyes he had ever seen. On his chubby little arm there was the scar of a wolf bite, and before Gage's eyes, he saw the terrified child morph into a little brown wolf pup. The puppy whimpered and shook as he looked to Gage.
The white wolf glanced around, wondering where the little one's mother could be... there was no trail besides the pup's leading here. He was alone, and obviously hungry and scared.
With a small groan, Gage stuck his head further into the bush as he sniffed the pup, his nose very gently prodding the brown fur. After a moment, the pup seemed to relax and even licked Gage's nose, making the white wolf pull his head quickly back in a startle. The pup wagged his tail so hard that his butt wiggled.
Gage looked to the pup... he couldn't leave him here alone. Especially considering it was clear... this pup was a mutt. He had never seen one so young, it was shocking. But, what made it more so was the nature of the bite. Usually the bites were more gruesome... the scars always remained. But this one?
It was so clean as if the lycan that changed this pup had done it conscientiously... it was so gentle.
This was not a crazed wolf that did this to the kid. Obviously someone wanted him changed, and probably stayed with him during the change, but where was this person now?
Had he abandoned the pup? Had he been killed? What was going on here?
He'll take him home, and in the morning, he would figure out who the pup's guardian was, and see if there was any way to take him safely back to that guardian.
With a huff, Gage lowered his head and wrapped his teeth as gently as he could around the pup. He was so small that it was easy. The pup yawned as Gage carried him back to the apartment, and by the time the lycan reached his home, the pup was fast asleep.
Gage shifted so that he may open his door, and as he entered with the pup in his arms, he felt just a little less horrible.
As if he did something right.

[GemSola]

"You're so beautiful,"
Ruby’s faint blush would deepen a bit more at the sweet comment and gesture, the poor girl suddenly becoming shy.


"If it wasn't for my family, everything would be perfect. THIS is my paradise."
A soft smile would cross over Zack’s face as he listened to Beth go on about how she loved him. Even if she never said the worse aloud Zack would still know how deeply she felt for him, he was able to see it in her eyes as well as every little movement and gesture she makes around him. Even if she ever wished to deny those deep feelings one would be able to tell how she truly felt.
In response the male would lean down and lightly kiss her forehead. “I love you too love…you’re my world. You and our Larka,”

"How? They're so damn strong, Jer."
“….I don’t know yet,” Jeremy responded as he pulled her into a tight hug, his arms warm and protective around her. “But there is a way…there has to be,”

When Gage would re enter the apartment the scent of cold macaroni and cheese. Not too long after he had just run out of her, leaving her on her on Tamra had been so tempted leave as well to go out for a run of her own, heat or no heat. But, then she thought better of it. Not because it would have made Gage angry of course, she was already in her pajamas and to settle down, and really didn’t feel like changing to go out.
Instead she did decided to take this little alone time to allow herself some open and uncensored self pity time. So, she made up a nice big batch of one of her favorite comfort foods, dug out a day old cupcake and a candle, and took out the scrap book and had managed to drag from her previous home before she was forever barred from it.
What better way to see out her birthday that to remember what existence she had before being bit. To remember what had been and what could have been if she had never been attacked.
In the time she had spent staying there she didn’t doubt that Gage and Renata had seen the album in passing, though she never ever would have shared the contents of it with them. She always seemed to go out of her way to not share any more information about her life before than necessary. What was the point after all? She was supposed to let go of all that s**t about being human now so why should she share details about her past human life?
Never mind the fact that is was painful for her to even consider talking about. She had such a bright future ahead of her, so much promise. Sure, her parents had never been perfect, even when she was human, but she had great friends, a boyfriend had decent grades, and was an upcoming track star. She would have graduated this coming spring from high school and chosen what college she was going to go to. Hell, she had even been on her way towards a full ride scholarship if she had done well with her track team that season.
All that was gone now because she went on her evening jog to get ready for track season. All those years of work and dedications wasted.
What would any of that matter now? Not like any wolf was gonna give a s**t about any of that now. So she saw no point of bringing it up, or any of her previous life. All that Renata or Gage would have gotten from her was the her was depressed about her situation and that her parents now didn’t give a rats a** about her (she chose to not fill them in on just how far the abandonment from her old friends and the rest of her family extended).
As she had been flipping through the album, eating a bowl of mac and cheese and her “cake” she had at some point shifted without meaning to and had stayed stuck in that form. No matter how hard she tried she had been unable to shift back for the rest of the night. Meaning she did not get a chance to put the rest of the pan of mac and cheese away nor wash the dishes. She had not even been able to get back to her room (CURSE NOT HAVING THUMBS!). Meaning the pretty little she-wolf was stuck curling up in a corner and falling asleep there.
She barely even stirred when Gage would walk in with the new little pup in tow.

[Pirateprincessporkchop]

((Trying to figure out how we can get the conspiracy to begin xD I think we are at the point where we are gonna need more action ^^))

[Pirateprincessporkchop]

Gage said nothing as he found Tamra in her wolf form. He could have woken her up; he could have decided to humiliate her about her inability to control how and when she shifted, but he didn't. Instead, he put the pup on his bed to sleep before he returned to Tamra and easily picked up the she-wolf in his arms. He cradled her like a baby before he carried her to her bed, making sure to keep himself from jostling her too much. When he was sure she slept peacefully, he closed the door and walked quietly away. In the morning, Tamra would find her mac n' cheese put away and all her dishes washed. Gage would say not a word to her. After that, he would speak to her little if at all as he placed his attention to the pup and made sure the kid didn't annoy Tamra too much. If she wanted to talk to him... well, he was there for whenever she needed him, but he wouldn't force her to talk to him.
He didn't deserve her acknowledgement.

Things would remain quiet in the city for awhile. Though there were still some mutt attacks, they weren't as frequent as before. It seemed that, for now, there could be some peace, and the Seramos soldiers did well in their patrols and keeping the general population out of harm. In fact, it seemed that the storm had blown over.
But, it was not so.
Other wolves suspected that the Seramos were beginning to abuse their power, and as always in revolutions, they began to speak. First, it was only a whisper. A word here and there, carried away by the wind before anyone could even know it was there in the beginning. Soon, it became a murmur as more and more wolves joined in, then it became a discussion...
Now it was becoming a howl amongst the discontented wolves, and at the head of this movement was a wolf that, like Zack, came from a harsh background.
Dean stood at the precipice of the city's slums. Here, the wolves outcast from their packs rested. All have been pushed out from their pack for different reasons: competition for mates, disobedience, disagreements... anything like that. There were even some wolves that deserted their packs willingly since the Seramos began to plant in their little minions in the packs. There was even rumor that some of the alphas that were not "replaced" in the packs were Seramos pets all along. Who knew how long the great pack had been threatening to take them all under their rule?
It was unsettling.
Well... Dean had a plan. These wolves were loyal to him, despite the fact that he had been a thief in the past. He once ran a successful circle of thieves and city-mercenaries. Any time a drug lord needed some extra man power... well, he would know where to go for wolf fighters to protect his turf in exchange for drugs and money. It had been a small operation at first, but Dean had been clever. He never touched the drugs - they would numb his mind and make him dull. He made friends everywhere, and created enemies within those friends so that they would compete for his loyalty. His group was made of the most skilled thieves and fighters, and they were all loyal to him. Anyone who challenged him would find him a skilled champion, and he was quick to prune his ranks of those who would dare oppose him in the future.
Hell, he even gave the drug lords a run for their money when it seemed that he would soon push them out of the turf and make his own drugs... the only reason the Seramos left him alone was because they profited from his businesses... and they promised their daughter to him.
Beth was beautiful, and she was going to be his.
To bad his second had to go and run off. Dean had been fond of Zack.... very fond of him. But, of course, Zack had to grow a conscience and left the group. Of course, Zack never knew that his partner had been the head of the Shadows - Dean made sure of that. It shouldn't have hurt him so much when Zack left, but it did. They were part of the same coin - both of them had the same viciousness in their nature, the same wile. But, Zack became soft... he became a ******** waiter, for Fenris sake!
More than once, Dean had entertained the idea of having Zack meet some unfortunate accident. He missed his friend, but he feared the rival that Zack could become if that conscience left him again... but he never issued the order. He was content to wait and watch, and see what happened.
How funny it was to hear that Zack had left with his to-be mate. Beth had never known Dean was her intended - in fact, he was sure she never noticed the tattooed wolf with the piercing gaze that would sometimes attend the Seramos events. Why should she?
But, she would notice him now.... and she would choose him over that weakling.
"What are the orders, sir?" one of his officers asked him. The officer was a small female with cropped purple hair, her face pierced in several places. Her eyes lingered on his face as she waited for his words.
Dean took his time as he inhaled his cigarette, his eyes going skyward.
"Keep the scouts busy. Have them keep watching the city.... watch the wolves, see who is whose side. We need to find those loyal to Beth Seramos."
"Why would we need HER?" the female growled in irritation.
"Because we are going to make her the head of the Seramos pack." He looked to her. "Attack the wolf packs discreetly. Make it seem like the Seramos are ******** up - people are already pissed, we need them to turn against the current regime. When they hear that sweet Beth is fighting against her parents, well, they will back her up. After all, she's the princess that dared defy her parents and run off with a lone wolf. We need to make her into THEIR princess."
"I still don't understand how that benefits YOU, sir."
"There will be plenty of battles... and plenty of opportunity for Zack to meet an unfortunate demise. When that happens, Beth will need someone at her side, someone that both she and Zack trusted." He grinned. "Tonight, Zack will get to play the hero. We know he likes to hunt in the area around the apartment they're holed up in. Get the former Seramos guards. They're gonna beat me up real nice in view of him. He's going to save me, and since I will be BADLY hurt and he is my friend, he will take me in. They're going to nurse me back to health, and when they feel they can truly trust me, they will ask for my aid. I will give them the wolves they need to support them, and they are going to be so damn grateful that I will be one of the people in their innermost circle. That's when we make our move. Now." He blew out some smoke as he flicked away his butt. "Get things ready."
"Yes, sir."

[GemSola]

While Tamra would hardly give Gage the silent treatment she wouldn’t exactly be chatting with him as if they were suddenly besties. Sure, they had sex, but that did not change their relationship. Or at least that was what she told herself whenever she felt the sting of him not talking to her. It would take a lot of willpower to keep her from babbling to him whenever the silence started to become unbearable. Communication was a two way street after all, she shouldn’t be responsible for every single conversation between them.
And things did not help with the arrival of the little kid. Whenever the kid approached her for anything she would suddenly grow awkward (though she was proud of the fact that she was not rude to him). While Gage may have been good with him Tamra had absolutely zero experience when it came to children in general due to being an only child and the youngest of all her cousin. She just had no god damn clue on how to act with them….and oh did it show. Not that that seemed to matter much, Gage seemed to be doing what he could to keep the kid away from her and help the little thing adjust.
It really stung her already battered pride to see that a freakin’ KID was having an easier time adjusting than she was….where was the damned justice in the universe?!
Most of her new alone time she did try to go over what Gage had taught her so far on her own (not like she had anything else productive to do really…), and even with that extra time put in she still had improved very little. Currently Tamra would be in her room attempting to practice her shifting. She had left her door open the slightest bit in case she DID managed to shift so she would have a means to actually be able to leave the small room. She had already been at the painful process for some time, and had so far had no luck. She would manage to start to change, to have her bones crunch and her muscles start to reform themselves, but then right when she thought she may be able to make the complete change her body would snap back into her human form and she would be right back to square one again. Her body was covered in a sheen of sweat and her limbs were started to tremble with exghaution and yet she was still pushing herself to make that damn change. Eventually her limbs gave out and she would curl up into a tight ball of the floor, too worn out to go on, silent tears of frustration flowing down her face.

Zack would be right on time leaving his and Beth’s apartment den to hunt for their supper. The young man always leaving just after dark so that he could stick to the shadows, his black fur blending in perfectly and he slunk around looking for food for his family.

As the mutt attacks kept happening Conner found himself growing more and more on edge. Things were DEFINETLY messed up, and if what Zack and Beth had told him and his pack was true….well s**t would hit the fan and hard. It frustrated him that they could not go public with this information just yet, nor was his pack able to openly shelter the two wolves and their pup.
Not when the Seramos still held so much power and influence.
So far they had been trying to get the details to the wolves they felt were on their side and were not plants who would squeal, a process that was taking far more time and effort than he or his father would have liked. But if they were not careful they risked being overthrown and likely taken out and shown as an example of what happened to those who more or less spoke treason.
So when the choice was to either be extra cautious, or death….well it was pretty damn obvious which any SANE person would take.

The recovery of Kayla’s sight would be a slow process and tedious process. She would be able to see just enough to get a vague idea of where things were, but never enough to see them clearly to avoid bumping into absolutely everything, or misjudging distance between things. It would be beyond frustrating for the poor girl, even more frustrating than not having any sight at all. At least when she was completely blind she didn’t feel as if the powers that be were taunting her….
But still, it was gradually growing easier for her to see her surroundings, which was really the only thing keeping her from complaining. Well, that and James being there to help her that was.
Since the attacks of the mutts began Kayla had been keeping an ear out on the reports of the news as well as the rising panic of the general population grew. It was hard not to especially when she remembered the wolf that had tried to attack her and James in the park, and grew even harder to ignore as she felt the tension and worry that happened because of the attacks.
What the hell was going on with all this?

[Pirateprincessporkchop]

Gage had been out most of the day. The wolf had gone out to buy some more groceries to restock the fridge, and to also get little Johnny some new clothes and toys. So far, the tot had been adjusting extremely well to the changes from being turned wolf. Surprisingly... he was doing so much better than Tamra, and it was pretty obvious she knew it.
And it disturbed her.
He wanted to cheer her up, but Gage knew better. She would only be insulted if he tried to make her feel better. It tore him apart, but she was on her own now. He did what he could to teach her, now she had to figure it out on her own. It was up to her now.
Gage entered the apartment, Johnny holding onto his hand. The toddler had been with the lycan for only short amount of time, but the two had immediately bonded. Johnny always had to be near the lycan, and the lycan found himself extremely fond of the little kid.
He knew now that this little pup had wriggled his way into his heart, and goddamn did it piss him off but that ******** mop of curly hair was so damn cute!
Johnny was his son now, in a sense.
There was no other way to describe it.
Gage helped the kiddo out of his coat and hung it up before he called out to Tamra, letting her know they were home. When she did not answer, the lycan began to wander over to the girl's room, ready to knock, but he stopped himself short of rapping on the wood.
She needed her space.
He began to pull away, ready to look away, but then he heard that small whimper.
He paused... would she slap him? He looked to Johnny, who looked back up to him with big, trusting eyes.
Like Johnny, Tamra was his responsibility.
Without knocking, Gage slipped in.
"Tamra?" he called to her softly before he sat by her, a hand gently resting on her back. "Shhhh... tell me what's wrong."

Dean watched from the shadows, his bright amber eyes nearly glowing in the darkness. They were the richest gold, but his right eye contained a sliver of green like a broken shard of emerald. His grandmother had warned his mother that it was an ill omen - that her son would be destined for greatness, but that he would go down a dark path.
Dean had loved his mother and grandmother. His father had never been around, so he had been raised by the two women. When his grandmother died, he had dedicated himself to protecting his mother...
He had failed her that day her ex boyfriend carved her open in front of ten year old Dean. A year later, that wolf found himself in a very similar situation.
As harsh as Dean may be, there was one thing he could NOT stand - unnecessary violence towards the gentler sex. If a female challenged him as an equal, he would fight her, but he would never strike a woman down simply for the pleasure of it. Even if she yelled at him in a fit of anger, Dean would never raise a hand.
It simply was how he was raised.
Beth would have found him to be a fine mate, if she had waited for him. Well... she would find that out, eventually, once Zack was out of the picture.
He waited, making sure Zack was into the hunt, and when he felt the timing was perfect... he let out a piercing wail as he ran out in his wolf form, his deep russet fur nearly black in the night. His lips were pulled back in a snarl as one of the former Seramos guards attacked him. It was like a dance as the guards closed in on Dean, their lips pulled back and their teeth bared as they forced the lone wolf against a wall. Dean was badly bleeding as he fought back desperately, but with a yelp he fell as one of the guards leaped on him, ready to tear his throat out.

When Blu caught word of how Renata had been thrown out by Gage, the she-wolf had immediately brought the news to Conner, her new alpha and love. Everything about the whole situation with the Seramos was suspicious, and although she understood her love's need for caution, it was frustrating when they saw more and more humans turned into mindless mutts.
It was hard to stand back and watch so many lives get ruined, and every day that they had to put down the crazed mutts, Blu found her heart growing heavier and heavier.
How many men, women, and children had they executed? How many?
Too many.
She crouched on the top of the roof of the pack's apartment building, her blue eyes glazed as she looked out to the city.
Who would die tonight? Who?

James sat back as he looked to the map of the city he had bought a few weeks ago, ever since the media finally caught on to the rising wolf attacks. While most citizens thought it was the result of regular wolves, James knew better. Regular wolves, first of all, would not be in the city. There wasn't enough wilderness to warrant wild animals beyond the occasional coyote to wander in. Besides... if it was an actual wolf or wolves attacking, they would have left a trail. Would have been caught.
So far, nothing.
No, no... this was the work of a werewolf and its accomplices. Why they would be doing this, he had no idea, but he was going to find out.
The demon stroked his chin as he surveyed the map, push pins pressed into the locations of the attacks. He had post-its with dates and victim info pressed in as well, but he was losing room on the map.
So far, he noticed this:
The attackers did not discriminate based off race, gender, or age. Everyone was attacked... BUT, the victims were always... chosen carefully. For awhile, only men with their birthdays in January were attacked. After that, it was women born in February. Then again, men, but this time with March birthdays, then again women with the next month. And so on.
Which made him wonder - did the wolf move on once it successfully changed someone that met the gender and birthday criteria? What sort of quota was it trying to fill?
"This reeks of dark magic...." the demon muttered to himself. "Wolfsbane? No.. that's a legend. Wolfsbane doesn't exist... or does he?"

[GemSola]

Tamra would have been silent as Gage entered her room, the girls head tilted forward so that her hair hid any physical signs of the tears of frustration that kept threatening to spill.
"Tamra? Shhhh... tell me what's wrong."
For a few moments it would seem like she wasn’t going to answer him, but when she did her voice would be barely audible. She would sound so defeated, like she just couldn’t handle it anymore and was about to give up.
“….I can’t shift….”
She knew she needed to, it had been a good while since she had shifted be it purposely or by accident, and it was really started to get to her.
Then as if on cue the muscles under Gage’s hand started to spasm as her tired body tried once again to shift. She felt herself tense up automatically as she started to feel to first waves of pain, but quickly forced herself to relax. Hesitantly she slowly and carefully flexed her arms and legs to try to keep them from locking up again, and forced herself to take slow deep breaths to provide her abused body much needed oxygen as well as to keep panic from setting in. As her bones started to crunch and her body started to shift and morph she closed her eyes and tried to visualize each step of the change in attempt to lead herself through it. The only sign she gave of the pain that started to tear through her would be a hitch in her breathing and the new sheen of sweat on her forehead.
At first things seemed to be going well. She would be progressing at a faster pace than she normally did (though still slower than she should be going), but then it was if she suddenly hit a wall, a little before the half way mark she would just stop, as if she could not go any further. She struggled to keep pushing forward to finish the damn shift, but she just couldn’t do it. Instead her form would quickly and painfully snapped back into human form. The girl biting her lip harm enough to draw blood in order to swallow back the whimper that threatened to rise out of her.

Just like Dean had planned Zack had heard his wail of pain, and it took the wolf no time at all to recognize the scent that reached his sensitive nose. And just like the other male planned Zack did not hesitate to abandon his hunt and to rush in the direction he heard his old friend’s cry come from.
He happened upon the scene right as the guard leapt at the fallen wolf, and with a vicious snarl the black wolf threw himself at the guard, tackling him off of his old buddy and biting deep into his shoulder.
As much as he and Dean had grown apart since he had left if was not in Zack to abandon someone. Despite their differences he just could not leave Dean to be killed, even if he did not know the context for the attack.


Blu would not be alone to dwell on the night to come on her own for long. Conner would approached her from behind, the young alpha allowing himself to make the noise as he walked as to not take her by surprise as he loosely wrapped his arms around her from behind in a hug.

"This reeks of dark magic…Wolfsbane? No.. that's a legend. Wolfsbane doesn't exist... or does he?"
“Wolfbane?” came Kayla’s voice from the doorway, the young woman tilting her head slightly in question. “What’s Wolfbane….? Other than a plant.” She added as she slowly approached, the girl careful of where she stepped. Though her vision had improved enough for her to not be walking face first into walls, she still was wary when she walked on her own. She could manage, but she still at time would misjudge distance of inaminate objects, or lightly bump into things. She could move, but with caution.


After the two mutts had finished their meal at the diner they would have made their way back to the little hidey hole they called home. As they walked Ruby would joke around with Trent, the she-wolf playfully bumping shoulders and “shoving” him. Whenever he would try to “shove” her back she would laugh and try to dance away, grinning like a child at play.
These silly little antics would continue and grow slightly more physical as they approached and entered their little den (though it would never lose it’s playful air).
Once they were safely inside, the goofing around would continue, though it would take a little turn. Ruby wouldn’t be able to remember if it were her or Trent who interrupted their play with a kiss first, or if it had been both of them at the same time, but that one playful kiss would turn into another, and another, and yet another. Each one growing less playful and more deep and passionate.
Next thing Ruby knew was that they were both on her side of the den in her little nest of blankets, the two of the striped down into their under clothes and their limbs intertwined as they kissed. Though things were getting nice and steamy Ruby still would keep enough to of wits to at least keep herself in line. While she was fine and dandy with this she would be unready to go all the way both because it felt too soon for them to have sex and well…she couldn’t speak for Trent but she knew she didn’t have any protection among her things. And one thing she most certainly wasn’t ready to risk would be having a child, especially at her age.

As Mike recovered he still kept seeing Lottie, the angel nothing but sweet to the kind hearted wererabbit. Now that he was doing better with his physical therapy and could do more things on his own Mike was sure to take his wonderful girlfriend out on dates and he spoiled and pampered her like she deserved to be.